West Ham to contact PGMO after late equaliser against Arsenal disallowed by VAR
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann on Match of the Day: “I don’t think anyone would want to trade places with Darren England. Nobody would want to be sitting in that chair. He stepped up to the plate, he made the right decision and it’s the biggest VAR call in Premier League history.”
Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given on Match of the Day: “The thing that grates {on] me is we have seen on numerous occasions with Arsenal this season, goalkeepers and defenders getting blocked off and the goal stands. Everyone is frustrated about the consistency of the refereeing decision. Why are some goals allowed to stand and this was disallowed? There is so much at stake at the bottom of the league and the very top.
“The other thing is Gabriel is holding, Odegaard is holding, Trossard is holding before the foul even happens on Raya. When does the referee decide that’s the foul he wants to pick and not the previous foul?”
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy on Match of the Day: “The controversy and discontent around West Ham not being given the goal is because it’s Arsenal. They can’t be held accountable for decisions in the past.
“The VAR officials have got to say what they see and it’s a clear foul. Just because it’s Arsenal we shouldn’t get it distorted.”
Former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green on BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is a foul. You are looking at two players fouling the goalkeeper. There have been so many of these this season, it has been such a talked-about topic, there has been such inconsistency with it so for it to come down to this is huge.
“It just feels like for VAR, for West Ham, for Arsenal in particular with their set-pieces, has been the topic of the season.
“In isolation – foul. There were five or six fouls going on at the same time in there but it’s where the ball landed. Then you think consistency – there hasn’t been any.”
Fans celebrate as Barcelona clinches LaLiga title | Football
Barcelona fans filled the streets in wild celebration after a convincing 2-0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid at Camp Nou sealed their 29th LaLiga title. Fireworks, flags and flares lit up the city as supporters marked back-to-back league triumphs under Barca’s manager Hansi Flick.
Published On 11 May 2026
Turkey Developing Its Own Bladed ‘Ginsu’ Precision Guided Munition
Among the latest products from Turkey’s prolific defense industry is a weapon directly inspired by the secretive AGM-114R9X variant of the widely used Hellfire, the effects of which TWZ was the first to identify back in 2017. Named Neşter, which is Turkish for scalpel, the new weapon features exactly the same kind of array of pop-out, sword-like blades as used on the AGM-114R9X, a weapon popularly dubbed “Flying Ginsu” or “Ninja” due to its unusual capabilities.
Produced by Roketsan, the Neşter was unveiled today at the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul. Like the AGM-119R9X, the new weapon was developed explicitly to prosecute targeted strikes while minimizing the risk of collateral damage to an extreme degree.
The Neşter is a derivative of the same company’s MAM-L, which is described as a “lightweight smart micro-munition.” The compact dimensions of the MAM-L mean that it can be easily integrated on uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as light attack aircraft. Indeed, the MAM-L has become a munition synonymous with the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone, which has been used to great effect in various conflicts, including in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Already, Roketsan offered the MAM-L with a range of different warheads, including armor-piercing, high-explosive blast-fragmentation, and thermobaric.
The Neşter differs in that it’s strictly focused on assassination strikes, with no warhead at all, instead featuring blades that make it an extremely low-collateral-damage weapon. As we have seen repeatedly with the AGM-114R9X, a weapon of this kind can target not just a vehicle, but a specific occupant inside it, slashing through the car at just the right spot.
A 2025 U.S. Central Command video showing, for the first time, the AGM-114R9X in action:
So far, very few specific details about the new Turkish weapon have been released.
As for the MAM-L, the manufacturer states that this is around 3.3 feet long, has a diameter of 6.3 inches, and a range of 9.3 miles. The munition reportedly weighs around 48 pounds. The new weapon is likely broadly similar in terms of dimensions and range. The Hellfire is a considerably bigger weapon than the MAM-L, being around 5.2 feet long and weighing closer to 100 pounds.
It should be noted that the MAM-L was developed from the L-UMTAS guided missile, essentially being an unpowered version featuring a similar guidance system. It’s not clear if the Neşter is powered or not, but being unpowered would reduce the kinetic effect of its impact, at least compared with the AGM-114R9X, and, without a warhead, this is critical for its destructive power.
L-UMTAS
Both the basic AGM-114R series and the MAM-L use laser guidance. However, the AGM-114R9X is thought to feature a unique additional guidance capability that leverages automation in order to strike so precisely on just one part of a vehicle.
One possibility could be a very fine-tuned imaging infrared (IIR) guidance package that zeroes in on a specific section of a vehicle automatically. This could be paired with laser guidance for initial cueing or be a standalone IIR seeker and logic package.
Images show the result of an AGM-114R9X strike on a car in Syria in 2025:
Other guidance options could be available for the Neşter, including a so-called “human-in-the-loop” system, something Israel pioneered and perfected, with an actual operator correcting its course in the terminal phases of flight. That capability, however, would require compatible datalinks, and the Neşter’s ground control ground terminal would have to support it.
The Neşter is known to feature a proximity sensor, which activates the blade mechanism just before contact with the target. Before they deploy, the six blades (the same number as on the AGM-114R9X) are stowed in slots that run along the missile’s body.
As for the AGM-114R9X, this was developed in secret and has been used increasingly over the last decade or so, including in very high-profile operations. It is thought to be a weapon of choice for targeted assassinations using MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by the shadowy Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), as well as the Central Intelligence Agency.
It can easily be imagined that the Turkish Armed Forces, and even Turkish paramilitary branches, could find a similar use for the Neşter, especially from the country’s growing arsenal of drones. If available with a motor, it would be suitable for the T129 ATAK helicopter and other rotorcraft as well.
The Turkish Armed Forces and police branches regularly launch (often combined) offensive operations over Turkish territory, including providing close air support to law-enforcement forces and troops on the ground. These frequently include the proactive engagement of those deemed to be terrorists, like the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
While the PKK has waged an insurgency in Turkey since 1984 and also operates extensively across its borders in Iraq and Syria, Ankara has stepped up its operations against the militants since a ceasefire with them ended in 2015.
The appearance of the Neşter at this point is therefore both in line with likely Turkish requirements for its counterinsurgency operations, and reflects the fact that the country is fast developing and widely exporting a wide range of drones as well as the munitions to arm them. By offering the Neşter specifically, Roketsan is cognizant of the growing requirement for munitions that can help prevent civilian casualties, while also targeting particular high-value individuals.
For export customers, the Neşter, like other Turkish munitions, would not be subject to the restrictions imposed by the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) guidelines, which can limit the transfer of defense and military technologies and services — especially the more sensitive ones — to certain countries.
At the same time, while the United States has very deliberately kept the AGM-114R9X under wraps, perhaps on account of the gruesome nature of its effects, it seems that Turkey is not nearly as coy. However, it still needs to complete the development work on the Neşter, something that is more challenging than it might at first appear.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Jason Statham and wife Rosie Huntington-Whitely build £25m ‘forever home’ next to popular nudist beach
JASON Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whitely have decided to build their grand ‘forever home’ right next to a popular nudist beach.
They’ll be in for an eyeful whenever they open their curtains though, as the gorgeous sea view is much-loved by naturists according to the Daily Mail.
