High

Bank of Japan raises benchmark interest rate from 1 to 1.25 percent, pledging to help counter inflation risks.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has raised interest rates by 0.25 to 1.25 percent, pushing borrowing costs to their highest level in 31 years, amid rising inflation and wages, and pressure from Washington.

The move on Friday marked the first hike since June, and takes interest rates closer to levels the BoJ deems neutral to the economy, marking another step away from decades of ultra-low rates that cemented the yen’s status as a cheap global funding currency.

Japan is grappling to contain inflation, which is being driven by factors including rising energy prices, global supply pressures and domestic inflation exceeding the 2 percent target.

Core consumer inflation held steady near the target in August, data showed on Friday, as companies continued to pass on rising costs for a wide range of food and grocery items.

The country also faced a “slow-moving demographic shock” with a shrinking labour pool lifting wages, a structural factor that ⁠cannot be dismissed as temporary, BoJ Executive Director Koji Nakamura said on Monday.

The Federal Reserve’s rate hike on Wednesday, and the prospect of another one later this year, have added pressure on the BoJ to keep pace.

Further widening of the United States-Japan rate gap risks weakening the yen and lifting inflation through higher import costs, analysts told the Reuters news agency.

Its policy rate also remains lower than the European Central Bank, which raised its key rate to 2.5 percent last week.

Such pressure could affect the tone of BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda’s post-meeting briefing, which will be closely watched by markets for clues on the timing and pace of further increases.

Autumn is the perfect time to explore what’s going on across the UK

Autumn is here, and this season is when the UK truly shines. On a crisp bright day there is nothing more beautiful than a country walk, soaking in the technicolour trees as their leaves change from green to all the red and orange shades of autumn.

The only thing that is better is the promise of a cosy pub at the end with a roaring fire, tucked away on a high street that’s teeming with independent shops. This situation might sound like a utopian dream – but there is one place in the UK where you can enjoy all of this.

If it’s the autumn colour you want, you need to start your day at Stourhead in Wiltshire.

This National Trust home and garden was one of the first grand Palladian style homes built in England, and has been kept beautifully preserved.

The home is set within 2,650 acres of lush English countryside with walking paths criss crossing the land.

There’s a vast lake on the ground and at its shores is a hidden grotto where you can look out over the water and see the bright fiery trees reflecting in the still water.

The gardens are also home to several Roman inspired temples, including temples of Apollo and Flora. Once you have enjoyed the house and the garden and maybe even stopped for a cup of tea in the cafe, you can head to the charming town of Mere.

The town is just a 15 minute drive from the property, and is a quiet haven away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Mere is an historic town nestled beneath the South West Wiltshire Downs and close to the borders of Somerset and Dorset.

The charming high street has florists, antique stores and tea rooms, perfect for a weekend wander. There’s also a selection of pubs to choose from – and the oldest is one of the best.

The George Inn, located at the Square in Mere is the town’s oldest pub and dates back to the 16th century.

The main bar has a large, roaring log fire with cosy seating and the menu serves up classic pub food, perfect for warming up after a chilly autumn walk.

Published on
17/09/2026 – 13:17 GMT+2

The ‘Old Lady of Threadneedle Street’ has chosen to wait, though not unanimously.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Monetary Policy Committee voted by a majority of six to three on Thursday to leave borrowing costs unchanged, with the dissenting trio pushing for a quarter-point increase to 4%.

The decision puts the Bank of England at odds with the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, both of which have tightened within the past week.

Despite holding, the central bank expects the situation to worsen before it improves.

Inflation “is likely to rise further over coming quarters,” the committee said, pointing to crude and refined energy prices that have climbed again since its last meeting and remain “more volatile and higher than pre-conflict.”

Watching for second-round effects

The case for holding rests on what has not yet happened.

“There has been little evidence so far of material second-round effects in price and wage-setting,” the statement read, meaning expensive energy is not yet feeding into broader wages and prices.

However, that reprieve may be temporary.

The risk of such effects “is greater the longer higher energy prices persist or are more volatile,” the committee warned, adding that risks to the inflation outlook are “tilted to the upside, and more so than at the time of the July Monetary Policy Report.”

Brent crude and UK wholesale gas prices have risen 36% and 78% respectively since July, with Brent at $106 a barrel and gas at 207 pence per therm on 14 September.

Refinery pressures have kept crack spreads, the gap between refined fuel prices and crude, well above pre-conflict levels.

Economic activity has held up slightly better than expected, while a soft labour market and the higher borrowing costs households and businesses have faced since the conflict began should bring inflation down over time.

A crowded week for central banks

The Fed raised its benchmark on Wednesday to a range of 3.75% to 4%, its first increase since 2023 and a unanimous decision, while signalling more to come.

The ECB lifted its deposit rate to 2.5% last week.

The sequence concludes on Friday with the Bank of Japan, where markets expect a hike.

That would leave the Bank of England as the only major central bank to have stood still this week, though on Thursday’s evidence not by much.

Additional sources • AP

Published on 17/09/2026 – 9:55 GMT+2•Updated
10:03

Investors in Europe took the Federal Reserve rate hike in their stride.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Both the Euro Stoxx 50 and the broader pan-European Stoxx 600 traded over 0.6% higher at the start of Thursday’s session.

France’s CAC 40, Germany’s DAX 30, Italy’s FTSE MIB, Spain’s IBEX 35, the Netherlands’ AEX and Switzerland’s CH20, all traded between 0.2% and 0.7% higher than their Wednesday close.

The UK’s FTSE 100 led the pack and rose more than 1%.

Carmakers and industrials led the Paris index, with Renault gaining more than 2%, Stellantis 1.6% and Schneider Electric 1.3%. Technology went the other way, with Dassault Systèmes falling 2.4%.

The calm followed a rougher session in New York, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1.2% lower on Wednesday and the S&P 500 fell 0.4%, while the Nasdaq was broadly flat.

Asian markets were mixed overnight with Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rising 0.2%, Seoul’s Kospi gaining 0.9%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.7% and the Shanghai Composite 0.4%.

Reactions were “pretty much expected since the rate hike was also in line with market expectations”, said Lorraine Tan, director of equity research for Asia at Morningstar, adding that the Iran war is likely to keep pressure on inflation.

A stronger US dollar and higher yields

The more consequential moves were in currencies and bonds.

The US dollar climbed to its highest in seven weeks against a basket of major currencies, lifted by the jump in short-dated Treasury yields that followed the decision.

The euro was trading around $1.146, down 0.5% from Wednesday’s open.

A stronger US dollar makes European exports more competitive in American markets, but it also raises the cost of anything priced in dollars, which includes oil and gas, which compounds Europe’s energy bill at a difficult moment.

In bond markets, the two-year Treasury yield, the maturity most sensitive to rate expectations, jumped to around 4.72% from 4.67% before the decision, holding near that level on Thursday.

The 10-year sat close to 5%, reflecting both the war-driven energy shock and mounting investor concern about American government debt.

Traders now fully expect another rate hike by December and put the odds of a move as soon as October at around 50%. Goldman Sachs became one of the first major Wall Street banks to forecast consecutive hikes, reversing its previous view that this month’s move would be the only one.

Attention turns next to the Bank of England, which announces its decision later on Thursday and is expected to hold rates steady, and to the Bank of Japan on Friday, where a hike is anticipated.

Additional sources • AP

WASHINGTON, United States: The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates for the first time since 2023, defying President Donald Trump’s demand for cuts, as central bank chief Kevin Warsh stressed the need to combat inflation that has been “too high” for “too long.”

The Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously to raise rates by 25 basis points to between 3.75 and 4.00 percent, saying the rate hike would support a “timelier return” to its two-percent target for inflation.

Warsh, appointed by Trump, said the decision was a “serious” one, but needed to be taken.

“The plain fact is that inflation is too high, and has been for too long,” he told a press conference.

