Rea – who fights Lyndon Arthur on November 1 – is in attendance and opened up on his special bond with the heroic Hitman.
READ MORE ON RICKY HATTON
He told SunSport: “I was lucky that I did have a good relationship and we were friends.
“But I think so many people, even people that maybe just met him once, maybe people that just got a picture with him once, seeing him in the pub or whatever, because of the way he was, everyone feels like they have that kind of personal connection with him.
“He was just down to earth and he was just one of us at the end of the day, no matter how big he made it.
“I think that’s why it has affected so many people and everyone does kind of feel like they know him in a way because he was so down to earth.
“So it’s been a tough one for me to take. It’s been a tough one for most of the boxing scene to take.”
Despite becoming inseparable, Rea admits the novelty of Hatton’s presence in his life never wore off.
I was last person to interview Ricky Hatton – I was gutted when our chat ended
He said: “It just kind of merged into one. I was with him so much and I’d see him so often and we’d spend so much time together in the gym kind of every day.
“You do kind of forget how big he was, how loved he was, and how many people he had an effect on.
“Then every now and again you’d be out sparring or you’d be walking down a residential street somewhere and you’d go, ‘It’s Ricky.’ You know what I mean?
“It’s not just Rick, this is the Hitman and, yeah every now and again I kind of had to pinch myself a little bit and go, ‘This is Ricky Hatton I’m sat in Nando’s with.’ It was a bit surreal.”
Despite Hatton’s superstardom and unrivalled fanfare – he dreaded ever being looked at as anything other than a working class people’s champion.
Rea said: “He was just one of the boys at the end of the day.
“He was so down to earth and that was why the other side come with it he didn’t think he was better than anyone else.
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Hatton became part of Rea’s corner teamCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
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The two celebrate a victoryCredit: @bradrea_
“He didn’t think he was a superstar and I think they probably go hand in hand, kind of just being so down to earth and then still being taken back by all the support.”
Two-weight world champion Hatton would spend 12 hard weeks preparing for his fights – and the rest of his time down the pub with his friends.
Rea was fortunate enough to have socialised with the boxing great – preferring to leave some of their more chaotic tales forever untold.
He beamed: “Oh, there’s so many. There’s so many but all of them I’m just laughing, I’m smiling because it’s just stupid times, rubbish jokes, cracking rubbish jokes.
“I’m lucky that I got multiple different sides of him. I got him as a coach, I had him as part of my team in my corner. I had him as a friend.
“I’ve been to the football with him. I’ve been out for a beer with him, I’ve been on a weekend to Dublin with him, I’ve had all different sides of him.
“I’ve got many memories to kind of look back on. Some stories that I can tell and some I’ll probably keep to myself!”
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Hatton and Rea socialised away from boxingCredit: @bradrea_
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Some of their tales will always remain untoldCredit: @bradrea_
Rea was hit with the devastating news just months before his European title defence against Arthur at the Co-Op Live Arena.
And he has since returned to Hatton’s Hyde – where emotions are high.
Rea, 27, said: “I’d not been there for a while. It is a bit surreal. It is a little bit weird.
“Every time I’ve been in there, the majority of the time he’s in there, and he’s cracking jokes, you know, he’s being Rick.
“But at the end of the day there’s me, there’s a load of other lads in there that still got a job to do and he’d be disappointed if we were moping about and we weren’t training.
“He’d want us to get back at it and he want us to crack on and. So you’ve kind of just got to keep cracking on and do what you can to try and make him proud.”
And the best way to make City super-fan Hatton proud? Beat United supporter Arthur – a friend of former sparring partner – in their hometown.
Rea chuckled: “You know what it is? It’s more how we’d react if I let myself get beat by a United fan!
“He would never let me hear the end of it. He would be on my case and I can’t do that to him. I can’t let him down on that front.”
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Rea faces Man Utd fan Lyndon Arthur on November 1Credit: @queensberrypromotions
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Arthur and Rea are former sparring partnersCredit: @bradrea_
Oct. 10 (UPI) — The United States has finalized a $20 billion financial support framework with Argentina, making good on President Donald Trump‘s pledge to help the struggling country, led by ally President Javier Milei, despite growing opposition to the move from both Democrats and Republicans.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the deal Thursday on X, saying it followed four days of “intensive meetings” in Washington, D.C., with Argentina’s Minister of Economy Luis Caputo.
The deal, which includes a $20 billion currency swap and the direct purchase of Argentine pesos, was completed with Argentina’s central bank, said Bessent, adding that his department is prepared to “immediately” take all measures needed to stabilize the South American country’s markets.
“Argentina faces a moment of acute illiquidity,” he said in the statement.
“The Trump administration is resolute in our support for allies of the United States, and to that end, we also discussed Argentina’s investment incentives, and U.S. tools to powerfully support investment in our strategic partners.”
Milei, Argentina’s libertarian leader, is a staunch supporter of Trump and attended his inauguration in January.
Trump also told reporters that the United States was “going to help them” but that it wouldn’t be a bailout.
Caputo expressed his “deepest gratitude” to Bessent online following the announcement.
“I eagerly anticipate our meeting next week, where I am confident our teams will continue to collaborate with the same spirit of determination and partnership to advance our mutual objectives,” Caputo said on X.
Trump and Milei are scheduled to meet Tuesday.
The announcement has been met with criticism from both sides of the political aisle as well as farmers.
Eight senators on Thursday introduced the No Argentina Bailout Act to prohibit Treasury funds from bailing out Argentina’s financial markets.
“It’s inexplicable that President Trump is propping up a foreign government, while he shuts down our own,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said in a statement.
“Trump promised ‘America First,’ but he’s putting himself and his billionaire buddies first and sticking american with the bill.”
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa similarly complained about the deal on X.
“Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market??? We shld use leverage at every turn to help hurting farm economy Family farmers shld be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of USA,” he said.
