A parade of celebrities, including Naomi Osaka, Angela Bassett, Madonna, and Sabrina Carpenter posed for the cameras. Some famous faces – Bad Bunny, Heidi Klum, and Katy Perry – were nearly unrecognisable thanks to their commitment to the “costume” theme.
The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
It’s hard for me to comprehend that it’s really been a decade. TWZ went live 10 years ago today. Nearly 11,000 articles later, we are still here and growing faster than ever.
Check out the press release here.
While the site has evolved immensely over the years, our mission remains the exact same: to provide uniquely deep insights into the world of military technology and strategy, while tying those perceptions into the broader foreign policy context when applicable. It is our laser focus on this mission, along with our unique style of analysis, open source investigative abilities, and distinct voice that has differentiated us and will hopefully continue to do so for many years to come.
To say the least, it has been such a wild ride and it flew by way too fast. From covering multiple wars to spearheading the conversation on the threat posed by lower-end drones to being the first news outlet that has the ability to task an imaging satellite, it’s absolutely wild all the stuff we covered in those 11,000 articles. The truth is, producing this site every day has been the hardest thing I have ever done, and also the most rewarding. I have edited every single article ever posted here, aside from maybe a dozen. This has not been a job, it’s been something of a way of life. It’s not just my place of work, it’s my passion. And I never would have had such a rare opportunity to make this crazy dream a reality without the help of so many people. Even when it was just my byline on every article at the beginning, it took a village to make TWZ the truly special place it quickly became.
First off, our readers. You guys keep me going.
I have never gloated publicly about the massive audience this site has, but after 10 years, I think context matters here. TWZ averages around eight million page views a month these days, but that number has been as high as 16 million, depending on what is going on in the world. For the topics we cover, we touch a lot of screens.
In fact, I do not know of a larger site in this category in terms of audience, not even close really, but that’s not what’s important. It’s where that traffic comes from that matters. With remarkable consistency over many years, roughly half of that readership at any given moment comes straight to the homepage. Yes, around 50% of TWZ’s traffic are people literally typing in the URL or hitting their bookmarks. We do not rely on Google or social media or other referrers to stay alive. This is not normal. This incredible loyalty and trust, over all these years, from readers all over the world, is quite possibly the thing I am most proud of.
My goal has always been to have our team available to our readers directly, via our email, posted at the bottom of every article, or on X, among other avenues. From this has come great leads, fascinating personal stories, and friendships with remarkable individuals, some of whom we have lost along the way.
Our commenting community is like a unicorn from another planet in how special and rare it is. Nothing like it exists on any news-like site that I know of. TWZ gets thousands upon thousands of comments a week. Our open discussion Bunker Talk weekend segments do on average well over 4,000 comments each. The vast majority of these people are the heart and soul of our audience. They have helped create an informative, hilarious, engaging, thoughtful and sometimes bizarre (mostly in a great way) online community in a world where that concept is rapidly evaporating outside of massive social media sites. Yes, this part of our site is an incredible feature, but it’s also a testament to how different TWZ is and how much passion exists amongst our readership.
Other sites like to talk about reader engagement. Most of that is smoke and mirrors. At TWZ, it’s anything but. All you have to do is look at the comments section to see just how strong it is for us. And not on some Reddit thread or Facebook group, but right here on our own website.
Amazing.
The bottom line here is that without all of you, everyone who clicked, shared, commented, emailed, tweeted and everything else, TWZ would never have lasted. And even on my worst day here, I pinch myself that I have the opportunity to do what I do and the freedom to do it with such a great team of people, both in terms of staff and readers. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart for giving me this incredible gift. To be able to immerse one’s self in a topic they care so much about and to get paid to produce the exact site I always wanted to read, it’s just so incredible.
Next, I want to thank my team. There is no site on earth that covers military technology and strategy across all domains — air, sea, land, and space, sprinkled with a little cyber — and that also ties it all together in a neat geopolitical bow. We do all this with a tiny but extremely dedicated editorial team of five people.
I often get asked by colleagues from other outlets how big our team is. When I tell them, they cannot believe it. The reaction is always the same. They totally reject the idea. It’s always a shocked response. They have no idea how we do this, at this tempo, with this depth, across such a massive topic set, and do so with such authority. Well, I am going to tell you all the secret of how:
An unmatched work ethic and a true passion for the subject matter.
Nobody that works here is just hanging their shingle so they can leap on to the next best thing. Nobody here just fell into this topic by chance after graduating journalism school. This is a passion project. Everyone here has that passion. So, yes, we are huge nerds. It’s from this place, this love for what we do and deep curiosity for what we cover, that the articles you read here emanate daily.
Nearly every article, even those with a single byline, have been molded in some way by other members of the team. We work as a fully integrated unit at all times. There are no stove pipes. It’s all about how can we execute the story the best way possible for our readers. We all work together to do this moment to moment. It’s an extremely fast moving (crushingly at times), highly charged, and, well, intense (and exciting) environment. This crew has to recreate the wheel every single day and do it to TWZ standards of depth and accuracy. Not easy!
Our focus on open source intelligence means massive amounts of info has to be fuzed together in very short periods of time. It’s far harder than it looks, but we make it happen by pulling on the collective talents of the whole team. TWZ staff have sacrificed a lot at times to accomplish our mission and they have done it without complaint. I can’t thank them enough for all their hard work and for how seriously they take our mission in order to make this place what it is.
Next, I want to thank our ownership and management. We all read the horror stories near daily of what it’s like working in the modern media industry. The misery that my colleagues have experienced at so many outlets simply has not been the reality for us at TWZ.
No company is perfect, far from it, but Recurrent has supported TWZ consistently over the years, through thick and thin. They have always been there when they are needed and, most importantly, they have been absent when they are not. THIS is the magic sauce.
They don’t screw with our program. They stay out of the way so we can operate to the best of our potential, as defined by us. Much of TWZ’s success is thanks to them letting our staff live in a purely creative space nearly all the time and not meddling with our work. There is no corporate busy work. They allow us to keep laser focused on making the magic happen and use their abilities to make sure we can keep doing it without worry. I am so thankful for this. It is such a rare thing these days.
Our CEO Andrew Perlman and Recurrent Military’s General Manager Kathy Torres-Pummill are truly the best I have ever worked with. We are incredibly lucky to have such an amicable ownership and management situation where our goals are so well aligned.
Finally, I want to thank our advertisers and sponsors, large and small, and our sales team who is the nexus between them and TWZ.
Our sponsors have been incredibly understanding of our editorial standards and have been willing to work in unconventional ways at times to get their message across in the best way that is also really interesting for our readers. While editorial lives in a separate universe from our ad team, we have always had the ability to veto anything and have worked to make anything we put on the site to be as interesting to our great audience as possible. By and large our advertisers really get this and have gone the extra mile to work within that vision. We thank them for their continued support. We also thank our incredibly patient and creative sales team, led by Phil Hladky, for all their hard work, love, and respect for this brand. They are the unsung heroes of the TWZ team. We would not be here without them either.
Now, for what’s to come. This year is a big one for TWZ. And when I say TWZ, I mean it! The War Zone will be referred to exclusively by our staff and in branding as solely TWZ going forward — just like how it has long been referred to by our readers. That change has been ongoing for years, but since the site launched on its own URL two and half years ago under TWZ.com, it’s time we formalize it. So, you have probably noticed the logos on the homepage and our social media channels have already changed over the weekend. We figured everyone has called it TWZ in our community for nearly 10 years now, we should make it official!
We are also making a big push into video with the fantastic Jamie Hunter at the helm. This will include two major segments that have already been established on our channel. First off is our Special Access series, which puts TWZ in the field with the technologies we write about and with those who build and operate them. We see a huge opportunity with YouTube to bring TWZ’s unique voice and expertise to this concept, and Jamie has already begun with some fantastic installments — but just wait for what’s to come! We also have our Showtime segment, which provides great interviews and insights on leading-edge capabilities from major industry expos and conventions.
This is just the start, other segments are on the horizon.
Please hit subscribe on YouTube, if you haven’t already. You can check out a sampling of Special Access here:
Inside The Air Force’s Elite Ghost Tanker Unit
Private F-5 Adversaries Take The Fight To Navy Fighter Pilots
And of Showtime here:
Will The X-BAT Stealth Fighter Drone Change The Air Combat Game?
The H-60 Black Hawk Gunship Evolves With New Wings And Weapons
We will be launching a subscription service very soon, too. Wait, I know what you are thinking! ‘You are paywalling TWZ?!?!’ As many of you know, I have worked very hard to keep this site free to all and it will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future.
The initial subscription offering will be a supporter tier. I get asked every day, ‘how can I support your work? Where is your Patreon?!’ Well, now you can directly support us and get some features along with it, the biggest being a nearly ad free (ad light) experience. YES! After all these years, this most requested feature is coming to TWZ. This will limit advertising to one ad per article and those will only be from our direct sponsors. Oftentimes there will be none at all.
So, if you want to support us directly, and enjoy a nearly ad free experience, this will be the way you can do it. More tiers will come later on with added features, but there is no pressure to join. You can still enjoy TWZ just as you have been for all these years.
We will also be expanding the team. We are looking for a couple key individuals to really evolve certain areas of our coverage. We just hired Ian Ellis-Jones as our head of audience development, and he is also our guy for interpretive graphics and short-form open source intelligence posts. You will see a new section popping up in the near future featuring these posts, some of which you have already seen on the site. This lighter format will allow us to cover visual topics in new ways. Ian is also rapidly evolving our social media strategy, so TWZ will be showing up in more places than ever before.
These are just some of the new features that are in the works that we can talk about, but there will be others, including new ways I can interact with you more directly and more regularly. More to come on all that. While the future is remarkably bright for TWZ, everything has been built on the foundation you, the readers, have helped us lay.
Once again, from all of us, thank you so much for the last 10 wonderful years.
Tyler Rogoway
Editor-In-Chief of TWZ
The U. S. military announced that two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Gulf to counter an Iranian blockade, while two U. S. ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz. This follows Iran’s claim of preventing a U. S. warship from entering the Gulf. U. S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that forces are supporting President Trump’s “Project Freedom,” aimed at helping commercial ships stranded due to the U. S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, and are enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports.
The U. S. intervention increases the possibility of direct confrontation with Iran in a crucial waterway that carries a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas, which has been blocked for two months because of the war. CENTCOM reported that two U. S.-flagged vessels successfully transited the strait while destroyers worked in the Gulf. Iran claimed it made a U. S. warship turn back, but CENTCOM denied reports of any missile strikes on the ship. An Iranian official mentioned a warning shot was fired, with uncertainty about any resulting damage to the warship.
Trump detailed a plan to assist ships running low on supplies in the Gulf, stating, “We will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways. ” In response, Iran warned oil tankers and commercial ships to coordinate movements with its military, asserting that it controls security in the Strait of Hormuz and would attack any foreign armed forces, particularly the U. S. military, attempting to enter. Since the war began, Iran has largely blocked shipping movements, causing oil prices to surge significantly.
CENTCOM plans to support “Project Freedom” with 15,000 troops, over 100 aircraft, warships, and drones, asserting that this mission is vital for regional security and the global economy.
