The Hundred women’s competition, Old Trafford
Manchester Super Giants 85-9 (100 balls): MacDonald-Gay 18* (14); Prendergast 4-18
Welsh Fire (91 balls): Wareham 17 (12); Ecclestone 3-14
Welsh Fire won by three wickets
Ireland international Orla Prendergast took 4-18 as Welsh Fire beat Manchester Super Giants by three wickets at Old Trafford.
Playing only her second Hundred match after arriving as an injury replacement for Sophie Devine, the seamer tore through the Super Giants’ top-order as the hosts slipped to 24-4.
Prendergast bowled Super Giants captain Meg Lanning for a golden duck, had Mady Villiers caught for five and then trapped Kathryn Bryce (4) lbw, before Heather Graham had Paige Scholfield (5) stumped.
India’s Smriti Mandhana made 15 before she was run-out after being called through for a risky single, while Sophie Ecclestone (9) became Graham’s second stumping victim.
Richa Ghosh was Prendergast’s fourth wicket, caught in the covers for 11, but Ryana MacDonald-Gay top-scored from number nine, hitting an unbeaten 18 to help her side reach 85-9.
Fire reached 27 in their reply, before losing Sarah Bryce, caught and bowled by Bex Tyson for 16, while fellow opener Georgia Voll reached the same score before skying a catch off Villiers.
Ecclestone removed Freya Kemp (6) and Prendergast with successive balls, having her England team-mate clip to Lanning at short mid-on and then bowling the Ireland all-rounder. She also had Georgia Wareham caught well by Lanning for 17 in her figures of 3-14.
Graham guided Fire to a nervy victory, losing two further partners but hitting an unbeaten 16, including the winning runs as her side reached 88-7 with nine balls to spare.
The win moved Fire above Leeds Sunrisers into fourth place and two points behind Super Giants who remain third.
BALTIMORE — Pete Alonso hit a two-run single, Tyler O’Neill had his third pinch-hit homer of the season, and the trade-depleted Baltimore Orioles beat the Angels 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Cade Povich pitched six scoreless innings in his first start in nearly three months for the Orioles, who traded Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer at the deadline but remain in contention for a wild-card playoff berth.
Christian Franklin made his major league debut, starting in Ward’s former spot in left field, and scored on Alonso’s third-inning single against former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez (3-4).
O’Neill pinch-hit for leadoff batter Dylan Beavers in the eighth inning against Mitch Farris and connected for his eighth homer of the season. That restored Baltimore’s two-run lead after the Angels got within 2-1 in the top half on Vaughn Grissom’s RBI double against Andrew Kittredge.
Yennier Cano worked the ninth for his second save. Baltimore (55-58) moved within 1 1/2 games of Cleveland for the final AL wild-card spot but is one of several teams sitting a few games under .500.
Sidelined since early May with left elbow inflammation, Povich gave up seven hits, struck out seven and walked one while throwing 88 pitches, 60 for strikes. The Orioles’ trade of Kremer to the Twins opened up a spot in their starting rotation.
The Angels had 11 hits but went one for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Rodriguez pitched a season-high seven innings, giving up two runs and three hits to lower his ERA to 7.24. The Orioles traded him to the Angels in the offseason for Ward, who was shipped to Seattle at the deadline.
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Ameresco (AMRC) up 26.7% post-market Monday after reporting in-line Q2 adjusted earnings but easily exceeding expectations for revenue, which gained 9% Y/Y to $515M, and said its total project backlog rose 32% Y/Y to $6.73B, citing strong demand for
Walbert Ureña pitched three-hit ball over six innings and Wade Meckler hit a two-run homer off Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski as the Angels beat the Brewers 3-0 on Sunday.
Ureña (7-7) struck out seven and walked three as the Angels (43-69) broke a five-game losing streak. The rookie right-hander has a 2.54 ERA and a 2.25 ERA since May 1, a stretch in which he has given up one or fewer earned runs in 12 of 16 starts.
Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn replaced the injured Sam Bachman with a runner on second and one out in the eighth. He struck out Brice Turang, gave up an infield single to Jackson Chourio and struck out Garrett Mitchell with runners on first and third to end the inning.
Zeferjahn then struck out two of four batters in the ninth for his fourth save.
Misiorowski (11-5) gave up two hits in seven innings, striking out 10 and walking one. Misiorowski extended his franchise record of double-digit strikeout games to 10 while throwing 66 of his 83 pitches for strikes.
The game was a matchup of two of the hardest throwing starters in baseball. Misiorowski and Ureña each struck out the side on 10 pitches in the first and the pair combined to throw 10 pitches at 100 mph or more.
Vaughn Grissom hit a 91-mph slider to center for a leadoff single, and Meckler followed by driving a 95-mph cutter 388 feet to right for his third homer of the season and a 2-0 lead.
Misiorowski then retired 16 straight batters before issuing a two-out walk to Jo Adell in the seventh.
The Angels added an insurance run off Brewers left-hander DL Hall in the eighth when Denzer Guzman walked, took second on a groundout, third on a wild pitch and scored on Zach Neto’s two-out RBI infield single.
Up next: The Angels have not named a starter for when they open a series in Baltimore on Tuesday. The Orioles have not named a starter.
The Hundred men’s competition, Trent Bridge
Trent Rockets 146-4 (100 balls): Duckett 64 (47); Carse 2-20
Sunrisers Leeds 141-4 (100 balls): Brook 46 (33); Amir 2-20
Trent Rockets won by five runs
Ben Duckett struck a half-century and took a sharp diving catch to remove England team-mate Harry Brook as The Hundred leaders Trent Rockets beat Sunrisers Leeds by five runs.
The 31-year-old smacked Liam Patterson-White for five consecutive fours to bring up his fifty off 35 balls, but it was an otherwise measured innings from the opener, who made 64 (47), including nine boundaries, to help Rockets post 146-4.
A 71-run third-wicket stand between Mitchell Marsh and Brook put Sunrisers in control of their chase, with just 35 runs required from 20 deliveries.
