concerns

NASHVILLE — The Chargers won the battle but lost the warrior.

They held off the Tennessee Titans 27-20, but saw their outstanding left tackle Joe Alt go down with the same injured ankle that sidelined him earlier this season.

It was a troubling and ominous blow Sunday to a franchise that’s in a constant state of reshuffling its offensive line and unable to sufficiently protect quarterback Justin Herbert. Before losing Alt, the Chargers lost right tackle Bobby Hart to what they called a groin injury (but looked to be a hurt leg).

On a cool and overcast day, the Chargers had enough to get past the one-win Titans — the Chargers (6-3) were favored by 9½ points — but will face far stiffer competition in the second half of the season. The Titans haven’t won at home since last Nov. 4.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh helps offensive tackle Bobby Hart off the field in the first half.

(John Amis / Associated Press)

Herbert, who ran for 62 yards in the Week 8 win over Minnesota, again provided the bulk of the Chargers’ running game. He led all rushers with 57 yards in nine carries, including a one-yard touchdown.

The Titans fired coach Brian Callahan last month after the team got off to a 1-5 start, putting in place interim coach Mike McCoy, who was head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2013 to 2016.

The Chargers absorbed a huge blow in the second quarter when Alt went down with an ankle injury, the same ankle that caused him to miss three games earlier this season. Alt, the best player on the offensive line, had returned for the Week 8 game against Minnesota and his presence was noticeable in both run blocking and protection of Herbert’s blind side.

Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston catches a touchdown pass next to Tennessee Titans cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis during the first half Sunday.

(John Amis / Associated Press)

But Sunday, he was felled by 285-pound Titans edge rusher Jihad Ward, who was blocked into the back of Alt’s legs. Alt sat on the turf for a few minutes, surrounded by Chargers medical staff, before a cart rolled onto the field to take him off.

It was the latest setback for an offensive line besieged by them this season, and an indication that Herbert will remain the most hit and harassed quarterback in the league this season.

Even though the Titans were without defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, their best player, Herbert was still under near-constant pressure.

Herbert threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half, although his first throw was abysmal. It was straight into the arms of Tennessee linebacker Cody Barton, who turned the visitors’ second play from scrimmage into a 24-yard pick-six.

As he does virtually every week, Herbert picked up some big gains with his feet. He had a 39-yard scramble in the second quarter, and rolled out in the fourth and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season, sliding in from a yard out. That capped a 15-play, nine-minute, 99-yard drive in response to a goal-line stand.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is sacked by Tennessee Titans linebacker Jihad Ward during the second half Sunday.

(George Walker IV / Associated Press)

The Titans (1-8), who have had troubles moving the ball in the red zone, scored their second touchdown of the half on a 67-yard punt return by rookie Chimere Dike, who leads the NFL in all-purpose yards.

Those issues in the red zone were on display in the third quarter, when the Titans had four plays inside the 10 and couldn’t score, including third and fourth downs from the one.

Anchoring the middle of the Chargers’ defense was Daiyan Henley, playing two days after his older brother was shot and killed. After a sack in the first half, the third-year linebacker dropped to his knees and turned his palms to the sky and held out his hands in prayer.

Edge rusher Odafe Oweh had a pair of sacks, bringing his total to four in four games since being traded to the Chargers by Baltimore last month.

Fenerbahce’s home EuroLeague fixtures against Israeli sides Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv next month have been relocated to Germany over security concerns.

The Turkish side were scheduled to host the clubs in Istanbul on 11 and 13 November, but the games will now be played in Munich on the same dates because of what Fenerbahce said were security measures implemented by Turkish authorities.

Fenerbahce said the games will be played at SAP Garden in the German city and be “open to the participation of our fans”.

The EuroLeague defending champions also had to relocate two games against Maccabi, originally scheduled to be held in Istanbul, to Lithuania last year.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

Large anti-Israel demonstrations have taken place across Turkey since.

Last week, Fenerbahce and fellow EuroLeague side Efes Istanbul criticised the tournament organisers’ decision to allow Israeli clubs to resume playing at home from 1 December.

The Israeli teams have been playing their EuroLeague and EuroCup home games abroad since October 2023.

It is only the latest in a series of incidents where tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza war have affected sports.

Earlier this month, a decision was made to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from attending the Europa League fixture against Aston Villa in Birmingham on 6 November on safety grounds.

Violence also broke out before Maccabi’s match against Ajax in the same competition in November last year.

There were also protests at the Israel national football team’s 2026 World Cup qualifier games in Norway and Italy this month.

Meanwhile, Israel-Premier Tech are to drop Israel from their name from next season after the cycling team, owned by Israeli-Canadian property billionaire Sylvan Adams, were at the centre of several disruptions by protesters during last month’s Vuelta a Espana in Spain.

L.A. County supervisors have unanimously approved an $828-million settlement for alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse, finalizing the deal while questions mount over the legitimacy of some claims in a separate multibillion-dollar payout that they agreed to this spring.

The settlement approved Tuesday brings the county’s spending on sex abuse litigation this year to nearly $5 billion, with the bulk of that total coming from a $4-billion deal made in April to resolve thousands of claims filed by people who said they were abused decades ago in county-run juvenile detention centers and foster homes.

The latest settlement involves similar claims brought by 414 clients of three law firms who opted to negotiate separately from the rest. The $4-billion settlement initially covered roughly 6,800 claims, but has ballooned to more than 11,000.

The larger settlement has come under scrutiny after The Times found nine people who said they were paid to sue. Four said they were told to fabricate the claims. All had lawsuits filed by Downtown LA Law Group, which represents more than 2,700 clients in the first settlement.