With information from Reuters
At first sight, last week’s unprovoked attack on a French nun walking along a street in occupied East Jerusalem came without warning. However, for the roughly 180,000 Christians living in Israel – and the 10,000 or so Christians living in East Jerusalem – the attack is the latest in a growing number of incidents of abuse, assault, and intimidation that the community says has increased in tandem with Israel’s turn towards far-right nationalism.
While incidents of violence and arson grab the attention, low-level incidents of spitting, insults, and disparaging graffiti have become a daily experience for many Christians in the area – the majority of them Palestinian – contributing to the desire on the part of nearly half of all the religious community under 30 to leave.
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Israeli officials have been quick to condemn the attack on the nun, calling it “despicable” and with “no place” in Israeli society. A man has also been arrested, after the arrest of Israeli soldiers blamed for smashing a Christian statue in southern Lebanon last month.
But ultimately, trust in the Israeli state is thin on the ground, with many of the incidents going unreported, analysts say.
Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem have been present in the area for more than 2,000 years. But they now find themselves attacked by Israelis, just for practicing their faith.
According to the volunteer-run Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), in the first three months of this year, Christians reported 31 incidents of harassment, most involving spitting or defacing church property. Last year, analysts with the interreligious Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue tracked 113 known attacks on individuals and church property in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, including 61 physical assaults mainly targeting visible members of the clergy, such as monks, nuns, friars, and priests.
‘It’s definitely increased in the last three years,” said Hana Bendcowsky, programme director at the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations. “Resentment toward Christianity existed in the past as well, but people did not dare express it openly.”
“Over the past three years, the political atmosphere in Israel – where there is less concern about how the world perceives us – has led people to feel more comfortable harassing Christians,” Bendcowsky added. “This broader sense of Israeli isolation, and the reduced concern about international reactions, is also reflected in the way the State of Israel has acted regarding what has taken place in Gaza and southern Lebanon.”
Israel’s shift towards ultranationalism, particularly when it comes to policies towards Palestinians, has intensified under the current government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Under his administration, far-right voices that were once at the fringes of Israeli society have become incorporated into its heart, and now play defining roles in government.
Fuelled by a not entirely unfounded sense of impunity, a survey by the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue last year found it was largely ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalistic Israelis who were responsible for the majority of attacks on Christians.
“The hate and attempt to harass non-Jews by some of the elements, particularly settler elements, knows no bounds,” Rabbi Arik Ascherman, an Israeli peace activist, told Al Jazeera. “Therefore, anything from spitting, harassing, and desecrating, to government actions to prevent churches from bringing in staff and clergy from abroad… is simply part of the reality here.”
Bendcowsky noted that “the complexity of Jewish–Christian relations goes back to the early centuries.”
“While some churches have undergone processes of rethinking their attitudes towards Jews and Judaism and have begun a path of healing, this has not yet taken place within Israeli Jewish society,” she said. “In education, the focus is on Jewish victimhood, so the lack of familiarity with Christians, together with the historical memory of Christianity, tends to be negative. In the current political climate, there are those who exploit this as a chance to strike back.”
Incidents are rarely reported, researchers say, with concern over foreign visas, or not wanting to draw attention to the issue, mixing with a profound absence of confidence in the state to take action.
‘There’s an absolute lack of confidence in the police, and I think that’s leading to many of the attacks going unreported,” Bendcowsky said. “Unfortunately, that’s often borne out by the evidence. Unless an incident gains international attention, particularly in the US, it often goes uninvestigated, or investigations are closed without any official conclusion.”
High-level international objections to attacks on Christians and Christianity, especially those coming from Israel’s principal backers in the United States, have typically elicited swift responses from the Israeli government.
After viral footage of Israeli soldiers destroying a Christian statue in southern Lebanon sparked international outrage, the Israeli prime minister’s office was swift to publish its own condemnation. And in March, following a backlash from many world leaders, including avowedly pro-Zionist US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, after Israeli police prevented Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, official apologies and “clarifications” were quick in coming. But Israeli military attacks on Christian churches in Gaza and Lebanon have only been acknowledged when international and specifically US sympathy for Israel risks being undermined.
In Israel, Christianity is often associated with the Palestinians – and it is therefore perhaps inevitable that as Israel becomes increasingly unrepentant in its killing of Palestinians and seizure of their land, Palestinian Christians and other Christians in the area will not find themselves spared.
Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, an Israeli analyst with Atlas Global Strategies, said that he has noticed intolerance towards Christians increasing. He noted that along with Israel’s violence in Gaza and the wider region, this is contributing towards Israel’s increasing unpopularity worldwide and in the US, and making it more difficult for Christian supporters of Israel to square their support for the country with its treatment of their co-religionists on the ground, a plight they have ignored for decades.
‘In the long term, these attacks on Christians are massive,’ Ben-Ephraim told Al Jazeera.
“Older evangelicals may be forgiving, but the young are already turning against Israel,” he said. “This erodes the little support [Israel has] left. So, while current-day leaders like [US President Donald] Trump and Huckabee will pretend this isn’t happening, this will shape an entire generation of religious Christians in a way that Israel does not even begin to imagine.”
From Maddie Lee: Enough was enough.
The Dodgers entered Sunday on a four-game losing streak, with a lack of offense undermining solid performances from the pitching staff. They were on the verge of being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals, after losing a series to the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles.
“When it gets to a certain point, we do a good job of kind of nipping it,” manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 4-1 win. “And today is one of those days that … we’ve got to find a way to win a game. And whatever it takes, we’re all prepared to do that. And if you look at the track record, we’ve done well in moments like this.”
It took a second straight start of six scoreless innings from Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski, along with the bullpen holding St. Louis to one run.
That was enough to make the Dodgers’ offensive contributions count. Though it was far from an onslaught, the four runs were the most they scored in a game since Monday.
“Offensively we just haven’t been very good the last week,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said after the game. “Just call a spade a spade sometimes. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. We just haven’t been very good, and we’ve got to be better.
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Mark Vientos hit two homers and drove in four runs and right-hander Clay Holmes gave up one run in 6⅔ innings as the New York Mets beat the Angels 5-1 on Sunday.
Holmes (4-2) gave up four hits with three walks and six strikeouts as the Mets took two of three games from the Angels and won a series for just the second time since April 7. New York also won two of three against Minnesota (April 21-23).
Jorge Soler had an RBI single for the Angels and right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-1) gave up two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Los Angeles had ended a season-high seven-game losing streak Saturday. The Angels are 2-12 since April 18.
From Broderick Turner: The Lakers understand the daunting challenge they’re about to face against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
Lakers coach JJ Redick referenced the great Chicago Bulls teams that won back-to-back championships in 1996 and ’97 and the Golden State Warriors teams that won titles in 2015 and ’17 when talking about the Thunder after practice Sunday.
“The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,” Redick said. “It’s just the reality. They’re that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that, and we know what kind of task we have in front of us.”
The Thunder had the best record in the regular season at 64-18. They were ranked first in defensive field-goal percentage (43.7%), first in defensive rating (106.5), first in net rating (43.7) and second in points given up per game (107.9).
They have the league’s reigning most valuable player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the leading candidate to repeat as MVP. He was second in scoring this season (31.1 points per game) and leads the postseason in scoring (33.8).
The Thunder just swept the Phoenix Suns in their first-round series. The Lakers eliminated the Houston Rockets in six games.
An early look at how the Lakers and Thunder match up entering their playoff series
Second round
All times Pacific
Tuesday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock
Thursday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., Prime Video
Saturday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, May 11 at Lakers, 7:30 p.m., Prime Video
*Wed., May 13 at Oklahoma City, TBD
*Saturday, May 16 at Lakers, TBD
*Monday, May 18 at Oklahoma City, TBD
*-if necessary
Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd won the clincher as UCLA swept top-seeded Stanford 3-0 on Sunday to win the Bruins’ third NCAA beach volleyball championship.
Perez and Boyd wrapped up the Bruins’ first championship since winning back-to-back titles in 2018-19, beating the Cardinal’s Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson 21-11, 21-19.
Kaley Mathews and Ensley Alden got third-seeded UCLA (33-6) off and running with a 21-16, 21-11 victory over Brooke Rockwell and Ruby Sorra.
From Jay Posner: Before Cherie DeVaux won a Breeders’ Cup race, before one of her horses won an Eclipse Award, before she became the answer to a Siri question — “Who was the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby?” — she faced the same problem as every new trainer.
She needed horses.
Fortunately for her, this was 2018 and she had just married David Ingordo, a leading bloodstock agent. Surely he’d bring her some top horses and DeVaux would be on her way.
Except … it took DeVaux 11 months to win her first race.
Cherie DeVaux, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, celebrates with her husband, David Ingordo, on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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“That was 100% my fault,” Ingordo said. “We gathered up some horses of our own; we were totally self-funded. And the collection of horses I gathered up were yaks and llamas and sheep. They weren’t related to the equine species.
“I told her, ‘You should have divorced me for the effing horses I put in there.’”
Ingordo was telling this story Sunday, standing in the morning chill outside Barn 37 at Churchill Downs, where dozens of cameras and a few reporters were there to record every word his wife had to say, 12 hours after she made history.
Second round
All times Pacific
Monday at Vegas, 6:30 p.m, ESPN
Wednesday at Vegas, 6:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
Friday at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
Sunday at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Vegas, TBD, ESPN
*Thursday, May 14 at Ducks, TBD, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
*Saturday, May 16 at Vegas, TBA, ABC or ESPN
*-if necessary
1905 — Belmont Park in New York opens for its first thoroughbred meet.
1924 — VIII Summer Olympic Games open at Olympic Stadium of Colombes, Paris, France.
1935 — Omaha, ridden by Willis Saunders, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Roman Soldier. Omaha goes on to win the Triple Crown.
1946 — Assault, ridden by Warren Mehrtens, wins the Kentucky Derby by eight lengths over Spy Song on his way to the Triple Crown.
1957 — Iron Liege, ridden by Bill Hartack, wins the Kentucky Derby by a nose when jockey Willie Shoemaker, aboard Gallant Man, misjudges the finish line. Shoemaker is in front but stands the saddle before the finish.
1968 — Dancer’s Image, ridden by Bob Ussery, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Forward Pass. Three days later, Dancer’s Image is disqualified when traces of a painkiller are found in tests. Forward Pass, ridden by Ismael Valenzuela, is declared the winner.
1968 — The Pittsburgh Pipers beat New Orleans Buccaneers 122-113 in Game 7 to win the first ABA championship.
1969 — The Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup with a four-game sweep, beating the St. Louis Blues 2-1.
1974 — 100th Kentucky Derby: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. wins aboard Cannonade for first of 3 Derby victories.
1985 — 111th Kentucky Derby: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. wins aboard Spend A Buck for his third Derby triumph.
1991 — 117th Kentucky Derby: Chris Antley wins aboard Strike the Gold, the first of two Derby victories.
1994 — Charles Barkley scores 56 points, including a playoff-record 38 in the first half, to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 140-133 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
1994 — Arsenal of England win 34th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Parma of Italy 1-0 in Copenhagen.
