Goalkeepers: Eartha Cumings (Manchester City), Lee Gibson (Glasgow City), Sandy MacIver (Washington Spirit).

Defenders: Georgia Brown (Jacksonville), Jenna Clark (Liverpool), Nicola Docherty (Rangers), Sophie Howard (Como), Emma Lawton (Ipswich Town), Rachel McLauchlan (Newcastle United), Amy Muir (Glasgow City).

Midfielders: Chelsea Cornet (Birmingham City), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Christy Grimshaw (AC Milan), Sam Kerr (Liverpool), Kirsty Maclean (Liverpool), Maria McAneny (Celtic), Miri Taylor (Aston Villa), Caroline Weir (Lyon).

Forwards: Lauren Davidson (Brann), Claire Emslie (Angel City), Freya Gregory (Newcastle United), Kirsty Hanson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kirsty Howat (Crystal Palace), Mia McAulay (Aston Villa), Kathleen McGovern (Newcastle United), Martha Thomas (Newcastle United).

BRITAIN’S oldest Lido has vowed to “definitely reopen” after being left to rot.

The historic swimming facility has been closed for over two years, despite receiving a £9.3million makeover.

Cleveland Baths, first opened in 1815 and is the oldest of its kind to exist in the UK, but closed in 1984.

A huge campaign and a mulit-million pound refurbishment saw it reopen for just four months in 2023 before it was forced to close again due to flood damage.

But now trustees have promised to reopen the 200-year old pool, telling the BBC it is “moving as quickly and responsibly” as possible

It’s definitely going to happen,” Peter Askew, chair of Cleveland Pools Trust, told the outlet.

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The trust has set out a timetable that includes a consultation and more fundraising, with repair works restarting in 2028.

In January 2024, the River Avon burst its banks and destroyed the facility.

A subsequent investigation revealed mechanical and structural damage.

“The first is that floodwater entered the door of the plant room.

“And then, secondly, in the process of emptying the pool of floodwater, the groundwater level wasn’t properly managed, and that led to further damage,” Peter explained.

It comes as just a few weeks back, the lido welcomed visitors to the grounds to take a rake peak at pool.

At the time, visitors were able to meet the trustees and volunteers to hear about their vision for the site, but could not swim.

ONE airline has scrapped two of its routes to New York for the winter season – including one from London.

As a result, there will just be one remaining transatlantic route from the UK.

Norse Atlantic Airways has removed its planned flights to New York from its winter schedule from both London Gatwick and Rome airports.

Data from OAG Schedules Analyser revealed that Norse had planned for 41,600 two-way seats on routes to New York (JFK) from London Gatwick and Rome Fiumicino Airport during the winter 2026-27 season.

Each was scheduled to operate as many as three-weekly flights.

The latest schedules reveal that these routes will continue through the rest of the summer season – but regular service will end from late October.

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On its website, the last date to fly from London Gatwick to or from New York City with Norse is on October 24.

Without these two routes, the only transatlantic service from Norse during the winter is between London Gatwick and Orlando.

Their withdrawal leaves Norse without New York service during the winter and sees London Gatwick-Orlando as its only scheduled transatlantic route during the season.

According to Aviation Weekly, the airline’s planned winter network has been reduced by around 105,500 seats.

The two New York routes account for about 83,200 of the seats removed.

From London, passengers with Norse can still fly to Bangkok, Phuket and Cape Town.

The airline also launched the Thailand service from Manchester Airport in November 2025 with one flight a week.

Due to the huge demand, this will increase to four times a week from December 5, 2026 to April 18, 2027.

Flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and start from £254 one way.

OASIS fans who are eager to grab tickets for their 2027 tour must keep an eye on their emails over the next few days.

This is because those who have been selected from the ballot will be given a unique code in order to access the site to buy tickets. Here’s what you need to look out for.

When are Oasis codes released?

Codes for tickets will be released between Thursday 24th and Sunday 27th September 2026.

As published on oasisnet.com, if you have been selected to buy an Oasis Live ’27 ticket, a unique code and full details of how to buy tickets will be sent to the email address and name fans registered with.

There will be no general sale for the tour, but there is also no set time on when fans will receive their codes.

This means that fans who are invited to buy a ticket on Sunday 27th September may receive their code later.

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Fans have been warned to check their junk folders over this period just in case the email with the code attached drops in there.

When do tickets go on sale?

General sale for tickets will be across three dates, but you’ll only be able to access the sale on your allocated day.

Registration closed on Thursday 17th September at 4pm, with fans now having to wait to see if they are lucky enough to have been selected.

The three days the general sale will be on are:

• Friday September 25
• Saturday September 26
• Sunday September 27

Ticket prices are fixed and will range between £71.50 to £266.60. Ticket prices will vary depending on the location of the concert and where you are stood or sat.

What are the confirmed tour dates?

Oasis are returning to Knebworth house in 2027, for the first time since their iconic 1996 gigs which saw 250,000 people attend over two days.

They have 11 nights booked at the Etihad stadium, home of the Gallagher brothers beloved Manchester City, having last played there in 2005.

The icons will also return to France for the first time since their acrimonious split at Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009.

Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman has taken a wide lead over incumbent Karen Bass in the L.A. mayor’s race, according to a new poll released Wednesday, although a high percentage of voters remain undecided less than two weeks before mail-in ballots are sent out for the Nov. 3 election.

Raman is favored by 39% of likely L.A. voters, compared with 28% for Bass, according to the poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, which was co-sponsored by The Times. The poll found that 33% of voters were undecided.

“Raman clearly has the advantage. Her task is a little less onerous than Bass’,” said Mark DiCamillo, the director of the Berkeley IGS Poll.

Adding to Bass’ low poll numbers are high unfavorability ratings.

The mayor had 63% unfavorable ratings, the poll found, with 28% favorable and 9% having no opinion. By comparison, 40% had a favorable view of Raman, according to the poll, while 39% said they had an unfavorable view of her and 21% had no opinion.

The survey released Wednesday was conducted online with a sample of 2,150 likely city voters between Sept. 15 and Sept. 20. It has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.

The poll represented the strongest showing yet for Raman, who trailed Bass in almost every poll during the primary campaign and who came in second to Bass in the primary election, with 29% of the vote compared with Bass’ 34%.

Mayoral candidate and Councilmember Nithya Raman, center, enjoys a light moment with Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action members at La Cita Bar in downtown Los Angeles.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Even so, DiCamillo said the large number of undecided voters means the race is far from over.

