A tempting life as a full-time family man nearly pulled Khalil Mack away from football.

“I was leaning towards coming back the whole time,” Mack said of mulling retirement before signing a one-year, $18-million contract in March to remain with the Chargers. “But it’s just considering the stage of life my kids are at, that balance of being a dad and a husband but still trying to follow the dream. I feel like I’m still in a position to do both.”

The future Hall of Famer decided the show must go on.

And now, with championship aspirations entering his 13th season, and fifth in Los Angeles, Mack is basking in his role as the Chargers’ elder statesman.

“Priceless,” defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said of the 35-year-old outside linebacker’s presence. “He’s the flag bearer of our culture on defense. He leads the way with his actions. … When it’s time for him to say something, he’s going to say something.

“You’ve got a group of young edges in that room that all they’re doing is watching everything he does [and] listening to everything he says. It’s more valuable than anything I can say or do.”

IChargers linebacker Khalil Mack embraces one of his son on the sideline before a game against the Raiders at SoFi Stadium last season.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

He’s the 2016 defensive player of the year. He has nine Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro nods under his belt. And 113 sacks to his name.

Mack, despite coming off an injury-riddled down year, has never needed an introduction.

“He’s one of the best players of our generation,” offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said.

Yet, perhaps even more invaluable than Mack’s on-the-field impact is his leadership.

“Oh, man, I try,” Mack said. “I try to motivate.”

He’s pretty good at it.

Whether by sharing pointers with rookies or helping rising stars such as teammate Tuli Tuipulotu navigate fuzzy contract negotiations, Mack makes himself available to help those in the Chargers organization become their best selves.

“It is unique,” Mack said of being a resource. “When you’re in that room, you want to be the guy you wanted to see early on … have those conversations that you wanted to have early on in your career, whether it was financial [or] different conversations you wanted to have and guys pouring into you.”

Mack learned the importance of passing down knowledge as a youngster in Oakland under the tutelage of seasoned veterans Charles Woodson and Justin Tuck.

“I feel like it [was] the catalyst for my career. I had them to lean on and those examples to lean on,” Mack said.

Nowadays, the Buffalo product stands on the other side of the street, paving the way for the next generation as one of the league’s older stars.

“I got friends that don’t play anymore,” Mack jested. “They’re like, ‘Aye, Mack, it’s lonely on this side.’ They’re always talking about the locker room and camaraderie. It’s just knowing how special being in the locker room is and being around your guys and enjoying it while you can.”

On that note, Mack has made it a point to savor every moment of training camp.

ISteelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles the ball as he’s sacked by Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack in the end zone during a game last season at SoFi Stadium.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Beyond looking the part, he has already spent time helping teammates better their technique, jumping at the opportunity to teach.

“He walked up and asked me three things that he can work on,” Mack said of helping rookie offensive tackle Travis Burke after practice. “I talked him through that stuff … kind of reminds me of Joe [Alt] his first year. Whatever I can share, I’m going to share, because I want them to be the best version of themselves.”

No one has anything bad to say about the man who wears No. 52.

Instead, everyone in the Chargers organization knows how integral Mack is to the day-to-day operations.

“Right now, [the rookies] don’t know any other way to do it than the way Derwin [James] does it, the way Justin [Herbert] does it, the way K-Mack does it,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “They don’t know any other way to do it than the way those best players go about their business. …”

Mack is the epitome of a pro’s pro.

Since being the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 draft, he has been one of the most dominant pass rushers of his generation, one of the richest players off it, and in between, the ultimate captain.

“I had a lot of coaches that were in my ear about being a professional early,” Mack said. “I feel like that’s helped prolong my career. … You can take what you want and take what works for you … that’s kind of the advice I give.”

Mack returned to the Chargers to compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. But playing big brother to his teammates, has been a joyous subplot.

“What’s Coach Harbaugh say?” Mack asked rhetorically. “Enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

A search team has retrieved the remains of renowned climber Nirmal Purja and several members of his team after they were killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain located in Pakistan.

Peter Wiles and his wife Rogelyn Caresosa had been planning to go on a holiday to Cappadocia in Turkey, but their holiday ended at Manchester Airport where Turkish Airlines stopped them from boarding

A man was left ‘questioning his sanity’ after he and his wife missed a Turkish Airlines flight.

Peter Wiles and Rogelyn Caresosa had been looking forward to a romantic getaway in Cappadocia, a region of Turkey famous for its colourful hot air balloons and multi-level subterranean cities carved out of soft volcanic ash stone over thousands of years.

The couple married in 2024, paving the way for Rogelyn to move to the UK on a spouse visa and live with her factory worker husband. Having saved up the cash for the May 2025 getaway, Peter splashed out £973.30 for flights from Manchester Airport.

Both Peter and Rogelyn were distraught when their dream getaway ended at the airport.

“My wife was devastated, we had to get a taxi home as it was late on a Sunday and the trains had finished,” Peter told the Mirror. “This whole debacle has honestly had me questioning my sanity at times!”

Peter had booked and paid for two Turkish Airlines return flights to Turkey for himself and his Filipino wife, as part of a single booking in his name, using his Tesco Bank credit card.

They encountered a small difficulty in booking. Because Rogelyn holds a UK spouse visa, her old Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card had technically expired at the end of 2024 under the UK’s switch to digital eVisas, although her actual immigration status remains valid until 2027.

Before applying for Turkey’s eVisa, Rogelyn called the Turkish Consulate, which advised her to use her BRP number rather than her UK “share code” as the “additional visa number” on the form.

However, once at Manchester Airport, a Turkish Airlines gate agent rejected this, insisting the share code should have been used instead. This is despite the eVisa printout they presented, which stated that “eVisas of other countries are NOT accepted as supporting documents.”

Ultimately, Rogelyn was denied boarding and so the couple were left at the airport, their plane leaving without them.

Peter has now been left fighting to get his money back, attempting to claim it back via his bank and Turkish Airlines. So far, he has been unsuccessful. He claims that Turkish Airlines refused to give a clear written explanation for the refusal, at various points citing a vague “issue” with the visa, then claiming the couple were a “no show”.

Following a request from Peter, Tesco Bank raised a chargeback, which the airline contested twice, before Tesco Bank ultimately dropped it. The bank accepted the airline’s “flight operated as scheduled” explanation, despite that not addressing why boarding was denied.

Peter would go on to report the incident to the Ombudsman, but she ruled against him on technical grounds: no valid Debtor-Creditor-Supplier agreement existed for the wife’s ticket because she, not Peter, was the one denied boarding.

The lengthy and frustrating process has left Peter doubting himself. “I’ve developed a complex about being misunderstood and feel I have to explain everything in detail,” he added.

A Tesco Bank spokesperson said: “We were sorry to hear about the experience Mr Wiles had when attempting to travel with his wife. After careful consideration, we concluded that his case didn’t meet the criteria for a successful Section 75 claim. He referred his claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which upheld our decision.”

Turkish Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.

WE ALL know you’ve been daydreaming about what you’d do with a £411million Powerball win – but what sort of holiday would you actually take?

Why not indulge the fantasy?

With the Powerball lottery prize now sitting at £411million, we’ve rounded up the most expensive holidays you could go on.

The best part? You’d still have a fair few million leftover…

Sailing trip on a private superyacht

A quick way to blow your cash is by renting a superyacht, and according to Boat International, the most expensive is the Breakthrough boat (said to be linked to Bill Gates).

It’s the world’s first hydrogen superyacht, costing a staggering €3.5million (£3million) a week to rent.

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The yacht is only a couple of years old and comes with it all including hair salons, water sports centres, full staff, 14 balconies, seven platforms with direct sea access, an 8.2-metre infinity pool with a glass bottom and an underwater lounge.

And if you are feeling generous, you can take your friends and family along too as the yacht has space for up to 30 guests.

Total cost for seven nights: £3,000,000

A stay at the world’s most expensive hotel

How about splashing out on the world’s most expensive hotel?

Found in St Lucia, you could head to the Lover’s Deep Luxury Submarine which costs between $150,000 (£111,352.50) to $235,000 (£174,452.25) a night.

Moored just off the coast of St Lucia in the Caribbean Sea, you can chill out in bed watching tropical fish swim past your window.

For the price, you’ll also get a personal captain, butler and chef – who prepares a menu specifically for you and it is so exclusive that only two guests are accepted at a time. You’ll even decide on when and where the yacht travels to.

Total cost for seven nights: £1,221,165

Private Necker Island

Live like Richard Branson and rent his entire Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, which can cost up to $171,350 (£127k) a night.

The island can accommodate up to 48 adults across 24 rooms, as well as six children in a dedicated bunkroom.

You’ll get signature events during your stay including a beach BBQ night, a floating sushi kayak feast and a DJ party.

And you’ll get unlimited access to water sports.

Total cost for seven nights: £889,000

Around the world trip on a luxury cruise

Staying on the water, the Regent Seven Seas has the world’s most expensive cruise, which is an around-the world trip that costs up to $1million (£742,000).

