future

May 15 (UPI) — CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Havana this week opened a new political chapter inside and outside Cuba, with analysts and opposition figures interpreting the meeting as a sign of direct pressure from Washington on a regime battered by massive blackouts, fuel shortages and an increasingly deep economic crisis.

The trip marked an unusual development in bilateral relations. The Cuban government confirmed that a U.S. delegation led by Ratcliffe met with his counterpart Thursday at Cuba’s Interior Ministry.

Washington had requested the meeting, which was approved by “the leadership of the Revolution,” according to the state-run newspaper Granma.

The CIA released photos of the meeting — “the most significant milestone so far in the two months of opaque negotiations taking place between Washington and Havana,” Spanish newspaper El País reported.

In another twist, according to reports by CBS News, USA Today and NBC News, a U.S. Justice Department official said the United States is considering formally charging former Cuban President Raul Castro over a 30-year-old incident in which the Cuban government shot down two aircraft operated by Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue.

The Ratcliffe visit, which lasted a brief time, was not announced in advance. He him Air Force plane flew from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and returned hours later.

For decades, the Cuban government systematically accused opposition figures, independent journalists and dissidents of acting as agents or collaborators of the CIA. However, it was the regime itself that officially announced the meeting with agency director.

“The Cuban government announced the CIA visit first. For Cubans, that means important things are happening or about to happen,” Sebastián Arcos, acting director of the Institute for Cuban Studies, told UPI.

“This increases expectations and anxiety inside and outside the island.”

Energy has become the central focus of Cuba’s crisis. Ratcliffe arrived on the island precisely as Cuba declared a total energy collapse, formally running out of diesel fuel because of the U.S. naval blockade, while multiple technical failures at thermoelectric plants have left millions of people without electricity for up to 22 hours a day.

According to posts shared by activists and users on Facebook, protests have spread across the Cuban capital for four consecutive nights, while reports of internet outages in areas where gatherings have taken place have increased, Diario de Cuba reported.

Professor Jorge Piñón, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas’ Energy Institute, said the visit by the CIA chief to Cuban territory “puts on the table what the rules of the game are from the point of view of the United States,” amid a crisis he described as “hour zero” for Cuba’s energy system.

Piñón told UPI that Cuba has practically exhausted its fuel reserves at storage facilities, ports and refineries, while thermoelectric plants operate on the verge of technical collapse.

The consequences extend far beyond the lack of electricity.

Piñón warned that the crisis affects ground transportation, water and food distribution, agriculture and even humanitarian operations by religious organizations that lack diesel to transport aid.

The deterioration of the electrical system also stems from structural problems accumulated over decades. Cuba depends on thermoelectric plants more than 40 years old, many adapted to burn extra-heavy domestically produced oil with high levels of sulfur and contaminating metals.

According to Piñón, that fuel accelerates the deterioration of already obsolete equipment, generating a “vicious cycle” of temporary repairs and new breakdowns.

He said the island produces about 40,000 barrels a day of heavy crude, but needs about 100,000 barrels a day to cover its energy demand, leaving a critical deficit of refined fuels mainly intended for transportation.

At the same time, Professor Raúl Rodríguez, director of the Center for Hemispheric and United States Studies at the University of Havana, described a society marked by daily exhaustion, uncertainty and the progressive deterioration of living conditions.

He told UPI that prolonged blackouts affect food preservation, access to drinking water and hospital operations.

The crisis also has deep economic consequences. Tourism, one of Cuba’s main sources of foreign currency, operates at less than 50% of capacity, affecting employment and the flow of resources into the country.

Rodríguez estimated that about 300,000 workers linked to the tourism sector face direct impacts from the economic slowdown.

Additional problems include health and environmental issues stemming from the lack of fuel for fumigation, garbage collection and basic urban services. The academic warned of growing risks of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.

Despite intensifying social unrest, the experts agreed that the crisis will not necessarily lead to an immediate political change.

Rodríguez argued that protests over blackouts and shortages “do not constitute, by themselves, a trigger capable of provoking regime change,” due to the absence of an organized political alternative with social legitimacy.

Piñón, meanwhile, said that although signs of social exhaustion exist, the country currently lacks leadership capable of channeling a political transition or with enough authority to organize a possible post-crisis scenario.

According to press reports, the U.S. demands delivered directly by the CIA director focus on an ultimatum conditioned on deep and immediate structural changes.

Washington is demanding that the Cuban government carry out political reforms toward democratization, release all political prisoners and fully open the economy to the private sector.

“From the information that has emerged, the CIA director traveled to Cuba to deliver an ultimatum: either you move, or the United States will,” the Institute for Cuban Studies’ Arcos said.

The reaction of Miguel Díaz-Canel’s government has reflected pragmatism forced by extreme economic suffocation and the collapse of basic services on the island.

Although Havana agreed to receive the CIA delegation to avoid a violent social outcome, it formally maintains its rhetoric defending national sovereignty, rejecting political conditions that threaten the socialist system.

Cuban officials used the meeting to present evidence that the island does not represent a threat to U.S. security, demanding in return its removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and an end to the naval blockade preventing fuel shipments from reaching the island.

Describing the country’s daily deterioration, Cuban writer Leonardo Padura recently portrayed Cuba as a nation where old social protections have collapsed, while the political structure remains intact.

In an essay published on the website La Carta de las Ideas, Padura recalled that July 2021 protests represented an unprecedented social explosion on an island historically marked by strong surveillance and state control mechanisms.

The government response, he wrote, was a severe “order to fight” accompanied by exemplary judicial proceedings aimed not only at punishing, but also at discouraging future public expressions of dissent.

Padura said that precedent helps explain why, despite economic and social conditions now being even worse than in 2021, street demonstrations have been more limited than many outside Cuba expected.

Another expert thinks the United States will dominate as Cuba sinks into crisis.

“The CIA currently has the upper hand. Without the CIA, [President Donald] Trump can do nothing, and [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio knows nothing because he has never even been to Cuba,” Lillian Guerra, professor of Cuban and Caribbean history and director of the Cuba Program at the University of Florida, told UPI.

Guerra argued that the agency holds a dominant position over the Cuban state because of its understanding of the regime’s “theater and discourse of lies and subterfuge” amid the crisis.

Guerra said “nobody is buying” the government’s official explanations anymore and warned that Cuban authorities “are running out of time” as public frustration grows across the island.

She added that the meeting shows Washington is negotiating with Cuba’s “real leaders” linked to the Ministry of the Interior, a structure she described as more powerful than the Revolutionary Armed Forces and primarily focused on preserving political control.

DAKAR, Senegal — It’s an existence that Congo’s president has described as “living the Congolese dream.” For the 15 Latin Americans deported to the African nation under the Trump administration’s widely criticized crackdown on migrants, it feels more like a nightmare.

The Associated Press spoke with one, a 29-year old Colombian woman who confirmed what people deported to other African nations have described: A shackled deportation despite a U.S. immigration judge’s protection order. Confinement in a hotel with supervised outings.

And an impossible choice: Return to a home country with the risk of persecution or stay in Congo, a country the Colombian woman had never heard of before she arrived.

“They treat us like we’re children,” she said as their three-month Congolese visas near an end, with no plan in sight.

“What would one do in a completely unknown place, without a place to live and without knowing what to do?” she added, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

It was not immediately clear what a new U.S. court ruling, saying the U.S. likely broke the law by deporting a fellow Colombian to Congo, will mean for her.

A United Nations-affiliated group plays a central role

In her interview from the hotel in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, where she and other deportees are held, the woman gave new details about the central role that a United Nations-affiliated body, the International Organization for Migration, is playing.

She said deportees are allowed to leave the hotel about once a week and only accompanied by IOM staff. When they shop at a supermarket or withdraw money they are quickly ushered back to their vehicle, with IOM staff never out of sight.

“They choose where we go and what we buy,” she said.

At the hotel, she said, IOM staff have organized activities like painting, music and volleyball but many deportees have stopped participating, bored with the routine. She goes for meals and remains in her room otherwise, making late-night calls to her 10-year-old daughter in Colombia and worrying when she will see her again.

Most striking is the role IOM staff are playing in presenting deportees with their possible fates.

They have offered the woman two paths: Return to Colombia, where a U.S. judge has ruled she cannot safely be sent back, while receiving IOM “protection and assistance,” or remain in Congo with no support.

“They are given impossible choices,” said Alma David, the woman’s U.S.-based attorney. “By deporting them to a third country with no opportunity to contest being sent there, the U.S. not only violated their due process rights but our own immigration laws and our obligations under international treaties.”

Congo is one of at least eight African countries that have made deals with the Trump administration to facilitate deportations of third-country nationals, which legal experts say are effectively a legal loophole for the U.S. Most deportees had received legal orders of protection from U.S. judges shielding them against being returned to their home countries, lawyers said.

The AP has interviewed others sent to African nations who were forced to make risky decisions, such as a gay Moroccan asylum-seeker deported to Cameroon, a country where homosexuality is illegal.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about the Colombian woman’s case, but it has asserted that third-country deportation agreements “ensure due process under the U.S. Constitution.” The Trump administration says the agreements are needed to “remove criminal illegal aliens” whose country of origin will not take them back.

Details of Congo’s deal with U.S. are unclear

The details of Congo’s deal with the Trump administration are not clear. Other countries have received millions of dollars to participate.

Earlier this month, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi called the agreement an “act of goodwill between partners,” with no financial compensation. It comes as Washington has ramped up pressure on neighboring Rwanda over its support for the M23 rebel group that has seized cities in eastern Congo — a dynamic some analysts say may explain Kinshasa’s willingness to take deportees.

“We agreed to do so as a friendly gesture, simply because it was what the Americans wanted,” Tshisekedi said, adding that the migrants are free to leave Congo at any time.

“We understand that psychologically they must be unsettled because, at first, they dreamed of living the American dream, and now they are living the Congolese dream — in a country they probably did not know and may never even have noticed on a map of the world,” Tshisekedi said.

Congolese human rights groups have called it a violation of international refugee law. The Congo-based Institute for Human Rights Research described the situation as “arbitrary detention by proxy for the United States.”

The current U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy says if a government has made blanket diplomatic assurances that it won’t persecute people who are deported, no further process is required for deportation, not even giving deportees notice where they are being sent, said David, the attorney.

“When they told me they were going to deport me, I almost fainted,” the Colombian woman said. She was told about Congo the day before the flight.

She was detained at a routine check-in with ICE

She said she left Colombia in 2024, following threats from armed groups and abuse by a former partner who worked for the government.

She went to Mexico, where she waited for a border appointment booked with the U.S. government. When she presented herself at an Arizona port of entry in September 2024, immigration officials determined she had a credible fear of persecution, clearing her to apply for asylum, but kept her in ICE detention.

“You spend a year and a half locked up, living the same day over and over again. You see fights, punishments where people are locked in cells for many hours. You lose your privacy even to use the bathroom,” she said.

Some officers made racist remarks. “They made derogatory comments toward us as migrants, shouted at us all the time and sometimes denied basic things like showers as punishment,” she said.

In May 2025, a federal judge granted her protection under the U.N. Convention Against Torture, ruling she could not be safely returned to Colombia, according to court documents seen by the AP.

She filed a habeas corpus petition and won her release in February. She moved to Texas and was required to wear a GPS monitoring device, but at her first check-in appointment with ICE, she was detained again.

“All they told me was that I was under detention, as they had found a third country for me,” she said.

Less than three weeks later, she was put on a plane to Congo. She and the other deportees arrived on April 17 after a nearly 24-hour charter flight during which their hands and feet were restrained.

She doesn’t feel safe in Congo

Now they stay at a hotel near Kinshasa’s airport, in tidy white bungalows. Congo’s government covers the cost, the IOM said. It was not clear whether that would last after the deportees’ visas run out.

The hotel gates are locked according to one of the deportees lawyers. The Colombian woman also said security personnel do not let them leave on their own.

They were told they could apply for asylum, an option no one has chosen. “I don’t feel safe in Congo,” the woman said.

An IOM spokesperson said the organization has provided her with humanitarian assistance based on an assessment of her vulnerability. It includes “protection interventions, referrals, rights safeguarding and promotion of migrants’ overall well-being,” with no details.

The IOM also may offer “assisted voluntary return” — covering documents, flights, transit and temporary housing on arrival — with migrants’ consent.

The IOM said it plays no role in determining who is deported and reserves the right to withdraw its assistance for deportees if “minimum protection standards” aren’t met.

