appears

A recent Northrop Grumman video montage includes a brief clip showing an aircraft fuselage section that does not readily appear to be from any design the company has developed or is otherwise involved in the production of, at least that is publicly known.

Northrop Grumman released the video, seen below, last week, which it said highlighted the company’s achievements in the third quarter of 2025. The fuselage section is seen briefly, starting at 0:30 in the runtime.

TWZ subsequently reached out to Northrop Grumman to ask the company if it could identify the fuselage section seen in the video and provide any additional information.

“Across a range of current and future platforms, Northrop Grumman invests in facilities, manufacturing and research and development,” a Northrop Grumman spokesperson said in response. “These investments benefit the spectrum of aircraft and aircraft capabilities we produce now, as well as future efforts.” 

The fuselage has the look of one that belongs to a tactical jet design. There is a clear space visible on the left side for an air intake. The rear ends of two serpentine ducts seen protruding from the rear indicate that the right side is a mirror image of the left. There are also additional clips showing intake ducting in production, starting at 0:33 in the video’s runtime, but whether they are directly related to the fuselage section is unknown.

The forward end of the fuselage section seen in the video is also shaped in a way that points to a nose section mold line that would feature a tactical jet-style cockpit and canopy, or possibly a satellite communications system for an uncrewed design. It could be something else entirely, as well.

What it doesn’t appear to be is the center fuselage section for any of the three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which Northrop Grumman produces. There is extensive visual documentation of its production line for those fuselage sections, none of which directly aligns with what is seen in the third-quarter highlights video.

Northrop Grumman has also been involved in the production of fuselage sections for Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in the past, but that also does not match up with what is seen in the recently released video.

One would imagine that if the fuselage seen in the highlights video was related to an established production line that it would be possible to readily confirm that, too.

Northrop Grumman certainly has aircraft designs that have yet to be disclosed, because they are highly classified, like its submission for the Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter competition, or the company has simply chosen not to do so yet. Its subsidiary Scaled Composites, a ‘bleeding edge’ boutique aircraft design house, is particularly well known for building one-off or otherwise extremely limited-production experimental prototypes that are not always announced to the public immediately.

Just this week, Aviation Week disclosed the existence of a new drone from Scaled Composites, known currently only as Project Lotus. The uncrewed aircraft was reportedly spotted out in the open during the day at the firm’s rapid prototyping facility in Mojave, California, pointing to a design that is not classified, though it has also clearly not been officially unveiled.

“The Lotus UAS design in some ways resembles features of the newly revealed Lockheed Martin Project Vectis, with a long, slender fuselage positioned forward of the leading edges of the wings, capped by a nose with swept-back edges leading to a slender point,” according to Aviation Week. “In many other respects, the Lotus and Vectis designs diverge. Unlike the engine inlet mounted low at mid-fuselage for the Vectis aircraft, the Lotus inlet sits high atop of the extreme aft section of its fuselage. The Lotus also sports sharply canted tails, breaking from the tailless-configured Vectis.”

“Our investments prioritize production at speed and scale, without sacrificing performance or capability. The Northrop Grumman team has generated step-change advancements in production speed, weight and parts reduction, and overall cost efficiency,” Northrop Grumman told Aviation Week in response to its queries for more details about Project Lotus. “These advancements benefit the spectrum of autonomous capabilities we produce at Northrop Grumman for U.S. and international customers.”

You can read more in detail about Lockheed Martin’s Vectis design, which was unveiled in September, here. TWZ has separately reached out to Northrop Grumman for more information about Project Lotus.

There is also the possibility that the fuselage section seen in the highlights video is a test article that is not related to any aircraft, but is instead tied to work to develop advanced design and/or production methods. Also visible in the clip is what looks to be another component in a jig of some kind, both of which look to be computer-generated renderings. This, in turn, might point to some kind of augmented reality arrangement, something Northrop Grumman is known to employ in the design and production of aircraft, including the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. The company’s response to our queries about the fuselage section did highlight investments the company has made in “facilities, manufacturing and research and development.” Again, though, if this were the case, one would imagine it would be relatively easy to confirm.

Whatever the case, the still-unidentified fuselage section does also reflect the other half of the statement provided, that the aforementioned investments have been fueling Northrop Grumman’s work on “aircraft and aircraft capabilities we produce now, as well as future efforts,” including ones we have yet to learn about.

Contact the author: [email protected]

WASHINGTON — The government shutdown has reopened debate on what has been a central issue for both major political parties in the last 15 years: the future of health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Tax credits for people who get health insurance through the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, expire at the end of the year.

Democrats say they won’t vote to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate an extension of the expanded subsidies. Republicans say they won’t negotiate until Democrats vote to reopen the government. Lawmakers in both parties have been working on potential solutions behind the scenes, hoping that leaders will eventually start to talk, but it’s unclear if the two sides could find compromise.

As Congress circles the issue, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their health costs going up in the next year. Those worries extend across age groups and include people with and without health insurance, the poll found.

A look at the subsidies that are expiring, the politics of the ACA and what Congress might do:

Enhanced premium help during the pandemic

Passed in 2010, the ACA was meant to decrease the number of uninsured people in the country and make coverage more affordable for those who don’t have private insurance. The law created state by state exchanges, some of which are run by the individual states, to try to increase the pool of the insured and bring down rates.