And Wednesday’s rate hike may not be the last — the vast majority of Fed policymakers indicated that at least one more rate hike was likely necessary before the end of the year, according to their Summary of Economic Projections.

US households and businesses have been battered by years of higher-than-target inflation, and prices have surged in the wake of Trump’s war on Iran, his signature tariff policies and the ongoing AI boom.

Trump has launched an unprecedented assault on the Fed’s independence since taking office, attempting to fire a Fed Governor and launching a criminal probe against Warsh’s predecessor in his quest for lower rates to spur economic activity.

The president’s Republican Party faces a stern test in upcoming midterm elections, with rival Democrats seeking to wrest control of both houses of Congress and economic issues front-and-center for voters.

Growing calls for hike

The Fed has held rates steady since January, choosing to wait to gauge the effects of the Iran war’s energy price shocks and to let the impact of tariffs on prices ripple through the economy.

Since July, however, a growing faction of policymakers had indicated a rate hike may be required to tame inflation, as the war grinds on and prices remained elevated.

On Friday, August’s consumer price index came in at 3.4 percent — unchanged from the month before, but still well above the Fed’s long-term two-percent target.

In its SEP, the Fed raised its forecast for its preferred gauge of inflation — the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index — by 0.1 percentage points to 3.7 percent by year-end.

The Fed also raised its projection for GDP growth by year-end to 2.3 percent, up 0.1 percentage points.

‘Rather unfortunate’

US stock markets largely priced in Wednesday’s rate hike, but they were still down on the news — expected with any rate hike as equities become less attractive.

Yields on 10-year US Treasury bonds — which have surged in recent days as uncertainty on long-term inflation has spiked — were also up past the five-percent threshold.

Following the Fed’s announcement, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the decision was “rather unfortunate” and that Trump had been clear that he wanted lower interest rates.

Warsh was named to his position after a contentious Senate confirmation process, where Democratic lawmakers accused him of being a “sock puppet” for Trump, which he denied.

So far, Trump has supported Warsh, claiming that the Fed chair wants lower rates and accusing the board of being “political.”

The Fed has a dual mandate to deliver maximum employment while keeping inflation to its long-term two-percent target.

It mainly achieves these goals by setting the key US interest rate — lower rates tend to spur economic activity but fuel inflation, and hiking them cools both activity and prices.

The Fed’s SEP showed that at least 12 of 18 policymakers who participated in the projection expected one more rate hike would be required before the end of the year.

Four policymakers expect two more rate hikes to be required.

Warsh has criticized the Fed’s policy of offering such projections in the past and did not participate in the previous iteration in June.

This projection also included only 18 policymakers, suggesting he had once again withheld his contribution.

A look at the top 25 high school football teams in the Southland after Week 3:

Rk. School (record) result; Next game; last week’s ranking

1. SANTA MARGARITA (4-0) def. Sacramento Inderkum, 41-0; vs. Norco at Saddleback College, Friday; 1

2. ST. JOHN BOSCO (3-1) def. Kahuku (Hawaii), 49-3; at Honolulu St. Louis, Saturday; 3

3. SIERRA CANYON (3-0) def. Honolulu St. Louis, 52-0; vs. Orange Lutheran, Friday; 4

4. ORANGE LUTHERAN (3-1) def. Gardena Serra, 35-0; at Sierra Canyon, Friday; 5

5. MATER DEI (4-0) def. Corona Centennial, 10-9; vs. Las Vegas Bishop Gorman at Santa Ana Stadium, Friday; 6

6. CORONA CENTENNIAL (1-2) lost to Mater Dei, 10-9; vs. Rancho Cucamonga, Friday; 2

7. MISSION VIEJO (3-1) def. San Diego Lincoln, 56-0; vs. Pittsburg, Friday; 7

8. SAN CLEMENTE (4-0) def. La Costa Canyon, 31-21; at Murrieta Valley, Sept. 25; 8

9 . CHAMINADE (4-0) def. Beaumont, 42-24; vs. St. Bonaventure, Friday; 9

10. PALOS VERDES (4-0) def. Huntington Beach Edison, 28-3; at Wilmington Banning, Friday; 10

11. JSERRA (3-1) def. Oak Hills, 63-0; at Bishop Amat, Friday; 11

12. YORBA LINDA (4-0) def. Esperanza, 42-7; at Huntington Beach, Friday; 12

13. SERVITE (2-2) def. St. Paul, 69-14; at Damien, Sept. 25; 14

14. CORONA DEL MAR (4-0) def. Newport Harbor, 16-6; vs. La Serna, Thursday; 15

15. BISHOP AMAT (4-0) def. Culver City, 65-13; vs. JSerra, Friday; 16

16. CREAN LUTHERAN (2-2) lost to El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge, 28-21; at Oakdale, Friday; 13

17. CHAPARRAL (2-2) def. Rancho Cucamonga, 20-15; vs. Herriman (Utah) Mountain Ridge, Friday; 18

18. CARSON (3-1) def. Long Beach Poly, 17-14; at North Torrance, Friday; 19

19. OXNARD PACIFICA (4-0) def. Palmdale Highland, 35-6; at Sierra Canyon, Sept. 25; 21

20. GARDENA SERRA (2-2) lost to Orange Lutheran, 35-0; vs. Oaks Christian, Friday; 22

21. LA SERNA (3-0) def. Northview, 45-6; at Corona del Mar, Thursday; 25

22. WESTLAKE (4-0) def. Laguna Beach, 28-23; vs. Tustin, Friday; 23

23. RANCHO CUCAMONGA (2-2) lost to Chaparral, 20-15; at Corona Centennial, Friday; 17

24. TUSTIN (3-1) def. Damien, 21-10; at Westlake, Friday; NR

25. LA HABRA (4-0) def. Mira Costa, 29-24; vs. Orange Vista, Friday; NR

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Belmont 66, Annenberg 3

Port of Los Angeles d. Los Angeles Jordan, forfeit

Stern 26, Smidt Tech 0

Southern Section

Aliso Niguel 26, Villa Park 6

Anaheim Canyon 9, Esperanza 6

Aquinas 26, Ontario Christian 21

Bellflower 26, Mayfair 0

Bonita 13, San Dimas 6

Burbank Burroughs 31, South Pasadena 6

Cajon 56, Alhambra 0

California Military Institute 28, Workman 0

Compton Early College 7, Dominguez 6

Desert Hot Springs 20, San Jacinto Valley Academy 0

El Modena 27, El Dorado 6

Elsinore 12, Palm Springs 0

Hacienda Heights Wilson 24, La Puente 0

JSerra 41, Santa Margarita 7

La Canada 24, Temple City 7

La Habra 18, Garden Grove Pacifica 6

Linfield Christian 28, Corona 21

Los Altos 42, St. Lucy’s 14

Millikan 26, Long Beach Wilson 7

Mountain View 25, Bassett 0

Newport Harbor 39, Fountain Valley 0

Palm Desert 24, Valley View 6

Paloma Valley 27, Liberty 0

Pomona 13, Keppel 0

Ramona Convent 36, El Monte Arroyo 6

Rancho Verde 41, Heritage 0

Rosary 12, Irvine 6

Sage Hill 25, Irvine University 18

South Hills 20, West Covina 8

St. Margaret’s 40, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 12

Tesoro 56, San Juan Hills 27

Vista Murrieta 22, Temescal Canyon 6

Westlake 61, Calabasas 0

Yucaipa 25, Arrowhead Christian 14

Intersectional

Granada Hills Kennedy 19, Vasquez 7

Harvard-Westlake 23, Birmingham 0

Venice 25, St. Monica 0

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Cleveland 20, Los Angeles Roosevelt 0

