Birmingham City have signed France youth international Chancelle Effa Effa from Le Havre.

It is understood the Blues, who won the WSL 2 title last season, paid just over £100,000 for the 19-year-old striker.

She progressed from Le Havre’s academy and made her debut for the senior team at the age of 15.

Effa Effa helped the club secure promotion back to the French top flight in her breakthrough season and signed a professional contract in December 2022.

The striker, who has represented France at every age group from the U16s through to the U23s, had a year remaining on her contract at Le Havre.

“I am very happy to be joining Birmingham City – such a historic club – and experience the Women’s Super League,” said Effa Effa.

“From my very first conversations with the club, I was won over by the project. I sensed a genuine desire to build something strong, with great ambition.

“I can’t wait to start this new adventure.”

Effa Effa helped France lift the Women’s U17s European title in 2023 before reaching the Women’s U19s European final two years later.

In total, she has scored 17 goals in 28 appearances for France’s age groups.

“Chancelle is a player we’ve been tracking for some time and we’re delighted to bring her to Birmingham City,” said manager Amy Merricks.

“She’s an exciting young forward with huge potential, who has already gained valuable experience in the French top flight and has consistently performed for France at youth international level.

“We’re looking forward to helping her continue her development and seeing the impact she can make in a Blues shirt.”

Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reports from Buenos Aires, where police fired tear gas as thousands protested against a private property bill. Opponents fear it will lead to foreigners owning too much land, while the Milei government says the law would attract investment.

Boeing has been cleared to start producing Joint Direct Attack Munition-Long Range (JDAM-LR) precision-guided weapons for the U.S. Navy. The JDAM-LR is essentially a small cruise missile derived from the JDAM family of precision-guided bombs. The weapon will give the Navy, and potentially other services, a new way to bolster stocks of air-launched stand-off munitions. This all follows the Navy’s announcement of successful test launches of JDAM-LRs from F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters back in April.

In a press release yesterday, Boeing announced that it had received an Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) from the U.S. Air Force valued at $75 million related to JDAM-LR production for the Navy. The Air Force serves as the central manager for the joint-service JDAM program. By definition, a UCA means the parties still have to work out the final details of the deal, which could include the price point. UCAs are often used to kick-start work in response to urgent requirements.

“This first production contract is a major milestone for the JDAM LR program, demonstrating our ability to deliver long-range precision-strike capability at a significantly lower cost,” Bob Ciesla, Vice President of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, said in a statement, underscoring confidence in the new UCA. “Scaling production of the GBU-75 will provide the fleet with an affordable, sustainable solution designed to eliminate long-range land and sea-based threats to U.S. and international forces and enable them to safely and effectively operate in a contested battlespace.”

GBU-75/B is the designation that has been applied, so far, to complete JDAM-LR munitions. Boeing’s release yesterday also revealed that the core component of the weapon, the so-called Payload Delivery Unit (PDU), has now also been designated BSU-111/B.

Like unpowered JDAMs, the JDAM-LR is more of a kit than a munition by itself. The PDU contains the guidance section, systems to interface with the launching aircraft, a pop-out wing kit, and a compact turbojet engine (understood to be the TDI-J85). PDU is then combined with a standardized low-drag 500-pound-class bomb as its ‘warhead’ to create a complete weapon.

As with JDAM variants – which also come in 1,000-pound-class and 2,000-pound-class variations – the modular kit-type design creates immense flexibility for how JDAM-LRs can be configured. In the past, Boeing has shown depictions of what it originally called the Powered JDAM (PJDAM) paired with general-purpose high-explosive bombs and air-dropped shallow-water anti-ship mines. There are many other 500-pound-class bombs with this same form factor already available, including specialized designs intended to reduce the risk of collateral damage.

In terms of guidance, JDAM-LR leverages the GPS-assisted inertial navigation system from the unpowered JDAM family. This guidance method can only be used to target static coordinates. Boeing has previously shown concepts for multi-mode guidance packages that could also include active seekers, such as a radar or imaging infrared system, which would enable strikes on moving targets at sea and on land. Boeing already produces a version of the 500-pound-class JDAM that adds a laser seeker to allow for the engagement of moving targets.

The biggest capability boost offered by the JDAM-LR over existing JDAM types is, of course, the stand-off range. Boeing says the powered version can hit targets more than 345 miles (300 nautical miles) away. A typical underpowered JDAM can still glide after release, but only out to around 15 miles, according to the Air Force. With the addition of a pop-out wing kit, JDAM-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) types have greater reach, extending out to roughly 45 miles. This all depends on various factors, especially release altitude and the speed of the launch platform.