You can stay in the fancy Regent Suite which has butlers, a heated balcony pool and unlimited spa treatments.

Across 140 days you will travel to 71 ports across 40 countries in six continents.

It even includes first class, round trip flights and all of your shore excursions.

Total cost for seven nights: £742,000

Million dollar package to Abu Dhabi

In 2008, the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi offered an all-inclusive, seven-night stay – costing $1milllion (£742,000).

It includes thing like return first class flights with Etihad Airways, chauffer service and even access to a private plane.

Luxury spa treatments and gifts including pearl jewellery, perfume and Persian rugs are all included as well.

The hotel is known for its Arabian architecture including 114 mosaic-tiled domes, making it look more like a palace.

Total cost for seven nights: £742,000

Seven nights in Atlantis’ biggest suite with return first class flights

How about a very glam holiday to Dubai? The Atlantis hotel has one of the world’s most expensive hotel suites which is loved by celebs like Beyonce.

Called The Royal Mansion, it costs around £75,000 a night – so spend a week there and you’re dropping £525,000.

The suite itself spans across two levels with four bedrooms, a private infinity pool, an outdoor kitchen, a 100-year-old olive tree and even custom Louis Vuitton china. You’ll get a 24-hour butler service too as well as your own cinema.

Don’t forget your flights to Dubai – Emirates first class suites can be up to £30,000 return too.

Total cost for seven nights: £585,000

Holiday to a private island in the Maldives with return first class flights

The Maldives is a bucket list holiday but get your own private island for the week and you’ll be spending £462,000.

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi’s Private Island is 32,000sqm and costs around £66,000 a night.

With space for 24 people, it comes with dedicated chefs, spas and Male airport flights. You can dive into five pools, chill out in a private entertainment clubhouse, sunbathe on a private white-sand beach or even indulge in a spa treatment in an over water room.

Add in your first class British Airways flights too, which can be around £11,000 return.

Total cost for seven nights: £473,000

Stay at a private Ibiza villa with a private jet

Ibiza might be a popular place for us normal folk, but its also loved by billionaires too – just with a bit more cash to splash.

Go to Sa Ferradura, a private island which costs up to $300,000 (£222,000) a week.

The island has a team of 24 staff at your service, as well as a cliffside infinity pool, lagoon-style pool with its own waterfall and a wellness spa – you don’t even need to head to a club as there is a rooftop DJ deck.

And why not charter a private jet there too? Just make sure to factor in around £20k each way.

Total cost for seven nights: £262,000

Chill out at a luxury ski holiday chalet with helicopter transfers

Throw on your skis and head to Courchevel, with a stay at Cheval Blanc’s Le Chalet in the French Alps, for as much as €230,000 (£197,000) a week.

Spread across four levels, it comes with a private butler and chef as well as a spa, pool and private cinema.

As a guest, you’d get priority access to the hotel’s Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc, the only restaurant in Courchevel to hold three Michelin stars.

It has a helipad too, so factor in private helicopter transfers around £7k return.

Total cost for seven nights: £204,000

Stay at London’s most expensive hotel with a private tour

Don’t fancy leaving the country? Just stay at The Lanesborough hotel’s exclusive Royal Suite in London for £27,000 a night.

The suite itself has Regency-style maximalist decor including original 18th century oil paints and 24-carat gold leaf detailing – you’ll also get a direct view of Buckingham Palace.

You’ll get a 24-hour butler service, as well as a private Rolls Royce transfer service.

Throw in a private VIP tour of London too, which can be up to £15,000 (including security and private showings).

Total cost for seven nights: £204,000

A NEW low-cost, no-frills travel brand has just launched offering budget breaks to Europe and beyond.

Sundeals, which is owned by the TUI Group, is aimed at holidaymakers who ‘who want great value without the faff’ with clear prices and honest opinions on holidays and hotels.

On Sundeals, there is everything from last-minute trips to all-inclusive holidays, winter sun breaks and adult-only vacations across 100 destinations.

There will be 20,000 hotels alongside a range of airline options from Ryanair to easyJet and TUI.

Looking at its ‘top cheap holiday deals’ – there are breaks to Tunisia from as little as £106pp and trips to Tenerife start from £185pp.

One cheap deal that Sun Travel found is a seven-night holiday to Marrakesh from September 2 to September 9 from £199pp.

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This is for bed and breakfast at the Riad Quodwa Marrakesh in a double room with return flights to Liverpool Airport.

This is for bed and breakfast at the Riad Lalla Khadija Moulaty & SPA in a double standard room with return flights to Newcastle Airport.

For winter sun, another break is to the Jardins de Toumana in Djerba, Tunisia from November 24 to December 1.

Staying in a Junior Suite, two adults can stay with bed and breakfast board from £277pp – including return flights to Manchester.

For short breaks, there a three-night stay at Pierre & Vacances Resort Terrazas Costa del Sol in Spain starting from £139pp.

It has an outdoor swimming pool, sun terrace, bar, restaurant, pretty courtyards gardens and return flights to London Luton.

For short-haul, it provides breaks to mainland Europe including Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Malta.

There are far-flung holidays on the cards too with options to Thailand, Mexico, Cape Verde, Barbados, Iceland and the USA.

When it comes to sorting your holiday, you can arrange it by price ‘low to high’.

Or select to rank holidays by TripAdvisor rating to see which holidays were highly-rated by other travellers.

Kevin Nelson, Managing Director for Sundeals said: “We know there is a large group of travellers who genuinely enjoy researching and planning their holidays. They’re confident, digitally savvy and like the feeling of finding a holiday, and deal, that’s right for them.

“But these travellers told us that they’re tired of spending hours going round in circles trying to compare options and work out whether they’ve truly found the right trip – a feeling that we’re calling Bookers Burnout.

“Sundeals has been designed specifically for these savvy deal hunters, helping them cut through the holiday clutter and make decisions with greater confidence.

“We’ve launched with a simple user experience focused on the core features customers told us they need most, and over time we’ll continue to introduce smart tools and innovations that make finding and evaluating holiday options even easier.”

Ryanair and Jet2 are also offering discounted flights

EasyJet is offering a range of what it is calling ‘unbeatable flight deals’, with one-way fares starting from £16.99 this summer. The airline has thousands of seats available for under £40, although baggage does cost extra.

August flights from Bristol to Malaga start at £16.99, while London Gatwick fliers can reach Milan Malpensa from £34.99 this month. Flights from Manchester to Alicante start at £17.49, and a one-way journey from Glasgow to Kos can be purchased from £34.49.

Looking further ahead, flights from London Luton to Lisbon – in September – start at £31.99, while flies from the same airport can visit Barcelona from under £17. These prices, and the thousands of other deals on offer, are subject to availability.

The basic fare only includes a small carry-on bag, with any other luggage incurring a fee. Elsewhere easyJet is also offering £50 off beach breaks, per person and with no minimum spend, before August 31.

EasyJet competitor Ryanair is also running a promotion, with flights from £14.99 to destinations such as Spain, Italy and Portugal. The deal is available on selected flights departing between now and October 31, 2026, and you must book by August 31.

We found a one-way flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Barcelona priced at £14.99, while a trip from London Luton to Alicante can be purchased for the same price. Ryanair said terms and conditions apply and promotional fares are subject to availability

And Jet2 is also running a deal, with thousands of seats at £39 or less, for travel between now and the end of October. We found return flights from Glasgow to Menorca, leaving on August 18 and returning on August 25, for £60 per person.

You can also travel from London Stansted to Ibiza, and back, from £63 per person when leaving and returning on the same dates. Unlike easyJet and Ryanair, Jet2’s standard fare comes with an allowance for two cabin bags without any extra charge.

Terms and conditions apply here, too, and Jet2 said: “When they’re gone, they’re gone”.

Australia will become the first nation outside the United States to field the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), following the announcement of a nearly A$736 million (approximately $480 million) procurement that will significantly expand the Royal Australian Air Force’s air combat capabilities. The acquisition comes as Australia, like the United States, is increasingly focused on maintaining an edge in beyond-visual-range air combat against China’s rapidly advancing airpower, including long-reaching air-to-air missiles.

The acquisition was announced by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles during Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin, the country’s premier multinational air combat exercise. The missiles will be acquired through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

“This announcement is the latest milestone in the delivery of long-range, high‑tech capabilities for our Defense Force,” Marles said. “The Albanese government continues to deliver critical capabilities that will allow the ADF to strike at a longer range, deter any adversary and protect our national interests. It is fitting to make this announcement at Exercise Pitch Black, which is an important demonstration of Australia’s commitment to the peace, stability and security of our region.”

According to the Australian government, the Lockheed Martin AIM-260 will first be integrated onto the RAAF’s F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet before being fielded on the F-35A and the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. Looking further ahead, the RAAF’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) is a likely candidate to be armed with JATM. It has already fired an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) from an external pylon, and the forthcoming Block 3 version of the drone will offer internal weapons carriage, too.

The integration of the AIM-260 on the EA-18G appears to be a new announcement; previously, the priority U.S. platforms to receive the missile were the F/A-18E/F and the F-22. However, considering the commonality between the Super Hornet and the Growler, integration should be straight-forward.

“JATM missiles are some of the most sophisticated air-to-air weapons in the world, and Australia will be the first country to operate them outside the United States,” added Australian Minister for Defense Industry, Pat Conroy. “This investment will deliver the most advanced capability for our ADF to detect and counter threats, and keep Australians safe. This is made possible thanks to the Albanese government’s record investment in Defense, including up to A$36 billion [approximately US$23.4 billion] over the next decade for Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance.”

The AIM-260 has been under development for years, but its capabilities remain highly classified. It is intended to succeed the AMRAAM, offering substantially greater range and improved performance against advanced threats while remaining compatible with existing fighter aircraft launchers and weapons bays restrictions. The AMRAAM is currently the primary beyond-visual-range air combat weapon currently used by the RAAF’s F/A-18Fs and F-35As.

As you can read about here, the first picture of the AIM-260 emerged in May of this year, involving an F/A-18F from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) carrying the weapon on the fuselage station outboard of its right engine intake. Flight testing of the JATM is known to have started years earlier, however.

Although official specifications have never been released, the AIM-260 is reportedly designed to hit targets out to at least 120 miles, if not substantially further. It was designed in response to China’s long-range PL-15 air-to-air missile, restoring the U.S. and allied advantage in beyond-visual-range aerial combat. Being developed by the U.S. Navy in cooperation with the Air Force, the missile is expected to combine a compact form factor similar to the AIM-120 with significantly greater engagement range, allowing aircraft to carry the same number of weapons without sacrificing performance. It is also designed for internal carriage.

As TWZ has previously written:

“An advanced rocket motor with highly loaded propellant has long been seen as a likely route to give the AIM-260A significantly greater range, as well as speed, over the AIM-120 without making the new missile larger. A core known requirement for the JATM is that it has to have the same general form factor as the AMRAAM, in large part to ensure that it can fit inside the internal bays on stealth fighters like the F-22 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. In addition to crewed aircraft, AIM-260As are expected to arm future stealthy drones like the ones under development under the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.”

…

“The AIM-260A’s rocket motor is also likely to be a dual-pulse design that retains energy across the flight envelope to further extend range and help dramatically with endgame maneuverability. Thrust vectoring capability would also be a requisite to give the missile sufficient agility in the absence of additional control surfaces.”

…

“An active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) seeker is likely. Multi-mode seeker capability, potentially with imaging infrared and passive radiofrequency (RF) guidance capabilities, could be extremely valuable in the face of an ever-expanding countermeasure ecosystem, although we have no idea if this is a feature now or not. It’s also possible it could be introduced in later variants. Advanced networking capabilities would be a key feature, allowing the missile to get additional targeting information from an array of third-party sources. This is especially important for engaging targets beyond the reach of the launch platform’s own sensors, and it can allow the aircraft firing the missile, especially a stealthy one, to avoid having to switch on its radar and increase its vulnerability to detection as a result. Multiple networked JATMs might even be able to prosecute engagements cooperatively.”

U.S. Air Force officials have publicly acknowledged that the PL-15 was a key driver behind the AIM-260 program. According to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the Chinese missile “out-ranges the U.S.-made AIM-120C/D AMRAAM series and has a comparable maximum range to the Meteor.”

The PL-15 is already widely fielded, while China has also developed even longer-range air-to-air missiles, including the much larger PL-17. This weapon is widely believed to be optimized for engaging high-value support aircraft, such as aerial refueling tankers and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms, at extreme distances. We have previously taken a closer look at the still largely mysterious PL-17 here.

Those two Chinese missiles are also expected to be joined by a new weapon currently referred to as the PL-16. The missile appears to have been developed to allow the J-20 to carry six long-range air-to-air missiles internally, rather than the four PL-15s it currently accommodates. While expected to retain a broadly similar overall design to the PL-15, the PL-16 is believed to use a compressed-carriage configuration, reducing its size to maximize the J-20’s internal missile load. In that respect, the PL-16 appears conceptually similar to the AIM-260, in its emphasis on internal carriage capacity.

The air-to-air threat in the Indo-Pacific is only set to increase, with the potential for the carriage of larger numbers of even bigger and further-reaching air-to-air missiles in the capacious weapons bays of new-generation Chinese combat aircraft.

As TWZ has reported in the past, the U.S. Air Force envisions a future in which counter-air missiles could engage targets at ranges of up to 1,000 miles by 2050. While such capabilities remain decades away and far exceed the reach of today’s longest-range air defense missiles, the projection underscores the trajectory of long-range aerial warfare and the growing emphasis on extending engagement distances.

Another U.S. response to China’s growing long-range air-to-air missile capability is the AIM-174B, currently carried by U.S. Navy F/A-18E/Fs. Derived from the SM-6 surface-to-air missile family, it is substantially larger and heavier than the AIM-260, trading compact size for dramatically greater engagement range.

How The Navy’s New Very Long-Range AIM-174 Will Pierce China’s Anti-Access Bubble

RAAF officials have previously indicated that Australia has no plans to acquire the AIM-174B, according to FlightGlobal.

Australia’s decision to procure the missile aligns with its broader effort to modernize the Australian Defence Force’s long-range strike and air defense capabilities amid an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific security environment, in which the threat posed by China’s rapidly expanding military capabilities is paramount. Canberra’s recently released 2026 National Defence Strategy emphasizes the importance of a layered air and missile defense architecture capable of countering advanced regional threats.

The government says the AIM-260 will provide the RAAF with a more credible deterrent against hostile aircraft while complementing existing air-to-air missiles and the Australian Defence Force’s expanding inventory of ground-based air defense systems. The acquisition will also improve interoperability with U.S. forces, particularly as both countries increasingly operate together in the Indo-Pacific.

While the government has not disclosed delivery schedules or the number of missiles to be acquired, Australia is now set to become the AIM-260’s first export customer, giving the RAAF access to one of the world’s most advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles once it enters operational service.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

Perez Hilton’s family has revealed that his children were home when his mental health crisis began to unfold, and now they’re asking the media for space so the family can safely return home.

In a statement published on the celebrity blogger’s website on Thursday, Hilton’s family said the events of the last several days had been “nearly unbearable.”

“Just minutes before the public livestream incident, Perez’s children, niece, and sister were inside the home,” the statement read. “When it became clear that Perez was experiencing a severe mental health crisis and harming himself, they immediately fled to protect the children from witnessing any further trauma.”

On Tuesday night, Miami police responded to an influx of calls after a disturbing video was livestreamed on TikTok in which a bloodied Hilton harmed himself repeatedly with a box cutter and knife. Frightened fans and moderators from the social platform were among those who called authorities.

After surrounding Hilton’s Miami residence, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said around 9 p.m. that he had been “safely recovered and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention.”

In the family’s statement on Thursday, they said that their highest priority right now was helping Hilton’s three children and niece “begin to heal from what they experienced.”

“An important part of that process is allowing them to safely return home and begin rebuilding a sense of security and normalcy,” the statement continued. “For the children’s safety, privacy, and well-being, we respectfully ask members of the media, paparazzi, content creators, and the public to leave the area surrounding the family’s home and not return. Please allow his children the privacy and space they need during this unimaginably difficult time.”

Hilton’s family also shared that, although very little information on Perez’s condition has been provided to them, they had been able to confirm that he “is able to communicate,” which they say has given them hope during “this heartbreaking time.”

Earlier Thursday, conservative political commentator Sean Hannity released an episode featuring Hilton that was recorded in recent weeks. During the “Hang Out” podcast episode, Hilton expressed regret over disparaging attacks he made on the celebrities he covered over the course of his career.

“I have a lot of regrets,” he told Hannity. “Attention is like a drug, and I was definitely an attention addict back then. I mean, I still am, but I think now I do a better job of keeping it in check. And when you’re an addict, you don’t care if you’re hurting people.”

The “OG influencer” said that he attempted to make amends with some of the celebrities he targeted, including Britney Spears and Khloé Kardashian, whom he said were receptive to his apologies. He also privately approached Neil Patrick Harris to apologize for aggressively trying to out him as a gay man in 2006, before the actor had spoken about his sexuality publicly. Harris also accepted the mea culpa.

Hilton said that he had changed his ways. “I realized what I was doing was wrong — that I could still be fun — but I don’t have to be so cheap, and I don’t have to be so cruel. It was cruel, and it’s something that I carry with me.

“It’s like my scarlet letter, and it’s very heavy baggage.”

In March, Hilton was hospitalized for severe sepsis for 21 days. During the ordeal, he said that God presented himself to him. Perez claimed that he’d changed dramatically since the health scare. In recent months, he’s posted about the Bible, launched a religious merch line and spoken about his religious awakening on the podcast circuit.

The Rams knew the resume. Saw the highlights. Gathered all the intel required.

But they were not aware of Myles Garrett’s aura.

How could they?

It’s not tangible, nor easily defined.

It’s just there.

“You just feel him,” coach Sean McVay said Friday.

McVay felt and said that before. About Aaron Donald. About Jalen Ramsey.

But listening to Rams players talk about Garrett, this feels different.

Mystical.

“You can just feel his aura,” cornerback Trent McDuffie said.

Safety Quentin Lake explained it the same way.

“Just his presence,” Lake said, “his aura.”

Rams defensive end Myles Garrett smiles during training camp at Loyola Marymount on July 26.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Myles Garrett effect is not confined to the defense.

“Everybody on the field can kind of feel this aura sitting on whatever side of the field he’s on,” offensive guard Kevin Dotson said. “You just feel this monster energy.”

Garrett, a 10th year pro and two-time NFL defensive player of the year, laughed when asked if he was conscious of his aura.

“I guess,” he said. “It’s great to hear that they have respect for me.”

Garrett, 30, is one of the biggest stars on a star-studded Rams team that is favored to win the Super Bowl, regardless of whether Donald comes out of retirement.

Garrett, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft out of Texas A&M, amassed 125½ sacks in nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He was defensive player of the year in 2023 and also last season, when he recorded a league-record 23 sacks.

In June, the Rams sent edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick and future second- and third-round picks to the Browns for Garrett. He was regarded as the final piece for a franchise intent on winning a second Super Bowl title under McVay.

Garrett is acclimating to Southern California and a team that advanced to the NFC championship game last season before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s starting to feel like home rather quickly,” he said.

It did not take long for Garrett to ingratiate himself. His skill, work ethic and knowledge are imparted in the meeting room and on the field, edge rusher Byron Young said.

“It’s amazing,” Young said. “It’s art.”

Last season, Young recorded a career-best 12 sacks and was voted to the Pro Bowl.

With Garrett now lining up alongside him, the fourth-year pro is soaking in knowledge and learning from his example. Though Garrett, at 6 feet, 4 inches and 272 pounds, makes plays that can’t be replicated by others.

Myles Garrett (95) takes part in training camp along with wide receivers Puka Nacua (12) and Davante Adams (17) on July 26.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Garrett’s quickness off the ball is “insane,” Young said, noting that Garrett eats up “three or four yards,” with his first step.

“That right there alone is amazing,” Young said.

Garrett’s influence could be magnified if Donald, a three-time defensive player of the year, ends a two-year retirement to pursue another Super Bowl ring.

Garrett said he would not try to sway Donald’s decision. But he acknowledged that it would be exciting to be a “partner in crime” with the eight-time All-Pro.

“There’s a lot we can learn from each other,” Garrett said, “and I’d love to pick his brain on the things he does to attack his matchups and I think the same could be said vice versa.”

During training camp, Garrett and teammates are focused on blending their talents at all three levels of the defense.

Garrett is a “freak athlete for sure,” lineman Kobie Turner said.

Myles Garrett takes part in drills at Rams training camp on July 27.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

“We definitely understand the opportunities that should get opened up,” said Turner, who had seven sacks last season, “and if those opportunities don’t open up and they leave him soloed up, he’s going to take advantage.”

There is “no question” Garrett will dominate, Lake said.

“So now,” he said, “it’s just making sure, ‘Hey, can we do our job so this guy can go cut it loose over there too?’”

Garrett has embraced the Rams’ culture, built during McVay’s nine seasons during which the Rams made seven playoff appearances and played in two Super Bowls, winning one.

He is eager to share his knowledge and experience but also learn from younger teammates. The Rams’ defensive front features Young, Turner, and linemen Braden Fiske and Poona Ford, among others.

“This group was doing great without me,” Garrett said. “I want to just try to help elevate other guys and the playmakers that we have here.”

There is still “a lot of rust to knock off,” during camp and the lead-up to the season, he said.

The Rams’ opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, will be their first opportunity to measure the benefit of Garrett’s presence. It’s the start of a season the Rams aim to end with a Super Bowl victory at SoFi Stadium.

“Maybe,” Garrett said, “the aura will increase over time.”

Aug. 7 (UPI) — A New Mexico state court ordered Meta to pay more than $550 million and implement changes to protect children after finding the social media behemoth created a public nuisance that harmed young users.

The court issued its order Thursday, creating a $567 million fund, of which $420 million is earmarked for treatment for social media-related harms inflicted upon children in the state. The fund is on top of the $375 million Meta was fined in March for violating the state’s consumer protection laws in the first phase of the case.

“This case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families and making sure that one of the world’s largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence,” New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement.

“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online.”

Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp and Messenger.

Torrez sued Meta in late 2023 to protect children from sexual abuse, online solicitation and human trafficking, following a months-long operation involving decoy accounts of children 14 years and younger that found children were being served sexually explicit images and content while enabling adults to find, contact and pressure them into providing sexually explicit or pornographic materials, among other harms.

The court then bifurcated the case into two phases, with Phase 1 being a jury trial that found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms on March 24. Phase 2 was a bench trial considering whether Meta’s platforms created a public nuisance under New Mexico law.

In the 68-page order on Thursday, Chief District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid found Meta liable for public nuisance.

“The evidence developed at trial reflects that Meta operates its platforms in a manner that injures community-wide youth mental health and safety,” Biedscheid wrote.

“Meta’s platforms are designed to capture attention, including by taking advantage of teenagers’ developing brains and encouraging problematic use. Even without the evidence and testimony that certain percentages of youth with mental health conditions would not have those conditions but for social media use, the highly probable results of Meta’s engagement optimization practices, including employing features that quantify popularity and encourage use at all hours of the day, is that such practices would increase anxiety, depression and sleep deprivation among teenagers.”

Meta is ordered to implement several changes, including improving age verification, restricting use of Facebook and Instagram by minors to 90 hours a month, turning off most push notifications for minors from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days, hiding “like” counts by default for minors and runing a New Mexico public-education campaign.

Bolton Abbey and the Yorkshire Dales from the Wharfe

Last summer, I enjoyed a six-mile walk along the fast-flowing River Wharfe from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey, with calming vistas of the Yorkshire Dales every step of the way. I set out at Ilkley’s Riverside Gardens on the south bank, near the remains of a Roman fort. Trace the path to the ancient stone bridge and along to the picturesque village of Addingham with its Low Mill weir and views of late bronze age or early iron age Castleberg fort. Simply carry on hugging the riverbank to the splendid remains of 12th-century monastery of Bolton Abbey, situated in wonderful woods and parkland.
Helen

Cruising the Bure in the Norfolk Broads

A week cruising along the River Bure in Norfolk from Acle to Coltishall is an unforgettable experience. With a speed limit of 5mph, life is slow, and there is plenty of time to enjoy the ever-changing landscape and wildlife. Numerous stopping places give access to nature reserves, quintessentially English villages such as Belaugh, the romantic ruins of St Benet’s Abbey, as well as riverside pubs and the Broads themselves. Not to forget “the world’s largest village store”, Roys of Wroxham – an essential port of call to restock supplies before the atmospheric last stretch to Coltishall with its cafes and shops. Boats can be hired from several locations and are easy to handle – no experience needed.
John

Wildlife in the city on Coventry’s River Sowe

For a peaceful walk close to Coventry city centre, try the Sowe Valley Footpath. This 8½-mile riverside trail runs from Hawkesbury Junction to Whitley Grove Wood, following the River Sowe – a tributary of the Avon – through woodland, waterways and urban landscapes. Look out for herons, moorhens and other wildlife along the way. I love that it shows how nature can be found in unexpected places.
Deborah Dixon

Edinburgh’s sublime Water of Leith

The Water of Leith Walkway is a 13-mile riverside journey through Edinburgh from Balerno to Leith, lovingly cared for by the Water of Leith Conservation Trust. A good introduction is to walk from Roseburn (a mile west of Princes Street) downstream to Stockbridge. It’s about two miles and will take roughly 45 minutes through Dean Village and passing St Bernard’s Well. If you’re lucky, you might see a kingfisher.
Keith Cumming

From the Midlands to the Fens and the sea along the Welland

I create my own long-distance walks using the Ordnance Survey app. My favourite was a five-day walk following the 65-mile long River Welland from source to sea. Starting at Sibbertoft, near Market Harborough in Leicestershire, I walked the Rutland-Northamptonshire border past Rockingham Castle near Corby, through Stamford and the poet John Clare’s birthplace at Helpston. The route then headed out into the fens, stopping at the ruined medieval abbey at Crowland and the elegant canal-side town of Spalding. The final day was spent slowly watching the Boston Stump (St Botolph’s church) grow larger as I walked to where the river met the sea.
Alex

Cruisng down the Shannon, Ireland’s ‘Mississippi Delta’