The Colombian woman remains in limbo, anxious. She said the food “has made us very sick,” with stomach ailments ongoing.

Local languages, like French and Lingala, are as foreign as her surroundings.

“The worst part is having to go through all of that without having committed any crime, simply for going to another country to ask for safety and protection.”

Banchereau writes for the Associated Press.

As LeBron James sat at the podium following the Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night, he was asked about his future.

He had just completed his 23rd season in the NBA at 41 years old and he will become a free agent this summer.

James has been asked about retirement all season — and if he would return to the Lakers next season or play for another team.

So after finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the 115-110 loss, James addressed the situation again.

“With my future, I don’t know, honestly,” James said. “It’s still fresh from obviously losing. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously. As it stands right now, tonight, I got a lot of time. I’ll sit back, like I think I said last year after we lost, I think to Minnesota, to go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and spend some time with them. And then when the time comes, then obviously you guys will know what I’ve decided to do.”

James said he’ll talk to his wife, Savannah, his daughter, Zhuri, and his son, Bryce.

James was asked what his decision process will be like.

“I don’t know,” he said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play. Showing up to practices, 11 o’clock practice, I’m there at eight o’clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in.

“So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process and not the aftermath of, OK, we won that game, or we won a championship. I’ve always enjoyed the process and not the outcome. So, I think that would be a big factor.”

LeBron James, center, celebrates with his Lakers teammates after defeating the Miami Heat for the NBA title on Oct. 11, 2020.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

James has been with the Lakers for eight seasons. He helped the team win an NBA championship in 2020 in the COVID-19 bubble in Orlando, Fla.

James was asked what has stood out during his time with the Lakers.

“Obviously winning a championship in 2020 would stand at the top,” James said. “That was the reason why I came here, to restore that level of play and restore this franchise back to what it was known for, winning championships and playing at a high level. … So that would be at the top.”

After the loss to the Thunder, James shook hands with All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Lou Dort before walking off the court.

James was asked if those were the last handshakes of his career.

“Last handshakes? No, I don’t know. ‘Cause I don’t, I have no idea,” James said. “None of us even know what the future holds. None of us.”

The Lakers know that they could have eight unrestricted free agents in their immediate future.

After James, the next biggest potential free agent is Austin Reaves. He is expected to opt out of his deal that will pay him $14.8 million and become a free agent, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment. The Lakers can pay Reaves a maximum deal of $241 million over five years, with a starting salary of about $41.5 million next season.

The Lakers value Reaves and are expected to meet his demands. Reaves could sign with another team that has salary-cap space, but that deal would be for four years and about $178 million.

“I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game,” Reaves said. “I make good money. But like I said, don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future. Just day by day.”

Center Deandre Ayton had an inconsistent season, averaging 12.5 points on 67.1% shooting and 8.0 rebounds. He can opt out of his deal that pays him $8.1 million next season and become a free agent. But Ayton hasn’t yet made a decision, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment.

Lakers star Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Thunder on Monday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Marcus Smart, a locker room leader and their best defensive player, also has a player option for next season at $5.3 million. He hasn’t made a decision yet on whether he’ll test the free-agent market. According to several NBA executives, a few teams probably will show interest in him.

The deadline to exercise or decline an option is June 29.

Rui Hachimura’s ($18.2 million), Luke Kennard ($11 million), Maxi Kleber ($11 million) and Jaxson Hayes ($3.4 million) are also in the final year of their deals.

Doncic, who missed the playoffs and the last five games of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, signed a three-year, $165-million extension last summer, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.

Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million), Dalton Knecht (4.2 million), Bronny James ($2.2 million) and rookie Adou Thiero ($2.1 million) are under contract for next season.

Rashford is a Manchester United player. He has a contract that runs to 30 June 2028. When Casemiro’s contract expires on 30 June this year, he will be the club’s highest earner, with his salary benefiting from the restoration of the 25% that had been taken off because of last season’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

His loan deal with Barcelona includes an option to make the transfer permanent for €30m (£25.94m) if it is triggered by 15 June.

That is the easy bit. From there it starts to get complicated.

On the face of it, making the deal permanent makes sense for all parties.

Rashford has done pretty well; 14 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances. It was enough to earn him an England recall from Thomas Tuchel and, in all probability, a spot in the final 26-man World Cup squad.

He enjoys playing for Barcelona and would like to stay.

While Barca have other targets this summer, they would be signing a player for well under market value. Manchester United meanwhile would be washing their hands of someone who was in Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ last summer.

However, Barcelona are apparently unwilling to execute the transfer and are trying to renegotiate, potentially to sign Rashford next season on another loan deal. United have indicated they are not prepared to do that.

It is an understandable position for United, who know they could get more for Rashford from other clubs.

Yet United’s stance has risk.

Last month, head coach Michael Carrick said ‘nothing has been decided’ on Rashford and indicated he would be willing to work with the 28-year-old if he returned to Old Trafford next season and he was confirmed as the new boss.

However, United are determined to drive wage costs down and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously spoken about trying to ensure the highest earners are ‘on the pitch’.

Given the club are approaching a summer in which they will be attempting to sign at least two central midfield players and almost certainly at least two more players in other areas of the pitch, and also need to talk to skipper Bruno Fernandes about his contractual situation, it does not help them in negotiating terms for someone on Rashford’s salary to still be at the club.

May 8 (Asia Today) — Samsung Electronics is expanding staffing for its Future Robotics Office as the company accelerates investment in robotics, one of its designated next-generation growth businesses.

The device experience division accepted internal applications for the robotics unit through Friday.

Samsung has identified robotics as a promising future business and has continued investing in the sector through mergers, acquisitions and internal development.

The Future Robotics Office was created in 2024 after Samsung became the largest shareholder in Rainbow Robotics, a South Korean robotics company. The unit was established to speed development of future robotics technologies, including humanoid robots.

During a conference call after its first-quarter earnings announcement, Samsung said the robotics unit, led by Oh Jun-ho, had built a foundation to catch up with leading companies in the field.

The company said it was also working to bring key parts production in-house and secure the ability to develop customized components. Samsung said it would pursue domestic and international partnerships and acquisitions while building its own technologies.

The hiring push comes as Samsung adjusts parts of its business in China, where profitability has weakened. The company recently decided to stop selling televisions and home appliances in China, while continuing businesses such as mobile devices, semiconductors and medical equipment.

The move reflects Samsung’s broader strategy of redirecting resources from weaker business areas toward new technologies and future growth engines.

Although Samsung’s device experience division is currently facing profitability pressure, the company is seeking to secure an early position in robotics, a market expected to expand in the coming years.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260508010001789

A crime drama that has had fans gripped for decades is apparently going to be back

The future of an “addictive” long-running series has apparently been confirmed.

Law & Order – which started in 1990 and is now in its 25th season – is set to be renewed for a 26th run, Deadline has reported. While final details are apparently being worked out, it is thought that official word on the future of the police procedural is expected soon.

The news will thrill fans of the series, which has become hugely popular with viewers. Set and filmed in New York, the programme follows detectives of New York City Police Department’s fictional 27th precinct as they investigate crimes.

Its cast has included several huge stars over the years, with Sam Waterston, Jerry Orbach and Mariska Hargitay all being part of the show, while famous guest stars have included Viola Davis, Bradley Cooper and Ellen Pompeo. The current cast of the programme includes Maura Tierney, who starred as Abby Lockhart on the medical drama ER, and Tony Goldwyn from Scandal.

Law & Order originally aired from 1990 to 2010, then in 2021 it was announced that it was being brought back after an 11 year break.

It has also sparked several spin-offs, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial by Jury.

It has been a hit with viewers, with one posting on reviews website Rotten Tomatoes: “The best ever, realistic, true to life portraits seen in any movie or TV series.”

“Excellent,” said someone else, calling the show “completely addictive”.

“It’s like watching two shows, a police investigation series for the first half hour, and a legal series for the next half an hour,” another fan remarked.

“Great performances, lots of mystery and drama, very realistic.” Someone else praised the show’s “pitch perfect pacing”.

Another said: “Law & Order is one of my go-to shows to watch while sitting on the couch and vegging out. I’ve seen every episode multiple times, but I find the show comforting. That’s what Law & Order is – comfort food.”

NBC has been contacted for comment.

Law & Order airs on NBC in the US.

A special announcement was made during his birthday celebration special programme on BBC One.

The BBC has made a major announcement about the future of Sir David Attenborough.

The legendary broadcaster was honoured with a special event at the Royal Albert Hall to mark his 100th birthday.

Hosted by Kirsty Young, it saw guest appearances from the likes of Dame Judi Dench and Sir Michael Palin, as well as historic clips of Sir David’s TV career.

And while he may be 100 years old, the national treasure clearly has no plans to slow down, as the BBC has now confirmed a new series of Blue Planet.

Moments before David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth came to an end, Kirsty announced: “Well, even though it’s his birthday week, David has still been hard at work, voicing a brand new series.

“Tonight, I am thrilled to announce that launching this autumn is Blue Planet III.

“We felt that we couldn’t go this evening without sharing a little glimpse, recorded just a few days ago, into 100-year-old David Attenborough’s typical working day.”

The show then aired a clip of Sir David voicing over an animal’s ‘mating call’, with Kirsty hailing him “an inspiration to us all”.

As the latest Blue Planet series was announced, viewers took to social media to share their excitement.

“Ooohh Blue Planet III so excited,” one person said, while another wrote: “Blue Planet 3!!! Always so hyped and it’s not even out yet.”

Wildlife documentary series Blue Planet first aired in 2001, with the sequel following in 2017.

This comes after a film producer who has worked with Sir David addressed the centenarian “slowing down”.

Joe Loncraine appeared on Good Morning Britain last month, where he recalled the privilege of working with him over the last decade.

He said: “I first worked with him just before his 90th birthday, and I thought, I’m so glad I got to work with him because surely he won’t be making films for much longer now that he’s nearly 90.

“Since then, I’ve worked with him on five projects, five different films over that time in the last ten years, and I’ve stopped thinking he’ll be slowing down. You’ll lose that bet if you have it any time.

“He always surprises us, he’s always wanting to do more. He remains very curious about the world and wants to learn more and show people what he’s learnt and show people what he’s excited about.

“I imagine he’ll probably rest a bit more, he’s earnt it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps doing stuff for as long as we want him, which will be as long as we can have him.”

Back in 2019, Sir David, then 91, said he would retire from broadcasting if his work became substandard, or if he could no longer walk up and down stairs.

“I would like to think I would be able to detect when I couldn’t find the right words any more,” he told the Radio Times. “If I think I’m not producing commentary with any freshness or which is apposite or to the point, I hope I would be able to recognise it before someone else told me.

“If I thought I was turning in substandard work, that would stop me.”

He added: ““If I can’t walk up and down steps any more, that will stop me.

“Yes I do dread not working, although there are things I can do without running up steps six times – books to be written, things I’ve never got round to.”

David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

AFTER quietly returning to the dating scene following his split from Chloe Madeley, James Haskell thought he was ready to move on.

But the former England rugby star says one fear involving his ex-wife can still stop him in his tracks. 

James and Chloe split in October 2023 after five years of marriage, just 14 months after welcoming daughter Bodhi, now three, despite appearing to have the perfect family life. 

But it was the thought of publicly dating another woman while still close to Chloe – daughter of daytime TV icons Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan – that caused James to pause for thought.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun about starring in the new series of E4’s Celebs Go Dating, James says: “It sort of felt like I was cheating because it was the first time I was dating in public in front of Chloe. I got all these mixed emotions and froze.

“For me, when you’ve got a daughter and you’ve got an ex-wife, both of them I hold in the highest regard and I want to be the most respectful I can be.

“I talked to Chloe [about doing the show] because it was really important to do that. We discussed it because I was probably getting quite nervous about doing it.

“This is very much out of my comfort zone. You’ve got emotions, you’ve got other people, you’ve got romance…

“It’s a difficult thing to put in the public eye, so I spoke to her about it. She was very supportive.

“I would talk to her about how the stuff on the show went, so she was always informed.

“And if my daughter ever watched it back, I’d want her to be proud of how her dad was.”

James admits navigating romance in the public eye hasn’t been easy off-screen either. 

The former rugby star, who dated advertising executive Helen Barclay and Big Brother star Sara McLean in 2025, admits relationships come with added pressure. 

James split from Sara just days after they went public with their romance at Cheltenham.

The rugby star has also been linked to other women since his split from Chloe and previously sparked speculation after being spotted looking cosy with a mystery brunette on a night out. 

