plans

The U.S. Air Force will not add eight-bladed NP2000 propellers to any more of its aging C-130H Hercules transport planes, curtailing a previous upgrade plan as it continues to transition more fully to the newer C-130J variant. The NP2000s, which give H models a boost in thrust and fuel efficiency, and help reduce maintenance demands while increasing reliability, are among several upgrades that have been helping to keep the older Hercules aircraft going.

The Pentagon recently released a budget reprogramming document, dated September 29, 2025, detailing the movement of various funds into a general-purpose modernization account. This included nearly $24 million that had been set aside for upgrading C-130Hs with NP2000 propellers. Congress must approve any such reallocation of money from one part of the defense budget to another.

“Funds are available for transfer to the Defense Modernization Account, Defense-Wide, from a congressional increase for the C-130H NP2000 Eight Bladed Propeller due to the completion of the modification effort for the fleet,” the document states. “Efficiencies in quantity were achieved due to additional C-130J procurement, which reduced the number of C-130H NP2000 Eight Bladed Propeller modifications required as remaining unmodified C-130Hs will be divested.”

The Air Force “completed [NP2000] installations on 90 C-130H aircraft in June 2025,” according to the service’s most recent budget request for the 2025 Fiscal Year, but it is unclear if that represents the total number of aircraft upgraded to date. However, it would seem that this figure is at least close to the total, given that the Air Force expects to only have 92 C-130Hs left in inventory at all by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. This includes examples assigned to Air National Guard units. As of 2021, the service planned to upgrade the propellers on around 140 H models. The Air Force first began flying H variants of the C-130 in the mid-1970s.

The Air Force also has 10 LC-130Hs, which are specially configured for operations in and around the polar regions, and have received NP2000 propellers. A portion of the U.S. Navy’s fleet of C-130T transport and KC-130T tankers, which are derived from the H model, also now sport the new propellers.

The NP2000 has long been standard on the Navy’s E-2C and E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft and C-2 Greyhound carrier on-board delivery (COD) planes, as well.

Work to replace the four-bladed propellers on the Air Force’s C-130Hs with NP2000s, coupled with new electronic control systems, dates back to the mid-2010s. The propellers can give H model Hercules aircraft up to 20 percent extra thrust, reducing the distance needed for takeoff by around 984 feet (300 meters), depending on various factors, according to Collins Aerospace, the current contractor behind the upgrade package. The increase in thrust also translates to a bump in fuel economy.

In addition, the NP2000s vibrate less than the four-bladed propellers originally found on the C-130H, contributing to reduced maintenance requirements. They also have the benefit of being quieter and more reliable.

The Air Force had further combined with NP2000s with additional upgrades to the Rolls-Royce (formerly Allison) T56 series turboprop engines that power the C-130H, offering further performance and maintenance benefits, as you can read more about here.

As the budget reprogramming document notes, the Air Force’s priority now is on acquiring more C-130Js. New Rolls-Royce AE 2100-series turboprops and six-bladed propellers are among the improvements found on the J models compared to earlier variants.

By 2029, the Air Force expects the C-130H fleet to have dropped in size to just 61 aircraft, according to its Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. When the service expects to retire the very last of its H variants, including the remaining specialized LC-130Hs, is unclear. Work is now moving forward to at least supplement the latter fleet with new LC-130Js.

If nothing else, the NP2000 upgrade program for the Air Force’s C-130H fleet has come to an end.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Oct. 8 (UPI) — Federal authorities in Germany were granted permission to shoot down drones following a series of recent sightings of unknown drones spotted near Munich.

The German government’s cabinet on Wednesday signed-off on the new reform package that now awaits approval of the Bundestag, the country’s parliament.

The move came after drones were seen at Munich Airport last week, which led to air traffic control suspensions and thousands of flights impacted directly.

“Drone incidents threaten our safety,” said Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Germany now joins Britain, France, Romania and Lithuania in extending police powers to down the flying objects.

“We will not allow that,” Merz, leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union party, said Wednesday on social media.

“We are strengthening the powers of the federal police so that drones can be detected and intercepted more quickly in future,” he added.

In addition, other rogue drones have been detected in Denmark, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, Poland and Romania that have interrupted air traffic on the continent in recent weeks.

Officials in Denmark purport it to be a “professional” act by an unknown actor but other European Union leaders, including Merz, have pointed to Russia as the culprit.

Moscow, however, has denied the allegations.

It followed a similar pattern of unexplained drone flights earlier this year in the United States.

Meanwhile, authorities announced Wednesday that Russian drones attacked and seriously damaged a Ukrainian thermal power plant overnight in Russia’s escalating war in Ukraine and eastern Europe.

After weeks of threatening to send federal troops to Chicago, the Trump administration plans to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, Gov. JB Pritzker said Saturday.

Pritzker said the National Guard received word from the Pentagon in the morning that the troops would be called up. He did not specify when or where they would be deployed.

“This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said in a statement, using the name President Trump has adopted for the Department of Defense. “It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.”

The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for addition details. The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to questions about Pritzker’s statement.

The escalation of federal law enforcement in Illinois follows similar deployments in other parts of the country. Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in June in response to protests against immigration raids, and in Washington, D.C., as part of his law enforcement takeover in the capital city. Meanwhile, Tennessee National Guard troops are expected to help Memphis police.