Shannon Harbour in the Irish Midlands marks the spot where the Grand Canal meets Ireland’s River Shannon. As children we often walked the canal, stopping in McIntyre’s pub for Irish tapas (Tayto crisps). But the biggest treat was when my father’s childhood friend would take us in his boat from Shannon Harbour to the Shannon proper. The landscape changes utterly. On a warm day it feels like leaving rural Ireland and going down the Mississippi Delta. On a wet day you can’t see the other side. But McIntyre’s will be open when you get back, whatever the weather.
Eve

Roman ruins along York’s Ouse

North Yorkshire’s River Ouse takes you on a gorgeous walk through York and beyond. You can start by crossing Scarborough Bridge before strolling down Dame Judi Dench Walk, then meander past Roman and medieval ruins at the Museum Gardens. The Perky Peacock cafe in a medieval tower on the riverside is a highlight. You can follow the river down to Rowntree Park and Millennium Bridge. Just beware of the cobbles and some step-only access along the way.
Mary

Waterfalls on the Tees in County Durham

The River Tees crashes over High Force waterfall amid dramatic moorland before bubbling over Low Force downstream. Park at Bowlees and cross the Tees at Low Force on the historic Wynch suspension bridge, built in the 1830s (it replaced Britain’s first suspension bridge, built by lead miners in 1741). It’s a good place to stop and watch kayakers tackle Low Force. Continue upstream through the moorland to the roar of High Force. After all that fresh air, finish with cake at Bowlees visitor centre, bliss!
Hannah S

Winning tip: along the Ouse through the South Downs

Following the River Ouse (one of five British Ouses) to the sea is great fun, on foot or bike. I usually start near Horsham in West Sussex, and track the Ouse Valley Way which passes through South Downs. This route lets you cross rolling fields and wander through woodland paths and you can even pause at the beautiful Nymans, an extraordinary garden owned by the National Trust. The river walk goes under a 37-arch Victorian railway viaduct near Balcombe and leads to the historic town of Lewes in East Sussex, where you can have a break at the John Harvey Tavern and watch the waters flow past. The final part is an easy stretch of flat riverside walking as you the coast comes into sight, leading into Newhaven.
Peter

A record-high heatwave is sweeping through the Korean Peninsula, sending temperatures skyrocketing, reaching 42.5C (108.5F) on Sunday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention ​Agency, at least 14 people have died since mid-May as a result.

The Chase Around the World contestants went up against each other in Paris in the latest instalment

The Chase fans all said the same thing as the ITV show’s spin-off arrived in France.

New series The Chase Around the World started last month and sees six pairs of contestants on a global adventure, where they are tasked with solving a series of questions and challenges in different countries to try and track down the Chasers and host Bradley Walsh. The pair who arrive last in each place will then have to face the Chasers in a quiz.

In the latest instalment, the hopefuls were in Paris, where they had to answer a series of French-themed questions. In one segment two of the pairs had to stay at a classic French brasserie and answer food and drink questions before they could continue on with the race.

However, some viewers felt it wasn’t a fair comparison as one duo was offered snails and the other was offered garlic.

Mother and daughter Nicola and Maddie were first and were told: “Here you’ll need to answer three multiple choice questions correctly. Get one wrong, and you’ll be frozen out of the game for five minutes.

“But there’s a shortcut. Wrong answers can be removed if you have the stomach for it.” They were then told they could “eat a snail or clove of garlic to remove a wrong option”.

Maddie looked horrified, exclaiming: “I am never ever in my life going to try a snail. The thought of it makes me genuinely nauseous.”

But when Nicola decided that she wasn’t confident about the question they’d been given, she decided to tuck in. “It was vile… it was gritty,” she said afterwards.

However, when father and daughter Ashwin and Nikita entered the restaurant, they had a choice of garlic and onions.

“Nikita and Ashwin are vegans – snails are off the menu, replaced by raw onion and garlic,” the voiceover explained.

Some viewers weighed in on X as it aired, with one insisting: “Can’t compare onion to snails.”

“Raw onion is much easier to eat than a snail…. probably,” someone else posted on the platform, which was formerly Twitter.

“Raw onions instead of snails… not a fair comparison,” said someone else. Another likened it to a scene from I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, joking: “This snail eating is like watching a Bushtucker Trial.”

The Chase Around the World is airing on ITV.

The federal law enforcement probe into the financial affairs of the Dodgers’ controlling owner, Mark Walter, seems to focus on what looks like an obscure financial maneuver: related-party transactions.

They are deals between entities with business or personal ties, including loans, sales and other transactions, that can have legitimate reasons but pose potential conflicts of interest and typically require extra scrutiny.

Walter tapped insurers he controlled to provide most of the financing for the $2.15-billion acquisition of the Dodgers in 2012, The Times has reported — a deal later vetted by state insurance regulators.

Now, regulators reportedly are investigating whether billions of dollars’ worth of similar loans made by Walter’s companies were properly disclosed.

There are examples in which related-party transactions led to trouble, including the 2001 bankruptcy of Enron Corp., the largest at the time in Wall Street history. Bernie Madoff profited from his Ponzi scheme through related-party loans.

At issue with Walter is $21 billion in loans not disclosed to state insurance regulators that were made by two Delaware insurers he owns, according to ratings agency Fitch. The loans reportedly were made to companies with ties to Walter or his TWG Global holdings company.

The seriousness of the investigation has been highlighted by subpoenas served on the insurers and the reported seizure of Walter’s cellphone and laptop by federal authorities. Still, investigations by prosecutors and securities regulators can result in no action.

Here are more details on the risk presented by related-party transactions and why they require disclosure and extra regulatory scrutiny.

What do the investigations mean for his ownership of his sport teams?

The 66-year-old billionaire also took a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers last year and owns the Chelsea soccer team in the English Premier League. There is no indication yet that any of this has affected his ownership stakes, but the probe has yet to be completed.

What is the problem with related-party transactions?

Bruce Dubinsky, a forensic accountant who worked on the Enron and Madoff cases, says the issue comes down to the motivation of the parties and can be explained through an analogy.

Sell a car to a stranger and you both research its worth and come to an agreed “fair market value,” he said. Sell it to your brother, you might cut the price to “give him a deal,” and later even forgive the payments.

“That’s why, from an audit standpoint, there should be more scrutiny if you’re doing business with the left hand and the right hand, because it’s easier to manipulate things,” Dubinsky said. “Repayments can be delayed indefinitely. They are always more suspect to fraud.”

How does that play out in the insurance industry?

Insurance is one of the most regulated industries, since the companies hold premium dollars from policyholders for future claims payouts — and regulators want to ensure the money is there when it’s needed. Related-party transactions can threaten that.

“There is a conflict of interest between the policyholders’ interest in the company being profitable and the owner’s interest in getting the least expensive financing that is available,” said Jim Donelon, who served as Louisiana insurance commissioner for 18 years before stepping down in 2024.

“It potentially threatens the solvency of the company, which then threatens the welfare of the policyholders,” Donelon said.

The National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners, for whom Donelon served as president, provides guidance to regulators on how to review related-party transactions.

What are some of the most notable examples of related-party transactions turning into financial disasters?

The failure of Enron was a prime lesson in how related-party transactions can lead to a company’s downfall.

As the Houston energy trader struggled and racked up $30 billion in debt, chief financial officer Andrew Fastow thought he found a way to keep it off Enron’s books. He created off-balance sheet entities to unload the debt and took personal stakes in them, allowing him to sit on both sides of the negotiation and pocket millions.

They were “transactions with related parties that were not at arm’s length,” Dubinsky said.

The debacle was a driving force in the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which tightened regulations over governance, accounting and related-party transactions.

What about the Madoff fraud?

The Madoff scandal, in which investors lost $17.5 billion in invested principal, operated like a typical Ponzi scheme with returns to older investors paid by money from new investors.

However, related-party transactions were key too, and some literally involved family members. Madoff’s brother, Peter, pleaded guilty to receiving $15.7 million in sham loans and giving $9.9 million in sham loans to family members. What’s more, the auditor was a related party.

“In Madoff, what were called ‘related‑party loans’ were just sham transactions — there was no real economic substance. It was simply Madoff taking money out of his own firm,” said Dubinsky, an expert witness for the government.

Is there anything comparable with the Walter probe?

The three situations appear entirely different, but the investigation into the related-party loans made by Walter’s Delaware Life and its affiliate, Clear Spring Life and Annuity, involves vast sums of money.

After receiving the subpoenas, the firms conducted internal investigations. They had reported having $1 billion in related-party loans but, after the review, they reclassified $21 billion worth of loans as related, including $4.6 billion held by Clear Spring, said Fitch analyst Jamie Tucker, senior director of North American insurance ratings.

Executives said they were unaware the loans were going to an affiliated company.

Is there any indication what the money was used for?

“Unclear at this stage,” Tucker said. “This a developing situation with ongoing investigations.”

One clue may be a report that Walter tapped insurers to fund more deals than the Dodgers acquisition. The Wall Street Journal said five insurers had provided more than $10 billion in deal funding since Walter’s financial services company, Guggenheim Partners, got into the insurance business after the 2008 financial crisis.

What have been the implications for the insurers owned by Walters?