“It’s extraordinarily unusual to see this many undecided voters at this point in the race,” he said. Mail-in ballots will be sent out beginning Oct. 1, local elections officials say.

The large number of undecided voters can be linked to the elimination of mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt in the June 2 primary, according to DiCamillo. The former reality TV star received 26% of the vote in the primary, and most of the voters who cast ballots for him — 63% — say they haven’t decided whom to vote for in the runoff, the poll found.

Among those Pratt voters who have decided, 22% favored Bass compared with 16% for Raman.

One of the most significant findings in the poll was a massive “generational divide” among L.A. voters, DiCamillo said.

Raman, 45, dominated the 72-year-old Bass among younger voters, with 66% of likely voters ages 18 to 29 choosing the council member while just 4% chose Bass, according to the poll.

Raman also had 64% of likely voters ages 30 to 39 compared with Bass’ 12%, and the council member had 50% of likely voters ages 40 to 49 compared with Bass’ 18%. Raman also was leading among voters 50 to 64 years old by a slim margin of 35% to 33%.

Bass, meanwhile, led among the oldest set of voters — those 65 and up — but not by the same margins. Bass had 41% of likely voters in that group compared with Raman’s 21%.

The mayor has had negative favorability ratings since the 2025 Palisades fire.

According to the poll, 56% of likely voters thought Bass did a poor or very poor job responding to the disaster, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 4,000 homes, including Pratt’s.

Fourteen percent of the likely voters thought Bass had done either an excellent or a good job and 17% thought she had done a fair job.

Mayor Karen Bass campaigns at Ernest E. Debs Regional Park on Sunday.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

The most important issues to likely voters were fixing city infrastructure, moving homeless people indoors, crime and public safety, and building more affordable housing, the poll found.

The poll shows Raman leading in nearly every geographic area of the city. Bass was leading in South Los Angeles and the Harbor region, 37% to 34%, but central Los Angeles as well as northeast and the east side of Los Angeles broke strongly for Raman.

The San Fernando Valley went 34% to Raman and 26% to Bass with 40% still undecided. The Westside favored Raman by a single percentage point, at 35% to 34%.

Raman has led in other polls recently, though none by as wide a margin as in the Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll. Shortly before the primary, a separate Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll showed Raman leading Bass in a potential head-to-head matchup by just four percentage points, with 32% support compared with the mayor’s 28%.

But the gap between the two has widened since then, the latest poll found, as Bass weathered a difficult news cycle, including rising homelessness numbers citywide as well as the fallout from the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights that burned for nearly a week, leaving rotting food and a rancid stench in the neighborhood for more than a month.

Raman, meanwhile, picked up largely positive headlines this summer. She gained key endorsements from the carpenters’ union and Unite Here Local 11, the union representing hospitality workers at hotels and the airport, as well as an endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America. Street homelessness also dropped in her district, which she said was due to her office’s strong outreach, though the Bass campaign credited the mayor’s Inside Safe program for the reduction in Raman’s district.

On the negative side, Raman was booted from her position in the council as chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, a move she said was politically motivated.

In an internal Raman campaign poll from early September, the council member was ahead, 44% to 39%, with 17% undecided. She was also leading, 38% to 32%, in a poll commissioned by the group Streets for All, which is backing Raman.

In an early August poll commissioned by an independent expenditure group supporting Bass, the mayor had the edge, 41% to 35%, with 24% undecided.

LAS VEGAS — Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Aces to an 89-79 victory over the Sparks on Tuesday night and clinch at least a No. 3 playoff seed for Las Vegas.

The Aces (30-13), on a six-game winning streak, will get home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Sunday. If the standings hold, they would face No. 6 seed Washington (27-16) in the best-of-three series.

Chelsea Gray scored 17 points for the Aces, Stephanie Talbot had 14 points and Jackie Young totaled 14 points and 11 assists.

Nneka Ogwumike, who was honored before the game, scored 17 points to lead the Sparks (16-27). Erica Wheeler added 16 points.

The Aces used a 15-point run in the first quarter to take early control, going up 17-5. They led by 17 points when the Sparks went on their own long run, an 11-point spurt in the second period to cut the lead to 35-29.

The Sparks then remained within striking distance, but never closed the gap. Las Vegas’ 10-point run in the third period put the Aces back in control with a 63-45 lead.

The Aces presented Ogwumike, an eight-time All-Star and 2016 MVP, with a flower bouquet before the game. Ogwumike, who announced Aug. 19 she would retire after this season, also received a standing ovation from the crowd. She also is president of the players’ union.

The Sparks played without Dearica Hamby (left knee) and Cameron Brink (right ankle). Hamby, who played in the Aces’ organization from 2015-22, averages 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds. Brink, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, averages 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.

With world leaders at the UN General Assembly podium this week, play our quiz matching famous quotes to who said them.

This week, world leaders converge on New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where representatives from the 193 UN member states are expected to take to the podium.

Over the decades, that same podium has hosted some of modern diplomacy’s most quoted moments, from Cold War warnings to wartime appeals.

Match each line to the leader who spoke it from the UNGA podium in the 10-question quiz below.

RYANAIR has announced that it is cutting more than half a million seats to two European countries before the end of this year.

The budget airline will scrap 550,000 seats from Estonia and Lithuania this winter, which means it will reduce its capacity to the two countries by around a quarter.

The airline has said that the decision comes after higher airport costs in the two countries.

According to Ryanair, airport charges in Lithuania have risen by 30 per cent since 2023.

In Estonia, on the other hand, there has been an increase in charges at Tallinn Airport.

It isn’t clear how many UK flights will be affected, but overall it works out to as many as 3,000 overall.

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Ryanair is now looking at increasing capacity in other destinations with lower airport charges.

For example, Riga in Latvia will gain around 40,000 seats this winter.

This means that the airline will operate 16 routes to Riga during this winter.

Ryanair has also decided to increase capacity on a number of other routes including Barcelona and Milan.

A number of other destinations will also lose Ryanair seats this winter.

Greece is set to lose around 700,000 seats and 12 routes.

In Belgium, there will be a reduction of one million seats and 20 routes.

And the airline has already axed flights from a number of airports across Spain, Portugal and Germany.

The news comes just days after the airline said that it plans to have 11 million seats across Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania by 2031 and increase its aircraft in the region from seven to 16.