There are also benefits to this design, and to leveraging existing technology from the JDAM family, when it comes to cost and scalability of production. Boeing says it has also invested nearly $100 million of its own money in this program, which traces its roots back to the late 2010s, at least.

What the exact unit cost of a typical JDAM-LR will be is unclear. However, historically, standard JDAM kits have cost between $20,000 and $30,000. The current price point for a TDI-J85 engine is unknown, but TWZ has used the Williams F107, a larger turbojet used in various cruise missiles, as a point of comparison in the past. Past reports have put the F107’s price tag at some $190,000. A typical 500-pound-class low-drag bomb would add another few thousand dollars to that total.

Regardless, for the Navy especially, JDAM-LR offers a lower-cost and lower-risk pathway to bolstering the standoff munition capabilities of its carrier air wings, and stockpiles of those weapons for future fights. The sevice notably cancelled previous plans to acquire a turbojet-powered version of the AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) glide bomb back in 2021 in favor of a new version of the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRAM) with secondary land attack capability. In 2024, the Navy also disclosed that it was axing plans to incorporate land attack functionality on the AGM-158C-3 variant. It should also be noted here that LRASM is a very capable, but also very expensive weapon, with unit costs generally pegged in the $3 million range, regardless of version.

Navy carrier air wings do also have access to the AGM-84K Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) missile, which can be employed by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. An air-launched land-attack outgrowth of the Harpoon anti-ship cruise missile, the SLAM-ER’s maximum range is reportedly around 170 miles. These missiles also have unit costs in the $3 million range.

LOVE Island winners Julia Majchrzak and Lorenzo Alessi have kissed and made up on a night out with their fellow villa friends.

The ITV2 dating show winners came to blows after he was clocked fawning over other female’s sexy pics on social media.

The champions were joined on a night out at London’s 100 Shoreditch.

Former Casa bombshell Julia looked stunning in an all-black dress made up of mesh and lace panelling.

With her hair slicked back, she looked every inch a TV star as she smooched her man.

Lorenzo looked slick in an open shirt with a blazer and slacks.

swiped off

Love Island’s Lorenzo FINALLY deletes dating app & Julia says she’s ‘humiliated’

INSTA SHAM

Love Island’s Julia accuses Lorenzo of ’embarrassing her’ by liking girls’ pics

Joining them for the reunion night were ex islanders Ellie Chadwick and Finley Maddock.

Ellie looked summer ready in a short yellow outfit with a feather bottom as she held hands with her fella.

It comes after the couple were grilled about the online drama on Capital XTRA.

Julia, 26, admitted she found his online wandering eye ‘not funny’ and was ’embarrassed’ by his behaviour.

She told the hosts: “Guys, this is not funny. He’s already embarrassed me online.

“He had no time to arrange a date in five days, but was sat in bed liking other girls’ Instagram pictures.”

It comes after a clip of the couple’s appearance on This Morning went viral last week, with fans left unconvinced by their relationship.

Joining Josie Gibson and Paddy McGuinness in the studio, Lorenzo and Julia were quizzed about their future plans.

But an unimpressed Julia grilled Lorenzo over why he had failed to organise a date and had barely seen her since they won Love Island together.

Viewers also claimed Lorenzo appeared distracted by former flame Jasmine, who was sitting just inches away with Kavan.

The 2026 matchmaking show champ, who scooped his share of a £50K cash prize during the final, has finally removed his profile from Hinge.

Also at the event were Priya and Aidan – who were dumped from the villa days before the final.

The reunion saw familiar faces return including pretty-in-pink Lola Deal and Seán Fitzgerald, Mica Harris and Samraj Toor, and hand-holding singletons Charleen Murphy and Martha Rothwell.

Julia and Lorenzo beat runners-up Jasmine Muller and Kavan Murphy, and third place stars Angelista Gunda and Simba Kudyiwa.

Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday that the LAPD should stop working with Flock Safety, warning that the company, which operates AI-enabled license plate readers that allow authorities to monitor vehicles around the city, had lost public trust.

In her most forceful comments to date on the topic, Bass said while she supports license plate reading technology generally as a tool for law enforcement, Flock had “lost the trust of Angelenos and residents across the country, especially in immigrant communities targeted by the federal administration.”

“There are many companies that provide this technology to cities nationwide,” Bass said in a statement. “The LAPD needs to identify another company that doesn’t share data.”