Pritzker called Trump’s move in Illinois a “manufactured performance” that would pull the state’s National Guard troops away from their families and regular jobs.

“For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control,” said the governor, who also noted that state, county and local law enforcement have been coordinating to ensure the safety of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Broadview facility on the outskirts of Chicago.

Federal officials reported the arrests of 13 people protesting Friday near the facility, which has been frequently targeted during the Trump administration’s surge of immigration enforcement this fall.

Trump also said last month that he was sending federal troops to Portland, Ore., characterizing the city as war-ravaged. But local officials have suggested that many of his claims and social media posts appear to rely on images from 2020, when demonstrations and unrest gripped the city amid mass protests nationwide after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

City and state officials sued to stop the deployment the next day. U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut heard arguments Friday, and a ruling is expected over the weekend.

Trump has federalized 200 National Guard troops in Oregon, but so far it does not appear that they have moved into Portland. They have been seen training on the coast in anticipation of a deployment.

Peipert writes for the Associated Press.

Retirement is an exciting chapter in life, but it requires years of careful planning. Even seemingly small mistakes or misunderstandings can throw a wrench in your plans, potentially costing you thousands of dollars.

If you’re nearing retirement age, there’s one particularly dangerous mistake that’s easy to overlook: having an inappropriate asset allocation.

Image source: Getty Images.

What is asset allocation in retirement?

Your retirement portfolio is likely made up of many different investments, and most people own a mix of stocks and bonds. How those investments are divided up within your portfolio is your asset allocation.

As you age, it’s important to adjust your asset allocation so that you have the appropriate balance of risk and reward.

When you’re younger and still have decades left of your career, you can afford to take on more risk with a higher proportion of stocks versus bonds. Stocks are more volatile in the short term, but as long as you have a few years to allow your investments to recover, they’ll generally go on to earn far higher returns than bonds.

Once you start nearing retirement, though, your portfolio should lean more heavily toward the conservative side. While bonds often earn lower returns than stocks, they’re also less affected by stock market volatility. If you’re heavily invested in stocks and the market takes a sudden turn for the worse, your retirement fund could plummet right as you’re ready to start withdrawing that money.

Why it’s still wise to invest some money in stocks

If you’re worried about a stock market crash or recession, it can be tempting to throw all of your money into bonds and avoid investing in stocks altogether. While that approach sounds safer on the surface, it can also be costly.

Investing at least a portion of your portfolio in stocks can help you earn significantly more than if you were to invest solely in bonds.

For example, say that by investing conservatively in investments like bonds, you could earn an average rate of return of 5% per year. On the other hand, say that by investing in a mix of stocks and bonds, you could earn average returns of 8% per year — slightly below the stock market’s historic average of 10% per year.

If you’re investing $100 per month, here’s approximately what you could accumulate in both scenarios:

Data source: Author’s calculations via investor.gov.

Investing too heavily in stocks can put your retirement fund at greater risk during a bear market or recession, but investing too heavily in bonds can seriously limit your earning potential.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to what the ideal asset allocation should look like. However, a common guideline is to subtract your age from 110, and the result is the percentage of your portfolio to allocate to stocks. So if you’re 65 years old, you might allocate 45% of your retirement fund to stocks and the remaining 55% to bonds.

Again, this is only a guideline, not a rule. If you’re more risk-averse and comfortable with potentially lower average returns, you might push your portfolio more toward the conservative side. Or if you have other sources of income and can afford to take on more risk with your retirement investments, you might lean slightly more toward stocks to increase your long-term earning potential.

Your asset allocation will depend somewhat on your personal preference, but it’s still important to be intentional about it. By finding the right balance of stocks and bonds, you can better protect your financial future.

On the day that Michele Mulroney was elected president of the Writers Guild of America West, writers won a significant victory. After writers protested ABC’s suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for days, the network brought the late-night show back on air.

“Our currency is words and stories, and the freedom to be able to express ourselves is really important, and so our members could not feel more strongly about this and of course we will be speaking out and lobbying and working in any way we can to protect this fundamental right,” Mulroney said in a recent interview.

Mulroney, formerly the WGA West vice president and a writer on the 2017 “Power Rangers” movie and 2011 film “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” enters her new role at a time when the industry is facing significant challenges.

Those include major consolidation in the industry as studios look to cut costs and move TV and film production overseas because of hefty financial incentives. The climate has been tough for many writers who have struggled to find work after enduring a 148-day strike in 2023. After the walkout, writers did secure groundbreaking protections for AI in contracts, but they are still confronting AI models ripping off their work without compensation.

As the guild gears up for contract negotiations next year, Mulroney said she plans to build on earlier gains in AI and other areas, and aims to convince the studios to pay more for WGA’s health plans amid rising healthcare costs.

“It’s going to need some support from the companies,” Mulroney said. “Their drastic pullback in production and employment led to a pretty severe industry contraction that has contributed to some strain on our funds. We’ll be looking to them to help fix that with us.”

When asked about whether she thinks there is appetite among WGA’s members for another strike, Mulroney said “it’s way too early to speculate about that.”