The firm has denied paying clients to sue and said it has “systems in place to help weed out false or exaggerated allegations.” The firm has asked the court to dismiss three claims on behalf of allegedly fraudulent plaintiffs this month.

Downtown LA Law Group will be required to detail any claims that came to it through recruiters, the county’s top attorney said Tuesday. The firm has denied any wrongdoing.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The settlement approved Tuesday involves cases only from Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team, Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, and Panish Shea Ravipudi and has no cases from DTLA. But the firm nevertheless took center stage Tuesday as the supervisors pressed their top attorney on how the lawsuits were vetted.

“What were we doing prior to this article?” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, referencing The Times’ reporting from earlier this month.

The county was in a tough spot, county counsel Dawyn Harrison explained. Many plaintiff attorneys didn’t want the county interviewing their clients, she said. And a judge had temporarily paused the discovery process, providing the county little insight into the identities of the thousands of people suing.

Harrison said Tuesday that DTLA cases now will be required to go through a “completely new level of review” beyond the standard vetting that was already underway by retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Louis Meisinger. In addition to having a new retired Superior Court judge vet all their cases, DTLA must provide the county with information on plaintiffs acquired through “a recruiter or vendor,” she said.

“DTLA is required to identify every recruiter it used, a list of each plaintiff brought in per recruiter, information about any funds that changed hands, and a declaration under oath by each recruiter identifying what was done, what was said, and any monies paid,” Harrison said.

It’s an unusual request.

California law bans a practice known as capping, in which non-attorneys directly solicit or procure clients to sign up for lawsuits with a law firm.

DTLA has denied knowledge of any of its clients receiving payments to sue and said the firm wants “justice for real victims” of sexual abuse.

“If we ever became aware that anyone associated with us, in any capacity, did such a thing, we would end our relationship with them immediately,” the firm said.

The rush of lawsuits was kicked off by a now-controversial bill known as AB 218, which changed the statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse and created a new window to sue. The county, which is responsible for the safety of children inside juvenile carceral facilities and foster care, has seen more than 12,000 claims and counting since the law took effect in 2020.

The allegations of fraud that now hover over these cases was the fault of “an unmanageable law,” not the county’s vetting process, Harrison said.

“AB 218 erased those guardrails and allowed decades-old claims that no one can meaningfully vet,” she said.

The county’s lawyers and politicians have become increasingly loud critics of the law, which they say has left them facing a deluge of decades-old claims with no records. Supervisor Hilda Solis said she felt the county had become the “guinea pig” for the bill.

Joe Nicchitta, the county’s acting chief executive officer, estimated that anywhere between $1 billion to $2 billion in county taxpayer money from the settlements will go to attorneys.

“The law had some very noble intentions but it has been … and I’m just going to say what I think, hijacked by the plaintiff’s bar,” he said. “They do all of the vetting, they do all of the intake, they advertise extensively. They’re incentivized to bring as many cases as possible.”

Nicchitta said he’d heard rumors that venture capitalists were poking around Sacramento to find out “whether or not we have enough cash to pay for another settlement, so that they can finance a law firm to bring another round of settlements against us.”

“It’s clear to me the system is ruptured,” he said.

Courtney Thom, who was the lead attorney on cases from Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, said she believed the county was blaming the new state law for the failures of its own lawyers.

“To blame AB 218 and say that’s what enabled the fraud is just a pathetic attempt to deflect responsibility,” Thom said. “Our firm has been saying for two years we’re concerned about fraud.”

Mike Arias, who represents clients in the latest settlement as a partner with Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team, said the three firms involved stopped adding clients more than a year ago.

“That’s a big distinction,” Arias said. “We said, at the time, the number of plaintiffs would not change. Ethically, my view was that’s who we represent and who we’re going to negotiate for.”

Arias said the allocation for the second settlement will be done by retired Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler, who specializes in overseeing sexual abuse litigation. Potential payouts will range between $750,000 and $3.25 million, he said.

Victims say the money represents a sliver of justice for the abuse they say they suffered while confined in county custody — little of which has been criminally prosecuted.

One man, who is part of the settlement and asked not to be identified, said he has no idea what happened to the probation official who he alleges raped him at around 16 while he was asleep in his cell at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, knocked out on sleep medication.

“I had no control in that place,” said the man, now 34. “My body hasn’t ever felt the same since.”

The county has launched an “AB 218 fraud hotline” where tipsters can report misconduct related to the flood of sex abuse claims.

(Rebecca Ellis / Los Angeles Times)

The county recently launched an “AB 218 fraud hotline” where tipsters can report misconduct related to the flood of claims. The county says it also plans to start a hotline for victims to safely report allegations of sex abuse in its facilities.

“It is illegal for anyone to file, pay for, or receive payments for making fake claims of childhood sexual abuse,” states a banner now running atop the county website with a hand doling out hundred-dollar bills.

The county also has launched a website that asks people to report if they were offered cash to sue, which law firms were involved, and whether they were coached, among other questions.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell, whose district includes the South Central social services office where seven people told The Times they were paid to sue, said she wanted to see the hotlines advertised as aggressively as the plaintiff attorneys advertised for their cases.

“You couldn’t turn on an urban radio station without hearing a commercial advertising these cases,” Mitchell said. “I certainly hope whatever we use, as we talk about our outreach, that we lean in as hard.”

Oct. 22 (UPI) — The East Wing of the White House is undergoing a more extensive renovation than initially announced during the $250 million ballroom-construction project.