1999 — The New Jersey Devils become the first top-seeded team to lose in the first round of the playoffs in consecutive years when they are beaten 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7.
2000 — Keith Primeau ends the third-longest game in NHL history by scoring at 12:01 of the fifth overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, tying their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.
2002 — English FA Cup Final, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (73,963): Arsenal beats Chelsea, 2-0 for eighth title.
2003 — Detroit becomes the seventh NBA team to advance after falling behind 3-1 in a series, beating Orlando 108-93.
2008 — In the eighth-longest game in NHL history, Dallas eliminates San Jose in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. In a game that lasts 5 hours, 17 minutes, the Stars beat the Sharks 2-1 after Brenden Morrow scores a power play goal 9:03 into the fourth overtime.
2009 — Cleveland’s LeBron James, unstoppable at both ends of the floor this season, is named the NBA’s MVP. James, who easily outdistanced Kobe Bryant of the Lakers in the voting, averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
2009 — Alex Ovechkin records his first NHL playoff hat trick and scores the winning goal in Washington’s 4-3 win over Pittsburgh in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference series. Sidney Crosby of the Penguins also scores three goals.
2013 — Floyd Mayweather comes back from a year’s absence to win a unanimous 12-round decision over Robert Guerrero in their welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. All three judges score the bout 117-111 and Mayweather remains unbeaten in 44 fights.
2015 — Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry is named MVP for the 2014-15 NBA season.
2016 — J.R. Smith makes seven three-pointers and the Cleveland Cavaliers drain an NBA-record 25 threes in a 123-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of the second round. Cleveland finishes 25 of 45 behind the arc, with 10 players making at least one three. Cleveland’s 25 threes are the most in any game — regular or postseason.
2019 — Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez unifies a trio of middleweight world titles in a close, unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
2024 — 150th Kentucky Derby: Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard 18-1 chance Mystik Dan wins in a tight three-way photo finish.
Compiled by the Associated Press
1869 — Henry Chadwick published his first annual baseball handbook. The book eventually evolved into Spalding’s Official Baseball Guide.
1869 — The Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first all-professional team, played its first regular season game and beat the Great Westerns of Cincinnati 45-9.
1871 — The Fort Wayne Kekiongas beat the Cleveland Forest Citys, 2-0, in the first game played in the National Association. In the 127 games during the 1871 season, there were a total of four shutouts.
1910 — The Browns and Cardinals played home games in St. Louis, and President Taft, not wanting to offend either club, saw parts of each game at Robinson Field and Sportsman’s Park.
1931 — In an effort to put less strain on his leg, Babe Ruth plays first base as Lou Gehrig moves to right field.
1939 — Boston rookie Ted Williams became the first player to hit a home run that cleared the right field seats at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. It was his first at-bat at Detroit. The Red Sox edged the Tigers 7-6.
1944 — Black people were allowed to buy grandstand seats for the first time in St. Louis history. St. Louis was the last of the major league clubs to integrate seating. Black people had been restricted to the bleachers.
1963 — Bob Shaw of the Milwaukee Braves sets a major league record by committing five balks.
1966 — Willie Mays broke the National League record with the 512th home run of his career in a 6-1 victory over the Dodgers at Candlestick Park. Mays passed another Giant, breaking the mark established by Mel Ott in 1946.
1969 — The Houston Astros set an NL record by turning seven double plays against the San Francisco Giants. First baseman Curt Blefary participated in all seven.
1975 — Bob Watson of the Houston Astros, sensing baseball history, raced around the bases on Milt May’s home run and crossed the plate at Candlestick Park in time to score major league baseball’s 1 millionth run, seconds ahead of Dave Concepcion of Cincinnati.
1980 — Chicago White Sox first baseman Mike Squires caught the final inning of an 11-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the first left-handed catcher to play in major league baseball since Dale Long in 1958.
1981 — New York Yankees relief pitcher Ron Davis strikes out eight consecutive batters in a 4-2 victory over the Angels at Anaheim Stadium, tying an American League record set by Nolan Ryan.
1987 — Candy Maldonado hit for the cycle to help the San Francisco Giants overcome a six-run deficit and beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7.
1991 — Chris James drove in nine runs with two homers and two singles, breaking Cleveland’s club record for RBIs and leading the Indians to a 20-6 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
1996 — The Texas Rangers became the first American League team in 79 years to pitch consecutive one-hitters as Roger Pavlik held Detroit to a fifth-inning home run in a 3-1 win. Ken Hill one-hit Detroit on May 3, retiring the last 26 batters he faced.
2001 — Raul Mondesi of the Blue Jays went 4-for-4, with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs, leading Toronto to an 8-3 victory over Seattle.
2002 — Barry Bonds hits his 400th home run with the San Francisco Giants.
2015 — Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach Brook Jacoby was suspended 14 games for his postgame conduct toward the umpire crew assigned to the April 29 game at Boston. Jacoby was accused of pinning umpire Doug Eddings against a wall in a dugout tunnel at Fenway Park, putting his forearms up near the ump’s neck following Toronto’s loss.
2018 — Dodger Rookie Walker Buehler and a trio of Dodgers relievers combined for the franchise’s 23rd no-hitter in a 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in the opener of a neutral-site series at Monterrey, Mexico. In just his third start in the majors, Buehler went six innings before Tony Cingrani, Yimi Garcia and Adam Liberatore closed it out.
2018 — Angels slugger Albert Pujols got his 3,000th hit, reaching the mark with a broken-bat single in a 5-0 win against Seattle. Pujols joined Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez as the only players in baseball history with 3,000 hits and 600 homers.
2021 — The minor leagues start their season, after having been on hiatus since September of 2019 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In the interim, the governing structure, Minor League Baseball, has been thoroughly reorganized and in effect replaced by the Professional Development League.
2022 — By pitching seven innings of one-hit ball, Adam Wainwright gets credit for a 10-0 win by the Cardinals over the Royals. It is the 202nd time that the battery of Wainwright and C Yadier Molina have combined on a win, tying the all-time record set by Warren Spahn and Del Crandall of the Boston and Milwaukee Braves.
Compiled by the Associated Press
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Earlier today, U.S. Army AH-64 Apache and U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopters destroyed six small Iranian boats that were threatening commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to the U.S. military’s top officer in the region. He also confirmed that Iran has launched new attacks aimed at American warships, as well as merchant vessels. All of this comes after the U.S. kicked off a new operation to safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed Project Freedom, which you can read more about in our initial reporting here.
“We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the strait, including AH-64 Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters used just this morning to eliminate six Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping. So we’re backing up commitment with action,” Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told TWZ and other outlets during a press conference today. “We also have A-10s, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-35, EA-18 Growlers, RC-135s, KC-46s, and KC-135 fixed-wing aircraft, and numerous U.S. warships, including destroyers, two carrier strike groups, [an] amphibious readiness [sic] group, and [a] Marine Expeditionary Unit.”
“The cruise missiles were going after both U.S. Navy ships, but mostly after commercial shipping,” Cooper added when asked about attacks so far. “We defended both ourselves and, consistent with our commitment, we defended all those commercial ships.”
“We had drone launches against commercial ships, all of which were defended against, consistent with our commitment, and then the small boats were all going against commercial ships, and all were sunk by Apaches and Seahawk helicopters,” he continued.
“We are employing U.S. ballistic missile defense-capable destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms – meaning under the sea, on the sea, and from the air – and then 15,000 service members to extend this defensive umbrella across the Strait of Hormuz to protect our forces and also, as committed, to defend commercial shipping.”
“Vessels currently in the Arabian Gulf represent 87 countries from around the world. As the president mentioned, they’re merely neutral and innocent bystanders. Over the last 12 hours, we’ve reached out to dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage traffic flow through the Strait, consistent with the president’s intent, to help guide ships safely through the narrow trade corridor. This news has been quite enthusiastically received, and we’re already beginning to see movement.”
“The President has also said that if the process [Project Freedom] is interfered with, we will react forcefully. And over the last 12 hours, Iran has interfered. The IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] has launched multiple cruise missiles, drones, [and] small boats at ships we are protecting. We have defeated each and every one of those threats through the clinical application of defensive munitions.”
“I can confirm there’s been no U.S. military ship hit, and there’s been no U.S. flagged-ship [sic] that have been hit.”
🚫 CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a U.S. warship with two missiles.
✅ TRUTH: No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports. pic.twitter.com/VFxovxLU6G
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 4, 2026
“I wouldn’t go into detail of whether the ceasefire is over or not. I think the key thing for us is we’re merely there as a defensive force and a force to give a very thick layer of defense to commercial shipping to allow them to proceed out of the Arabian Gulf. That’s what we’re focused on. What we saw this morning was Iran initiating aggressive behavior. We are simply going to respond to that consistent with the president’s direction.”
“I don’t want to give the details of what we’re protecting and what we’re not. I wouldn’t want to tip our hand on that. But in the case of the Fujairah attack, I’d really refer to the UAE on that. That’s really a matter under their national jurisdiction and not part of our project operation.”
“I don’t want to get into the specific details of differences. All of the missiles and drones that were fired at both us and the commercial ships were effectively engaged. So that’s the good news. No personnel injuries in that regard, and also in terms of where specifically, the area in the strait was transited, probably not worth getting into details. What I will say is, over the past several weeks, we’ve used low-observable capability to clear that path, and we validated that in multiple ways. And then we took the risk by using U.S. flagships [sic] to go first, setting the example. Since then, we’ve had great communication with industry, as I mentioned, and ships, multiple ships, are already heading that way. So the summation of that is, we used our own military technology in a unique way to clear a free lane that’s not obstructed in any way, shape or form, through the Strait, executed by setting the example of U.S. ships. And over top of all that, we have a US military defensive umbrella.”
“Yes, we have gone through the Strait today. As we sit here right now, we have multiple U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers operating in the Arabian Gulf.”
U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom. American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping. As a first step, 2 U.S.-flagged merchant… pic.twitter.com/SVDxDhK72I
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 4, 2026
“There’s no specific escort. If I just describe this overall, if you’re escorting a ship, you’re playing kind of one-on-one, I think we have a much better defensive arrangement in this process, where we have multiple layers that include ships, helicopters, aircraft, airborne early warning, electronic warfare – we have a much broader defensive package than you would have ever had if you were just escorting. I feel good about that, and it was proven just in the last couple of hours.”
“In terms of mines, I’m not going to talk about specific capabilities. You know, they all have varying degrees of influence. I think the key thing about mines is that we have cleared an effective pathway for ships to lead. At this point, for the first time, there seems to be great enthusiasm to do that, but we’re going to stay in contact with the commercial shipping and support them along the way.”
“It will ultimately be a two-way path. The most important thing is in the near-term getting ships out. And then over time, we’ll also, for sure, see ships go in.”
“We don’t want to get into the munitions or how we’re doing things tactically. I will just kind of put that off to the side. But the munitions that were used were very effective, and the tactics worked just as described.”
Today’s use of AH-64s and MH-60s to engage Iranian small boats as part of a larger effort to ensure access to the Strait of Hormuz highlights a larger contingency plan that the U.S. military has been working to refine for decades now.