“It’s really hard out there in the industry for all industry workers and for many of our members, but our members have shown time and again that when they have to, when it’s necessary, we are ready to fight for the contract we deserve,” Mulroney said.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers declined to comment, but in an earlier statement said its members look forward to working with her “to address key issues for WGA writers and to strengthen our industry with fair, balanced solutions.”

A studio-side source who was not authorized to comment said that the WGA health plan faces “complex financial challenges that require a balanced approach to align with market norms and ensure long-term stability.”

To keep costs down, studios have been moving more productions to the U.K. and other countries offering significant financial incentives, shrinking job opportunities for entertainment industry workers in Southern California. Some have had to move out of state to look for jobs.

Unions including the WGA lobbied for California to boost annual funding for its film and TV tax credit program and succeeded in raising that amount to $750 million, from $330 million.

“This was a real bright spot of good news in an otherwise really bleak and tough time for our industry,” Mulroney said in an interview last week. “Now there needs to be federal action on this, too, so we’ll continue working with our allies to try to keep production in the U.S., and specifically in Hollywood, in Southern California.”

Mulroney declined to comment on President Trump’s renewed threat to impose a 100% tariff on foreign-made films.

Another big worry for writers has been artificial intelligence. The WGA has been outspoken about wanting studios to sue AI companies that writers say are taking their scripts for training AI models without their permission. Earlier this year, studios including Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery took legal action against AI companies over copyright infringement.

“We were glad to see some of the studios come off the sidelines and file lawsuits to protect their copyright from these AI companies that are stealing our members’ work to build their models,” she said. “I think we will probably be dealing with AI and wrangling that for the rest of our lives, right?”

Mulroney, 58, ran uncontested, receiving 2,241 votes or 87% of the votes cast, according to the union. CBS series “Tracker” writer and co-executive producer Travis Donnelly became vice president, and TV comedy show “Primo” executive producer Peter Murrieta became secretary-treasurer.

Mulroney grew up in the U.K., the daughter of a factory worker and a janitor. She’s served on the union’s board of directors for four terms and as an officer for six years prior to being elected president.

Mulroney’s background was in theater and theater directing, but she had always dabbled in writing. In her 20s, she worked in development for a British TV and film studio where she read a lot of scripts, which led her to think, “Maybe I could write one of those things.”

Her first writing gig was for a PBS children’s show called “Wishbone,” about a Jack Russell terrier who imagines himself as a character in literary classics. She’s been a screenwriter for 25 years and is based in West Hollywood with her husband and writing partner, Kieran.

Mulroney succeeds Meredith Stiehm, who led the union during the 2023 strike.

Kimmel coming back on air was a parting gift to Stiehm, said Mulroney, adding that the union is still watching the situation.

“We’re still monitoring,” Mulroney said. “I somehow doubt this is the last instance we’re going to see where censorship and free speech are going to be a topic.”

Taylor Swift has accidentally revealed she plans on inviting as many people to her wedding day as possible to avoid the stress that come with planning an intimate ceremony

After announcing her engagement to Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift has been inundated with questions surrounding her upcoming nuptials. And while on The Graham Norton Show, the globally renowned singer accidentally let slip a huge detail about her wedding – but immediately regretted it.

The singer, 35, told host Graham Norton that she plans on having a big wedding so she can invite as many people as possible.

And she also confessed that she will start to plan her wedding after the promotional tour of her latest studio album comes to an end.

During her chat with the legendary presenter, Graham asked her if next year will be her wedding year. And in response, Taylor said: “Oh you’ll know.”

At which point the audience erupted in laughter. Graham then pressed further and asked: “So you’re going big?” To which Taylor said: “I was just meaning I was going to invite you to it.”

Graham could barely contain his excitement but managed to ask if she was in the initial stages of planning.

In response, she continued: “No, I am doing the album thing now which is a big thing and then I think the wedding is what happens after that in the scheme of the planning.”

She added: “I’m so excited about it. I know it’s going to be fun to plan because I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount of people. You have to evaluate or asses your relationship with them to see if they should be there. I’m not going to do that. I shouldn’t have said any of that.”

In August, Taylor and Travis nearly broke the internet with news of their engagement. Following their post, an estimated 28 million people liked it.

A number of pictures made up the huge announcement. In one picture, Travis is seen getting down on one knee to pop the question as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

According to US reports, Taylor’s engagement ring was reportedly bought from Artifex Fine Jewellery. It remains unknown how much the singer’s ring is worth but rings from that retailer start at £21,000.

In another picture, the couple are seen in a loving embrace surrounded by flowers including roses and hydrangeas. The flowers appear to have been set up in woodland constructed in an archway.

Travis recalled his attempts at trying to catch Taylor’s attention by handing her a bracelet with his number on it. Speaking on his podcast which he co-hosts with his brother, he admitted: “I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings.”

He added: “So I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made her. I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on.”

His brother then joked if he meant his shirt number or his phone number. And in response Travis said: “You know which one. She doesn’t meet anyone or at least she didn’t want to meet me so I took it personal.”‘

Speaking about her now fiancé, Taylor recently said on Heart Breakfast radio show: “He’s the most fun person. He’s such a natural, like in life. He’s never been nervous about anything in his entire life, so it’s pretty fun.

