Tiger Woods was suspended from driving for five years and fined after reaching a plea deal at a Florida court Wednesday in connection with a rollover crash in March.
The golf legend pleaded guilty to reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful urinalysis test. The agreement also includes a $1,000 fine.
Woods, 50, initially pleaded not guilty after being charged with driving under the influence on March 27. His Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side and he was arrested by police officers who responded to the incident after he failed a sobriety test.
An arrest affidavit indicated Woods said he was looking at his cellphone and changing the radio station when the crash occurred. The breathalyzer test showed no traces of alcohol, but Woods refused to take a urine test, had two hydrocodone pills in his pocket and admitted to taking “a few pills,” the report said.
Woods’ attorney, Douglas Duncan, pleaded not guilty to both charges March 31 and requested a jury trial. The judge allowed Woods to leave the country for inpatient treatment at a rehab facility in Switzerland.
Woods’ pivot to recovery came after a barrage of headlines about his rollover crash and unfocused, hiccups-laden aftermath captured on police officers’ body cameras that included a phone call to President Trump, the failed field sobriety tests, handcuffs and a drive to jail in the back seat of a squad car.
At a hearing in May, Steele granted prosecutors’ request for access to “any and all prescription medication on file” for Woods, including type of prescription, number of pills and dosage amount. Those details presumably would have been submitted as evidence at a trial, which now will not take place.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said in a statement in March. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery. I’m committed to taking the time needed to return to a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally.”
Woods’ struggles with prescription drugs became public in 2017 when police found him asleep at the wheel of his car with the engine running near his Jupiter, Fla., home. Painkillers, sleep aids and THC were detected in his system. Woods checked into rehab shortly after that incident, saying his efforts to manage insomnia and pain from his staggering number of back surgeries on his own was a mistake.
The latest crash is the fourth major incident involving Woods behind the wheel since 2009.
“I feel bad for Tiger,” fellow golf great Jack Nicklaus told the Palm Beach Post in April. “He’s been taking painkillers for a long time and I don’t know how much pain he’s in. But I don’t think he’d be taking them if he didn’t need them.”
Woods first hurt his back as a high school sophomore in 1992 when he became the youngest golfer to play in a PGA Tour event, shooting a one-over-par 72 at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. That began a career-threatening battle with back injuries that includes seven surgeries since 2014 — several microdiscectomies, a 2017 lumbar fusion and most recently a lumbar disc replacement performed in October 2025.
“Tiger Woods’ experience with spinal disease highlights a real and under-recognized issue among modern-era golfers,” said Dr. Corey Walker of the Barrow Neurological Institute. “Tiger’s use of the mechanics of the modern-day swing places a tremendous strain on the back.”
Woods last played in an official PGA Tour event at The Open Championship on July 19, 2024, at Royal Troon, missing the cut.
Syria has suffered its worst bloodshed since Bashar Al-Assad was ousted in December, with more than 1,000 people reported killed in violence that has swept the coastal region of the country since Thursday. The violence has pitted the Islamist-led government’s security forces against fighters from Assad’s Alawite minority.
The dead include hundreds of Alawite civilians, whom the a British-based organisation that reports on the conflict, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported were killed in reprisals after attacks on security forces.
What has driven the violence; how has interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa reacted; and what have world powers said?
The violence began to spiral on Thursday, when the authorities said that their forces in the coastal region came under attack from fighters aligned with the ousted Assad regime. The interim government poured reinforcements into the area, which is heavily populated by Alawites, to crush what it described as a deadly, well-planned and premeditated assault by remnants of the previous regime.
As government reinforcements deployed, mosques in regions loyal to the new administration began calling on people to wage jihad, or holy struggle, in support of security forces.
By Friday afternoon, reports began emerging of scores of civilians being killed in sectarian reprisals in Alawite towns and villages. As of Sunday evening, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 973 civilians were killed in reprisal attacks carried out by government forces or fighters aligned with them. More than 250 Alawite fighters were killed and more than 230 members of government security forces were also killed, it added. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the tolls.
The Alawites are the second-largest religious group in Syria after Sunni Muslims. Their faith is an offshoot of Shia Islam. The Assad regime recruited heavily from the Alawite community for its army and security apparatus, which was notorious for its brutality during more than five decades of the family’s rule.
This put many Alawites on the front lines of the civil war that erupted out of protests against Assad’s rule in 2011. The conflict took on a sectarian dimension as Sunni Muslim rebel groups sought to topple the Assad government which was backed by Shia Iran, Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah movement and others.
Al-Sharaa led the most powerful Sunni group fighting Assad. Known as the Nusra Front, the group was part of Al-Qaeda until he severed ties with the jihadist network in 2016 and renamed his organisation. In a 2015 interview with Al Jazeera, Al-Sharaa described the Alawites as part of a sect that “moved outside the religion of God and of Islam” and urged them to renounce Assad and change their beliefs to remain safe.
Since Assad was ousted, the interim president has pledged to run Syria in an inclusive way. But while he has publicly engaged Kurds, Christians and Druze, there have been no declared meetings between him and senior Alawite figures. Many Alawites say that they suffered like other Syrians under the rule of Assad and his father, both of whom came from the sect.
Prior to Thursday’s escalation, Alawite activists had reported violence and attacks on their community following Assad’s ouster, particularly in rural Homs and Latakia.
In a speech on Sunday, Al-Sharaa said that remnants of the Assad government, supported by external parties, were seeking to create strife and drag Syria back into civil war with the aim of dividing it. He promised to form a fact-finding committee and said its findings would be made public, vowing to bring to account anyone involved “in the bloodshed of civilians” or mistreating them.
He has also announced the formation of a committee aimed at preserving civil peace, which would be tasked with communicating with the people on the coast and providing them with the support they needed to guarantee their protection.
The violence has prompted international alarm.
The United States, which imposes sanctions on Damascus, urged the Syrian authorities to hold accountable the “radical Islamist terrorists” [sic] that had killed people in Syria and said it stood with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on social media that atrocities committed against the Alawites showed that Al-Sharaa had revealed his “true face” as a jihadist.
However, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, allies of Damascus, both signalled their backing for the interim administration as violence was escalating last week. Riyadh condemned “crimes being undertaken by outlaw groups” in Syria and their targeting of security forces.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country has forces on the ground in north-west Syria, has urged calm and said unnamed foreign elements were partly to blame.
Iran, which backed Assad through the war, has warned that the violence in Syria could cause regional instability.
Six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen was arrested Sunday in downtown Indianapolis on suspicion of drunken driving.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers observed a vehicle parked in a no-parking zone on the 100 block of South Meridian Street shortly after 1 a.m. and conducted a traffic investigation. While speaking to the driver, who was later identified as Allen, officers noticed signs of intoxication.
Following further investigation, the longtime Chargers player and current Indianapolis Colts receiver was arrested on preliminary misdemeanor charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher) and OVWI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated) endangering a person.
Jail records show that Allen was released Sunday afternoon and has a court date scheduled for Sept. 16.
“An arrest and a charge are merely accusations, and Allen should be considered innocent unless and until found guilty in court,” the police department said in a statement. “The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make the final charging decision.”
Allen was selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2013 draft and made the Pro Bowl each year from 2017 to 2021 and again in 2023. After playing with the Chicago Bears in 2024 and returning to the Chargers last season, Allen signed with the Colts earlier this month and was included on their initial 53-man roster when it was released Sunday evening.
“We are aware of the incident involving Keenan Allen last night,” the Colts said in a statement earlier on Sunday. “We are in the process of gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”
Allen has 1,055 career receptions (13th all time) for 12,051 yards (33rd all time) with 70 touchdown catches (52nd all time).
JESY Nelson has shared a loved up snap with her new boyfriend Ben Davies after they were caught up in a bar row last week.
The former Little Mix star, 35, took to her Instagram stories on Wednesday evening to post the sweet picture.
Jesy Nelson has shared a loved-up snap with her new boyfriendCredit: InstagramShe shared a snap of her man Ben Davies while drivingCredit: jesynelson/ Instagram
In the photo, Ben could be seen driving as he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other interlocked into Jesy’s hand.
He was sporting an all-black look with a Givenchy t-shirt and a matching cap.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
The pair appeared to be loved-up as she posted the picture during their outing together.
The two were spotted together at the London venue Jin Bo Law after appearing to grow close, with the singer later sharing a picture of a tattooed arm as she enjoyed drinks on a rooftop.
An eyewitness who saw them together at the time said Jesy “looked like she was having a great time”, adding that it was “massively deserved after everything she’s been through”.
She’s been through an incredibly tough time over the past year and a half after her twin daughters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe were diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1.
The rare and severe condition causes muscle weakness and can affect movement, breathing and swallowing.
Jesy was first linked to landscape gardener Ben earlier this monthCredit: SuppliedShe’s been through a tough time over the past year after her twins’ diagnosisCredit: Instagram
Jesy has been documenting her daughters’ health battle and has spoken openly about the emotional toll of watching them undergo treatment.
Jesy has previously described the girls’ health journey as one of the hardest experiences of her life.
In the private home studio left behind by his father, Shane Hawkins is hitting the drums hard. The teenager behind the kit is locked into “Driven to Tears,” the Police’s reggae-charged protest song, channeling its sharp, syncopated beats with controlled fury.
His long blond hair swings across his face as Hawkins loses himself in the moment, tapping into a brisk echo of ’80s rock. He then shifts into the thundering blues of Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard,” driving into the heavier groove while surrounded by the instruments, gear and treasured memorabilia of his late father, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022.
Joining him in this rehearsal are bassist Wiley Hodgden and guitarist Brent Woods, who played hard-rocking cover songs in Taylor’s side project Chevy Metal for more than two decades. After Taylor’s death, the Foo Fighters carried on, but Chevy Metal were certain they could not. Shane changed that.
“Wiley and I were in agreement, like, it’s done,” says Woods. “Shane was the one that said, ‘I want to do Chevy.’”
For Taylor’s son, the band was one more thing he didn’t want to let go.
“It was a part of my childhood and it’s like, my dad was gone and these people that I’ve watched my whole childhood, they’re still there,” says Shane, 19. “Why not keep something going? And it’s just honoring my dad, you know?”
Most of the music world first saw Shane behind the drums during Foo Fighters’ performance of “My Hero” at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at Wembley Stadium on Sept. 3, 2022. He was 16 and already obsessed with drums, but he says it wasn’t until that moment that he knew he wanted to devote his life making music.
“It was a gnarly time,” Shane recalls. “You had to pull that off. You can’t really f— that up.
“I played for a lot of people, and there’s only one feeling like that — especially playing the drums. Once you do that, you never want to do anything else.”
With Chevy Metal, Shane is in a band committed to playing songs mostly created before he was born, with a typical setlist including songs by Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, Rush and the Doors. His presence now means leaning more often into classic punk rock. During their live sets, Shane will usually take the mic to growl through the Bad Brains’ speedy “Big Takeover,” pacing the stage and banging his head.
“We’re playing the Germs now,” says Woods. “We’re playing Black Flag, which we never did before.”
Shane Hawkins plays drums with Chevy Metal at the Viper Room.
(Steve Appleford)
Chevy Metal shows routinely feature surprise guests. Dave Grohl and other Foos have frequently appeared. So have Mick Jagger and players from Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns ‘N Roses and more. Even tennis star John McEnroe once joined the band on guitar at a Malibu gig, alongside his wife, singer Patty Smyth.
One regular guest is Lee Ving, singer for the pioneering L.A. punk band Fear. “Lee is like the elder statesman, and then we got Shane, who is so young,” Hodgden says of the age range. “You never see that unless it’s maybe a church band or something.”
Another regular is Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, a family friend whose son Revel also plays music with Shane.
“He’s a great dude and he is a monster drummer,” Scott says of Shane. “I sit and I watch him and Revel play together. It’s so great to see, especially in a world where a lot of younger kids don’t pick up instruments anymore. They live, eat, sleep, breathe, bleed, rock music.”
Until this month, the resurrected Chevy Metal could only perform during Shane’s breaks from his boarding school on the East Coast, but he is newly graduated and ready to play. The trio performs Saturday at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach as part of a series of shows that will take the band to the U.K. Shane is also working with other young players on new material.