However, Mohammad Amir only conceded five runs off the next four balls before Brook found a leaping Duckett in the covers to depart for 46 (33).
Amir had Marsh (41 off 35) caught behind by Sam Billings five balls later, finishing with figures of 2-20, and an equation of 25 runs from 10 deliveries proved too much for Dan Lawrence and Tom Alsop.
Duckett had earlier anchored his side’s innings, with his knock in stark contrast to Trent Rockets debutant Aneurin Donald.
Introduced early in the powerplay after Brydon Carse (2-20) bowled Finn Allen, Donald thrashed three sixes and dominated his 63-run second-wicket stand with Duckett, hitting 40 runs off 19 deliveries.
Carse also accounted for Donald, whose free-scoring was unmatched on either side, while Duckett was bowled by Nathan Ellis with five balls remaining.
Tim David was laboured for his 24 (22) but struck a crucial six off the penultimate ball of the innings.
A fourth consecutive victory moves Trent Rockets four points clear at the top of The Hundred table. Sunrisers Leeds remain fifth, with two wins and two defeats.
Joe Root makes an unbeaten 58 from 40 balls as Welsh Fire beat Birmingham Phoenix by seven wickets at Edgbaston in the men’s Hundred.
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The medal ceremony was just under an hour later.
Morris had heard her victories played out for GB with a different anthem but she looked to be overcome when celebrating this one with the Welsh national song.
No time to immediately reflect on what she had just achieved though.
There was a quick chance for a picture with the Welsh flag and then off it was to the next task.
The scratch race started just 10 minutes later where Morris lined up with Welsh team-mates Megan Barker and Carys Lloyd.
It looked like they had concocted an almost perfect plan, with Barker going off a few laps out and Morris driving through to finish second behind Australian winner Georgia Baker.
A gold and a silver all in one day. Or so we thought.
Morris had already done some interviews celebrating this fact before she was given the message in the media mixed zone about her demotion.
Morris had been relegated for entering the sprinter’s lane when her New Zealand opponent was already there, and Scottish cyclist Erin Boothman was promoted to bronze.
Morris returned to do a couple more interviews, ironically, while the scratch closing ceremony was going on.
Morris reflected on her golden moment.
“It was just a dream,” said Morris. “We get that opportunity once every four years, so for it to come together tonight was amazing.
“I have my family and friends in the crowd and the support team from Welsh Cycling were also there.
“I’m going to carry that with me forever, it’s amazing.”
Morris seemed unaware of her dominance in the race.
“It was only when I crossed the line I knew I’d won the race,” said Morris.
“I focused on my ride and tried to execute it well and really leave it all out on the track.”
It had been a day of mixed emotions and, when asked to sum up her feelings about the scratch race, Morris was whisked off so we will have to wait for that verdict.
So, disappointment to finish the day but that should not take away from her pursuit domination and golden moment.
Morris is a world champion for a reason and she proved why.
Wales cycling have two special world-class talents in Finucane and Morris.
From Maddie Lee: In the latest twist in Shohei Ohtani’s battle with left knee discomfort, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts held him out of the lineup during a 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
Ohtani reported soreness Wednesday night in his left knee, which he treated over the All-Star break with a lubricating orthovisc injection and rest. So the Dodgers’ training staff recommended a day off.
“I expected him to play,” Roberts said before Thursday’s win. “I appreciate him saying that there’s some soreness to then allow me to make a decision of what is in his best interest, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Roberts said he’s “very confident” that Ohtani will be in the lineup Friday when the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.
But the Dodgers previously believed only pitching aggravated the injury. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3, and he hasn’t thrown off a mound in a little over a week. He’s been running through weighted plyo ball drills to keep his arm in shape without putting pressure on his knee.
The development raises questions about how to best manage Ohtani’s workload for the rest of the season.
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From Mirjam Swanson: Do you think the Rams have a tracker at their headquarters for how many days it’s been since Puka Nacua’s last embarrassing incident?
They might. Because we all remember how frequently the self-inflicted damages were occurring during that bizarre and jarring stretch starting late last year.
We had the biting incident and alleged antisemitic comments on New Year’s Eve. Before that, we had the Rams’ star receiver making antisemitic gestures on a livestream with a couple of controversial streamers.
We also had him publicly calling out NFL officials on a stream and in a social media post sent from the locker room, and getting fined $25,000 by the league for that. We had his weird post on X — a laughing emoji and “sam darnold” — after the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback led his team to the Super Bowl LX championship on Feb. 9, when Nacua also was recorded stumbling and dancing in a San Francisco street after the game.
We had this all within just a couple of months. So we had to replace the image we previously had of Nacua as a jolly, smiling football star with a new one: a picture of teeth marks on a woman’s skin.
Ick.
From Joaquin Ruiz: Tuli Tuipulotu wants to get paid.
Although Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh expected everyone to be full-go for training camp, the fourth-year edge rusher is holding in amid contract negotiations.
Tuipulotu, who was a full participant in minicamp, did individual work off to the side during Wednesday’s practice and was in general workout attire rather than in a helmet, jersey and football pants like his teammates. On Thursday, Tuipulotu suited up normally and participated in drills alongside fellow defensive linemen but didn’t participate in team sessions.
A hold in is one way players can exercise leverage during contract negotiations. Hold-in players fulfill basic requirements outlined in the collective bargaining agreement — such as attending meetings and doing individual work — to avoid mandatory fines from teams for not reporting to training camp.
“We keep it rolling in practice,” Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said. “You know, you get into a game, and you spend a little bit more time game planning and figuring out how to fill that void. … So we haven’t felt it as much. Obviously, we miss [Tuipulotu] out there. We miss how vocal he is and plays that he makes. But for us, we’re just keeping it rolling with the guys we got out there.”
From Steve Henson: Billy Ray Smith Jr. became embedded in the San Diego sports community as an exceptional linebacker who lived up to his billing as a first-round draft pick and played all of his 126 NFL games with the Chargers from 1983 to 1992, long before the franchise moved to Los Angeles.