She added: “He’s all the things; he’s fun, vibrant, has this infectious personality, makes me laugh so much. There’s a line in the song [‘Wi$h Li$t’] that you just wanted a best friend who you think is hot. Well, that’s kind of it, you know?”

READ MORE: M&S shoppers say ‘cosy’ new cardigan is ‘perfect for colder weather’

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When LeBron James was asked about how a former defensive player of the year and a former No. 1 overall pick could elevate the Lakers roster, the superstar instead offered a different offseason addition’s name first.

“And Jake,” James added quickly during his Lakers media day news conference after a question about center Deandre Ayton and guard Marcus Smart.

Jake LaRavia’s signing came with less fanfare than the moves that brought Smart and Ayton to the Lakers, but the 6-foot-7 wing hopes he can be equally as influential in a quiet connector role behind some of the league’s biggest stars.

“We got a lot of dudes on this team that can score, a lot of dudes on this team that can put the ball in the bucket,” LaRavia said Wednesday at Lakers training camp. “So I’m here to complement those players, but to also just bring energy every day on both sides of the ball.”

The 19th overall pick in 2022, LaRavia is a career 42.9% three-point shooter, averaging 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. After beginning his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings last season, playing in 19 games. His team option wasn’t picked up, putting the 23-year-old on the free agency market.

The Lakers, in need of three-and-D players to pair with Luka Doncic, were quick to call.

“To get a young player — a young player in free agency for a team that is trying to win a championship — it’s an incredible opportunity for myself and our player development department to have him continue to grow,” coach JJ Redick said last week. “Jake, I’m very high on him. His level of commitment to what we’ve asked of the guys this offseason has been very high.”

Two days into training camp, LaRavia said he’s been asked to guard four different positions. He’s played often with Doncic’s group and marveled at the five-time All-Star’s impressive array of shots. One of his main objectives during training camp will be to understand how to best to space the court when the ball is in Doncic’s hands.

“It’s gonna make my life so much easier playing with someone like that,” LaRavia said.

LaRavia, who was born in Pasadena but moved to Indianapolis as a child, grew up rooting for the Lakers. Following his father’s fandom, LaRavia said he idolized Magic Johnson.

Now sporting the purple and gold himself, LaRavia is realizing that the team is bigger than just basketball, he said. Compared to his experiences in Memphis and Sacramento, it is obvious the Lakers brand stretches globally.

While suddenly in the spotlight, LaRavia has tried to keep a low profile. He was married a few days before training camp started. He relishes the chance to go unnoticed at local restaurants.

He wants to be recognized only for his wins on the court.

“I understand what this organization wants every year, which is championships,” LaRavia said at media day. “It’s a winning organization, and my one goal being here is just to continue to provide rings.”

Gabe Vincent fully participates in practice

James was held out of practice for the second straight day Wednesday, but still participated in individual drills, Redick said. Guard Gabe Vincent, who missed the first day of training camp, returned to practice and appears to still be on track to play in the Lakers’ first preseason game in Palm Desert on Friday against the Phoenix Suns.

Smart (achilles tendinopathy) and rookie Adou Thiero (knee) remained out, although Smart stayed on the court after practice for extra shots. Redick said Tuesday he expected the 31-year-old guard to be fine by the end of the week.

Forward Maxi Kleber sat out as a precaution after tweaking his quad during conditioning Tuesday and will get an MRI exam, Redick said. Kleber, who missed almost all of last season with a foot injury after being traded to the Lakers in February, said at media day he was entering the season fully healthy.

MANCHESTER UNITED appear to be ditching the controversial canopy from their new Old Trafford stadium plans — after huge land-buying problems left the club stuck.

The giant “umbrella” roof, which caused a storm when it was revealed in March, looks set to be scrapped, according to a report on the Athletic.

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The canopy, designed by Sir Norman Foster and championed by club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, was supposed to cover fans from the weather and create a stadium like no other.

But talks to buy the land needed to build the massive canopy have hit a brick wall.

The freight company Freightliner owns much of the land United wanted west of Old Trafford — space needed for the new stadium and thousands of homes.

Freightliner are demanding a whopping £400million, way above United’s £50million estimate, according to the report.

The company could move its freight terminal — but only if it gets a big payday.

Because of this, United are scrambling to rethink the whole project.

New drawings are being drawn up without the “vast umbrella,” which Foster once called a stunning feature.

But others loved how the three giant prongs holding the canopy looked like the devil’s trident on the club badge.

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Ratcliffe said back in March the stadium would be a “world icon” — a building everyone would recognise as Manchester United’s home.

He said: “When anybody in the world sees that stadium, they’ll know it’s Manchester United.”

But with the canopy off the table, the new designs will look more traditional — less flashy, but more practical.

United want to keep the project moving fast and avoid costly delays from the land fight.

The club has asked the government for help with funding for infrastructure around the new stadium.

But six months on, no cash has been confirmed.

Local mayor Andy Burnham said talks with Freightliner were “far from being concluded,” but the city can use compulsory purchase powers if needed.

Freightliner’s UK rail and road operations are about to be bought by French shipping giant CMA CGM — and what that means for United’s land talks is unclear.

United have yet to hire a final stadium architect, with a tender underway.