President Donald Trump in July said the 90,000-square-foot ballroom construction would not affect the East Wing, but a White House spokesperson confirmed the entire East Wing is being “modernized,” ABC News reported on Wednesday.

A 7-foot-tall fence was placed around the East Wing that blocked views of the demolition and eventual construction on Wednesday.

Officials for the Washington-based National Trust for Historic Preservation on Tuesday asked for the demolition to stop in an open letter to the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission and the National Park Service, according to USA Today.

“We respectfully urge the administration and the National Park Service to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes,” the letter said.

The organization’s leaders want a project consultation and review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, “both of which have authority to review new construction and the White House and to invite comments from the American people,” the letter said.

A White House official on Wednesday told CBS News the ballroom’s plans will be submitted to the NCPC “at the appropriate time and hoping to do so soon.”

Those whose offices are subject to the renovation have relocated to the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

White House officials on Wednesday called the project a “transformative addition that will significantly increase the White House’s capacity to host major functions honoring world leaders, foreign nations and other dignitaries.”

Workers operating bulldozers on Monday began demolishing much of the East Wing, which houses the office of the first lady, a military office and other facilities.

Private donors are funding the reconstruction project, which includes strengthening the East Wing, and many attended a White House dinner on Thursday.

The East Wing ballroom project is the latest White House improvement planned by the president.

Trump earlier this year paid to install two flagpoles on the White House lawn and had part of the Rose Garden lawn covered with stone to support outdoor events.

Other presidents, likewise, have made changes to the White House and its East Wing.

President Theodore Roosevelt authorized the East Wing’s construction in 1902, which President Franklin Roosevelt rebuilt and expanded in 1942, among other renovation projects done by other presidents.

President Harry Truman also oversaw a complete reconstruction and modernization of the White House interior from 1948 to 1952 due to the building’s extensive state of disrepair.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen, frankly, has not been very good in this postseason. Entering Monday’s Game 7, the group had a 6.02 ERA and only one successful save.

In that Game 7, however, the Blue Jays showed the ability that still resides in that group.

Louis Varland, a right-hander acquired at the trade deadline, recorded four outs while giving up just one run, and has a 3.27 ERA in the playoffs. Seranthony Domínguez, another right-handed deadline acquisition, pitched a scoreless inning to lower his October ERA to 4.05.

Toronto used a couple starters from there, getting scoreless innings from Gausman and fellow veteran Chris Bassitt.

But at the end, the final three outs belonged to veteran right-hander Jeff Hoffman, a 2024 All-Star who had a disappointing debut season after signing in Toronto this offseason, but now has both of their postseason saves.

The Blue Jays’ one big bullpen weakness is its lack of dominant left-handed depth. Mason Fluharty has been their best southpaw, but has a 6.23 ERA in the playoffs. Brendon Little, Eric Lauer and ex-Dodger Justin Bruihl are also on their roster, but haven’t been any more effective.

SACRAMENTO  — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is weighing whether to close parts of Interstate 5 beginning Friday amid concerns over what it says is a White House-directed plan to use live ordnance during a military anniversary celebration off Camp Pendleton’s coast in San Diego County — where Navy ships are expected to fire over the freeway onto the base.

Newsom’s office has received, but not confirmed, reports that live ordnance will be fired from offshore vessels during the event commemorating the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary. The event is titled “Sea to Shore — A Review of Amphibious Strength” and will feature Vice President JD Vance.

Newsom’s office said it has received little information about the event or safety plans. The military show of force coincides with No Kings rallies and marches across the state on Saturday that are expected to draw large crowds, demonstrations challenging Trump and what critics say is government overreach.

“Donald Trump and JD Vance think that shutting down the I-5 to shoot out missiles from ships is how you respect the military,” Newsom posted on the social media site X Wednesday.

A military media advisory said the celebration will include a live amphibious assault demonstration. The Times could not confirm whether live ordnance will be fired over the freeway. The White House and Marine Corps did not respond to questions from The Times.

“California always honors our Marines — but this isn’t the right way to go about it,” said a Newsom spokesperson. “The White House should focus on paying their military, lowering grocery prices and honoring these soldiers for their service instead of pompous displays of power. The lack of coordination and communication from the federal government on this event — and the overall impact to our society and economy — is evident of the larger disarray that is the Trump Administration.”

Freeway closures are being considered for a section of I-5 between Orange County to San Diego County from Friday to Saturday, which would cut off a major traffic artery that moves upward of 80,000 travelers a day. A closure with little notice would likely result in massive gridlock from Dana Point in the north to well past Del Mar in the south.

Vance, the first Marine veteran to serve as vice president, is expected to attend the event Saturday along with 15,000 Marines, Sailors, veterans and their families, according to event’s media release. Along with Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to deliver remarks.

Camp Pendleton advised nearby residents that there will be live-fire training with high explosive munitions through Sunday, which will result in some roads on base being closed.

The Trump administration previously had plans for a major celebration next month for the 250th anniversary of the Navy and Marines, which would have included an air and sea show — with the Blue Angels and parading warships — attended by President Trump, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Plans to host that show in San Diego have been called off, the paper reported.

Camp Pendleton is a 125,000-acre base in northwestern San Diego County that has been critical in preparing soldiers for amphibious missions since World War II thanks to its miles of beach and coastal hills. The U.S. Department of Defense is considering making a portion of the base available for development or lease.

Al Jazeera’s Nils Alder has been seeing how Lithuania’s military forces are staying ready, at a time of increasing concern over Russia’s military activity.