Contreras 6, San Fernando Arroyo 0

Jefferson 43, Santee 0

King/Drew 20, GALA 7

San Fernando Arroyo 19, Contreras 13

Southern Section

Agoura 28, Newbury Park 13

Antelope Valley 6, Lancaster 0

Canyon Country Canyon 37, Golden valley 16

Castaic 13, Saugus 0

Cerritos 20, Artesia 0

Channel Islands 24, Buena 12

Dos Pueblos 27, Ventura 6

Eastside 18, Knight 6

El Toro 19, Northwood 0

Hart 12, West Ranch 6

Highland 26, Palmdale 0

Hueneme 38, Fillmore 12

Lawndale 6, Compton Centennial 0

Lakewood St. Joseph 27, Gardena Serra 0

Mater Dei 26, Sierra Canyon 20

Miller 45, Fontana 0

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 14, Ontario Christian 0

North Torrance 31, West Torrance 7

Oaks Christian 32, Thousand Oaks 12

Oxnard 13, San Marcos 12

Oxnard Pacifica 6, Santa Barbara 2

Palos Verdes 19, Mira Costa 7

Quartz Hill 2, Littlerock 0

Redondo Union 28, Torrance 0

Rio Mesa 41, Del Sol 6

San Clemente 50, Capistrano Valley 0

Santa Monica 56, Beverly Hills 0

South Torrance 19, El Segundo 13

Warren 38, La Serna 12

Woodbridge 51, Laguna Beach 8

Intersectional

Oceanside 31, Dana Hills 19

WASHINGTON: The IMF said the global economy had weathered the energy shock caused by the war in the Middle East better than feared and global economic output was still expected to expand by about 3 percent in 2026, but it cautioned that risks remained high.

Julie Kozack, spokesperson for the International Monetary Fund, said oil and gas prices remained elevated and the energy shock from the war was not over.

Global debt pressures were also mounting and the disinflation process over the 2022 cost-of-living crisis had stalled.

Global inflationary expectations have risen but remain well-anchored ‌over the longer ‌run, Kozack told a regular IMF briefing.

“So far, despite six months of ‌war in the Middle East, the global economy has been resilient,” Kozack said, adding that the use of oil and gas reserves had allowed some countries to cope with energy shocks caused by the war, while others had shifted to new energy sources or acted to curb demand.

“We remain on track for world growth of around 3 percent but uncertainty, as we’ve been saying for quite some time, continues to remain high,” she said.

The IMF in July forecast 2026 global growth at a sluggish 3 percent, compared with an average of 3.5 percent seen in 2024 and 2025, and its April forecast of 3.1 percent.

At the time, it said that forecast assumed ‌the war would wind down in mid-July, but Iran and ‌the US have both escalated their attacks and the war has widened with increased military activity in Yemen.

The ‌global lender will release an updated forecast during the annual meetings of the IMF and the ‌World Bank in Bangkok from Oct. 12 to 18.

Pulled in opposite directions

Kozack said the global economy was being pulled in opposite directions by the negative energy supply shock that was driving prices of energy, fertilizers, food and other commodities sharply higher, while the AI-led technology cycle was providing a positive demand shock.

Risks remain high, with many countries needing to ‌restock their oil and gas reserves, and energy demands set to rise as winter approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, she said.

Pressures are also mounting on global public debt, which is already at nearly 100 percent of gross domestic product — the highest level since World War Two — and is set to rise further, Kozack said. Many advanced economies have particularly high public-debt-to-GDP ratios.

Liquidity problems are also building in developing countries, including in Africa, partly due to a reduction in bilateral assistance, Kozack said.

The IMF is urging central bankers to stick to their price stability mandates, while encouraging fiscal policymakers to develop medium-term consolidation plans, she said.

“We’re not in a situation where fiscal consolidation needs to take place overnight, but having a clear, laid-out plan and strategy for how deficits and debt are going to come down is very important for fiscal authorities,” Kozack said.

The IMF was also urging authorities to focus on lifting growth prospects through structural reforms and removing “self-inflicted” barriers to growth, she said.

Kozack said the IMF would look closely at the impact of new US sanctions against Iran, including secondary sanctions aimed at firms in third countries that support Tehran.

A fuller report was expected in the upcoming global outlook, she said.

Folk singer Ray LaMontange was treated for heat-related dehydration after collapsing onstage during a weekend performance amid triple-digit heat in Nashville.

On Saturday, the 53-year-old toppled to the side while performing his popular track “Jolene” in front of a sold-out,crowd at Ryman Auditorium, according to recorded fan footage.

There were reports that LaMontagne had lost his place earlier in his set when performing “Hannah,” per Consequence. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the Nashville area reached a high of 101 degrees.

Later that night, LaMontagne’s management released a statement through his Instagram stories, sharing that the Grammy winner was in “good hands with local EMS” and that he was being treated for “heat-related dehydration.”

LaMontagne returned to the stage the following night, performing at the Louisville Palace in Kentucky, where he made no mention of the incident.

Last month, the Americana singer — best known for tracks “You Are the Best Thing” and “Hold You in My Arms” — had kicked off his 20th anniversary tour.

The tour is named after his 2004 debut album, “Trouble,” which is platinum certified in both the United States and United Kingdom; though the album reached only No. 164 on the Billboard 200 chart, it hit No. 5 on the U.K. Albums chart.

Known for his gruff vocals, LaMontagne first came to the scene in the early aughts as a timid troubadour. The New Hampshire-born, Utah-raised artist was once a former shoe factory worker from Maine whose singer-songwriter journey began when he woke up one morning to Stephen Stills’ “Treetop Flyer” on his clock radio.

All nine of LaMontagne’s albums — with the exception of his independently released 2024 LP, “Long Way Home” — have charted in the Billboard 200.

LaMontagne will continue on with his Trouble tour — which features special guest the Weather Station — through Oct. 3, closing out at New York City’s Beacon Theatre.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The high school football season is rolling along with some very good games this week. Let’s take a look.

Big games

Week three in high school football has so many intriguing games that fans will have lots of choices this week. Let’s look.

Thursday

Corona del Mar (3-0) at Newport Harbor (2-1). The annual Battle of the Bay brings out the fans and pumps up the players so much you never can trust who’s the favorite. Corona del Mar has the favorite’s role after knocking off Edison last week. Corona del Mar has three standout athletes in tight end Jake Haley, receiver Tucker Murray and linebacker Nolan Scott. The pick: Corona del Mar.

Laguna Beach (1-2) at Westlake (3-0). The Breakers wanted tougher nonleague opponents, which has led to a slow start in the win column, but beware if quarterback Jack Hurst can get the passing game going. Westlake had a scare in its opening, beating Newbury Park in three overtimes, then routed two outmanned opponents. This opponent has some very good athletes to challenge the Warriors. The pick: Westlake.

Friday

Corona Centennial (1-1) vs. Mater Dei (3-0) at Santa Ana College. The Monarchs were not happy Centennial beat them twice last season. They’re coming in very motivated. Mater Dei has a strong defense and an offense that continues to use three quarterbacks — senior Cameron Pooley, junior Russell Sekona and freshman Paytyn Guess. It’s clear that running the ball successfully will be the key to victory to both teams. Centennial has had blocking issues because of injuries, but the dynamic duo of quarterback Jaden Jefferson and receiver Quentin Hale will give fans a reason to watch. The pick: Corona Centennial.

San Pedro (3-0) at Bell (3-0). This is an important game for City Section playoff seeding purposes and also provides more evidence which of these teams will compete for a league title. San Pedro has relied on the passing of Seth Solorio, who set a school record last week with seven touchdown passes against Westchester. Bell has been running the ball with Jordan Medrano and Christopher Luna. The pick: San Pedro.