Foster + Partners, who designed the original canopy, are busy with the new San Siro stadium in Milan but remain favourites.

The stadium was originally budgeted to cost around £2billion — but United’s finances remain tight.

United told fans the stadium designs so far are just “concepts” — with more detailed plans and fan input still to come.

They promised the new stadium will be the “heart of the masterplan” to regenerate the area around Old Trafford.

The saga continues — but for now, the giant canopy that captured imaginations looks set to be just a memory.

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Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City to Zohran Mamdani by significant margins and is now contesting as an independent, is second in the race to clinch the mayor’s title in the largest city in the United States.

Mamdani won on a message of affordability, but Cuomo has slammed his plans as extreme and not feasible. Al Jazeera did an analysis of Cuomo’s economic policies to see what he has to offer for New Yorkers.

Housing

Cuomo – who only moved into New York City in September 2024 after living in Westchester, a suburban community north of the city – has promised to build over the next decade half a million new apartments, two-thirds of which will be “affordable”. The plan offers tax incentives to private developers to build more residential developments. It also says it will loosen zoning laws to promote office-to-residential conversions.

However, much of what he’s touting is already city policy.

New York launched an office-to-housing programme in 2020 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, followed by reforms last year to speed up conversions under incumbent Eric Adams.

According to a report from City Comptroller Brad Lander, who also ran in the primaries but has since endorsed Mamdani, those initiatives have already produced 44 conversions. Projects finished or under way are expected to create as many as 17,400 units citywide – mostly studios and one-bedroom apartments – including one of the largest office-to-housing conversions in the country in Lower Manhattan.

Cuomo’s plan to expand housing options across the city also taps into publicly owned land, including vacant lots, to allow for development of new housing and mixed-use development – the same as both other leading candidates, Mamdani, a former State Assembly member, and Adams.

Cuomo wants to pump $2.5bn into public housing over the next five years, which would be a 75 percent increase from the city’s current funding. For housing protections, he wants to add more lawyers in the city’s housing court system to help renters with issues like tenant harassment and unlawful eviction and provide more housing vouchers to help address homelessness.

However, Cuomo’s history says otherwise. When he was governor, he pushed the state to cut funding for a rental voucher programme called Advantage. The cuts from Albany, the state capital, left City Hall no choice but to cut the programme altogether.

One of the few new ideas from Cuomo, who has been US secretary of housing and urban development in the past, is called “Zohran’s Law”, a jab at the most likely next mayor of New York. The new law would put in place income limits on those who are seeking rent-stabilised apartments across the city, which account for about half of the rental housing stock.

Cuomo said the law would not penalise those who see their incomes increase while already living in a rent-stabilised unit.

New York City’s rent-stabilisation programme was never designed with certain income levels in mind. It was intended to regulate the broader housing market and protect residents from rent price surges that market-rate apartments face in times of housing scarcity.

“I think that’s been the playbook all along, kind of pick a fight, steal an idea, deliver less ambitiously than New Yorkers really need or deserve,” Adin Lenchner, founder of the New York based political consultancy Carroll Street Campaigns told Al Jazeera.

Transit

Cuomo’s most ambitious proposal is to bring New York City’s transit system under the control of the city itself. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which oversees subways, buses and commuter railroads, has been under state jurisdiction since the agency was created in 1968. That structure gives the governor disproportionate power over the operations of the nation’s largest transit system.

Shifting control to City Hall would be a steep challenge because much of its funding comes from state-collected taxes and revenues. And even if it were to happen and Cuomo would want to increase the city’s tax rate to pay for it, he would still need a buy-in from the governor, who either accepts or denies the city’s proposed tax rate.

That funding dynamic is a key reason why Mamdani’s free-bus proposal has drawn scepticism. Implementing it would demand coalition-building and leverage in Albany, which critics have said are best used for other pressing issues like universal childcare.

As a state lawmaker, Mamdani was able to help champion a free-bus pilot programme, but expanding such an initiative citywide would be far more complicated from the mayor’s office without control of the MTA, a key weakness in the Mamdani campaign that Cuomo has tried to capitalise on.

Cuomo, on the other hand, is not pushing for free transit quite like Mamdani but has suggested he would consider some free routes. He also said he would expand access to what is called the fair fares programme, which offers discounted rates to low-income New Yorkers.

Cuomo’s push to claim city control of the MTA also comes with a fairly chequered political history.

During his time as governor, he was frequently accused of weaponising the state’s authority over transit against then-Mayor de Blasio, taking credit for successes while deflecting blame for service breakdowns onto City Hall. The tug-of-war over responsibility for transit performance has long been a point of contention between Albany and City Hall.

Cuomo does have a track record of delivering on major transportation projects. Under his watch, a subway line expanded, the long-delayed construction of another subway line began and Penn Station, one of the city’s largest transit hubs, began a substantial revitalisation. He also oversaw the rebuilding of LaGuardia Airport.

Lencher pointed out that Cuomo proudly took credit for those wins but when the city’s subway system faced widespread delays in 2017 during the construction – colloquially referred to as the summer of hell, in which there were constant equipment failures and the worst on-time performance of any mass transit system in the world – Cuomo said it was “the city’s MTA”.