Italy host Israel in a World Cup qualifier on October 14, in Udine where the stadium only holds 6,000 spectators.

Israel’s World Cup qualifying match in Italy next week is expected to attract more pro-Palestinian protesters outside the football stadium in Udine than ticket-holding spectators inside the arena.

Protesters already approached the gates of Italy’s training centre in Florence last week to demand that the match not be played because of the war in Gaza — part of a national strike that saw millions of activists take to the streets.

“It’s not going to be a calm environment,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso acknowledged Tuesday from inside the Coverciano training centre that was targeted. “There will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and 5-6,000 inside the stadium.”

As of Monday, only 4,000 tickets were sold for next Tuesday’s match at Stadio Friuli.

While UEFA had been considering suspending Israel over the war and Udine Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni had called for the game to be postponed, with Italy desperately attempting to avoid failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, the four-time champion team doesn’t plan to risk not playing.

“We have to play this match. Because if we don’t, we’ll lose it 3-0,” Gattuso said, referring to the rule for forfeited matches. “[Italian Football Federation] president [Gabriele] Gravina explained that very well.”

There was also tension on the field between the two squads after the final whistle when Italy edged Israel 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller last month in neutral Hungary — where Israel has been playing its “home” matches during the war.

The protesters in Italy and elsewhere have also been reacting to an international aid mission blocked by Israeli forces.

“It’s upsetting to see what’s happening to innocent people and children,” Gattuso said. “It hurts your heart.”

Italy and Israel are level six points behind group leader Norway, with only the first-place finisher in the group to qualify directly for next year’s tournament in North America.

The second-place finishers progress to a playoff — the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled out of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

“Considering that we’re trying to get to the World Cup and we need to give our absolute all, I’m sure you can understand that I would have preferred to play a home game with the enthusiasm that we saw in Bergamo a month ago,” Gattuso said, referring to a 5-0 win over Estonia.

Israel could also face protests during a visit to Norway on Saturday.

The Norwegian soccer federation pledged to give its profits from ticket sales for the game in Oslo to humanitarian work in Gaza by Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym, MSF).

Italy played Israel in Udine last October in the Nations League. That game went off without incident amid a heavy police presence and despite a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the game. Italy won 4-1.

The Italian Football Coaches’ Association (AIAC) wrote to the Italian Football Federation in August, in a letter to be forwarded to European and world football’s governing bodies, calling for Israel to be suspended from international competition due to its war on Gaza.

Election marks landmark moment in country’s post-war transition, but vote is postponed in Druze and Kurdish areas.

Syria has published the results of its first parliamentary election since the government of former President Bashar al-Assad was toppled, revealing that most new members of the revamped People’s Assembly are Sunni Muslim and male.

Electoral commission spokesperson Nawar Najmeh told a press conference on Monday that only four percent of the 119 members selected in the indirect vote were women and only two Christians were among the winners, sparking concerns about inclusivity and fairness.

The election represents a landmark moment in the country’s fragile transition after nearly 14 years of war, but critics say it favours well-connected figures and is likely to keep power concentrated in the hands of Syria’s new rulers, rather than paving the way for genuine democratic change.

News agency AFP cited Najmeh as saying that the number of women in the parliament was “not proportionate to the status of women in Syrian society and their role in political, economic and social life”.

He called the representation of Christians “weak, considering the proportion of Christians in Syria”.

The authorities resorted to an indirect voting system rather than universal suffrage, alluding to a lack of reliable population data following the war, which killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced millions.

Sunni Muslims make up an estimated 75 percent of Syrians. The former al-Assad regime, which was overthrown in December after a nearly 14-year civil war, was largely headed by Syrians from the Alawite minority.

Sunday’s vote saw around 6,000 members of regional electoral colleges choose candidates from preapproved lists, part of a process to produce nearly two-thirds of the new 210-seat body. President Ahmed al-Sharaa will later select the remaining third.

Citing security and political reasons, authorities postponed the vote in areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held parts of Syria’s north and northeast, as well as the province of Suwayda, held by the Druze minority. Those suspensions left 21 seats empty.

Najmeh was cited by news agency AFP as saying the state was “serious” about having “supplementary ballots” to fill the assembly’s seats.

Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid said: “If you ask the Druze in the south or the Kurds in the north, they say [the elections] were not representative.

“If you ask people in major cities, like Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, and other parts of the country, they’re hopeful that this is the first taste of a real election.”

On March 10, Syria’s Kurds and Damascus agreed to integrate Kurdish-administered civil and military institutions in the country’s northeast into the state by the year’s end, but negotiations on implementing the deal have stalled.

Delays in implementing the March 10 agreement meant there were no timetables as yet for ballots in Raqqa and Hasakeh, according to Najmeh.

Najmeh said that the president’s choice would perhaps “compensate” for some underrepresented components of Syrian society, but he rejected the idea of a quota-based system.

Political and rights activist Nour al-Jandali, who was selected for a seat in central Syria’s city of Homs, was quoted by AFP as saying the new lawmakers “have a great responsibility”.

She noted challenges the new legislature faces, including “how we re-establish a state built on freedom, citizenship and justice”, adding that “women must have a real and active role” in drafting public policy.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he would be scoreboard watching on Sunday afternoon.

But he insisted he didn’t care how things played out.

His team, of course, had already been locked in as the National League’s No. 3 seed, set to host a best-of-three wild card series at Dodger Stadium starting Tuesday.

What wasn’t clear until the end of play on Sunday, however, was whether the Dodgers would be facing the Cincinnati Reds or New York Mets to open the postseason.