“He’s already jamming with kids his own age and friends that he’s had for years, and starting his own project,” says Woods. “But this is good for him to learn, just to play in different venues and travel around and get his feet wet playing covers.”
Chevy Metal once served a similar purpose for Taylor, a favorite pastime alongside his Foo Fighters work. Hodgden has been part of the Foo Fighters crew for 24 years, both on the road and at their studio 606, starting as Taylor’s drum tech. Before that, he was a bartender newly arrived from Oklahoma that the drummer befriended.
In 2002, Hodgden and original guitarist Achim “Dange” St. Dangerfield started the band as an acoustic duo doing cover songs. Taylor was a regular, Hodgden says, turning to Shane. “There’d be two drunks at the bar, and then your dad sitting there heckling us,” Hodgden says with a laugh. “We go into ‘Hotel California,’ and he’s like, ‘Oh, great song choice, guys.’”
The Foos drummer soon wanted in.
“Taylor was trying to come up with names and he’s like, ‘How about Chevy Metal?’ And I said, ‘Well, you can’t really name the band. You’re not in it,’” Hodgden adds. “But we jammed all the time up at his house, and then one day we’re playing and it sounded good. And Taylor stood up and said, ‘I’m gonna be your drummer and we’re gonna call it Chevy Metal.’ And I was like, that’s a rad name.”
“He got to be the boss in this band and steer the ship and do whatever he wanted,” says Hodgden. “But also it was low pressure and it was all about fun.”
Taylor filled much of his downtime making more music. Aside from Chevy Metal, he recorded new songs with the Coattail Riders (which included Woods) and, earlier, the Birds of Satan (including Hodgden).
“He never stopped,” Woods recalls. “He would call me at 7 a.m. and go, ‘What are you doin? Get up here!’ He’d go to bed probably at midnight, one o’clock, and he’s up taking the kids to school, he’s mountain biking, and he’s ready to roll. I was still sleeping, but he would be up every day wanting to create and work.”
Woods saw Chevy Metal’s first show with Taylor at Abuelitas in Topanga Canyon in 2002. After Dange moved up north to work as a teacher, Woods eventually became Chevy Metal’s new guitarist. Woods grew up in Burbank and took guitar lessons from Randy Rhoads, best known for his work on Ozzy Osbourne’s early solo albums.
“He was such a great lead player, but he was adamant that if you can’t play rhythm, it doesn’t matter how great of a lead player you are,” Woods says of Rhoads, who emphasized “rhythm and feel.”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here right now if it wasn’t for Randy teaching me.”
Growing up initially in Topanga Canyon, the first beat Shane learned to play was the thunderous drum fill from Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Then came Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” By 13, he was spending hours each day practicing alone in the basement at his boarding school.
“There were no other kids that really played at the school, so I’d just sit down and play,” he says.
Shane grew up watching both Foo Fighters and Chevy Metal shows. “I’d sit behind my dad and watch him play and watch people just go crazy,” says Shane. “And as a kid, you think that’s the coolest thing in the world, because it is. It’s the best feeling.”
The band Chevy Metal — bassist Wiley Hodgden, left, drummer Shane Hawkins and guitarist Brent Woods — gestures downstairs at the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip.
(Steve Appleford)
Taylor’s home studio was built in a guest house behind his family’s home in Hidden Hills, a gated community on the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley. Inside, the walls are still covered with his guitars, posters, photographs and other relics from his favorite artists: Aerosmith, Rush, Bowie, Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden.
The reborn Chevy Metal still rehearses in what Woods describes as Taylor’s “man cave.”
“He put a lot of work into making this room what it is right now,” says Shane. “I remember him precisely making sure every picture was hung up in the exact place. And every banner was hung perfectly and every speaker was placed perfectly for your ear.”
The band recorded a lot of songs here with Taylor, and they hope to release some of that material from the vault. They plan on more recording with his son.
Before Shane graduated high school, the last time Chevy Metal played a hometown show was at the Viper Room on New Year’s Eve. It was also a gathering of rock ’n’ roll families, as second-generation musicians took turns onstage with Chevy Metal, representing the offspring of Guns ‘N Roses, Jane’s Addiction and Anthrax.
During the sound check, the band ran through songs by U2 and Foreigner, and Shane hammered the drums at full volume. Afterward, he was chatting with Scott Ian, who advised him: “You never want to be great at dress rehearsal. You want to be good at dress rehearsal, and then be great at the show.”
Shane nodded, but for now, he says he can only play at one level: loud.
As Shane sat in the dressing room before Chevy Metal’s set, Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins walked in, asking, “Where’s the drummer?” Then he spotted Shane, smiled, grabbed his hand and said, “There he is!”
Everyone knows the stars of Southern California’s driving landscape: Pacific Coast Highway, the cinematic connector of beach cities; Angeles Crest Highway, a stunning and winding mountain route; and “The Snake,” Mulholland Highway’s infamous roadway that reopened late last year.
A sign along California 33 near Ojai.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
But there’s a less-traveled route that feels just as quintessentially SoCal: California 33 to Hudson Ranch Road, passing through Ojai, Maricopa, New Cuyama and Frazier Park.
Parts of this road curl in on themselves into tight, technical twisties — catnip to car enthusiasts and motorcyclists. But this two-lane motorway also showcases the splendor and diversity of the rugged region, from the forested mountains and canyons in Ventura to the jagged rocks and chaparral of the desert vistas, making it appealing to thrill seekers and sightseers alike. While roadways like the 5 serve to get you from one point to another quickly and efficiently, this one begs you to relish the journey.
“A road like this forces your mind to focus on the immediate needs of car control, while rewarding it with the beauty of the natural world,” says Dave Coleman, a Mazda R&D engineer from Long Beach who incorporates Hudson Ranch Road into his drives to and from the Bay Area. “While driving, there just isn’t enough mental bandwidth left to worry about the stressful things in life.”
This route brings people together, including me and my car enthusiast friends, who regularly go on these driving excursions — gas prices be damned. “We drive these roads for the excitement and euphoria, just like people go to Disneyland,” says Matt Kometer, a SkyLink supervisor from San Pedro who drives a 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata. And, unlike Disneyland or the traditional getaways that involve a hotel stay or a flight, these outings can be put together in a manner of hours.