Jobs

Cuomo has pitched a jobs plan that he has called the $1.5bn Five-Borough Economic Transformation Capital Fund, which would fund projects all over the city. He is also proposing an innovation hub that would give grants to start-ups and offer them tax exemptions if they can prove they can provide job growth opportunities to the city.

He is also adding a 90-day “fast-track regulatory review”, a promise to cut red tape for business development. Both of his competitors have made similar promises, but Mamdani’s is focused on the small-business economy.

Cuomo’s plan for workforce training and development programmes includes expanding existing training and apprenticeship programmes for people who want to pursue jobs in fields like healthcare.

While he has offered to promote more training programmes that would help with “preparation for jobs that don’t require a college degree”, he hasn’t offered any details about what that would be. Representatives for Cuomo did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for more details.

Taxes

In 2021, Cuomo was behind one of the biggest tax increases on the ultrawealthy in New York state’s history. His administration raised the corporate tax rate by 0.75 percent. He also raised the taxes for those making $1m to $2m to 9.65 percent from 8.82 percent and built in two new tax brackets: For those making $5m to $25m, it was 10.3 percent, and 10.9 percent for those making more than $25m annually.

His new plan as mayor includes no tax on tips for restaurant workers and eliminating income tax for New Yorkers making at or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level – $31,300 annually for a single-person household and $64,300 for a family of four.

For wealthy New Yorkers, he said he would increase the threshold for the mansion tax, an additional tax for a real estate transaction, to $2.5m, up from its current level of $1m.

His planned tax cuts are raising questions among experts about how he would pay for his proposals.

Unlike Mamdani, Cuomo has not provided a detailed plan on how he intends to pay for his platform, and Adams has his own existing record to point to, including increased tax collections and decreased spending.

“They [Mamdani’s campaign] always get asked how are you going to pay for it [Mamdani’s policy proposals]. Cuomo and people to the right of him don’t face that same line of questioning,” Kaivan Shroff, a New York State delegate for the Democratic National Committee and senior adviser to the Institute for Education, told Al Jazeera.

“The reality here is that [the Cuomo campaign] has come up with a plan to have a plan.”

The scheme, which government says will curb undocumented immigration, has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.

The United Kingdom has announced plans to introduce a digital ID scheme in a bid to curb undocumented immigration.

Announced by the government on Friday, the scheme will see the digital ID of British citizens and residents held on phones. The government said there will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it, but that it will be “mandatory” for workers.

The UK has long resisted the idea of Identity cards, which were abolished after World War II, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is under pressure to tackle immigration that populist forces claim is uncontrolled.

The free digital ID would include a person’s name, date of birth, and photo, as well as information on their nationality and residency status.

It will be “mandatory as a means of proving your right to work”, a government statement said.

“This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key ‘pull factors’ for people who come to the UK illegally,” it added.

The digital ID will also make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records, the statement said.

“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK… It will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits,” Starmer said. “It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.”

‘Digitally excluded’

The plans, which the government had previously said it was considering, drew criticism from across the political spectrum.

The centrist Liberal Democrats said they would not support mandatory digital ID where people are “forced to turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives”.

Liberal Democrats cannot support mandatory digital IDs. People shouldn’t be criminalised just because they don’t want to hand over their private data. pic.twitter.com/mEzV7s9vUf

— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) September 25, 2025

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, wrote on X that her party “will oppose any push by this organisation or the government to impose mandatory ID cards on law-abiding citizens”.

“We will not support any system that is mandatory for British people or excludes those of us who choose not to use it from any of the rights of our citizenship,” she added.

The far-right Reform UK party called the plans a “cynical ploy” designed to “fool” voters into thinking something is being done about immigration.

It also sought to tap into longstanding British suspicions regarding national ID schemes, which are common in most of Europe.

“It will make no difference to illegal immigration, but it will be used to control and penalise the rest of us,” said Reform leader Nigel Farage.

I am firmly opposed to @Keir_Starmer’s digital ID cards.

It will make no difference to illegal immigration, but it will be used to control and penalise the rest of us.

The state should never have this much power.

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) September 25, 2025

In the 2000s, the Labour Party, then led by Tony Blair, attempted to introduce an identity card, but the plan was eventually dropped by Blair’s successor, Gordon Brown, after opposition called it an infringement of civil liberties.

However, with populist narratives regarding immigration now rife, the government appears to be betting that such concerns will override the longstanding opposition.

The timing of the announcement appears no coincidence, coming as Labour prepares to hold its annual conference.

A petition demanding that ID cards not be introduced had collected 575,000 signatures by early Friday, but recent polling suggests majority support for the move.

WASHINGTON — The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the government shuts down next week.

In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, are not otherwise funded and are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved government spending.

A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the White House’s cost-cutting team the Department of Government Efficiency, and elsewhere in the Trump administration.

Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to revise their reduction in force plans “as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.

This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to healthcare in exchange for their votes.

In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two Democrats showed no signs of budging.

“We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,” Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Get lost.”

Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political hack.”

Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an “attempt at intimidation” and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”

OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also posted shutdown contingency plans — which would outline which agency workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which would be furloughed — on its website, but this one has not.

The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support a clean government funding bill “due to their partisan demands,” which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid cuts that were included in Republicans’ big tax and spending cuts law.