In 2021, when Democrats controlled Congress and the White House during the COVID-19 pandemic, they expanded premium help that was already in the law. The changes included eliminating premiums for some lower-income enrollees, ensuring that higher earners paid no more than 8.5% of their income and expanding eligibility for middle-class earners.

The expanded subsidies pushed enrollment to new levels and drove the rate of uninsured people to a historic low. This year, a record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the ACA, in large part because billions of dollars in subsidies have made the plans more affordable for many people.

If the tax credits expire, annual out-of-pocket premiums are estimated to increase by 114% — an average of $1,016 — next year, according to an analysis from KFF.

Democrats push to extend subsidies

Democrats extended those tax credits in 2022 for another three years but were not able to make them permanent. The credits are set to expire Jan. 1, with Republicans now in full control.

Lacking in power and sensing a political opportunity, Democrats used some of their only leverage and forced a government shutdown over the issue when federal funding ran out on Oct. 1. They say they won’t vote for a House-passed bill to reopen the government until Republicans give them some certainty that the subsidies will be extended.

Democrats introduced legislation in September to permanently extend the premium tax credits, but they have suggested that they are open to a shorter period.

“We need a serious negotiation,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly said.

Republicans try to scale the ACA back, again

The Democratic demands on health care have reignited longstanding Republican complaints about the ACA, which they have campaigned against for years and tried and failed to repeal in 2017. Many in the party say that if Congress is going to act, they want to scrap the expanded subsidies and overhaul the entire law.

The problem is not the expiring subsidies but “the cost of health care,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said Tuesday.

In a virtual briefing Tuesday, the libertarian Cato Institute and the conservative Paragon Health Institute branded the subsidies as President Joe Biden’s “COVID credits” and claimed they’ve enabled fraudsters to sign people up for fully subsidized plans without their knowledge.

Others have pitched more modest proposals that could potentially win over some Democrats. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has said he is open to extending the subsidies with changes, including lower income limits and a stop to auto-enrollment that may sign up people who don’t need the coverage.

The ACA is “in desperate need of reform,” Thune has said.

House Republicans are considering their own ideas for reforming the ACA, including proposals for phasing out the subsidies for new enrollees. And they have begun to discuss whether to combine health care reforms with a new government funding bill and send it to the Senate for consideration once they return to Washington.

“We will probably negotiate some off-ramp” to ease the transition back to pre-COVID-19 levels, said Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, the head of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, during a virtual town hall Tuesday.

Is compromise possible?

A number of Republicans want to extend the subsidies. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said most people who are using the exchanges created by the ACA “don’t really have another option, and it’s already really, really expensive. So I think there are things we can do to reform the program.”

Hawley said he had been having conversations with other senators about what those changes could be, including proposals for income limits, which he said he sees as a “very reasonable.”

Bipartisan groups of lawmakers have been discussing the income limits and other ideas, including making the lowest-income people pay very low premiums instead of nothing. Some Republicans have advocated for that change to ensure that all enrollees are aware they have coverage and need it. Other proposals would extend the subsidies for a year or two or slowly phase them out.

It’s unclear if any of those ideas could gain traction on both sides — or any interest from the White House, where President Donald Trump has remained mostly disengaged. Despite the public stalemate, though, lawmakers are feeling increased urgency to find a solution as the Nov. 1 open enrollment date approaches.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire has been talking to lawmakers since the shutdown began, trying to find areas of compromise. On Tuesday, she suggested that Congress could also look at extending the enrollment dates for the ACA since Congress is stalled on the subsidies.

“These costs are going to affect all of us, and it’s going to affect our health care system,” she said.

Jalonick writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

We are getting what could be our first look at China’s very large stealth ‘cranked kite’ flying-wing drone, unofficially dubbed the GJ-X, in flight. TWZ broke the news on the existence of this aircraft in September after it appeared in satellite imagery at China’s sprawling test airbase near Malan in Xinjiang province. We estimated then that the aircraft’s wingspan was roughly 42 meters (137 feet), which puts it in a very rare class for a stealthy uncrewed aircraft. Since our report, there have been persistent claims that the aircraft’s wingspan is larger than that of a B-21, but that is very unlikely to be the case. It’s still a gigantic stealthy flying wing drone, but it is not China’s largest, by a significant margin.

The short clip above shows what appears to be the same aircraft, or one with a very similar design, in flight. Building on that caveat, it is possible that the aircraft depicted is a different one than what was seen in the satellite image at Malan, with both aircraft sharing a similar ‘cranked kite’ planform. China has at least one other drone in development that shares a similar planform, although it’s possible that both aircraft are related developmentally.

It’s worth noting that we see ‘split rudders’ in the image as outboard control surfaces, which are common on flying wing concepts and found on the B-2. We also see a small hump that looks off center above the jet’s empenage. This is likely to be the top of the recessed engine exhaust pointing to a twin-engine design.

The most interesting detail from the short video clip is the aircraft’s underside coating. It appears to have a counter-shaded paint job that is intended to make it harder to properly identify the aircraft’s shape at altitude, with the dark design taking on a more traditional fuselage and wing shape. It’s possible this could also be a coating installation process byproduct, but the shape being so clearly like a conventional aircraft configuration points to camouflage. This technique has been used for many years to visually break up an aircraft’s shape and/or misidentify its orientation.