“I honestly don’t really care, I really don’t,” Roberts said. “I think the way we’re playing right now, it doesn’t matter who we play.”

In a photo finish for the NL’s final wild-card berth, it was the Reds who earned the final ticket to the postseason, clinching in spite of their Sunday loss to the Milwaukee Brewers thanks to the Mets’ defeat in Miami at the hand of the Marlins.

Thus, it will be the Reds coming to Chavez Ravine this week, trying to halt the Dodgers’ defense of last year’s championship.

“It’s a gritty group. It’s a hungry group. It’s certainly a younger group,” Roberts said after the matchup was set. “These guys are going to be coming in to win a series. They’re feeling really good about themselves. So we’ve got to focus on ourselves and take it to them.”

Here are nine things to know about the Reds ahead of Game 1 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday at 6:08 p.m. (ESPN):

Italian race organiser says there is high possibility of race disruption due to participation of Israeli team.

The Israel-Premier Tech cycling team has been excluded from Italy’s upcoming Giro dell’Emilia competition due to concerns over public safety, race organisers said.

The decision announced on Saturday comes after the recent Vuelta a Espana cycling race suffered several disruptions by pro-Palestinian protesters who took to the streets of the Spanish capital, Madrid, to block the participation of Israel-Premier Tech, forcing the cancellation of the race’s final stage.

Calls for Israel to be excluded from global sporting events, festivals and music competitions have been growing since the country’s invasion of Gaza, which has killed almost 66,000 Palestinians, in an operation the United Nations has described as a “genocide”.

“It is with regret that, following recent events and given the characteristics of the final circuit, for the safety of all athletes, technical staff, and spectators, I have had to forgo the participation of the Team this year,” said Adriano Amici, organiser of the one-day Giro dell’Emilia, which will take place on October 4, finishing in Bologna.

“We had to make this decision for reasons of public security,” Amici told the Reuters news agency.

“There’s too much danger for both the Israel Tech riders and others. The race’s final circuit is run five times so the possibility of the race being disrupted is very high,” he said.

Police in the Italian city of Milan clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters on Monday, during a nationwide strike in Italy called by trade unions to protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The Giro dell’Emilia race concludes with a climb to the Madonna di San Luca sanctuary, not far from the historic centre of Bologna, which has a large student population and a long history of left-wing politics.

Bologna’s local government, which is controlled by the centre-left Democratic Party, called for Israel-Premier Tech’s exclusion from the race, noting the Israeli government’s guilt in carrying out “serious crimes against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip”.

Roberta Li Calzi, the city’s sport councillor, welcomed the decision to exclude the Israeli team, which is owned by Israeli-Canadian property developer Sylvan Adams.

Adams, the president of the Israel region of the World Jewish Congress, is referred to by that organisation as “committed to promoting Israel’s global image”.

“Given what is happening in Gaza it would have been hypocritical to consider the presence of a team linked to this [Israeli] government as insignificant,” Calzi said in a statement.

Pressure is mounting on Israel on all fronts over its brutal war and continued ignoring of international calls to end the slaughter of Palestinians.

European football’s governing body, UEFA, is expected to soon vote on whether to suspend Israel’s football team, whose men’s side is in the middle of attempting to qualify for next year’s World Cup, from all competitions under its jurisdiction. The 20-member UEFA ruling committee is expected to secure a majority to exclude Israel from games if that vote is called.

Members of the Eurovision Song Contest are also due to vote on excluding Israel from the 2026 competition due to its military onslaught in Gaza.

Sept. 26 (UPI) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to complete a deal to keep TikTok active for 170 million U.S. users with U.S. investors owning 80% of the company.

The deal creates a U.S. entity to control TikTok while ByteDance will maintain less than a 20% stake. A board of directors composed chiefly of Americans will oversee the operation of TikTok, including its highly sought-after algorithm.

Data on U.S. users will be stored and managed by Oracle, a technology company based in Nashville. ByteDance partnered with Oracle in 2020 to house U.S. user data in the United States due to concerns about data security from the U.S. government.

During the signing of the executive order at the White House, Trump said the deal was approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a phone conversation last week.

“He gave us the go ahead,” Trump said. “I told him what we’re doing and he said go ahead with it.”

Speaking to the details of the deal, Trump named some of the investors, including Rupert Murdoch and Mike Lindell. Vice President J.D. Vance said more information about the other investors will be announced in the coming days.

Vance added that TikTok will be valued at $14 billion.

Asked if TikTok will begin to favor “MAGA” content, Trump said it will be fair.

“If I could make it 100% MAGA I would but it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately,” Trump said. “Everyone is going to be treated fairly. Every group, every philosophy will be treated fairly.”

The executive order says the president will have the authority to determine that TikTok has undergone a “qualified divestiture” through an interagency process. If the president makes this determination, the act’s prohibitions can be removed.

The deal will bring TikTok into compliance with the law passed by U.S. Congress last year requiring it to be owned and operated by a U.S. company. Congress passed the law out of concern that the application posed a national security threat, due to ByteDance being based in China.

There is still more information to come about the agreement between the United States, ByteDance and China. The executive order has been signed but it will take weeks to months for the divestiture and formation of the new TikTok corporate structure to be complete, said Norman Bishara, professor of business law and ethics in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at Michigan.

“The devil is in the details,” Bishara said. “Until we really see this in writing and have all the details it’s hard to fully assess if they are complying with the letter of the law and the spirit of what Congress wanted in the first place.”

The White House stated the federal government will not play a role in selecting members for TikTok’s board, but the president’s role in brokering the agreement is “extraordinary,” Bishara said.

“Even without the direct control of the U.S. government or the ‘golden share’ that’s been discussed, it still seems a safe bet that the folks on the U.S. side like Silver Lake [Technology Management] and Oracle are aligned with the interest of the government and the Trump administration,” he said.

Andrew Verstein, professor of law at UCLA, told UPI the TikTok deal responds to concerns expressed by Congress, localizing operations in the United States. However, the inherent nature of its algorithm will still require data to cross borders.

“We were worried that a Chinese-owned and Chinese-controlled company with a pretty complicated technical architecture was up to bad things. So we passed a law,” Verstein said. “What we got was a compromise. The company is going to be largely owned by Americans and partially controlled by Americans, but not fully owned and controlled by Americans. So this is a compromise between those two visions and in some ways it’s worse than both things.”

Verstein said the new concern that the deal creates is that the perceived “bad things” that Congress and national security experts worried about China doing — surveillance, propaganda campaigns and misinformation — will be continued under American control.

“Granting Americans equity in the company gives them a greater incentive to do whatever is most profitable, including whatever was happening before,” he said. “It tempts them but you’re happy with that if you’re handing money out to your friends.”

TikTok creators, business owners and advertising firms have watched the ongoing saga closely as threats of the application shutting down in America have persisted for five years.

“Everybody will be very happy that the deal is done and things are settling in a final state,” Evan Horowitz, co-founder and CEO of Movers+Shakers, a marketing agency focused on social media, told UPI. “It’s been five years now that TikTok has been in this state of uncertainty and that’s been stressful for people. That’s been stressful for brand assessment, stressful for creators, stressful for consumers, because there’s this constant threat of TikTok going away.”

As Horowitz expresses relief, he remains concerned about whether the application will remain largely as it is.

“The algorithm is the number one key to TikTok’s success,” he said. “So what happens to the algorithm and how they’re able to port that or share that is going to be critical for the long-term viability of TikTok.”

The makeup of the new board also raises questions.

“One of the keys to TikTok’s success is that it’s an open and inclusive platform and that has attracted a very wide and diverse audience over the years,” Horowitz said. “If in the future it seems like TikTok will not be inclusive and open to all people and viewpoints that would present a major challenge for the community.”

As Horowitz’s company has navigated the years of uncertainty around TikTok, he said he has encouraged clients to stay focused on what is known rather than unknown. In the meantime he has monitored alternatives to the platform as social media platforms tend to come and go over time.

“Our expectation is if TikTok were either to vanish or dwindle gradually, the winners are going to be Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts,” he said. “They’re still not quite as good and the audience is not as robust but if people start being dissatisfied with TikTok for any reason, they’re going to be moving to Reels and Shorts.”

Miriam Margolyes appeared in a pre-recorded clip on BBC Breakfast, where she choked back tears

Miriam Margolyes choked back tears after addressing her health concerns on Saturday (September 27).

The beloved actress featured in a pre-recorded segment on today’s BBC Breakfast, where she spoke to presenter Charlie Stayt about her illustrious career.

She also paused to address her wellbeing amid recent rumours. Miriam previously disclosed that she and her partner are preparing to relocate to Tuscany, sparking concern amongst fans who feared she might be unwell.

“There has been quite a lot of press speculation because you’ve said you’re leaving the UK to go and spend more time elsewhere, Tuscany I think it is. And I think people read into that that maybe you’re not well,” Charlie began.

“Two years ago, I had a TAVI [Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation] operation or a procedure. I had a cow’s aortic valve. I was offered a pig’s, and I said, ‘No, I’m Jewish. I better have a cow just to keep it level,”” Miriam explained, reports the Express.

“They used that as if I was dying now. I’m no more dying than you’re dying. Because we’re all dying eventually, but I don’t know when and I hope it’s a long time away.”

Charlie then said: “Well, there will be many people who are reassured to hear that from you.”

Miriam added: “I’m perfectly fine. I’m 84, I’ve got various ailments, a weak bladder which is because I didn’t do pelvic floor exercises. But I am fine. I am not mental. I am a working actress and an extremely successful writer.”

The star later grew tearful as she reflected on cherished memories of her late mother, including the duo belting out musical numbers together.

Miriam is currently performing in her solo show, entitled Miriam Margolyes: From A to Z, which is touring throughout the UK and Ireland. The production showcases touching tales from her youth, alongside professional stories.

“I do not [sing]. I look as if I can sing. I do sing in my show, only one song which is Daisy, Daisy. My mother, whom I adored, used to sing musical songs with me. She played the piano and she wanted to be an actress,” Miriam disclosed.

She emotionally continued: “When she had a stroke, which was after I told her I was gay, and I think it really crushed her, the only words that she could speak were, ‘I can’t afford a carriage,’ and that makes me think of her when I sing it.”

Charlie then remarked: “And for those that don’t know, that’s a line from the song [Daisy, Daisy]. I can see that gets you, even just recounting the story.”

Miriam concluded: “I’m aware of being old, although still spirited. And it makes me remember when I was little and I was with her. I loved her so much. Life’s a rollercoaster, thank God we’re still rolling.”

BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am

The Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman has addressed the backlash the Netflix film adaptation has received.

Last month, the eagerly awaited film version of The Thursday Murder Club dropped on Netflix.

Drawing from the debut novel in Richard Osman’s bestselling series, the movie showcased a stellar ensemble including Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Helen Mirren, under Chris Columbus’s direction.

The plot centres on four pensioners residing at Coopers Chase retirement community nestled in picturesque English countryside. Weekly, they convene to examine cold cases and unsolved crimes.

Yet chaos ensues when these amateur sleuths become entangled in an actual investigation following a genuine killing.

While book enthusiasts were thrilled to witness the tale brought to the screen, numerous viewers felt let down by the adaptation, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Speaking about the criticism during a This Morning appearance, writer Richard Osman confessed he harboured doubts about certain film elements that strayed from his original work.

The 54-year-old even raised these concerns with Steven Spielberg, who served as producer via his Amblin Entertainment company.

When Ben enquired whether he now visualises his characters as the film’s cast members, Cat pointed out how differently Ron appears in the book versus Pierce Brosnan’s portrayal.

Richard responded: “He is very different! I wasn’t involved in the film, really, so I claim no credit for it.”

Ben asked Richard about his thoughts on the film adaptation of his book, which had sparked some controversy among fans.

He asked: “It’s not quite the same, significantly different parts from the book. How have you responded to that? How do you feel about that?”

Richard responded: “I’ve written my version of the book and that’s the Thursday Murder Club and it’s available in all good book shops and it’ll be there forever, that’s my version.

“That’s the version that’s come from my heart. I’m not going to be the person to sit down and do an adaptation for a film because I’ve done it already, so you have to give it to brilliant people.”

The author emphasised that the book had to be condensed into a two-hour film, which would’ve been considerably longer if everything he’d written was included.

He added: “They have to make choices that you wouldn’t necessarily make yourself. But that’s the fun of the thing.”

Ben then questioned whether Richard had the opportunity to voice any concerns to the production crew. Richard admitted: “I can reveal, I did say that a couple of times.”

When Cat asked if he had spoken to Stephen Spielberg, Richard confirmed he had, jokingly adding: “Ask me if he listened. But they know what they’re doing!”

This Morning continues weekdays on ITV from 10. The Thursday Murder Club is available to stream on Netflix.

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The European Commission on Friday accepted the concessions proposed by Microsoft concerning its Teams platform Teams to resolve an antitrust case it has been entangled in since July 2023.

To allay charges of abuse of dominance, Microsoft has proposed to offer customers its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 applications without Teams at a lower price than the suites including Teams and committed not to offering discount rates on Teams higher than those offered on suites without Teams.

It also offered interoperability to competitors with certain Microsoft products and proposed to allow customers to extract their Teams messaging data for use in competing solutions.

The case was opened in July 2023 following complaints from competing office platform Slack and in 2024 from Alfaview, accusing Microsoft of abusing its dominant position by bundling Teams with its Office and Microsoft 365 suites.

In June 2024, the Commission made a preliminary finding that the US tech giant was abusing its dominant position in the professional software market.

A year later, the Commission launched a market test on commitments offered by Microsoft which lead Slack and Alfaview to withdraw their complaints.

“Organisations big and small across Europe and around the world rely heavily on videoconferencing, chat and collaboration tools, especially since the coronavirus pandemic,” EU competition commissioner Teresa Ribera said in a statement, adding that the decision “opens up competition in this crucial market, and ensures that businesses can freely choose the communication and collaboration product that best suits their needs.”

The Commission’s decision makes Microsoft’s commitments binding for seven years and for 10 years regarding interoperability and data portability.

“We turn now to implementing these new obligations promptly and fully,” Nanna-Louise Linde, Vice President of Microsoft’s European Government Affairs, said in a statement.

If the company fails to meet its commitments, the Commission could impose a fine of up to 10% of its global annual revenue.

Ethiopia has inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Africa’s largest hydro power project. Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith says the dam is a source of national pride but remains contentious among downstream nations including Egypt and Sudan.

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (UPI) — The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan met in Seoul on Monday to discuss cooperation across a range of issues, including North Korea‘s growing nuclear and missile threats.

The meeting between South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his counterpart, Gen Nakatani, marked the first visit by a Japanese defense minister to Seoul since 2015. Nakatani is in town to attend the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual security forum that runs from Monday to Wednesday.

The ministers “reaffirmed their firm commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and agreed to continue South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” they announced in a joint statement.

“They also emphasized the need to jointly address the deepening of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia,” the statement added.

North Korea has deployed troops, artillery and missiles to Russia to aid in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, and is believed to be receiving financial support and advanced military technology for its own weapons programs in return.

The meeting comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing last week to attend a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Kim stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the display of military might in Tiananmen Square, the first time the three leaders have been seen together publicly.

The appearance was viewed by many analysts as a major diplomatic win for Kim in his efforts to further cement North Korea’s status as a de facto nuclear state.

Ahn and Nakatani stressed the importance of promoting bilateral security ties and three-way cooperation with the United States amid a “rapidly changing security environment,” their joint statement said.

The defense chiefs agreed to boost mutual visits and personnel exchanges while seeking opportunities for high-tech defense cooperation.

“In particular, they agreed to explore future-oriented and mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities in cutting-edge science and technology fields such as AI, unmanned systems and space,” the statement said.

Seoul and Tokyo have seen their historically frosty relations thaw in recent years. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met last month and called for closer cooperation on trade and security issues.

Ishiba, however, announced his resignation on Sunday, raising questions about the future of Tokyo’s diplomatic relationship with Seoul.

South Korea’s presidential office said Monday that it planned to “continue positive relations going forward” with Japan, news agency Yonhap reported.