The IRGC’s naval arm, in particular, has been a chief example of the threats that small boats pose since the Tanker War sideshow to the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Armed helicopters, including ones belonging to the U.S. Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the famed Night Stalkers, were an important part of the American response to threats to commercial shipping at that time.
Small boat threats, and in the context of a Strait of Hormuz crisis, especially, became even more of a focus of U.S. military planning in the early 2000s. Al Qaeda’s attack on the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Cole while it was in port in Aden, Yemen, was one key driver. The fallout from the still-controversial Millennium Challenge war game in 2002 was another very important factor.
All of this impacted the addition of new close-in defense capabilities to existing and forthcoming warships. It also put additional emphasis on the role of armed helicopters, as well as fixed-wing aircraft, in responding to swarms of small boats. The Air Force’s A-10 Warthog ground attack planes have trained extensively to fly counter-small boat missions for the past two decades, for instance.
Army AH-64s and Air Force A-10s had already been conducting missions targeting Iranian naval assets in and around the Strait of Hormuz before the announcement of the ceasefire in April. Navy MH-60s are known to have been flying armed force protection missions as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, as well. As an aside, Seahawks also destroyed small boats belonging to Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen as part of previous operations to safeguard commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea.
Armed helicopters remain key assets for defending against swarms of small boats. This is in part because of the added flexibility they offer in terms of their ability to launch from forward bases on land and ships at sea, either of which can also be situated closer to the threat area. This, in turn, can help reduce the time it takes to react and increase time on station. Helicopters’ ability to fly slow and low also allows them to spot, identify, and make rapid attacks on small moving targets. For naval vessels that carry helicopters, arming them with more advanced weaponry to go after small boats means they can provide an on-call outer highly flexible layer of force protection that would not exist otherwise. New munitions, including laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets, will only increase their capabilities to engage larger swarms of small boats
Small boats are, of course, not the only threat Iran is already bringing to bear in the Strait of Hormuz. As Adm. Cooper noted in his briefing, Iranian forces have been launching cruise missile and drone attacks on ships in and around this critical waterway. There is also the continued threat of Iranian naval mines, as well as explosive-laden uncrewed surface vessels. Iran has also launched a new round of missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates.
For weeks, TWZ has been pointing out that Iran’s shore-based anti-ship cruise missiles had been largely absent from conflict in the region, and these weapons could play a major part in responding to any American push to reopen the Strait. This now seems to be happening and also underscores a broader point we have been making about the real danger of the regime in Tehran turning the waterway into a super weapons engagement zone. The threat ecosystem also includes air defenses, such as shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, also known as man-portable air defense systems, which present hazards to armed helicopters, as well as fixed-wing aircraft.
All of this only reinforces the general risks that U.S. forces will face as Project Freedom gets further underway, especially if it grows to include more direct escort and/or convoy missions.
In a phone conversation with ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump “”stopped short of saying Iran has violated the ceasefire,” Karl stated on X. “Regarding the Iranian drone and missile attacks on UAE today: ‘They were shot down for the most part,’” Trump told Karl. “‘One got through. Not huge damage.’ Regarding the Iranian attack on a South Korean ship: ‘We’re going to look into it. Shots were fired at a South Korean ship, and I think South Korea should take some action. … This was a South Korean ship riding by itself. It was not an escorted ship.’”
In a phone conversation a short while ago, President Trump stopped short of saying Iran has violated the ceasefire.
Regarding the Iranian drone and missile attacks on UAE today: “They were shot down for the most part,” Trump told me. “One got through. Not huge damage.”…
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) May 4, 2026
Trump said Iran will be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they attack U.S. vessels carrying out Project Freedom.
Trump made the comments during an interview with Fox News‘ Trey Yingst on Monday, adding that he believes Iran has become “much more malleable” in peace negotiations.
The president also emphasized that U.S. military buildup in the region is continuing.
“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump said. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”
Trump again said that Iran has “no navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft equipment, they have no readar, they have no nothing, they have no leaders actually…the leaders happen to be gone also.”
President Trump on Iran: “They have no navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft equipment, they have no radar, they have no nothing, they have no leaders actually…the leaders happen to be gone also.” pic.twitter.com/JBkAV7OKwi
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 4, 2026
UAE air defense systems “engaged 12 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles, and 4 UAV’s launched from Iran, resulting in 3 moderate injuries,” the UAE MoD stated on X. “Since the beginning of the blatant Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, the air defences have engaged a total of 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,260 UAV’s.”
تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع اعتداءات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من ايران وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الاصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة تعامل منظومات الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية للصواريخ الباليستية، والجوالة والطائرات المسيرة.
UAE Air Defences system… pic.twitter.com/j9mW4JucfW
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) May 4, 2026
Qatar “strongly condemns the renewed Iranian attacks targeting civilian sites and facilities in the sisterly United Arab Emirates using missiles and drones, which resulted in injuries to three Indian nationals,” the country’s Foreign Ministry stated on X. “Qatar considers these attacks a blatant violation of the UAE’s sovereignty and a serious threat to the security and stability of the region.”
Qatar Strongly Condemns Renewed Iranian Missile, Drone Attacks on UAE
Doha | May 4, 2026
The State of Qatar strongly condemns the renewed Iranian attacks targeting civilian sites and facilities in the sisterly United Arab Emirates using missiles and drones, which resulted in… pic.twitter.com/UU0tV5w111
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) May 4, 2026
The U.S. and Israel are “holding feverish consultations on how to respond and assist their loyal ally.” Israel’s Israel Hayom news outlet claimed, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
“The likely options include targeted attacks against launchers and military targets threatening the strait, or a parallel attack on an Iranian energy facility in response to the attack on Fujairah,” the outlet posited.
We cannot independently verify that claim.
Tehran had no prior plan to attack Emirati facilities in Fujairah port, an Iranian official told Iranian media.
“What happened is the result of the American army’s adventure to illegally open a passage for ships to cross from the prohibited passages in the Strait of Hormuz,” the official said.
BREAKING: Iranian Military source to Iranian TV:
Tehran had no prior plan to attack Emirati facilities in Fujairah port
What happened is the result of the American army’s adventure to illegally open a passage for ships to cross from the prohibited passages in the Strait of… pic.twitter.com/Pt3GKSUIDb
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 4, 2026
UPDATE: 5:32 PM EDT –
In the wake of today’s attacks from Iran, UAE has partially closed its airspace for one week, effective today through May 11. Commercial traffic is restricted to narrow corridors through specific waypoints only.
UAE has partially closed its airspace for one week, effective May 4 through May 11.
Vide NOTAM A1722/26, Emirates FIR partially closed. Commercial traffic restricted to narrow corridors through specific waypoints only.#airspace pic.twitter.com/dfmJFuOAlA
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) May 4, 2026
Meanwhile, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport management has raised the alert level for an attack scenario, which includes a rapid “departure procedure” for international companies, according to Israel’s Channel 14 news outlet.
“Against the backdrop of increasing security tensions and reports of the closure of the airport in the United Arab Emirates today (Monday), Israel is on high alert for the possibility of a widespread escalation,” the outlet added. “As of this time, Ben Gurion Airport continues to operate as usual, but behind the scenes the alert level has been raised to the highest level with the understanding that the schedule could change within minutes.”
Ben Gurion Airport is on high alert in preparation for a possible closure of Israeli airspace and evacuation of aircraft -CH14
The Airport Authority and the Ministry of Transportation have conducted situational assessments in recent hourshttps://t.co/VufBp2viqj pic.twitter.com/inDP3RNVKm
— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) May 4, 2026
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
ICE agents arrested a Nigerian immigrant in Brooklyn on Saturday night. People promptly staged a protest outside Wykhoff Heights Medical Center, where Chidozie Wilson Okeke was taken after the violent arrest. NYPD officers assaulted and arrested protesters.
Published On 4 May 20264 May 2026
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Published On 4 May 20264 May 2026
The leader of Mali’s military government, Assimi Goita, has taken on the role of defence minister following the killing of the previous minister in last week’s uprising by rebel groups.
State television channel ORTM reported on Monday that Goita was taking on the post following the death of Sadio Camara in large-scale attacks by an al-Qaeda-linked group working with Tuareg separatists.
list of 3 itemsend of list
The report noted the presidential decree that Assimi Goita will remain president while also taking on the new role
General Oumar Diarra, who was military chief of staff, has been appointed as delegate minister to the defence ministry.
During the assault on strongholds of the military government, more than a week ago, Camara was killed by a car bomb blast at his residence. The rebel armed groups were able to capture the key northern town of Kidal in the largest attack in the West African country in nearly 15 years.
The fighting killed at least 23 people, with the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF reporting that civilians and children were among the dead and injured.
Mali has been beset by security crises since at least 2012. Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) controls large areas of rural territory, especially in the north and central regions, and has active cells around the capital. Similarly, the ISIL (ISIS) affiliate in Sahel Province (ISSP) controls areas in northeastern Menaka city.
At the same time also in the north, armed Tuareg separatists of the Liberation Front for Azawad (FLA) group are fighting for an independent nation called Azawad. They are battling Mali’s military and allied Russian mercenaries who have been deployed since 2021.
Together with the JNIM, they control Kidal, but also want Gao, the largest city in the north, as well as Menaka and Timbuktu, to complete the self-declared state of Azawad.
Those groups sometimes work together: they operate in the same areas and draw from the same pool of fighters from aggrieved communities. In the latest widespread attacks, the JNIM worked with the FLA against the army.
Goita’s military government took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, pledging to restore security, but has struggled to achieve that.t It has cut ties with its former colonial ruler, France, and expelled French forces and United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Last July, military authorities granted coup leader Goita a five-year presidential mandate, which can be renewed “as many times as necessary” without an election.
The previous month, Russia’s Wagner Group, which had been aiding Malian forces against armed groups since 2021, said it would complete its mission. It has now become the Africa Corps, an organisation under the direct control of the Russian defence ministry.
In the wake of last month’s attacks, the rebels announced a blockade of the capital Bamako in retaliation for “the population’s support of the army”. However, that blockade has only partially been effective, according to an AFP correspondent in the city.
Dealing with emissions could help alleviate effects of Iran crisis on global energy supply, says report.
Published On 4 May 20264 May 2026
Tackling methane emissions in the fossil fuel sector would help efforts to hold back climate change and increase energy security, especially as the Iran crisis threatens global supplies, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The oil, gas and coal industries account for about 35 percent of all methane emissions from human activity, notes the IEA’s Global Methane Tracker 2026, released on Monday. However, there is little progress in reducing them, the report points out.
list of 4 itemsend of list
“There is still no sign that methane emissions from fossil fuel operations are falling, despite well-known and proven mitigation pathways,” the IEA said.
Methane, the second-biggest contributor to climate change, stays in the atmosphere for far less time than carbon dioxide, but its warming effect is roughly 80 times more potent over a 20-year period.
The IEA estimates that methane emissions from oil, gas and coal total 124 million tonnes a year. Oil is the largest source at 45 million tonnes (Mt), followed by coal at 43 Mt, and natural gas at 36 Mt.