“As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP’s signature law, a major tax and border spending package, gives “ample resources to ensure that many core Trump administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.”

OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.

“OMB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,” it added. “Please send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.”

Kim writes for the Associated Press.

The Sparks announced they are joining the WNBA’s facilities upgrade boom, building a $150-million, 55,000-square-foot training and practice facility in El Segundo that is set to open ahead of the 2027 season.

The venue will include two WNBA regulation basketball courts along with a locker room, weight room and athletic training space. The team states the facility will also feature an outdoor spa, indoor hydrotherapy suites, dedicated nap rooms, wellness spaces for yoga or mediation, and extensive use of natural light and retractable doors.

“We’re building a place where Sparks players can be at their best on and off the court,” said Eric Holoman, Sparks managing partner and governor. “From cutting-edge training and recovery spaces to family and community areas, every corner of this facility was designed with them at the center.”

The team did not disclose the venue’s address in El Segundo, which also is the location of Lakers, Kings and Chargers practice facilities.

The Sparks, who posted a 21-23 record and fell two wins short of clinching a playoff spot this season, are addressing one of the biggest complaints about the franchise’s commitment to player development. The team most recently trained at El Camino College, where they had no permanent locker room or weight room. The franchise has rented various training locations throughout its history, making the new building a dramatic upgrade for the team.

The team provided the following renderings of the facility.

A rendering shows the exterior of the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows the basketball courts in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows an indoor hydrotherapy pool in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows what the Sparks call a glamour area in their future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows a locker room in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

A rendering shows a weight and fitness room in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.

(Gensler)

The crew of Artemis II will not land on the moon but will lay the groundwork for the first crewed missions to Mars.

NASA may be headed back to the moon months sooner than originally planned, with the agency announcing that the first crewed flight in its Artemis programme could make the trip around the moon and back as early as February.

The space agency’s Artemis programme is the flagship effort by the United States to return humans to the moon, a multibillion-dollar series of missions that rivals a similar effort by China, which is aiming for a 2030 astronaut moon landing.

In the first Artemis mission, an uncrewed spacecraft travelled around the moon and back in November 2022.

The goal of the Artemis II mission, a 10-day flight around the moon and back, is to “explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars”, according to NASA.

The crew of Artemis II will not land on the moon but will be the first to travel beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, the BBC reported.

The mission was originally planned for April, but it could be moved up to February.

“We together have a front row seat to history,” Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA’s acting deputy associate administrator, said in a news conference on Tuesday. “The launch window could open as early as the fifth of February, but we want to emphasise that safety is our top priority.”

Artemis II is meant to be a test for the agency’s more ambitious mission, Artemis III, currently planned for 2027, and will involve a moon lander variant of SpaceX’s Starship rocket. The goal for Artemis III is to land on the moon.

Artemis II involves NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and its Orion capsule. The Orion capsule will ride atop the giant, 98-metre-tall (322 feet) SLS rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the first time the spacecraft duo will fly with humans.

NASA’s most famous lunar excursion took place more than 50 years ago, when Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon in 1969 while acting as the commander of Apollo 11.

China plans to evacuate close to 400,00 people from southern Shenzhen province as the typhoon makes landfall in the northern Philippines.

China has begun preparing to evacuate 400,000 people from the city of Shenzhen ahead of Typhoon Ragasa, which has barreled through northern Philippines with a wind speed of 215km/h (134mph).

Super Typhoon Ragasa made landfall on Monday in Calayan province in the Philippines at 3pm (07:00 GMT), Philippine forecasters reported. More than 8,200 people were evacuated to safety in Cagayan, while 1,220 fled to emergency shelters in Apayao province.

Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 215km/h (134mph) or higher in the western Pacific are labelled “super typhoons”.

The Philippines’ weather agency warned that “there is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3 metres (nearly 10 feet) within the next 24 hours over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities” of the northern provinces of Cagayan, Batanes, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr suspended government work and schools in the capital and 29 provinces in the northern Luzon region.

Ragasa is the 14th weather disturbance to hit the Philippines this year, which comes as the country deals with anti-corruption protests linked to ghost flood-control projects.

The typhoon is forecast to move westwards and remain in the South China Sea until at least Wednesday while passing south of Taiwan and Hong Kong before hitting the Chinese mainland.

Land and sea warnings

Chinese authorities have activated flood control measures in southern provinces and warned of heavy rainfall beginning from Tuesday night.

In China’s Shenzhen, authorities said on Sunday night that they planned to move hundreds of thousands of people from coastal and low-lying areas before the typhoon reaches them.

Other cities in the Guangdong province announced the cancellation of classes, work and public transportation due to the heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Moreover, Taiwan has issued land and sea warnings, cancelled 146 domestic flights, and evacuated more than 900 people from mountainous southern and eastern areas.

Vietnam’s Defence Ministry ordered its forces to monitor the storm and prepare for possible landfall later this week.

Kyiv in sanctions push as NATO states on Europe’s eastern flank take preventive action after Moscow’s air incursions.

Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City next week in a bid to urge him to impose stronger sanctions on Russia.