“I’m in the public eye and a lot of my life is centered around stuff on social media and DJ’ing and making music and podcasting stuff,” he explains.

“So I’m always very wary if you were to go out on a date and get photographed, that narrative can be created around that, which puts pressure on both people.

“I want to go on date people and have fun and when it’s the appropriate time, you would then discuss it with an ex partner but sometimes that’s taken away from you.

“So I’ve always been quite nervous. I have dated, I’ve been quite chilled out, but it’s always been quite respectful.

“That’s why this was such a big moment, because actually one of the first things I thought was ‘Oh my God. I’m like, now doing this in front of people’.

“There’s so much more to think about as opposed to just going for a drink with someone.”

James, 41, and Chloe, 38, split while their reality series, Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair, was still airing on TV. 

But rather than mixing things up in the future, James reveals he’s in the market for a strong, independent woman – just like his ex.

He says:  “I know what I want, I want someone that’s got intelligence, I want someone that’s got their own life, their own success.

“I’m not threatened by having a really powerful partner who could be more successful than me.

“Badass is the wrong word, but that’s the kind of thing.

“I want someone to challenge me so I can learn from them.

“I had a lot of that or had almost all of that with Chloe really, she made me a better person in lots of ways.

“When you come out of a relationship, you want to find that in someone else.

“And that’s kind of what I doubled down with really on this.”

He continues: “While looks and stuff are really important, I wouldn’t settle because all my dating technique would always be to go up to someone and speak to them, I never used apps, I would do everything in person.

“So this process was so weird because someone was telling you who you could date, which is weird.

“This was a bit like looking around in the dark and exploring.”

Fitness fanatic Chloe has spent years documenting her gruelling workouts and toned physique online – and it seems James still has a clear type.

As well as wanting a confident, driven woman, the rugby ace admits he is attracted to women who prioritise their looks, fitness and overall wellbeing. Sound familiar?

He says: “It shows a commitment, just someone who takes care of their appearance because I think it helps in other areas of your life.”

He also reveals the “real reason” he signed up to the show – and it wasn’t just for him to find his dream match.

“Being a strong man with good manners and morals and to show a vulnerable side as well as other sides is really important,” he says.

“I was nervous, but I think I managed to navigate it in the appropriate way and actually show a bit of a different side to myself than some of the bravado and the kind of stuff from being a former sportsman or DJ’ing.

“I grew a lot, I’ve obviously been separated for a little while, but I wanted to have an adventure and I’ve learnt to be vulnerable.”

And while James teases that he isn’t against tying the knot again in the future, his number one priority is crystal clear.

He says: “My priorities are very simple – my daughter, she’s nearly four. I want to be the best dad for her and provide the best kind of life for her.

“We’re obviously having her kind of 50 per cent of the time, which means that you have to prioritise different parts of your life.

“Relationships are lovely and I think if you meet the right person and obviously as we’ve gone through this process, I’ve met lots of lots of really interesting people.

“I’d say that isn’t something that is a real focus to settle down and get married.

“I think if it happens, it happens.

“But I’m quite happy in my own space, really.”

And don’t expect James to introduce Bodhi to a new partner anytime soon, as the star has one very strict rule when it comes to future girlfriends. 

“Essentially I’d have to be walking down the aisle [to introduce my next partner to my child],” he says.

“Genuinely my life is very complicated. The idea of bringing somebody into my daughter’s life and putting a sort of a tent pole on the ground and saying, listen, this is something serious.

“I’m light years away from that because it’s not something I want to mess around with.

“Chloe and I are still a family. My daughter is still a family that sits over here. My life sits over here [with them].

“And I mean when is the right moment? It will be light years away.”

And any future girlfriend won’t just need to win over Bodhi – she’ll also have to impress James’ fiercely protective mum, Susie Haskell, too. 

This week, Susie Haskell made her Celebs Go Dating debut, and didn’t hold her tongue.

Fearing what she could say, James told the camera: “Mum is an absolute loose cannon at the best of times.

“I am dreading what’s going to come out of her mouth. As long as she does not upset my ex.”

But Susie struggled to hold back as she ripped into Chloe.

Susie said: “I’m not sure where he’s gone wrong because prior to his marriage, I met lots of lovely girlfriends.

“Each of them just loved me, which is a bonus.”

She added: “I do have quite a strong opinion on why I think it went wrong.

“You can’t have two stars because you have them competing for the floor space the whole time.”

Susie continued: “In the past he’s been extremely popular. I’ve seen at rugby matches where elderly ladies have got very close to him.

“He needs someone who can see the softness of him, coupled with quite a brilliant intellect. He’s written seven books. Three of them are on The Times best-seller list.”

James previously admitted that his love of drinking contributed to the end of the relationship, describing their final year together as a “difficult period”.

The athlete and bodybuilder claimed he was dropped by the BBC after an ‘ultimatum’.

Gladiators star Giant has hinted at “exciting” TV plans in the future after being axed by the BBC.

The athlete, whose real name is Jamie Bigg, claimed he was dropped from the programme because the BBC didn’t approve of his girlfriend’s job as an OnlyFans model.

The 40-year-old was one of the original stars on the BBC revival, which was rebooted in 2024.

He alleged that he was axed after saying he wanted to go public with his new relationship, including his partner’s career.

However, despite being dropped from Gladiators, Giant has insisted he still has hopes to work on TV.

He told The Sun : “TV is something that I would very much like to continue. And having the flexibility and the ability to speak about more taboo subjects is something that moving forward, perhaps, can now happen.”

Giant teased future projects, saying: “There’s lots of things in the pipeline at the minute.

“It’s actually a very, very exciting time and I’m definitely looking forward to the future.

“I can’t divulge any information on particular shows or events, situations just yet.”

This comes after Giant set the record straight on his exit from Gladiators during an appearance on Good Morning Britain last week.

The bodybuilder from Derbyshire told Susanna Reid and Ed Balls: “I had a very positive season three chat. I think season three was the best season yet, and like you said, [I was] a fan favourite on the show.

“At that time, they [were] aware of my relationship with Taylor and said they needed to explore avenues and have conversations about that.

“At a later point, I was told that the season four contract wasn’t being renewed because of my relationship.”

He went on: “It wasn’t explained, I think you’ll have to ask them for a statement on that as well, because my dismissal’s been very unclear. That’s why I’m here today, because I think it’s very important that we get our side across.

“I think it’s very important that fans of the show understand that Giant is a character on the show, and Jamie is a person that has a private relationship. And I feel like there’s a big injustice here for fans of the show that haven’t been given a voice or a decision in this matter.”

He claimed it “wasn’t my choice” to leave, but that he was “faced with an ultimatum”.

“I class myself as a role model and one of those values, as a role model, is to stick by the people I love.

“So, I decided [to leave], and I imagine other people in my situation would find it very hard to walk away from an amazing opportunity like being a Gladiator.”

A BBC Gladiators spokesperson previously told the Mirror : “After three formidable series, Giant is leaving Gladiators. We’d like to thank him for everything he has contributed to the show and wish him well for the future.”

Gladiators is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Reporting from Sacramento — Few California Democrats have garnered more praise from the party’s various constituencies than Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, who has led the state’s charge against the administration of President Trump with 47 lawsuits on issues including immigration and healthcare.

But in recent months, Becerra has come under criticism from progressives and civil rights leaders for his reticence to support legislative checks on police use of force. That blowback could have ramifications for an ambitious politician who seems primed for ever-higher offices.

On Tuesday, Becerra announced that his office would not seek criminal charges against two Sacramento police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed African American man.

While that decision was not unexpected, it built on another recent controversy in which Becerra was sued by civil rights groups for not releasing use-of-force records. He later outraged many progressive allies by threatening legal action over police misconduct records he said were improperly released to the media.

Becerra has long walked a line of presenting himself as both a civil rights defender and a friend of law enforcement. But has also disappointed some supporters for not taking a stand in support of legislation that would toughen use-of-force rules as well as a proposal that the state Department of Justice routinely provide independent investigation of police shootings.

“A Democratic attorney general, in particular, is kind of torn between two worlds — the law enforcement entities and officials with which he or she must work and build credibility with, and Democratic constituencies that are highly suspicious of, if not downright hostile to, law enforcement,” said Garry South, a Democratic political consultant.

“Becerra is now caught between these two constituencies in a pretty public way,” said South, who managed Gov. Gray Davis’ 1998 and 2002 campaigns that portrayed Davis as a law-and-order Democrat. Sen. Kamala Harris faced the same pressures when she was attorney general, South said.

Capitol watchers see Becerra as a possible contender some day for higher office, including governor or U.S. senator if one of those jobs opens up.

But Becerra risks alienating key voters by his handling of the Clark case and his refusal to take a position on legislation making it easier to prosecute police officers, said the Rev. Shane Harris, a civil rights activist who has long served as a delegate for the California Democratic Party.

“He needs to realize that if he wants to be governor someday, he is going to need black votes and brown votes,” said Harris, president of the People’s Alliance for Justice. “If he has any aspirations, they just went out the window for now. This right here really took him backwards when it comes to the black vote in the state of California.”

Harris said Becerra could regain ground with minority voters by supporting tough reform legislation and embracing calls for the attorney general’s office to independently investigate all fatal police shootings.

Then-Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as attorney general in 2017 after he served 12 terms in Congress — a perch that provided little opportunity to be involved in state discussions of law enforcement oversight. Many activists did not know where he would stand on policing matters.

He won election last year with strong support from police groups, including big campaign checks from the California Statewide Law Enforcement Assn. political action committee, the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs PAC, the Long Beach Police Officers Assn. and the Oakland Police Officers Assn. PAC.

Becerra is too close to the law enforcement community, said Melina Abdullah, a professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State L.A. and a member of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I think the complete unwillingness of the attorney general to intervene in the murders of black people by law enforcement — even under the most extreme circumstances, like Stephon Clark — demonstrates either a completely failed moral compass or a shameful submission to political cowardice,” Abdullah said.

On Tuesday, Becerra defended his actions in police use-of-force cases as “by the book” and based on the evidence.

He resisted the idea that his office should routinely “parachute in,” as he calls it, and investigate officer-involved shootings that are now reviewed by prosecutors in each of the state’s 58 counties.

“I don’t have the capacity and the resources to try to take over the work of 58 different D.A.s in this one shop,” Becerra said.

He said local prosecutors are “far closer” to what is going on in their communities.

He said he knows the African American community feels hurt by the shooting of Clark, but added “I think there is a lot of hurt in the Police Department too, because they are under a microscope and two of their fellow officers are now under a microscope.”

The attorney general’s actions on law enforcement issues have frustrated some people who supported his election last year, including civil rights attorney John Burris, who represented Rodney King in his civil rights lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department.

“I’m disappointed,” Burris said after Becerra’s announcement in the Stephon Clark case. “I supported him wholeheartedly [during the election]. I think I had higher hopes for him in the beginning.”

Burris said he has asked Becerra in the last few years to look at other police shootings and the attorney general has always sided with the local district attorneys in not pursuing action against officers.

“At the end of the day, the attorney general is law enforcement, and they have to work with law enforcement throughout the state,” Burris said. “That’s what makes it very difficult for him and others to be very critical of the local police unless the evidence is overwhelming.”

The Clark decision was not the only action that concerned some Becerra allies.

Becerra is under criticism from groups including the First Amendment Coalition, which sued him last month after he refused to release records related to investigations of shootings or confirmed cases of sexual assault by officers.

The lawsuit alleges that Becerra is required to turn over the documents by a law — SB 1421 — that was approved last year. Police unions have sued to keep records from being released.

The ACLU of Southern California is “very disappointed” that Becerra is refusing to make public records ordered released by the state Legislature, said Melanie Ochoa, a staff attorney for the group.

“It is unfortunate that the state’s top cop is sending a message that it is OK for agencies to deny the public access to information about serious police misconduct and uses of deadly force — particularly when we already have numerous courts that have decided that agencies must release this information,” Ochoa said.

Becerra’s actions on the release of records are defended by Robert Harris, a director with the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

Harris praised Becerra for withholding such records in the Justice Department’s possession while court cases deciding whether the law applied to investigations of incidents that occurred before this year were pending.

“I think that’s an appropriate decision until we have a definitive answer,” Harris said.

Becerra defended his actions on the release of police misconduct records, citing privacy laws.

“My progressive values are still there,” Becerra told The Times.