The American Soybean Association has voiced opposition to the bailout since Bessent first announced negotiations with Argentina mid-last month.
The ASA was upset that Trump’s tariffs had seen U.S. soybean farmers secure zero sales to China this crop cycle, while Argentine ships soybeans to the Asian nation.
“The frustration is overwhelming,” ASA President Caleb Ragland said in a statement.
“U.S. soybean prices are falling, harvest is underway and farmers read headlines not about securing a trade agreement with China, but that the U.S. government is extending $20 billion in economic support to Argentina while that country drops its soybean export taxes to sell 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans to China in just two days.”
Israeli tanks and heavy combat vehicles were filmed in Gaza on Friday, reportedly withdrawing from parts of the enclave as phase one of the ceasefire plan is set to take effect.
Get ready to enter the Grid: “Tron: Ares” has finally hit theaters.
Directed by Joachim Rønning, “Tron: Ares” is the third installment of the classic sci-fi franchise that kicked off with the 1982 film “Tron.” And like many modern movies that are part of an expansive Hollywood franchise, “Tron: Ares” makes sure to leave the door open for future storytelling.
“Tron: Ares” does so in the closing moments of the movie’s main story as well as in a stinger that plays after the credits start to roll.
The film, which picks up sometime after the events of “Tron: Legacy” (2010), stars Jared Leto as an advanced AI program named Ares created by Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), a programmer and rising CEO of a tech corporation. Greta Lee portrays Eve Kim, also a programmer and the CEO of the tech company once led by original “Tron” hero Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges).
Although extensive knowledge of the previous films is not necessarily required to understand “Tron: Ares,” fans of “Tron” and “Legacy” will be the first to recognize the significance of the doors that the film leaves open. (Turn back now if you want to avoid spoilers.)
Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger in “Tron: Ares.”
(Leah Gallo / Disney)
The mid-credits scene is a callback to ‘Tron’
“Tron: Ares” ends with Julian — the grandson of Flynn’s original “Tron” rival, Edward Dillinger — escaping into Dillinger Corp.’s Grid.
The mid-credits scene shows Julian taking in the wreckage of his digital world before noticing and activating his identity disc. After taking ahold of the glowing circular object, his digital suit starts to form in a familiar silhouette.
Those who have seen “Tron” will recognize that Julian’s suit resembles that of Sark, the villainous program written by Ed Dillinger, who led the original film’s Master Control Program army. In “Tron,” Sark was played by David Warner, who also portrayed Ed.
The scene further cements Julian as the successor to his grandfather’s legacy and leaves the possibility open for his return as a villain in a future “Tron” installment.
Jared Leto as Ares in “Tron: Ares.”
(Leah Gallo / Disney)
‘Tron: Ares’ ends by teasing a future link-up with ‘Tron: Legacy’
The new “Tron” movie ends by hinting that Ares’ story is not quite over, either. In the final moments of the film, Ares is shown looking at images of Quorra, a character portrayed by Olivia Wilde in “Tron: Legacy.”
Quorra, like Ares, started her existence in the Grid and eventually made her way out into the real world. But Quorra isn’t a man-made program; she is an “isomorphic algorithm,” or a digital being who spontaneously came into existence in the Grid. She was introduced in “Legacy” as Flynn’s charge who was learning about humanity from him.
Could a meeting between Ares and Quorra be in the “Tron” franchise’s future? Only time (and likely “Tron: Ares’” box office returns) will tell.
Kim Jong Un claims no mistakes made in 80-year history of ruling party at event attended by Chinese and Russian leaders.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared the country’s global standing is growing stronger and promised to transform the country into an “affluent socialist paradise” during an event marking the 80th anniversary of the governing Workers’ Party of Korea, according to state media.
At a speech at May Day stadium in Pyongyang on Thursday, Kim said the party had not made “a single mistake or error” in its 80-year history, leading the country on a path of ascent riding on the wisdom and strength of the people, KCNA state news agency said on Friday.
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“Today, we stand before the world as a mighty people with no obstacles we cannot overcome and no great achievement we cannot accomplish,” he said, KCNA reported.
North Korea has long been one of the most isolated and insular nations in the world, suffering economic difficulties while building up its nuclear weapons capabilities.
Friday’s events follow Kim’s visit to Beijing last month for China’s 80th anniversary of its World War II victory, standing with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a massive military parade in his first public appearance on the multilateral diplomatic stage.
United States President Donald Trump suggested that Russian, Chinese and North Korean leaders were conspiring against the United States as they gathered in Beijing, saying “no one even had this in their thoughts”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote to China’s leader Xi Jinping at the time: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
KCNA did not name the guests attending Thursday’s events. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Vietnamese leader To Lam and Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev had arrived in Pyongyang to attend anniversary celebrations, state media had reported.
Mass games and art performances were held at the stadium, with Kim accompanied by guests whom the large crowd gathered greeted with cheers “that shook the capital’s night sky”, KCNA said.
Al Jazeera’s Jack Barton, reporting from Seoul, said according to a South Korean government adviser, North Korea was “no longer the most isolated state in the world”.
“The message here is also … that he has consolidated his power at home and now increasingly on the international stage,” Barton added.
Kim talks tough on US and promises to build a ‘socialist paradise’
Kim said that North Korea has been pushing for the simultaneous development of nuclear weapons and the economy to cope with “growing nuclear war threats by the US imperialists”, according to state media.
“Our party and government are still coping with our adversaries’ ferocious political and military moves of pressure by pursuing harder-line policies, holding fast to firm principles and employing brave, unflinching countermeasures,” Kim said.
“This is powerfully propelling the growth of the progressive camp against war and hegemony.”
Last month, Kim Jong Un had suggested that he is open to talks with the US if Washington stops insisting that his country give up its nuclear weapons.
“If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearising us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States,” Kim said in late September.
Kim on Friday also expressed confidence in overcoming difficulties and drastically improving the economy in the near future. “I will surely turn this country into a more affluent and beautiful land and into the best socialist paradise in the world,” Kim said.