Despite being Texas-raised and Arkansas-educated, Smith Jr. became synonymous with San Diego by spending the rest of his life in the sunny SoCal city as a sportscaster, radio host and big-hearted, larger-than-life personality.
Smith Jr. died Wednesday at age 64, his family saying in a statement that he “faced his long journey with dementia caused by CTE with unmatched bravery, dignity, and strength.”
“It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of our beloved Billy Ray Smith Jr., who passed away peacefully surrounded by family,” the statement said. “Billy Ray brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the world as a devoted father, husband, son, and loyal friend.”
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive brain disease characterized by mood disturbances and cognitive decline. It is linked to repeated head impacts and traumatic brain injuries, and has been found posthumously in numerous athletes in contact sports.
1932 — France beats the U.S. 3-2 for its sixth consecutive Davis Cup championship.
1934 — Britain, led by Fred Perry and Bunny Austin, defeats the U.S. 4-1 at Wimbledon to win the Davis Cup title.
1942 — Jockey Bill Turnbull wins seven of nine races at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H.
1973 — Julius Erving, the American Basketball Association’s leading scorer, is traded by the cash-strapped Virginia Squires to the New York Nets for forward George Carter and cash.
1983 — Jan Stephenson beats JoAnne Carner and Patty Sheehan by one stroke to win the U.S. Women’s Open.
1993 — Mike Aulby becomes the third player in PBA history to win a tournament by rolling a 300 game in the title game. Aulby beats David Ozio 300-279 in the Wichita Open.
1994 — Sergei Bubka sets a world pole vault record for the 35th time in his career at a meet in Sestriere, Italy. Bubka soars 20 feet, 1¾ inches, adding a half-inch to his mark set in Tokyo in 1992.
2000 — Dorothy Delasin becomes the LPGA’s youngest winner in 25 years by beating Pat Hurst on the second extra hole to win the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic. The 19-year-old Delasin is the youngest winner on the tour since Amy Alcott took the Orange Blossom Classic at age 19 in 1975.
2005 — Grant Hackett becomes the first swimmer to win four straight world titles in the same event, capturing another 1,500-meter freestyle. The Aussie stretches out his own record for world championship medals to 17.
2007 — All-Star Kevin Garnett is traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to Boston for five players and two draft picks. The Celtics obtain the former MVP and 10-time All-Star from Minnesota for forwards Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green, guard Sebastian Telfair and center Theo Ratliff and two first-round draft picks.
2011 — Yani Tseng wins the Women’s British Open for the second straight year, beating Brittany Lang by four strokes and becoming the youngest woman to capture a fifth major title. The 22-year-old top-ranked Taiwanese shot a 3-under 69 to finish at 16-under 272.
2012 — Michael Phelps breaks the Olympic medals record with his 19th, helping the U.S. romp to a 4×200-meter freestyle relay victory at the London Games. With 19 medals spanning three Olympics, Phelps moves one ahead of Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who got her haul in 1956, 1960 and 1964.
2012 — The team of Gabrielle Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber lives up to all the hype, winning the first U.S. Olympic title in women’s gymnastics since 1996.
2021 — Katie Ledecky wins the women’s 800m gold in Tokyo. This is the third consecutive Olympics she has won the race.
Compiled by the Associated Press
1930 — Lou Gehrig drove in eight runs with a grand slam and two doubles, and the New York Yankees outlasted the Boston Red Sox 14-13.
1932 — Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium opened and Lefty Grove and the Philadelphia A’s beat the Indians 1-0 before 76,979 fans.
1934 — The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-6 in 18 innings at Cincinnati as Dizzy Dean and Tony Freitas both went the distance.
1954 — Joe Adcock hit four home runs and a double to lead the Milwaukee Braves to a 15-7 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Adcock’s 18 total bases set a major league record at the time. Adcock homered in the second inning off Don Newcombe, doubled in the third and homered in the fifth off Erv Palica. He connected off Pete Wojey in the seventh and off Johnny Podres in the ninth. Adcock saw only seven pitches and his double off the left-center field fence just missed going out by inches.
1961 — The All-Star Game ended in a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park because of heavy rain.
1981 — The second baseball strike ended after 42 days.
1990 — Nolan Ryan, 43, won his 300th game, reaching the milestone in his second try, as the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3.
2002 — Mike Mussina became the second pitcher in major league history to give up six doubles in one inning, during the New York Yankees’ 17-6 loss to Texas. Hall of Famer Lefty Grove allowed that many with Boston in 1934 against Washington.
2003 — John Smoltz broke his own record as the fastest pitcher to record 40 saves by pitching a scoreless ninth in Atlanta’s 7-4 win over Houston. Last year, he got his 40th save on Aug. 8, en route to breaking the NL record with 55.
2007 — The New York Yankees tied a franchise record by hitting eight home runs, including two by Hideki Matsui, in a 16-3 rout of the Chicago White Sox. New York last hit eight homers in a game in a doubleheader opener at the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939.
2010 — Carlos Gonzalez hit a game-ending home run to complete the cycle, and Colorado rallied to a 6-5 win after blowing a three-run lead in the eighth inning to the Chicago Cubs.
2011 — Ricky Nolasco scattered 12 hits, Emilio Bonifacio homered and Florida handed the Atlanta Braves the 10,000th loss in franchise history. With the 3-1 loss, the Braves become the second big league team with 10,000 losses. The Phillies reached that mark in 2007.
2015 — New York’s Mark Teixeira homered from both sides of the plate in a game for the record 14th time, hitting his 10th grand slam and a two-run homer that led the Yankees past the Chicago White Sox 13-6.
2021 — Seby Zavala becomes the first player in MLB history to record his first three home runs in the same game.
Compiled by the Associated Press
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
TRAVELLERS heading abroad this summer can beat Ryanair’s hand luggage rule with this clever “Sudoku” packing hack.
The trick has gone viral online and whittles your wardrobe down to just the essentials.
Anyone trying to scrimp on flights knows the frustration of added baggage fees.
While your Ryanair ticket may only cost £30, adding hold luggage can top up the bill with a £59.99 per flight.