“If I have your Social Security numbers, and there’s a good chance I do in one of my databases … you would not want me to disclose it lightly,” Becerra added. “My job is to protect that privacy.”

In January, in response to a group of journalists in Berkeley, the state’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training released a list of 12,000 names of police officers and job applicants who had been convicted of crimes.

Becerra later said the state office made a mistake in releasing the names to reporters for the Investigative Reporting Program at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

In a letter, he told the reporters to destroy the records, arguing that possession of the data was a criminal offense.

Becerra said this week that his letter to Berkeley was part of due diligence to enforce the law.

“Someone needs to ask the folks that are in possession of information that they are unauthorized to possess or use, what don’t they understand about the law that says, ‘You are in possession of information that you shouldn’t have.’ It’s like stolen property,” he said.

The attorney general also finds himself in the center of a storm of controversy over possible legislative measures to reduce excessive force.

Becerra refused Tuesday to take a position on pending legislation by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) that would make it easier to criminally prosecute law enforcement officers who kill civilians.

Police unions and chiefs are supporting a separate measure that would instead focus on internal department policies and training.

Becerra said he has withheld taking a position on the two use-of-force bills because he has not read them yet and he wanted to first complete the investigation into the Clark shooting, which he wanted to be seen as independent and fair.

“I have not gone through the bills to the point of making decisions,” Becerra told reporters at a news conference on the Clark shooting.

“I will get involved because it’s important,” he said. “I don’t intend to be AWOL when it comes to the discussion of how we write this new chapter.”

Coverage of California politics »

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Twitter: @mcgreevy99

Coronation Street boss Kate Brooks has teased summer and beyond in Weatherfield in the fallout to Theo Silverton’s murder, with two new characters and the identity of Theo’s killer

There’s plenty of drama coming up on Coronation Street in the fallout to murder week.

We finally know the victim, as Theo Silverton was killed off on Friday night. But who killed him and how did he die? All of that is to come.

That’s not all, as there are big scenes ahead for two other characters. Debbie Webster has a busy few months, while teenager Sam Blakeman’s mental health continues to spiral.

Then there’s the arrival of two new characters, both of which have links to current Weatherfield residents. Speaking to The Mirror and other press, Kate Brooks teased what was on the cards.

READ MORE: Coronation Street spoilers: Victim ‘revealed’ and missed evidence ‘outs killer’READ MORE: Emmerdale spoilers: Todd’s revenge on Jacob, Bear exit ‘sealed’ and Joe’s downfall

Whodunnit teasers

Kate revealed: “Obviously, there’s lots of people who are in the frame for Theo’s death – George, Todd, Summer, Carl. He’s created a lot of enemies. Gary’s another one who’s kind of in the mix, who’s really been betrayed by him.

“It’s Todd rebuilding his life – this is a guy who’s been subjected to the most horrific abuse, who is traumatised, who was grieving. And it’s how he kind of tried to rebuild his life while still kind of struggling to comprehend the fact that this man’s been murdered by potentially somebody he knows or maybe even him.

“It’s an interesting mix of ‘whodunnit’ thriller story, but also about Todd’s family and friends, George, Christina, Summer, Sarah, all rallying around Todd to make sure that he’s okay, to try and build them and repeat them back together. What he’s been through at the hands of Theo has been such an ordeal for him, and to get that love and to get that trust in people again, it was very important to show that with Todd.”

Megan and Will fallout

“The stuff with Megan and Will, there’s a bit of a journey to go on with that story. So obviously she’s been exposed, but Will at this point, he believed it was love.

“He believed it was all genuine. Scales fall from his eyes and Tim’s going to be so instrumental in kind of making them realise what’s gone on and how unacceptable and how wrong it was.

“It’s about the family falling apart, but then kind of building themselves back up again as they try desperately to kind of repair the damage that Megan’s done. Obviously, there are soap Gods, and as in soap God’s law, there’ll be some kind of retribution for Megan.

“She cannot get off of this scot-free. We will go down the proper channels. Whether it goes on to plan or not, I cannot say, but it goes down quite a very big path.” Will will be quite badly affected by what he’s been through with Megan. It does go a bit dark as well.

Sam’s mental health and Daniel spirals

“Getting him across the Megan story and having him be another victim of her manipulation felt like a really interesting way of telling the story. But as a result of that, his mental health has been really, really damaged by everything that’s happened – by the manipulation, by the fact that he wasn’t believed, by the fear that he felt every time he was with Megan.

“We’re going to tell a big mental health story with Sam, and he’s going to really, really struggle over the course of spring and early summer. It’s about his family realising, hopefully before it’s too late, that he’s in desperate need of help – and he’s really vulnerable. It’s showcasing that, Megan’s actions have not just directly impacted Will and the Driscolls, Sam’s also collateral damage.

“Similarly, with Daniel as well, he met somebody who’s on the same page as a teacher, apparently respectable, and he’s been completely duped by it, and it completely makes him unravel. Rob Mallard who plays Daniel is such a phenomenal actor and we’ll see him slowly start to lose it, because of wondering who to trust.

“He’s been bitten so badly by this relationship, and by the fact that he was the one who defended her as well, he feels like he’s let Will down. He feels like he’s let Bertie down. We’re really going to chart the impact she’s had on him and his life and his attitude to relationships going forward.

David and Shona’s future after Jodie drama

“Jodie is desperately trying to get what she feels is rightfully hers. She’s still definitely kind of on that trajectory, but David and Shona are a really strong, united couple. They adore each other. They love each other. They’ve been through a lot.

“We’ve obviously got Harper still in hospital. Ultimately, Harper will come home and the stresses of family life will start to really take its toll. Whether Jodie is able to exploit those weaknesses within that relationship, whether she’s able to kind of tempt David over to the dark side, or because she wants to punish Shona for leaving her, she’s certainly going to try and come between them.

“But as I say, David and Shona are pretty solid couple. It’s whether they can unite and see Jodie for who she is and what she is in time. Similarly, Jodie’s story will dovetail off into Daniel’s story as well.

“An unlikely little friendship will be formed, which I don’t think many people see coming, but it’s a really different insight into what makes them both tick. For the first time, Daniel’s able to be truthful about how he feels. And similarly, Jodie’s able to be quite truthful with Daniel, because he’s in a quite a dark place. There’s some interesting dynamics between them.

Debbie’s future

“We’ll see her symptoms start to take hold slightly more, but she’s still very much the Debbie we know and love throughout the spring and summer. Her friendships with the women who she holds so dear are still very much at the front and centre of the show.

“Her relationship with Ronnie is still really, really strong, but it’s the relationship with Carl that needs the most repair and I think the thing with Carl is he is such a complex individual. He’s incredibly selfish and self-serving. Debbie, as his mother, can see that.

“It’s how those two people can come together and forge a relationship that’s not based on Carl trying to get money. It needs to kind of go back to basics and becomes about the sincerity of their relationship. And it takes a while to get there.

“And it does all come to a head, kind of a big head with the fellas in Debbie’s life. It’s about trying to give Debbie that bit of happiness before she goes too far down the line.

“Christina, Glenda, Sally, Debbie, Bernie, those five women are just phenomenal actors, and the warmth and the comedy that they all emanate, is just contagious. It won’t just be Debbie at the front and centre.”

Two new characters as Cassie exits

“Tyrone’s dad makes an appearance in the show. Needless to say, he comes with quite a bit of drama, and it’s going to cause quite a lot of friction within that family, obviously with Cassie’s history.

“As you know, Cassie’s leaving us, and so it will contribute to her exit, which is going to be massive and quite explosive. It’ll be full of all the twists and turns that you can come to expect from an exit.

“He comes into the world of Fiz and Tyrone. Tyrone’s in the mindset of, I’m in my 40s, I’ve survived this long without a dad. The dad is very keen to connect with Tyrone. It’s not long before the dad makes eyes at one of the residents, and maybe a bit of a relationship starts there.

“It’s very domesticated. It really shines a spotlight on Fiz and Tyrone as a couple and that dynamic as a family. Cassie is, needless to say, not happy that this guy has turned back up.

“We also have Idris. He’s Alya’s cousin. He is very, very charming, like the charm oozes out of every pore of this guy. He’s a savvy kind of business guy, he’s got a bit of a ruthless streak, he’s not ready to get his hands dirty slightly, but he can charm the birds from the trees.

“He’s a new love interest for Leanne. The attraction is instantaneous. It kind of gives Leanne a new lease of life somewhat. She’s been harbouring a deep-rooted resentment them towards Toyah and Nick, because that’s the life she had.

“And this guy comes along, he’s got it all, he makes her laugh. He’s funny, he’s a handsome chap, and he ruffles a lot of feathers, but he’s not without an edge. He’s not soft, and he’s certainly no pushover. He butts heads with some of our more alpha kind of characters quite early on. We’re really excited about Idris. He brilliant.”

When will find out who the killer is?

“It’s later in the summer. We reveal to the audience who it is during late June, July. There’s lots of people you definitely think it could be. It’s a massive story, there’s so many different twists, and there’s so many different offshoots to the story as well.

“You think you’re watching one thing, and then it diverts into a completely new kind of story territory. It’ll definitely keep people guessing.”

Other characters set for big storylines

“There’s a massive storyline coming up for Bernie further down the line, and which will involve Kit and her family dynamic. That’s too far ahead, but certainly late spring, early summer.

“There’s a massive story for Sally and Tim that comes to the to the fore, and it’s a story that tests them as people, test them as a couple, but tests them as foster parents as well. It’s a bit of a curveball, and it comes from slightly left field, but absolutely upends their lives.

“It’s how they navigate that situation going forward. Sally and Tim are so beloved, and I just adore them. And it’s seeing them in a slightly different position than what we’ve seen them in before.

“That story will also dovetail further down the line with a Christina story. Christina and George are a really great, strong couple in the show. It’s those friendships alive. There’s a connection there as well.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

The general in charge of keeping the United States Marine Corps sustained in a fight dismisses the notion that China poses a near-peer threat to the U.S. It’s far more serious and will make the currently paused conflict with Iran pale by comparison should the two superpowers come to blows, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka, the USMC Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics. 

“There is no threat that looms larger than the People’s Republic of China,” Sklenka said during the 2026 Modern Day Marine Expo in Washington, D.C.. “Don’t listen to this garbage about them being a near peer. They’re a peer because they rival us in nearly every single measure of national influence.”

As the “lead strategist” and former Deputy Commander of U.S. IndoPacom, Sklenka said he “got to be pretty familiar with how General Secretary Xi was thinking and what his intentions are.”

The Chinese leader’s “vision is to upend the international structure [and] supplant us as the global leaders. And in many ways, it’s been Xi’s thinking, his vision, that has helped my own thinking about the demands of modern warfare, particularly when waged in the Pacific and particularly waged against a peer adversary, something that’s new to all of us.”

Epic Fury offers some sobering lessons, Sklenka noted. While the U.S. is able to pour forces into theater via uncontested skies and largely uncontested seas, Iran was still able to inflict a great deal of pain on America and its allies during the fighting. It still is economically through an ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A fight with China would be far worse, Sklenka cautioned.

“We’re about two months into combat operations with Epic Fury. We’ve got service members who have tragically been wounded and killed by Iran. They’ve launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at our bases and our allies throughout the region – Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan – reinforcing the point that the bases that we have, they’re no longer administrative garrison sanctuaries. We really need to start looking at our bases as war fighting formations, just as critical of a war fighting formation as our divisions, wings and [Marine Expeditionary Units] MEUs.”

We’ll talk more about that later in this story.

You can see damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East in the following satellite images.

Iran has “illustrated how a mid-tier power can hold a significantly superior force at risk” Sklenka suggested. “As a learning organization, we ask ourselves, ‘how do we carry every lesson from this fight forward, and how do we ensure that we’re equally prepared to dominate the conflict with China?’”

“Think about the complexities and complications that we’re [facing] with Iran, and then ask yourself, ‘how are we going to respond and act when we’re going up against a nation that’s number two in national GDP?’” he added. “The fact is that Iran doesn’t have anywhere near China’s economic might. They don’t have their industrial base. They certainly don’t have their military modernization trajectory.”

“Over the last 10 to 15 years, the Chinese manufacturing base has been out-producing us” Sklenka posited. “Xi is on a wartime footing. There’s no doubt about that. It’s underpinned by an industrial base that’s out producing the world in ships and steel, precious minerals and satellites, munitions.”

China’s “shipbuilding capacity is reported to be 230 times the capacity that the United States has,” the general continued. “They more than doubled their nuclear powered submarine construction, their arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles is undergoing a rapid expansion.”