“A nation that destroy its soils, destroy itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” _ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Human activities are causing climate change, which is certainly a sad reality. Through our own hands, we are all equally responsible for destroying our motherland, like burning fossil fuels, which is causing a long-term shift in Earth’s average weather patterns. Numerous other acts are leading to a range of influences, including rising sea levels, more frequent and intense extreme weather events, and disturbances to ecosystems and human social order. Scientists predicted that global temperature will increase from human-made greenhouse gases, which will increase and intensify severe weather damage. What? Scientists predicted a long time ago we are seeing its effects already, such as sea level rise, the loss of sea ice, melting glaciers and ice sheets, and more intense heat waves. The possible future effects of worldwide climate change consist of an increase in the wind intensity and rainfall from tropical cyclones, longer periods of drought in some areas, and more frequent wildfires. The more concerning fact is that some changes, such as droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall, are happening quicker than what scientists have assessed previously. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body established to assess the science associated with climate change, today’s generation has never observed changes like this in their global climate before, and some of these changes are irreversible over the next hundreds to thousands of years.

“The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss the brief, rapidly closing window to secure a livable future.” _ (INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE)

Scientists show their concern over climate; if it continues to warm, then the intensity of hurricane-associated rainfall rate will increase. We will see in upcoming years that drought and heat waves are expected to become more penetrating and cold waves less penetrating and less frequent. If the current projection holds, the Arctic Ocean will likely become essentially ice-free in late summer due to the sea ice that covers the Arctic Ocean being expected to continue decreasing. While scientific models are powerful tools for predicting future climate scenarios, uncertainties remain. Factors such as natural climate variability, solar activity, and oceanic cycles sometimes make long-term predictions challenging. These uncertainties highlight the need for continued research to refine models and improve their accuracy. Climate change threatens biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are altering habitats, pushing many species toward extinction. The collapse of ecosystems like coral reefs and rainforests could have far-reaching consequences for food chains and human livelihoods. Despite scientific warnings, achieving global consensus on emission reductions remains difficult. Delays in policy implementation risk locking the planet into higher levels of warming, making adaptation more costly and less effective in the future.

“Climate change does not respect borders; it does not respect who you are—rich or poor, small or big. Therefore, this is what we call global challenges, which require global solidarity.” _ BAN KI-MOON

To prevent our planet from global warming and heal it, we all need to work in solidarity, as Ban Ki-moon said in his quote. We need to switch to renewable energy like solar, wind, and hydropower instead of fossil fuels. It is important to protect existing forests to maintain biodiversity and carbon sinks. Need to restore wetlands and mangroves, as they store large amounts of carbon and protect coastlines. It is better to adopt climate-smart farming practices like crop rotation and organic farming. We need to minimize single-use plastics and promote recycling. Use energy-efficient buildings with proper insulation and green rooftops. Methods such as geoengineering should be used for solar radiation management but with great caution. For a clean fuel alternative, the use of green hydrogen would be a much better option. The international agreements, like the Paris Accord, set global emission targets. To support climate research for better solutions and innovations.

CONCLUSION

The scientific concerns regarding climate change go beyond rising temperatures; they encompass melting ice sheets, biodiversity loss, extreme weather, and uncertainties in predicting future impacts. While progress has been made in understanding the crisis, the growing evidence suggests that immediate, collective, and science-driven action is essential. Climate change is not just an environmental issue—it is a global challenge demanding urgent attention from policymakers, scientists, and societies worldwide. Individual efforts to reduce global warming are that we should conserve energy by switching off lights and electronics when not in use. Also, using energy-efficient appliances, such as LEDs, solar panels, etc. We can use sustainable transport like public transport or cycle, carpool, or walk if distances are not too long. We all need to participate in afforestation or community gardening projects. Plus, eat more plant-based foods and reduce meat and dairy consumption to lower methane emissions. The most important thing that we all need to do is to spread awareness by educating others about climate change and supporting eco-friendly policies.

Rams coach Sean McVay was not talking.

Aubrey Pleasant deferred to McVay. And Stetson Bennett was so busy leading a comeback victory, he said he did not notice.

No one in the Rams’ organization could answer these questions:

How did Matthew Stafford’s scheduled workout on Saturday play out? And was he at the Rams’ 23-22 victory over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium?

A team spokesman declined to comment, saying McVay would address the situation on Monday.

So the Stafford saga plays on, incrementally worsening as the Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans draws near.

Stafford, 37, is preparing for his 17th NFL season.

Check that: He would be if not for a back issue that has prevented him from taking a single snap or throwing a single pass during a team practice.

In late July, when the Rams reported to training camp at Loyola Marymount and Stafford’s back issue came to light, the situation was cause for concern.

For everyone, it seemed, but McVay.

The Rams had a plan, he said. He was not concerned. Stafford would not practice for the first week, but he would be out there with teammates in Week 2.

It did not happen.

Nearly a month later, it still hasn’t.

McVay said last week that the Rams were “trying to get our hands around” the situation.

But time is becoming shorter.

The Rams are three weeks away from the season opener at SoFi Stadium.

Jimmy Garoppolo has taken first-team snaps during team workouts and joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. Bennett has started preseason games against the Cowboys and the Chargers.

Garoppolo led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl. Bennett is playing with the confidence he displayed while leading Georgia to two national titles.

With a physically sound Stafford, the Rams would be regarded as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

With Garoppolo or Bennett…

How much time Stafford would need to be ready for the opener is an open question.

Three weeks? Two? One?

No one questions Stafford’s toughness or grit. Or his desire to win another Super Bowl.

But for now, his physical condition and availability — and the Rams’ prospects this season and beyond — remain in doubt.