The purpose of this aircraft is perhaps the most contentious aspect of its existence. Some Chinese military watchers state it’s a very large unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with kinetic operations as its focus. Others claim it is straight-up an unmanned stealth bomber. Meanwhile, a reconnaissance role, taking on a similar task as America’s rumored clandestine ‘RQ-180’ high-altitude, long-endurance stealth drone, is maybe the most overlooked and probable possibility. But having a multi-role aircraft that can take on various tasks, from kinetic attacks to reconnaissance, would also be highly advantageous. We just don’t know conclusively at this time what China’s intent is for the design.

The GJ-X is just one of a dizzying array of stealth combat aircraft developments over the last year, starting off with the simultaneous first flights (or at least publicly witnessed and disseminated first flights) of the so-called J-36 very heavy stealth tactical jet and the heavy J-XDS fighter, both advanced tailless designs. A steady stream of other unmanned tactical aircraft of a similar generation have been spotted or unveiled, as well. The speed at which China is now moving when it comes to advanced combat aircraft development is truly stunning, and this is just what we are allowed to see, and maybe some leaks. Much more is underway in the shadows.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Oct. 7 (UPI) — The Supreme Court‘s conservative justices signaled Tuesday they were likely to side with a Christian therapist who argued that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy violates her free speech rights.

The case stems from a lawsuit by Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor whose practice is based in Christianity who says the Colorado law prevents her from assisting her minor clients who seek “to live a life consistent with their faith.”

Conversion therapy can include psychological, behavioral, physical and faith-based practices that are intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identification. Opponents point to evidence that it is harmful and leads to more serious psychological problems for people who experience it. Roughly half of states have banned it.

However, the court’s justices argued whether the conversion therapy banned by Colorado’s law is harmful to minors and if it was a violation of the Constitution’s free speech protections or regulation of medical treatment.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said that Colorado’s law would mean different treatment for an adolescent male who approaches a licensed therapist hoping to lessen his attraction for other males versus another adolescent male who wants to feel something different.

“It looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination,” he said.

Colorado is one of 23 states that ban conversion therapy, which is the practice of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through therapy.

Critics call the technique a pseudoscience, and the American Psychological Association and several other mental health and LGBTQIA+ organizations have come out in opposition to its use.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said a Supreme Court ruling striking down Colorado’s law could imperil not only efforts to prevent conversion therapy but other healthcare treatments that medical experts say are harmful or ineffective.

“For centuries, states have regulated professional healthcare to protect patients from substandard treatment,” he said, according to NBC News. “Throughout that time, the First Amendment has never barred states’ ability to prohibit substandard care, regardless of whether it is carried out through words.”

James Campbell, the lawyer for Chiles argued that the studies showing the harms of conversation therapy are flawed because they lump together voluntary conversations between a client and therapist with coercive measures, like shock therapy.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal firm, is representing Chiles in the case.

Shannon Stevenson, the state’s solicitor general, argued that the harm in conversion therapy “comes from telling someone there’s something innate about yourself you can change.”

“Then you spend all kinds of time and effort trying to do that,” she said. “And you fail, but you bore the burden.

A lower court ruling said the Colorado law is a restriction on mental health treatment, not on speech. In a ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, justices said the ban aligned with medical consensus that conversion therapy is “ineffective and harmful” and “rationally serves” the interests of the state in protecting minors.

Stevenson reiterated that argument saying that “Colorado’s law regulates treatments only and because it enforces the professional standard of care,” not speech.

However, conservative members of the court didn’t seem to buy that argument.

“Just because they’re engaged in conduct doesn’t mean that their words aren’t protected,” Chief Justice John Roberts said.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of the court’s liberals, brought up how the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. She asked if Colorado’s law wasn’t just the functional equivalent” of Tennessee’s law.

“I realized that there were two different constitutional provisions at issue, but the regulations work in basically the same way, and the question of scrutiny applies in both contexts,” she said. “So it just seems odd to me that we might have a different result here.”

Hashim Mooppan, a principal deputy solicitor general representing the Trump administration, argued that Tennessee’s law concerned drugs and medical treatment while Colorado’s law was focused on what is said during talk therapy sessions.

New footage appears to show the man responsible for an attack at a Manchester synagogue, minutes before he drove his car into worshippers on Yom Kippur.

Two people were killed, when Jihad Al-Shamie carried out, what Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have described as a terror attack in Crumpsall on Thursday.

Footage of a street nearby marked 09:22 BST appears to show a man matching the description by witnesses of the attacker, walking back after an earlier confrontation at the synagogue where he was told to leave.

The doorbell camera then shows a black Kia Picanto, matching the car driven by Al-Shamie, heading back towards the synagogue at 09:26 BST. GMP were called to the scene at 09:31.

The black Kia Picanto also matches the car driven through the gates at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue and at worshippers.

As with the car used in the attack, the back right hub cab can be seen missing from the vehicle in the footage.

Two Jewish men Melvin Cravitz, 53, and Adrian Daulby, 66, died in the attack, the latter believed to have been hit by police gunfire as firearms officers shot Al-Shamie.

Three people remain in hospital, while police have detained four people on suspicion of terror offences.

On Sunday, counter terror police were granted more time to hold them in custody, while inquiries are under way to establish “the full picture” into what was happened, a spokesman for Counter Terrorism Policing North West said.

Two other people, a man and a woman, were released without charge after they were arrested on the day of the attack.

Oct. 3 (UPI) — Protesters clashed with law enforcement agencies outside a U.S. Immigration and Enforcement detention site near Chicago hours after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited.