The movie hardman and his supermodel fiancee opted for a 20-acre spot on the south coast to house the £20million property.
But it’s estimated to cost the couple a further £5million for additional building works.
The Sun exclusively revealed last weekend that Jason and Rosie, who share two children together, had bought the property.
It features five bedrooms, its own private beach and a treehouse.
It also includes a wild swimming pond and a 42,000 sq ft boating lake.
Horse stables are currently under construction behind the main house, and plans for a large gym and pool are under way.
The house was originally designed by a trusted architect of the Royal Family in a modern, brutalist style.
It’s a far cry from the pair’s London abode, and Rosie shared how she was looking forward to living in the idyllic countryside ‘forever home’.
She told The Sun: “I’ve been dreaming of this since I left home. “It will be mud and kids climbing trees.”
Jason and Rosie met at a party in 2009 and got engaged in 2016.
China’s AI IPO Boom Leaves US in the Dust
Chinese AI firms dominate Hong Kong IPOs with $22 billion in exits, while US tech listings lag amid investor skepticism.
China’s artificial intelligence companies are driving a sharp divergence in global IPO markets, dominating first-quarter listings in Hong Kong and outpacing U.S. tech peers as investor sentiment fractures across regions.
Consider the trend: Chinese AI firms listed in Hong Kong accounted for four of the largest public listings in the first quarter. According to new data from PitchBook, these companies — Z.ai, MiniMax, Biren Technology and Iluvatar CoreX Semiconductor — collectively helped drive more than $22 billion in AI-related exit value during the quarter.
Adding Edge Medical, a surgical robotics company, brings the total for all five Chinese listings to over $24 billion.
The performance stands in sharp contrast to the muted reception many U.S. technology IPOs have faced. Investors have grown increasingly skeptical of richly valued software companies amid concerns that AI could disrupt traditional software business models.
“It’s genuinely a confluence of factors rather than any single driver,” Harrison Rolfes, senior research analyst at PitchBook, told Global Finance. “The DeepSeek moment in early 2025 fundamentally shifted investor perception of Chinese AI capability, and that rerating carried momentum into these listings.”
Rolfes said geopolitical considerations also played a major role, creating what he described as a “national champion premium” among investors in Hong Kong and broader Asian markets.
“Structurally, these companies came to market at more digestible valuations relative to their growth profiles compared to U.S. tech IPOs, which have repeatedly disappointed at high entry multiples,” he said.
Investor enthusiasm surrounding Chinese AI firms has emerged as U.S. IPO performance deteriorates.
A Record Stretch of IPO Underperformance
According to PitchBook data, the median U.S. IPO has underperformed its benchmark by 42 percentage points within 120 days of listing over the trailing 12 months.
“That’s historically the worst stretch in our dataset,” Rolfes said.
PitchBook noted that 2025 already represented a record low, with median IPOs trailing benchmarks by 35.6 percentage points after 120 days. Early 2026 listings are performing even worse, according to the report.
The closest comparison, Rolfes said, was the post-boom correction in 2021, when median U.S. IPOs lagged their benchmarks by 32 percentage points following aggressive pricing during the .
Globally, the median venture capital-backed IPO has underperformed the Morningstar U.S. Market Broad Growth Extended Index—a broad U.S. equity benchmark—by nearly seven percentage points over the past year. In the U.S., the index as a growth-stock yardstick shows that the gap widens sharply to 42 percentage points within 120 days of listing.
Roughly 66% of companies that have gone public since the start of 2025 are currently trading below their IPO prices, PitchBook found.
“The deterioration is progressive, suggesting that initial pricing optimism is giving way to fundamental reassessment as lockup expirations approach and more information reaches the market,” according to the May 5 report.
The divergence in performance has been particularly stark among high-profile tech listings.
SaaSpocalypse to Blame?
CoreWeave, based in Livingston, New Jersey, saw its shares nearly triple since its debut as investor demand for AI computing infrastructure accelerated. But many other venture-backed listings have struggled—badly.
Among the U.S.-listed laggards are shares of eToro, down 45.2%; Netskope, down 61%; Klarna, down 67.1%; Figma, down 85.7%; and Gemini Space Station, down 86.3%.
PitchBook said broader public SaaS markets have also weakened as investors increasingly treat AI as a threat to incumbent software firms rather than a growth catalyst.
“Public markets appear to be treating AI not as a tailwind for existing software but as a displacement risk, which many are calling a ‘SaaSpocalypse,’ in which incumbents are repriced downward even as private AI unicorns command record valuations,” according to the report.
For investors, the divergence raises questions about whether U.S.-listed AI companies still offer the best risk-adjusted exposure to the global AI boom.
“The companies leading Hong Kong’s surge — semiconductor designers, applied AI platforms and robotics-adjacent businesses — are generating real revenue with defensible vertical positioning, and they have outperformed their U.S. counterparts by a wide margin,” Rolfes said.
What’s Next?
Expect investors to take a closer look at how heavily their portfolios are tilted toward specific geographies, considering AI-related valuation premiums are persisting longer in Hong Kong than in New York.
Rolfes also cautioned that some of the highest-valued Chinese AI names could eventually face corrections. Still, the underlying businesses are stronger than many Western investors have assumed, he argued.
“The broader takeaway,” he said, “is that Chinese AI has likely graduated from a risk to monitor to a market to understand.”
Martin Lewis explains how to cut 3% ‘secret charge’ from holiday costs
You won’t even see the fees being added
Martin Lewis has advice for stretching your holiday money
Most holidaymakers assume using their normal bank card abroad is fine. But Martin Lewis says a simple switch to a specialist card could save you from paying an extra 2.75% to 3% on every single purchase – a hidden fee that quietly adds to your bill without you even noticing.
In a clip shared on This Morning’s official TikTok, the MoneySavingExpert founder explained how most high street banks add a “non-sterling exchange rate fee” when you spend abroad. Ignore it and a £100 purchase effectively costs you £103. Switch to one of the specialist cards he recommends, and you get the same near-perfect exchange rates the banks use – without the markup.
Martin started by explaining what happens when you spend on plastic overseas. “Your bank gets a near perfect exchange rate on the day – the same as what’s called the spot rate, the city market rates. When you spend on your card abroad though, normally the card company adds what’s called a non-Sterling exchange rate fee of between 2.75 or 3%,” he said. “So your hundred pounds worth of euros cost you £103.”
The solution, he explained, is using specialist cards. “With the specialist cards, they don’t have that. So you get the same near perfect exchange rates that the banks or the card firms do.”
As for which cards to choose, Martin noted there are quite a lot available now. He judges them on the cashback they give you. The Barclaycard Rewards credit card is currently giving 0.25% cash back on spending in the UK and abroad. “So you get perfect exchange rate and cashback,” he said.
He added a crucial warning for anyone using a credit card: “Only do this if you’ll pay it off in full at the end of every month, or there is interest. That will credit score you to get it.”
For those who prefer a debit card or don’t want to undergo a hard credit check, Martin offered two alternatives. “The easiest one to get is the Chase card, which you can apply for without switching banks and only does a soft credit check, so it doesn’t mark your credit file, and virtually everybody can get it,” he said. It offers near-perfect exchange rates, no ATM withdrawal fees, and some cashback on UK spending.