Even a cabin bag can land you with a charge of up to £36.
So many of us try to save some cash by choosing to carry all our belongings in just one small bag, but sizing down your suitcase to this meagre amount can be tricky.
A Ryanair flight offers a tiny 40 x 30 x 20cm bag for free, while easyJet offers a slightly larger 45 x 36 x 20cm size for hand luggage.
However, a handy travel hack might be the solution, and it’s known as “Sudoku Packing”.
The hack has blown up on TikTok and Instagram, promising to whittle your wardrobe down to just nine essential items needed for a short trip.
The trending technique first went viral earlier this year, when influencer Natalie Shaquer shared how the hack was transformative for her travels.
In her video, Natalie recommends “visualising your trip” before beginning the packing phase and taking a few moments to think through the types of outfits you’re going to need.
Then, all travellers need to do is pick three tops, three bottoms and three layering items that all harmoniously coordinate.
Layers can be anything from scarves to jackets to cardigans or jumpers, and should be picked according to the climate of the upcoming destination.
When laid out in a 3×3 grid, the Sudoku selection creates up to 27 different clothing combinations made up of a top, bottom and layer.
Natalie also recommends bringing three pairs of shoes to go with your coordinated clothing selection.
Packers are reminded that each pair of bottoms, whether trousers, a skirt or shorts, will need to work with at least two pairs of the shoes, otherwise they must go “back in the closet”.
With your clothing streamlined, you should still have plenty of space for toiletries and accessories in your bag, but this hack is likely only useful for those planning on being away for a few days.
However, travellers heading out on longer trips will likely need more than nine items of clothing, so then it may be worth forking out for hold luggage.
On July 10, almost exactly a year after the Pentagon announced it was becoming the largest shareholder in MP Materials, the International Energy Agency put a number on what that deal was designed to prevent: $6.5 trillion in global downstream production now sits exposed to China’s rare-earth export curbs — restrictions currently suspended under an October 2025 truce that lapses again around October 2026. In the year between those two dates, Washington did not simply subsidize its way out of dependency on Chinese processing. It bought in: $400 million for 15 percent of MP Materials, a decade-long price floor for neodymium-praseodymium set nearly double the market rate, and a ten-year promise to buy everything a new Texas magnet plant produces. The Pentagon is now, functionally, a mining shareholder. The interesting question is not whether that has worked — MP’s private financing round attracted $1 billion from J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs within weeks — but what it costs to win a state-capitalist contest by becoming a state capitalist.
The stakes are structural, not cyclical. China controls roughly 70 percent of the world’s rare-earth and critical-mineral refining capacity, a chokepoint built over three decades while Western producers treated minerals as ordinary commodities rather than strategic assets. Beijing’s October 2025 tariff-war truce with Washington postponed, rather than cancelled, an expanded licensing regime that already cut U.S. yttrium imports from 333 tonnes to 17 tonnes in eight months — a squeeze aerospace manufacturers say could force production pauses. Washington’s answer has three parts: Project Vault, a $12 billion public-private stockpile signed by executive order on February 2, 2026, covering all 60 minerals on the USGS critical list; a fast-growing portfolio of direct government equity stakes in miners and processors; and a parallel push to sign allied-supply agreements with eight partners, including Australia, Japan, the UK and the UAE. Europe, meanwhile, is running a different playbook: a €3 billion RESourceEU plan, a joint-purchasing platform, and a stockpiling pilot — procurement and coordination, not ownership.
The MP Materials deal is the template, and its mechanics matter more than its headline. The Department of Defense’s July 2025 investment made it MP’s largest shareholder, attached a $150 million loan for expanding the Mountain Pass mine, and guaranteed a $110-per-kilogram floor price for NdPr oxide — a level industry analysts put at nearly double the prevailing market price — alongside a ten-year offtake covering the full output of a planned magnet facility in Fort Worth. Private capital followed the government’s signal almost immediately, which is precisely the point: Washington concluded that a guarantee was worth more to investors than a grant. That logic has since scaled. The administration has taken a $670 million stake in magnet producer Vulcan Elements, a 10 percent, $35.6 million position in Trilogy Metals, converted a renegotiated Energy Department loan into equity in Lithium Americas, and expanded the official critical-minerals list to include copper and metallurgical coal. Total direct equity commitments now exceed $1 billion, on top of Project Vault’s $12 billion stockpile.
The backlash has been immediate and specific, and it is worth taking seriously rather than waving off as sour grapes. Rival producers argue the price floor lets MP “undercut commercial bids, using federal subsidies to shield its margins,” while former White House and Pentagon officials warn the arrangement could “distort global NdPr pricing, crowd out innovation, and deter private investment in alternative supply chains” — in effect, recreating the very state-directed monopoly the policy exists to counter. That is the strongest objection, and it does not fully land: a government willing to take equity risk, rather than hand out grants, at least has an incentive to see the investment succeed and can in principle profit from the upside, which is the argument the Treasury and National Energy Dominance Council make for why this is smarter policy than Cold War-style stockpiling alone. But the objection identifies a real cost even if it doesn’t defeat the policy: an above-market, government-guaranteed price for one company makes every unsubsidized competitor in the same commodity harder to finance, which narrows rather than widens the eventual supplier base — the opposite of the diversification the strategy claims to deliver.
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There is a second problem the price-floor logic obscures: capital committed is not the same as metal produced. The Center for Strategic and International Studies frames this as the difference between “distance” — how much progress has been announced — and “displacement” — how far supply chains have actually moved from their starting point. Japan’s experience with Lynas Rare Earths is the sobering comparison: fifteen years and $250 million of patient, low-drama investment before Lynas achieved the first commercial dysprosium production outside China, in 2025. Washington’s approach substitutes speed and scale for that patience, which may be the correct trade given the urgency, but it means the MP deal’s real test has not yet arrived — it arrives when the Fort Worth facility is supposed to reach full commercial output, not when Wall Street decides to match the Pentagon’s bet.