“A further 20 Mt comes from bioenergy production and consumption, largely from the incomplete combustion of traditional biomass used for cooking and heating in developing economies,” the report added.
Oil prices have soared since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February and Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response. An April ceasefire between the sides is currently holding, but global energy supplies remain limited.
The ongoing crisis is reshaping the global energy system and disrupting about 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade flows.
Nearly 100 billion cubic metres of natural gas could be made available annually through a global effort to cut methane from oil and gas operations, the IEA said, estimating that nearly 15 billion cubic metres could be made available in a sufficiently short period of time to provide some relief to gas markets.
A further 100 billion cubic metres would be unlocked through the elimination of non-emergency flaring worldwide, it added.
France, using its role as rotating chair of the Group of Seven (G7) bloc of industrialised powers, convened government officials, industry leaders and experts on Monday to build momentum on cutting methane emissions.
The conference aimed at reducing methane emissions ahead of the United Nations’ November COP31 summit.
“I sincerely hope that the discussions we will have today will enable us to join our forces to accelerate the implementation of effective solutions to reduce methane emissions,” French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut said in a speech.
“Of course, action on methane is not a fight of any single actor and nobody can win it alone,” she added, noting that the world remains “very far” from meeting a pledge to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared with 2020 levels.
“Reducing methane emissions remains one of the best things we can do to slow global warming while cleaning up our air, improving public health, and increasing our energy security,” British Secretary of State for Energy Security Ed Miliband said in a video message.
If you’ve watched UCLA softball this year, chances are you’ve seen a little bit of history.
This Bruins squad has hit 173 home runs, the most by a UCLA team and tied with No. 1 Oklahoma for most in the nation, led by the duo of Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery. Grant recently broke the program’s single-season record with her 34th and closed the regular season with 35, while Woolery is the fifth NCAA player with 100 or more RBIs in a season, racking up 106.
UCLA is 44-7 and ranks No. 7 in the nation. It’s possible Grant could be part of two national championship teams to finish her career at UCLA.
Behind it all are Woolery and Grant, combining for a legendary final season.
“The way that Jordan and Megan go about hitting is so focused and so professional that it’s really bleeding into the other players,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “They just come through big and they train with a serious focus. And we have a very young team of Bruins, a lot of them haven’t even played college ball. So when you get to play alongside two professionals, there is a calm.”
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In early April, Grant flew from her game at UCLA to Phoenix to get a moment to celebrate with the national championship basketball team after she played 14 games with them this winter. She scored six points with four rebounds in 33 minutes.
But her true stardom is on the diamond, and alongside Woolery they make up one of the best middle-of-the-order duos in the country.
“I always say Jordan makes my life a lot easier,” Grant said. “She’s such a great hitter and having her behind me kind of frees me up as well. We really just bounce off of each other in that way.”
Woolery and Grant, both finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, are the first UCLA duo to each hit 30-plus home runs in a season, and with the entire postseason to go, they’re just getting started.
Woolery is on pace to become the Division I player to have 30-plus home runs, 100-plus RBIs and a batting average over .500. She is fourth in the nation, hitting .510, and third in the country with 33 home runs.
“Just seeing better pitches makes it easier for power when you’re making better choices,” Woolery said. “But I think over the last four years, I’ve been really developing my eye and honing in on sitting at good pitches early in the count versus trying to hit a pitcher’s pitch. So I think just honing in on that more so these last two years has helped me a lot too.”
Grant’s 35 home runs, meanwhile, trail only Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells’ 36. Grant leads the country in slugging percentage (1.315).
The duo and ace Taylor Tinsley were honored on April 18, earning three of the coveted 17 Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s golden tickets. UCLA is the only school to have three players selected by the AUSL this season.
“It made it even better to have Megan and Taylor to have that experience with me too,” Woolery said. “I think just us being here for the last four years together and then being able to continue our careers together too, just makes it even more exciting and even more to look forward to.”
The AUSL is announcing its drafted players by going across the country and hand-delivering golden tickets to players who were selected by the league’s six teams ahead of the next season in June. The UCLA players were awarded their tickets after a doubleheader sweep of California at Easton Stadium.
Grant received her ticket from Netflix sports anchor Elle Duncan, then UCLA softball legend and AUSL adviser Natasha Watley emerged through the center-field gate and presented the second ticket to Woolery. Then, UCLA softball alumna Jen Schroeder ran through the left-field gate to give a ticket to Tinsley.
UCLA dropped its final weekend series to No. 11 Oregon, but an 11-3 win Sunday capped a sweet Senior Day celebration. Grant, Woolery and Tinsley are the only seniors for the Bruins, who are the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament and will open play Thursday at 4 p.m. PDT in College Park, Md.
Grant and Woolery have one final goal: bringing an NCAA softball title back to UCLA for the first time since 2019. The pair will continue to blend their varying leadership styles as they try to extend UCLA women’s teams’ recent surge in championships.
“Megan is very focused and serious, and Jordan, you know, has a smile on her face and is very loose with how she plays,” Inouye-Perez said. “They’re very different, but their maturity from their freshman year has come together, and it’s been special.”
UCLA coach Bob Chesney pats running back Anthony Woods on the helmet during the Bruins’ spring game Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
New UCLA football coach Bob Chesney tried to stoke his team’s pride, competitive fire and joy while winning over fans during the Bruins’ spring game Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
You can read an extended recap of the day here, but the coach summarized the energized vibes well.
“We’re back, baby,” Chesney said to fans right before the fourth quarter. “We’re back.”
Spring games naturally remain a strong recruiting showcase. And of all the areas Chesney and his staff have worked to improve, recruiting clearly made the biggest immediate jump. The Bruins rank No. 4 in the 247Sports.com composite national recruiting rankings with 16 commitments for the class of 2027.
UCLA added a legacy pledge Sunday, with class of 2027 running back Duece Jones-Drew, son of former UCLA and NFL star Maurice Jones-Drew, telling Rivals he committed to the Bruins. Duece shared the Rivals report on his Instagram account with the message “Westwood I’m home 🐻!!!”
UCLA beach volleyball players celebrate after defeating Stanford to win the NCAA title Sunday in Gulf Shores, Ala.
(Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
The UCLA beach volleyball team added No. 127 to the Bruins’ collection of national titles Sunday.
Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd won the championship-clinching match as No. 3 UCLA swept No. 1 Stanford 3-0 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Perez and Boyd defeated the Cardinal’s Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson 21-11, 21-19. Kaley Mathews and Ensley Alden opened the title showdown with a 21-16, 21-11 victory over Brooke Rockwell and Ruby Sorra. And Ava Williamson and Jesse Dueck edged Indigo Clarke and Clara Stowell 21-17, 25-23.
It was UCLA coach Jenny Johnson Jordan’s first national title after taking over in 2023 and the third for the program. Johnson Jordan, the daughter of UCLA legend Rafer Johnson, earned her 100th career win when the Bruins beat No. 2 Texas 3-2 in their semifinal Saturday.
The Bruins honored an NCAA beach volleyball tradition of celebrating their title by running into the ocean.
The UCLA baseball and golf teams added to the Bruins’ haul of Big Ten titles Sunday.
The No. 1 baseball team erased an eight-run deficit — a remarkable but possibly problematic pattern for the Bruins this season — to beat Michigan State 13-11 and earn a series sweep. The victory clinched back-to-back Big Ten titles for UCLA (43-4, 24-0).
The UCLA men’s golf team won the team title at the Big Ten championships for the second consecutive season, and freshman Josh Kim won the individual Big Ten title in North Plains, Ore.
UCLA sweeps Stanford to win third beach volleyball championship
‘We’re back, baby!’ UCLA coach Bob Chesney restores Bruins’ festive spring game experience
Swanson: Nico Iamaleava was labeled selfish. Now the loyal UCLA QB is poised for a Heisman run
Playmakers emerge as UCLA coach Bob Chesney dials up pressure during spring practice
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
The United States Supreme Court has temporarily reinstated a rule allowing an abortion pill to be prescribed through telemedicine and dispensed through the mail, lifting a judicial ban that narrowed access to the medication nationwide.
Justice Samuel Alito issued an interim order on Monday, pausing for one week a decision by the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals to reimpose an older federal rule requiring an in-person clinician visit to receive mifepristone.
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The 5th Circuit acted in a challenge to the rule by the Republican-led state of Louisiana.
The Supreme Court’s action, called an “administrative stay”, gives the justices more time to review emergency requests by two manufacturers of mifepristone to ensure that the drug can be provided via telehealth and the mail while the legal challenge plays out.
Alito ordered Louisiana to respond to the drugmakers’ requests by Thursday and indicated that the administrative stay would expire on May 11. The court would be expected to extend the interim stay or formally decide the requests by that time.
Alito, one of the nine-member court’s six conservative justices, acted because he is designated by the court to oversee emergency matters that arise in a group of states that includes Louisiana.
The case puts the contentious issue of abortion back in front of the justices, who must confront another effort by abortion opponents to scale back access to mifepristone, with the November US congressional elections looming.
The court in 2024 unanimously rejected an initial bid by anti-abortion groups and doctors to roll back Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that had eased access to the drug, ruling that these plaintiffs lacked the necessary legal standing to pursue the challenge.
Mifepristone, given FDA regulatory approval in 2000, is taken with another drug called misoprostol to perform medication abortions, a method that now accounts for more than 60 percent of all abortions in the US.
The ongoing battles over abortion rights follow the court’s 2022 ruling that overturned its 1973 Roe v Wade precedent that had legalised abortion nationwide.
That ruling has prompted 13 states to enact near-total bans on the procedure, while several others have sharply restricted access.
Louisiana sued the FDA last year, claiming that a rule adopted during the administration of former US President Joe Biden, a Democrat – a rule that eased access to mifepristone by eliminating the in-person dispensing requirement – is illegal and undermines the state’s abortion ban.
The pill’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, and GenBioPro, which makes a generic version, intervened in the litigation to defend the 2023 regulation. The administration of current US President Donald Trump, a Republican, cited an ongoing review of safety regulations concerning mifepristone and opposed the state’s challenge.
In April, US Judge David Joseph in Lafayette, Louisiana, declined to block the regulation but agreed with the administration to put the case on hold pending the review. The 5th Circuit blocked the rule on May 1.
The legal and political fight over access to mifepristone has dominated the debate over abortion in the US over the past few years.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the top court’s decision on Monday a “positive short-term development”.
“The Supreme Court needs to put an end to this baseless attack on our reproductive freedom, once and for all,” Julia Kaye, senior lawyer for the Reproductive Freedom Project of the ACLU, said in a statement.
Since the Supreme Court revoked the right to abortion in 2022, Democrats have been seizing on the unpopularity of bans on the procedure and emphasising the issue in their electoral platforms.
Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, welcomed the top court’s decision on Monday, but said, “This fight is just beginning.”
“We will stop at nothing to prevent the Republicans from putting a national abortion ban into effect,” Schumer wrote on X.
On Monday, Republican Senator Josh Hawley cited disputed findings on the health risks associated with mifepristone, urging lawmakers to act.
“Now it’s time for Congress to ban it completely for use in abortion,” he said in a social media post.