Fitch said the financial restatement increased the two insurers’ related-party loans from 2% to 40% of their portfolios, the highest exposure among life insurers it rates in North America.

Fitch, A.M. Best and S&P Global also downgraded Delaware Life’s outlook to negative, though they said the insurer maintain a high level of financial strength.

“Our capital position and liquidity remain strong, and our financial strength ratings are unchanged,” said Group 1001, the insurers’ parent company, in a statement.

What has Walter had to say about all this?

He has not publicly commented, but a TWG spokesperson stated that, “Mark Walter and TWG have always acted in good faith, and those who have done business with Mark know him as honest and straightforward. Nothing about these transactions was any different.”

Mexico deployed more than 1,500 troops to its main avocado-producing state after the US suspended export inspections over security concerns. The halt has frozen shipments to Mexico’s biggest market, threatening thousands of jobs and a multibillion-dollar industry.

A few of Friday’s editorials reflect the anger about the government’s early release scheme for prisoners in England and Wales. The Daily Express, external calls on the prime minister to halt what it calls a “preposterous plan”, which it says will reward sex offenders and the killers of police officers. The Sun calls Andy Burnham’s failure to exempt two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers from the scheme a “terrible decision”, external.

The Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph lead on Conservative proposals to scrap social housing for many foreign nationals. The Mail calls it a “bold move”, external. According to the Telegraph, the Tories believe the change will stop Britain from being treated as a “cash machine for the world”, external. But it also highlights concerns from Labour about the effect on long-term UK residents, including “NHS staff”.

The Guardian, external says the government’s review of youth unemployment will recommend that primary schools in England should identify children at risk of leaving education at 16 without a job. Alan Milburn, who is leading the review, tells the paper that “the warning signs are there from a very, early age”.

The Financial Times calls the sale of EasyJet, external to an American private equity firm the “latest foreign swoop”. The paper says the £5.7bn-takeover paves the way for “another London listed company to be taken private”, with the airline joining an “exodus from UK listings”.

“Number 10 aides show blokey Burnham the red card”, declares the Times. It says Downing Street social media experts have told the prime minister to tone down his “blokeish”, external videos – by limiting references to “football and the pub”.

Some of the papers poke fun at the suggestion drinkers could be discouraged from standing in pubs in London’s West End. The Daily Mirror, external asks “wouldn’t this effort be better spent making it a crime to leave when it’s your round?” The Daily Star , externaldeclares it “madness”, and pictures the band of the same name standing in a Soho pub.

It may be summertime, but Karol G is unapologetically leaning into her sadness.

On Friday, the Colombian pop star released her sixth studio album “No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto,” a 14-track project that details the depths of heartache one can only access when finally tuning out the world.

Tinged with dream-pop accents and acoustic instrumentation — though still fringed with her signature reggaeton-pop flair — it is a dramatic departure from her previous album, “Tropicoqueta,” a lofty, genre-rich album that envisioned a Latina-led utopia as a tropic floral paradise.

Now, with “No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto” — which in English translates to “I Don’t Regret Feeling So Much” — Karol G swaps her vibrant, tropical facade for a soft blue vulnerability. Her special new brand of perreo melancolía features guest vocals by Drake (who sings in Spanish), Bruno Mars, Greg Gonzalez (of Cigarettes After Sex), as well as Spanish stars Judeline and Rusowsky.

The melodrama begins early on with the opening track, “Te Llevas To” — a moody EDM elegy that explores the loss of one’s self after a relationship ends. In an interview with Elle magazine, the hit maker shared that she spent a lot of time alone when creating this project, following her split from Colombian singer-songwriter Feid late last year — long before headlines caught wind of their breakup in January.

“Everything started when I went to Hawaii [last November]. I did a lot of hiking alone. I would climb the mountains alone. I would stand there gazing at the sky. I learned a lot about enjoying my solitude in this industry — we are really, really lonely. Compared to the rest of the world, you’re very isolated,” said Karol G in the Elle interview.

Rumblings of the new project first surfaced in April when Karol G performed at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as its first Latina headliner. There, she debuted “Después de Ti,” a shoegaze ballad joined by Greg Gonzalez, frontman of the indie-pop band Cigarettes After Sex; the song expressed profound grief after Karol experienced a loved one’s death.

“I cry a lot. I’m super sentimental and I’ve hated myself a lot for that,” Karol G revealed to Elle in her July cover story. “But at the same time, I’d rather suffer because I lived too much — because I loved too much, because I had too much fun — than to not have had those experiences, you know? I’m inviting everyone to be a little more dramatic, a little more extra.”

Although her classic bichota essence — a term Karol G frequently uses to describe herself, as a female counterpart to the Puerto Rican bichote, or “big shot” — is still heavily present in the new LP. Earlier this summer, Karol teased the song “Matadora” during the opening night of her international stadium tour in Chicago; produced by reggaeton pioneer Tainy, the sultry track is hallmarked by a muffled jazz trumpet and suggestive verses for an unknown paramour.

Her longtime collaborator, Colombian record producer Ovy On The Drums, also returns to incorporate elements of Karol’s the Grammy-winning 2023 album, “Mañana Será Bonito,” which followed her public breakup with ex-fiancé Anuel AA and grew into a massive commercial hit. With Ovy, Karol revived the shadowy timbre of her joint Shakira track “TQG” into the new “Bebiendo Lágrimas,” a reggaeton song that adamantly rejects the notion of love.

Mexican American producer Edgar Barrera — who previously worked with Karol on her merengue smash “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” as well as “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” and “Gucci los Paños” — reprises his role as a música mexicana connoisseur, aiding in Karol’s synth-doused Tejana-style cumbia, “Alguien Que Te Amaba.” (The track was also written with legendary songwriter Pete Astudillo, who co-wrote many of Selena Quintanilla‘s greatest hits.)

In the anguished “Con Quien Andara,” the singer pays tribute to the Spanish singer-songwriter Jeanette and her hazy, sentimental pop ballad from 1976 titled “Porque Te Vas?” And if that’s not enough of a nostalgia bomb, there’s the dream-pop reggaeton track “Bby Wow,” which features Judeline and Rusowsky and was inspired by the popular 2003 dancehall track, “Coolie Dance Rhythm” by Cordel “Scatta” Burrell. (Millennials may also recall echoes of this sample in popular tracks like Nina Sky and Jabba’s 2004 “Move Ya Body.”)

A word of advice for the Karol G fans — tropicoquetas and bichotas alike — this is an intimate record that’s best heard alone for the first time. So light up that candle, lock the doors and bring the tissues if you have to — just don’t be ashamed to feel all the feels, or shake your booty if the mood strikes.

The initial concept for USC’s Bloom Football Performance Center was first born on the back of a napkin. It was late November 2021, and Lincoln Riley was on a plane to Los Angeles, where he was slated to be introduced as USC’s coach.

The then-hypothetical facility had been a critical contingency for Riley, who never toured USC’s facilities, but knew — like most people around college football — that the Trojans were seriously lacking in that department. For years, USC officials had resisted doing anything about it. The John McKay Center hadn’t even been around a decade, they’d inevitably say. Plus, there was the not-so-insignificant problem of where to build a new facility on campus.

Riley knew that. And he asked anyway.

“That was a little bit, in that moment, my way to test how committed SC was,” Riley said Thursday. “This honestly was probably the biggest test of commitment for, ‘How invested are we to get this program back?’ When that was met with no hesitations, that was a pivotal part of me taking this job. I think it’s fair to say, if that commitment hadn’t been made, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

The Bloom Football Performance Center on the campus of USC.

Almost five years later, the plans Riley sketched out that morning have been brought to life in one of college football’s finest facilities, the towering jewel of a $225-million capital project at USC that also includes a new baseball stadium (Dedeaux Field) and a women’s soccer and lacrosse field (Rawlinson Stadium).

The three-story, 163,000-square-foot football-only facility opened Wednesday night, with Riley reflecting back on that napkin and marveling at how far the program had come since. But this gleaming building and its array of amenities had far exceeded his initial expectations, he said.

He called it “magical.”

“You can say or promise that you’re gonna build a facility, and then you can halfway do it or you can do it right and just go over the top and just really not hold back in any way, and that’s what our university has done,” Riley said. “I’m proud and thankful for the university for making this happen.”

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1. Bronze plaques of previous USC players adorn the wall of the Mark and Mary Stevens Trojan Legacy Wall at the USC Bloom Football Performance Center. 2. The weight room of the USC Bloom Football Performance Center. 3. A wall of USC players drafted by NFL teams at the Bloom Football Performance Center. 4. Trophies won by the USC football program on display at the Bloom Football Performance Center.

The real magic was that it happened at all, considering all that changed or had gone awry. The athletic director who first agreed to Riley’s facility request, Mike Bohn, resigned. The university president who signed off on it, Carol Folt, retired.

The cost of doing business in college football also went up exponentially with the advent of revenue sharing, all while the university was going through a financial crisis. None of which helped when it came to asking for $200 million in private donations.