University (2-1) at Crenshaw (3-0). Brothers Bryan and Jason Robinson grew up playing youth football for Crenshaw. Now they’re the head coach and defensive coordinator at University, and their father, former Locke coach EC Robinson, is a consultant. EC gave former Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett his first job. The brothers always get pumped up for this game. It’s a great matchup between two of the City Section’s best linebackers, De’Andre Kirkpatrick of Crenshaw and D’Elliott Jones of University. It’s the battle of the apostrophes. The pick: Crenshaw.

Orange Lutheran (2-1) at Gardena Serra (2-1). This is Orange Lutheran’s final tuneup before an epic game next week against unbeaten Sierra Canyon. The Lancers have the kind of balance on offense that gives Serra trouble. But Serra has running back AJ McBean, who can help his team chew up time on the clock. The pick: Orange Lutheran.

Rancho Cucamonga (2-1) at Chaparral (1-2). Chaparral has been without its standout quarterback, Dane Weber, because a thumb injury, so it has been a big adjustment for a team loaded with outstanding receivers. Rancho Cucamonga was upset by Oak Hills last week. Expect lots of points in this one. The pick: Chaparral.

La Cañada at South Pasadena (2-1). For those who like neighborhood teams, this is a good matchup. The Spartans have been relying on quarterback Joe Bell and his best friends from the baseball team. Evan Hyun has scored five touchdowns for South Pasadena. The pick: La Cañada.

The battle of the South Bay between Carson and Palos Verdes was played before a standing-room only crowd at Carson. Fans were treated to a game that lived up to expectations when it came to the play at quarterback.

Palos Verdes won 35-20. Here’s the report.

Orange Lutheran has one of the toughest nonleague schedules and knocked off nationally ranked Basha from Chandler, Ariz. Here’s the report.

Corona del Mar is 3-0 going into its rivalry game against Newport Harbor this week and proved this could be a special season with a big win over Edison. Here’s the report.

Northern California received a boost with Folsom defeating Mission Viejo 35-21. Corona Centennial travels to play De La Salle at Memorial Stadium later this month.

Mater Dei is 3-0 using three quarterbacks after a 38-22 win over Valor Christian from Colorado. The Monarchs are still strong along the offensive line and have a defense performing well under new co-defensive coordinator Ivan Stephenson, who came over from Gardena Serra.

The best individual performance of the week might have been the school-record rushing total of 306 yards from junior Rocky Martinez of Redondo Union in a win Culver City. Culver City quarterback Nick Hoang passed for 436 yards and four touchdowns.

Despite a loss to Moorpark, Birmingham made major improvement in its second game. Freshman quarterback Exavier Johnson passed for 171 yards and two touchdowns. As he gains experience, the Patriots’ chances in the City Section will grow stronger.

Crenshaw came away with a 34-13 win over Hamilton. The Cougars are looking like the No. 2 team in the City Section behind Carson.

First-year Narbonne coach Patrick Goodpaster picked up his first victory with a 28-18 win over Fairfax. Here’s the report on his efforts to start from scratch after sanctions sent the program reeling.

Here’s a look at top individual performances from last week.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Here’s this week’s schedule.

Playing multiple sports

Quarterback Joe Bell (left) and his sophomore brother, Jake, a linebacker, are two of seven baseball players on La Canada football team.

(Yary Photography)

There’s seven high school baseball players playing on the La Cañada football team this season, and the happiest of all is quarterback Joe Bell and star left-handed pitcher.

He loves to tell people how playing multiple sports has helped him in his main sport, baseball.

Here’s a look at the special story unfolding at La Cañada.

Bell High’s football team is also relying on baseball players. The Eagles are 3-0. Here’s the report.

Powerful offensive line

Mission Viejo linemen work on blocking during football practice.

(Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)

Mission Viejo has one of its best offensive lines, with all five starters headed to colleges.

It has helped sophomore quarterback Brett Burnor transition more smoothly to varsity football.

Here’s a look at the offensive line.

Moorpark’s Davis Benson is a multisport athlete, competing in football as well as multiple track and field events.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Davis Benson is a terrific receiver at Moorpark. He’s also a decathlete who won Southern Section championships last spring in the long jump and 110 hurdles while finishing second in the high jump.

Not since the days of NFL receiver Drake London has Moorpark had such a talented athlete.

Here’s a profile on what makes Benson one of the best athletes in California.

Girls volleyball

Sierra Canyon might be No. 1 in California, but Mater Dei is not far behind. The Monarchs won the Dave Mohs tournament, defeating Marymount in the final 25-11, 25-21.

Mater Dei also defeated Mira Costa earlier in the week. Mater Dei is unbeaten has has matches against San Diego powers Cathedral Catholic and Torrey Pines this week.

Sierra Canyon is 13-0 and opens Mission League play Tuesday at Marymount.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame is hosting Harvard-Westlake on Saturday night at 7 in a unique outdoor volleyball match on the school’s baseball diamond, helped by Nike, which is flying in a custom-made volleyball court. There will be food trucks, a DJ and a party atmosphere celebrating volleyball and women’s sports.

MaxPreps is sponsoring a tournament Friday and Saturday in Chula Vista. No. 1 JSerra is among the schools participating.

St. Joseph in Lakewood continues to quietly keep winning at 9-0.

In the City Section, it still looks like the Open Division champion will come from the Northern League. Wilson is 4-0, Eagle Rock 3-1 and Franklin 9-2.

Cross country

The unofficial start of cross-country season happens with the first big invitational of the year, and that will be held Friday and Saturday with the Woodbridge Classic at the Great Park in Irvine. Saturday’s top competition will happen at night, always a fun and interesting experience.

Redondo Union’s boys team won the Saddleback Cup over Trabuco Hills. Mario Montoya of Redondo won the two-mile race in 8:59.5. Santa Margarita took the girls competition.

Water polo

JSerra and Oaks Christian had an intense early season match, with the Lions prevailing 8-7. The Lions face 3-0 Mira Costa on Tuesday.

Loyola has started off 3-0 in the Mission League and lost to Cathedral Catholic in a nonleague match. Harvard-Westlake is 4-0 and has matches coming up against Mira Costa and Corona del Mar.

Newport Harbor suffered a rare 12-10 defeat to Cathedral Catholic.

Santa Margarita is 2-0 and faces Mater Dei on Sept. 23 in a Trinity League showdown.

Notes . . .

Brad Wright, the 6-foot-11 former UCLA basketball player, announced his resignation from El Camino Real’s Board of Directors on Sunday.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Brad Wright announced Sunday that he is resigning from El Camino Real’s board of directors after weeks of growing pressure after the placement of three coaches on administrative live. Here’s the report….

Junior shortstop Lennex Minor of St. Bernard has committed to UCLA baseball….

Pitcher Sam Principe from Orange Lutheran has committed to Cal State Northridge….

The court case filed against the CIF challenging transfer and NIL rules has been “terminated,” according to court documents. It was Calhoun vs. CIF. Now the CIF can move forward with discussions on policy changes, though the plaintiff can still appeal to a higher court….

Former UCLA basketball player Bobby Webb, who was a successful boys and girls basketball coach at Montclair Prep, has died, his good friend and former Montclair Prep player KJ Johnson announced….

Standout junior softball player Destinee Herrera from Oxnard announced she has committed to UCLA.

From the archives: Jeff Cirillo

Jeff Cirillo in 2013 at Providence High School.

(DAN WATSON/Dan Watson / The Burbank Leader)

One of the best hitters produced from the San Fernando Valley came from tiny Providence High in Burbank. Jeff Cirillo made it the major leagues and played for 14 years, the longest with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1994-1999. He also played baseball at USC and has been a pro baseball scout.

Here’s a story from 2014 on Cirillo.

Here’s a story from 2000 when he was having one of his best MLB seasons.

Recommendations

From ABC7news.com, a story on former Newbury Park and Stanford soccer player Katie Meyer.

From the Riverside Press Enterprise, a story on a 462-yards passing night.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

OMDURMAN: For almost a year, Randa al-Mansour, a 31-year-old Sudanese housewife, has relied on solar energy panels installed on the rooftop of her building to survive the recurrent blackouts triggered by the war-torn country’s deteriorating electricity grid.