The North Korean leader also held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, praising the two countries’ “friendly and cooperative relations”.
Kim praised Li’s visit as “showing the invariable support and special friendly feeling towards the WPK and the government and people of the DPRK” as well as Beijing’s efforts to maintain “traditional DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations and further develop them”, KCNA reported.
BBC Breakfast paid a touching tribute to the Dancing on Ice star ahead of his funeral today (October 10), featuring an interview with Hatton’s former coach Blain Younis. Younis described Hatton as “a hero” to the local community, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“People are coming to lay flowers outside the gym and his house and you can just see how it’s impacted the town,” he said. “It’s like it’s hit people hard.”
“He was like the hero of Hyde,” he continued. “The astonishing thing was the heights he reached in boxing and celebrity life. He still knew everyone on a personal level around this town.”
BBC Breakfast presenter Charlie Stayt informed viewers that thousands were expected to line the streets of Greater Manchester to bid a final farewell to Hatton, before his midday funeral.
The procession will begin from Gee Cross in Hyde, making its way to Manchester Cathedral.
Hatton, who built a gym for his community, will have his procession pause there, allowing fans to reflect on their loss.
As mourners pass a pub cellar where the Hattons constructed a boxing ring, doves will be released in honour of the late sports star.
The procession will then reach Manchester Arena, a venue where Hatton often showcased his boxing prowess.
Hatton was found dead on 14 September.
His family later paid tribute, stating: “He had a heart as big as his smile, and his kindness, humour and loyalty touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him.
“As a family, our loss is immeasurable, and words cannot truly capture the pain we feel. Yet in the midst of our grief, we have been deeply moved by the overwhelming outpouring of love and support.
“Richard’s memory will forever remain in our hearts, in the hearts of his fans, and in the sport he loved so dearly.”
Oct. 10 (UPI) — The United States has sanctioned more than 50 people, entities and vessels accused of facilitating the sale of Iranian oil and liquefied petroleum gas, as the Trump administration continues to tighten its financial vise on Tehran.
The sanctions target nearly two dozen shipping vessels, a China-based crude oil terminal and a Chinese so-called teapot refinery that the Treasury accuses of moving hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of LPG for Iran.
The Treasury said that Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, an independent teapot refinery in Shandong Province, has purchased millions of barrels of Iranian oil since 2023, receiving the shipments worth hundreds of millions of dollars via Iran’s shadow fleet of vessels.
The China-based Rizhao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal was also blacklisted for accepting more than a dozen of those shadow fleet ships.
“The Treasury Department is degrading Iran’s cash flow by dismantling key elements of Iran’s energy export machine,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“Under President [Donald] Trump, this administration is disrupting the regime’s ability to fund terrorist groups that threaten the United States.”
The sanctions continue the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign that failed during his first term to bring Iran to the negotiating table on a new deal.
The punitive policy was initially launched in 2018, when Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark multinational Obama-era accord aimed at preventing Iran from securing a nuclear weapon as part of efforts to cobble together one of his own.
The maximum pressure campaign of sanctions and other measures was employed in an effort to compel Iran to resume negotiations on a new deal.
Instead, Iran continued to advance its nuclear program.
The previous Biden administration attempted to restart negotiations with Iran on reinstating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but those prospects were dashed when Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The second iteration of the maximum pressure campaign was launched on Feb. 4 with Trump’s signing of National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which seeks to “impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program and stop its support for terrorist groups.”
The policy’s second iteration is a broader focus on China’s aid to Iran, secondary sanctions and a targeting of Tehran’s shadow fleet
The sanctions announced Thursday coincided with the Treasury also sanctioning a network of individuals and companies assisting Iran with evading U.S. sanctions.
It also blacklisted 44 individuals and firms accused of being involved in Iran’s nuclear program and weapons procurement network earlier this month.
Israel’s government has approved “phase one” of the agreement, which will see captives exchanged and Israel withdraw from parts of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Trump and US officials for their role in ceasefire negotiations to end the war on Gaza.
A MASSIVE earthquake of magnitude 7.4 has rocked a southern island of the Philippines.
Thousands of people have been told to evacuate after authorities warned of a “destructive tsunami” in the aftermath of the quake.
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Debris inside a government building following an earthquake in Manay, PhilippinesCredit: EPA
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Students at Davao De Oro State College are evacuated to safety following the quakeCredit: Getty
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A damaged church in Baganga, Davao OrientalCredit: AFP
The tsunami threat has now passed, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.
One official in Manay said there were initial reports of damage to homes, buildings and bridges.
A video of the quake from the Philippine city of Davao showed office workers holding on to desks, with the creaking noises of structures.
Another showed toppled cabinets and evacuated workers gathering outside.
The governor of Davao Oriental province confirmed that several buildings have been damaged.
Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippines’ president, said his government was working “round the clock” to help with the situation.
He said: “We are now assessing the situation on the ground and ensuring that everyone is safe.
“Search, rescue, and relief operations are already being prepared and will be deployed as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The quake was among the strongest in recent years to hit the Philippines, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences more than 800 quakes each year.
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat immediately after the quake, saying hazardous waves were possible for coasts within 186 miles of the earthquake’s epicentre.
The earthquake came two weeks after the Philippines experienced its deadliest quake in more than a decade, with 74 people killed on the island of Cebu. That was a magnitude of 6.9 and also struck offshore.
A tsunami warning was also issued in Indonesia for its northern Sulawesi and Papua regions.
Authorities warn that some coasts in Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau could see waves of up to 1 metre.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
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Unlike eight previous attempts to remove the president, almost all legislative factions expressed support for the move.
Published On 10 Oct 202510 Oct 2025
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Peru’s Congress has voted to remove President Dina Boluarte, among the world’s most unpopular leaders, in a late-night session called hours after political parties from across the spectrum called for her impeachment, as the nation fights an intensive crime wave.