First made-in-China aircraft carrier, the Shandong, enters service

“Their nuclear stockpile is the fastest growing in the world. They’re pursuing innovative, intelligentized warfare tactics,” Sklenka pointed out. “They’re using artificial intelligence, drone swarms, exploring the cognitive and innovative domains to achieve their dominance. They’re building a military design to dominate the Pacific, and I believe ultimately beyond the Pacific.”

China’s intent, Sklenka added, “is clear. They want to regain that self-identified moniker of the Middle Kingdom, and they want to resume what they believe is their rightful place in the world. They’re not interested in sharing that position with us or with anybody else. General Secretary Xi’s view is that it’s their time, and this is the context. I bring that all up for our transformation.”

“None of us in uniform today have ever had to operate in a world where a legitimate peer simultaneously contests us in every single domain,” said Sklenka. “We are talking terrestrially and non-terrestrially, kinetically and non-kinetically. We’re going to have to fight to get to that fight, and we’re going to have to embrace these challenges and not operate under the auspices of how we did in the 80s and 90s. History is proven, and our current operations are confirmed, that the society that can project and sustain power and sustain their forces most effectively, ultimately, they prevail.”

Looking to the future, Sklenka echoed warnings that TWZ has made for years about the vulnerability of U.S. military installations, both home and abroad. No increases in magazine depth, additional weapons systems or advancements with AI and other new technologies will ultimately matter “if you can’t get off the installation in the first place,” he stated. “The ability to mobilize and deploy is underpinned by the readiness of our installations. It’s a concept that we’re just now really starting to wrestle with.”

“Our bases, posts and stations…are the front lines of decisive terrain. And I’m not just talking about those in the first island chain. This isn’t just [Marine Corps Installations Pacific] MCIPAC. Our CONUS installations are subject to non-kinetic attacks. Non kinetic-attacks, they’re going to be just as debilitating and just as strategically consequential as any kinetic attack that’s going to be out there. And they’re going to carry an air of non-attrition that’s designed to both confuse decision makers and sow chaos during the most critical phases of the fight, the beginning, the first shots of that next war.”

That first salvo, Sklenka said, is most likely not going to be delivered by a missile or bomber.

“They’re likely not going to be fired in the South China Sea or in the Taiwan Strait,” he explained. “They’re going to be a cyber attack against a power grid on our base, a disinformation campaign targeting military families or a drone swarm coming off one of our installations.”

The localized drone attack concern is exactly what TWZ has long predicted and became a reality last year in Russia and Iran. Last June, Ukraine launched Operation Spider Web, an audacious near-field attack on Russian air bases, destroying a large number of strategic bombers with remotely operated drones set up in trucks placed near those installations.

Spider Web was followed about two weeks later by an operation Israel carried out, using drones pre-positioned inside Iran to attack the Islamic Republic’s air defenses.

You can see video of one attack during Operation Spider Web below.

The United States Marine Corps on Tuesday gave us our first glimpse of its evolving plan for its ground forces to succeed in the battlefield of the future. Dubbed Ground Combat Element 2040 (GCE 2040), it calls for ensuring that Marines are not just equipped with the latest technology, but that they know how to use it, all while maintaining readiness as they integrate these new systems into their formations. While all the final details remain in flux, we are getting a general idea of some of the elements the plan will include.

A working concept of the plan was presented for the first time today during a panel at the Modern Day Marine Expo held in Washington, D.C. It builds on the vision of former Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger’s Marine Force Design 2030 initiative, according to one of the current Corps leaders working to implement GCE 2040.

“This is really an opportunity for us to describe the future of the ground combat element in the United States Marine Corps,” explained Maj. Gen. Jason Morris, the Corps’ Director of Operations, Compliance, Policies and Operations. We want to “make sure that we have a clear vision of the capabilities required to field the most lethal, survivable ground combat element in the world, and make sure that we’ve got a pathway over the next three fiscal year defense programs that we are keeping our eye on the horizon, staying adaptable and incorporating new technologies into our Marine divisions and those subordinate elements that are a part of it.”

In addition, the Marines are “also continuing to refine the force design vision, to make sure that we are ready to go for any crisis, contingency or conflict in the future,” Morris added.

To better explain the GCE 2040 concept, Morris played a video laying out some of what it entails.  The video, which has not been yet been shared online, and a document that will be published in coming weeks, focuses on how the Marine Corps approaches human-centric warfare of the future.

“GCE 2040 is about equipping the Marine, not the machine,” the video stated. “While looking ahead to integrate robotic and autonomous systems into our formations and operationalizing AI at the tactical edge through concepts like Project Dynamis [an integrated battle management system being developed by the Marines], the Marine Corps will enable combat formations to sense, make sense and act with greater speed and precision than any adversary.”

Under GCE 2040, Marines will “integrate advanced sensors and intelligence networks to find and fix the enemy across all domains” while “conducting expeditionary maneuver in contested spaces and sustaining a resilient force through all phases of the operation,” the video stated. In addition, Marines will employ “joint forceful fires and achieve the effects of mass while mitigating vulnerabilities striking adversary targets from land, air and sea,” and establish “persistent, survivable [command and control] networks that enable decision making at machine speed from the strategic level down to the squad.”

The objective “is to generate the tempo of decision and action that allows us to shape, seize and hold key maritime terrain, deter aggression and prevail decisively in any future conflict,” the video explained.

This broadly fits with the U.S. military’s push to create ever larger and faster kill webs, in order to break the enemy’s decision cycle.  

When we asked for more details, the Marines told us that the plan includes addressing the need for ground-based air defense down to the squad level. 

“The proliferation of inexpensive one-way attack drones is the most significant tactical threat we face,” the Marines told us. “While systems like the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) and Medium-Range Intercept Capability [MRIC] are critical for a layered defense at echelon we must continue to thicken the protective layer that cover Marines at all echelons.”

You can read more about the Marines’ emerging doctrine for devolving air defense down to the individual Marine in our story here.

In a broader context, including air defense and offensive capabilities, the Marines told us “We must increase investment in multi-domain lethality and targeting systems that enable the right weapon to engage the right target at the right time to maximize the efficient use of lethal means against the enemy… The modern battlefield demands that we develop and field dispersed, AI-enabled targeting systems to create a network of sensors across the entire GCE.” 

The plan also involves evolving how Marines view technology. Autonomous systems and AI are a central focus of the new plan. The Marines state that these are not just tools, but are members of the team and the Marines are being trained to consciously accept risk with hardware rather than troops. 

Both AI and large quantities of autonomous systems will be critical to enabling future kill webs as discussed above. The USMC also says interoperability, both with other U.S. military branches and allies will be more critical than ever to achieving its aims going forward.

“The fact is that the Marine Corps is focused on the human being, individual, sailor, how we recruit and develop them, and how we build them into lethal combat teams,” proffered Maj Gen. Farrell J Sullivan, Commanding General of the Second Marine Division. “That has always been the case, and that will always be the case in the Marine Corps going forward, but modernization matters, and although we’re doing well, we have a long way to go, and as long as I’m in command of Second Marine Division, I will not be satisfied with where we are”

The GCE 2040 concept, he added, draws on lessons learned from modern combat that has evolved over the past decade into one where unmanned systems – like large drones such as Shahed-136s and smaller, first-person view (FPV) types – have become a major threat in Ukraine, the Middle East and many other places around the world.

The following image shows a U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS destroyed in a combined Iranian missile and drone barrage during the now-paused war.

The following video shows an Iranian-backed militia using FPV drones to strike a Black Hawk helicopter and a critical air defense radar at an American base in Iraq.

The new plan envisions future combat particularly in the Pacific, where Marines would likely have to fight inside the Chinese weapons engagement zone and across wide swaths of ocean. In such a battle, they would face standoff weapons and non-kinetic effects like advanced electronic warfare far more damaging and disrupting than what U.S. forces have faced in the fight against Iran. A Pacific conflict would also strain logistics as like never before.

“When you envision the type of fight we’re preparing for, where we face a peer or near peer adversary in a high-end fight, where all domains are contested, and in some the adversary will have an advantage, that’s not the battlefield we have fought on, at least not since I’ve been in the Marine Corps,” Sullivan stated. “And we see, if you look back over the last 10 or so years, how that manifests itself in places like Ukraine. Again, I don’t want to have a bias towards that conflict and say that all the future will look exactly like that, because it won’t, but we would be criminal not to be paying attention to that.”

Clearly the USMC is painting in very broad strokes at this time as there is still a lot more work to do to hammer out the details of GCE 2040.  The Marines say they will provide more details in the next few weeks and we continue to cover this issue as they become available.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

The future of I’m A Celebrity All Stars has been revealed by a TV insider, following the chaotic live final that delighted viewers last week.

I’m A Celeb All Stars will reportedly not return to our screens until 2029, despite the final being a huge success with massive viewing figures.

The South Africa-based show was pre-filmed in 2025, with the explosive final taking place live in London last Friday night. The final episode saw Adam Thomas win the show while arguing with Jimmy Bullard and David Haye.

The mayhem initially broke out when David interrupted Adam’s interview before the winner was announced. It rumbled on further when Jimmy Bullard interrupted to have his say over what he called “intimidating” actions by Adam in camp.

The row was so severe between the campmates that Sinitta and Gemma Collins stormed off, and Ant clashed with David and Jimmy.

It has been reported that around 2.8million people tuned in for the explosive finale, but despite the huge interest, show makers won’t be bringing back the all-stars version for a few years.

“The aim was never for it to be made or be on air in 2027, even though there may be an appetite for that right now. The aim was to deliver something as a special show that was on from time to time, not an annual revisit like the main I’m A Celebrity show,” an insider told The Sun.

This was the second all-stars version of the series, with the first season airing in May 2023 after being recorded in the autumn of 2022.

The series 6 runner-up, Myleene Klass, was crowned winner of the series after beating series 16 campmate Jordan Banjo in the final survival trial. It was three years between the first and second seasons of the show, so fans might be waiting a little while for the next season if ITV continues to follow suit.

Voting figures for the show were revealed earlier today, showing that Adam won by a landslide. The Emmerdale actor came first in the vote for the final four, with 51 per cent. He was followed by Sir Mo Farah, who won 32 per cent, while Harry Redknapp and Craig Charles each got 9 per cent.

I’m A Celebrity is expected to return later this year with the usual format. Adam’s win came off the back of a series of dramatic moments for the actor on the show. Things first took a dramatic turn when David Haye was accused of bullying Adam after he ruled himself out of a trial. He called the actor weak and later doubled down, claiming that the Waterloo Road star was using his arthritis to get out of doing Bushtucker Trials and challenges.

Adam was also at the centre of a row with Jimmy Bullard. He was left angry when Jimmy quit the show mid-trial, which could have tanked Adam’s time on I’m A Celeb, as they were doing the trial in pairs.

Adam swore at Jimmy. Though he later apologised, Jimmy was insistent that Adam was “aggressive” and “intimidating”, and blasted ITV for not showing the full clip. ITV have said what they showed was a “fair and accurate” representation of what happened.

The Mirror has approached ITV for comment.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

THE beloved “Hogwarts Express” steam train could be heading for the buffers thanks to a bitter health and safety row.

The iconic service, made famous by the Harry Potter film series, is under threat after rules forced a major overhaul.

The iconic train, known as The Jacobite steam train, runs through Scotland’s stunning countryside between Fort William and Mallaig, crossing the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.

But now the popular locomotive – which is enjoyed by around 70,000 passengers a year – is at a crossroads due to a long-running dispute over safety regulations and the resulting financial strain.  

Old-style carriages used in the films have effectively been banned because their doors don’t have central locking.

Operator West Coast Railways says being forced to swap them out has caused huge problems.

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Newer coaches are unpopular with tourists and far more expensive to run. They even require a diesel engine at the back just to power air conditioning.

The train, which should have started running this month, has yet to begin its 2026 season.

Bosses are now begging regulators at the Office of Rail and Road to allow the return of the original carriages.

James Shuttleworth of West Coast told The Telegraph: “I don’t know what we would do. We were losing money working like that and you don’t go into business to lose money.”

Local businesses are already feeling the pain, with trade slumping as visitors stay away.

Fears are now growing that unless a solution is found soon, the world-famous Hogwarts Express could run out of track for good.