A memorial wall was damaged by fire on 27 April in north London, with counter-terror police involved in the investigation.
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Raman Kapoor, an Indian oil tanker captain stranded in the Gulf, says no vessel will attempt to exit the Strait of Hormuz without assurance of safety, despite the announcement of a US evacuation plan for ships stranded by the war.
Published On 4 May 20264 May 2026
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The United States has transferred 22 crew members from the Iranian container ship, the Touska, to Pakistan, in what Islamabad describes as a “confidence-building measure” during tension in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman, Captain Tim Hawkins, said the crew had been handed over for repatriation. Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed the transfer, saying the sailors would be returned to Iranian authorities.
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The Touska was seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman in the early hours of April 20, in what Tehran described as an act of “piracy”, after the US declared a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran had effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz following the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
On Monday, tensions continued to escalate in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
First, US President Donald Trump announced that US naval ships would help guide stranded vessels through the strait in an operation he dubbed “Project Freedom”.
Iran issued a new map of the strait with new boundaries further to the east, and warned shipping not to attempt to pass without coordinating with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Then, state media reported that two Iranian missiles struck a US naval vessel near Jask Island in the strait after ignoring warnings from the IRGC to turn back. Washington denied any attack.
Amid continued interceptions and seizures of vessels by both sides, questions remain over whether the two countries can de-escalate and reach a broader peace agreement. Pakistan has been central to these efforts, seeking to keep diplomatic channels open, but talks hosted in Islamabad last month ended without a breakthrough.
Iran’s foreign ministry says it is reviewing Washington’s response to its 14-point proposal aimed at ending the conflict sent via Pakistan on Friday. As Pakistan continues to mediate, Trump previously described Tehran’s offer as “unacceptable”.
The Iran-flagged Touska was seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman, close to the Strait of Hormuz, on April 20 after Washington accused the crew of failing to comply with the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Shortly after midnight local time in Iran, CENTCOM said the USS Spruance fired its 5-inch (127mm) deck gun at the vessel’s engine room, disabling it.
According to the US military, the ship was attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz en route to Iran’s main commercial port, Bandar Abbas.
The Touska, a small container ship operated by the sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), was boarded near Iran’s Chabahar port. US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit captured the vessel after what CENTCOM said were repeated warnings over six hours.
Video released by the US military showed Marines descending from helicopters launched from the USS Tripoli and securing the Tusk.
Iran condemned the capture as a violation of international law and an act of “piracy“, before demanding the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, and is now framing the transfer of the Touska crew as a step towards de-escalation of tensions. In a statement, the Pakistani foreign ministry said the move reflected a “confidence-building measure” and reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating dialogue.
US and Iranian delegations met in Islamabad last month for their first talks since 1979. Although negotiations ended without a deal, they marked a rare moment of direct engagement.
Pakistan has since coordinated with regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Qatar and Egypt, while maintaining close communications with China, in an effort to build broader support for de-escalation.
In a call with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, on Monday, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, reiterated that diplomacy remains the only viable path to stability. Tehran, in turn, acknowledged Islamabad’s mediation efforts.
There are not many signs that it will.
Indeed, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have continued to increase despite the release of the crew members.
Most notably, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard published a new map on Monday outlining what it claims is an expanded zone of control in the waterway, stretching from Iranian and Omani territory to include the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates as well.
Analysts say this new claim exceeds internationally recognised boundaries. The UAE has accused Iran of launching drones at an oil tanker linked to Abu Dhabi’s national energy company, while Washington has dismissed Iranian reports of an attack on a US warship as false.
Military analyst Alexandru Hudisteanu, a maritime security expert who served 13 years in the Romanian navy, told Al Jazeera on Monday that the conflicting claims reflect a broader test of resolve. “Any attempt to open the strait will likely be met with resistance from Iran,” he said, adding that Tehran views control of Hormuz as its primary leverage in negotiations.
Hudisteanu warned that the situation carries a high risk of miscalculation, with both sides continuing to operate in close proximity. For Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is the “only leverage” it has for peace negotiations, Hudisteanu said.
Iranian analyst Foad Izadi argued that the ceasefire effectively collapsed when the US imposed its blockade, which he described as “an act of war”. He added that the targeting and seizure of ships along the Strait of Hormuz further undermined any notion of a truce.
“Attacking an Iranian ship’s engine is an act of war as well,” he added, despite the release of the Touska’s crew signalling some short-term goodwill between the US and Iran.
The Palestinian National Popular Action Committee have today issued a press statement strongly condemning the Israeli abduction of activists Saif Abu Khashk and Thiago Ávila in international waters near the island of Crete. “This act of maritime piracy,” the Committee said, “is part of a continuing pattern of violations of all international norms and laws.” The statement said Israel’s cross-border lawlessness comes as no surprise from an occupation that systematically disregards international law. “We hold all those complicit in these crimes, including those who remain silent, fully responsible.”
It added; “While we hold the occupation fully accountable for the safety of Saif and Thiago, we urgently call on the Governments of Spain and Brazil to intervene immediately to secure their safety and ensure their prompt release.”
The Committee expressed its appreciation and esteem to the two activists, Saif and Thiago, as well as to all participants in the “Sumud Flotilla” who confronted the occupation’s arrogance and piracy with their unarmed presence and firm determination. “These sacrifices reaffirm that the struggle for freedom and justice will continue,” it concluded.
READ: Israeli court extends detention of 2 Gaza-bound flotilla volunteers
“I have all the cards,” posted the White House on its X account on Sunday, alongside an image of President Donald Trump holding playing cards from the Uno game, in a message appearing to signal Washington’s confidence in its ongoing war on Iran.
Uno is a card game in which the winner is the first to get rid of all their cards.
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The post came after Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the US military would begin guiding ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz by the war on Monday, in a sign that the conflict could further escalate, despite the near-month-long fragile ceasefire. Tehran has been effectively blocking nearly all shipping from the Gulf for more than two months, after the US and Israel attacked Iran two months ago, disrupting global energy supplies.
“We have told these countries that we will guide their ships safely out of these restricted waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said, dubbing the campaign “Project Freedom”. “They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders!”
The president added that US negotiators were engaged in “very positive discussions” with Tehran, which could lead to “something very positive” without further elaboration.
Iran, however, reacted by insisting that the security of the waterway was in the hands of its armed forces, and warned that “any safe passage and navigation in any situation” should be “carried out in coordination with the armed forces”.
On Monday, the Iranian Fars news agency reported that a US warship had been hit by two Iranian drones, the claim was denied by US Central Command.
So what leverage do the US and Iran hold over each other, and what happens next?
In response to Trump’s “I have all the cards” social media post, Iran’s Consulate General in Hyderabad, India, posted its own image on X.
“Yes, we have less cards,” Iran’s consulate in the Indian city of Hyderabad wrote on X, together with a photo of an Iranian military spokesperson holding four Uno cards compared to Trump’s five, pointing out that usually holding all the cards means you are losing, not winning, in the game of Uno.
In response to Trump’s “Project Freedom” declaration, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that ships deemed to be in breach of its rules in the Strait of Hormuz “will be stopped by force”, while insisting there has been no change in how it manages traffic through the strategic waterway.
On Monday, it issued a new map of the Strait of Hormuz with boundaries extending further to the east than its previous one, and said any ship travelling between the two sides must coordinate with the IRGC first.
“There has been no change in the management process of the Strait of Hormuz,” spokesperson Sardar Mohebbi said, adding that vessels that comply with the “transit protocols issued by the IRGC Navy” will be “safe and secure”.
“Other maritime movements that are contrary to the declared principles of the IRGC Navy will face serious risks. Violating vessels will be stopped by force,” he said.
The United States’ most enduring source of leverage over Iran remains its sanctions regime, which was launched in 1979 when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared Iran an Islamic Republic.
Successive US administrations over the past 47 years have hit Tehran with a series of financial restrictions targeting Iran’s banking, oil exports and access to international markets – the US says the sanctions are a response to Iran’s nuclear programme.
Sanctions have significantly constrained Iran’s economy, limiting government revenue and contributing to inflation and currency depreciation. Measures enforced through the US Treasury also deter other countries and companies from engaging with Iran, further strangling its economy.
The economic pressure has been central to US strategy towards Iran, particularly during its attempts to force Tehran back to negotiations over its nuclear programme, under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Beyond economics, the US maintains overwhelming military superiority, especially air power. Aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and precision strike capabilities give Washington the ability to target Iranian infrastructure with relatively low risk to its own forces.
US bases across the Gulf, as well as military partnerships with regional allies – most notably Israel – reinforce this advantage.
American forces, together with the Israeli army, have killed more than 3,000 people, and struck thousands of sites across Iran in the current war, including Iran’s energy and nuclear sites.
Since mid-April, the United States has enforced a widespread naval blockade of Iranian ports and ships. The operation began on April 13 after talks between Washington and Tehran collapsed, with US forces ordered to stop or divert vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports.
US forces have since intercepted or turned back dozens of ships, and seized a container ship, the Touska. On Monday, the US announced that its crew had been repatriated to Iran from Pakistan, where they were taken after their ship was captured in the Gulf of Oman last month.
According to Trump, the blockade is designed to choke Iran’s oil exports, its main revenue source.
US officials say the measures have severely disrupted Iran’s trade, which relies heavily on sea routes.
The vital waterway is Iran’s most significant strategic asset, the narrow passage ships one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies in peacetime.
Tehran has effectively closed the strait since the war began on February 28, sending global oil and gas prices soaring and energy markets into turmoil. Iran has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to target shipping, seize vessels, or conduct military exercises, demonstrating its ability to close or restrict the strait.
The result is soaring energy prices globally, forcing many countries to implement severe austerity measures to soften the blow.
Last week in the US, the average price of a gallon (3.8 litres) of gasoline (petrol) rose to $4.30, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), up from less than $3 before the war.
Surging energy costs have driven up inflation and deepened economic uncertainty in the US, compounding Trump’s political troubles amid overwhelming disapproval for the war amongst Americans.
Even if the US does begin escorting ships through safely – the threat from mines or Iranian strikes may be enough to prevent tankers from attempting to sail, experts say. Insurance companies are also unlikely to underwrite voyages.
Iran’s network of allied groups across the Middle East is another asset that Tehran relies on heavily. These include armed groups in Iraq and Syria, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen
Through these groups, Iran has exerted pressure indirectly, targeting US interests and allies without engaging in direct confrontation.
One critical threat Iran has previously made is for the Houthis to disrupt shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb, another vital maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group in Yemen, have previously targeted shipping in this area, most notably during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, further raising concerns about the security of global trade routes.
Roughly 4.2 billion barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum liquids flowed through the strait in 2014, accounting for about five percent of global supply.
While nowhere near the military capabilities of the US, Iran’s investment in missile and drone programmes has proven to be an effective means of deterrence. That is particularly through its ability to threaten regional US bases and impose significant costs on regional countries hosting American assets involved in military operations against Tehran.
While the US undoubtedly has a more sophisticated and powerful arsenal at its disposal, the interceptors it uses to combat Iranian drones cost around $4 million each, while Iran’s Shahed drones can be mass-produced at $20-50,000 each.