“We are suffering big time,” said al-Mansour, who lives with her three children in Omdurman, just outside the capital of Khartoum.

“When kids arrive at school in the morning, they find no electricity there, so they are forced to head back home, where there is none either. It is very hard for them to study under such a high temperature.”

The Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023, killing at least 59,000 people, though aid groups say the number could be higher, and displacing some 13 million.

The conflict also has strained an already weak power infrastructure, forcing many Sudanese to seek alternative energy sources, especially during scorching summer heat. The United Nations Development Program has estimated the damage inflicted on the electricity grid at $3 billion.

“We resorted to solar energy as a way of adapting to this situation. However, not everyone in Sudan can afford this solution,” said al-Mansour, who supports her family with remittances from her husband working in Saudi Arabia.

In recent months, billboards advertising solar panels, batteries, and inverters have expanded in the capital as more Sudanese consider transitioning to solar energy.

“For a low-income family, installing a solar panel system is a huge sacrifice but an inevitable choice,” said Mohey Eddin Abu-Bark, owner of a solar systems business in Khartoum, adding that a typical household 10-kilowatt solar system costs nearly $5,000.

Manahel Madany, a 43-year-old diabetic civil servant, cannot afford the transition, despite needing steady electricity for her fridge for her insulin.

“Every three to four days, I am forced to throw away all my insulin stock after it goes bad due to heat and power outages,” said Madany.

She lives in a two-bedroom house with her mother and sister in Omdurman, and like many Sudanese, the three are forced to sleep in their house courtyard to escape the searing heat indoors.

“Not all pharmacies can afford to install solar panels for medical storage, and that’s why most medications have become unavailable,” Madany said.

The Sudan Doctors’ Network, which tracks violence across the country, warned that the continued electricity cuts could impact patients in hospitals, especially kidney patients who need constant care.

At least 30% of Sudan’s population has no access to electricity, with rural areas bearing the brunt, according to the World Bank. Conditions in grid-connected urban centers have also deteriorated, with power outages reaching up to 16 hours in many parts of the country in recent months, according to two electricity department officials who spoke to The Associated Press.

Electricity production has dropped from 4,400 megawatts before the war to 1,100 megawatts as many power plants were hit by drones launched by the RSF, while nearly half of Sudan’s best electricity engineers and technicians have also left the country since 2023, the officials said, citing a survey by a local labor union.

The two spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Sudan has limitless potential to generate solar energy given the long hours of sunshine that often exceed 4,000 hours per year, according to the U.N. However, the high upfront cost of imported solar energy systems and a depreciating local currency derail the transition to clean energy.

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Justin Clinton, Bishop Amat: Rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown in win over Valencia.

• Myles Cross, Granada Hills: Rushed for two touchdowns and made game-saving interception in win over Palisades.

• Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi, Cleveland: Rushed for 138 yards in 15 carries and scored one touchdown in win over Castaic.

• Will Biddle, L.A. University: Rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns in win over Santee.

• Levin Whitney, South East: Rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns in win over Fremont.

• AJ McBean, Gardena Serra: Rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns in win over Los Alamitos.

• Brandon Hernandez, Panorama: Rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns in win over Fulton Prep.

• Jordan Bonilla, La Serna: Rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns in win over Salesian.

• Matt Quintanilla, Granada Hills Kennedy: Rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns in win over Canyon Country Canyon.

• Gatsbee Gumban, Nogales: Rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns in win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

• Rocky Martinez, Redondo Union: Set a school record with 306 yards rushing in 31 carries and one touchdown in win over Culver City.

• Ryan Christianson, Orange Lutheran: Had 32 carries for 165 yards and one touchdown in win over Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.

• William Fredericksen, JSerra: Rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns in win over Crean Lutheran.

PASSING

• Jacob Anzaldua, Banning: Passed for 462 yards and seven touchdowns in win over Carter.

• Ryan Rakowski, Palos Verdes: Ran for three touchdowns, passed for two touchdowns in win over Carson.

• Seth Solorio, San Pedro: Set a school record with seven touchdown passes in win over Westchester.

• Domenico Doran, Bishop Amat: Completed nine of 10 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns vs. Valencia.

• Chase Curren, Crespi: Passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns in comeback win over St. Francis.

• Nathaniel Cadet, L.A. Marshall: Passed for 229 yards and three touchdowns in win over Bernstein.

• Donovan Shirley, Salesian: Passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns in loss to La Serna.

• Talon Spencer, Capistrano Valley: Passed for 225 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 177 yards in win over Great Oak.

• Trent Lux, Great Oak: Passed for 300 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Capistrano Valley.

• Bryce Johnson, South East: Passed for 223 yards, ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns in defeat of Fremont.

• Angelo Gutierrez, Marquez: Passed for 356 yards and five touchdowns, ran for 96 yards in loss to Mayfair.

RECEIVING

• Jordan Slye Jr., Salesian: Three catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in loss to La Serna.

• Anthony Jacobs Jr., Oxnard Pacifica: Caught three passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns in win over Hart.

• Matthew Crowson, Great Oak: Caught five passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Capistrano Valley.

DEFENSE

• Reginald Duncan, Crenshaw: Recorded three sacks in win over Hamilton.

• Chase Madrid, Hart: Had eight tackles and two interceptions in loss to Oxnard Pacifica.

• Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, Oaks Christian: Had 12 tackles, including a sack, in loss to Liberty.

• Malaika Sione, Oxnard Pacifica: Had 12 tackles in win over Hart.

• Nolan Scott, Corona del Mar: Had one sack, one interception and 65 receiving yards in win over Edison.

• Adrinn Ry and Isaac Guzman, Nogales: Had two interceptions each vs. Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

• King Rich Johnson, Orange Lutheran: Returned interception 84 yards for touchdown vs. Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.

• Elyjah Staples, Marquez: Credited with 21 tackles and scored on a blocked punt vs. Mayfair.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Diego Mendez, Cleveland: The soccer player made six of six PATs and a 40-yard field goal vs. Castaic.

• Jorden Wells, Servite: Returned punt for touchdown in loss to Arizona Centennial.

• Stephen Nunez, Crespi: Returned a kickoff 57 yards, returned a punt 53 yards and had six catches for 93 yards and one TD in win over St. Francis.

• Connor White, El Toro: Blocked field-goal attempt and returned it 70 yards for touchdown in win over Aliso Niguel.

• Noah Ahrari, Chino Hills: Made 43-yard field goal in loss to San Juan Hills.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

Nonleague

Bell 21, Eagle Rock 7

Crenshaw 34, Los Angeles Hamilton 13

Granada Hills 28, Palisades 23

Hollywood 50, Dymally 0

Jefferson 40, Lincoln 12

Legacy 62, Grant 3

Los Angeles Marshall 44, Bernstein 6

Los Angeles University 40, Santee 14

Maywood CES 35, Angelou 14

Monroe 40, Belmont 6

Narbonne 28, Fairfax 18

Panorama 52, Fulton 12

San Pedro 63, Westchester 12

South East 46, Fremont 6

Sylmar 26, Arroyo 14

Taft 56, Los Angeles 0

Van Nuys 21, Roybal 9

Verdugo Hills 41, Canoga Park 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Apple Valley 28, Vista Murrieta 7

Arrowhead Christian 27, San Bernardino 22

Banning 56, Carter 21

Beaumont 17, Summit 14

Beckman 38, Santa Ana 14

Bishop Amat 49, Valencia 10

Charter Oak 35, Los Osos 0

Corona del Mar 27, Edison 7

Dana Hills 66, Esperanza 7

Glendora 43, Claremont 13

Hillcrest 35, Ramona 13

La Canada 28, Village Christian 7

Lancaster 50, Bishop Diego 34

Loara 24, Bolsa Grande 0

Oak Hills 25, Rancho Cucamonga 17

Pacific 44, Bloomington 20

Riverside Notre Dame 44, Cathedral City 16

San Dimas 12, Colony 0

Santa Rosa Academy 32, Indian Springs 19

Serrano 26, Xavier Prep 21

Temecula Valley 17, Paloma Valley 16

Villa Park 77, Upland 0

Vista del Lago 41, Valley View 28

Webb 27, Temecula Prep 9

Westminster 21, Garden Grove 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Boron 41, Silver Valley 6

Cleveland 45, Castaic 7

Compton Early College 27, West Adams 0

Desert Mirage 43, Mendez 0

Firebaugh 34, Los Angeles Jordan 0

Garfield 27, South El Monte 7

Granada Hills Kennedy 56, Canyon Country Canyon 20

Harvard-Westlake 22, Venice 10

Lawndale 48, Los Angeles Wilson 6

Lynwood 40, Manual Arts 26

Mayfair 52, Marquez 48

Monrovia 49, Los Angeles Roosevelt 0

Palos Verdes 35, Carson 20

Royal 46, Contreras 7

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 42, Reseda 0

Westlake 49, Chatsworth 14

Wilmington Banning 35, Long Beach Cabrillo 0

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

Nonleague

East Valley 34, USC Hybrid 8

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Coastal Christian 64, Villanova Prep 52

California School for the Deaf Riverside 56, PAL Academy 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Valley Oaks CES 50, Legacy Christian Academy 20

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Arroyo 38, MSAR 0

Arroyo 28, MSAR 0

Birmingham 20, Venice 0

Brio College Prep 47, Belmont 0

Camino Nuevo 18, Animo De La Hoya 13

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 36, South Gate 12

Fairfax 6, San Fernando 0

Foshay 21, New Designs University Park 0

Franklin 12, Los Angeles Roosevelt 6

Franklin 28, Santee 0

GALA 12, Sotomayor 0

Jefferson 13, Verdugo Hills 6

Los Angeles Roosevelt 24, Santee 0

Los Angeles Wilson 41, Jefferson 13

Los Angeles Wilson 25, Verdugo Hills 6

Orthopaedic 14, Alliance Levine 0

Rise Kohyang 24, Smidt Tech 0

Roybal 20, Diego Rivera 0

San Fernando 12, Contreras 6

San Pedro 49, Legacy 0

SOCES 7, Chatsworth 6

Stern 6, Collins Family 0

Torres 45, West Adams 0

Southern Section

Alemany 19, Louisville 0

Aliso Niguel 31, Corona Centennial 6

Anaheim Canyon 14, La Mirada 12

Azusa 38, Arroyo 6

Baldwin Park 30, Norwalk 14

Bishop Montgomery 28, Artesia 6

Bonita 32, Sierra Vista 0

Burbank Burroughs 6, Thousand Oaks 0

California 12, Warren 7

California Military 32, Arrowhead Christian 14

Cathedral City 14, Desert Hot Springs 0

Cerritos 33, Katella 0

Compton 31, Dominguez 6

Compton Early College 10, Long Beach Cabrillo 0

Corona del Mar 44, Marina 7

Costa Mesa 20, Capistrano Valley Christian 6

Covina 35, El Monte 0

Downey 28, Gahr 6

Duarte 37, Edgewood 6

Eastvale Roosevelt 27, Lakeside 0

El Dorado 14, Chino 12

El Modena 18, Rialto 0

El Rancho 27, Pioneer 0

Fountain Valley 32, Garden Grove Pacifica 18

Fullerton 52, Placentia Valencia 24

Gabrielino 26, La Canada 25

Godinez 8, Estancia 6

Glendora 38, San Dimas 20

Huntington Beach 16, Edison 15

Irvine 7, Laguna Beach 6

JSerra 36, Corona Santiago 0

La Habra 6, Bishop Amat 0

Lakewood St. Joseph 25, Long Beach Poly 6

La Serna 27, Bellflower 0

Millikan 26, Villa Park 0

Mountain View 48, Entrepreneur 0

Murrieta Mesa 60, Rancho Christian 0

Newport Harbor 47, Los Alamitos 6

Norco 13, Riverside Poly 6

Ontario 12, Nogales 6

Ontario Christian 31, Xavier Prep 14

Pomona d. Sacred Heart of Jesus, forfeit

Portola 19, Irvine University 12

Ramona Convent 30, La Puente 6

Redlands 28, Palm Springs 14

Rowland 35, Montclair 0

Saddleback 19, Santa Ana Valley 12

San Clemente 60, Oceanside 0

San Marino 28, Temple City 6

Santa Ana Foothill 19, Long Beach Wilson 12

Segerstrom 13, La Palma Kennedy 6

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 14, Harvard-Westlake 6

Sonora 40, Santa Fe 0

South El Monte 26, Rosemead 6

South Hills 26, Charter Oak 7

St. Lucy’s 14, Valley View 6

Sunny Hills 21, Brea Olinda 8

Temecula Prep 51, Nuview Bridge 0

Tustin 18, Orange 8

Upland 6, Shadow Hills 0

Western Christian 13, Linfield Christian 12

Intersectional

Agoura 14, Cleveland 13

Ayala 25, Paso Robles 18

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 26, South Gate 12

Garfield 7, Montebello 6

St. Paul 33, South East 0

Taft 25, Calabasas 0

Vasquez 13, Rosamond 0

Wilmington Banning 14, Torrance 0

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Carson 26, Los Angeles Marshall 0

Eagle Rock 41, Bell 6

Garfield 19, North Hollywood 7

Hollywood 18, WISH Academy 0

LACES 20, USC Hybrid 13

Lincoln 20, Jefferson 18

Los Angeles Marshall 20, Arleta 12

Manual Arts 20, LACES 6

Torres 12, Huntington Park 6

Southern Section

Agoura 46, St. Bonaventure 0

Alhambra 8, Whitney 0

Aliso Niguel 31, Etiwanda 20

Burbank Providence 52, YULA 7

Castaic 6, Canyon Country Canyon 0

Culver City 30, Beverly Hills 6

Dos Pueblos 46, Oxnard Pacifica 0

Eastside 12, Palmdale 0

El Segundo 28, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 7

Knight 70, Littlerock 0

Lancaster 7, Highland 6

Lawndale 19, Hawthorne 13

Mater Dei 25, Capistrano Valley 0

Newbury Park 39, Fillmore 6

Oaks Christian 21, Hart 20

Orange Lutheran 31, Beaumont 13

Oxnard 52, Channel Islands 0

Quartz Hill 13, Antelope Valley 0

Santa Margarita 33, Tesoro 6

Santa Monica 7, Torrance 6

Santa Paula 9, Buena 6

South Torrance 19, North Torrance 12

St. Margaret’s 32, San Juan Hills 7

Village Christian 12, Brentwood 6

Westlake 33, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 19

West Torrance 7, Peninsula 6

Woodbridge 24, Fountain Valley 6

Intersectional

King/Drew 12, Mayfair 0

Merced 44, Hacienda Heights Wilson 6

DODGING the crowds on Oxford Street could become a thing of the past ahead of new plans to ban all traffic.

The busy London street is taking its first steps to becoming pedestrianised and will partially close to cars in October.

It’s not the first time that Oxford Street has been closed to vehicles – but this will be a move for a permanent change.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan‘s vision is for it to be transformed into a ‘pedestrian plaza’ at the cost of £150million.

At first, not all of Oxford Street will be closed to cars – the plan is for 1km to be traffic free by the second half of October.

Buses won’t be allowed to drive down the pedestrianised area either and will be diverted to other roads.