At least five people were arrested and are facing charges of aggravated battery to a police officer, as well as resisting and obstruction, a Cook County Sheriff’s Office official told CNN.

Surrounded by armed agents and a camera crew, Noem was on the rooftop of the center in Brookview, which is about 20 miles west of Chicago, WLS-TV reported.

She was accompanied by El Centro Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino.

Noem was seen directing protesters and media away from the area after arriving at 8 a.m. She left at 9:45 a.m.

The situation escalated shortly after 9 a.m. with pushing, shoving and arrests, WLS reported.

Not used were tear gas, pellets or other chemical substances but have utilized in the past, the Sun Times reported.

Counter-protesters were also in the area in support of ICE and federal agents.

Aldermen, previously arrested demonstrators and political candidates, during a 9 a.m. news conference there, demanded transparency and safety protocols.

About 100 to 200 protesters were in the area during the morning but by 11 am., there were more law enforcement officers than demonstrators, WBBM-TV reported.

During the protest, Broadview police officers, Cook County sheriff’s deputies and Illinois State Police troopers held them back.

Protesters chanted and held signs, including ones that said “ICE melts under resistance” and “Hate has no home here.”

“I’m not gonna look back and say I sat at home and did nothing,” Nocole Bandyk, who lives in a nearby suburb, told CNN. “It’s wrong … It’s just wrong what they’re doing. We are becoming a fascist authoritarian state and it’s wrong.”

ICE, under the direction of President Donald Trump, has ramped up enforcement in Midway Blitz Operation, which began Sept. 8. Since then, there have been more than 800 arrests, according to Homeland Security.

Protesters said they wanted to know about the conditions inside the ICE facility, and for officials to be allowed inside to inspect it.

Illinois Gov. JB Prizter again on Friday criticized the operation.

“Federal agents reporting to Secretary Noem have spent weeks snatching up families, scaring law-abiding residents, violating due process rights, and even detaining U.S. citizens,” Pritzker wrote on Facebook. “Secretary Noem should no longer be able to step foot inside the State of Illinois without any form of public accountability.”

In a statement to WLS-TV, he said: “Last time when the secretary was here, she snuck in during the early morning to film social media videos and fled before sunrise. Illinois is not a photo opportunity or war zone, it’s a sovereign state where our people deserve rights, respect and answers.”

Noem earlier went to Broadview Village Hall, asking to meet with the Mayor Katrina Thompson, but she was out of the building, village spokesperson David Ormsby said.

Noem posted on X that she was going into the municipal building “for a quick bathroom break.”

The mayor then went to the detention sites, accompanied by Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills and other officers, and asked to have the fencing around the site to be removed.

On Thursday, a free speech zone that consists of barricades was erected. Instead of congregating there, protesters went to another entrance, WGN-TV reported.

The village’s fire department describes it as “illegally built” fencing, and it would block firefighters’ access to areas on that street during an emergency.

Also, village officials have launched three criminal investigations into ICE actions.

The Department of Homeland Security sent a memo to the Department of Defense — which the Trump administration has informally changed to Department of War — requesting 100 active-duty troops be deployed across Chicago for the protection of ICE agents.

What looks to be a previously unseen low-observable flying-wing drone variant with a ‘cranked kite’ planform has emerged in a satellite image from China’s secretive test base near Malan in the country’s far western Xinjiang province. The design has a strong resemblance to a known Chinese uncrewed high-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft called the CH-7, and is most likely an evolution thereof, or at least it shares a very similar planform.

TWZ obtained the image from Planet Labs. It was taken on August 14, but it only recently appeared in the company’s online archive database. Malan is a hub for leading-edge military aviation developments, and work on advanced uncrewed aircraft in particular, in China. Another new and especially large, low-observable, high-altitude long-endurance flying-wing also emerged in a Planet Labs image of Malan taken back in May, which we were first to report on. That design may have now flown if it didn’t prior to the satellite image.

The very dark-colored drone seen in the August image, which is positioned at the end of a runway, has a wingspan of around 137 feet. It also looks to have a single air intake at the front of its center body section and a matching exhaust at the rear.

There are some unusual shadows cast around the outer edges of the drone’s wings, which might point to vehicles or other equipment on the tarmac underneath. Vehicles and/or other equipment are clearly seen nearby on the runway. It is also worth noting that the image was taken in broad daylight, and there are no indications of any efforts to conceal the drone from prying eyes, despite the knowledge when specific imaging satellites, including those far more powerful than what Planet Labs has access to, regularly pass overhead. Malan notably features a massive high-security hangar to help with operational security.

As mentioned, what is visible of the design in the image taken in August bears clear similarities to a drone that officially broke cover in China in November 2024. That uncrewed aircraft was said to be the first real example of a design called the CH-7 (or Caihong-7, meaning Rainbow-7), and notably differed in shape and size from models and mock-ups that had previously been shown publicly. Available top-down imagery may point to them being very close in size based on their width relative to the runways they are on. However, it is unknown whether the runways have similar widths.

The uncrewed aircraft seen at Malan in the image from last month itself has a wider and longer forward nose section and other differences in its overall shape compared to the CH-7 design seen last year. Smaller differences in wing and trailing edge sweep and wing chord, as well as wingtip geometry, also appear to be present with this new drone.

It is still very possible, if not probable, that this is a further evolution of the CH-7, which has looked most suited for the intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR) role, but has also been described as a potential uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) capable of performing strike missions. Size-wise, the uncrewed has emerged in the satellite image of Malan from last month looks to be in between a large UCAV-like drone and the much larger design that we previously reported on.