Then there was the matter of physical space. The only option to build the facility was to demolish the Trojans’ longtime baseball field and displace the program for multiple seasons.

Hot tubs at the USC Bloom Football Performance Center.

“Think of what Coach Stank and the baseball team, what they had to give up to make this work,” Riley said. “The importance of just getting everybody together and on the same page and pushing in the same direction, this building is one of the first real signs of that. Because this took everybody.”

Riley, in particular, proved to be “very influential” in the process, according to Jeff Fucci, USC’s senior associate athletic director for capital projects.

“Coach was tireless in making sure that this was something that was not going to just be a vision and something that was talked about and not followed through on,” Fucci said.

It also took endowing just about every physical space in the facility to raise the necessary $200 million to build it, from the “Peets Family Atrium” to the “Al Cowlings Defensive Tackles Room” to a hallway labeled as the “Mark and Mary Stevens Legacy Walk.” Even some of the bathrooms bear plaques from donors eager to get their name somewhere in the building.

The locker room at the USC Bloom Football Performance Center,.

“This has been a huge, huge investment from the university,” Fucci said.

The result is a facility that stands in stark difference from the John McKay Center, which cost $70 million when it opened in 2012. That building was “80% subterranean”, according to Fucci — with not nearly enough space to contain the football program, let alone the other sports programs that used it.

Natural light pours into Bloom Center, by contrast. Thirty-foot glass doors open up onto the Trojans’ practice field from a 12,000-square-foot weight room with towering vaulted ceilings. From above, an outdoor terrace is outfitted especially for hosting recruits or other luminaries, complete, for the time being, with basketball courts and pickleball.

“I love coming to the weight room in the morning,” said offensive lineman Tobias Raymond. “The sun is coming up, and you can see it, and you open the doors and you get the fresh air blowing in.”

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1. Jeff Fucci, USC senior associate athletic director, leads the media on a tour of the Bloom Football Performance Center on Thursday. 2. USC players make their way to the locker room. 3. Mannequins on display with USC football uniforms outside of the on-site cafeteria at the Bloom Football Performance Center. 4. The cafeteria at the Bloom Football Performance Center. 5. The weight room opens near the practice field.

Riley wanted the facility to put a special emphasis on recovery. So now, players have access to infrared beds, sensory deprivation tanks and AI-led massage chairs. There are hot tubs and cold tubs and a players-only sauna, while every locker is outfitted with a leather zero gravity chair. There’s even a barbershop.

“It’s hard to get our players out of here,” Fucci said.

Riley has been no different. Shortly after moving in, with his family out of town, the coach said he hunkered down for five straight days in the facility.

Before, that would’ve meant barely seeing the sun. But now, as the sun poured through the third-floor atrium of the Bloom Center, Riley couldn’t help but point out the symbolism of such an ambitious undertaking actually coming to life.

“They said it couldn’t be done,” Riley said. “But here we are.”

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1. The football practice fields next to the Bloom Football Performance Center. 2. The rooftop deck, an event-ready space at Bloom Football Performance Center. 3. USC football coach Lincoln Riley, left, speaks to the media in the team room at the Bloom Football Performance Center on Thursday. 4. The lobby of the Bloom Football Performance Center.

Injury update

Projected starting center Kilian O’Connor suffered a non-contact injury during USC’s camp practice Wednesday and will be out for the rest of the season, Riley announced.

“Tough one for the guys to see,” Riley said. “A great reminder for all of our guys just how nothing in this game is ever guaranteed. We’re fortunate to have enough depth on the O-line that we’ve been working on to continue to push forward.”

Aug. 7 (UPI) — Families of victims of last year’s Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem are suing New York City, alleging neglect and failures to follow to its own regulations led to dozens being sickened by bacteria and several deaths.

Three lawsuits filed Thursday by Attorney Ben Crump, along with co-counsel Jared Scotto and Nabeha Shaer, represent five of the seven people who died in the outbreak and 41 individuals and families who say it harmed them.

Announcing the lawsuits during a press conference, Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the civil rights organization National Action Network, said they were not going to allow those harmed to be forgotten, while Crump stated that Harlem, a historically Black neighborhood, was neglected during the outbreak compared with other parts of New York City.

“Harlem is the center of Black America, historically has always been; that does not mean Harlem should be the center of a Legionnaires’ outbreak in the center of New York,” he said. “And so, we’re here today telling people that Harlem should never get less than — it should get everything that everybody else gets.”

Harlem was struck by a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak from July to August 2025, consisting of 118 confirmed cases and seven deaths.

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria that grow in warm water. It is contracted by inhaling water vapor that contains the bacteria.

According to the lawsuits, the plaintiffs were exposed to Legionella bacteria while in the vicinity of cooling towers that tested positive for the bacteria at two locations: Harlem Hospital and the NYC Public Health Lab.

The complaint alleges that the city, along with its health department and a handful of contractors, failed to develop and follow a water management plan required by the New York State Sanitary Code and failed to meet the code’s cooling tower registration, inspection, testing and other related requirements.

Crump and Sharpton spoke during the press conference surrounded by victims of the outbreak, including the fiancee and 6-year-old daughter of Bruce Scott, who died from the outbreak.

“I’m a single mother now,” Lakisha Plowden said as she hugged her and Scott’s daughter, Brooke. “We don’t have her best friend and we don’t have my soul mate.”

UPI has contacted NYC for comment.

“Our lives mean something,” Sharpton said. “You cannot act as though the lives of people and the worth of people depend on what part of the town they live in. Geography does not have anything to do with biology. If Legionnaires’ disease was bad in one part of town it should be valued the same in every part of town. And that is what this is about.”

The announcement came nearly a week after the NYC Health Department declared an end to the Upper Easter Side Legionnaire’s disease outbreak that led to 92 confirmed cases and seven deaths.

Kratos has built the first landing gear-equipped versions of its stealthy XQ-58 Valkyrie drone, with several additional examples now in various stages of construction. The company is also still producing XQ-58s designed for rocket-assisted takeoffs via static launchers, and Valkyrie production is ramping up overall. Both types offer certain advantages in different operational scenarios. Valkyrie flight test activities are currently paused following the crash of one of the drones on Tuesday, which TWZ was first to report and that readers can get caught up on first here.

In reporting on the crash, TWZ had a chance to speak yesterday with Steve Fendley, President of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division, who provided additional updates on the Valkyrie program. The U.S. Marine Corps notably previously announced that it is acquiring a fleet of Valkyries in the landing gear-equipped configuration under its Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Fendley also discussed developments across other parts of the company’s tactical drone portfolio.

To provide some quick additional context, the rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) and landing gear-equipped conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) versions of the Valkyrie are the two main known configurations of the design. The RATO type, which first flew in 2019, also lands via parachute. Kratos has also developed a special launch trolley that allows RATO Valkyries to conduct runway takeoffs, though they still land using the parachute recovery system.

The CTOL version was first publicly announced in 2024. Drones in this configuration can also be launched via rocket, but then land conventionally. The addition of the landing gear does reduce the available internal payload space, as well, something we will come back to later on. In January, Kratos had told us it was targeting the early 2026 timeframe for a first flight, but we cannot confirm whether this has occurred. The Valkyrie crash on Tuesday did come after “takeoff from a test-range runway,” but Kratos would only say the drone in question was in “test configuration.” Whether or not this may have been the first flight of the CTOL variant is not clear.

More generally, Valkyrie is a highly modular design with an open mission systems architecture intended to be readily configurable to meet customer needs. Kratos has told TWZ in the past that it has developed at least five distinct versions of the drone. The company has also been steadily working to expand the performance envelope of the design.

“We have several CTOL aircrafts [sic] … we’ve been working on it for about a year and a half,” Kratos’ Fendley told TWZ. The CTOL configuration is now “in production. Started on those earlier this year, and again, those aircraft are – some are ready, and some still in the pipeline.”

Overall, work on the CTOL version is pressing ahead, he added, while noting that RATO versions are also still being actively produced. Kratos has customers now for both versions.

The U.S. Air Force was the first known XQ-58 operator, and continues to utilize RATO types in support of research and development and test and evaluation activities. The Marine Corps also has a handful of RATO Valkyries, which it has been using to help lay the groundwork for its future operational fleet of CTOL types, which are now sometimes also referred to as MQ-58Bs. The Marines are hoping to see the delivery of the first of these drones in 2029.

Kratos has also publicly announced a partnership with European aviation giant Airbus to develop a version of the Valkyrie aimed at meeting German requirements for a CCA-type drone. When asked about other Valkyrie sales opportunities yesterday, Fendley told TWZ that there are a “number of other international customers,” but could not elaborate.

“We have a set of customers for each configuration, and in many cases, we have customers that want both configurations,” he did note. “They’ll do test and training ops generally with the CTOL variant, but then for forward-deployed scenarios or for scenarios where they want to maximize the payload capacity, they’ll use the RATO configuration. which allows capacity inside the bomb bay.”