Furthermore, Iran’s ballistic missiles have proved capable of breaching Israel’s much-lauded “Iron Dome” defence system on several occasions. Iran has also dropped cluster bombs, which divide before they can be intercepted, making them much harder to stop.
Michael Clarke, visiting professor at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, said Trump’s overwhelming conventional military strength has failed to translate into strategic leverage on the ground.
“President Trump thinks he is a great poker player,” Clarke told Al Jazeera. “He thought America’s sheer destructive potential put all the ‘cards’ in his hand” when starting the war on Iran.
But Iranian forces have consistently disrupted US expectations through asymmetric tactics, he said.
“At every turn, the Iranians have come up with asymmetric tactics – vicious, reckless tactics – that have negated everything the Americans have tried to do,” Clarke noted, describing a pattern in which traditional US military superiority has been blunted by unconventional responses.
Despite significant American forces and assets in the region – including “no fewer than three US Carrier Strike Groups, two Marine Expeditionary Units, hundreds of combat aircraft and thousands of troops”, Clarke argued that Washington has struggled to find an effective use for its multi-billion-dollar resources at its disposal.
Moreover, he said, domestic pressure on Trump is growing. Trump “can’t find a way to use them [US forces] that will make any real difference to the current stalemate in the limited time he has before his own MAGA base concludes he has lost the game”.
Clarke also highlighted the willingness of Iran’s IRGC to escalate tensions. “Whatever this war might do to Iranian society, the IRGC is prepared to gamble with its own existence in the fight,” he added.
The security landscape along the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan is deteriorating amid a series of alarming attacks attributed to armed men believed to be South Sudanese soldiers. The Kakwa chiefdom, particularly the Roumou tribal group and the village of Agoroba in Aru territory, Ituri province, has been severely affected by these incursions.
Local sources said the suspected South Sudanese soldiers looted cattle and money, and abducted Congolese civilians.
“These armed men coming from South Sudan have looted from the population, taking away cows, goats, money, and even abducting young men, whom they continue to hold in the bushes. This situation does not date today. It has been several months since these armed men have been crossing the border to attack our villages,” a local chief told HumAngle.
Dieudonne Tabani, a national parliamentarian, has raised concerns about the worsening security situation along the border between the DRC and South Sudan in the Aru territory of Ituri province. He condemned how the repeated incursions in several localities of Kakwa chiefdom are characterised by the looting of belongings as well as the abduction of civilians.
“The number of our soldiers along the border with South Sudan is very minimal. When these armed men enter, they are not faced by a rigorous response. We call on the provincial authorities, under the state of siege, to urgently reinforce the military presence in the zone,” a local in the Ituri province told HumAngle. “The central government must also get involved in diplomatic overtures with a view to clearly demarcating the boundary, most times given as a reason for the incursions into our territory.”
Amid this troubling situation, Ituri provincial authorities have called on the population to remain calm, assuring that the authorities in Kinshasa have already been briefed and that measures will eventually be taken to secure the zone.
In January, DRC and South Sudan completed a major prisoner exchange following a diplomatic meeting. The border town of the Aru territory in the DRC serves as a haven for numerous South Sudanese refugees escaping the civil conflict in their homeland.
The security situation is worsening along the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, with escalating attacks by suspected South Sudanese soldiers.
The Kakwa chiefdom, specifically the Roumou tribe and Agoroba village in Ituri province, has been affected by looting and abductions.
Local leaders and a national parliamentarian have expressed concerns, highlighting inadequate military defense and urging provincial authorities to strengthen border security. They also call for diplomatic engagement to resolve boundary disputes that contribute to these incursions.
Despite the tensions, provincial authorities have assured residents that measures are being taken to address the situation.
Meanwhile, in January, DRC and South Sudan conducted a prisoner exchange to promote security cooperation, as the Aru territory continues to host South Sudanese refugees fleeing civil conflict.
Officers remain in the Frenchay area of Bristol where two people died in “suspicious blast” at house.
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Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. One week to go in the high school baseball regular season. Birmingham made a big move in the City Section.
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Sophomore catcher Jordan Lindsay is all smiles for Birmingham after RBI double in the fourth inning.
(Craig Weston)
Two sophomores, pitcher Carlos Acuna and catcher Jordan Lindsay, rose up last week to push Birmingham to within one win of clinching the West Valley League baseball championship and earning a rare No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs.
Birmingham was able to sweep El Camino Real. In the first game, the hitters started going to right field and knocked off the Royals 10-2. In the second game, the hitters came through again in a 9-1 victory.
Acuna is set to start on the mound Monday against Cleveland, and that would wrap up the first league title for coach Matt Mowry since he took over the program in 2007. He’s won five City titles.
The big series this week in the City Section involves South Gate and Garfield. They are tied for first place in the Eastern League. Along with Bell, the league could have a record three teams chosen for the Open Division playoffs if South Gate comes through.
In the Southern Section, the final week is all about trying to lock up an automatic playoff berth so as not to have to rely on computer rankings for an at-large berth when playoff pairings are announced on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Norco (Big VIII), St. John Bosco (Trinity), Ayala (Palomares), Huntington Beach (Sunset), Cypress (Crestview) have clinched high seeds in the Division 1 playoffs. Harvard-Westlake (Mission) is closing in on the Mission League title. Orange Lutheran is No. 2 in the Trinity, but who gets No. 3? Mater Dei needs a win over Orange Lutheran in a three-game series this week to help its chances.
According to last week’s Southern Section power rankings, these are the 16 teams that would make up the Division 1 playoffs with one week to go: 1. Norco, 2. Harvard-Westlake, 3. Orange Lutheran, 4. Corona, 5. Ayala, 6. Sierra Canyon, 7. St. John Bosco, 8. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 9. Temecula Valley, 10. Cypress, 11. Huntington Beach, 12. Oaks Christian, 13. Etiwanda, 14. La Mirada, 15. Corona Santaigo, 16. Maranatha.
Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.
Norco won two of three games from Corona in a terrific three-game series to win the Big VIII League title. Both teams should be in the 16-team Division 1 field.
Here’s a story on Huntington Beach winning the Sunset League title behind Jared Grindlinger.
Servite pulled off a 1-0 win over Orange Lutheran even though the Lancers’ Gary Morse threw a no-hitter.
Brentwood 6-foot-5 junior pitcher Jack Kaplan has been having a terrific season, including a perfect game. He has 77 strikeouts in 44 innings. His pitching coach is former UCLA and MLB pitcher Tim Leary.
Blake Bowen of JSerra ended his high school career this week with nine home runs this season, including one in each victory of a three-game series with Santa Margarita. Here’s the report.
Trevor Brown won a share of the Foothill League title in his first year coach West Ranch.
Castaic shared the title with West Ranch in the final season for coach Darrell Davis. Sophomore Orion Gonzalez is hitting .390 with 30 hits.
Mattias DiMaggio of Dos Puebos is a freshman baseball player hitting above .500.
(Dos Pueblos)
Few are having a better season than Dos Pueblos freshman Mattias Di Maggio. And yes, he’s a distant relative to Joe DiMaggio. Here’s the report.
The Trinity League softball race has gotten tight, with Orange Lutheran and JSerra both entering this week tied for first place at 5-3. Pitcher Liliana Escobar of JSerra has been leading the Lions’ surge. Orange Lutheran closes league play with a game at Santa Margarita on Tuesday. JSerra is at Mater Dei, with Escobar ready to deliver.
Granada Hills and Carson are looking like the top two teams in City Section softball. Granada Hills has a two-game lead in the West Valley League with three games to play. Carson has clinched at least a share of the Marine League title.
Norco (24-2) and Murrieta Mesa (23-1) continue on a collision course for the Southern Section playoffs. Pairings will be announced next Monday.
Here’s last week’s power rankings.
Loyola’s Ejam Johannes offers the “shoosh” sign after anchoring the winning 4×100 relay team. He also won the Mission League 400 and 200 titles.
(Craig Weston)
The Southern Section track and field prelims are set for Saturday. It’s all about qualifying and advancing and making sure batons are not dropped and violations don’t occur during relays.
The sites: Trabuco Hills (Division 1), Ontario (Division 2), Yorba Linda (Division 3) and Carpinteria (Division 4).
The Mission League finals last week featured two top Loyola athletes, Ejam Johannes and Zion Phelps. Here’s the report.
There’s lots of speed in the 100 meters. The Southern Section championships will take place in two weeks at Moorpark High.
The City Section will hold league finals this week.
Mira Costa’s Ruby Cochrane (facing) tries to block a tip attempt by JSerra’s Emma Champagne in the Southern Section Division 1 girls’ beach volleyball final. Cochrane and partner Olga Nikolaeva won, 21-19, 17-21, 15-13.
Mira Costa swept JSerra to win the Southern Section girls beach volleyball championship. Here’s the report.
Venice won the City Section team title.
Granada Hills is seeded No. 1 in the City Section boys volleyball playoffs. Here’s the pairings.
Grant Chang of Chatsworth delivers a kill against Granada Hills. He learned he was accepted to MIT.
(Craig Weston)
Grant Chang from Chatsworth has become the fourth volleyball player this year to be accepted to MIT. Here’s the story of a teenager who has gotten all A’s on his report card.
Birmingham ended Palisades’ reign as City Section boys lacrosse champions. Here’s the report.
Indianapolis Colts safety Camryn Bynum (0) gestures toward the stands. He played at Corona Centennial.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
There are so many lessons to be learned from former Corona Centennial defensive back Camryn Bynum, who is returning this month to hold a camp at his alma mater.
He was once fifth string on Centennial’s JV team as a sophomore. He decided to work harder and look where his path has taken him.
Here’s his suggestions for young athletes dreaming of playing in the NFL.
David Schuster is moving from Mission College Prep to head football coach at Ontario Christian….
JV coach Miguel Mayorga has been promoted to varsity basketball coach at Golden Valley….
Former Chatsworth star Alijah Arenas announced he is returning to USC next season….
Caleb Martin, a former assistant basketball coach at Oaks Christian, Harvard-Westlake and Vanguard, is the new head coach at St. Margaret’s….
Former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame basketball player Tyran Stokes has committed to Kansas….
Muir has received a $2-million donation from Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation to build a synthetic softball diamond. The field will be named, “Kobe and Gianna Bryant Field.” …
Matt LemMon has resigned as football coach at Garden Grove….
Former St. John Bosco and Notre Dame linebacker DJ Morgan is the new football coach at Leuzinger. He was the defensive coordinator….
Anaheim Canyon and Fullerton are changing their mascots next season because of a new state law requiring public schools to remove Native American team names that could be considered derogatory. Canyon will go from being the Comanches to the Cobras this fall. Fullerton will change from Indians to RedHawks….
Senior pitcher Alex Martinez of Sylmar has committed to the University of Redlands. His uncle was the late Glenn Martinez, a former assistant commissioner with the Southern Section and longtime baseball coach….
Alex Koers is the new girls basketball coach at Brea Olinda….
Harvard-Westlake has announced the appointment of Asha Prithviraj as its inaugural girls’ football coach. She previously worked at Mater Dei. 2026 will be the first season for flag football at Harvard-Westlake….