Alternatively, for those willing to switch banks: “First Direct, if you’re willing to switch bank to it, will give you a near perfect exchange rate fee debit card and pay you £175 quid if you switch bank to it.”
A spokesperson for travel experts Lapland Famille said: “When spending abroad, choosing the right payment method makes a real difference. Specialist cards often work out far cheaper than standard bank cards. And if you’re ever asked to pay in pounds or the local currency, always choose the local currency – paying in cash locally is another good way to avoid hidden conversion fees.”
With no need to switch your main bank account for the easiest option, Martin’s advice shows that cutting the cost of spending abroad may be simpler than many travellers think – as long as you pick the right card before you go.
Watch: 'Genius' overhead kick from Celtic's Maeda
Daizen Maeda conjures up a moment of magic to seal Celtic’s 3-1 win over Rangers.
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Things are not going so well for Russia | Russia-Ukraine war
The annual ritual that is the Victory Day Parade in Moscow serves a dual purpose. It reminds Russia’s citizenry and the Kremlin’s audience across the former Soviet Union of the glorious past. The muscle flexing on May 9 each year benchmarks Russia’s geopolitical fortunes.
Last year on the 80th anniversary of the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin was flanked by foreign dignitaries from far and wide: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority.
This year, the lineup was much less impressive. Leaders from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia and Uzbekistan attended – with Republika Srpska, Abkhazia and South Ossetia for some added flavour – but no heavy hitters like India or China.
The talk of Russia as a linchpin of a new multipolar world order rings a tad hollow today, not least because no heavy equipment was marched through during the parade out of fear of Ukrainian drone strikes. On top of it, United States President Donald Trump claimed credit for a three-day ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
The relatively dull affair that was this year’s parade speaks volumes about Russia’s current state. On paper, everything is going just fine. Trump has not wholly abandoned the idea of a deal to freeze the war in Ukraine, even at the cost of major concessions by Kyiv. The current US National Security Strategy calls for “strategic stability” with Russia while blasting Europe’s “woke” policies.
The inconclusive war against Iran, meanwhile, has exposed the limits of US military might. Oil prices have jumped, filling Russia’s coffers and improving its fiscal balance. On top of it, Trump has removed sanctions on some Russian oil to increase the global supply. Meanwhile, the Europeans are signalling they want to talk to Moscow.
In reality, the mood is gloomy. The Russian war effort in Ukraine continues to be stalled no matter how much money, materiel and human lives the Kremlin throws into the meat grinder that is the so-called special military operation (SVO). Ukrainian drones have hit deep inside the Russian homeland with even Red Square apparently not being immune to aerial attack.
Trump has lost interest in wooing Putin. With Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gone, the European Union has consolidated ranks. In Russia itself, economic growth has plummeted from 4 percent in 2024 to a projection of just over 1 percent this year.
The prospects for long-term development, productivity growth and technological innovation are lacklustre. There are modest signs of discontent within the Russian elite. Even Putin’s sky-high popularity ratings are slightly down, according to pollsters.
The stifling of the mobile internet in Moscow and other big cities has been met with dismay. Russians could be excused for puzzling over how the SVO, sold as a glorious repeat of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, has gone on longer than the latter with no end in sight. It is no wonder Putin felt compelled to say on Saturday that “the matter” is coming to an end.
While its resources are focused on Ukraine, Russia is on the back foot in what it still calls its “near abroad” too. The past week showed that Europe is gaining momentum there.
On Monday, Armenia hosted the annual summit of the European Political Community (EPC), where European leaders gathered. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in attendance too. Once Moscow’s loyal client and member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Eurasian Economic Union, Yerevan is now strengthening ties with the West.
Even if the EPC is dismissed as a pan-European talking shop – or maybe a transatlantic one, given that Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, came as well – observers cannot ignore the fact that it was followed by the first EU-Armenia summit. The high-profile meeting signalled in no ambiguous terms that Yerevan sees its future in the EU. Strategically, it is looking at joining the trio of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
The EU is reciprocating: The summit discussed up to 2.5 billion euros ($2.95bn) in investment in Armenia; cooperation on energy, transport and digital infrastructure; and visa liberalisation.
In parallel, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are courting the Trump administration. The two countries have welcomed the US as a peacebroker as they move closer to normalising ties. In August at the White House, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration pledging to seek peace.
In February, JD Vance became the first sitting US vice president to visit Yerevan and then hopped over to Baku. Armenians and Azeris are negotiating the opening of the Zangezur corridor running between Azerbaijan proper and its exclave Nakhchivan (from where the Aliyev family hails). The project has a name – Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.
In short, the US has scored a couple of points in Russia’s back yard with the help of Pashinyan and Aliyev. Moscow is watching from the sidelines as a former satellite drifts away from its embrace. And the EU but also Turkiye are to benefit because Armenia’s opening and interconnection with its neighbours favours their pro-integration agenda.
Of course, this does not mean that Armenia could simply jump ship from Russia to the West. Moscow retains stakes in the Armenian economy and, therefore, political leverage.
This will be put on display in the June general election, which will pit Pashinyan’s Civil Contract against the Armenia Alliance of former President Robert Kocharyan and Strong Armenia associated with the Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. Both Kocharyan and Karapetyan have strong connections to Moscow.
Public opinion is in favour of diversifying relations but not a complete break-up. That is a pragmatic position shared by Pashinyan too despite his focus on deepening ties with the West.
Russia failed to – or was reluctant to – support Armenia against Azerbaijan and prevent the loss of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and Armenians are right to look for alliances elsewhere. But without a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and without full normalisation with Turkiye, one has to tread carefully and not burn bridges.
The Armenian leadership has to also factor in neighbouring Iran, with whom it enjoys positive ties. An escalation of the US-Israel war on Iran could threaten cross-border energy trade.
Putin would have loved to see Armenia and Azerbaijan attending Saturday’s parade. Ditto for Moldova, where pro-EU forces prevailed in the 2025 parliamentary elections. Or Georgia, which still has no diplomatic relations with Russia despite the rule of the authoritarian-minded Georgian Dream, a party viewed positively in the Kremlin.
The chances of those countries turning up next year are slim too. Even Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will probably not confirm until the last minute, as they have been doing for years.
These days, Russia’s near abroad is much more abroad than near.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Timberwolves win, tie Playoff Series after Spurs’ Wembanyama is ejected | Basketball
Edwards’ 36 points give Minnesota 114-109 win and tie the Western Conference semifinals 2-2 against San Antonio Spurs.
Published On 11 May 2026
Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage of Victor Wembanyama’s ejection to post a 114-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Timberwolves’ win on Sunday night in Minneapolis tied the Western Conference second-round series at two games apiece.
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Naz Reid contributed 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Minnesota. He also took an elbow from Wembanyama into his chin on the play in which the Spurs’ star was ejected in the second quarter.
Jaden McDaniels scored 14 points, Julius Randle scored 12 and Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Ayo Dosunmu added 10 points for Minnesota.
De’Aaron Fox and reserve Dylan Harper scored 24 points apiece and Stephon Castle added 20 for the Spurs. Devin Vassell tallied 14 points for San Antonio. Wembanyama had four points, four rebounds and no blocks in 12-plus minutes.
“We never expected them just to go away,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “They won a game in the Portland series without Wembanyama, so they’re very good, very good team.”
The Spurs trailed by seven before Harper made two free throws with 29.1 seconds left and Julian Champagnie hit two with 20.6 seconds remaining to bring San Antonio within 112-109.
Dosunmu answered with two free throws with 9.8 seconds left as Minnesota closed it out.
“Just small-time plays,” Edwards told reporters when asked how the Timberwolves won Game 4. “Small-time plays win big-time games. That’s what we needed. Diving on the floor, offensive rebounds and it was a great sub by Finchie for putting in Ayo for that last minute-and-a-half.”
Earlier, Wembanyama grabbed a rebound and was trying to protect the ball from two Timberwolves when he turned and unleashed a vicious right elbow into the chin of Reid and was called for a foul with 8:39 left in the first half.
The officiating crew studied views of the play before upgrading the foul to a flagrant 2, which is an automatic ejection. Crew chief Zach Zarba said, “There was windup, impact and follow-through above the neck of an opponent.”
“I’m glad he [Wembanyama] took matters into his own hands,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid, I want to be very clear about that. I’m glad Naz Reid is OK and I didn’t want him to elbow him. But [Wemby’s] going to have to protect himself if no one else does for him. And I think it’s disgusting.”
Minnesota led 60-56 at the break. Edwards scored 18 in the half while Castle led San Antonio with 14 first-half points.
Despite the loss of Wembanyama, the Spurs scored 20 of the first 28 points in the third quarter and led 76-68 after a basket by Vassell with 4:33 left in the period.
“I thought offensively, we were really doing a lot of good things,” Finch said. “We lost our way a little bit, and gave them life.”
San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson drove for a hoop with 21.9 seconds remaining for an 84-80 advantage entering the final stanza.
Fox buried a 3-pointer to give San Antonio a 94-86 lead with 8:51 left in the contest before Edwards scored 12 points during the Timberwolves’ 14-5 run.
“We had a chance to win,” Johnson said. “We didn’t close it out the way we wanted to. … Minnesota made some plays and finished the game.”
Edwards started the burst with a jumper and he soon scored five consecutive points on a short floater and a long straightaway 3-pointer to cut the Minnesota deficit to three with 7:10 remaining. He later canned two free throws with 5:51 left to bring the Timberwolves within 97-95 before drilling a 3-pointer 39 seconds later to give Minnesota a one-point edge.
Gobert later delivered a thunderous dunk to give the Timberwolves a 107-101 lead with 1:56 to play.
Minnesota shot 44.7 percent from the field, including 10 of 27 from 3-point range, while the Spurs made 47.7 percent of their attempts and hit just 6 of 26 from behind the arc.
Game 5 is Tuesday in San Antonio.
Virgin Island cast hit back after Channel 4 show branded ‘exploitative’
The cast and sex experts of Virgin Island spoke at the BAFTA TV Awards after the Channel 4 show was hit with criticism
Virgin Island aired for the first time last year(Image: Channel 4)
The Virgin Island cast made a huge splash when the series first aired last year and instantly became a watercooler TV show, with many left questioning whether it was groundbreaking or exploitative.
The premise of the Channel 4 programme followed 12 adult virgins as they explored intimacy in a pressure-free environment, surrounded by experts helping to guide them towards breaking down barriers.
It led to emotional breakthroughs for the brave contestants, and sparked conversations across the UK, resulting in a BAFTA TV nomination in the reality category – which was eventually won by the Celebrity Traitors.
Speaking to the Mirror and other press on the red carpet at the annual ceremony, the cast and experts took the opportunity to hit back at the critics. Addressing the backlash, sex and relationship coach Celeste Hirschman told us: “The proof is in the pudding! The transformations are unbelievable, and in the second season as well!
Dr Danielle Harel agreed: “Exactly! There’s a little bit of a discomfort to see the methods, but honestly, when people see how it helps, they’ll really fall into it, they’ll love it. They’ll really understand why it’s so important.”
Discussing the biggest change in the latest episodes, they revealed that “hundreds and hundreds” of people applied to take part for the second season.
“I think they were much more ready in season two, so they dove in the deep end right away. And we had a little more time, which was nice,” Celeste continued. “And we have play time! We have a BDSM specialist coming in for episode five, so watch out!”
Dr Danielle interjected: “I think people came in more ready for the show, so they were ready to move faster.”
The contestants themselves also couldn’t rave about the series enough. Emma was met with cheers when she shared: “Well, I lost my virginity, so that’s an update, I think!
“Ever since, I’ve been exploring more with intimacy and getting more comfortable with it. Finding out what I like and don’t like. I’ve built so much more confidence and I’ve opened up so many more doors! It’s incredible!
“The pros taught us how it was done, I’m a free woman now thanks to these girls! I didn’t realise that would happen on a two week retreat but these are experts, so they know what they’re doing!”
Emma revealed that she first became intimate “about six months after” filming, during a “self-love journey” in Australia.
“That’s when I started to meet people and try it a bit more. I took away a lot of skills these girls gave me and I did my own learning in my own time, and then I blossomed in the outside world.”
Jason Thompson, who was also a guest at the sex retreat, proudly flashed a bejewelled cherry pin on his suit as he added:“I’m still a virgin, cherry is still in tact. I love myself again, a whole other level of confidence, I’m just all-round happier. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
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Eight of the best secluded and affordable places to stay in Andalucía, Spain | Andalucia holidays
For centuries, outsiders have been lured to the radiant hills and valleys of Andalucía, not least the Moors of north Africa who left such an impact on the land and culture. More recently, an influx of northern European aficionados has fostered a string of seductive, small-scale guesthouses to join some idiosyncratic Spanish-owned properties. These are idyllic, tranquil settings in which to de-stress and recharge, hike, ride, cycle, cook, swim or simply stargaze – the rural skies here are blissfully free of light pollution. Nor are cultural highlights ever far away, whether in Granada, Córdoba or Seville.
Starry nights at Casa Mimi
Near Gérgal, in the eastern mountains bordering the Sierra de los Filabres, this Belgian-owned bed and breakfast has three charming rooms with ample outside space, views and a pool. Although isolated, it has unbeatable access to regional highlights including Europe’s only desert, which surrounds the old film studios of Tabernas; Almería’s stupendous fortress; and the wild beaches of Cabo de Gata. A lesser known lure is the Calar Alto astronomical observatory, one of Europe’s largest, perched on a nearby mountaintop, where night visits are available. Mediterranean dinners (€25) at Casa Mimi are on request and use seasonal produce, guaranteed by these former restaurateurs, Priscilla and Ben. The entire property of four bedrooms can be rented.
Doubles from €70 B&B, casamimi.net
Hiking and biking from Hostal Pampaneira
Time-travel to old-school Andalucía in Las Alpujarras, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Almost 50 years old with local furnishings to match, this modest, 15-room family hotel overlooks the steep, whitewashed village of Pampaneira on dizzying bends high above Órgiva – an enclave for alternative lifestyles. Centuries ago, the Berbers developed farming in the area and Pampaneira’s intricate layout. The restaurant cooks hearty mountain produce in the form of stews and roasts (pork, lamb and kid goat) with vegetables from their allotment, their own olive oil and local wine. Cliff climbing, mountain biking, horse riding, guided treks and excursions to the snowy slopes of 3,479-metre Mulhacén (the highest mountain in the Iberian peninsula) are all on offer for the active, while peerless Granada lies to the north.
Doubles from €42, triples €50, breakfast €10, hostalpampaneira.com
Embrace nature at Casa Olea
This converted farmhouse hides in a stunning, secluded valley north of the delightful baroque town of Priego de Córdoba in central Andalucía. Over the years, the owners, Tim and Claire, have fine-tuned comforts and activities while upping the impressive environmental credentials. Six stylish rooms crown a restaurant with panoramic views over the river, olive groves, woods, two Moorish watch towers and a bronze age hillfort. The large pool is where to relax after self-guided hikes, cycling (bike rental and navigation app available) or birding from a hide. The coup de grâce is a gourmet dinner (€36) cooked by Claire, laced with the property’s own olive oil. And there is the opportunity to stargaze as Casa Olea is certified as a Starlight hotel. Midway between Granada and Córdoba, serious sightseeing is also on the agenda.
Doubles €154 B&B (two-night minimum), casaolea.com
On top of the world at Finca Serrato
Hidden down a dirt road in the Montes de Málaga near Colmenar, about 50 minutes from Málaga, the finca offers three apartments and two double rooms in the farmhouse or outbuilding. All have an attractive, understated aesthetic, some with woodburning stoves, air-con, kitchen facilities and private patio. A small pool has far-reaching views. The youthful French-Spanish hosts, Zélie and Nico, prepare delicious breakfasts, snacks and tapas, sourcing local ingredients. An hour away is Antequera and the surreal rock formations of El Torcal – an entrancing setting for hikes.
Doubles from €68, apartments from €77 (two-night minimum), breakfast €9, airport transfer €60, fincaserrato.com
Gourmet dining at Finca Las Encinas
With only three bedrooms, you could call this guesthouse intimate, but that impression changes when you’re under the pergola overlooking the pool and see a rippling sea of olive groves prized for their oil. Foodies should make a beeline here as Welsh chef Clive is passionate about Andalucían cooking, conjuring up fabulous seasonal dinners as well as cooking classes. The cosseting finca lies in a hamlet of La Subbética, a semi-mountainous region between Córdoba and Granada, with the Iznájar reservoir (for watersports) and castle just down the road. Maki, Clive’s Japanese wife and a knowledgable enthusiast of the region, accompanies guests to bodegas, olive oil mills and cultural hotspots. Cosy rooms are thoughtfully decorated, and Clive’s organic vegetable garden boosts the menu.
Doubles from €80 B&B (two-night minimum), dinner €33, finca-las-encinas.com
Serenity at La Dehesa Experience
Rest up in luxury glamping style in the heart of the Sierra Morena north of Córdoba, famed for Iberian pigs snuffling acorns beneath the oak trees. Scattered over the dehesa (fertile pasture for cattle and horses) are six wooden cabins raised on platforms with one or two bedrooms, a kitchen and a plunge pool outside. An alternative is the “tubbo”, a spacious transparent tube, all the better for total immersion. Slickly designed interiors contain fridges full of Andalucían wine and local gourmet produce, binoculars, and a telescope in some suites. Here, you are on your own and totally private, although the efficient staff are always on call to deliver breakfast, lunch or dinner (€35) and even offer massages. This is the ultimate retreat for total serenity, for romance and for immersion in nature.
Doubles from €189 B&B, ladehesaexperiences.com
Eclectic retreat at El Molino del Abuelo
At this transformed water mill, you will be warmly greeted by two brothers and their mother. The family project (the mill was set up by their grandfather – the abuelo) is an eco-friendly bubble in the village of Montecorto, just 20km west of Ronda. Out front unfolds the verdant Sierra de Grazalema, renowned for hiking, biking trails, birding, and sprinkled with classic pueblos blancos. Raúl and Florentino have curated an eclectic oasis of vivid colour and quirky craft and artworks – including murals by their sister. Five rooms, two pools, a shared kitchen for making snacks and a prolific garden of organic vegetables and fruit trees are all there, but number one is the gurgling stream which lulls you to sleep. Breakfasts are bountiful, so luckily yoga and bikes are options, along with tips on local sights.
Doubles from €70, breakfast €7.50, adults only, elmolinodelabuelo.es
Walking wonders from Molinos de Fuenteheridos
In the Sierra de Aracena of western Andalucía, near Aracena, this 17th-century flour and olive mill has been converted in contemporary style to offer 10 huge, well-appointed rooms with luxury en suites. The mill room itself is now an atmospheric common area with plentiful seating lit by Moorish lamps. Outside, extensive grounds include lush gardens, a large saltwater pool, a smaller freshwater one and a river that nourishes fig, walnut, chestnut and apple trees. It is a picture-perfect area for hikes, coupled with Aracena castle, spectacular grottos and Museo del Jamón – a 15-minute drive away, and the bars and restaurants of Fuenteheridos within walking distance. Not least, the cultural riches of Seville beckon, a 90-minute drive away.
Doubles from €99, breakfast €7, molinosdefuenteheridos.com
Fiona Dunlop is the author of Andaluz – a Food Journey through Southern Spain (Interlink Publishing)
NHL playoffs: Ducks defeat Vegas in Game 4 to even series
The Ducks’ second-round playoff showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights has become a best-of-three series.
With a 4-3 victory Sunday before a raucous sold-out crowd at the Honda Center, the Ducks evened the series 2-2 as it heads back to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday. But it wasn’t easy, with the Golden Knights twice rallying from one-goal deficits, only to see the Ducks answer each time.
And the Ducks’ power play, so lethal in the team’s first-round win over Edmonton and so ineffective in the first three games of this series, finally found a spark, scoring goals in each of the first two periods.
The Ducks’ goals came from Beckett Sennecke, Mikael Granlund, Alex Killorn and Ian Moore. Pavel Dorofeyev, Brett Howden and Tomas Hertl scored for Vegas.
The Ducks were fast and physical in the early going, playing with an urgency they lacked in their Game 3 loss. They also did a better job protecting the puck and that paid off with the team’s first power-play goal of the series 8:43 into the first period.
Vegas had killed 11 penalties against the Ducks and 21 in a row dating back to Game 3 in their first-round series against Utah. But after Dylan Coghlan went off for interference, Sennecke teed up a slap shot from the top of the right circle for his fourth goal of the playoffs, putting the Ducks up 1-0.
The lead didn’t last long, however, with Dorofeyev evening things with a power-play goal of his own about a minute and half later. The goal, on a tip-in, was Dorofeyev’s fifth of the postseason.
Ducks defenseman Ian Moore celebrates with teammates after scoring in the third period of a 4-3 win over the Golden Knights in Game 4 on Sunday at Honda Center.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Granlund put the Ducks back on top less than five minutes before the first intermission, taking a pass from Jeffrey Viel along the left-side boards and getting off a shot as he battled Vegas forward Cole Smith. The puck appeared to strike the blade of Smith’s stick as Viel let it go and that proved fortunate for the Ducks since the deflection fooled defenseman Noah Hanifin and goalie Carter Hart, who both let the bouncing puck tumble through them and into the goal.
That lead didn’t last long, either, with Howden tying things again for Vegas 4:04 into the second period. The goal, on the Golden Knights’ ninth shot, was Howden’s seventh of the playoffs, giving him a share of the NHL lead. Mitch Marner assisted on the first two Vegas goals, giving him a league-best 15 points in 10 postseason games.
However, Killorn scored the Ducks’ second power-play less than two minutes before the second intermission, putting the Ducks in front to stay. Moore doubled the lead 3:43 into the third, lining in a slap shot from well above the right circle.
The two-goal lead matched the largest of the series for the Ducks. Hertl cut that in half with 64 seconds to play after Vegas pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. But the Golden Knights got no closer.
Both teams have split their two games at home. The Golden Knights will have the home-ice advantage — if there is one — over the last three games since two are scheduled in Las Vegas.
Sunday’s win marked the sixth consecutive time the Ducks evened a playoff series it trailed 2-1 after three games.
Vegas played without winger Mark Stone, whose 28 goals were second-most on the team during the regular season. Stone, who had a goal and an assist in the first three games against the Ducks, is the team’s all-time playoff scoring leader with 79 points (39 goals, 40 assists) in 94 games. He sustained an undisclosed injury in the first period of Game 3 and his status for the rest of the series is unclear.
Trump calls Iran response “totally unacceptable” | Show Types
Al Jazeera’s Rosalind Jordan and Almigdad Alruhaid report on the latest developments after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s response to the US peace proposal, as negotiations increasingly focus on sanctions, ceasefire guarantees, and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Published On 11 May 2026
Where Are The Carriers As Of May 11, 2026: 20 Warships Enforce Iran Blockade
Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s map here.
More than 20 U.S. Navy warships, two carrier strike groups among them, are enforcing the blockade of Iran in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR). To date, CENTCOM has redirected 61 commercial vessels linked to Iran and disabled at least four attempting to run the blockade.
The Navy released new images last week of both CSGs supporting the blockade. The USS George H.W. Bush was conducting flight operations in the Arabian Sea on May 6, and recently spotted with 25 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, two E-2D Hawkeyes, and three MH-60 Seahawks of Carrier Air Wing 7 visible on the flight deck. Unlike the Abraham Lincoln CSG, also operating in the AOR, George H.W. Bush is not equipped with 5th-generation carrier-based F-35Cs.
The Gerald R. Ford CSG transited the Strait of Gibraltar westbound and is steaming toward Norfolk. The strike group has been deployed for 322 days, as of May 11, and is expected to return home in the coming weeks. The CSG departed Norfolk in June 2025 and was initially supposed to return in January, but its deployment was extended twice to support combat operations in the Caribbean and the Middle East.
Three carriers are now underway training in preparation for future deployments. The Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG, which recently completed a 15-month availability, is working up off the east coast with AIS turned on. The George Washington CSG got underway on May 10, according to ship spotters, leaving port in Yokosuka, Japan, escorted by guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls. The Theodore Roosevelt CSG is “conducting advanced training to bolster strike group readiness and capability” in the Pacific Ocean.
USS Nimitz is anchored off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a five-day liberty port call. Nimitz is circumnavigating South America en route to her new homeport in Norfolk. Originally slated to be decommissioned this year, her service life was recently extended into 2027.
Another Marine Air-Ground Task Force is set to arrive in CENTCOM in the near-term. While the Boxer ARG has not been confirmed in CENTCOM as of publication, an arrival announcement could come as soon as next week. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is comprised of a command element, a Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team 3/5, an Aviation Combat Element with two squadrons, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 163 (Reinforced) and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 122, and a logistics combat element. The approximately 5,000 Marines and Sailors aboard Boxer ARG will join the Tripoli ARG, already on station in the Middle East, and significantly enhance the United States’ expeditionary capabilities in the region.
Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.
Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@teamrecurrent.io
Lorna Luxe rewears her wedding dress to TV Baftas in touching tribute to late husband three months after his sad death
LORNA Luxe rewore her wedding dress to the BAFTA TV Awards in a touching tribute to her late husband – three months after his sad death.
The popular influencer was left heartbroken in February when her husband John passed away aged 64 following a battle with adrenal cancer.
But in a touching tribute, Lorna, 43, opted to wear her wedding gown to the annual event in London, keeping her husband close in her thoughts as she continues to figure out life without him.
Earlier in the week, Lorna had shared on TikTok that she was keen to wear her dress, as it also tapped into the awards’ theme of sustainability, but it was a little loose around her rib cage which was off putting.
But on Sunday, Lorna took to Instagram to show off her glam red carpet look and was wearing the dress, which featured a satin bodice, thin straps and a chiffon drape coming from the cleavage and down around the hips to become the skirt.
Lorna tagged her hair and make up team in the video, and also added: “I’m so chuffed I got the dress altered with @abigailwestrupbridal it fits like a glove.”
Lorna completed the look with some stunning diamond earrings and a necklace which she said she had borrowed for the evening, but meant that she would be accompanied by a security guard from the jewellers all evening due to their hefty price tag.
But in a further fitting tribute to John, she also revealed she was wearing her huge engagement ring and some diamond bracelets she had also received from her late spouse.
She added: “So it just feels really lovely, and I’m in my dress.”
Last month, Lorna quietly dropped Luxe from her social media handles, going simply by her first name instead.
A close friend of Lorna’s exclusively told The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine: “She had been planning to do it for quite some time. In fact her and John had discussed it as a ‘next chapter’ in her career.
“She made the request to Instagram to change it last year, but it just automatically changed on a Saturday night. It really pleased her as she knew John would have loved it.”
ESAB raises dividend by 20% to $0.12 dividend
ESAB raises dividend by 20% to $0.12 dividend
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LAFC can’t stop Jack McGlynn, Mateusz Bogusz in loss to Houston
Jack McGlynn scored a goal in each half and the Houston Dynamo thumped LAFC 4-1 on Sunday night at BMO Stadium.
McGlynn used an assist from Lawrence Ennali in the 25th minute to score on a shot from well outside the box, giving Houston a 1-0 lead. It was McGlynn’s first goal after scoring a career-high six times last season.
Guilherme Santos scored off a free kick in the 34th minute for a two-goal lead. The first-year midfielder has six goals in 11 matches.
McGlynn had a shot from nearly the same spot hit the far post, also in the 42nd, and Nathan Ordaz answered for LAFC three minutes later to cut it to 2-1 at halftime. McGlynn was booked for a yellow card in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Stephen Eustáquio notched his third assist in seven appearances on Ordaz’s second goal, and Jacob Shaffelburg picked up his second in five outings this season and his 15th in 134 appearances. Ordaz has found the net eight times in 67 matches.
Mateusz Bogusz got a second chance to score in the 51st minute, using his left foot to find the net for the second time for a 3-1 lead. Bogusz scored 18 goals in 60 appearances with LAFC from 2023-24.
McGlynn gave the Dynamo a three-goal lead in the 55th with assists from Ennali and Santos, who already has five helpers. Ennali collected his first two assists of the campaign.
Jonathan Bond finished with five saves for Houston (6-5-0), which improved to 2-3-1 on the road.
Hugo Lloris saved two shots for LAFC (6-3-3), which drops to 4-2-1 at home. Lloris entered with eight shutouts through his first 10 starts, posting three more clean sheets than any other keeper in the league.
The Dynamo have gone 5-2-1 in the last eight matchups, holding LAFC scoreless in five of them.
LAFC beat the Dynamo 2-0 in Houston to close out February.
LAFC’s Sergi Palencia left with an apparent injury in the 42nd minute.
Up next for LAFC: visits St. Louis City on Wednesday.
Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra released from prison | News
Influential former prime minister released on parole after spending about eight months behind bars.
Published On 11 May 2026
Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released from a prison in Bangkok after spending eight months of a one-year sentence there over a corruption-related charge.
Hundreds of people, including the 76-year-old billionaire’s family and political allies, greeted him on Monday, chanting, “We love Thakisn” as he left the Klong Prem Central Prison.
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Thaksin remade and dominated Thai politics for a quarter-century, but his influence has waned of late following his jailing and his once formidable Pheu Thai Party’s worst election performance on record earlier this year.
His hair closely cropped and in a simple white shirt, Thaksin walked out of prison at about 7:40am local time (00:40 GMT) and was immediately surrounded by family members, including his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was sacked as prime minister by a court order in August last year, weeks before his imprisonment.
He smiled brightly as he walked around to greet his supporters, but left without speaking to reporters.
Thaksin had served as prime minister from 2001 until a military coup toppled him in 2006, while he was abroad.
After 15 years in self-exile, he returned to Thailand in 2023 to face an eight-year sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power relating to his time in office. That sentence had been commuted to one year by the king.
But he was in prison for only a few hours following his homecoming before complaining of heart trouble and chest pains. He then spent six months in the VIP wing of a hospital until he was freed on parole.
In September last year, the Supreme Court ruled that Thaksin must serve that time in prison, concluding that he and his doctors had intentionally prolonged his hospital stay with minor surgeries that were unnecessary.
A Ministry of Justice panel agreed last month to grant him parole as part of a review of more than 900 eligible prisoners’ cases, citing his good behaviour in prison, his age and the low risk that he would repeat his offence.
According to the corrections department, Thaksin will be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor for the remainder of his sentence.
In a video streamed by the Thairath news outlet on Monday, Thaksin was seen rolling down the car window to greet a small group of supporters outside his home in western Bangkok and responding to reporters’ shouted questions that “I was in hibernation; I can’t remember anything now”.
Thaksin’s Pheu Thai Party, which slipped to third place in February’s elections, joined the governing coalition of conservative Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Thaksin’s nephew, Yodchanan Wongsawat, who became Pheu Thai’s standard-bearer ahead of the February election, was made minister of higher education in Anutin’s cabinet.
Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn, became the country’s youngest prime minister in 2024, but was removed from office by Thailand’s Constitutional Court after a recording was released of a compromising phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
Missiles Clobber Target Ship In Highly Strategic Luzon Strait
A former Philippine Navy warship was sent to the bottom today by the combined effects of maritime strike drills launched by Japanese, Philippine, and U.S. forces in the Luzon Strait, one of the world’s most strategic and tense bodies of water. The maneuvers, which reportedly involved a variety of anti-ship missiles and rocket artillery, were part of the broader Balikatan exercise, which is especially important in the context of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
Located roughly 50 miles offshore, the target vessel for a live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) campaign was the decommissioned Philippine Navy Rizal class patrol corvette, the former BRP Quezon. The ship was originally completed for the U.S. Navy as an Auk class minesweeper during World War II, serving as the USS Vigilance before being transferred to the Philippines and serving in a new role in the late 1960s. The BRP Quezon, which had a standard displacement of 890 tons, was decommissioned in 2021.
The maritime strike (MARSTRIKE) drills were conducted on the island of Luzon, which sits at the northern end of the Philippines, and is the country’s largest and most populous island. Specifically, the live-fire drills took place around the Paoay Sand Dunes, in the coastal region of Ilocos Norte.
The drills began around 10:00 a.m. local time with a U.S. Army M30/31 Guided Multiple-Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) fired as a “probing round,” with the location of the target vessel being confirmed around 10:15 a.m.
The GMLRS artillery rocket is a highly precise, rapid-strike weapon that can attack targets to a distance of around 50 miles, which would put it right at the limit of its range. It is fired from the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that can launch six guided or unguided 227mm artillery rockets or a single Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile without reloading. GMLRS is not capable of engaging moving targets, so it has limited application in the traditional anti-ship mission set.
In a combined strike, anti-ship missiles were reportedly then launched from a U.S. Marine Corps Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and from a Philippine Navy C-Star system.
Of these, NMESIS employs an uncrewed variant of the 4×4 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), also known as the Remotely Operated Ground Unit Expeditionary-Fires (ROGUE-Fires), on which is mounted a launcher with two ready-to-fire Naval Strike Missiles (NSM). These have a range of around 130 miles and have low-observable features, making them harder for enemy air defenses to detect and engage.
NMESIS is meant to be rapidly deployable and capable of highly dispersed operations in austere areas. As an uncrewed vehicle-launcher combo, small teams of Marines monitor multiple launchers dispersed around an area and move them regularly to keep them from being targeted by the enemy. The system was first deployed in a Balikatan exercise last year, as you can read about here.
While Philippine media reports that the NMESIS, operated by the Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, fired a missile during today’s drill, this is refuted by a report from Stars and Stripes. The 3rd MLR is notable in itself, being expressly designed to fight within an enemy’s own littorals, with all the challenges that brings.
Meanwhile, the C-Star is the Philippine Navy’s primary anti-ship missile. Produced by South Korea’s LIG Nex1, a version of this missile is used by the Republic of Korea Navy as the Haeseong. The Philippines uses the C-Star to arm its two Miguel Malvar class and two Jose Rizal class frigates, which are also made in South Korea. Similar to the U.S.-made Harpoon, the C-Star is a turbojet-powered, sea-skimming missile with a range of around 90 miles.
In the drill, the C-Star was likely fired from the Philippine Navy frigates BRP Miguel Malvar and Antonio Luna, both of which are known to be taking part in Balikatan.
These were followed by two rounds fired from a Japanese land-based Type 88 anti-ship missile system, fired for the first time during a Balikatan exercise, and for the first time anywhere outside Japan. The Japanese missiles reportedly struck the hull of the target ship around 10:30 a.m.
JSDF Type 88 missiles fire for the first time in Balikatan 2026 | GMA News
Developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the 1980s, the Type 88 (also known as the SSM-1) is the primary coastal anti-ship missile system of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, with a range of around 100 miles, although more capable and further-reaching weapons are now in development, as you can read about here.
Interestingly, in a video released of the live-fire event in Ilocos Norte, close protection was being provided to the truck-mounted Type 88 launcher by a Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), also from the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment. MADIS utilizes the JTLV and distributes different sensors and effectors between individual JLTVs, as you can read more about here. In this kind of scenario, it would be tasked with protecting the coastal missile battery against kamikaze drones and other aerial threats at short ranges.
The vessel sank rapidly, meaning that the Philippine Air Force wasn’t able to deliver more munitions onto the target. FA-50 light combat aircraft and A-29 Super Tucano turboprop close support aircraft had both been prepared to strike the same ship, but were stood down.