VAPES could be seized in UK airports under a new rule that is coming into force next week.

As it stands, there is not a strict limit on how much e-liquid vapers can bring back with them from their holidays.

But come Thursday, October 1, that is set to change.

From next week, travellers coming into the UK will be limited to just 50ml of liquid, which equates to around five standard bottles of 10ml of juice.

Anyone arriving with over this amount must declare it and pay tax and duty.

Failure to do so, could see your goods confiscated and seized, according to government guidance.

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With that in mind, you can expect to pay an extra £2.20 on every extra 10ml brought into the UK.

It comes as Brits are set to be charged more for vaping as part of new rules also coming into force on October 1.

The change will see a flat rate of 22p per millilitre or £2.20 per 10ml on vaping liquid, regardless of how much nicotine it contains.

It means a single 10ml bottle of juice currently scanning for £3.99 will rise to £6.63 by next week.

Meanwhile, any three for £10 deals on 10m liquid will rise to £17.92.

The rise in e-liquid duty was first announced in the Spring Budget in 2024 but reconfirmed by former Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Autumn Budget last year.

A French Navy Mistral class amphibious assault ship has been photographed carrying Naval Group’s new Rampart modular launcher, a system designed to allow a single weapon station to employ different types of rockets, missiles, and other effectors against a wide range of threats.

The imagery, captured off Toulon during training on September 21, reveals the launcher installed on the ship’s forward starboard sponson. While the specific identity of the vessel is unclear, this represents the first publicly observed evidence that Rampart has moved into shipboard testing.

🇫🇷 French Navy Mistral-class amphibious assault ship and 🇫🇷French Navy Suffren (Barracuda)-class nuclear-powered attack submarine off Toulon, France – September 21, 2026.@WarshipCam pic.twitter.com/6xYm6E5J9R

— G.GYSSELSSHIPCOLLECTION (@GGYSSELSSHIPS) September 22, 2026

Naval Group announced in June that the first at-sea firing campaign for Rampart was planned for October aboard a Mistral class ship during the French Navy’s Wildfire counter-drone exercise.

What makes Rampart unusual is its modular architecture. Rather than being built around one missile or rocket, the system uses interchangeable launch modules that can accommodate different weapons. This allows a ship to carry large numbers of relatively inexpensive guided rockets for counter-drone work while retaining the option of using larger and more capable short-range missiles against more challenging targets.

Because the launch modules are interchangeable, the mix can theoretically be changed as the mission or threat environment changes.

The approach is aimed squarely at a problem that has become increasingly important for naval forces: defending expensive ships against potentially large numbers of inexpensive uncrewed systems and missiles without relying exclusively on high-cost interceptors.

Rampart was previously known as the Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System (MPLS). Naval Group unveiled the concept in 2023 as a self-funded development effort and formally presented the Rampart earlier this year.

Multipurpose and modular launching system (MPLS) “ready to fire”

The launcher uses four interchangeable ammunition modules. Depending on the configuration, Naval Group says that the system can accommodate up to 80 Thales 68mm laser-guided rockets or 48 NATO-standard 70mm laser-guided rockets. Other configurations can carry smaller numbers of short-range missiles (four to six per module, depending on type) or other effectors, including decoys.

The system has already been demonstrated with guided rockets. A January 2026 test involved a Thales 68mm guided rocket, followed by a series of firings at the Canjuers range in southern France in May. Those trials, seen in the video below, included engagements against targets at roughly two miles and a five-rocket salvo.

Tirs réussis du Rampart à Canjuers / Successful live-fire trials at camp Canjuers for Rampart

The relatively small guided rockets are particularly relevant to counter-drone operations. They offer a way of engaging aerial targets with a weapon substantially smaller than a conventional surface-to-air missile, while still providing precision guidance.

As well as rockets, Naval Group has been working with Thales on the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM). Also known as Martlet, the LMM is intended to tackle a range of challenging airborne and surface targets, as you can read about here.

Thales proves its Lightweight Multirole Missile’s precision strike capability

The company has also explored integration of loitering munitions and other missiles, while a separate agreement with the UAE-based EDGE Group covers trials of the SkyKnight surface-to-air missile.

SKYKNIGHT

The company has also pursued integration of Poland’s Piorun short-range air-defense missile. This may well be with a view to a potential Polish purchase of Rampart to arm its forthcoming frigates, which you can read about here.

This means the launcher is effectively being developed as an open weapons-integration platform, rather than as a dedicated launcher for one or a small set of particular munitions.

That openness could make Rampart attractive to a wide range of navies. Instead of requiring customers to adopt a completely new missile family, the launcher can potentially be configured around weapons already in their inventories or sourced from their domestic defense industries. A country could therefore buy the common Rampart launcher while retaining control over the effectors it wants to integrate, whether those are guided rockets, short-range missiles, loitering munitions or other systems. At the same time, when it comes to air threats, this is very much a point defense system for close-in engagements, and a last line of defense to complement longer-range and more capable systems.

Naval Group has described the system as capable of operating either autonomously or as part of a ship’s combat system, with a stabilized turret and integrated fire-control equipment.

That integration will be particularly important during the upcoming sea trials. A launcher that works against stationary or land-based targets still has to contend with ship motion, vibration, sea spray, sensor integration, and the compressed timelines involved in defending a moving vessel.

France operates three Mistral class amphibious assault ships, which serve as major aviation, command, and amphibious warfare platforms. Their size and mission make them high-value assets that could face a broad range of aerial threats during operations. Another two vessels were built to the same design for Russia, before being placed under embargo, and then sold to the Egyptian Navy.

Naval Group’s choice of a Mistral for the initial at-sea campaign provides an opportunity to test Rampart under realistic operational conditions while integrating it with an existing French naval combat system.

In its basic form, each Mistral is armed with a pair of Simbad launchers, each of which is fitted with two Mistral short-range surface-to-air missiles. In terms of guns, each of the vessels is armed with two 30mm and two 20mm cannons, two 7.62mm M134 Miniguns, and four 12.7mm machine guns. Adding even a single Rampart launcher provides considerably more options against aerial targets across a wide range of threats — depending on the effectors that are included.