Other drone designs with ‘cranked kite’ planforms have also emerged in China in the past, including one spotted years ago in Chengdu, where one of the country’s major military aviation companies is based. However, none of them seem to directly align with what is visible in the August image of Malan.

It’s interesting to point out here that uncrewed aircraft seen in the recently released imagery of Malan bears some resemblance, in broad strokes, to certain unofficial renderings of the U.S. Air Force’s secretive so-called high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) RQ-180, something we also previously noted in relation to the CH-7. TWZ has explored in detail what the RQ-180 might look like, as well as its likely capabilities, which are in line with what we’ve now seen at Malan, in a past feature you can find here. The status of the program is unclear at this time.

Designs with cranked kite planforms have been eyed for other crewed and uncrewed U.S. military aircraft programs over the years, as well. The most well-known of these is the abortive X-47B UCAV developed by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Navy. There were also relevant B-3 bomber concepts that preceded the U.S. Air Force’s Long Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B) program that produced the B-21 Raider.

What is well established at this point is China’s very active pursuit of multiple tiers of flying-wing type drones intended to perform various missions. Years ago, TWZ assessed that this was an area of the Chinese aviation industry that was likely to see an explosion of investment, and in which the academic side of the country’s weapon development ecosystem would be deeply involved.

Just this week, another new twin jet engine-powered flying wing drone tied to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) emerged ahead of the opening of an airshow in the northeastern part of the country, as you can read more about here. Though that uncrewed aircraft still remains unidentified, some similarities have now been drawn between it and a design concept called Star Shadow that a Chinese company called Star Systems first showed in model form at the Singapore Air Show in 2018. Most notably, both designs look to have a split air brake at the rear of the center body section between their engine exhausts.

Interesting theory or consideration regarding the new unknown UAV from the Chinese Academy of Sciences via DanWangJZ/SDF:

“This model looks very similar to the Star Shadow (星影) conceptual stealth UAV displayed at the SGP airshow in 2018.” pic.twitter.com/ZQEYRgqy6c

— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) September 17, 2025

Unless it is some type of decoy meant for counter-intelligence purposes, which is always a possibility, although a remote one, the uncrewed aircraft seen in the August satellite image of Malan is yet another entry into China’s vastly expanding stable of stealth flying wing drones.

Contact the author: [email protected]

A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy has appeared on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.

It depicts a judge in a traditional wig and black robe hitting a protester lying on the ground, with blood splattering their placard.

While the mural does not reference a particular cause or incident, its appearance comes two days after almost 900 people were arrested at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action.

The artwork was quickly covered up by large sheets of plastic and metal barriers. Court officials told the BBC the work would be removed.

The Metropolitan police said it had received a report of criminal damage and that enquiries would continue.

A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals said that the Royal Courts of Justice was a listed building and that it was “obliged to maintain its original character”.

The spot Banksy chose was on an external wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex, on the usually quiet Carey Street. On Monday it was busy with onlookers taking pictures of the recently hidden patch of wall.

One of two security officers outside the building said they did not know how much longer they would be required to stand guard, adding, “At least it’s not raining.”

The Bristol-based street artist shared a photo of the wall art on Instagram, which is Banksy’s usual method of claiming a work as authentic. The artist captioned the picture: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.”

Labour peer Baroness Harriet Harman said she believed the work was a “protest about the law” without specifying which legislation she meant.

“Parliament makes the law, and the judges simply interpret the law,” she added. “I don’t think there’s any evidence, in terms of the right to protest, that judges have been clamping down on protests beyond what Parliament intended.”

Banksy’s stencilled graffiti is often critical of government policy, war and capitalism.

Last summer, the artist began an animal-themed campaign in the capital of nine works, which concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift up a shutter on the entrance to London Zoo.

Other notable works included piranhas swimming on a police sentry box in the City of London, and a howling wolf on a satellite dish, which was taken off the roof of a shop in Peckham, south London, less than an hour after it was unveiled.

Banksy has in the past also been known for his work in the West Bank.

In December 2019 he created a “modified Nativity” at a hotel in Bethlehem which showed Jesus’ manger in front of Israel’s separation barrier, which appeared to have been pierced by a blast, creating the shape of a star.

Israel says the barrier is needed to prevent infiltrations from the West Bank but Palestinians say it is a tool to grab land.

Cast members of a popular TV sitcom featuring two gay characters are stepping out of their fictional roles to deliver a real-life message, urging voters to defeat a March ballot initiative aimed at banning recognition of same-sex marriages in California.

The four stars of NBC’s hit show “Will and Grace,” which draws about 13 million viewers a week, have filmed a television ad charging that Proposition 22 would legalize discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Just under 30 seconds long, the ad will hit the airwaves in January in California’s biggest cities. Opponents of the initiative say that they will spend at least $1 million on television time for the spot.

“I think it’s a particularly ugly proposition, and while I don’t do a lot of preaching in front of the camera, with my series I’m blessed with the ability to make a difference in some way,” said Max Mutchnick, co-creator and co-executive producer of the offbeat comedy. “Fortunately, I’m surrounded by actors who feel as strongly about this as I do.”

It is not unusual for celebrities to champion a political cause. In recent years, actors have spoken publicly about everything from noisy leaf blowers to animal rights, famine relief and breast cancer research. NBC’s “The More You Know” campaign uses network stars to deliver all manner of pitches, from anti-drug warnings to advice on effective parenting.

But it is rare–and some say potentially risky–for the entire cast of a show to take a position on a specific ballot initiative, especially a controversial one.

“When Ted Danson talks about pollution in the ocean, no one is going to say, ‘How dare he,’ ” said Scott Seomin, entertainment media director of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. “But this is different. . . . It’s not a safe issue to speak against.”

Mutchnick, who wrote the ad, said he was moved to speak because he views the “rhetoric surrounding the initiative as very mean-spirited.” Although he could have written a large check for the opposition campaign, the producer said he wanted to “be a little more involved” and figured an ad was a natural fit.

As for the potential risk, Mutchnick was careful to point out that the network played no role in the ad: “We are not speaking for NBC in any way. This was my cost, my time and the actors’ time.”

NBC was quick to echo that: “This is something that the cast chose to do personally and does not reflect NBC’s beliefs at all,” said network spokeswoman Shirley Powell.

Opponents of Proposition 22 hailed the ad as a boon for their campaign, saying that it will help deliver their message to a younger audience whose votes they need to defeat the measure.

Mike Marshall, manager of the opposition campaign, said he hopes the ad will educate and motivate young voters, who are less likely than others to go to the polls–especially in a primary election like the one March 7.

“Will and Grace” has a “huge audience and is a very cutting-edge television show,” Marshall said. “The fact that all of the cast and the producer are willing to take a position on this initiative will help many people who are in the middle take a second look and figure out it’s unfair, divisive and discriminatory.”

A spokesman for the Protection of Marriage Committee, the initiative’s sponsoring group, called the ad a predictable use of “Hollywood liberals who have been attacking traditional family values for decades.”

The spokesman, Robert Glazier, also disputed the ad’s claim that the initiative is a discriminatory attack on “basic civil rights.” The measure is “not about discriminating against anybody,” he said. “It’s simply a reaffirmation of the importance of a man and a woman in marriage.”

Analysts said the use of celebrities in political campaigns can be helpful in putting an issue on the map. But they questioned how influential the spot would be.

“Initiatives usually succeed or fail based on the merits, the substance of the issue,” said Don Sipple, a veteran Republican media strategist. He added that although celebrities can give an issue recognition in the marketplace, they aren’t used extensively in political ads.

“That’s because the most effective spokesperson is usually someone who is viewed as credible on the issue,” Sipple said. “So the most they can hope for may be getting people’s attention.”

Now in its second season, “Will and Grace” chronicles the relationship between unattached, handsome, gay Manhattan attorney Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and single, beautiful, straight interior designer Grace Adler (Debra Messing). Thrown into the mix are Will’s flamboyantly gay pal Jack (Sean Hayes), and Grace’s sharp-tongued assistant, Karen (Megan Mullally).

The straightforward ad features a tight shot of all four actors, the men standing behind the women, in a studio. The script says that the vote on Proposition 22 is about basic civil rights and urges voters to “make a difference [and] . . . say no to discrimination by voting no on Knight.”

Knight is a reference to state Sen. William J. “Pete” Knight, author of the initiative that would bar legal recognition of marriage in California. No state now permits gay marriages, but court cases pending in several states could make it a reality soon. Initiative backers seek to ensure that gay and lesbian couples who might someday wed elsewhere cannot move to California and become eligible for property inheritance and other marital benefits.

Sponsors of the measure have yet to air any ads, and would not divulge their strategy. Glazier would say only that the television campaign will “emphasize the importance of keeping marriage as a union between a man and a woman.”

A TRAGIC three-year-old girl has been pictured after her mum was charged with murder.

Hope McGrath was discovered by police at home in Leeds, West Yorkshire, following a concern for welfare report.

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Tragically the youngster could not be saved and was declared dead at the scene on July 30.

Her mum Pippa McGrath today appeared at Leeds Crown Court charged with murder.

The 47-year-old spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address during the hearing.

Recorder of Leeds Guy Kearl KC said:”A post mortem on Hope has not taken place. It is to take place tomorrow.

“The heart of the issue will be a toxicology report.”

The court heard psychiatric reports would be prepared to establish McGrath’s fitness to plead.

A provisional trial date was set for February 24, with a further hearing set to take place on September 3.

McGrath is accused of murdering her daughter between July 26 and July 30.

McGrath, was understood to have moved with Hope to Austhorpe Close, in Leeds, just weeks before the tragedy.

Neighbours suggested that the youngster had suffered with a disability and required the use of a wheelchair, but was often heard playing in her back garden.

McGrath was taken to hospital before later being remanded into custody on suspicion of murder.

West Yorkshire Police previously said it was treating Hope’s death as an “isolated incident”.

Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “We are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hope’s death.  

“A photograph of the three-year-old has been released by her family. I would ask that people respect their privacy at this extremely difficult time.”  

THIS is the hilarious moment Donald Trump’s golf caddy appears to drop his ball into a prime spot before he takes his shot.

A video clip has emerged which shows two golf caddies alongside the US President as he drives a golf cart around Turnberry’s Ailsa course, in Scotland.

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He donned a white USA baseball cap and was joined by his son Eric.

Trump, 79, is seen being escorted down to the course, with a convoy of 20 other carts following close behind.

The caddies go ahead of the US leaser and one appears to try and secretly place a golf ball on the ground.