ALL IN

UK holiday parks where you can go ALL INCLUSIVE from £25pp with shows & waterparks

RETRO RATES

Our fave childhood holidays that have stayed ridiculously CHEAP – from £9.50pp

The section closed to traffic will be Orchard Street near Selfridges and Great Portland Street.

This area includes the Oxford Circus junction where Oxford Street and Regent Street cross.

Not only will the road be shut, but there will be new seating and planters installed too.

This is a test followed by a review of the scheme which will take place in spring 2027 – work will then start on making it permanent later on in the year.

The end aim is for Oxford Street to undergo an enormous £150million to be completely pedestrianised between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

There will be more space for its 500,000 daily visitors to walk around by replacing the roads with paths.

There are concerns though – some locals are worried that the pedestrianisation will push the traffic out into the surrounding areas such as Soho and Mayfair.

Council leader Paul Swaddle has raised further issues including safety.

He said: “At the moment, if you go to Oxford Street at midnight, there are buses, there are people getting night buses – you would feel relatively safe.

“If you were crossing that on your own – if one of my kids was crossing it on their own in the evening, I’d be concerned.”

Other concerns are about emergency services, however unlike private vehicles, they will have access to the street at any time in the new plan.

Sept. 4 (UPI) — In a setback for Republicans, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against the use of a GOP-favored congressional map in this year’s midterms, directing that a referendum on redistricting be put on November’s ballot.

The ruling came down Thursday, two months before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and after Missouri already using the use of the now blocked maps.

GOP-led Missouri was seeking to use a state legislature-approved redrawn map that was expected to increase the number of Republican-held districts from its 6-2 majority to 7-1, but the state’s high court on Thursday ruled that the opposition had the the right to have the issue put to a referendum.

The state’s General Assembly passed the redistricting bill in September 2025. In December, organizers who submitted a referendum petition collected more than 300,000 signatures in support of the effort.

But then last month, an hour before the statutory deadline, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins issued a “Certificate of Insufficiency of Petition,” stating that the state’s Constitution “does not authorize a referendum on congressional redistricting plans passed by the General Assembly,” prompting Missouri voters to sue.

The state’s high court ruling on Thursday overturned a circuit court’s judgment, ordering Hoskins to issue a certificate of sufficiency as to the referendum petition to place it on the November general election ballot and enjoining him from implementing the General Assembly-approved map.

“The referendum petition was legal, sufficient and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise. HB 1 did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters,” Judge Ginger Gooch wrote in the ruling. “The congressional redistricting the General Assembly established in 2022 remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election.”

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, said the state will appeal to the conservative-leaning Supreme Court.

“Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election. This unprecedented decision clearly violates federal law and has thrust our state into a full-fledged constitutional crisis,” she said in a statement.

“We are confident that the federal courts will not allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised — which is what today’s decision does.”

President Donald Trump also lambasted the decision on his Truth Social media platform.

“Not only was the ruling horrible, ridiculous and unConstitutional, but there won’t be enough time to change the map back with the Election coming up in a very short period of time,” he said in a statement.

“The Election Process, as usual, is being disturbed in America! Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary. This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!”

The midterms have been a focus of Trump, who has warned Republicans that if they lose control of the House, Democrats will impeach him.

To improve their chances of holding on to the House, Trump has encouraged GOP-led states to conduct unorthodox mid-decade redistricting efforts, with Texas last summer being the first to redraw its maps to create additional GOP-favored districts. This kicked off a gerrymandering arms race, with Democratic-led states saying they would do likewise to counter the Republican efforts.

To date, 10 states — all but one being Republican-led — have changed their congressional maps, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, though several others have tried or are in the process of redistricting.