Pasadena Marshall Fundamental has dropped 11-man football for the 2026 season….
CJ Cooper is the new boys basketball coach at Capistrano Valley Christian….
Receiver Braylen Ross of Crean Lutheran has committed to Arizona…
Defensive back JuJu Johnson from Long Beach Poly has committed to UCLA….
Defensive lineman Alifeleti “Tolo” Tuihalamaka of Oaks Christian has committed to USC….
Uriel Villa is the new boys water polo coach at Orange Lutheran….
Palisades won its 17th consecutive City boys tennis title. Here’s the report.
Isaiah Magdaleno from Crespi High has become one of the top pitchers for Hawaii and a pro prospect.
(Crespi)
Former Crespi pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno thrilled Hawaii baseball fans Friday night by striking out 16 and throwing a one-hitter in a win over UC Riverside.
He was primarily a relief pitcher starting out at Hawaii but has now become a pro prospect with his starting pitching. He’s 5-4 this season with a 2.75 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 72 innings.
He was the pitcher of the year in the Mission League in 2022.
In his first pitching start of the season, the Mission League pitcher of the year, Isaiah Magdaleno, takes down the No. 1 team in California. Crespi 3, Notre Dame 1. pic.twitter.com/nWEEhB25LP
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) April 1, 2023
He helped Crespi win the Southern Section Division 2 title in 2023. He also played catcher.
From West Virginia, a story on adding flexibility to transfer rule.
From The562.org, a story on a $100,000 donation for Long Beach sports teams.
From The Athletic, a story on former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame basketball player Tyran Stokes.
With Japanese players so good and so fundamentally sound in baseball, someone needs to organize a trip to Japan for high school baseball coaches to see if there’s something to be learned.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) April 27, 2026
If you attended an LAUSD school, you remember the coffee cake; soft & crumbly, a favorite of students & teachers.
In the 70 years since it’s been part of the district, the recipe has changed, but it still might represent the defining taste of L.A.
Let’s get into it! pic.twitter.com/PHdD7dfFcm
— L.A. in a Minute (@LaInaMinute) April 27, 2026
New Orange Lutheran football coach Ray Fenton has already achieved a big win. Chris Ward is staying as offensive line coach. No one is better.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) April 28, 2026
The best freshman baseball player in Southern California lives in Santa Barbara. Mattias Di Maggio of Dos Pueblos has 34 hits, a .515 batting average, 9 home runs and four saves as a left-handed pitcher. He’s struck out once in 66 at-bats.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) April 29, 2026
The best walk up song for a hitter has to be Air Force-bound Malakye Matsumoto of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. They play music from Top Gun.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) April 29, 2026
Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Famers at ECR no longer coaching softball. Now coaching at Northridge LL and West Valley softball. pic.twitter.com/g7kzM0UK2H
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) April 29, 2026
SWIM | 𝟐𝟎 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 🤯🏆
Congrats to Loyola Swim, winners of the Mission League title for the 20th consecutive season and owners of another undefeated league record — their 22nd perfect season in the last 23 years! #LoyolaSwimming | #GoCubs pic.twitter.com/3a3FPelh4D
— Loyola High School Athletics (@LoyolaAthletics) May 1, 2026
Parents crying about an entire team being punished because of an ineligible player, please stop. Those who kept quiet and didn’t say anything, it’s on you. The administrators who didn’t look hard enough, it’s on you, too. Cheaters need to be caught early not late.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) May 2, 2026
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.
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Distraught onlookers caught the moment a monster truck lost control at a car show and plowed into spectators in Colombia, killing at least three people, including a 10-year-old girl. Around 40 people were injured.
Published On 4 May 20264 May 2026
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The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
For the first time, the U.S. Air Force has publicly released imagery showing a B-1B Lancer bomber carrying an AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon hypersonic missile, or ARRW. The development comes with the B-1B now officially slated to serve for another decade, while it has been earmarked as a hypersonic weapons test platform. For its part, the ARRW, at one point expected to be the U.S. military’s first operational hypersonic weapon, is also back from purgatory, after continued questions about its future. The Air Force now wants to develop an improved version, as well as a separate air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM).
A brief clip showing a B-1B flying with an ARRW carried on an external hardpoint was released on Edwards Air Force Base’s Instagram page recently. The emergence of the video was first brought to our attention by The Aviationist.
It is unclear when the test-flight footage was taken, and it is not directly referenced in the video, which is otherwise dedicated to the work of maintainers on different aircraft platforms at Edwards.
The B-1B was originally designed to carry external stores on up to eight external hardpoints. The Air Force had also developed special pylons that would have allowed the bombers to carry two nuclear-tipped AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM) on each one. Following the end of the Cold War, the B-1Bs lost their nuclear mission and, as a result, the external pylons fell into disuse, at least as far as weapons are concerned.
However, as long ago as 2020, the Air Force detailed plans to add the ARRW to the B-1B, after the service highlighted work to expand the bomber’s ability to carry hypersonic weapons and other new stores, both internally and externally.
“My goal would be to bring on at least a squadron’s worth of airplanes modified with external pylons on the B-1, to carry the ARRW [Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon],” Gen. Timothy Ray, then head of Air Force Global Strike Command, told Air Force Magazine. He added that the service had contemplated several options for integrating the missile onto the bombers, “but we believe the easiest, fastest, and probably most effective in the short term will be to go with the external pylons.”
In the meantime, we have seen examples of the ARRW carried under the wing of the B-52H bomber during multiple test sorties, and a live version also notably appeared on a Stratofortress during a training event at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.
The Fiscal Year 2026 budget request confirmed that the Air Force plans to use the B-1B as a testbed for the Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon, intended for hypersonic weapons and other outsize loads. The B-1B can accommodate six of these pylons, each capable of carrying two 2,000-pound-class weapons or a single 5,000-pound-plus-class weapon. The ARRW would fall into the latter category.
The budget documents noted: “The Hypersonic Integration Program successfully demonstrated the B-1’s ability to execute a captive carry of a 5,000-pound-class store and the release of a proven weapon shape from a Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon.” This suggests that the video we are now seeing could have been taken during this demonstration, but it might also refer to external load tests involving the Air Force’s new bunker-buster bomb, the 5,000-pound class GBU-72/B.
In the same position as seen in the ARRW video, the LAM has also been used for external carriage tests of the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). More routinely, this same position mounts an external pylon that accommodates a Sniper targeting pod. The same location has previously been used in external carriage tests of the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) cruise missile, too.
As for ARRW, it carries an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle as its warhead. A rocket booster accelerates and lifts the vehicle to the required speed and altitude, after which it separates and glides through the atmosphere on a relatively shallow path toward its target. The weapon’s high speed and unpredictable flight path make it difficult for opponents to intercept and engage it, and give very little response time.
B52 ARRW Hypersonic evaluation test at Edwards Air Force Base 12 JUN 2019
The Air Force’s plans to move ahead with purchases of ARRWs notably re-emerged in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal. The service had moved to cancel the AGM-183A in 2023, and refocus resources on the development of the air-breathing Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), but there were steady signs afterward that there was still life left in the ARRW program.
Meanwhile, in its Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, the Air Force seeks funds for the development of what it calls ARRW Increment 2, as well as to kick-start a new air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) program. The service wants almost $350 million to fund these two efforts. ARRW Increment 2 involves adding undisclosed enhanced capabilities onto the baseline weapon, while the ALBM effort would seek to field a new air-launched, long-range strike capability to complement the ARRW and HACM.
The US Air Force plans to kick off Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) Increment 2 development and stand up a new Air Launched Ballistic Missile (ALBM) program in Fiscal Year 2027. The service has set aside nearly $350 Million combined for these two efforts. ARRW Inc 2… pic.twitter.com/pe0SKPlrDO
— Air-Power | MIL-STD (@AirPowerNEW1) April 27, 2026
In its Fiscal Year 2027 budget documents, the Air Force further notes:
“We are doubling production rates for our two developmental hypersonic weapons, the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) and the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), with a planned investment of $1.8 billion across the FYDP to accelerate delivery of these critical strike capabilities into the hands of the warfighter.”
The documents don’t give any details on how many ARRWs they want to order.
Regardless, these developments are especially notable as China continues to push ahead in the development and fielding of these capabilities, and especially ALBMs.
Despite previous plans to retire the B-1B by 2030, the bomber’s ability to carry outsize loads, in particular, has helped ensure that it’s now expected to remain in service until at least 2037.
Fiscal Year 2027 budget documents indicate that the Air Force plans to spend $342 million on modernizing its 44 remaining B-1Bs from 2027 to 2031. “This request provides the necessary funding to modernize the platform, ensuring its lethality and relevance through 2037,” the budget said.
The B-2 stealth bomber will also be modernized, as the Air Force seeks to address growing demand for bomber capacity, pending the arrival of the new B-21. The intensity of recent operations against Iran, combined with day-to-day bomber task force operations around the globe, and the growing specter of a conflict with China, underscores just how important the bomber fleet is to the Pentagon at large.
B-1s first mission to Iran out of RAF Fairford UK
With a capacity to carry more conventional weapons than any other aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory, we will surely see the B-1B carrying additional external weapons and larger numbers of them, as it continues its service career.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
The US president has accused some NATO countries of not doing enough to support the US-Israel war on Iran.
Published On 4 May 20264 May 2026
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says European leaders have “gotten the message” after United States President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany.
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with NATO allies, accusing them of not doing enough to support the US-Israel war on Iran. Speaking on Monday, Rutte acknowledged “disappointment from the US side”.
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“European leaders have gotten the message. They heard the message loud and clear,” Rutte said before a European Political Community meeting in Armenia.
“Europeans are stepping up, a bigger role for Europe and a stronger NATO,” he added.
The Pentagon announced the troop withdrawal from Germany on Friday, days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran was humiliating the US during the negotiations aimed at ending the war.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called the announcement’s timing a “surprise”.
“I think it shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in NATO, and we have to really do more,” Kallas said while stressing that “American troops are not in Europe only for protecting European interests but also American interests.”
Over the weekend, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said officials in the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the US to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany”.
European criticism of the war on Iran has mounted in recent weeks as the conflict sends shockwaves through the global economy due to the continued disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, Merz compared the war to previous military quagmires, such as the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It is, at the moment, a pretty tangled situation,” he said. “And it is costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic output.”
Spain has refused to let the US launch attacks on Iran from its airspace or military bases. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned the war as “unjustified” and a “dangerous military intervention” outside the realm of international law.
In response, Trump called Spain “terrible” and threatened to end all trade ties.
Despite this, Rutte said “more and more” European nations were now pre-positioning assets such as minehunters and minesweepers close to the Gulf to be ready for the “next phase” in the war.
He provided no details, and European nations have previously insisted they would not help to police the Strait of Hormuz until the war is over.
Many European countries have committed to ramping up defence spending in the face of fears over Trump’s commitment to NATO and Russia’s assault on Ukraine – a push underscored by several leaders in the Armenian capital.
“Europeans are taking their destiny into their own hands, increasing their defence and security spending, and building their own common solutions,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.
“We have to step up our military capabilities to be able to defend and protect ourselves,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters.