joins

June 27 (UPI) — Volkswagen is set to cut as many as 100,000 jobs, and end production at four of its plants, as part of a restructuring to better counter Chinese rivals in Europe.

The company is one of several German automakers that is making cuts as Chinese companies gain ground in both Germany and the rest of Europe, The Financial Times and Wall Street Journal reported.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as Stellantis and Renault, have lost market share in Europe as BYD, Chery and other Chinese brands have surpassed 10% of car sales on the continent after years of slow growth.

Volkswagen already had agreed with its employee’s unions to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by the end of 2030 as part of making it “more efficient and leaner,” but some experts have questioned whether the increased moves will have their intended effect, the reports said.

“Every European player is losing today,” Thomas Besson, an auto market analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux, told The Times.

“This is a highly challenging situation for European carmakers,” Besson said, “because Chinese [manufacturers] are progressing [in Europe] at a much faster pace than expected, while [European manufacturers] continue to lose volumes in China and face very adverse conditions in the United States, notably due to tariffs.”

Volkswagen, which is Europe’s largest carmaker, would be dropping about 15% of its 660,000-person workforce, in addition to ending production at three Volkswagen plants and one Audi plant, CNBC reported.

The company also plans to reduce investments by about 15% — roughly $148 billion — over the next five years, while also launching new efforts at selling its products to compete with the Chinese companies.

“The entire [Volkswagen] group — including its brands and subsidiaries — must undergo profound change,” a company spokesperson told CNBC.

June 19 (UPI) — A Boeing 747-200 made its last flight as Air Force One after it brought President Donald Trump home from Europe this week.

“Well done, good and faithful servant,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted Thursday on X. “The Last Ride.”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino also posted a tribute with a video on X.

“I have been fortunate to fly around the world on this iconic plane for 5½ years – of the 35 years it has been serving the U.S. Presidents…THANK YOU… .”

There are two 747-200s working as Air Force One, designated VC-25A by the Air Force. The two have tail numbers 28000 and 29000. The latter is retiring.

The plane has been in operation since 1990, with President George H.W. Bush as its first presidential passenger.

“The VC-25B Bridge aircraft will soon join the active executive airlift fleet alongside the VC-25A and C-32,” an Air Force spokesperson said.

Three 747-800s are being prepared to step in, including the luxury jet donated by the Qatari government. Officials have said it should be ready for use this summer and that the Air Force had finished its modifications and testing of the craft.

Gen. Dale White, the Department of Defense’s direct reporting portfolio manager for critical major weapons systems, said in a May statement that the Qatari plane will “relieve pressure on the aging VC-25A fleet.”

“Ultimately, the Bridge aircraft fulfills a critical short-term requirement, guaranteeing the Air Force continues to execute its no-fail mission for the commander in chief while laying a rock-solid foundation for the future,” the release said.

The new planes will have Trump’s preferred color scheme of red, white, gold and dark blue. He proposed the change while in office for his first term, but President Joe Biden reversed the plan back to the traditional colors. When Trump was re-elected, the new color scheme was once again adopted.

Rangers have appointed Derek McInnes as manager on a three-year contract after agreeing a compensation deal with Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts.

McInnes is the third boss at Ibrox inside a year and replaces Danny Rohl, whose move to Austrian side RB Salzburg was confirmed earlier on Wednesday.

The 54-year-old joined Hearts from Kilmarnock last summer and led the Tynecastle club to a second-placed finish, missing out on the title to Celtic on a dramatic final day, but edging Rangers out of the Champions League qualifiers.

The former Rangers midfielder turned down an approach from the Ibrox club in December 2017 in order to stay at Aberdeen but has now followed Tynecastle captain Lawrence Shankland in moving from Hearts.

“It is a real honour,” McInnes said. “The demands here are clear and our supporters rightfully have high expectations. It is up to me, my staff and my players to meet those expectations, and have this club performing as it should.

“There is a lot of hard work ahead, but already the preparations have begun and I am looking forward to meeting the current squad in the coming weeks and welcoming some new faces.”

Alan Archibald, Paul Sheerin and Craig Clark will assist McInnes.

While Rohl was head coach, McInnes will have the title of manager and was the frontrunner as soon as it emerged that the German was keen to leave for Salzburg.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh said the Scot is “someone we have always rated highly” and is “exactly what this club needs at this moment in time”.

He added: “His deep Scottish and Rangers experience are important for us. He knows how to win in this league, and he is coming off an extremely strong season with Hearts.”

Rohl, 37, replaced Russell Martin as head coach in October and steered Rangers into a three-way title fight, but a post-split collapse yielded a third-placed finish behind Celtic and Hearts as the Ibrox club ended the campaign without silverware.

Cavenagh – who publicly backed Rohl at the end of the season – thanked him for his “service and commitment to Rangers”.