Politicians voted late Thursday into Friday to debate her removal from office on grounds of “moral incapacity” and summoned her to defend herself before Congress an hour later.
The stunning turn of events came just hours after a shooting at a concert in the capital inflamed anger over crime roiling the South American nation.
Legislators had voted to accept four requests for a vote to remove Boluarte from office over what they said was her government’s inability to stem crime. They exceeded the minimum 56 votes required for each request, setting up a debate and impeachment trial in the 130-member unicameral Congress.
They then requested that Boluarte come before them on Thursday shortly before midnight to defend herself, but when she did not appear, they immediately voted to oust her. In short order, 124 lawmakers voted just past midnight to impeach Boluarte.
Unlike eight previous attempts to remove her, almost all legislative factions expressed support for the latest requests.
He continued: “What you have now is [rival teams’] players training [together] before they go back to pre-season together – Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford for instance.
“It’s a different generation. The big thing is the media coverage of it is much better. The players get on better with the media. From the outside that gives a better feeling.”
Gerrard, speaking as a guest on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, said several former Manchester United and Liverpool players get on better now as pundits than they ever did as England team-mates.
“I didn’t feel part of a team. I didn’t feel connected with my team-mates, with England,” he said.
In response, Rooney said: “It [was] difficult to have that relationship with Liverpool and Man Utd players. It’s easier now.
“I speak to Steven all the time 1760074340. You can have better relationships now because you can have a beer together and relax more.
“I was fine with everyone, I got on with everyone. I was aware Becks [David Beckham] and Gary Neville and Scholesy [Paul Scholes], you could see they weren’t going to be close to the Liverpool players.
“But one thing for sure is everyone worked hard for each other. I don’t think that was an issue. We just didn’t manage to get over the line. I didn’t see that at all.”
Rooney, like Gerrard, played in six major tournaments for England but only reached quarter-finals.
But he said the players always “100%” “believed we could win for sure”.
In “The Last Frontier,” which premieres Friday on Apple TV+, a plane carrying federal prisoners goes down in the Alaskan wilderness outside a town where Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke) is the U.S. Marshal. Eighteen passengers survive, among them a sort of super-soldier we will come to know as Havlock (Dominic Cooper). Sad intelligence agent Sidney Scofield (Haley Bennett) is sent to the scene by her dodgy superior (American treasure Alfre Woodard).
I won’t go into it in depth, especially given the enormous number of reveals and reversals that make up the plot; pretty much everything not written here constitutes a spoiler. The production is excellent, with well-executed set pieces — the plane crash, a tug-of-war between a helicopter and a giant bus, a fight on a train, a fight on a dam. (I do have issues with the songs on the soundtrack, which tend to kill rather than enhance the mood.) The large cast, which includes Simone Kessell as Frank’s wife, Sarah — they have just about put a family trauma behind them when opportunities for new trauma arise — and Dallas Goldtooth, William Knifeman on “Reservation Dogs,” as Frank’s right hand, Hutch, is very good.
It’s as violent as you’d expect from a show that sets 18 desperate criminals loose upon the landscape, which you may consider an attraction or deal killer. (I don’t know you.) At 10 episodes, with a lot of plot to keep in order, it can be confusing — even the characters will say, “It’s complicated” or “It’s not that simple,” when asked to explain something — and some of the emotional arcs seem strange, especially when characters turn out to be not who they seem. Things get pretty nutty by the end, but all in all it’s an interesting ride.
But that’s not what I came here to discuss. I’d like to talk about snow.
There’s a lot of snow in “The Last Frontier.” The far-north climate brings weather into the picture, literally. Snow can be beautiful, or an obstacle. It can be a blanket, as in Eliot’s “Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow,” or a straitjacket, as in 2023’s “A Murder at the End of the World,” a Christie-esque murder mystery that trapped the suspects in an Icelandic luxury hotel. It’s part of the aesthetic and part of the action, which it can slow, or stop. It can be deadly, disorienting, as when a blizzard erases the landscape (see the first season of “Fargo”). And it requires the right clothes — mufflers, fur collars, wool caps, big boots, gloves — which communicate coziness even as they underscore the cold.
The snowy landscape in shows like “The Last Frontier” is part of the aesthetic and action.
(Apple)
Even when it doesn’t affect the plot directly, it’s the canvas the story is painted on, its whiteness of an intensity not otherwise seen on the screen, except in starship hallways. (It turns a moody blue after dark, magnifying the sense of mystery.) Growing up in Southern California — I didn’t see real snow until I was maybe 10? — I was trained by the movies and TV, where all Christmases are white if the budget allows, to understand its meaning.
It was enough that “The Last Frontier” was set in Alaska (filmed in Quebec and Alberta) to pique my interest, as it had been for “Alaska Daily,” a sadly short-lived 2022 ABC series with Hilary Swank and Secwépemc actor Grace Dove as reporters looking into overlooked cases of murdered and missing Indigenous women. This may go back to my affection for “Northern Exposure” (set in Alaska, filmed in Washington state), with its storybook town and colorful characters, most of whom came from somewhere else, with Rob Morrow’s New York doctor the fish out of water; “Men in Trees” (filmed in British Columbia, set in Alaska) sent Anne Heche’s New York relationship coach down a similar trail. “Lilyhammer,” another favorite and the first “exclusive” Netflix series, found Steven Van Zandt as an American mobster in witness protection in a Norwegian small town; there was a ton of snow in that show.
It serves the fantastic and supernatural as well. The polar episodes of “His Dark Materials” and “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” the icebound sailing ships of “The Terror” live large in my mind; and there’s no denying the spooky, claustrophobic power of “Night Country,” the fourth season of “True Detective,” which begins on the night of the last sunset for six months, its fictional town an oasis of light in a desert of black. In another key, “North of North,” another remote small town comedy, set in Canada’s northernmost territory among the Indigenous Inuit people is one of my best-loved shows of 2025.
But the allure of the north is nothing new. Jack London’s Yukon-set “White Fang” and “The Call of the Wild” — which became an Animal Planet series for a season in 2000 — entranced readers back around the turn of the 19th century and are still being read today.
Of course, any setting can be exotic if it’s unfamiliar. (And invisible if it’s not, or annoying — if snow is a thing you have to shovel off your walk, its charm evaporates.) Every environment suggests or shapes the stories that are set there; even were the plots identical, a mystery set in Amarillo, for example, would play differently than one set in Duluth or Lafayette.
Oct. 9 (UPI) — A strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of the Philippines on Friday morning, according to seismologists. The extent of potential damage was not immediately clear.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami is not expected for the western U.S. coast.
However, it warned of waves of up to nearly 10 feet for parts of the Philippines.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, known as Phivolcs, is warning of waves of more than a meter, or 3.2 feet, to affect enclosed bays and straits.
Residents along coastal areas in eight provinces are “STRONGLY ADVISED TO IMMEDIATELY EVACUATE to higher grounds or move farther inland,” it said.
The quake struck at 9:43 a.m. PHT Friday about 27 miles off the coast of Manay in the southeastern province of Davao Oriental, according to a statement from Phivolcs, which said damage was expected. It had initially rated it a magnitude-7.6 earthquake.
The agency said it struck at a depth of 12 miles.
The U.S. Geological Survey rated the quake at magnitude 7.4 and the depth 36 miles.
Aftershocks were expected, with 11 having struck within an hour of the original temblor, the strongest being a 5.2 magnitude temblor.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a statement that the situation on the ground is being assessed, and that federal agencies, including the military, have been deployed to conduct evacuations in coastal areas and activate emergency communication lines.
“Search, rescue and relief operations are already being prepared and will be deployed as soon as it is safe to do so,” he said in a statement.
“We are working round the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it.”
The provincial government of Davao Oriental has ordered the suspension of all public and private classes and work in public and private offices.
The city government of Davao similarly canceled all classes at both private and public schools and suspended all government work until further notice except for services in security, health, social services and disaster and emergency response due to the temblor. Private offices are encouraged to follow suit.
The earthquake struck two weeks after more than 70 people were killed in a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu Province late last month.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Japan continues to work toward enhancing its long-range cruise missile capability, with contracts issued for a new standoff capability for its submarine fleet, as well as improved anti-ship missiles for its destroyers. Contracts have now been issued for the mass production of both those weapons, which come as the country bolsters its abilities to attack both land targets and enemy surface warships, to counter the growing threats from China and North Korea, in particular.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced the new contracts for the upgraded ship-launched Type 12 anti-ship missile and the unnamed torpedo-tube-launched cruise missile for submarines on Tuesday. Both contracts were awarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).
Test-firing of a Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces baseline Type 12 anti-ship missile. JGSDF
In a statement, Japan’s Ministry of Defense said the contracts were part of “strengthening […] standoff defense capabilities in order to intercept and eliminate invading forces against Japan at an early stage and at a long distance.” The ministry said it was “currently working to acquire domestically produced standoff missiles as soon as possible.”
The ministry today published its defense white paper, which further outlined its standoff defense capability, which is one of the core pillars of its modernization program.
According to the white paper, “Japan will acquire capabilities to deal with vessels and landing forces invading Japan, including its remote islands, from locations outside of threat zones.” As part of this, the paper calls for continued development of the upgraded Type 12, aiming to complete development of the ship-launched version of the missile by the end of Japan’s fiscal year 2026. Japanese fiscal years run from April 1 to March 31.
The defense white paper also specifies the “Buildup [of] submarine-type standoff defense capabilities that can be launched from submarines that can operate in a highly covert manner.”
Details about the submarine-launched missile remain strictly limited, but reports that Japan was considering introducing such a capability to its existing submarine fleet, or future submarines, emerged back in 2021, as we discussed at the time.
Back then, it was reported that the missile would have a range of over 620 miles and would be fielded from the latter half of the 2020s.
In terms of its mission, the submarine-launched missile will provide the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) with a new standoff capability to attack both targets on land and as well as enemy surface warships.
While the type of missile and even its name remain unknown, previous reports suggested it would be based on the Type 12. This is a subsonic anti-ship missile, the first version of which entered service with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), and which has a range of around 124 miles.
The Type 12 ground-launched anti-ship missile:
The fact that the contract was issued to MHI, at the same time as a contract for an improved ship-launched version of the Type 12, suggests that the sub-launched weapon may be a Type 12 derivative, too.
There had been previous discussions about the JMSDF considering firing the sub-launched missile from either a vertical launch system (VLS) or torpedo tubes. Based on the requirement to get the missile into service as soon as possible, the tube-launched version makes sense, since the JMSDF does not currently have any submarine-based VLS in service.
An earlier report from the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said that the JMSDF would first arm its submarines with an anti-ship version of the missile, before introducing a version with a land-attack capability.
The JMSDF submarine Soryu is pulled away from the submarine tender USS Frank Cable while operating in Guam. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Randall W. Ramaswamy/Released Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Ramaswamy
Currently, JMSDF submarines are armed with Harpoon anti-ship missiles that are launched from standard torpedo tubes. However, they have a much shorter range than the new weapon and don’t have a land-attack capability. The latest UGM-84L Harpoon Block II in JMSDF service can hit targets at a distance of around 80 miles.
With that in mind, a long-range cruise missile for its submarine fleet will be a big deal for the JMSDF and one that can rapidly add to the country’s broader strike capabilities.
Currently, the JMSDF operates a frontline fleet of 23 conventionally powered submarines, and with at least four more of the advanced Taigei class boats to be added in the future.
The first of Japan’s most advanced class of submarine, the Taigei is launched in October 2020 in the city of Kobe. Japanese Ministry of Defense
At this point, we don’t know the relationship between the sub-launched missile and the Type 12. However, work on an extended-range version of the Type 12 began back in the 2018 fiscal year. The redesigned missile has enlarged flying surfaces, a more efficient powerplant, and additional fuel.
In this way, the 124-mile range of the baseline Type 12 will be extended to 560 miles, and, later, up to 930 miles. Even the first version of these would roughly correspond to the requirements for the sub-launched missile.
Other changes in the improved Type 12 include a land-attack capability and radar cross-section reduction measures.
Taken together, all these developments also reflect Japan’s concerns about the threat it faces from a rapidly growing fleet of Chinese surface warships. People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) activity in the waters around Japan and in the South China Sea and the East China Sea has steadily increased.
A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 055 destroyer. via Chinese internet Chinese Navy
The East China Sea is also the scene of a long-running dispute over ownership of an uninhabited island chain. Tensions here have also grown in recent years, including patrols by PLAN aircraft carriers. The area is referenced in the latest defense white paper:
“The existing order of world peace is being seriously challenged, and Japan finds itself in the most severe and complex security environment of the postwar era. China has been swiftly increasing its national defense expenditures, thereby extensively and rapidly enhancing its military capability in a qualitative and quantitative manner and intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands, and the Pacific.”
When it comes to land-attack capabilities, this is also a very significant development for the JMSDF’s submarine fleet.
The sub-launched land-attack cruise missile would be suitable for striking critical ground targets, including the proliferating ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities in North Korea. Pyongyang has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles capable of reaching Japan into waters off that country. At the same time, a long-range cruise missile of this kind would be able to strike critical military and leadership infrastructure, as well as airbases and air-defense sites, during a conflict.
Compared to other means of delivering strikes on critical land targets at great distances, a sub-launched cruise missile is much more survivable. It would provide Japan with a counterstrike capability, even if many of its aircraft and surface combatants had already been knocked out by an enemy’s first strike.
A diagram entitled Future Operation of Stand-off Defense Capabilities from the 2025 Defense White Paper. Japanese Ministry of Defense
The efficiency of such a weapon would be enhanced by the advanced nature of the JMSDF’s most recent submarines, including a propulsion system based on lithium-ion batteries in the newest examples. This ensures that the submarines are notably quiet and hard for an adversary to track.
Until this new capability is fielded, JMSDF will have an interim long-range missile capability, in the shape of the U.S.-supplied Tomahawk cruise missile. A first purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles is something we reported on back in 2017.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has described the Tomahawk plan as a crash program to supplement its efforts to locally develop new standoff missiles. Once fielded, the Tomahawks will enhance “standoff defense capabilities in order to intercept and eliminate invading forces against Japan at a rapid pace and at long range.” A total of 200 Tomahawk Block IV and 200Tomahawk Block V missiles are planned to be delivered between Japan’s fiscal years 2025 and 2027.
A diagram showing the capabilities of JMSDF Aegis destroyers, including future Tomahawk and upgraded Type 12 missiles. Japanese Ministry of Defense
The Block IV Tomahawk can strike targets at a range of almost 1,000 miles, carrying a 1,000-pound unitary warhead. Meanwhile, the Block V Tomahawk is an improved version that can also be used to hit moving targets, including enemy warships.
The first Japanese warship destined to receive a Tomahawk capability recently sailed to the United States for the required modifications, as you read about here.
The JMSDF destroyer Chokai departs Yokosuka Base on September 27, 2025, headed to the United States for Tomahawk modifications. JMSDF
Ultimately, the JMSDF will field the Tomahawk on all eight of its currently fielded Aegis destroyers and its two Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEV), but there are no plans to put it on its submarines as of yet.
Clearly, expanding its standoff missile capabilities, for both land-attack and anti-ship missions, is a priority for Japan right now. The latest contracts ensure that its submarines and surface warships will be very much at the spearhead of this new-look, more offensive posture.
Singer Paloma Faith was ‘fuming’ after finding out her close pal Alan Carr was responsible for sealing her fate, along with fellow Traitors Cat Burns and Jonathan Ross
Paloma had no idea she was being murdered when Alan brushed the hair from her face(Image: BBC)
Paloma Faith “threw a wobbly” over being the first in The Celebrity Traitors to be thrown out the castle, sources have revealed.
Last night viewers saw the singer, 44, have her fate sealed when the lid on her coffin was slammed shut during the mission and she was physically carried out of the game.
But off camera, Paloma was said to have been “fuming” over her murder, especially when she discovered that the three Traitors who’d killed her off were people she felt close to. One source said: “She threw a wobbly afterwards about being the first to go.
“Some players just shrug it off when they leave, but Paloma was fuming when she discovered who had betrayed her. She couldn’t work out what had actually happened, and when she found out the details it only made her feel worse. Paloma is loud and wears her heart on her sleeve – it’s fair to say that she wasn’t happy with going home first.”
As well as being close to comedian Alan Carr, the chart-topper also felt let down by Cat Burns, because she’s on the same record label, and Jonathan Ross, because she has known him for years and appeared on his chat show.
Speaking afterwards, Paloma described the experience as having been “up and down”. She explained: “I found it quite nerve wracking because I knew when I went in that I have a huge personality and that I’d be very visible.
“I knew that I couldn’t fade into the background. I’m the sort of person that lets my feelings about people be known by talking a lot, so it was never an option for me to be able to quietly just simmer under the surface.”
And she quipped: “I don’t think my technique was great in this game, but it works very well in real life.” Saying she’d have made a great Traitor, she added: “I feel like it was a big fashion mistake not to see me in the cloak.”
Asked who she’d like to see triumph in the game, Paloma snubbed the Traitors, saying: “I’d like to see someone kind and strategic win like Nick Mohammed. He’s proof you can be kind, considerate and clever to play the game well – you don’t have to be evil.”
On last night’s show, viewers saw Alan commit the murder in plain sight by brushing some hair from his pal’s cheek during a chat in the kitchen.