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan says his service is looking to wrap up a review of its aircraft carrier plans within the next month or so. The Navy has been taking a deep look at the design and capabilities, and associated costs, of the Ford class as compared to the older Nimitz class. The question has been raised about whether this might point to a major shift in the service’s carrier acquisition strategy on the horizon, including the potential cancellation of planned orders for more Ford class ships and even a transition to a new design.

Phelan talked about the carrier review yesterday at a roundtable on the sidelines of the Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2026 exposition. When asked, Phelan said that there was nothing in particular about the Ford class that prompted the Navy to take a new comprehensive look at the program and that the service is looking for ways to cut costs and be more efficient across the board.

A key question the review has been focused on is “are we getting the appropriate bang for our buck, i.e., how superior is the Ford [class] to the older Nimitz class, etc,” the Navy’s top civilian leader said. “To be honest, we’re reviewing every program, so it’s – carriers [are] just one of them.”

That being said, President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the Ford class, and its electromagnetic catapults (also known as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS) and weapons elevators in particular, which have faced serious reliability and maintenance issues. Last October, he pledged to sign an executive order that would compel the Navy to go back to using steam-powered catapults and hydraulic elevators on new aircraft carriers, which has yet to materialize. Two months later, in announcing plans for the Trump class “battleship,” the President also said that “we have the Ford class. We’re going to be upping that to a different class of aircraft carrier,” but did not elaborate.

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS)

Watch the Advanced Weapons Elevators on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford

Phelan’s comments yesterday about the ongoing review were prompted, in part, by a question about whether the Navy has actually been looking at acquiring a new class of aircraft carrier. There is no indication that this is the case currently. The service has explored alternatives to the Ford class, including smaller designs, on several occasions in the past decade or so.

“What I would say on the carriers is, we are looking at [CVN-]82 and [CVN-]83 to review the costs, the designs, the systems, to make sure that they make sense and they have all the systems and requirements that we want going forward,” Phelan explained. “I think it’s a prudent and practical thing for us to do, given the costs of them, as a percentage of the budget, and how we are thinking about the force design and our needs going forward.”

CVN-82 and CVN-83 are the hull numbers assigned to a pair of future Ford class aircraft carriers currently set to be named the USS William J. Clinton and the USS George W. Bush. Construction has not begun on either of those ships, and the Navy has not even awarded contracts yet to order them. The service is asking for advance funds to support the future procurement of CVN-82 in its newly released budget request for the 2027 Fiscal Year. The budget documents also still show plans to seek funding for CVN-83 in the coming years.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is the only member of its class currently in service. It is now in the midst of a marathon deployment that has lasted some 10 months already, the longest for any carrier since the Vietnam War. In its time at sea so far, the ship and its air wing took part in the mission to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, and more recently supported operations against Iran. Ford suffered a fire in March, underscoring concerns about strains on the ship and its crew, as you can read more about here.

There are three more Ford class carriers in various stages of being built. The second ship in the class, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), left port for the first time for initial sea trials in January and is set to be formally delivered to the Navy next year.

John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) Successfully Completes Builder’s Sea Trials

Kennedy and all subsequent ships in the class are already set to have notable differences from Ford, including AN/SPY-6(V)3 radars in place of the design’s original Dual Band Radar (DBR). The immensely troublesome DBR is just one of a laundry list of issues that Ford has had to contend with over the years. The Navy has been trying to leverage lessons learned from those experiences to streamline work going forward.

However, Kennedy, as well as the next two ships in the class after that, the future USS Enterprise (CVN-80) and USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), have all continued to suffer further delays. As of last year, the estimated total procurement costs for Kennedy, Enterprise, and Doris Miller were nearly $13.2 billion, almost $14.25 billion, and just over $15.2 billion, respectively, according to the Congressional Research Service.

This, in turn, has created complications for Navy plans to begin retiring Nimitz class carriers. In May, the service announced it was extending the USS Nimitz‘s service life into 2027, in line with the latest delivery schedule for Kennedy.

“So the President knows we’re reviewing it [the carrier plans], and want [sic] us to put in a review,” Phelan said. “And I think, like any businessman, he’s – okay, make sure you look at all these programs, understand the capabilities and what they’re doing.”

The Secretary of the Navy was asked what metrics the service might be looking at in order to assess the comparative capabilities of the Ford class and the preceding Nimitz class. Phelan was given, as an example, statements the Navy has made in the past about the new EMALS catapults offering improved sortie generation rates and reducing wear and tear on aircraft during launches.

“I think you’ll see the sortie rate come out and it will be eye-watering,” Navy Rear Adm. Ben Reynolds said just yesterday at the Pentagon during the rollout of the service’s proposed budget for the 2027 Fiscal Year, according to USNI News. “The capability is just absolutely incredible.”

Reynolds is currently serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Budget and Director of the Fiscal Management Division within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

USS Ford Launches, Recovers Fighters With Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS)

“So these are all things you’ve heard. These are all the same things I’ve heard,” Phelan said at the roundtable at Sea Air Space. “I go to the Ronald Reagan School of trust, but verify. That’s what I’m doing.”

“Trust me, we measure and monitor a lot of things in the Navy, including that – the airframes and how that works. So I think it’s a function of just understanding it, for example, is the sortie rate generation that much greater? And then what are the cost implications of this electric catapult, and did it really generate the savings?” Phelan continued. “You know, the Navy would like to say we’ve saved $5 billion in terms of savings in number [sic] of men and maintenance. I just need to check that back up, and that’s what I mean by that.”

“I think, like anything, it’s both understanding the cost-benefit analysis of it, because we really want to make sure we’ve got a good handle on the costs,” the Navy Secretary added. “I think one of the things we have to do a better job of in the Navy is kind of what I call total cost of ownership. So what does it really cost to sustain and maintain these things? I think we do a reasonable job at that, to be honest. But the infrastructure needs on these are also costs you have to understand going in.”

As Phelan noted, the Navy has been conducting reviews of major programs across the service. The Navy Secretary has also shown a willingness to curtail high-profile, but seriously underperforming efforts despite high sunk costs. Last November, the service axed the Constellation class frigate program, long touted as a major priority, but which had become mired in delays and at risk of ballooning costs. Earlier this month, the Navy finally abandoned plans to return the Los Angeles class attack submarine USS Boise to active service, closing out a more than 10-year-long saga that had already cost it $800 million.

Yesterday, Phelan was also asked whether the Ford class could be curtailed as a result of the ongoing review. The possibility of truncating the program has been raised in the past.

“It’s too early to say, but we will have carriers. So, carriers are an important component to [sic] the force, and we will need that,” the Navy Secretary said. “I think it’s more, how do we figure out – like, again, this comes back to every program we’re looking at. What can we do to cut costs? What can we do to make this more efficient? What can we do to make the design more simple [sic]? What are the areas where we think we can save or not save?”

Even just cancelling future orders for Ford class ships would have major downstream impacts, including on the shipbuilding industrial base and its many suppliers. At the same time, the Navy’s shipbuilding priorities also now include the Trump class “battleships,” the first of which may cost $17 billion, according to the latest official estimates. If that price point holds, these large surface combatants will be more expensive than a Ford class aircraft carrier.

“These are very important decisions to be made, and you’re locking into very big contracts and very big platforms that are going to be around for a long time. And so I just think we’re trying to make prudent decisions across everything,” he added. “I think what I found a little bit is, I have a lot of people who know how to do finance. I don’t have a lot of people who necessarily understand finance, understand incentives and deal structures, and that’s something we just need to fix.”

How the Navy’s plans for the Ford class, and aircraft carriers in general, may evolve going forward will likely become clearer after the current review is completed.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Xavier Becerra needed to land a knockout punch, even more so than the five other candidates for California governor he was facing at Wednesday night’s debate.

Instead, he fired off some slaps.

He needed to roar about his many accomplishments in his 35-year career in Sacramento and Washington, to distinguish himself from the relative political neophytes around him.

Instead, Becerra recited his resume with the vigor of someone rattling off his LinkedIn page.

He needed to uplift Californians with a vision of hope, when many feel the state is going in the wrong direction.

Instead, he offered the oratory equivalent of a pat on the shoulder.

No candidate had more at stake that night than Becerra, who went from an afterthought to a contender after Eric Swalwell dropped out and resigned his congressional seat over sexual assault allegations.

Five weeks ago, Becerra and other candidates of color were protesting their exclusion from a USC debate because they were all polling so low. Now, the 68-year-old has a chance to become California’s first Latino governor.

This possibility seems to have uncorked California’s silent majority — the rancho libertarians turned off by hard-right politics but also the wokoso politics they feel have left them behind. The people who yearn for an unglamorous, competent leader after eight years of all-about-me Gavin Newsom and a decade of Donald Trump.

Becerra’s campaign, once as rudderless as a leaf in a river in a race so chaotic for Democrats that many feared two Republicans would win on June 2 and face each other in the general election, suddenly latched onto a palpable wave.

At the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books last weekend, I saw people sporting Becerra campaign buttons who had just come from a rally that was expected to draw a few hundred but instead had over 2,000 RSVPs. On social media, friends who had never especially cared for state politics suddenly declared they were for Becerra and fought off their more lefty pals who think he’s a Latino Ned Flanders not up for this fraught moment.

Unglamorous and competent are Becerra’s middle names, and they were on display at the debate — for better and mostly worse. This was his chance to show both his new followers and undecided voters that they could trust him as California’s next governor.

But where he needed to be limber like a prizefighter, the former California attorney general was as tightly wound as a Rolex.

While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy. When he did gesture, his movements never went further than the span of his shoulders.

As the others grinned and grimaced at their rivals’ responses, Becerra was as stone-faced as Buster Keaton. He stumbled more than he should have — how could someone in his position mistake Iraq for Iran when criticizing Trump’s Middle East quagmire? — and rarely seemed at ease, as if the weight of the moment and the good luck of his surge had suddenly hit him at the worst possible time.

Candidates in California’s gubernatorial race, from left, Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, and Steve Hilton look on during a debate Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in San Francisco.

(Jason Henry / Associated Press)

Becerra’s supporters say a level-headed leader is what California needs. But voters almost never go for what they need — they pick what they want. And California wants someone who’s loud, or at least louder than Becerra. There’s a reason why strident partisans like Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton and progressives Tom Steyer and Katie Porter have consistently placed high in the polls, while moderates like Becerra, his frenemy Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose mayor Matt Mahan have lagged.

The weird thing is that Becerra does know how to brawl. Wallflowers don’t go from a working class Mexican immigrant family to Stanford Law School. Wimps don’t survive the ruthlessness of Eastside politics as an outsider to become a congressmember at just 34. Cowards don’t file over 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration as California’s top prosecutor or tackle the coronavirus pandemic as President Biden’s health secretary.

I’ve only encountered the Sacramento native a few times but always came away impressed. In small crowds, he makes people laugh and tear up. He’s quick with ripostes, righteous in off-the-cuff remarks and has a do-gooder aura that never comes off as sanctimonious.

We saw hints of that Becerra at the debate. To Hilton, he quipped, “You can be a talking head and not worry about the consequences of what you do” after the former Fox News host babbled on about how one-party ruled had failed California.

After Porter accused him of not offering hard numbers for his economic plans, Becerra responded that he has balanced federal budgets larger than California’s. “It’s easy to say you haven’t done this; it’s easier to prove that you actually have,” he concluded.

But after Becerra described the evils of racial profiling by law enforcement and Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, ranted that California politicians need to stop thinking so much about race, it was Porter who responded with a verbal haymaker as Becerra silently looked on.

You don’t fight as a choirboy in a battle royale. Becerra wasn’t bad at the debate but he also wasn’t great — and that won’t win this race.

Voters want someone who’ll do the job, yes — especially if it comes with no drama. They also want to elect someone they think is a human, not a joyless bureaucrat. So how did Becerra respond to the debate’s last question about what was the last series you’ve streamed?

Becerra flashed his biggest smile of the night. It was such a softball query that even a kindergartener could have slammed it à la Shohei Ohtani.

“I wish I could tell you I had time to watch streaming shows,” he replied.

Dude. We’re all overworked, but everyone I know unwinds by watching mindless drivel (my current obsession is “Vanderpump Villa”). We all need to relax, even for a moment. As my dad says when he sees me filing one columna after another and urges me to take a break, “El trabajo nunca se acaba pero uno sí se acaba.”

Work never ends, but people do.

Xavier, you know you’re on the wrong side of California when the only other candidate with a similar answer was Bianco, who said he doesn’t watch television at all.

Being careful has served you well, but this is the greatest opportunity of your life. You don’t have to suddenly become a flamethrower, but some sparks would help. It’s six weeks until the primary, so time to throw down — channel your inner cholo and go get what should be yours.