Other air assets taking part included a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and an MQ-9 drone.
With the ship sunk or sinking, a coup de grace was provided by a U.S. HIMARS, which fired onto the same coordinates.
Also involved in Balikatan is the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown, although it appears that it didn’t take part in the live-fire event.
According to a Philippine military spokesperson, another round of live-fire drills will take place tomorrow as part of Balikatan, utilizing a stand-by target vessel. This will also allow Philippine Air Force aircraft to take part.
The live-fire drills, conducted under the Balikatan exercise, signaled a notable expansion of Japan’s military role in the region as Tokyo strengthens security partnerships with its allies amid growing tensions with Beijing.
Overall, the live-fire exercise is highly significant due to its proximity to the Chinese mainland and the long range of some of the missiles that have been employed.
The Luzon Strait, into which the various missiles and rockets were fired, sits between Taiwan and the Philippines, spanning about 220 miles at its narrowest point. It serves as a vital shipping route and a highly strategic military corridor, particularly for China’s rapidly expanding naval forces. From this passage, assets stationed in the South China Sea can move into the Philippine Sea and the wider Pacific, and back again. This includes China’s growing fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, some of which underpin its second-strike nuclear deterrent.
The strait is also a crucial gateway for the U.S. Navy entering the South China Sea and would likely be a central battleground in any major conflict over Taiwan. Because of its importance, the area is closely monitored for activity both above and below the surface. In the event of war, it would quickly turn into a dense anti-ship missile engagement zone (SMEZ). The live-fire campaign today gave just a small taster of that kind of contingency.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Army test-fired a Tomahawk cruise missile from a Typhon launcher in the central Philippines, successfully hitting a target around 370 miles away in Nueva Ecija.
On this occasion, the Tomahawk missile was supporting ground troops in a night land maneuver exercise led by the 25th Infantry Division in Fort Magsaysay, part of the Balikatan exercise.
The Typhon ground-based missile system can also fire SM-6 multi-purpose missiles, which are used in this application in a quasi-ballistic missile land-attack mode. As for the Tomahawk cruise missile, this provided land attack and anti-ship capabilities.
As we have discussed before, Typhon’s arrival in the Philippines in 2025 sent a clear signal to Beijing and throughout the region. It is a glimpse of what’s to come as the service works through plans to permanently base these systems in China’s backyard.
Compared to the longer-range Typhon, which is deployed further from the Luzon Strait, for the Balikatan exercise, the shorter-range NMESIS and Type 88 anti-ship missiles are pushed much closer to the zone in which their likely wartime targets would be found. As we have explored in the past, anti-ship missiles of this kind, and especially NMESIS, can also be deployed deeper into the strait, making use of smaller Philippine islands, like the Batanes island chain, although that ratchets up their exposure to counterstrikes considerably.
For both these kinds of missiles, their survival would rely upon the dispersal of launchers and other vehicles, as well as regularly moving them around to help prevent them from being targeted by the enemy. Of course, with the uncrewed NMESIS, this is designed from the ground up to not put personnel in harm’s way. All of this kind of doctrine is central to the Marines’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) strategy, which is now a core tenet of how it would fight in the Pacific.
Already, China has voiced its displeasure at the deployment of the U.S. Army’s Typhon system to the Philippines. What is now becoming a regular appearance of NMESIS, backed up by other highly mobile strike systems, including allied anti-ship missiles, within reach of the Luzon Strait, will undoubtedly trigger similar concerns in Beijing. However, the live-fire sinking exercise today underscores how critical this waterway is to the U.S. military and its allies in the region, just as it is to China. Having more varied and more mobile anti-shipping assets in the northern Philippines complicates targeting for China, while extending the capabilities of the anti-access strategy of the U.S. military and its allies in the Luzon Strait, should a conflict break out.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Strictly Come Dancing new hosts revealed as Emma Willis ‘confirmed’ for BBC role
It has been reported that a popular pair of presenters have signed up to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on Strictly Come Dancing after impressing bosses
Emma Willis is said to have been offered the Strictly Come Dancing
Emma Willis is said to have been offered the Strictly Come Dancing hosting role alongside another famous face.
There has been much speculation about who might replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the BBC Latin and ballroom show after they chose to step down from the show last year.
It is believed the BBC held auditions for a number of stars, and it has now been reportedly revealed that the BBC are set to offer the role to Emma Willis, with Zoe Ball also expected to take on the second role.
A source said: “Emma has been offered the Strictly job and is going to accept. She absolutely nailed the chemistry tests and the BBC adore her. Emma is a household name and a safe pair of hands so the BBC know she will do the job justice.
“She’s incredibly popular with the public too and will suit the role down to a tee. She was absolutely thrilled to have been offered the job. Strictly is one of the biggest shows on television and to be trusted with the new era is something Emma feels incredibly proud and humbled by.”
It is believed Zoe Ball will also be asked to star alongside Emma, taking over from Tess and Claudia. The pair reportedly did a chemistry test together, as well as other pairings including Alex Jones and Rylan Clark and Bradley Walsh and Rob Rinder.
“Emma is seen as the Tess of the duo. Her background in live – and occasionally tense – broadcasting situations means she can handle anything that is thrown at her,” a source told The Sun.
“Zoe and her really clicked and it’s looking likely that Zoe will take on the role Claudia held in the auditorium with the celebs and the pro’s. The BBC are excited about how their new look Strictly is coming together and think the public will agree.”
A spokesperson for the BBC told The Mirror: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”
Emma and Zoe are both big names within the BBC, with them both having radio shows with the broadcaster. Emma hosts her own Saturday afternoon show on BBC Radio 2.
She had previously shared how much she loves the BBC dancing show. Speaking in 2021, when asked about taking part on the show, she explained: “If I had time, I would do it in a heartbeat. Like I absolutely love it.”
Tess and Claudia announced back in September that they were quitting the show after the end of that series.
“We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show,” they said.
“They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
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Jo Adell homers twice in Angels’ victory over Blue Jays
TORONTO — Jo Adell hit a pair of solo homers, José Soriano struck out seven over 7⅔ innings to stop a three-start winless steak and the Angels avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Sunday.
Oswald Peraza added a two-run homer as the Angels ended an eight-game road losing streak dating to April 16, while also ending a nine-game slump in Toronto.
Soriano (6-2) gave up two hits and a walk in the first inning, including Kazuma Okamoto’s RBI double, but didn’t allow another runner until Myles Straw reached in the eighth with an infield hit, ending a streak of 20 consecutive outs.
Sam Bachman replaced Soriano after back-to-back singles loaded the bases and got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground into a forceout.
Peraza hit a two-run drive in a the fifth and Adell homered in the sixth and the ninth. All three homers came off Eric Lauer (1-5), who allowed six runs and five hits in five innings. He hasn’t won since March 29 against the Athletics.
Vaughn Grissom added a two-run double.
Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger was scratched from the lineup because of a sore right shoulder. Barger returned Saturday after missing 29 games because of a sore left ankle and made a 101.2-mph throw to retire Jorge Soler at home plate.
Up next for the Angels: Cleveland LHP Joey Cantillo (2-1, 3.43 ERA) starts a series opener against the visiting Angels.