The President then gets out and claims to have made the shot himself.

Trump waves for cameras on the third green at the southeast end of the course before the party moves on.

One person who watched the footage circulating on X wrote: “Caddy did that so smoothly. Can only imagine how many times he’s done it.”

“I want to know how he finds caddies to do that for him,” added another.

This comes as the US President arrived aboard Air Force One at around 8.30pm on Friday for his five-day private visit to Bonnie Scotland.

After waving to the crowds, he was welcomed by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray before being whisked to his luxury Turnberry resort 20 miles down the Ayrshire coast.

Villagers waved as the convoy passed through nearby Kirkoswald and later arrived at the resort at around 9.30pm.

And he wasted no time in taking to the green after being seen teeing off at the luxury resort.

Several protests were planned, with opponents of Mr Trump gathering in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen earlier this week.

The Stop Trump coalition has planned what it has described as being a “festival of resistance”.

Activists also shut down the Forth Road Bridge in South Queensferry as part of a huge protest ahead of Trump’s visit.

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Climate campaigners from Greenpeace confirmed that 10 activists abseiled from the massive 156m bridge to block an INEOS tanker.

A large number of police and military personnel were seen searching the grounds at the golf resort to ensure Mr Trump’s safety before he teed off.

A high-profile security operation was in full swing with land, sea and air coverage from police and security services while a number of guests were checked over.

Secret service agents with sniffer dogs checked bushes as snipers were positioned on a platform on the edge of the course and the roof of the hotel.

Uniformed and plain clothes cops guarded all access points to the course, including roads, footpaths and the beach.

Amid the search, a few golfers were also spotted at the course, enjoying an early-morning game.

A number of onlookers had gathered at the entrance to Turnberry hoping to catch a glimpse of the game.

But they were not let anywhere near.

Police also had road closures in place, with limited access for locals and members of the media.

Upon his arrival, Mr Trump told reporters: “There’s no place like Turnberry. It’s the best course in the world.”

As well as visiting Trump Turnberry, Mr Trump will later head to Aberdeenshire and visit his golf resort in Balmedie.

During his stay, he will officially open his second course at Menie, named in honour of his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod.

His visit is expected to last until Tuesday, July 29.

The President is also scheduled to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his trip.

After landing in Scotland, Mr Trump said the “invasion” of migrants is “killing” Europe and told the leaders to “get their act together”.

But when asked about illegal immigration, Mr Trump said a “horrible invasion” was taking place in Europe which needs to stop.

He said: “On immigration, you better get your act together.

“You’re not going to have Europe anymore, you’ve got to get your act together.

“As you know, last month we had nobody entering our country – nobody, [we] shut it down.”

He added: “You’ve got to stop this horrible invasion that’s happening to Europe.”

Mr Trump, who made a crackdown on illegal immigration a major policy in his second term at the White House, boasted: “Last month we had nobody entering our country.”

A massive £5million security operation has been rolled out to ensure his safety, with around 6,000 police officers drafted in from across the UK to support the efforts.

We previously told how police and security services assessed fears that Trump could be assassinated during his visit to Scotland after he survived an attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania last year.

David Threadgold, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said “a huge amount of threat assessment and intelligence gathering” took place ahead of the visit.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman laid in state in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda on Friday while the man charged with killing her and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, made a brief court appearance in a suicide prevention suit.

Hortman, a Democrat, is the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans accorded the honor. She laid in state with her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever, Gilbert. Her husband was also killed in the June 14 attack, and Gilbert was seriously wounded and had to be euthanized. It was the first time a couple has laid in state at the Capitol, and the first time for a dog.

The Hortmans’ caskets and the dog’s urn were arranged in the center of the rotunda, under the Capitol dome, with law enforcement officers keeping watch on either side.

The Capitol was open for the public to pay their respects from noon to 5 p.m. Friday. House TV was livestreaming the viewing. A private funeral is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The service will be livestreamed on the Department of Public Safety’s YouTube channel.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris will fly to Minnesota for the funeral but won’t have a speaking role, according to her personal office. Harris expressed her condolences this past week to Hortman’s adult children, and spoke with Gov. Tim Walz, her 2024 running mate, who extended an invitation on behalf of the Hortman family, her office said.

His hearing takes a twist

The man accused of killing the Hortmans and wounding another Democratic lawmaker and his wife made a short court appearance Friday to face charges for what the chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota has called “a political assassination.” Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, surrendered near his home the night of June 15 after what authorities have called the largest search in Minnesota history.

An unshaven Boelter was brought in wearing just a green padded suicide prevention suit and orange slippers. Federal defender Manny Atwal asked Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko to continue the hearing until next Thursday. She said Boelter has been sleep deprived while on suicide watch in the Sherburne County Jail, and that it has been difficult to communicate with him as a result.

“Your honor, I haven’t really slept in about 12 to 14 days,” Boelter told the judge. And he denied being suicidal. “I’ve never been suicidal and I am not suicidal now.”

Atwal told the court that Boelter had been in what’s known as a “Gumby suit,” without undergarments, ever since his transfer to the jail after his first court appearance on June 16. She said the lights are on in his area 24 hours a day, doors slam frequently, the inmate in the next cell spreads feces on the walls, and the smell drifts to Boelter’s cell.

The attorney said transferring him to segregation instead, and giving him a normal jail uniform, would let him get some sleep, restore some dignity, and let him communicate better. The judge agreed.