General Atomics is calling attention to a new mission for its Mojave short takeoff and landing (STOL) drone: hunting uncrewed aerial threats with laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets. The company put a heavy focus on this planned capability in a larger vision for Mojave that rolled out today.

Mojave is also envisioned as launching its own kamikaze drones, escorting friendly helicopters, spotting targets for artillery, and even transporting small cargoes. With its short and rough field capabilities, the drone could also push these capabilities far forward, including to island outposts during a future conflict in the Pacific. This was all showcased in a new computer-generated video, seen below. General Atomics’ Aeronautical Systems, Inc. division (GA-ASI) showed the video first today at the Army Aviation Association of America’s (AAAA) 2026 Warfighting Summit, at which TWZ is in attendance.

Mojave STOL: Real. Rugged. Ready Today.

General Atomics is also now officially referring to the drone at the center of the video as Mojave STOL. The company has previously used the name Gray Eagle STOL to differentiate planned production models from the already flying Mojave demonstrator, which first broke cover in 2021. Mojave is derived from the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, which itself leveraged the preceding MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper designs.

“General Atomics is all-in on providing the best STOL solution for the Army and U.S. allies worldwide,” General Atomics spokesperson C. Mark Brinkley told TWZ. “Everything you see is a capability we can do right now, things already demonstrated on a real, flying aircraft.”

The new video, set “somewhere in the Western Pacific,” focuses first on the rocket-armed drone hunter mission. A Mojave STOL is depicted using an EagleEye multi-mode radar, as well as its infrared sensor in the turret under its nose, to spot and track a pair of kamikaze drones clearly modeled on the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 pattern. EagleEye is another General Atomics product, which was first unveiled in 2022 and has a demonstrated air-to-air target acquisition capability. It also has surface search, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) modes.

The drone is then shown alerting a forward U.S. outpost to these approaching uncrewed aerial threats via satellite. Using a ruggedized laptop, an operator on the ground then orders the kamikaze drones to be destroyed. A Mojave carrying two 19-shot 70mm rocket pods, one under each wing, then swoops in and shoots them down. Afterward, it is also depicted being rearmed at a very rough-looking, unimproved jungle airstrip.

“We’ve shown APKWS [BAE Systems’ 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II laser-guided rocket] mounted to Mojave in a static display at some of the recent U.S. Army shows where Mojave STOL was present,” General Atomics’ Brinkley told us. “Integrating new weapons is a multi-part process. Fit tests, weight considerations, captive carry for airworthiness, software, [and] actual live-fire.”

“For Mojave STOL and other GA-ASI aircraft, we’re inside that process now with APKWS,” he added. “It’s flying and firing soon, [in] weeks not months.”

“APKWS has already been demonstrated on other aircraft against airborne targets, so we know the weapon itself works for this mission,” he also noted. “GA-ASI has successfully destroyed other airborne targets using various weapons, including AIM-9X and Hellfire, so we know we can track, target, and hit flying objects of various sizes and speeds.”

APKWS II has had a meteoric rise in popularity in the air-to-air role since the U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters first began using the rockets this way in combat against Houthi drones in 2024, which TWZ was first to report. APKWS II was originally designed as an air-to-surface weapon and then also adapted to the surface-to-air role against drones. The total number of U.S. military and foreign aircraft cleared to use a variant of the rocket specifically optimized for air-to-air use continues to grow. Other companies that make similar laser-guided rockets are also now adapting them for employment in the anti-air role.

As an anti-air weapon against slower-flying and less dynamic targets, APKWS II offers immense benefits over traditional air-to-air missiles when it comes to cost-per-engagement and magazine depth, as you can read more about here. Just carrying two 19-shot pods, Mojave has an impressive 38 engagement opportunities. The drone has six underwing pylons and could carry additional pods, as well as other stores.

After the drone-hunting vignette, General Atomics’ new Mojave video moves on to show one of the drones leading a group of AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters into apparent hostile territory. The drone fires an AeroVironment Switchblade 600 loitering munition to destroy an enemy mobile surface-to-air missile system to help clear the way. GA-ASI, in cooperation with AeroVironment, has previously demonstrated the ability of Switchblade 600 to be air-launched from the MQ-9 Reaper.

The video also shows Mojave being used to find and fix enemy forces, which are then engaged by friendly 155mm howitzers, as well as to carry cargo in underwing pods to forward locations. GA-ASI has previously showcased the potential value of Mojave in the latter role as part of a larger construct to provide logistics support during future expeditionary and distributed operations, even in actively contested environments.

The new video caps off with a Mojave firing on unseen targets with a pair of underwing Minigun pods. This is another capability General Atomics has previously demonstrated in real life. The drone can also carry other stores, including AGM-114 Hellfires and AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM), on the pylons under its wings.

General Atomics is pitching the overall vision presented here for Mojave heavily to the U.S. Army, though it has also been engaged with other potential customers. Testing in cooperation with authorities in the United Kingdom and South Korea has demonstrated how the drone’s short-field capabilities could also translate to naval operations from aircraft carriers and big deck amphibious assault ships. Last year, GA-ASI announced a partnership with Hanwha Aerospace in South Korea to produce what was still then being called Gray Eagle STOL in that country.

Mojave Aircraft Carrier Takeoff and Landing

“Mojave STOL provides the versatility that the U.S. Army and others need for the future, with the endurance and persistence they’ve come to rely on, underpinned by experience gleaned from almost 10 million total flight hours,” General Atomics’ Brinkley told us. “That’s why Hanwha jumped in as our partner on this, bringing international investment to further buy down risk.”

“The U.S. Army wants to be successful right out of the gate. No stumbling, no fumbling,” he added. “They’re already integrating tactical drones into the force and experimenting with how that will change the nature of American warfare. They’re bringing a new tiltrotor online. It’s a period of massive change for Army aviation.”

The tiltrotor in question is the MV-75A, now officially nicknamed the Cheyenne II, which Bell derived from its V-280 Valor design. You can read more about the Army’s current plans for this aircraft here.

The Army is now in the early stages of formulating plans to acquire uncrewed companions for the MV-75A and its existing fleets of crewed helicopters. However, the focus so far has been on vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable designs rather than a fixed-wing type like Mojave, as TWZ has explored previously. In general, greater independence from traditional runways has been a major area of focus across the U.S. military in recent years when it comes to planning for future aviation operations, especially in the context of a high-end fight in the Pacific against China.

“Our engineers are obsessed with developing the next-generation of uncrewed aircraft. More than a decade ago, they dug deep into VTOL and runway independence,” General Atomics’ Brinkley explained. “What they discovered was payload and endurance tradeoffs with VTOL create a lot of challenges when applied to real combat operations. It’s a tough hand to play.”

“Mojave STOL is flying right now. We have five million square feet of existing manufacturing, ready to go,” he added. “We can help the Army integrate a real, rugged, ready today Mojave STOL into the force with far less risk to success.”

Questions have also been raised in the past about the survivability and general utility of drones like Mojave, as well as predecessors like the MQ-1C and MQ-9, in future high-end operations. The latest conflict with Iran has underscored the vulnerability of the Reaper, in particular. Air-launched drones and stand-off munitions, as well as new self-protection capabilities, can help keep these drones further away from enemy defenses. TWZ has also previously highlighted how a drone like Mojave could be used to provide more localized force protection, including against uncrewed aerial threats, at forward outposts and rear areas in the context of a larger conflict.

It’s also worth noting here that while Mojave would not be as quick to respond to incoming drone threats as a tactical jet, it would be able to loiter in a particular area for a longer period of time. It could also provide strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support while on station. Being able to fly from unimproved forward airstrips would also allow it to operate organically with the forces it is assigned to support.

When it comes to the Army, it remains to be seen how that service’s visions for its future drone fleets and crewed-uncrewed teaming evolve. As mentioned, the Mojave STOL’s capabilities, including its ability to act as a rocket-armed drone hunter, could be attractive to other potential operators, who might fly the drones from bases on land or ships at sea.

In the meantime, General Atomics continues to expand on the Mojave concept, which now includes the planned integration of APKWS II laser-guided rockets.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

PHOENIX — Golden State coach Steve Kerr is contemplating his future, the four-time NBA champion coach suggesting after the Warriors’ season ended Friday night that there is a chance he might not be back with the club next season.

“It might still go on. It may not,” Kerr said after the Warriors lost in Phoenix and were eliminated from the play-in tournament.

He shared an embrace with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the team’s two constants from the Warriors’ title runs with Kerr, near the team’s bench in the game’s final moments and appeared to mouth the words “thank you.”

Kerr wouldn’t reveal what he said in that moment.

“None of your business,” he said, smiling.

Green and Curry both made clear that they want him back. Kerr’s future has been the subject of speculation for some time, fueled in part by him coaching this year on the final season of his existing contract. The Warriors missed the playoffs this season for the fourth time in the last seven years.

“I want Coach to be happy. I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe you know he’s the right guy for the job,” Curry said. “I want him to have an opportunity to again enjoy what he does. So, whatever that means for him, you know, everybody’s plan is their own. And I’m not going to try to tell anybody what to do. He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said.”

Added Green, when asked if he could even fathom the Warriors without Kerr on the sideline: “I just don’t deal with change well. I don’t love it. So, I don’t want to think about that. I hope that’s not the case, but we’ll see what happens.”

The 60-year-old Kerr just finished his 12th season with the Warriors. He’s 604-353 in that span, led Golden State to the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons — and once since then as well — plus guided the U.S. to Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024.

His playoff record of 104-48 is nearly unmatched; among coaches with at least 100 playoff games in their career, his .684 playoff winning percentage is second only — and barely — to Phil Jackson, who went 229-104 (.688).

Kerr said he’ll meet with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy to chart a path for what’s next. He suggested that might come in a week or two.

“We’ll talk about what’s next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason,” Kerr said. “And we will come to a collaborative decision on what’s next. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. There’s a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas and all that.

“And, if that’s the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray and the whole group.”

Kerr wouldn’t say what some of the factors are that might sway his decision, calling those private.

“If it’s right, it’s right,” Kerr said. “And if it’s not, it’s not.”

There will be talks with Curry as well; the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, who just finished his 17th season — all with Golden State — said he plans to play for “multiple” seasons after this and would be interested in an extension.

“It’ll be a busy summer for the Warriors,” Curry said, smiling.

The Warriors were 37-45 this season, dealing with injuries the entire way. They rallied Wednesday from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers and move into Friday’s play-in finale, only to fall short against the Suns.

And now, the Warriors wait to see what’s next.

“This was as tough a season as you can have, with the injuries, with all kinds of adversity,” Kerr said. “And they battled, and they battled the entire season. They kept going the other night just to, you know, continue the season, to show that kind of fight. And then tonight, we just didn’t have it. But the competitive desire was there. And I’m proud of the group for finishing the season the right way by continuing to fight and trying to win every game.”

Kerr — who won five championships as a player, to go along with his four rings as a coach — has spoken often of his good fortunes within the game. He played for Lute Olson at Arizona, played with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago, played with David Robinson and Tim Duncan in San Antonio and played for Jackson and Gregg Popovich as a pro.

And coaching Curry — the greatest face of a franchise he’s ever seen, he said — is another honor, Kerr has insisted.

“The only thing I’ve learned is that I’m the luckiest guy in the NBA’s history,” Kerr said.

With orders for the twin-rotor helicopter still rolling in, Boeing has provided details on its future plans for the venerable H-47 Chinook, including adding launched effects and creating a path toward a crewed version of the aircraft. The latter would offer an unprecedented vertical-lift capability, and one that could be of great interest to the U.S. Army and other operators.

At the Army Aviation Association of America’s Army Aviation Warfighting Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, today, Boeing released a computer-generated promotional video showing launched effects being delivered from the rear ramp of a Chinook.

Launched effects, previously referred to as air-launched effects (ALEs), describe a category of various uncrewed systems that you can read more about here. The new launched effects terminology reflects the fact that they might be launched from land or maritime platforms, as well as crewed and uncrewed aircraft. Launched effects drones include types that operate as scouts, electronic attackers, decoys, and suicide drones. They are typically highly autonomous, operating independently or in more complex networked swarms.

When it comes to the Chinook, Boeing confirms that launched effects are yet to be tested from the helicopter, but the company is working toward that goal.

Kathleen Jolivette, the vice president and general manager for Boeing’s Vertical Lift division, said today that the company is investing its own funds in the initiative and is currently looking at how rapidly it might be able to move into the demonstration phase, based on expected U.S. Army and international interest.