I was a passenger on a recent Sunday pleasure cruise with a caravan of nine cars, which started in Ojai and ended at the base of Mount Pinos in the Los Padres National Forest. That’s 28 miles as the crow flies, but our route, with a detour for lunch in Cuyama, swelled the journey to more than 100 miles.
An 2026 Audi RS 3 heading to the lunch stop in Cuyama.
(Caroline Pardilla)
If you’re planning a trip of your own, a few things to note before you hit the road: Always check the road conditions, top up the tank because there’s only one gas station in Cuyama, download maps because cell service is spotty, and, if you’re caravanning with friends, it’s nice to bring walkie-talkies to stay in contact. The tunnel section of 33 in Wheeler Springs will be closed Aug. 28-31. Check the Caltrans website for updates.
Here’s a play-by-play of our day on the road.
10 a.m.: Breakfast at Pinyon on Ojai Avenue
Arriving from all corners of the L.A. Basin, the drivers meet up and fuel up at Pinyon Ojai, a pizza restaurant on Ojai Avenue. The shop serves single-origin coffee from Ventura’s Beacon Coffee and breakfast sandwiches featuring house-made bagels. Street-side seating affords prime car spotting, which today includes a right-hand-drive Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV and an immaculate brown-on-tan Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda two-seater. Those who time their trip for the second Sunday morning of every month can check out the cars and coffee event a few blocks away at Westridge Midtown Market.
In the restaurant, the friends catch up, chatting about the cars they drove here, the progress of their current car projects and the route for the day. There is an air of anticipation. For many in the group, it’s their first time driving this route. Miatas feature heavily in this crowd, but there are also high-performance rides, like a Porsche 911, a first-generation Audi R8 and an Audi RS 3.
Traveling the canyon on the two-lane highway through Wheeler Springs and Wheeler Gorge is beautiful but slow going, past houses and campgrounds as well as high rock walls that threaten to rain down scree. Three narrow, dark tunnels along the way throttle speeds because of the sudden contrasts from broad daylight. Highway 33, at a modest 3.5% grade, meanders over and along creeks that are invisible from the road but marked by riparian vegetation.
Drivers gather around their cars while stopping along State Route 33.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
After the road opens up, the drivers make short work of the curves while maintaining a respectful distance from one another. Occasionally, a leisure driver bunches up the group until they pull over at the next turnout to let the faster drivers pass. The series of switchbacks with hairpin turns offer a satisfying run up to Pine Mountain Summit. “That’s some world-class sports car fun there,” says Alex Vendler, a cinematographer from Glendale who drove up in a 2003 Miata. The 5,160-foot-high summit allows us to catch our breath and take in the views of the San Rafael Mountains in the west.
Chris Floren of Torrance poses in front of his “Viccup,” a 1960s truck draped over a Ford Crown Victoria.
(Caroline Pardilla)
1 p.m.: A break and more car talk at roadside motel Cuyama Buckhorn
The Buckhorn Restaurant at Cuyama Buckhorn, a midcentury roadside hotel refurbished in 2018, serves as the perfect respite. It’s about 10 miles off our route but is an air-conditioned oasis of burgers, pie a la mode and endless ice water.
If there’s a downside to stopping in the “hidden valley of enchantment,” it’s the distinct lack of shaded parking. But at least there are plenty of spots in front of the hotel. Through the diner’s large front-facing windows, we watched a cowboy mosey past on his horse, checking out the variety of vehicles.
A group of friends has lunch at the Buckhorn Restaurant at Cuyama Buckhorn.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Even though there are 12 of us walk-ins, the hostess immediately pushes several tables together to accommodate the group. The dynamics of this long table invite several different conversations to break out — all about cars. “I have a Miata, and I want a Miata,” says Vendler. Apparently, his tablemate William Benedict, a software engineer from West Hollywood who drove the R8, was skeptical about all the love for the Mazda roadster. Elsewhere, motorsports manager Chris Floren of Torrance is getting props for the surprising prowess of his sleeper “Viccup” — a Ford Crown Victoria police car with a ’60s-era pickup body draped over it. Another group discusses how “One Battle After Another” features the most Nissan Sentra SE-R content of any movie.
After last-minute gulps of water, everyone filters back into the heat of the desert and hurries to air out the cars’ ovenlike cabins. There is a mini photo shoot with Floren’s truck in front of the vintage hotel sign, and then we jump in the cars and backtrack up the 33/166 toward Hudson Ranch Road.
The Hudson Ranch Road is more fun in a Mitsubishi Evo IX.
(Caroline Pardilla)
3:30 p.m.: A ‘roller coaster’ of a road and a reunion in Pine Mountain Club
Unlike Maricopa Highway 33, Hudson Ranch Road features coarser asphalt, no guardrails and more passing zones than turnouts. Kometer said it should be a tarmac rally stage while professional stunt driver and Long Beach local Sarah Fairfield, who piloted the second ’26 MX-5 on this trip, equated it to a roller coaster. The road was originally built in the ’30s to accommodate traffic heading to the ski resort, which closed in the ’70s. Now, the group deems it the highlight of the day. “It let me enjoy the act of driving without having to go too fast,” says Karl Buchka, an aerospace engineer from El Segundo who drove up in the 911.
Although the friends were separated on this leg, having each taken the route at their own pace, they reunite at Pine Mountain General Store in Pine Mountain Club. The Village Center convenience store beckons with shaded parking and a freezer full of frozen treats. Between bites of a chocolate ice cream bar, Coleman proposes continuing on toward Santa Clarita, via the twisties on Bouquet Canyon and Spunky Canyon roads. With competing commitments, however, most of the drivers reluctantly bow out.
A look back at the caravan on the 166/33, heading toward Hudson Ranch Road.
(Caroline Pardilla)
In any case, the daylong cruise served its purpose of resetting the week and reconnecting the friends. “A lot of what this hobby or lifestyle or whatever is about is ultimately an excuse to spend time with friends, and to make new ones,” says Jason Kavanagh, a turbopump engineer from Mid-City who brought a Mitsubishi Evo IX to the outing. “So, yeah, the road is a means to that end.”