Recent U.S. and allied operations in the Middle East have highlighted the problem of large-scale missile and drone attacks causing forces to expend substantial numbers of interceptors, raising concerns about both magazine depth and the cost of using high-end missiles against lower-cost threats. Directed-energy weapons could eventually provide a way out of that cost-exchange problem, but shipboard laser systems remain in the early stages of operational development. Navies cannot simply wait for them to mature, creating an immediate requirement for lower-cost, high-capacity kinetic options. Rampart’s large guided-rocket capacity and ability to mix different effectors are aimed at exactly that gap.

If Rampart can reliably engage drones with inexpensive guided rockets while retaining the ability to employ more capable missiles from the same launcher, it could offer navies an additional defensive layer between conventional guns and high-end surface-to-air missile systems.

Critically, new effectors could potentially also be integrated as they become available, allowing the system to evolve without replacing the entire turret.

Reflecting the urgency of the requirement, Naval Group’s development path for Rampart has been relatively rapid.

Naval Group has also demonstrated a ground-based Rampart, mounted on a high-mobility truck chassis. This configuration is intended for mobile air defense missions as well as protection of fixed sites, giving the system a role beyond ship self-defense. The truck-mounted version could provide a rapidly relocatable launcher for counter-drone and short-range air-defense missions, while retaining the same basic modular architecture and ability to employ different effectors.

Sur le stand John Cockerill, un châssis Zetros équipé du Rampart (ex lanceur modulaire polyvalent, ou LMP) de Naval Group. Avantage : un seul système de lancement pour des armements divers (roquettes, missiles, grenades, leurres, drones…) pic.twitter.com/6v4R93HGsj

— Vincent Lamigeon (@VincentLamigeon) June 16, 2026

The photographs from Toulon indicate that the Rampart concept is now moving from the range to the French fleet, albeit on an experimental basis. The forthcoming sea campaign will be an important milestone and should provide a better idea of how this system works at sea.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

The pop star duo have revealed exactly what happened during the tense row

Jedward have broken their silence on the heated Big Brother row that left them “traumatised”.

The pop star duo, whose real names are John and Edward Grimes, joined the reality show on Sunday and had already sparked chaos by Monday night. It all started when they offered 21-year-old Rhianna some friendly advice while relaxing in the garden hot tub.

Rhianna approached the pair and asked for their unfiltered opinions about her, and they didn’t hold back. They criticized her relationships in the house and encouraged her to get out of her comfort zone, telling her “you’re not in Love Island“.

The conversation spiralled out of control when Rhianna reported it back to her close friend Chelsey, revealing she was really upset. Fellow housemate Lynx then realised the young woman was sad and decided to confront Jedward.

When Lynx approached the twins, the discussion became even more heated and ended with John splashing Lynx with water from the hot tub.

John has now explained exactly what happened in that heated moment, arguing that the water splashing was “innocent”. Speaking on Big Brother’s companion show, The Group Chat, he said: “I had given the girl [Rhianna] a bit of advice.

“She left, I literally thought she was calling it a night. Suddenly Chelsey is back and I’m like ‘Ok that must be it then’. And he [Lynx] was about to – I don’t know if he was about to get into the tub – but the water was just there.”

He went on to add: “It could have got way worse. I think the splashing was just innocent. It was just an innocent moment.” Other housemates were forced to step in after the splashing incident as Lynx was left furious with the twins.

Edward revealed his own perspective on the argument, adding: “I’m traumatised, I’m gonna have to check into a therapist. I will never get into a hot tub and not think of this.”

The musicians were at the heart of drama throughout their Big Brother journey but they have insisted they didn’t set out to “make trouble”. They had actually hoped to form some connections and enjoy a few days in the famous house.

However, Jedward’s time on the show came to end in Tuesday’s (September 22) episode. They returned to social media before their final scenes had even aired and shared unfiltered posts about the remaining housemates.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, one post said: “The truth hurts I guess I think we deserve a medal for the honesty and impact we brought to the house authentic vibes always. They acting too pretentious and predictable and raging we clocked.”

While another added: “Don’t ask for an opinion if you can’t handle the truth I was calm, collected, fair and straight with them #bbuk.”

Big Brother’s The Group Chat is streaming now on ITVX

This article provides a historical overview of Saudi Arabia in honor of its National Day on September 23rd, tracing the region’s evolution from nomadic tribal roots to a unified kingdom. It details the pivotal leadership of Ibn Saud, who consolidated the regions of Nejd and Hejaz in 1932 to form the modern state. The text also explains that the day was officially established as an annual public holiday in 2005 by the late King Abdullah. Alongside this historical summary, the source includes current news snippets regarding Saudi defense contracts, regional conflicts, and cultural exhibitions. Finally, it presents supplementary global data such as currency exchange rates and international political updates involving Iran and the United States.

SACRAMENTO — Carlos Cortes and Zack Gelof each hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Athletics rallied past the Angels 9-7 on Tuesday night.

Cortes launched a drive to right-center off Sam Bachman (1-3) to give the A’s a 7-6 lead, and Gelof cemented the comeback from a 6-0 deficit they faced just two innings before.

Cortes came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and finished two for two with a triple and three RBIs. He also scored twice.

Hogan Harris gave up a run in the ninth but earned his 16th save by striking out pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza with two runners aboard.

Luis Medina (6-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win as the Athletics clinched the season series with one game remaining between the bottom two teams in the AL West.

Ri Song-gum wins North Korea’s first gold at the games while Chanu finally clinches elusive Asian Games medal in Japan.

North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum has broken three world records en route to winning gold in the women’s 49kg (108lbs) competition, which saw India’s Mirabai Chanu win an elusive Asian Games medal by finishing second.

Ri gave North Korea its first gold of the games in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday, joining an elite club of four weightlifters who have won three Asian Games gold medals.

The 28-year-old hauled 94kg above her head in the opening snatch discipline – the first official segment of the competition where athletes lift a barbell from the floor to an overhead position in a single motion. The lift was 1kg heavier than the previous world record of 93kg.

Ri followed it up by breaking the world record twice in the 115kg clean and jerk – a two-part movement where a barbell is lifted from the floor to the shoulders and then pushed overhead. The 4ft-7in (139.7cm) weightlifter hoisted 116kg and 121kg above her head.

Ri’s total lift of 215kg obliterated the old world record total by 7kg.

She is the fourth lifter, and first woman, to win three Asian Games weightlifting golds and joined Iran’s Mohammad Nassiri (1966-74), South Korea’s Kim Tae-hyun (1990-98) and Iran’s Behdad Salimi (2010-18), who all won three gold medals. No athlete has won four weightlifting gold medals.

In the same category, India’s Chanu finally won an Asian Games medal at the third time of asking. She won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The 32-year-old is India’s most decorated weightlifter, with three Commonwealth gold medals and a silver to her name, along with multiple global titles.

She lifted a total of 198kg after a snatch of 87kg and a clean and jerk of 111kg, while Indonesia’s Diana Tri Wijayana took bronze with a total of 191kg, comprising 88kg and 103kg.

Chanu’s silver also ended India’s 28-year wait for a weightlifting medal at the games since Karnam Malleswari won silver in 1998.

Her daughter says her life could have been saved if she had taken the minor injury seriously

When Yvonne Ford and her husband Ron jetted off to Morocco in February 2025, they expected to return home with little more than happy holiday memories. Instead, what appeared to be nothing more than a tiny scratch would ultimately cost Yvonne her life.

The couple had been relaxing on sun loungers when a stray puppy appeared. At some point, it scratched 59-year-old Yvonne’s leg, leaving what appeared to be nothing more than a superficial mark. Looking back, Yvonne’s daughter, Robyn Thomson, says her parents never imagined the incident posed any danger.

“They were relaxing on the beach on the sun beds. Mum had put her legs down onto the sand and must have startled the puppy,” she said. “The puppy scratched her leg leaving a very minimal scratch on her leg.”

“It barely broke the skin and looked so insignificant that she simply cleaned it with a wet wipe and carried on enjoying the holiday.”

At the time, the family thought nothing more of it. “It was Mum and Dad enjoying a holiday together, and none of us had any idea that such a tiny scratch could expose someone to rabies. We simply didn’t know,” said Robyn, 33, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. “That tiny scratch had absolutely changed our lives forever.”

When Yvonne returned home to the UK, Robyn remembers asking whether she wanted to get the scratch checked, but Yvonne declined because it seemed so insignificant. “If someone had told us then that such a tiny scratch could be fatal months later, we would never have believed it,” Robyn said.

For weeks after returning home, Yvonne appeared perfectly healthy and life returned to normal. Then, in early June, she developed a headache and, within days, her condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to her being admitted to Barnsley Hospital.

She first developed a headache before eventually beginning to lose the ability to walk and talk. “It was the most devastating thing we’ve ever been through,” Robyn says. “The disease spread through her body so rabidly once the symptoms started. It all started with a headache.”

From there, her condition worsened with terrifying speed. “One minute Mum was independent and full of life, and then she deteriorated so quickly,” Robyn said. “She became confused, frightened and started hallucinating. Eventually she couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk properly, couldn’t swallow, couldn’t eat and couldn’t sleep.”

Robyn says that watching her mum deteriorate was excruciating. “As her daughter, watching someone you’ve looked up to your entire life become so desperately ill and knowing there was nothing anyone could do was unbearable,” the neonatal nurse said.

As Yvonne’s condition worsened, doctors struggled to determine what was making her so ill. Five days passed before a psychiatrist, who initially suspected Lyme disease, recognised the symptoms and asked about her recent travel history.

“This is what I’ve found so hard, knowing that nobody knew what was causing my mum to be so poorly for the first five days until a doctor within the mental health sector suggested it could be a possibility,” Robyn said. One of the things she remembers the most was the shock of being told that her mum had contracted rabies.

“It was the worst news we could have received because there was no cure, nothing to be done to bring mum back,” she saif. “The damage was already done. Rabies was never something we imagined could affect our family. You associate it with something that happens somewhere else, not to your mum after a holiday. Especially with the scratch being so tiny and minimal.”

Yvonne was then transferred to the infectious disease unit at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital, where she died on 11 June, four months after being scratched by the puppy. Now, Robyn knows that if there had been more awareness around rabies at the time, her mum might still be here.

“Looking back now, that’s one of the hardest things to accept. If we’d understood the risk and known she needed urgent treatment immediately, everything could have been different,” she said. “We would have pushed her to get the treatment and it would have saved her life.”

Robyn is now campaigning for greater awareness of rabies to help prevent other families experiencing the same heartbreak. “I wish there were more awareness, more awareness when booking holidays about the risk of potential exposure in certain high-risk countries,” she said. “I wish someone had told us that there is no such thing as ‘just a scratch’ when it comes to rabies.”

“I wish we’d known that washing the wound thoroughly and getting post-exposure treatment immediately can save your life. That lack of awareness cost us our Mum.”

Speaking about Yvonne, Robyn describes her as “the heart” of their family. “She was funny, warm, caring and incredibly selfless,” she said. “She always put everyone else before herself and absolutely adored her family, especially being a Nannie to her four grandchildren.”

“She had so much life left to live. She and my dad, Ron, had worked hard all their lives and were enjoying making memories together. They loved travelling and experiencing different cultures, and the holiday to Morocco was supposed to be another wonderful adventure together.”

Robyn says her mum was also an animal lover who would never have imagined a puppy could pose such a danger.

“Mum loved animals and would never have imagined that a friendly looking puppy could pose such a danger,” she says. “That’s one of the biggest misconceptions people have. She would never want any harm to come to the dog.”

The scratch wasn’t the result of a vicious attack but a chance encounter that would have devastating consequences. “It was a stray puppy that didn’t seem threatening,” Robyn says. “That’s exactly why people need to understand that you can’t judge the risk by how the animal behaves or how serious the injury looks.”

Robyn is now working with Worldwide Veterinary Service and its Mission Rabies program to ensure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else. “After losing Mum, I felt I had to do something,” she said. “I couldn’t change what had happened to our family, but I could help stop it happening to somebody else’s.”

“Working with Worldwide Veterinary Service and Mission Rabies has shown me the incredible work that’s being done to eliminate rabies by vaccinating dogs and educating communities.”

Robyn also has a message for anyone else who is scratched or bitten by an animal while travelling overseas but thinks it’s “only a minor scratch”.

“Please don’t take the risk,” she says. “Our family thought it was only a tiny scratch too.. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water straight away and seek urgent medical advice immediately, even if the injury seems insignificant. Don’t wait until you get home, and don’t assume you’ll be fine because the animal looked healthy or friendly.

“The vaccines could save your life.”

Rabies is present in more than 150 countries, including popular holiday destinations such as Turkey, Morocco and Thailand. According to Worldwide Veterinary Service, nearly half of Brits (47%) say they would approach or interact with a dog or cat abroad and 61% do not know that rabies can be transmitted if an infected animal licks an open wound or scratch.

As a result, the organisation is launching its Think Rabies Before You Travel campaign, urging holidaymakers to check local rabies risk, avoid contact with unfamiliar animals and seek immediate help after any potential exposure this summer.

Armed men open fire at a house party in a Durban township, killing a pregnant woman and 10 others.

At least 11 people, including a pregnant woman, have been killed after armed men stormed a house in a township in the South African city of Durban.

The attack took place late on Tuesday, according to Thamsanqa Ntuli, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, of which Durban is the main city. Assailants entered the home shortly before 11pm (21:00 GMT) while the victims were gathered at a house party.

Two people survived the attack, Ntuli said, adding the motive behind the killings was not immediately clear.

“The incident has left the community in profound shock and grief,” he said.

Local broadcaster eNCA reported that the attackers forced everyone into a single room before opening fire. They also set fire to a car belonging to one of the victims.

“It’s shocking and sad. These are guys I grew up with. I can’t believe it. It’s like a movie,” a resident told the broadcaster.

“I’ve been staying here all my life, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” he added.

According to a police statement cited by eNCA, preliminary investigations indicated that some of those killed were on South Africa’s Crime Intelligence radar over suspected illegal activities, though the statement did not elaborate further.

“Although the motive for the shooting has not yet been confirmed, a feud between rival groupings cannot be ruled out,” the police said.

South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with an average of about 60 people killed daily in a population of roughly 62 million.

In March, soldiers were deployed alongside national police to violent hotspots to tackle rampant crime, an issue President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as one of the country’s biggest threats.

FANCY staying in a top rated spot? Well, the best hotels, inns and B&Bs in the UK have just been named.

AA has announced the winners of its 2026 Hospitality Awards including the AA Hotel of the Year and AA B&B of the Year.

Coming out on top as the AA Hotel of the Year in England is the Calcot & Spa, Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

Spread across 220 acres, Calcot & Spa is a country house hotel, around four miles from Tetbury in the Cotswolds.

It dates back to the 14th century and is surrounded by wildflower meadows.

The hotel boasts around 35 individually designed bedrooms, that are contemporary but also retain the building’s historical charm.

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Stays cost from around £300 per night.

The AA Hotel of the Year in Scotland was named as Crossbasket Castle in High Blantyre, while in Wales it was Porth Tocyn Hotel in Abersoch, Gwynedd.

In Northern Ireland, Culloden Estate & Spa in Holywood, County Down nabbed the top spot.

There is also an AA Hotel of the Year for London, which was The Emory.

When it came to the AA B&B of the Year, Lys-Na-Greyne, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire secured the award.

The B&B features six rooms with en-suites and there is also a lounge, conservatory and gardens for guests to explore.

The B&B also sits in the Cairngorms National Park making it the perfect spot for those who want to explore Royal Deeside by hiking, fishing and biking,

And for a slightly further afield day trip, Balmoral Castle is only a 20-minute drive away.

If you want to pamper yourself, visit Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews in Fife, which won AA Spa Hotel of the Year.

The spa at the hotel is one of Europe’s top spa facilities, with a number of hydrotherapy treatments and a 20-metre indoor swimming pool.

There’s even a rooftop hot tub.

The Penny Bun, Otley, West Yorkshire took the award for AA Inn of the Year.

And last but not least, the AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year award was given to House of George W. Davies, Broadway, Worcestershire.

Simon Numphud, Managing Director of AA Hotel & Hospitality Services said: “Every year, the AA Hospitality Awards shines a light on hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, Inns and Chefs going above and beyond to deliver memorable experiences for guests and diners.

“This year’s winners showcase the breadth and quality of hospitality across the UK, giving consumers a host of trusted recommendations and inspiration for their next meal or stay.

“Behind every award is a commitment to quality and service, which is what helps sets British hospitality apart, underpinning its world-renowned reputation.”

HEIDI Klum has showcased her curves in a stunning see-through black gown at Milan Fashion Week.

The supermodel turned heads with her breathtaking appearance in Italy on Tuesday.

Photos obtained by The U.S. Sun captured Heidi, 53, smiling and waving to onlookers during a Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 event.

The German beauty wore a completely sheer ankle-length, long-sleeved dress that left little to the imagination.

She strutted down the sidewalk in the racy outfit that exposed her bare butt through the thin fabric.

Heidi’s long legs were also on display with the gown’s super high slit at the bottom.

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The former America’s Got Talent judge completed the look with black high heels, black sunglasses, and her long blonde hair in loose waves.

She also shared several videos of herself walking through the city in the daring outfit on Instagram.

Heidi returned to her old spot on the AGT panel earlier this month to fill in for her ex-co-star Simon Cowell.

She served as a guest judge for the last Golden Buzzer episode of the season while Simon undergoes back surgery.

The TV star previously served as a main judge on the talent competition series from Season 8 to Season 13.

She returned in 2020 for Season 15 and continued through Season 19 in 2024.

Since leaving the show, Heidi has been focusing on her many other endeavors, including hosting and judging the Project Runway reboot.

The mom of two is also preparing to host her infamous Halloween bash next month, which is always a star-studded affair.

Before her schedule picked up, she took some time off to enjoy multiple lavish getaways.

The runway model attended an Oktoberfest event earlier this week, sporting a skintight pink corset that could barely contain her breasts.

Before that, Heidi shared numerous photos on Instagram from her trip to St. Barts, where she wore an array of super skimpy swimsuits.

The reality star went completely topless while soaking up the sun on the island with her husband, Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz, 37, and friends.

She made the same move earlier this summer, ditching her bikini top while swimming in the ocean with her dog.

Heidi also freed her bare breasts while sunbathing on a swanky hotel balcony during a vacation to Cannes in May.

Frenchman Isack Hadjar is to stay at Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s team-mate for the 2027 season.

The 21-year-old was promoted to the senior team this season after a rookie year with Racing Bulls and has managed to be closer to Verstappen on pace than any team-mate since Daniel Ricciardo in 2018.

His best result this season came with a third place at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies described the move as “an easy decision”.

Mekies said: “Since joining us at the start of the year, Isack has been superb on and off track, especially considering this is only his second F1 season.”

Hadjar returns to Red Bull for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix after missing the past three races with a broken wrist, an injury sustained while boxing as part of his training programme.

Mekies added: “You could see from his first weekend in Melbourne that he handled the step up with remarkable composure and had earned his place in this seat.

“The period since his injury has been a difficult one for Isack, but this extension shows how much we believe in him.”

Hadjar said: “I came to this team eight months ago and immediately understood the scale and ambition of this organisation.

“There are so many talented people at the factory, and you’re aware of the privilege of driving for such an incredible team alongside a four-time world champion like Max.

“I’m constantly looking to listen, learn and push myself further every single day, which only makes me more excited about what lies ahead.”

Over the first half of the season, Hadjar was 0.239 seconds slower than Verstappen on average in qualifying and has managed to out-qualify the Dutchman three times, in Australia, Japan and Britain.

In Silverstone Verstappen had a down-on-power engine and in Australia the Dutchman crashed at the start of qualifying.

Verstappen signed a two-year extension to his contract, that now runs to the end of 2030, in August.

Islamabad, Pakistan – On September 16, a delegation from Powerus, a year-old United States drone company backed by two sons of President Donald Trump, was received by Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at military headquarters in Rawalpindi.

A day later, the company announced it had received a “limited procurement order” from Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence for unmanned aerial systems. It also said it had signed a separate memorandum of understanding (MoU) with senior Pakistani defence officials.

Neither the value of the order nor the systems involved have been disclosed. But for analysts studying Pakistan’s venture in drone technology, even bigger concerns have arisen from information that has since emerged.

Less than three months earlier, the same company had given an Indian defence manufacturer the exclusive right to make and sell its drone interceptor technology in India. And one of the cofounders of Powerus is an Israeli military veteran. Pakistan does not recognise Israel and accuses it of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

Analysts are questioning why a country that already builds its own drones and buys others from China and Turkiye would turn to a company that was founded only last year – and has links to Israel and sells drones to India too.

“Pakistan technically already makes or is capable of making each of the drones shown by Powerus,” Bilal Khan, founder of the Quwa Group, a Toronto-based defence news and market intelligence platform, told Al Jazeera. “It’s unclear where Powerus fits in the long term [from Pakistan’s perspective].”

What did Pakistan sign?

In its statement on the meeting, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said the two sides discussed cooperation in defence procurement, production and capacity building.

The statement did not mention the MoU.

But Powerus told Al Jazeera which institutions were involved. “The MoU was signed with the Pakistan army. The related procurement order was placed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence,” a company spokesperson said.

In its own statement, Powerus said the memorandum was not a definitive agreement, created no purchase obligation and would be subject to US laws and government approvals.

“We are proud to support Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence, and the memorandum gives both sides a strategic framework to build upon,” Brett Velicovich, the company’s cofounder, said in the statement.

According to media reports, Velicovich has also said the company is exploring ways to build technology in Pakistan.

The ISPR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.

Founded in 2025 and based in Florida, Powerus is set to merge with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company that owns golf courses in the US state, in a deal expected to close in the final quarter of this year.

Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, President Trump’s oldest sons, are investors in Powerus through a vehicle called American Ventures, which is expected to hold a 9.9 percent beneficial stake in the combined company, according to US regulatory filings.

A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr has told media outlets that he is a passive investor with no role in the company’s operations or contracts and had no prior knowledge of the Pakistan deals.

The White House has said there are no conflicts of interest.

The company makes about 3,000 interceptor drones a month, according to media reports, and last month won a US Air Force contract with a ceiling of up to $90m.

Asked how it addresses conflict of interest questions while pursuing government defence work in the US and abroad, Powerus said the Trump brothers played no part in its operations.

“Trump’s sons are not advisers to Powerus and have no involvement in how the company runs its business or structures its defence relationships, domestically or internationally. They hold no corporate-governance role. Our government relationships are pursued on their own merits,” the company told Al Jazeera.

The India question

Powerus’s first deal in South Asia, however, was not in Pakistan.

It was in India, Pakistan’s archrival, with which Pakistan fought a brief but intense conflict in May last year, one in which drones were used by both sides.

In a June 30 filing to India’s stock exchanges, Paras Defence and Space Technologies said Powerus had granted it an exclusive licence to manufacture and sell its Guardian-1 interceptor technology in India.

Mansoor Ahmed, an honorary lecturer at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, said Washington has long armed rival states.

“The US has previously sold F-16s to Greece and Turkiye and Egypt and Israel and is now selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia, which Israel already operates,” he told Al Jazeera.

A former Pakistani government defence analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity said Pakistani planners had probably known about the Indian deal.

“Pakistan’s defence planners were likely aware of Powerus’s engagement with India,” he told Al Jazeera.

This isn’t the first time that Pakistan and India have ended up buying military equipment from the same company, the defence analyst pointed out. He cited the build-up to the conflict over the Siachen Glacier, where India launched Operation Meghdoot in April 1984 to take control of the heights.

“In 1983, Pakistan ordered high-altitude warfare gear from a London supplier, unaware that the same firm also provided gear to the Indian army, and subsequently, India learnt of it and planned Operation Meghdoot in 1984,” he said.

The analyst said the burden now lies with the company.

“In the present case, the challenge is more for Powerus than Pakistan or India as Powerus’s management must ensure it can manage and meet the requirements of two adversaries without jeopardising either side’s operational security.”

A retired Pakistan air force air marshal who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly said the arrangement carries risks for Pakistan.

“Two adversary countries procuring from the same source has its pitfalls, especially when one of the adversaries has taken the lead as well as has a larger financial capacity,” he told Al Jazeera.

An Israeli link

The company’s leadership also has links to Israel, a country Pakistan does not recognise.

Powerus’s website described one of its cofounders, Ziv Marom, as a veteran of the Israeli military and said he founded Kaizen Aerospace, now a Powerus subsidiary.

Another senior executive, Justin Gans, the company’s vice president for mergers and acquisitions and a former member of the US Navy SEAL special forces, served as a vice president at Elbit Systems of America, the US arm of the Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, from 2018 to 2019.

A retired three-star army Pakistani general who served in senior roles before retiring in 2019 and requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject said such a background would normally draw attention during vetting.

“So under normal circumstances, a cofounder’s service in the Israeli military would be flagged as a sensitivity marker, even if the company itself is American,” he told Al Jazeera.

“In other words, for a serious acquisition, this background would be scrutinised carefully. For a political MoU, it may not have been a decisive factor.”

Quwa’s Khan, however, said Pakistan has long accepted Israeli components inside US or European systems.