It’s worth noting, meanwhile, that Boeing and the Army are already pushing ahead on launched effects demonstrations from the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, including recently announced trials with Anduril’s ALTIUS-700 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) launched from an AH-64E. The Army says that this program progressed from a requirement to a live demonstration in less than six months.

With its capacious hold, the Chinook would be able to accommodate huge numbers of launched effects, allowing multiple missions to be fulfilled over an extended period, especially when compared with other helicopters that typically launch these drones from externally mounted tubes.

The Chinook would also be much better able to handle larger launched effects. In the past, the Army has issued descriptions of ‘large’ drones in this category. These are envisaged as having a combat range of up to 350 kilometers (217 miles) and a total flight time of 30 minutes. However, there has also been an aspiration to increase those performance specifications to up to 650 kilometers (404 miles) and an hour of total time in the air. These would weigh up to 225 pounds each, compared to around 25 pounds for an ALTIUS-600, for example.

There is a possibility that Chinooks, specifically special operations MH-47Gs, are already using some kind of launched effects. As we discussed at the time, there is strong evidence that the U.S. military may have used kamikaze drones during the operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro earlier this year. Whatever the case, launched effects are increasingly key to the survival of rotary-wing aviation going forward.

As well as launched effects, Boeing is pushing ahead with work on what it calls an optimally crewed Chinook, reflecting U.S. Army terminology. As far as we understand it, the terms optimally crewed and optionally crewed appear to be interchangeable, although the former could also include reduced-crew flying with the help of an AI copilot. Boeing also pushed us toward an Army press release for the H-60Mx Black Hawk helicopter, described as an optimally piloted vehicle and extensively modified to fly with or without a pilot at the controls.

Heather McBryan, the vice president and H-47 program manager at Boeing, said the company is now “working very closely” with the Army in terms of what additional capability it wants to add to future Block II production lots.

According to McBryan, the Army “publicly stated their desire for what they’re calling an optimally crewed aircraft, where they can, in some instances, reduce the workload for pilots, but in other instances, eliminate it completely, and we’ve made a lot of great progress in those efforts.”

McBryan says that this work is also responding to demand from international customers.

As part of this effort, after years of development and post-production modifications, Boeing recently added its Active Parallel Actuator Subsystem (APAS) to the Chinook production line. A hardware and software system, McBryan describes APAS as working “like lane-assist in your vehicle.”

Tested on the special-missions MH-47G for some years now, APAS reduces pilot workload, but also provides additional situational awareness and enables safer maneuvering, especially at the edges of the aircraft’s envelope. For now, APAS is mainly for the MH-47G and for the United Kingdom’s new Chinooks, but McBryan confirms that Boeing is looking at how to bring additional elements of autonomy into the CH-47F as well.

In February, for example, a CH-47F successively completed its first fully automated approach and landing test flight, something that Boeing calls “approach to x.”

This used the company’s upgraded Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS), the software ensuring the Chinook touched down all four wheels on a runway without any pilot intervention. While DAFCS is currently deployed on the CH-47F fleet, the upgraded version further reduces pilot workload and brings autonomy to tactical approaches, boosting flexibility and operational capability.

Right now, every Chinook coming off the production line has the basic DAFCS, while APAS essentially provides an enhancement, building on the same flight control system with a combination of hardware and software.

As Chris Speights, the chief engineer for Boeing Vertical Lift, explains, with APAS, “the parallel actuation system actually amplifies, provides a higher-bandwidth control mechanism for it that the software can then take advantage of. So we get more precise control and augmentation with APAS when you add it on top.”

Boeing CH-47F Block II Chinook Helicopter: Next-Level Heavy Lift

Speights added that Boeing is also looking at the future beyond APAS.

“APAS is the foundation, then there would be other capabilities, whether it’s algorithmic or whether it’s sensors or the integration of those that would give further autonomous capability in the future,” he said.

Potentially, this could lead to entirely autonomous Chinook flights, from takeoff to landing, for an optimally uncrewed or even a fully uncrewed Chinook.

Speights described the work on the upgraded DAFCS and APAS as “foundational,” should the company pursue an optimally crewed Chinook.

“That puts us on the path for the flight automation, not necessarily full autonomy, but flight automation, which starts today with pilot workload reduction, and approach to x,” Speights said. “But it enables further capabilities in the future, as the customer desires, based on their concept of how the aircraft would be used.”

It is worth noting that Sikorsky has been working on both optionally crewed and uncrewed versions of its H-60 Black Hawk series. Late last year, the company unveiled its U-Hawk demonstrator, a fully uncrewed version of the Black Hawk helicopter, intended to carry cargo and deliver launched effects. The U-Hawk leverages the company’s past work on a Pilot Optional Vehicle (OPV) version of the Black Hawk, which has been flying for years.

Introducing the S-70UAS™ U-Hawk™

For now, however, Jolivette said that Boeing is “gonna wait and see what happens” with the Army’s uncrewed/optimally crewed vision. “I think there’s more to come on that,” she added.

As well as APAS, Boeing is looking at how it can bring a digital backbone to the CH-47F. A digital backbone essentially provides a shared network of data and tools that connects both production design and sustainment. The result is that everyone who is working on the aircraft gets the same data points and the same information at the same time. In practice, this would mean adding multiple redundant networks and distributed interface units to ensure precise monitoring. With reliably collected data, the Chinook should be easier to upgrade, safer to operate, and quicker to fix.

The Chinook remains very much in demand, meanwhile.

The latest budget request includes funding for additional MH-47G aircraft. In terms of CH-47F Block II, Boeing is ramping up production to meet the Army’s rapid-fielding ambitions. Six Block IIs were delivered last year, and Boeing received a contract award for nine more in September 2025, with another six orders since then, for a total of 24 under contract. McBryan confirmed that, as of today, three aircraft are in production, with two of those in final assembly.

“We expect to deliver one of those aircraft towards the end of this year,” McBryan said. The total U.S. Army Block II requirement is still to be determined.

In terms of international orders, the first deliveries for new orders from Egypt, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are expected this year. Production of the first German CH-47F is also underway, with expected delivery in 2027.

Although it was first flown back in 1961, the Chinook appears to have a bright future ahead of it. With Boeing now focused on new capabilities, we may very well see Chinooks delivering launched effects and operating in uncrewed versions before too long.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

BBC Sort Your Life Out fans were left heartbroken this week when one beloved show came to an end for another series.

Sort Your Life Out’s latest series came to an end this week but now one of the stars has issued a show update.

BBC fans have been watching Stacey Solomon and her team of experts helping families across the country declutter their homes since 2021.

Putting all of their belongings into a warehouse, Stacey and organising expert Dilly Carter then assist the families in deciding whether they want to keep, sell or donate each item that was once in their home.

Over the years, there’s been tears, laughter and heartwarming stories as each family has a touching tale on why they need the team’s help.

This week (April 14), fans tuned in for the sixth episode of the BBC show with the Mann-Monro family.

However, the instalment marked the last episode in the series, with Dilly Carter issuing an update on Sort Your Life Out’s future. Taking to Instagram, she shared a photo of the team together, writing: “AND THAT’S A WRAP. Series 6 of @sortyourlifeout is over and out.

“A hugely emotional last episode going out with a bang. This series has been unbelievable and we are so grateful to every family who has taken part and opened up their homes to us and let us in.

“This show relies on YOU. And we are so beyond grateful we get to help transform such amazing families’ lives forever.”

She then went on to praise the team on the show behind the scenes who work ‘tirelessly’ to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Wrapping up her caption, Dilly confirmed Sort Your Life Out will be back once again in the future. She continued: “But for now, it’s time to start getting ready for the next series. Will we be coming to your road? Keep an eye out.

“Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts, and to my gang, my TV family, I love you all and can’t wait to see you in 2 weeks.”

It wasn’t long before people commented on the post, with many praising the series so far. One person said: “Great show, can’t wait for the next series.”

Another added: “Miss you all until next time.” Someone else commented: “So sad it’s finished, best telly ever xxx”

One fan wrote: “Love the programme and love the team!! Please come back soon.” As another shared: “What an amazing series, absolutely loved it – emotional but so uplifting.”

Sort Your Life Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Amid a glittering sports celebration, a team from Los Angeles dominated the WNBA draft.

But it wasn’t Los Angeles’ WNBA team.

The Sparks couldn’t hold a candle to UCLA.

At a Monday event during which six Bruins were drafted among the first 18 picks — a WNBA record — the Sparks didn’t have their first pick until No. 20 in the second round.

Two years earlier, they had traded away their first-round pick for the rights to draft the exciting Rickea Jackson.

Whom they recently traded to Chicago for somebody named Ariel Atkins.

You can see where we’re going with this…

One of the WNBA’s founding franchises, the failure-ridden Sparks enter the league’s 30th season attempting to break a five-year playoff drought with an understandable yet unremarkable game plan.

They’re going old. They don’t have a choice. Five years of lottery missteps have produced exactly one current Sparks player, Cameron Brink, a social media star who’s been an injured basketball bust.

While the national champion Bruins spent Monday dancing across the league from Toronto to Chicago, the Sparks didn’t get a chance to acquire any of them, and wound up with three late picks who will raise no eyebrows and play few minutes.

So, yeah, old.

When the Sparks open the season by hosting defending champion Las Vegas May 10, their fans are going to say, “Oh yeah!” followed by a resounding chorus of, “Oh no!”

Oh yeah, they’re bringing back longtime Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike, a bruising inside force for 14 seasons. She played well for Seattle last year, but, oh no, she’ll be 36 during the season, and one wonders when the physicality will take its toll.

Oh yeah, they’re bringing back Erica Wheeler, who played strong minutes here several years ago. But, oh no, she played for three teams in the last four years and will be 35 during the season.

Oh yeah, they’re bringing in Atkins, who once won a WNBA championship with the Washington Mystics. But, oh no, that was seven years ago, and she’s bounced around with six international teams and two WNBA teams since.

Those three veterans will be joining a team with two returning starters — Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby — but little else.

The league’s celebrated new CBA made all these players rich, but did little for the Sparks, who were unable to make a dent in the league-wide free agent market and were out of decent draft picks and so must survive for one more season before getting a shot at JuJu Watkins.

So they should tank? No! Not yet! I’ve got season tickets! But you’ve got to wonder. And if this aging band gets off to a slow start, you’ve got to wonder if they’re wondering.

“I’m super excited about the roster we have,” said coach Lynne Roberts on a Zoom call Monday night. “We brought in some tremendous leadership.”

But they also lost some tremendous youth by giving up on Jackson, who averaged nearly 15 points last season and provided much-needed energy to another deadly dull squad. While the Sparks made nice with her publicly, one can read between the lines on the following Zoom quote from general manager Raegan Pebley.

”Loved having her here … she’ll be successful wherever she goes,” said Pebley of Jackson. “But we’re focused on winning a championship and finding that fit and balance and getting all those pieces locked in with each other.”

Here’s guessing Jackson, an independent spirit, was never quite locked in. And now she’s locked out of a new culture that will be solid and steady… but will they be any good?

“You have to have that balance of youth and experience and I think our roster has nailed that,” said Pebley.

Who knows? Will Brink stop trying to be an influencer long enough to be an inside presence? Will Rae Burrell take another step in her fifth season? Can the new veterans stay healthy enough to inspire the kids, who could include draft picks Ta’Niya Latson, Chance Gray and Amelia Hassett? Can Roberts, a relative WNBA newcomer who lost more than half of her games in her debut last season, actually coach?

They’ve already had one win with the ongoing construction of an $150-million El Segundo practice facility, which should open next year and serve to attract the type of stars that a Los Angeles team deserves.

They have another steady win with a Crypto.com Arena fan-friendly game experience that ranks among the best in this city’s sports landscape.

Now they just need wins on the scoreboard, lots of them, enough to restore faith in what was once one of this city’s shining basketball operations.

The odds aren’t good — going old usually means going home early — but what else can they do? No Bruins are walking through that door. For at least one more year, the Sparks have to marinate in their past mistakes and hope that their veterans can somehow lay a foundation for their future..

“This isn’t a slow roll,” said Roberts. “We want to do it.”

The rest of the league, which has greatly benefited from five years of Sparks’ bad basketball decisions, will be waiting.

Their passionate fans, who have loyally kept showing up for the last five years to watch the lousy basketball those decisions have wrought, will be wanting.

And JuJu will be watching.