The drivers at Pine Mountain Club Village. From left, Matt Kometer, William Benedict, Alex Vendler, Dave Coleman, Sarah Fairfield, Jason Kavanagh, Chris Floren and Derek Dicker.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir is facing its biggest political crisis in years, with deadly protests ahead of a final round of voting in regional elections.
Al Jazeera’s Ava Warriner explains why the wider territory is divided and what’s driving the latest unrest.
Palestinian Christians are facing violence and displacement across Gaza, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Attacks, including those targeting churches and clergy, are causing the Palestinian Christian population to shrink.
Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at just 33 and went through nine operations in a decades long health battleCredit: EPAThe hitmaker passed away three days before Christmas last yearCredit: Getty
Court records seen by The Sun show Rea left £14,435,894, reduced to £12,063,178 after taxes, debts and costs were removed.
A grant was issued by the High Court earlier this week.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
He had signed his final will in October 2025, just two months before his death.
In the 19-page document, Rea asked to be cremated.
Rea passed the sum to a trust for his wife JoanCredit: AlamyRea signed his final will in October 2025 – just two months before his tragic deathCredit: Getty
Joan will also collect all of her husband’s personal belongings and future royalties from her husband’s hits being played on the radio.
Rea was born in Middlesbrough in 1951 to an Italian father and Irish mother.
He joined local band Magdalene in 1973 before launching his solo career by performing in local bars and clubs.
His 1978 debut album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, spawned the US hit Fool (If You Think It’s Over), which landed him a £15,000 payday and a Grammy nomination for best new artist.
Rea produced 25 studio albums in a lengthy career, scoring two UK Number Ones – The Road to Hell in 1989 and follow-up album Auberge in 1991.
Rea had been dumped by his manager and banned from driving when his then-girlfriend Joan was forced to drive down to London in a Mini to drive him back up north.
He later recalled coming up with the melody and lyrics during the lengthy trip home.
The track only reached Number 53 when originally released in 1986, but has since become a staple of the festive season.
It has returned to the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007 and peaked at Number 10 in 2021.
Chris met wife Joan when they were both teenagers growing up in TeessideCredit: GettyRea and his wife had two daughters, Josephine, born in 1983, and Julia, born in 1989Credit: Reuters
He lost his pancreas, gallbladder and part of his liver to surgeries, and later developed type 1 diabetes.
At one stage, the star was taking 34 pills a day.
He suffered a stroke in 2016, prompting him to give up cigarettes, before collapsing on stage in Oxford the following year.
Chris said of his health battles: “The original illness hit me hard. I almost had a nervous breakdown with the shock of it. That was the Mount Everest to climb.
“When they said it was pancreatic cancer, I could not believe it. It seemed that if your DNA says you are going to have cancer, then you can.
“They did not think I would recover from the first operation, but I was determined to do so for my wife and the girls.”
The star continued performing despite his illnesses, and made his final TV appearance in a 2020 Christmas special of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, filmed in his home city of Middlesbrough.
Chris met wife Joan when they were both teenagers growing up in Teesside and they stayed married for 57 years.
They had two daughters, Josephine, born in 1983, and Julia, born in 1989.
Bob, recorded a cover of Rea’s Let’s Dance with Middlesbrough FC in 1997, wrote: “A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke… RIP Chris.”
His record label, BMG, said: “Over a remarkable career spanning more than four decades, Chris Rea created an extraordinary and deeply human body of work, defined by emotional honesty, restraint, and craft.”
Sound engineer Stuart Epps, who worked with the singer for decades, remembered him as “an amazing guy and an amazing musician”.
And Squeeze pianist Holland said: “Sad we’ve lost dear Chris Rea. A brilliant musician and the kindest of men.”
How much would you pay for a pair of shoes? Someone else’s shoes, I mean.
Would you pay $7,000 for a chair on which Taylor Swift sat in a basketball arena — for an NBA playoff game, not for her wedding? Someone did.
There was one Swift chair up for bid. The Dodgers gave away 52,000 trading cards as part of a promotion for the Japanese animated series “One Piece” this month, and the current asking prices for one of those cards on eBay range from $784 to $15,656. Even at the low end … strike that, there is no apparent low end to the collectibles market these days.
Now add Shohei Ohtani to the mix. A pair of his cleats hit the auction block Monday, hyped by the promoter as “one of the most significant baseball artifacts ever” and “the greatest baseball footwear ever made available” and “the most culturally significant footwear ever worn on Japanese soil.”
In this case, the adjectives are more than breathless. Ohtani is the best player in baseball, the favorite to win his fifth most valuable player award in six years, an international tourist attraction, and a global pitchman making an estimated $125 million in sponsorships and endorsements this year.
So, the footwear: These are the cleats Ohtani wore when the Dodgers opened the 2025 season in Japan, decorated with art of his world-famous dog Decoy and signed by Ohtani with Asian kanji characters rather than English letters.
The cleats were purchased last year by Take to the Universe (TTU), a Japanese company that distributes beauty and wellness products in Japan and throughout Asia. State records show the company registered a subsidiary in Los Angeles two months ago.
The cleats Shohei Ohtani wore during the Dodgers’ 2025 season opener in Japan are on the auction block.
(The Realist)
“We thought, hey, we could actually use this to market our company and enter into the U.S. market,” said Ryoji Iguchi, chief executive of the subsidiary. Iguchi declined to say how much TTU paid for the cleats.
For a Japanese company to leverage Ohtani and the Dodgers to introduce itself to an American audience is nothing new — not just for tangible consumer goods, but also for animated characters.
You wouldn’t actually go into a store and ask for a TTU product, though. You eventually might go into a store and ask for a beauty product made by another company. TTU would just get it there.
So how does selling a pair of cleats create brand awareness for a brand consumers would not even know?
“This interview,” Iguchi said.
The Ohtani Economy strikes again: You don’t know us, but we’re coming to America, we want to help you sell your wares — and we’re selling Ohtani’s cleats!
The sale was arranged by Scott Keeney, founder of the Realest, a Los Angeles-based enterprise specializing in sports and entertainment memorabilia.
The cleats Shohei Ohtani wore during the Dodgers’ season opener in Japan in 2025 are on the auction block.