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

Southern Section

Adelanto 26, Arroyo Valley 0

Alemany 42, Immaculate Heart 0

Anaheim 27, Nogales 0

Arlington 20, Ramona 8

Azusa 19, Pomona 0

Bonita 25, Eastvale Roosevelt 0

Burbank Providence 32, Shalhevet 15

California Military Institute 34, Rancho Mirage 13

Calvary Baptist 7, Keppel 6

Castaic 19, Hart 6

Chaffey 25, Arrowhead Christian 6

Colony 18, Chino 13

Colton 12, Bloomington 8

Corona 20, Canyon Springs 14

Crean Lutheran 12, Sunny Hills 6

Dos Pueblos 31, Santa Barbara 0

Downey 33, Mira Costa 13

Eastside 9, Lancaster 0

Elsinore 24, Tahquitz 0

Gardena Serra 41, Culver City 12

Garey 21, San Gabriel 0

Grand Terrace 19, Carter 6

Great Oak 33, Rancho Cucamonga 12

Heritage 21, Perris 15

Highland 14, Knight 0

Hillcrest 12, Valley View 6

Imperial 37, La Quinta 0

Indian Springs 12, Victor Valley 6

Indio 12, Miller 0

Jurupa Valley 43, Rubidoux 0

Kaiser 33, Jurupa Hills 13

Lakewood 19, Santa Fe 14

Lakewood St. Joseph 34, Beckman 13

Lawndale 7, Compton Centennial 6

La Sierra 28, Lakeside 0

Liberty 19, Rancho Verde 6

Long Beach Wilson 52, Orange 0

Los Altos 34, La Puente 0

Millikan 51, Cerritos Valley Christian 13

Moreno Valley 12, Temecula Prep 6

Newbury Park 41, Rio Mesa 14

North Torrance 19, El Segundo 14

Nuview Bridge 19, Highland Entrepreneur 7

Nuview Bridge 31, Highland Entrepreneur 0

Oaks Christian 20, Village Christian 7

Orange Lutheran 20, Aliso Niguel 7

Oxnard 49, Buena 13

Oxnard Pacifica 35, Hueneme 12

Pacific 12, San Bernardino 6

Paloma Valley 26, Rancho Christian 6

Quartz Hill 18, Palmdale 0

Redondo Union 12, Etiwanda 6

Riverside King 45, Riverside North 0

Royal 18, Agoura 14

San Gorgonio 20, Rialto 13

San Marcos 34, Channel Islands 0

Santa Margarita 39, Dana Hills 0

Saugus 14, Golden Valley 0

Sierra Vista 2, Rowland 0

Sonora 37, Norwalk 6

South Torrance d. Peninsula, forfeit

Temescal Canyon 40, West Valley 6

Thousand Oaks 28, Oak Park 6

Trabuco Hills 39, Corona del Mar 19

Vasquez 14, Fillmore 0

Western Christian 20, El Toro 13

Westridge 25, Rio Hondo Prep 12

West Torrance 21, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 20

Woodbridge 59, Northwood 12

Intersectional

Cleveland 40, Calabasas 0

MONDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Arleta 20, Sylmar 12

Arleta 52, Bernstein 0

Contreras 32, Camino Nuevo 0

Contreras 19, West Adams 0

Foshay 27, Orthopaedic 6

Fremont 14, South East 0

Granada Hills Kennedy 45, Chatsworth 0

Granada Hills Kennedy 24, Verdugo Hills 0

Huntington Park 13, Hollywood 2

Jefferson 6, Los Angeles Marshall 0

Los Angeles Marshall 6, Bell 0

Los Angeles Wilson 31, Garfield 20

Manual Arts 19, Hawkins 18

Manual Arts 7, SOCES 6

Panorama 34, Sun Valley Magnet 0

Port of Los Angeles 33, Gardena 0

SOCES 23, Hawkins 7

Sotomayor 32, USC Hybrid 13

Sylmar 21, Bernstein 0

Van Nuys 45, VAAS 0

Van Nuys 12, East Valley 0

West Adams 14, Camino Nuevo 6

Southern Section

Adelanto 40, Fontana 13

Alhambra 14, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 2

Alta Loma 8, Los Osos 6

Aquinas 47, Xavier Prep 7

Aquinas 12, Redlands Adventist Academy 0

Arlington 31, Hillcrest 7

Antelope Valley 42, Rosamond 0

Baldwin Park 6, Don Lugo 0

Beckman 33, Santa Ana Foothill 14

Bonita 18, Bishop Amat 7

Bloomington 12, Carter 7

Cajon 13, Etiwanda 6

California Military Institute 54, San Jacinto valley Academy 6

Century 25, Oxford Academy 12

Cerritos 20, Cerritos Valley Christian 2

Chaminade 24, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6

Charter Oak 67, Bassett 0

Chino Hills 13, Claremont 0

Citrus Valley 27, Rancho Mirage 6

Colony 65, Jurupa Valley 0

Compton 22, Compton Centennial 0

Compton Early College 47, Environmental Charter 0

Corona Centennial 12, Eastvale Roosevelt 6

Corona Santiago 20, Corona 0

Costa Mesa 7, Paramount 0

Desert Hot Springs 33, Woodcrest Christian 0

Dominguez 7, Long Beach Cabrillo 6

Downey 44, Bellflower 0

Eisenhower 14, Colton 6

Edison 32, Los Alamitos 0

El Modeno 13, Anaheim Canyon 0

El Rancho 18, Orange 13

Elsinore 25, Valley View 0

Fullerton 34, La Palma Kennedy 0

Gabrielino 19, Burbank Burroughs 18

Gahr 6, Mayfair 0

Garden Grove Pacifica 12, Rancho Alamitos 6

Glendora 25, Covina 20

Grand Terrace 12, Rim of the World 6

Huntington Beach 32, Fountain Valley 0

Irvine University 32, Laguna Beach 14

Kaiser 22, Rialto 0

La Serna 14, California 0

La Sierra 13, Palm Springs 6

Linfield Christian 14, Murrieta Mesa 12

Long Beach Wilson 48, Artesia 0

Los Altos 12, Rowland 6

Los Amigos 32, Whitney 0

Mater Dei 33, La Habra 7

Mission Viejo 20, St. Margaret’s 18

Montebello 12, Schurr 6

Moreno Valley 12, Hemet 6

Newport Harbor 41, Marina 0

Nogales 21, Bell Gardens 6

Norte Vista 13, Vista del Lago 0

Orange Lutheran 13, Woodbridge 7

Palm Desert 14, Banning 7

Palos Verdes 47, Warren 12

Patriot 44, Temecula Valley 6

Placentia Valencia 20, Laguna Hills 7

Portola 20, San Juan hills 13

Rancho Cucamonga 25, Liberty 12

Riverside King 34, Norco 19

Riverside North 25, Citrus Hill 0

Riverside Poly 14, Chaparral 6

Saddleback 31, Bolsa Grande 13

Sage Hill 33, Rosary Academy 7

San Gabriel 14, Ramona Convent 12

San Gorgonio 33, Summit 6

San Jacinto ValleyAcademy 13, Desert Christian Academy 7

Santa Paula 7, St. Bonaventure 0

Segerstrom 21, Garden Grove 12

Serrano 26, Arrowhead Christian 6

Shadow Hills 14, La Quinta 0

Sierra Canyon 74, Flintridge Sacred Heart 6

St. Lucy’s 18, Azusa 6

St. Paul 26, Arroyo 0

Sunny Hills 42, San Dimas 6

Tustin 13, Santa Ana Valley 7

Victor Valley 13, Jurupa Hills 7

Villa Park 39, Norwalk 0

West Covina 38, Pasadena Poly 6

Western Christian 31, Hacienda Heights Wilson 7

West Valley 24, Lakeside 12

Whittier 18, Katella 6

Yorba Linda 41, Brea Olinda 0

Intersectional

Glenn 33, South Gate 25

Southwest EC 14, Indio 6

WHAT’S your rainy day activity checklist with kids? Soft play, museum, cinema… how about flying?

No, not the kind where you go up in a plane – the real flying.

Reaching the tail end of the school summer holidays and fresh out of ideas for what to do with my seven year old, I decided to think outside the box with a trip to iFly Indoor Skydiving.

With five venues in Milton Keynes, Manchester, Birmingham, Basingstoke and London, we opted for the one at the O2 Arena in London’s Docklands.

And you can get half price iFly tickets with Sun Club. 

Sun Club members can get 50% off tickets on first time flyer packages if they book between August 31 and September 29. 

Read More On Sun Club Offers

BREAKAWAY

This is one of the most popular £9.50 holiday parks – and it’s had a £12m revamp

STEAL-CATION

UK holiday park that ‘feels like you’re abroad’ & you can stay for just £9.50

But while your tickets must be booked by September 29, you can buy tickets to fly right up until January 1, 2027, so plenty of rainy day activity options for October half term and the Christmas school holidays. 

Sign up to Sun Club for £1.99 a month or just £12 for your first year, then £19.99 thereafter, then head to the Sun Club Offers hub and find the iFly offers page.

Plus, you’ll get unlimited access to our award-winning articles plus exclusive showbiz scoops, and a huge range of other offers and discounts too – from early access to book Hols From £9.50, free racing tickets to top UK racecourses and 2-4-1 tickets to theme parks.

The concept to iFly indoor skydiving is simple(ish) – decked out in a jumpsuit, helmet and goggles, you stand inside a huge, glass wind tunnel that sends air upwards at speeds of 120mph to 165mph, and attempt to do your best flying squirrel impression.

The activity was barely on my radar before this summer, because I’d always assumed it was something exclusively for daredevils that needed to train for real flying out of planes.

But in reality, you don’t actually have to be any good at all. Because anyone is welcome aged 3 upwards, and they have highly experienced instructors on hand at all times.

After watching the safety video, my son and I were understandably nervous, but the instructor was so kind and patient that by the time we got to the tunnel, my child was confident enough to volunteer to go first.

The wind is STRONG. So strong that you simply have to flop forwards as you enter the tunnel. And it’s also loud, which is why they provide you with ear plugs and communicate via hand signals.

But I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big grin on his face as the moment he first flew off the ground, which only got wider when he opted for the special “High Flight” add-on, where the instructor took him on a spinning flight, 40 feet up towards the top of the tunnel.

Each session lasts around a minute, and everyone in our group got four sessions as part of their package (although that might change depending on group size), with the opportunity to add a High Flight to each of their goes in the wind tunnel, which cost £15 a pop.

It’s well worth doing the add-on at least once if you can afford the extra cost, as unless you’re planning on jumping out of a plane anytime soon, this is the closest you’ll ever come to flying high above the ground.

If you’re not feeling confident (or flush) though, there is still plenty of tunnel time six feet off the ground, where the instructor helps you to steer around the tunnel, using hand signals to instruct you to bend or straighten your legs and arms.

My son has become obsessed with ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences, which apply as a justification for everything from eating an ice cream at the park on a sunny day, to buying the latest Lego magazine.

But when he declared at the end of our iFly experience that it was ‘truly the best once in a lifetime experience ever,’ I had to agree with him.

Forget pigs flying, this middle-aged mum never thought it would happen to her either.

And yet, I’ve got a school of flight certificate with full marks for my ‘stable belly flying’ to prove it.

18+ England, Scotland and Wales residents only. Sun Savers multiple code collect 29/08/26-05/09/26 or subscription to Sun Club or digital subscription required. Online access required. Booking closes 23:59pm on 29/09/26. Non-transferable & non-refundable. Offer valid on a first time flyer experience only at all IFLY locations across England. Flights must be booked between August 29- September 29 and must take place before Friday January 1, 2027. Subject to availability. Not valid on voucher purchases. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other other offer, discount, voucher or promotion.  T&Cs apply, see sunsavers.co.uk or club.thesun.co.uk/sun-club. Sun Club new customer offer: £1.99 per month or £9.99 for the first year, then £19.99 thereafter unless you cancel at least seven days before your next billing date. Full T&Cs apply, see thesun.co.uk/club.