He went for Paloma in the poison pollen plot after she’d told him cosily: “I definitely trust you.” But after the killing, he admitted: “I feel awful. I didn’t know what else to do! I’ve gone and murdered one of my best friends.”
Alan, 49, also told the cameras that carrying out the murder had challenged him: “It was a stretch fo my acting ability – I don’t know how Meryl Streep does it.”
But when Alan spoke of his guilt to fellow Traitors Jonathan Ross and Cat Burns, he was told to “toughen up” after claiming that killing her off “broke my heart”. Wossy insisted: “You’re not a bad person – you’re a good Traitor. I don’t want to hear any more of this broken heart nonsense. We’ve got to start enjoying this.”
Later, there was confusion when all 19 of the group arrived for breakfast. Not realising she was a dead woman walking because of the slow-working poison, Paloma said she felt “happy and relieved” adding: “I thought thank goodness not to be the first one dead.”
And even after Claudia revealed that the Traitors had murdered in plain sight, she had no idea she was the victim, saying: “I had so few interactions yesterday that I don’t feel that I was got.”
During the mission, the group had to try and work out who had actually been murdered. When Paloma found herself lying in a coffin alongside comic Lucy Beaumont and online prankster Niko Omilana, she told the group: “I think it’s me.” Afterwards, Stephen Fry sighed sadly: “Oh Paloma, you were right.”
Weeping during her exit interview, she said: “I thought I wasn’t going to get emotional but I feel really sad. It’s been really a wonderful experience – I wish it had been longer.”
The BBC1 series kicked off with a huge audience of 6.1million and continues next Wednesday, with the result of the first banishment revealed.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is scheduled to be announced on Friday, October 10, at 11:00 am local time in Oslo, Norway (09:00 GMT).
The announcement comes from the Norwegian Nobel Institute on behalf of the all-Norwegian, five-member Nobel Committee, appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and responsible for selecting and presenting the laureates.
Nominations for this year’s award closed on January 31, and the selection process remains shrouded in secrecy.
A brief history of the Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are named after Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), a Swedish chemist, engineer and industrialist best known for inventing dynamite, an explosive that transformed the modern world through advances in construction and mining, but which was also responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people in wars.
Motivated by a desire to shape his legacy, Nobel left a multimillion-dollar fortune to fund annual prizes, awarded to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind” in the preceding year.
A view of a bust of Alfred Nobel in the Nobel Forum in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 6, 2025 [Tom Little / Reuters]
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 for outstanding achievement in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace.
In 1968, Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, expanding the categories to six.
So far this year, four Nobel Prizes have been announced. After the Peace Prize on October 10, the final award for economics will be revealed on October 13.
Who can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize?
The Nobel Peace Prize is meant to recognise individuals and organisations that have made exceptional efforts to promote peace, resolve conflicts and advance human rights.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has 338 nominees, including 244 individuals and 94 organisations, up from 286 candidates in 2024.
Nominations are kept confidential, and committee members are prohibited from discussing their decisions for 50 years. Only the nominators themselves may choose to disclose their submissions.
While a person cannot nominate themselves, they may be nominated multiple times by others.
This year, United States President Donald Trump has become a focus of Nobel Peace Prize nominations. Trump, who has said, “Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize,” has received several endorsements: Israel, Cambodia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, even as many have questioned his credentials.
While many well-known figures have been nominated in the past but never received the Nobel Peace Prize, the names most frequently searched in the Nobel nomination database are Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi and Joseph Stalin.
These individuals represent vastly different legacies: Hitler was nominated in 1939 as a satirical gesture, Gandhi was nominated multiple times between 1937 and 1948 but never awarded, and Stalin was nominated in 1945 and 1948 for his role in ending World War II.
Who has received the Nobel Peace Prize?
As of 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 105 times to 142 laureates – 111 individuals and 31 organisations.
Among the individual recipients, 92 are men and 19 are women.
The youngest laureate to date is Malala Yousafzai, who received the award at the age of 17 in 2014, while the oldest is Joseph Rotblat, honoured at 86 for his work against nuclear weapons.
The International Committee of the Red Cross holds the record for the most Peace Prizes, having been recognised three times, followed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has won twice.
Geographically, Europe accounts for the largest share of laureates at 45 percent, followed by North America (20 percent), Asia (16 percent), Africa (9 percent) and South America (3 percent).
In addition, United Nations organisations represent about 7 percent of all Nobel Peace Prize recipients.
When was the Peace Prize not awarded?
The Nobel Peace Prize has not been awarded every year.
It was skipped on 19 occasions, specifically in 1914–1916, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1939–1943, 1948, 1955–1956, 1966–1967, and 1972, usually due to war or the absence of a suitable candidate.
According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, if none of the candidates’ work is deemed significant enough, the prize may be withheld and the prize money carried forward to the next year. If it still cannot be awarded, the amount is transferred to the Foundation’s restricted funds.
One notable instance came in 1948, the year Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Gandhi had been nominated several times – in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and again in 1948 – for his nonviolent leadership of India’s freedom movement. In 1948, the Nobel Committee chose not to award the prize, citing “no suitable living candidate”, widely seen as an implicit tribute to him.
Has anyone refused the award?
The Nobel Peace Prize has only been refused on one occasion.
In 1973, Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger were awarded the prize for their efforts to end the Vietnam War.
Tho declined the award, citing the ongoing conflict in Vietnam.
The Vietnam War lasted from the late 1950s to 1975, ending with the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, and killed millions of people.
Henry Kissinger, left, President Richard Nixon’s national security adviser, and Le Duc Tho, member of Hanoi’s politburo, are shown outside a suburban house at Gif-sur-Yvette in Paris on June 13, 1973 [Michel Lipchitz/AP Photo]
Has the award ever been shared?
Yes, very often. Out of the 105 awards presented so far:
71 prizes were given to a single laureate,
31 prizes were shared between two laureates, and
3 prizes were shared among three laureates.
According to the Nobel Foundation’s statutes, a prize can be divided equally between two recipients or shared among up to three if their work is considered to merit the award jointly. The prize cannot be divided among more than three people.
Who are all the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize?
The table below lists all Nobel Peace Prize laureates from 1901 to 2024, along with their country of origin.
Evidence was found in a building a few hundred metres from Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s Antwerp residence.
Published On 10 Oct 202510 Oct 2025
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Belgian authorities say they have arrested three people in connection with a plot to attack Prime Minister Bart De Wever and other politicians using drone-mounted explosives.
Federal prosecutor Ann Fransen announced the arrests on Thursday and said the group were under investigation for an “attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group”, according to Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.
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“Certain elements indicate that the suspects intended to carry out a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack against political figures,” Fransen told reporters.
“There are also indications that the suspects aimed to construct a drone to which a payload could be attached,” she added.
Fransen did not name their intended targets, but social media posts from senior figures in De Wever’s government indicate that he was on the list.
“The news of a planned attack targeting Prime Minister Bart De Wever is deeply shocking,” wrote Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot in a post on X.
“I express my full support to the Prime Minister, his wife, and his family, as well as my gratitude to the security and justice services whose swift action prevented the worst.”
Defence Minister Theo Francken shared a similar message on X.
“Prime Minister, Bart, all our support for you and your family. Thanks to the security services. Never surrender,” he said.
De Wever did not immediately comment on the case.
Belgium’s Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper said explosives were found by police in an Antwerp building a few hundred metres from De Wever’s residence.
Evidence included an improvised explosive device still under construction, a bag of steel balls, and a 3D printer, the newspaper said. Police believe the group were trying to build a drone capable of carrying an explosive payload.
Authorities did not release the names of the suspects but said they had been born in 2001, 2002, and 2007.
One of the suspects has been released, according to Fransen, and two are due to appear before an investigating judge on Friday.
Gazet van Antwerpen said De Wever has been the subject of previous threats. Earlier this year, a Belgian court convicted five people of making preparations to carry out an attack against him.
OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.
Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.
♈ ARIES
March 21 to April 20
Saturn’s influence starts your day with a strong cash drive – so review spending and saving, as you can see simple fixes, even for old problems.
Later, Uranus makes mischief in your communication zone and careless words could slip out so be careful.
So read through all messages twice before you send.
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Your weekly horoscope for Friday
♉ TAURUS
April 21 to May 21
It’s so tempting to let difficult people go from your life, but your chart encourages extra talking first, and asks you to swop moral high ground for a more understanding stance.
You only need to do this once – as results should speak for themselves.
Taurus luck is strongest where matching outfits are worn.
Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♊ GEMINI
May 22 to June 21
Trusting your own judgement is easier as the moon intensifies inner vision – even if this tells you something you resist at first, today it’s enough to accept the challenge.
Neptune softens people bonds that may have become too rigid.
Even if you feel the moment has passed, you still have a chance to speak.
Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♋ CANCER
June 22 to July 22
Pluto pushes through any justification you have given yourself for holding back feelings or information – and creates an unexpected chance to put this right.
It’s not easy to accept this, but it’s important to try.
Your love chart is based on adoring a partner’s flaws as well as strengths – and doing the same for yourself.
Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♌ LEO
July 23 to August 23
Being part of a group, rather than always needing to lead it, can be the key to letting some deep indecision go.
From a work team to a love partnership, proving you can be unselfish and understanding is your passport to happiness.
Even if this means following orders you don’t 100 per cent agree with. Luck circles “42”
Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♍ VIRGO
August 24 to September 22
As Pluto’s input intensifies, you may feel it’s pointless to set more health goals, as they always seem to be scuppered.
But this is just what you need to laser-focus your mind on. It is waiting there for you, and today you can make a start, no matter what.
Passion could call your name in a place you least expect it.
Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
Even stick-in-the-mud Saturn is prepared to support your dreamsCredit: Getty
♎ LIBRA
September 23 to October 23
There’s so much positive movement in your chart.
Even stick-in-the-mud Saturn is prepared to support your dreams, especially any that link to higher learning.
So instead of seeing things that could go wrong, spend today expecting everything to go right.
Your name on, or in, a love story can be coming so close.
Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
List of 12 star signs
The traditional dates used by Mystic Meg for each sign are below.
♏ SCORPIO
October 24 to November 22
It’s not always comfortable to scrap a plan and start again – but today this is easier for you than usual.
So if you sense a creative idea has gone astray, you can get it back into line, with skill and flair.
In love terms, too, it’s not too late to express any misgivings and make a new plan.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to pause his payments on a $1.44 billion defamation judgment entered after he claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 9 (UPI) — InfoWars publisher Alex Jones wants the Supreme Court to pause a $1.44 billion defamation judgment against him for making false claims about a 2012 school shooting.
Conservative conspiracy theorist Jones on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to pause his payments to the surviving families of the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, according to The Hill.
The families successfully sued Jones for defamation after he claimed the school shooting was a hoax and are readying to take control of InfoWars, which they intend to turn over to the satirical news site The Onion.
In Thursday’s emergency filing, Jones says the pause is necessary to stop his InfoWars site from being “acquired by its ideological nemesis and destroyed,” NBC News reported.
A Connecticut court in 2022 ordered Jones to pay $1.44 billion to the surviving families of 20 schoolchildren, who were shot and killed by Adam Lanza on Dec. 14, 2012.
Jones filed for personal bankruptcy soon after several judgments were entered against him, but his petition was denied.
He earlier was fined $25,000 per day by a Connecticut judge for refusing to submit to a deposition in the matter.
Lanza, 20, murdered his mother and used her firearm to shoot and kill 20 school children and six adults at the same elementary school he once attended in Newtown, Conn.
He shot and killed himself when law enforcement arrived at the school, which since has been razed and replaced.