(The Realist)
Keeney talks about the “museum-grade” and “investment-grade” quality of the cleats. You might find a trading card marketed as one of one, but someone could make another. In this case, no one can make another pair of cleats worn by Ohtani on that particular day.
“It’s no different than art, where you’re seeing paintings selling for tens, hundreds of millions of dollars,” Keeney said. “The top grails are in a category of their own.
“It’s what the ultra, the top 0.0001% want, and they appreciate faster than anything else in the category.”
So how much might the Ohtani cleats command, given the combination of sport and celebrity?
Kobe Bryant’s sneakers from the game in which he tore his Achilles tendon — and hit two free throws before he left the court — fetched $660,000. Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” shoes sold for $1.4 million. Kanye West wore “Air Yeezys” to the Grammys, and the pair sold for $1.8 million.
The ball Ohtani hit for his 50th home run in his 50-50 season: $4.4 million. And, speaking of holy grails: Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” fetched $32.5 million.
I cannot afford that, in this lifetime or any other. Perhaps you can. If you cannot, the Realest is offering this free-to-enter contest: Guess the sale price of the Ohtani cleats and, if you come closest to the actual sale price, you win 1% of the price. In the event of a tie, the first submission wins.
The cash would be nice, because this is just a pair of someone else’s worn shoes. But, since everything else Ohtani does seems to be unprecedented, this auction just might be too.
Welcome to UCLA Unlocked, our weekly newsletter featuring all things Bruins athletics. To sign up to get this newsletter delivered every Monday to your inbox, click here.
SAN FRANCISCO — Jordin Canada is the only person in the world with a UCLA-inspired pair of Air Jordan 4028 PEs, and she was excited to use them to represent her Bruins when the Atlanta Dream came to California last week.
“That’s my alma mater,” she said with a smile. “Any chance I get to support them and rep them, I will.”
Canada, who was an All-American in four years at UCLA, was rocking the blue-and-yellow shoes in shootaround before her Dream took on the Golden State Valkyries. The Los Angeles native had a quiet first outing against the Valkyries but bounced back with a season-high 23 points in their next matchup, then had 10 assists against the Seattle Storm on Saturday.
She is averaging 11.5 points and a career-high 7.0 assists as the leader of the third-best offense in the WNBA. Her 30.5 minutes per game are a step up from last season.
That’s because she’s done so much to facilitate the Dream offense and run it through Atlanta’s bigs.
Sign up for UCLA Unlocked
A weekly newsletter offering big game takeaways, recruiting buzz and everything you need to know about UCLA sports.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
“She’s made my job easy,” Dream star Angel Reese said. “I mean, when you have a point guard that can score and also facilitate to me… Her and I had a talk a little bit before the season started about how I can be better for her than pick and roll, but also like coming down on the rebound, I can get the ball and push and flip, flip it to her, and she can start the offense… So she’s made it a lot easier, really easy, and she’s just a great player, she’s a great leader for us offensively and defensively.”
Canada’s 3.6 rebounds per game also are a career high as teams lock in defending Reese and the other versatile Atlanta players such as Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard.
Shooting 46.7% from the field, Canada has capitalized on her minutes by being the most efficient possible this season and being enough of a threat that teams have to guard her, while she also can send the ball to one of Atlanta’s top scorers.
“Being aggressive on the offensive end and trying to be more efficient, talking to Cam [Brown], who’s my position coach, and [head coach Karl Smesko], just seeing ways I could be more effective and more efficient in my position,” Canada said. “So just watching a lot of film, watching the areas where I need to improve, and just trying to make sure that I do that consistently, day in and day out, every game, and skin to my spots, and making the right decisions.
Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada attempts a pass against the Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday in Seattle.
(Jack Compton / Getty Images)
The Dream are fourth in the WNBA standings behind their consistent starters. With that group, Canada has become one of the most dynamic point guards in the WNBA in her ninth season.
“Her speed is pretty level,” Valkyries coach and former UCLA player Natalie Nakase said. “At UCLA, she was fast. I think now she’s like, for some reason, she looks a lot stronger, I think, from her college years, and I think she really has bought into a system under Karl of what she is doing.”
Tyler Bilodeau drafted by Nets
Former UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau was selected by the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA draft.
Bilodeau, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Oregon State, averaged 15.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in 64 games at UCLA. The Kennewick, Wash., nativeled UCLA in scoring in his junior and senior seasons, averaging a team-best 17.6 points in 2025-26 and finishing second on the team in rebounding (5.6). Bilodeau earned third-team All-Big Ten Conference honors both seasons. He ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in three-point shooting as a senior, knocking down 46.4% of his attempts.
“We’re all so thrilled for Tyler to get drafted by Brooklyn,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said in a statement released by the athletic department. “He is a tremendous young man and a tireless worker who really excelled in our program. He’s come a long way since his days at Kamiakin High School, and it’s simply a testament to the work ethic that Tyler and his family have embodied. He’s a versatile player who really improved his three-point stroke during his two years in Westwood. I can’t wait to see him take that next step with Brooklyn. All of us at UCLA are so proud of him.”
Zoey Molomo, Katelyn Ohashi Shine at American Classic
Zoey Molomo, competing at the United States Gymnastics Olympic trials in 2024, placed second on vault and floor and third in the all-around and bars at the 2026 American Classic.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
Zoey Molomo, who is joining UCLA’s gymnastics program for the 2027 season, placed second on vault and floor and third in the all-around and on bars at the American Classic.
Molomo qualified for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships with an all-around total of 52.700.
UCLA alum Katelyn Ohashi, who returned to competitive gymnastics after a seven-year absence at age 29, tied for third on balance beam. In her first competition since the 2019 NCAA championships and her first elite competition since winning the 2013 American Cup, Ohashi scored 13.150 on balance beam to earn bronze.
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Salzburg has begun enforcing a summer ban on visitors driving into its historic centre, picking up a policy modelled by other car-choked European cities plagued by overtourism.
Authorities in Austria’s fourth largest municipal area said they hoped the “less traffic, more city” restrictions in July and August would reduce the number of vehicle entries by 1,000 a day.
As part of the campaign against gridlock, park-and-ride facilities are offering a day ticket including travel on local public transport for five people for €7.50 (£6.45).