LAPD officials have said Flock’s technology enables investigators to solve crimes, helping to find vehicles that have been reported stolen or linked to suspects. Last month, the department announced it was pausing its relationship with Flock, but police officials later said they were in the process of negotiating a new deal with the company that would include more data sharing and collection safeguards.

Dozens of mostly smaller cities have deactivated their Flock cameras or ended their contracts with the company over concerns that it provides data to the Trump administration that can be used to track down immigrants for deportation.

Bass joined the chorus of activists and local officials calling for the LAPD to end its relationship with the company outright.

Her opponent in the November mayoral election, Nithya Raman, said last week on the social media platform X that the city should “cut ties with Flock Safety.”

“Cities across the country are canceling their Flock contracts over the risks its license plate readers pose to privacy, civil liberties, and immigrant communities,” Raman’s post read.

Last month, Bass signed an ordinance that prohibits city personnel from providing anyone outside local government access to data that can be used to determine someone’s immigration status.

A recent Washington Post report uncovered at least 50 instances nationwide in which law enforcement officials were accused of misusing their access to the cameras, largely to stalk former romantic partners or citizens.

A report issued last month by the LAPD inspector general’s office found numerous “limitations” in the department’s existing agreements with its three plate reader vendors — Flock, Axon and Motorola — including a lack of clear language about how long the data are retained and how they are shared with third parties or other law enforcement agencies.

The inspector general recommended that the department update its current license plate reader contracts to address data security and privacy concerns, conduct regular audits and develop standardized rules for traffic stops based on plate reader hits.

Flock has said its customers decide who can access data from their cameras. The company said it doesn’t have contracts with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, adding that has taken other steps to assuage public concern, such as barring federal agencies from its lookup tools and restricting immigration-related searches to ensure compliance with laws in California, Washington and other states.

In an interview with ABC7 last month, Flock CEO Garrett Langley said the company had to “tighten up the police and make sure everyone’s aligned and then turn it back on. He said the company retains the data from its plate readers for only 30 days and denied that its cameras employ facial recognition software as some of its critics have suggested.

During a virtual listening session hosted last week by the inspector general’s office, dozens of people sounded off on the department’s use of Flock cameras.

Some speakers, mostly from the fire-ravaged community of Pacific Palisades, supported the use of cameras to deter burglars who have repeatedly hit homes and construction sites in the area.

Jennifer Wolfe, who identified herself as a teacher in Altadena, another community devastated by the 2025 wildfires, urged Flock’s supporters to consider how “surveillance systems can grow far beyond their intended purpose.”

Locating stolen cars is important, she said, but people should be more concerned by this newfound and unchecked ability for the government to collect “vastly more information, with far less effort.”

St Helens interim head coach Eamon O’Carroll told BBC Radio Merseyside:

“There were far too many times when we were shooting ourselves in the foot and putting some pressure on ourselves. We’re clearly not at that level at the moment where we seem to handle that the way we’d like to or how we have in the past.

“We’ve got some young boys in there who may have got exposed at times. They will be better for this experience – I’m really proud of the young lads – but at the minute we seem to be swapping one of our younger lads for another younger lad.

“We’re then automatically asking a lot of some of our senior boys.

“I think you can see where we are at with that at the minute.”

[On play-off qualification] “It’s going to be a difficult one for us to achieve, but it’s not unachievable.”

Hull FC interim head coach Andy Last told Sky Sports:

‘It feels absolutely fantastic. I just want to dedicate that to the supporters who have stuck by us and turned up in big numbers. It was great to get a win for them.

“There were some parts of the performance I was really pleased with and some parts of the game we still need to improve [such as] individuals’ decision-making, but I’m not going to take anything away from tonight.

“To get a win at St Helens, I’m really, really pleased.’

St Helens: Welsby; Douglas, Sailor, Davies, Murphy; Robertson, Hastings; Suluka-Fifita, Humphreys, Walmsley, Keeley, Wright, Shorrocks.

Interchanges: Host, Whitby, Evans, Matagi.

Hull FC: Moy; Barron, Hardaker, Briscoe, Martin; Arthur, Sezer; Ese’ese, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, O’Neill, Bell.

Interchanges: Cust, Aydin, Romano, Wood.

Referee: Liam Rush.

US President Donald Trump expects the conflict with Iran to end “pretty soon”, while Tehran reports that an agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is “on the verge of being finalised” following a route agreement between both nations.