At the time of writing, Kratos’ website says RATO XQ-58s can carry up to 1,200 pounds of stores in their internal centerline bay, as well as payloads weighing up to 600 pounds on a single hardpoint under each wing. The bay itself is also said to be sized around a loadout consisting of four 250-pound-class GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB). The SDB is just under 71 inches long and has a body that is 7.5 inches in diameter. The CTOL has half the internal payload capacity, both in terms of weight and physical space, per Kratos’ factsheet. RATO and CTOL types can both also carry additional payloads weighing up to 600 pounds on two external hardpoints, one under each wing.

As TWZ has noted in the past, the ability to operate from traditional runways and conduct static RATO launches both offer certain advantages in different contexts. As Fendley reiterated yesterday, RATO types offer valuable runway independence for forward-deployed operations, and dramatically expand the total number of potential launch and recovery points. Previously, Kratos has shown a concept for an entirely containerized static launch system, which would offer further operational flexibility.

All of this, in turn, could help enable distributed concepts of operations that are also intended to reduce vulnerability and otherwise complicate an opponent’s decision-making cycles. The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, in particular, see distributed deployment concepts as critical to success in future conflicts, especially a potential high-end fight, such as one against China in the Pacific. The Air Force’s particular set of operational concepts, which it currently calls Aegis Combat Employment (ACE), were baked into the requirements for its CCA drone program from the start.

In general, static RATO launch does impose constraints on maximum takeoff weight and, by extension, on range and payload capacity. Kratos has previously told TWZ that just using the trolley launch method offers an increase “in the 10s of % for both fuel and payload capacity.” How exactly the CTOL’s payload and performance compare to the RATO version in either of these different launch modes is unclear. As already noted, the CTOL version does have less capacity available in its internal bay because of the landing gear.

Kratos Valkyrie Trolley Launch System

Still, as we have previously written:

“The CTOL version offers a single platform with the flexibility to take off from conventional runways, which could allow for heavier overall weights, or to use the existing rocket-boosted method from a much wider array of potential operating locations. In a real-world operational scenario, the drones could fly a rocket-boosted mission to start, recover on a runway at a tertiary site, and then continue to fly sorties from there, or be deployed elsewhere. This would combine the benefits of runway independence, including the difficulties imposed on enemies trying to target what could be widely distributed launch points, during an initial wave, and the advantages offered by normal runway-centric tactical air operations for follow-on sorties.

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“An XQ-58 that can land like any other fixed-wing aircraft on a runway offers advantages for resetting the drones and getting them back into the fight. It takes far more time and effort to get runway-independent types ready for relaunch after they touch down via parachute. That method of landing also relies on airbags to cushion the impact, and a failure of that element of the system can lead to significant damage. There is, of course, always the potential for accidents while operating from traditional runways. Regardless, a Valkyrie that uses a runway should be able to achieve significantly higher sortie rates.”

“The CTOL variant’s flexibility could also have benefits outside of a tactical scenario. TWZ has previously noted that a landing gear-equipped version would be easier to integrate, overall, with other tactical air assets that rely on traditional runways, which would also be relevant for training and other day-to-day peacetime activities. That being said, a significant portion of the Marine Corps’ future CCA fleets, as well as those that the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy plan to acquire and field, may not ever be daily fliers.”

As noted earlier, Fendley spoke directly to these latter points as important benefits of the CTOL configuration during his interview with us yesterday. There are still tradeoffs with the landing gear-equipped Valkyries, especially since they have to find a runway to touch down on even after a rocket-assisted launch. All of this, in turn, speaks to Fendley’s other comments about interest from customers in operating mixed fleets of RATO and CTOL types.

Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie Test Flight

Beyond the core RATO and CTOL configurations, “we have many different configurations of Valkyrie for many different mission profiles and scenarios that our customers want to resolve, handle, address with unmanned, uncrewed systems,” Fendley also told us. “The ability for that system to couple with either a fourth-gen or a fifth-gen system and increase the survivability, increase the lethality of either of those systems is fantastic.”

This “has really served us with respect to our customers who want to be able to have a defensive capability like that without expending their entire annual budget,” he continued.

The current price point for Valkyries in either the RATO or CTOL configurations is unclear. Kratos has told TWZ in the past that RATO versions are in roughly the $4 and $6 million unit cost range. Years ago, the company also said it was hoping to eventually drive the purchase price down to around $2 million. Economy of scale benefits could be on the horizon as Kratos works to ramp up Valkyrie production. The company is hoping to see the annual production rate rise to 40 airframes by 2028.

“We have increased our full year 2026 organic revenue growth forecast up to approximately 18 percent to 23 percent as compared to full year 2025, which now also includes an expectation of approximately 10 percent organic growth for our Unmanned Systems business based upon recent contract awards, including Valkyrie,” Kratos’ President and CEO Eric DeMarco said just earlier this week around the comapny’s release of its second quarters earnings report.

Kratos is also seeing a surge in interest across its tactical portfolio more broadly, driven by demand both for reusable platforms and long-range one-way attack drones. In speaking to us yesterday, Fendley specifically highlighted the company’s Tactical Firejet design, also known as Airwolf, which has now been adapted into a kamikaze drone. That work has been done in partnership with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). You can read more about this variant, which is also called the Chien Feng IV (Mighty Hornet IV), here.

“And then, of course, our Mako system, which was our original tactical system, that we have a couple of customers who have become very interested in that,” Fendley also noted. This “is interesting because we developed that system in about the 2015-2016 timeframe, and all was quiet for a long time, and it’s really heated up in the, I would just say, in this calendar year. And I think some of that is based on world events, and some of it is based on the increase in budgets, particularly.”

Mako, also known as the UTAP-22, is a tactical combat drone derived from the BQM-167A Skeeter target drone, which Kratos also produces. Mako was at the center of a number of important experimental U.S. military drone programs in the late 2010s and early 2020s, but had appeared to be overtaken by the XQ-58, as well as more advanced designs from other companies. The design does still offer a tier of loyal wingman-type capability that could also come at lower cost compared to other options on the open market now. Mako might be adaptable to the one-way-attack role like the Tactical Firejet/Airwolf, as well.

In addition, Fendley offered positive assessments of ongoing development of the secretive Apollo, Athena, and Thanatos drones, but said he could not offer additional details given the level of classification surrounding those programs. This also just represents work the company is doing in the classified realm that we know about.

The Valkyrie family does remain front and center in Kratos’ tactical drone portfolio. This only looks set to continue with CTOL versions now being built and production ramping up overall for a growing number of customers globally.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Vogue Williams and Luke Mabbott are helping homeowners with their difficult renovations

A heartwarming tribute was aired after a special renovation.

After launching in 2024 as one of Channel 4′s biggest new lifestyle titles, Renovation Rescue has returned for a second series with two brand new hosts.

Armed with a degree in Construction Design and Management and another in Quantity Surveying, presenter Vogue Williams has taken charge of proceedings alongside trained heating and plumbing engineer and former Love Island star Luke Mabbott.

The series follows ambitious renovations as Vogue and Luke share money-saving skills, offer design inspiration, and demonstrate simple DIY techniques that anyone can try.

During the latest episode on Thursday (August 6), Vogue and Luke helped retired artist Penny in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.

After losing her partner of 20 years, Penny planned to make a fresh start near her daughter and grandchildren by the seaside.

“He died very suddenly of septicaemia, virtually overnight. He was climbing trees one minute and the next minute he was gone. I woke up one day and said, ‘Look, Penny, he’s dead. You’re alive, so get on with it and make the best of the time you have here,'” she said.

But after Penny fell for a house that needed a total overhaul, the plans were put on hold as the renovation went badly over budget and behind schedule.

“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this level of anxiety and stress,” Penny revealed.

To make Penny’s remaining budget go further, Vogue showed her clever ways to achieve the artistic aesthetic she loves without spending a fortune, including helping to create some beautiful cupboard doors with a lozenge-shaped detail.

Meanwhile, Luke showed Penny how to tackle DIY tasks including blockwork in the courtyard and creating a garden gate.

Later in the episode, Penny showed Vogue a picture that her late partner, Martin, had drawn years before – which has become one of her most treasured possessions.

“To me it’s quite important because I haven’t been able to show any of his work. He was very proud of this piece of work, actually,” she said, before Vogue added: “I think this should be the last thing that you put on the wall.”

Penny agreed: “Yeah and I will feel that Martin’s finally found a place,” leading Vogue to share how pleased she was that Penny could start looking to the future.

After all the work had been done on the property, Vogue and Luke paid Penny a visit and were stunned by the transformation.

Penny had even put Martin’s “beautiful” framed picture in the centre of her living room, flanked by a pair of floor-to-ceiling alcove cupboards that the hosts had made.

“It looks amazing,” said Vogue, with Penny concluding: “I feel as if I’ve got past the grieving stage where I’m not crying at the drop of a hat. Now, I can look at it and feel pleased that it’s there. He was very pleased with that piece of work.”

Renovation Rescue is available to stream on Channel 4