None of this is happening in a China-versus-America vacuum, either. The Democratic Republic of Congo has extended its cobalt export suspension specifically to tighten leverage over Chinese refiners, and Indonesia has repeatedly resisted pressure to loosen nickel export quotas, forcing processing onshore on its own terms. Producer states, not only the two superpowers, are now treating minerals as instruments of strategic leverage rather than commodities to be sold at whatever price clears the market. That reframes the whole contest: this is not simply Washington racing to catch Beijing, but a broader shift in which every government that sits on a mineral deposit is deciding whether to sell it or wield it.
Which is where Europe’s exposure becomes concrete. RESourceEU gives Brussels coordination and buying power, but no board seats and no offtake priority — and Chatham House’s own assessment is blunt that the UK and EU “cannot match the scale of what the US is attempting” and risk being “left behind” without equity of their own. That matters because Washington’s price floors do not stay domestic: a guaranteed $110/kg for MP’s output resets the benchmark every other buyer, including European manufacturers, has to price against, while offtake agreements tied to U.S. defense production can put European buyers behind the queue when supply tightens. The diversification Europe wants — away from dependence on Beijing — is real, but the replacement supply chain now runs increasingly through companies Washington part-owns and whose output is pre-committed to American industry first. Substituting one chokepoint for another is not the same as building a market.
Base case (our estimate: roughly 55 percent probability). Washington’s equity-and-price-floor model extends to more minerals — copper and metallurgical coal are already on the list — and more companies, Project Vault’s stockpile builds through 2026–27, and the October 2025 China truce holds past its lapse date. Europe continues a purchasing-only strategy, remaining a price-taker on a benchmark increasingly set in Washington rather than Shanghai. This depends on Congress and private markets continuing to treat government equity as a credible signal rather than a fiscal liability, and on China preferring managed leverage over an open rupture.
Downside case. China allows the truce to lapse on schedule around October 2026 and resumes full licensing enforcement — already quietly restarting, according to recent customs-audit reports — before Vault-funded and MP-style projects reach meaningful output. Aerospace and defense manufacturers, already forced to ration yttrium and dysprosium at a fraction of pre-2025 volumes, face renewed production pauses in the exact window (2026–2028) when domestic capacity is still years from scale, exposing the gap between announced investment and actual tonnage.
Upside case. Government stakes prove to be a bridge rather than a permanent structure: MP, Vulcan Elements and Lithium Americas hit production targets on schedule, price floors become unnecessary as Japan’s Lynas eventually showed is possible after fifteen years of patient investment, and the eight-nation allied-supply framework matures into a genuinely plural, competitively priced market that Europe can buy into on equal terms rather than through Washington’s balance sheet.
The Pentagon’s bet on MP Materials shows that the fastest way to out-compete a state-directed rival was to become one — and by the only metric available so far, capital raised, that gamble is working. But capital raised is not resilience, and every mineral now being withheld or weaponized elsewhere, from Congolese cobalt to Indonesian nickel, shows the world’s supply chains are being redrawn along political lines everywhere, not simply rerouted away from Beijing.
Watch whether China lets its rare-earth export truce lapse on schedule around October 2026, and whether MP Materials’ Fort Worth magnet plant is producing at commercial scale when it does. If the truce holds and the plant delivers, Washington’s ownership model will keep expanding. If either fails, the U.S. will have discovered it bought a shareholding in a company, not a supply chain immune to the country it was built to out-manoeuvre.
West Indies take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series after Jayden Seales dominates with the ball on day 4 in Trinidad.
Published On 29 Jul 202629 Jul 2026
Paceman Jayden Seales claimed his fourth five-wicket haul to bowl the West Indies to a 90-run victory over Pakistan in the opening Test match in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago.
After eking out a 29-run first-innings lead, the West Indies made 181 in their second innings to set Pakistan a target of 211 on Tuesday, the fourth day of play.
list of 2 itemsend of list
Seales (5-20) and his pace colleagues returned to produce a superb fast-bowling display at the Brian Lara Stadium, routing Pakistan for 120 in a little over 40 overs, with one day of play remaining.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam made an unbeaten 58 and combined with number 11 Mohammad Abbas (23) in a brief resistance, but the West Indies’ victory appeared a formality after the tourists slumped to 71-9.
Pakistan number three Shan Masood, who fractured his finger during his first-innings knock of 109, batted at number eight in the second innings. He made three before Seales dismissed him.
Captain Roston Chase dedicated the victory to West Indies great Garry Sobers, who died earlier this month.
“We wanted to make him proud and had a chat about it before the match. I hope he is smiling down on us,” Chase said afterwards.
“I love the direction this team is heading. We’re not relying on one or two players; everyone is chipping in at crucial moments.”
Babar said Pakistan’s lack of partnerships proved costly.
“Today, as a batting unit, we weren’t up to the mark. We kept losing wickets back-to-back, and the batting failed. That’s something we’re working on,” he said.
The second and final Test match in Port of Spain begins on Sunday.
The Hundred men’s competition, Headingley
Manchester Super Giants 181-3 (100 balls): Buttler 63* (33), Klaasen 53 (27); Ellis 2-32
Sunrisers Leeds 186-2 (88 balls): Marsh 63 (26), Crawley 56* (34), Brook 42* (17)
Sunrisers Leeds won by eight wickets
Mitch Marsh was at his destructive best as he bludgeoned 63 to help Sunrisers Leeds end Manchester Super Giants’ unbeaten start to The Hundred with an eight-wicket win at Headingley.
The experienced Australia opener crashed six fours and five sixes during a fearless 26-ball knock which provided the impetus for the Sunrisers to chase down 182 for victory.
Marsh was bowled by a yorker from Sonny Baker with the score on 118 but the momentum from his tone-setting innings was continued by England duo Zak Crawley and Harry Brook.
Sunrisers skipper Crawley blitzed an unbeaten 56 off 34 balls to notch only his second half-century of the summer, having lost his Test place earlier this year.
Crawley’s average in The Hundred (34.50) so far this summer has been superior to what he has managed in the T20 Blast (23.54) and in first-class cricket (20.54).