“We don’t want chaotic traffic situations like we saw last year,” said the mayor, Bernhard Auinger, when he announced the measure in May. “It is aimed at day trippers who travel by car from farther afield. It is important to me that residents of the central Salzburg area and business-related traffic are not affected by this.”
Auinger said tourists themselves, drawn to attractions such as Mozart’s birthplace and the baroque-style 17th-century cathedral, would also benefit from the policy. “It’s certainly much better than spending hours stuck in traffic. And it also makes life a lot easier for the people who live and work in the city of Salzburg.”
The restrictions will make life ‘a lot easier for the people who live and work in the city’, said the mayor. Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images
The mayor said mounting complaints by residents about traffic during the summer months had prompted the city to take action. “We basically allowed tourists to drive into our sitting room,” he told the news website Salzburg24.
Patrolling police officers will impose fines of up to €80 on any drivers with numberplates from outside the Salzburg region entering the old town in the radius around the Staatsbrücke (state bridge) spanning the Salzach River.
Exceptions will be granted to commuters, delivery vehicles, taxis and rental cars, as well as disabled visitors and hotel guests with a reservation confirmation in the restricted zone. German motorists from the neighbouring Bavarian areas of Berchtesgaden and Bad Reichenhall are also exempted.
Heidi Strobl, of the local tourism board, said Salzburg’s policy, approved by the city council in May, had taken a page from the zona a traffico limitato (limited traffic zones) in Italian cities such as Rome, Florence and Pisa as well as a ban in Dubrovnik, Croatia, after they had become inundated with tourist vehicles during the summer months.
The moment came on about day four. A cloud-like mist was drenching our faces, hair and clothes, despite the thick canopy of trees overhead. My six-year-old daughter silently trudged uphill pushing her bike, her mouth set in a grim line. I looked again at the blue blob on Google Maps, which seemed, unfeasibly, to indicate we were on the right path. I thought, again, about the diminishing supply of chocolate in my backpack.
“See! I told you! We’re having an adventure,” I said with forced jollity. She didn’t even look up.
“This is not an adventure,” she said. “This is just pushing your bike up a big hill.”
Adventure. Such an intoxicating word. And so easy to achieve … when you’re young. But with two kids, within the constraints of the summer holiday? Well, that’s more of a challenge.
It was with that quest in mind that we found ourselves lost up a lush, densely wooded mountain in the Spanish Basque Country, on a track unsuited to bikes, as part of the first stage of a three-week road trip from Bilbao in northwest Spain to Saint-Malo in Brittany, north-west France.
I’ve always loved a road trip, and was hoping to recreate – in some limited way – a classic that I had done in my 20s. After living in Paris for two years, I and my then-boyfriend meandered across France for a month in my nan’s old Peugeot, camping in different places virtually every night. We stayed in fields where we were the only people for miles and watched eagles swooping as the sky darkened; we begged the manager of a stuffed-to-the-gills campsite to move his car so we could camp on his front lawn.
Bilbao’s Plaza Nueva. Photograph: Peter Eastland/Alamy
This would, of course, be different. My partner is deeply sceptical of camping. The kids still shudder at the memory of the toilets on the first campsite we ever stayed at. So how do you have a somewhat unstructured, kind-of-spontaneous road trip with kids?
We decided on a mixture of home swaps and posh camping, and started with a journey that is an adventure in itself. On board the two-night ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao on Brittany Ferries’ Galicia, we spent hours watching pods of dolphins, reading our books, and sneaking back to our cabin for naps. It’s worth noting that while entrance to the first-class Commodore lounge isn’t cheap (prices vary by ferry; it’s £79 a person on the Portsmouth to Bilbao crossing), the excellent buffet is endlessly replenished; all drinks, including wine at meal times, are included; and the lounge is a peaceful haven.
Alexandra’s children on a bike ride in the Spanish Basque country. Photograph: Alexandra Topping
We rolled off the ferry, kicking off our escapade in Bilbao on the opening day of Aste Nagusia, the city’s annual nine-day party. After a stroll around the Guggenheim – arguably the best modern art museum in Europe – we headed to the Plaza Nueva in Bilbao’s Casco Viejo, where the pintxo bars were rammed with locals wearing blue and white checked scarves and shouting for more cider. The Spanish know how to live, but the Basques? They know how to party.
Full of anchovies, olives and salt cod, we drove north along winding roads up into the verdant mountains of the province of Gipuzkoa to our first stop, an apartment in the small hamlet of Berastegi, about 25 minutes from San Sebastián – a stay organised through the home swapping website Home Exchange. We are evangelical about home swapping, having saved thousands of pounds since 2022 with brilliant holidays in Spain, France, Denmark and the UK.
You frequently discover fabulous places you might never have heard of too, often on the recommendation of your hosts – such as Casa Julian, in charmingly sleepy Tolosa, where we ate a steak so good as to render all future steaks redundant. A devastating steak, frankly. A meal for four cost €234, and I would happily sell my car to eat there again.
Staying in Berastegi also allowed us to visit the bustling city of Pamplona, a 40-minute drive away, where we drank unctuous hot chocolate in Café Iruña, Hemingway’s old haunt, before learning about the running of the bulls on a grimly fascinating tour.
A view over San Sebastián from Monte Igueldo. Photograph: Sonia Bonet/Alamy
The money saved on accommodation also meant we could afford a night in a hotel in San Sebastián, where we ate, strolled, swam, then ate again. The city’s claim to have the greatest density of Michelin stars in the world is disputed, but when you are drinking a glass of cold txakoli and hollowing out a stuffed txangurro (spider crab) that hardly seems to matter. Kid-friendly trips to the cool aquarium (vital information: it has axolotls) and the 113-year-old Monte Igueldo amusement park were interspersed with a copious €20 menúdel día at Aldaba. Something for them, something for us.
Full, again, we took to the road, driving away from the mountains via the delightful French Basque coastal village of Bidart to our next stop en route to the French Atlantic coast.
Two hours from the traditional timber-framed baserri (farmhouses) of south-western France, the mist-shrouded mountains give way to the open flatlands of western France, long wide roads lined with pine trees and dunes that rise up from the crashing waves of the turbulent ocean.
We stopped in Arcachon at the Huttopia site, one of a family-run chain of nature-immersed campsites. The handsome seaside resort, with its 19th-century Arcachonnaise villas with names such as Esmerelda and Denis Papin, feels like the stately grand dame of the Atlantic coast.
Our luxury “évasion” chalet, with its nice toilet, strong shower and comfortable beds, was not, let’s face it, camping. But, nestled among the pines and deep in the forest, we sat on our deck listening to the soothing throb of crickets and got similar benefits, only without the discomfort. When we climbed the awesome Dune du Pilat, it felt like landing on the moon, and when we held hands and hurtled down it again, like we were taking off into space.
Three days later, the landscape transformed again as we drove to the flat salt plains of the Île de Noirmoutier, about one-and-a-half hours from Nantes, and set up home in a well-stocked Huttopia wood and canvas desert tent, next to the water’s edge and a short walk from the village of tiny white bougainvillaea-draped houses and restaurants. That night, as I sat outside the tent listening to the waves and the wind in the trees, I looked at the stars stretched out across the inky sky – and I remembered those eagles.
Cancale is celebrated as the oyster capital of Brittany. Photograph: Yurii Zym/Getty Images
To complete this family odyssey, we spent four days at another home exchange in the underrated Breton port of Saint-Malo, which has a wealth of charm, great food and delicious cider – as well as the most delightful coastal pool I have ever swum in.
On our last day, we went to Cancale, where I had tasted oysters for the first time, scooping them up from a plastic tray, with a glass of sancerre, on the beach. This time we opted for a restaurant, and while my son learned to slurp oysters, my daughter tried her first mussels. As she used an empty shell to pinch their juicy flesh and pop them into her mouth, I recognised that I get as much pleasure from their discoveries as from my own. And, I thought, maybe the adventure isn’t over after all.
Accommodation at Arcachon and Noirmoutier was provided by Huttopia: Chalet Évasion from €75; Toile & Bois tent from €69. Transport was provided by Brittany Ferries: Portsmouth to Bilbao for a car, four people and an ensuite cabin from £490 one-way; St Malo to Portsmouth from £225 one-way for a car plus four people. Home Exchange membership is £190 a year
Ukraine’s defence ministry believes artificial intelligence is set to fundamentally transform modern warfare, as Kyiv accelerates efforts to integrate AI into battlefield operations amid its ongoing war with Russia.
According to Danylo Tsvok, head of Ukraine’s Defence Ministry AI Research Centre, the country is already employing artificial intelligence across multiple military functions, including drone operations, battlefield planning, intelligence analysis, and missile attack assessments.
The centre, established in March, is part of a broader effort to make data driven decision making a core component of Ukraine’s defence strategy. Officials envision a future where AI systems, sensors, drones, command centres, and weapons platforms operate through a unified digital network capable of processing battlefield information and recommending military actions in real time.
Why It Matters
Ukraine’s experience is increasingly being viewed as a preview of how future wars may be fought. The conflict has already demonstrated the growing importance of drones, autonomous systems, and real time intelligence, but AI could push military operations into an entirely new phase.
Rather than merely supporting commanders, future AI systems may become central to battlefield decision making by processing vast quantities of data faster than human operators can manage. This could dramatically shorten the time between identifying a target and launching an attack.
The implications extend far beyond Ukraine. Military planners around the world are closely monitoring the conflict as a testing ground for next generation warfare technologies.
The Rise of AI Driven Combat
The war has already evolved into a technological competition in which both Ukraine and Russia are attempting to gain advantages through automation, data analysis, and autonomous systems.
Ukraine is working toward a battlefield operating system capable of integrating information from drones, reconnaissance assets, weapons systems, and frontline units into a single decision making framework. The objective is to create a comprehensive operational picture that enables faster and more effective responses.
Russia is pursuing similar capabilities, particularly in drone warfare and strike planning, creating what Ukrainian officials describe as an emerging competition between military operating systems rather than simply armies.
Global Defence Implications
The conflict has attracted significant attention from defence technology firms and AI developers seeking real world operational data. Companies and governments increasingly view Ukraine as one of the most important testing environments for military AI applications.
The lessons learned from the war could influence defence procurement, military doctrine, and security planning across NATO, Asia, and other regions facing evolving security challenges.
As AI becomes more deeply embedded in military systems, countries may be forced to rethink command structures, training requirements, and the role of human decision makers in combat.
Key Stakeholders
Ukraine military
Russian military
Defence technology companies
NATO members
Artificial intelligence developers
Defence ministries worldwide
Military planners and strategists
Future Outlook
Over the next three to five years, military competition is likely to shift increasingly toward AI enabled command systems, autonomous platforms, and integrated battlefield networks.
Countries capable of rapidly processing information and converting it into actionable decisions may gain a significant operational advantage. At the same time, concerns about autonomy, accountability, and human oversight will become more prominent as AI systems assume larger roles in combat operations.
The race to integrate AI into warfare is expected to intensify, making technological superiority as important as traditional military strength.
Analysis
Ukraine’s assessment points to a deeper transformation than simply adding artificial intelligence to existing weapons systems. What is emerging is a shift from platform centric warfare to data centric warfare, where military advantage depends less on the number of tanks, aircraft, or soldiers and more on the ability to collect, process, and act on information faster than an opponent.
The most significant aspect of this transition is the compression of decision making time. Historically, military success depended on commanders interpreting information and issuing orders. AI has the potential to reduce that cycle from hours or minutes to seconds, creating a battlefield where speed of analysis becomes as important as firepower.
This evolution could fundamentally alter military hierarchies. If AI systems become capable of generating reliable operational recommendations faster than humans can assess them, commanders may increasingly act as supervisors rather than primary decision makers. The challenge will be balancing military effectiveness with accountability and ethical oversight.
The Ukraine conflict is therefore becoming more than a territorial war; it is also serving as a laboratory for the future of warfare. The countries that emerge with the most effective integration of AI, autonomous systems, and battlefield data networks may define military power for decades to come. In this sense, the competition between Ukraine and Russia increasingly resembles a contest between technological ecosystems, foreshadowing a future in which wars are won not only through weapons but through algorithms and information dominance.