Prosecutors did not object to the delay and said they also had concerns about the jail conditions.

The acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joseph Thompson, told reporters afterward that he did not think Boelter had attempted to kill himself.

The case continues

Boelter did not enter a plea. Prosecutors need to secure a grand jury indictment first, before his arraignment, which is when a plea is normally entered.

According to the federal complaint, police video shows Boelter outside the Hortmans’ home and captures the sound of gunfire. And it says security video shows Boelter approaching the front doors of two other lawmakers’ homes dressed as a police officer.

His lawyers have declined to comment on the charges, which could carry the federal death penalty. Thompson said last week that no decision has been made. Minnesota abolished its death penalty in 1911. The Death Penalty Information Center says a federal death penalty case hasn’t been prosecuted in Minnesota in the modern era, as best as it can tell.

Boelter also faces separate murder and attempted murder charges in state court that could carry life without parole, assuming that county prosecutors get their own indictment for first-degree murder. But federal authorities intend to use their power to try Boelter first.

Other victims and alleged targets

Authorities say Boelter shot and wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin before shooting and killing the Hortmans in their home in the northern Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, a few miles away.

Federal prosecutors allege Boelter also stopped at the homes of two other Democratic lawmakers. Prosecutors also say he listed dozens of other Democrats as potential targets, including officials in other states. Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views. But prosecutors have declined so far to speculate on a motive.

Boelter’s wife speaks out

Boelter’s wife, Jenny, issued a statement through her own lawyers Thursday saying she and her children are “absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided,” and expressing sympathy for the Hortman and Hoffman families. She is not in custody and has not been charged.

“This violence does not align at all with our beliefs as a family,” her statement said. “It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith. We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of this unfathomable tragedy.”

An FBI agent’s affidavit described the Boelters as “preppers,” people who prepare for major or catastrophic incidents. Investigators seized 48 guns from his home, according to search warrant documents.

While the FBI agent’s affidavit said law enforcement stopped Boelter’s wife as she traveled with her four children north of the Twin Cities in Onamia on the day of the shootings, she said in her statement that she was not pulled over. She said that after she got a call from authorities, she immediately drove to meet them at a nearby gas station and has fully cooperated with investigators.

“We thank law enforcement for apprehending Vance and protecting others from further harm,” she said.

Karnowski writes for the Associated Press.

SEOUL, June 12 (UPI) — North Korea appears to have stopped broadcasting loud noises towards the South, Seoul’s military said Thursday, one day after South Korea halted its anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker campaign near the demilitarized zone.

“Today, there were no areas where North Korea’s noise broadcasts to the South were heard,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters.

The North had been broadcasting bizarre noises such as metallic screeching and animal sounds since last year, as Cold War-style provocations escalated along the inter-Korean border.

Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to lower tensions with Pyongyang, and on Wednesday ordered the suspension of the South’s propaganda broadcasts of K-pop, news and information across the border.

Lee’s office said that the move was made “to ease the military standoff between the South and the North and to open the way to restoring mutual trust.”

It was also meant to “alleviate the suffering of residents in border areas who have suffered due to North Korea’s noise broadcasts,” spokeswoman Kang Yoo-jung said in a briefing Wednesday.

Seoul resumed the propaganda broadcasts roughly one year ago in response to a series of provocations by North Korea that included floating thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border.

Lee, who won a snap election on June 3 to replace impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, vowed during his campaign to suspend the loudspeaker broadcasts as well as prevent defector groups from floating balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets and USB drives over the border.

On Thursday, Lee pledged to swiftly restore communication channels with the North.

“We will stop wasteful hostilities and resume dialogue and cooperation,” he said in a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit between former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

“We will restore the crisis management system that prevents accidental clashes and avoids heightening tensions,” Lee said in the speech, which was read on his behalf by a senior official at a commemorative event in Seoul. “To this end, we will strive to quickly restore the inter-Korean dialogue channels.”

The two Koreas reestablished a military hotline in 2018 during a period of detente. However, the North stopped answering the daily calls in 2023 as relations soured amid expanded U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and a hardline stance by former President Yoon.

A total of 79 people were injured after a car drove into a crowd after Liverpool Football Club’s trophy parade.

A former British marine has appeared in court accused of driving a vehicle into a crowd of people celebrating Liverpool Football Club’s Premier League title win.

Paul Doyle briefly appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning, where he read out his personal details, according to United Kingdom media reports.

Doyle, 53, is facing seven charges, including dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, which carry a maximum life sentence if convicted, after a dark Ford Galaxy drove into Liverpool Football Club supporters attending a parade in the city centre to celebrate the club winning the Premier League.

A total of 79 people, aged between nine and 78, were injured in the incident, and no deaths were reported.

Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims told reporters on Thursday that seven people remained in hospital.

According to local reports, Doyle lives in a suburb of Liverpool and is a businessman with three teenage children.

The charges followed what Crown Prosecution Service’s Sarah Hammond described as a “complex and ongoing investigation”.

“Prosecutors and police are continuing to work at pace to review a huge volume of evidence,” she said.

“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure every victim gets the justice they deserve,” she added.

Shortly after the incident, Merseyside Police quickly ruled out possible terrorism as the reason behind the crash and revealed that the suspect was a white British man, in a move to stop the spread of misinformation online.

Last year, misinformation circulating online about an attacker who killed three girls in the Southport area led to anti-immigration and Islamophobic riots in parts of England.