The 28-year-old felt “in the zone” and was able to play with “a lot of freedom” as he helped his side pull off the highest successful run chase at Headingley in The Hundred.
“I’ve spent too much of my career trying to prove to people how I can play. I’m buzzing that I’ve scored some runs, that’s what I get joy out of,” Crawley told BBC Test Match Special.
“I’m just thankful I can do that, I’m not too worried about who liked it and who didn’t – I know I did and that’s what I want to do.”
Brook chipped in with 42 not out from 17 balls as he also kickstarted his tournament with an innings bristling with clean ball striking.
The England limited-overs skipper had only managed scores of three and eight in his first two innings but mainly dealt in sixes against the Super Giants.
Brook’s six boundaries all cleared the ropes, including the winning runs off Noor Ahmad with 12 balls to spare.
Earlier, England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler continued his impressive start to this year’s tournament with an unbeaten 63 off 33 balls which provided the bedrock of the Super Giants’ 181-3.
Buttler had made a masterful 90 in the Super Giants’ emphatic win over Birmingham Phoenix last weekend and followed it up with his second half-century.
Heinrich Klaasen had chipped with 53 off 27 balls while Aussie seamer Nathan Ellis bagged 2-30 to finish the pick of the Sunrisers’ bowlers.
The Sunrisers have won two of their opening matches in The Hundred and join the Super Giants, who stay top on net run-rate, Welsh Fire and MI London on eight points.
WITH temperatures rising around the Med, make the most of cooling sea breezes by cruising.
There are great deals to be had for a last-minute cruise getaway. Lisa Minot picks out a handful . . .
1) Marella Cruises is a great option for those who want to sail knowing they won’t have to shell out more onboard.
Cruises include flights from regional airports, all your food, drinks, tips, charges and transfers.
Check out the Aegean Shores cruise on Marella Voyager, to combine ancient sites with top beaches. The eight-day round trip from Corfu calls at Piraeus for Athens, Kusadasi in Turkey, Crete, Santorini and Kefalonia.
Now from £1,150pp, a saving of £881pp. flying out this Friday. See tui.co.uk.
2) Try a no-fly cruise from Southampton to a host of Mediterranean ports. MSC Virtuosa is a family-friendly ship with Formula 1 racing simulators, full-size bowling alley and award-winning kids’ clubs as well as a waterpark and a high ropes course.
Its nine-night Portugal & Spain cruise departs August 20 and calls at Brest, France; Lisbon, Portugal; Gibraltar; and Malaga and Cadiz in Spain.
Prices are from £1,124pp including full board and entertainment. See iglucruise.com.
3) PREFER a child-free trip? Discover the delights of Northern Spain on a no-fly cruise from Southampton onboard Fred Olsen’s Borealis.
This adult-only ship offers a classic British experience with afternoon tea served daily and spaces for painting and crafting.
There is a card room for bridge tournaments and the outdoor main pool has a retractable roof.
The cruise departs August 26 and calls at Getxo where the Bilbao estuary meets the Bay of Biscay.
Then it is on to Santander with its Belle Epoque architecture and lovely beaches. Five nights’ full-board is from £775pp. See cruise.co.uk.
4) HEAD off on an all- inclusive Italian adventure on Norwegian Epic.
Fly from Southampton to Rome before sailing to Salerno, Sicily, Livorno for Florence and Villefranche-sur-Mer for Nice and Marseille before disembarking in Barcelona for your flight home.
All-inclusive starts from £969pp, leaving September 13. See cruise1st.co.uk.
5) ESCAPE the heat and enjoy a tranquil sailing to the Norwegian Fjords with P&O Cruises.
Departing Southampton on the flagship Iona, there are calls at Stavanger, Olden, Hellesylt and Haugesund as well as stunning scenic sailings along the fjords.
Iona’s wrap-around promenade deck features outdoor dining, whirlpool tubs over the side of the ship and lots of seating.
The SkyDome on the top deck has a climate- controlled indoor pool area and, at night, turns into a thrilling entertainment hub.
Seven nights’ full board is from 989pp, departing Southampton on August 1. See pocruises.com.
3M Open final leaderboard
-25 J Koivun (US); -22 S Scheffler (US); -20 D McCarthy (US), B Harman (US), C Phillips (US), H Matsuyama (Jpn)
Selected others: -17 S Power (Ire), G Woodland (US) M Kim (US); -16 Knapp (US); -13 J Parry (Eng)
American rookie Jackson Koivun held his nerve to beat Scottie Scheffler by three strokes and claim his first PGA Tour win at the 3M Open on Sunday.
Playing in just his third tournament since turning professional, Koivun surged into a three-shot lead on Saturday during a round of 10-under 61.
The 21-year-old then stretched his lead to five in the final round at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, before world number one Scheffler applied pressure.
The four-time major winner began the back nine with three straight birdies, then claimed two more in the final three holes to finish with an eight-under 63 and trail compatriot Koivun by two strokes.
Former world amateur number one Koivun could have wobbled at that point, with holes left to play, but instead he made his fifth birdie of the day at 16 before wrapping up a five-under 66 to finish on 25 under par overall.
“I had some nerves coming down 18,” said Koivun. “All throughout the crowd I kept hearing ‘Scottie’s coming, Scottie’s coming’.
“I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could and was able to find some good putts coming down the stretch.”
American trio Denny McCarthy, Brian Harman and Chandler Phillips finished five strokes behind Koivun, in a tie for third with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.
Michael Kim fired a 12-under 59 on Friday, but the American finished in a tie for 10th after closing with rounds of 70 and 69.
OLIVIA Attwood’s plan to beat Pete Wicks’ ‘friends to lovers’ curse has been revealed as the couple’s romance becomes ‘special and serious’.
Pete, 37, has long been close to various high profile women, but it seems his relationship with ITV golden girl Olivia, 35, is far different from the rest.
Pete and Olivia’s eight-year-long friendship has recently developed into a romantic relationship, and there’s a clear sign that she is keen to protect herself from the “friends to lovers to exes” arc that Pete has often become embroiled in.
In a bid to ensure their relationship doesn’t end in the same way as his splits from other high profile women, Olivia has protected herself by doing one key thing.
Olivia hasn’t hard-launched Pete on social media, and is clearly letting him do all the leg work – with her keen to focus on herself, her career and the empire she is building.
Although there have been very subtle hints here and there, like when they went on a staycation together, and when they walked their dogs in the same place – Olivia has been reluctant to reveal, outright, that they are in a relationship.
Pete hard-launched their relationship on July 16, with Olivia not returning the favour with a blatantly obvious post since.
Unlike Liv, he’s also spoke candidly about his romance – with his pal Sam Thompson on their Staying Relevant podcast.
Last week, Sam cheekily asked Pete: “You were on your holidays?”
“Yes, I hadn’t seen Liv for two and a half weeks, so I went to see Liv,” replied Pete.
He quickly added: “Don’t make this a thing,” with Sam jokingly feigning shock.
“So I went to see Liv, it was wonderful to see her, been two and a half weeks. We had a fabulous time. I have really hurt my back because I was backflipping off boats.
“We went for lovely dinners, we went to clubs, we drank a lot, it was magical in probably the best way to describe it.”
Olivia has however only posted a video on TikTok, which features her and Pete’s dogs being fed on a rooftop, with Pete’s tattooed arm coming into shot momentarily.
She also shared a photo of their dogs together on her Instagram stories, which Pete reposted to his and penned: “Hard launch no.2.”
Speaking to The Sun about Olivia’s decision to keep things as private as possible, a source revealed: “What they have right now is special.
“Because her other relationships have played out so publicly, she’s making a conscious effort to keep it close to her chest.
“She’s aware that in the industry she’s in, people want to know details, but this time she wants to keep something back, to herself.
“It’s serious and a more grown up relationship.”
In contrast, PeteHe has also said rather a lot about Olivia, which is something he would never normally do with girlfriends.
Throughout his several years of fame, Pete has gotten close to a number of stunning reality stars.
In his days on The Only Way Is Essex, Pete was close to Chloe Sims, with them publicly known as “best friends”.
Pete and Ella Rae Wise also had a close bond on Towie, with them even referring to one another as “special friends”.
He also struck up a very close relationship with Maura Higgins, which transitioned from a long-time friendship into a private romance.
But they parted ways after she publicly spoke about their romance while appearing on I’m A Celebrity, and later worried that he might have been “messing around behind her back”.
Meanwhile, Olivia was in a relationship with Bradley Dack for an on-and-off period of 10 years, from when they first met in 2015 until their final split in January 2026.
Olivia and Pete met in 2017 at the Specsavers Awards in London, which was six years before she married Brad.
On the night she and Pete met, they were seated at the same table and spent the entire night chatting and joking around.
They remained friends for years before they launched their radio show, The Sunday Roast, on KISS FM.
But things heated up between them in 2025 when they went on holiday to Ibiza, and people started to get suspicious of their bond.
At the time, photos emerged of Liv and Pete looking close and cuddling on a yacht, which sparked rumours they were more than friends.
It was later revealed, following Olivia’s marriage split, that Bradley had long suspected something.
“He’s suspected things for the past year but she’s always denied it,” a source told The Sun in March 2026.
When cosy pictures of the pair on an Ibiza yacht trip first sparked rumours of something more than friends, Olivia brushed off speculation by saying: “I think it’s to be expected when you’ve got two straight people working together.”
She added at the time: “It happened when I first joined Towie and Pete and I became very close. We spent a lot of time together and there was a rumour mill spinning back then.”
Olivia had always downplayed her friendship with Pete, and even branded him “repulsive” two years before they got together.
Speaking on Olivia’s podcast Olivia’s House with her ex Bradley, the pair discussed some of the listeners’ dilemmas.
One listener shared how they were worried about how their boyfriend was texting one of their female friends every day.
Olivia shared her thoughts on the situation and said: “I am very sceptical about female and male relationships when they are both straight.
“I just feel like one side would always let it be more.
“One exception to this rule is Pete. No because we both find each other repulsive.
“But at the same time, Pete and I are friends. We don’t talk every day.”
She added: “I don’t like it personally.”
Son Heung-min scored a goal for the second consecutive game, Denis Bouanga added a goal, and LAFC beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Hugo Lloris, who leads MLS with nine shutouts this season, had six saves for LAFC (9-5-3).
Son, who scored his first goal this season Friday in a 3-0 win over the Galaxy, opened the scoring in the 11th minute. The 34-year-old forward pushed the ball wide to his left to create space from a defender and then blasted his next touch inside the near post from the end of the penalty arc.
Mathieu Choiniere played a ball ahead, the last of four consecutive first-touch passes by LAFC, to Bouanga, who raced to the center of the area, cut back to evade a defender and fired a shot into the net to make it 2-0 in the 40th.
DeAndre Yedlin’s own goal capped the scoring in the 68th minute.
Lukas Engel, a 30-year-old defender in his second MLS season, scored his first career goal in the 86th minute for RSL (8-5-2). Rafael Cabral had one save.
Vaughn Grissom drove in the tying run with a one-out double in the ninth inning and Jo Adell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Angels a 3-2 comeback win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
Nolan Schanuel, batting .367 since June 21, sparked the late rally with a one-out single off All-Star closer Riley O’Brien, who is tied for the National League lead with 25 saves.
Jorge Soler was hit by a pitch and Grissom sent a line drive off the right-field wall that eluded a leaping Jordan Walker. Pinch-runner Oswald Peraza scored from second base and pinch-runner Jose Siri reached third.
Josh Lowe was walked intentionally to load the bases. Adell, who homered in the third inning, took three straight balls from O’Brien (3-4) before getting plunked by the next pitch to force in the winning run.
Angels reliever José Fermín (3-1) struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
O’Brien’s fifth blown save laid to waste a strong start by St. Louis right-hander Kyle Leahy, who gave up one run and three hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked none.
Angels starter José Soriano threw his best game since early May, giving up two runs and four hits in seven innings while striking out seven and walking one.
The right-hander, who went 3-6 with a 5.15 ERA in his previous 14 starts, retired the side in order five times and became the first Angels starter to get an out in the seventh since June 16.
Walker sparked the Cardinals’ second-inning rally with a leadoff double over Lowe’s head in left field. He went to third on Lars Nootbaar’s single and scored on Nathan Church’s one-out single for a 1-0 lead.
Blaze Jordan followed with a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder to third base, but Denzer Guzman bobbled the ball and his only play was to first as Nootbaar scored for a 2-0 lead.
The Angels cut the deficit to 2-1 in the third when Adell, mired in an 0-for-24 slump that dropped his batting average to .237 entering the game, led off with his 14th homer of the season.
Up next: Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (5-6, 5.00 ERA) faces Angels RHP Walbert Ureña (5-7, 2.88) on Tuesday night.
Castelldefels, Spain – Fans waving the red and gold Spanish flag filled the streets, shot fireworks into the night sky and hugged each other into the early hours of Monday morning after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final.
The jubilation on the streets was echoed in towns and cities across Spain as La Roja won the title for the second time with a goal by Ferran Torres in extra-time.
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Fans who had been watching giant screens chanted “Campeones! Campeones!” (Champions! Champions!).
However, in Castelldefels, a tourist town south of Barcelona, fans from both nationalities enjoyed the match thanks to the presence of a sizeable Argentinian emigre community.
Chief among them is – in spirit at least – one rather special former resident: Lionel Messi.
Messi spent his greatest years playing at Barcelona and his presence still looms large over the town. Many Argentina or neutral fans walked around during the match on Sunday sporting his famous 10 shirt.
And this being Catalonia, where support for independence from Spain may have faded in recent years but remains a potent force, many support other sides in the World Cup. Many support Argentina, precisely because of the influence of Messi.
The Argentina captain still owns a luxury complex in Castelldefels replete with its own football pitch which is reported to be worth $8m.
Bellamar nestles in the hills above this seaside town of 70,000 inhabitants just south of Barcelona, where he made his home with his family in his glory days at Barca.
Barca fans still cherish the thought of Messi returning to the city when he finally hangs up his boots. The rumour mill ran wild when the player recently bought the Unio Cornella, a team in the fifth tier of Spanish football.
He used to walk his children to school at the local British school in the town with passers by watching in awe.
Before he became too much of a global megastar, he would go for a quiet drink at seaside bars with his wife and sign autographs or pose for pictures without problem.
Everyone in this well-to-do-town on the shores of the Mediterranean has a story about when they met Messi. Some of them are true.
La Pampa is just one of the many Argentinian steak restaurants in the town which the Argentinian captain used to patronise when he lived here. Its owners quietly show off pictures of the player smiling for the camera.
For younger diners, the Ankara Burger is full of football shirts of Argentinian clubs like Boca Juniors, River Plate or Independiente.
Catalonia, the northeastern region of Spain whose capital is Barcelona, has the largest expat population of Argentinians in Spain, numbering 37,980.
Away from these Mediterranean shores, controversy has raged over Argentinian players’ display of a political banner supporting an Argentinian sovereignty claim over the Falklands Islands after their World Cup semifinal victory over England, a move that appeared to violate the FIFA stadium code of conduct and struck a nerve in the United Kingdom over political sovereignty.
Argentina President Javier Millei’s support for Israel has also prompted controversy in a country like Spain, where polls have found a majority backed the Palestinian cause.
However, in Castelldefels, the political rows raging thousands of miles away were not on fans’ minds last night.
The Spanish and Argentinian flags fly outside the apartment of Gio and Gema Gonzalez, demonstrating perfectly the cultural melting pot here.
Gio Gonzalez emigrated to Spain from Buenos Aires in 2000, following a well-worn path for many other Argentinians. He met his wife Gema in Barcelona and the couple later moved to Castelldefels in 2007.
Like thousands of others, the couple went to watch the match on a giant screen organised by the town council.
“I am a mad keen Argentina fan so I was dreaming that we would win again but it was not to be. It was a tough match but I am happy for my wife that Spain could win,” said Gonzalez, 54, a research scientist.
Gema Gonzalez, 46, a housewife, was beaming in the wake of Spain’s victory after a hard-fought game.
“I feel sorry for my husband – but only a bit!” she laughed. “I think Spain were the better side and we deserved to win. I know I would say this but, I think we were the best side in this tournament.”
Ferran Torres scores the only goal of the game as Spain dominate Argentina 1-0, to win their second FIFA World Cup at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
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Bukayo Saka scores a hat-trick as England beat France 6-4 in a thriller to record their best men’s World Cup finish since 1966.
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For Seattle, Awa Fam carved out a slice of history for herself, becoming the youngest player ever at the age of 20 to hit four three-point shots in a single quarter.
Dominique Malonga scored 28 points, the second most in her career, and 14 rebounds – but it wasn’t enough for Seattle, who set a team record for points scored in a normal-time loss.
Clark’s record-breaking night came a day after she was labelled a “political football” by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
The star point-guard has become one of the biggest draws in the WNBA since being drafted by the Fever in 2024, and there has been a lot of attention paid to the way she is treated by opposing teams and the tactics they employ to try to limit her impact during games.
Last month, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas received a retrospective one-game ban and a $1,000 (£743) fine for appearing to knee Clark in the groin and push her fist into her neck during a tussle for possession.
A group of 11 Republican lawmakers then sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert asking the league to take “accountability”, and expressed concern that “attacks against Clark may be racially motivated”.
Political commentators on the right have also weighed in, suggesting the treatment of Clark is rooted in racism and jealousy.
Speaking as part of a panel at an event in New York on Thursday, Silver said the debates surrounding Clark had become about broader political and cultural issues in the United States rather than basketball alone.
“That particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time of the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant non-review,” said Silver.
“I’ve come to know Caitlin really well. She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person.
“And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. And she’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her.”