“He and his staff put in a significant amount of hard work during his time in charge, which we are greatly appreciative of,” he added.

Midfielder Bernardo Silva has joined Real Madrid on a two-year deal, linking up with manager Jose Mourinho.

Silva, 31, left Manchester City at the end of last season, bringing an end to a trophy-laden nine-year spell.

Silva was heavily linked with a move to Spain, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid also reportedly chasing his signature.

He becomes Real’s second signing of the summer as a free transfer after defender Marc Cucurella joined from Chelsea in a deal worth £52m.

Real did not win a trophy last season.

They finished eight points behind La Liga champions FC Barcelona and were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Silva is at the World Cup with Portugal and is expected to play a pivotal role for his country.

Real are understood to be targeting departing Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries, while France defender Ibrahima Konate is set to join after leaving Liverpool.

Defender Antonio Rudiger this week signed a contract extension with Real until 2027.

PREGNANT Daisy Lowe showed off her baby bump as she joined Lily Allen and Vick Hope at a Royal Academy event.

The model and former Strictly star revealed she was pregnant with her second child in February.

Her pregnancy came just seven months after she tied the knot with husband Jordan Saul.

The couple already have daughter Ivy together, and as Daisy showed off her burgeoning bump on the red carpet, it looks like it won’t be too much longer until the family of three becomes four.

Daisy, 37, was attending the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition preview party at Burlington House, and wore a cream, lace dress which featured a large slit up the back, allowing her to show off her legs as she walked.

Daisy was joined at the event by Lily Allen, who wore a striking gown which featured a black mesh overlay and a cream feather drape detail running from her neck down her back to the floor.

HOT MAMA

Daisy Lowe shows off baby bump in sheer dress after announcing 2nd pregnancy

LOWE & BEHOLD

Daisy Lowe reveals she’s pregnant with second baby 7 months after wedding

Meanwhile Vick Hope wore a striking orange and pink tiered summer dress and accessorised with a gold clutch.

Also in attendance was Claudia Winkleman, who wore her trademark black alongside husband Kris Thykier, and Jenna Coleman.

When announcing her pregnancy,  Daisy shared pictures from her family holiday with Jordan and Ivy.

She wrote: “Heading home from our honeymoon with an extra stowaway.

“Little bump is growing FAST & Ivy is so excited to meet *her* baby.”

Daisy and property developer Jordan, 31 married in a “wild and romantic” ceremony last June.

The model, whose dad is Bush rocker Gavin Rossdale, wore a Vivienne Westwood couture gown and completed her stunning look with a gorgeous tennis bracelet by The Vault London, a Lulu Guinness shell bag and crystal-dotted Jimmy Choos.

The first serious legal challenge to the House settlement will come courtesy of a USC freshman linebacker.

Talanoa Ili, a top-100 recruit in the Trojans’ vaunted 2026 class, joins Stanford quarterback Charlie Mirer as one of two lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit that takes aim at the system implemented since the settlement ushered in a new era of direct payment from universities to athletes. The suit, which was filed Tuesday, accuses the NCAA, the Power Four conferences and the enforcement arm they created — the College Sports Commission — of participating in a “conspiracy” by creating a system of policies that have “direct anti-competitive effects, including the suppression of [name, image and likeness] compensation below competitive levels.”

Those policies, their attorneys argue, violate state laws in California that prohibit restrictions on NIL rights, as well as federal antitrust statutes. They’re seeking monetary damages, as well as an injunction that would upend the enforcement structure created to determine whether individual NIL deals over $2,500 meet criteria, including whether they have “a valid business purpose” or fall within a reasonable range of market value.

The clearinghouse, NIL Go, was created with the hope of eliminating an influx of booster-funded NIL deals that were basically direct payments from donors to the program. But since its inception, the system has been more restrictive and worked less efficiently than some schools and athletes might have hoped. As of last month, according to Yahoo Sports, more than $125 million worth of NIL compensation that had been promised to athletes had been rejected by the clearinghouse or was still under review.

In Ili’s case, the complaint states that he received a “substantial multi-year offer” from USC’s House of Victory collective in 2024 that led him to commit to the Trojans, only to have the offer disappear after approval of the House settlement.

“Absent the NIL Restrictions on Direct Pay NIL Compensation, Ili would have received more for his NIL rights than he now receives,” the complaint states. “The Agreement has thus injured Ili.”

Mirer, meanwhile, claims that he has received no NIL compensation from Stanford’s collective or revenue-sharing money from the university since 2024 as a result of the settlement.

Stanford quarterback Charlie Mirer during a game last season.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

“The [CSC agreement] has suppressed, deterred, and effectively terminated the economic relationships that had produced his prior NIL compensation,” the lawsuit says.

Even the plaintiffs in the House settlement, which created the CSC, are in the process of challenging the current system. On Wednesday, plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler will argue in a hearing that school-affiliated businesses such as multimedia rights holders or corporate sponsors, should not be subject to the CSC’s rigorous criteria for NIL deals. That decision could also open the floodgates, with schools using those entities to circumvent the cap.