“We can see that, generally, as long as there’s a country in the middle, Pakistan does not have qualms being in close proximity to Israel,” he said. “However, the two sides very, very rarely talk to each other.”

What drone technology does Pakistan already have?

Beyond questions over who else Powerus works with, analysts said the more fundamental issue is what Pakistan actually needs from the company.

Pakistan’s air force has publicly displayed Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones, Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones and the domestically developed Shahpar-II.

China supplied 80 percent of Pakistan’s arms imports from 2021 to 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

This month, the Pakistan air force revealed in a video that it had incorporated into its forces China’s HQ-17AE air defence missile system and Turkiye’s Korkut anti-aircraft gun and Sahin counterdrone system, all built to take on drones and other low-flying threats.

Khan said the state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila was also working with private firms to develop interceptor drones.

“So as it stands, Pakistan is following all the right best practices to build its C-UAS posture,” he said, referring to counterdrone systems.

“For Pakistan, the challenge isn’t whether it can get the designs but whether it can produce or induct these in large enough numbers fast enough.”

An official at a private drone manufacturer in Rawalpindi who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media said Pakistan’s drone market has grown well beyond state-run firms.

Dozens of private companies and more than half a dozen state-owned enterprises now make drones besides the army’s own production facilities, he said. According to him, Powerus would have to compete with all of them on the quality of its products.

The retired general offered a different reading of why Pakistan might be interested in a tie-up with a US firm.

“The gap is not drone manufacturing. It is electronics, integration and systems-level capability, which is where American firms traditionally dominate,” he said. “How far this particular company can help in this regard is a million-dollar question.”

Powerus’s Guardian interceptors are small, low-cost drones designed to knock down incoming drones. They are a weapon widely used by both sides in the war in Ukraine.

Hammad Waleed, a research associate at the Islamabad-based Strategic Vision Institute, said such systems fill a cost gap that conventional air defences cannot.

“Traditional air defences use costly missiles against incoming cheaper drones,” he told Al Jazeera. “Interceptor drones are way cheaper and easier to operate than traditional air defences.”

Capability or signalling?

The retired Pakistani general, who has experience with defence production, said a supplier of this kind would normally face financial, technical and security checks as well as a review of its track record.

“A company less than a year old, not yet listed and without a delivery record would not usually clear these checks for a strategic defence partnership,” he said.

“Such firms are typically considered too immature unless the MoU is political signalling rather than a procurement decision.”

Khan agreed that the process has been unusual.

“Yes, the way this deal came about is not generally in line with how the procurement heads of the tri-services typically operate,” he said, referring to the three branches of Pakistan’s military.

The Powerus agreements were made as Munir has built close ties with President Trump, who has called him “my favourite field marshal” and praised him on several occasions during the past 15 months.

In September last year, weeks after Pakistan signed a $500m critical minerals agreement with a US company, Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Trump at the White House, where the Pakistani leaders presented him with samples of Pakistani minerals.

In January, Pakistan also signed an MoU with an affiliate of World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s main cryptocurrency business.

Khan said Pakistan’s security establishment needs to ask what it is getting in return for that closeness.

“There was a time when such gains were measured in F-16s and the billions in US financial assistance, yet today, we are seeing more photo ops and supposed pacts that obligate the armed forces, but are they helping the armed forces as a fighting force?”

He also offered what he called a “less cynical take”.

Pakistan has a growing number of drone start-ups that lack the capital to build production facilities, he said, and ties with Powerus could draw US investment into them.

“So there is an argument that building rapport with Powerus and its backers can lead to that capital,” Khan said.

Ahmed said Pakistan is looking beyond a single purchase.

“Pakistan’s primary interest appears to be the acquisition of state-of-the-art drone technologies that also allow for local production and indigenisation,” he said.

What about China and Turkiye?

The retired Pakistani general said bringing in a foreign private company could overlap with Pakistan’s existing Chinese and Turkish partnerships.

“It has the potential of being seen by Turkiye and China as Pakistan hedging politically,” he said.

Khan, however, disagreed.

“There’d be no issue with the Turks as they work with US companies all the time and the drones on offer by Powerus don’t overlap with the ones NASTP is designing with Turkiye,” he said, referring to Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park.

He added that any Powerus designs built cheaply in Pakistan would still rely on Chinese parts.

“With the Chinese, it’d be less of an issue because, ultimately, the only way to make these Powerus designs at a low enough cost for the Pakistani armed forces to induct is to literally import the upstream subassemblies from China.”

Waleed said the deal would not dent Pakistan’s defence ties with Beijing and Ankara.

“Pakistan is prioritising China and Turkiye for the sophisticated and modern combat systems in the drone and counterdrone domain. That relationship is not only unaffected and is going upwards in trajectory,” he said.

For now, Khan said, the real test of the Powerus deal would be what follows it.

“I would not pass judgement on the Powerus deal yet, but we can track whether it’s serious by seeing if the MoD [Ministry of Defence] signs similar deals with other foreign and local vendors in the coming months,” he said.

“Basically, will we see a consistent pattern moving forward, or will this be a one-off?”

After the aircraft touched down in Birmingham, airport police boarded the plane and escorted the four adults off

A group of adults were escorted off an easyJet flight by police after allegedly vaping throughout the five-hour journey. Passenger Annalise Galstaun captured the moment four adults were removed from the plane by airport police after it landed at Birmingham Airport.

Annalise was travelling from Larnaka International Airport in Cyprus to Birmingham on the evening of September 16 when the incident unfolded. Sitting just two rows behind the group, she said she saw EasyJet cabin crew warn them multiple times to stop vaping during the flight.

But despite the repeated warnings, Annalise claimed the passengers continued to vape discreetly, hiding the devices behind their legs while sitting in their seats.

After the aircraft touched down in Birmingham, airport police boarded the plane and escorted the four adults off, causing a 25-minute delay on the tarmac.

Annalise said: “They were warned a few times by EasyJet staff but continued to vape on the sly throughout the journey, hiding the vapes behind their legs on the seat.

“I felt quite annoyed as we were delayed around 20/25 mins grounded on the floor waiting for them to be escorted.

“There were children on board crying as it was about 11pm and we were just stuck on the tarmac.”

EasyJet said in a statement: “Flight EZY6610 from Larnaca to Birmingham on 16 September was met by police on arrival due to a group of passengers behaving disruptively onboard.

“Our cabin crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time.

“We take these incidents seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behaviour onboard.

“The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”