Two U.S. senators are hoping to pass legislation they believe would bring more stability to college athletics and thwart legal challenges. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Texas) spoke with presidents and chancellors from the Big Ten Conference on Tuesday about a bipartisan bill, the Protect College Sports Act, which would codify some of the CSC’s policies into federal law.

KHLOE Kardashian has joined her sister Kim in Monaco as she supports her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton at the Grand Prix.

The A-list sisters looked effortlessly glam as they were spotted walking through the crowds in the South of France.

Both Khloe, 40, and Kim, 45, went for plunging black tops.

The younger sister paired her outfit with comfy black capri pants, which showed off her very slender legs.

While big sis Kim revealed her tiny waist and toned pins in blue jeans.

Both siblings wore dark shades and were flanked by their entourage.

Read more on the Kardahsians

PHWOAR-MULA ONE

Kim turns heads in revealing top as she arrives on yacht to support Lewis

WAIST NOT

Kim K flogs rare items from wardrobe for huge sums – but you’ll need TINY waist

The pair were seen chatting happily as they headed towards a waiting boat.

Tomorrow, they will watch Kim’s boyfriend Lewis race in Monaco‘s Grand Prix.

The Sun revealed the couple were dating in February after they were spotted enjoying a romantic getaway in the UK.

The mum-of-four then went public with Lewis in April, when they were spotted kissing in Malibu, California.

They were seen splashing around together at the beach, looking every inch the smitten pair.

Kim and Lewis then went Instagram official as they filmed themselves taking a bike ride.

Kim, who was married to Kanye West, 48, from 2014 to 2022, said last October she could not imagine herself dating another famous man.

She told a podcast that the person “would have to be someone super- special” for her to start another relationship.

Kim explained: “I don’t know if I have the energy or whether I’ve met the right person that I would want to blend my family with.”

On whether she might date another musician or athlete, she added: “Neither. We’re going, like, lawyers and longevity scientists who would give me all their secrets.”

After splitting from Kanye, she dated comedian Pete Davidson and then NFL player Odell Beckham Jr until things fizzled out in April 2024.

While Lewis has not had a serious relationship since he split from Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger in 2015 after almost eight years.

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo hit the training pitch as he readies for his sixth World Cup appearance. Portugal will play Chile in a friendly, before heading to the US for their first World Cup match on June 18. Punters say Portugal is a dark-horse contender to take the title.

Love Island bosses had yet another twist up their sleeve with the latest bombshell and fans have been left stunned

Love Island viewers were treated to another huge twist in the latest bombshell action. Following hot on the heels of a double eviction – sort of – the villa was getting ready to welcome two new islanders.

And it turns out one already knows a fellow love hopeful very well. In fact, he is his brother! Aidan’s sibling, Kavan, has made a big impression – both with Ellie and online.

Electrician Kavan, 21, is the younger brother of 23-year-old property broker Aidan. One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “Bringing in a brother Love Island are you mad?!” Another added: “Love Island are seriously running out of ideas LOOOOL tf you mean Aidan’s BROTHER? #LoveIsland.”

A third wasn’t keen on the idea, either, saying: “Eww imagine being on Love Island with a sibling. Could not be me. #loveisland.”

A fourth enjoyed the twist, though, writing: “Two brothers in one villa is brazy. Fairs, Love Island, fairs #loveisland.”

And a fourth agreed: “imagine going onto love island and fumbling the hottest girl in there and then ur brother comes in and dates her. sunday dinners gonna be awkward when they get back #loveislanduk

Ellie having a date with Kavan left her stunned and she gasped “f*** off” when he revealed Aidan is his brother.

It comes after Yasmin and Aidan caught up in the Snug to discuss Yasmin’s decision to dump Ellie. She told him: ““I’m sorry it’s put you in a sh*t situation.”

Comforting her, Aidan said: “I’m just shocked, that’s all. I didn’t expect it.” He pulled her in for a hug as the pair got closer.

The pair continued to share a closer bond the next day. On the terrace, Aidan told her: “My attention is of course with you. I think I made a bold statement yesterday and I stick by it… But I feel like you also made a bold decision which was nice.”

Yasmin questioned if her choice was bad and Aidan flirted by saying: “Nah, it was sexy…” As Yasmin joked she did it “all for you” the pair leant in for a kiss, with Ellie appearing to be the last thing on his mind.

But despite their early exit, Ellie and Samraj were in for a twist. Following a shock text informing them that their Love Island journey isn’t over, they were snuck off to somewhere much closer to home than the airport. The duo headed to The Hideaway.

Samraj joked to Ellie: “I didn’t think I’d be spending my first night in the Hideaway with you Ellie, as much as I love you!”

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