The Ukrainian president shared his plans on Saturday, as Russia intensified attacks on his country following air incursions into Europe’s eastern flank that have sparked anxiety over a potential spillover of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The announcement, reported by the AFP news agency, came the day after the European Union presented its 19th sanctions package.

“We now expect strong sanctions steps from the United States as well – Europe is doing its part,” Zelenskyy posted on X on Saturday.

This week brought us closer to finalizing the 19th sanctions package – we expect its approval soon. We will quickly synchronize the package in Ukraine. Russia’s energy resources are being restricted. The infrastructure of the “shadow fleet” will face new pressure. Cryptocurrency… pic.twitter.com/JzgvsQQHHQ

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 20, 2025

Trump already signalled last week that he was ready to impose “major sanctions” on Russia, which has so far evaded his attempts for a ceasefire, but only if all NATO allies agree to completely halt buying oil from Moscow.

Zelenskyy is also expected to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent future Russian attacks after an eventual truce, though Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that he would not accept the presence of Western troops in Ukraine.

Moscow stepped up attacks on Ukraine overnight, firing 40 missiles and some 580 drones in one of the biggest barrages of Russia’s war on its neighbour, killing at least three people and wounding dozens.

Preventive operations in east

NATO countries took measures to strengthen defences on Europe’s eastern flank after Russian drone incursions in Poland and Romania over the past two weeks, and unprecedented reports of three Russian fighter jets entering Estonian airspace on Friday.

Poland’s army said that Polish and allied aircraft were deployed early on Saturday in a “preventative operation” to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched air strikes targeting western Ukraine, near the Polish border.

The United Kingdom said that its fighter jets had flown their first NATO air defence sortie to patrol Polish skies and defend against potential aerial threats from Russia as part of the alliance’s Eastern Sentry mission.

On Saturday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence denied that its aircraft flew into Estonia’s airspace the day before, but Estonian officials said the 12-minute violation was confirmed by radar and visual contact.

Colonel Ants Kiviselg, the commander of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Centre, said that it still “needs to be confirmed” whether the border violation was deliberate.

Sept. 19 (UPI) — House Republicans expect to hold a vote Friday on legislation that would fund the government through Nov. 21, but a battle over Affordable Care Act subsidies could upend the plans in the Senate.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., said Thursday he expects he’ll have the votes needed to pass the continuing resolution just as he did in March’s CR vote.

“We’re going to get this government funded,” he told reporters, according to NPR. “We’re going to keep the funding going and our appropriators will have more time to do their work.”

With a six-vote majority, House Republicans are likely to pass the CR, but things are less certain in the Senate, where the GOP can afford to lose only two votes.

An unnamed leader among House Republicans told The Hill that the party will attempt to force Senate Democrats into going along with the CR by refusing to return to business in Congress until Oct. 1. Congress is on a break next week in observance of Rosh Hashanah, but House Republicans have also canceled votes previously scheduled for Sept. 29 and Sept. 30.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York ended up striking a deal with Republicans and voted in favor of the March CR to avoid a government shutdown at the time. He could block the bill currently under consideration with a filibuster.

Both Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York have promised to vote against the CR. They cited the need to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

“We will not support a partisan spending bill that Republicans are trying to jam down the throats of the American people that continues to gut healthcare,” Jeffries said Tuesday.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, expressed support for the CR on a post on Truth Social.

“Congressional Republicans, including [Senate Republican] Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, are working on a short term “CLEAN” extension of Government Funding to stop Cryin’ Chuck Schumer from shutting down the Government,” Trump posted on his social media site.

“In times like these, Republicans have to stick TOGETHER to fight back against the Radical Left Democrat demands, and vote “YES!” on both Votes needed to pass a Clean CRP this week out of the House of Representatives. Democrats want the Government to shut down. Republicans want the Government to OPEN.”

STRICTLY alum Gemma Atkinson has just shared an update about when she will tie the knot with her fiancé, Gorka Marquez.

The pair met on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2017.

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But funnily enough Gemma, 40, and Gorka, 35, weren’t actually coupled up during their time on the show.

Their relationship blossomed off-screen, with the duo beginning to officially date in 2018.

They got engaged three years later and now share a son and a daughter – Mia, five, and son Thiago, two.

After years of being engaged, Gemma has revealed why the couple have been waiting so long to walk down the aisle – and why they plan to wait even longer.

In an interview Gemma said: “We’ve toyed about doing it in Spain so his [Gorka’s] family can come.

“We’ve even thought about doing it in a registry office or a hotel in Manchester, just the two of us, and then have a big party after.”

But what the lovebirds have settled on couldn’t be sweeter or more thoughtful.

“I think now we want to wait until Thiago is a bit older, so maybe next year or the year after, as he’s only two.

“If he’s a bit older, he could be involved in it, which would be really nice.”

Back in 2022 Gemma announced that herself and Gorka had to postpone their previously-planned wedding.

The cancellation came about due to incredibly busy schedules on both ends, with Gorka busy as a professional dancer and Gemma as a radio host.

The pair were also wishing to prioritise trying for another baby instead of splashing out on a lavish event.

The wedding update comes only months after Gemma and Gorka found out that their reality TV show Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind The Lens had not been renewed for a third season on Apple TV.

It was devastating news for the couple, as the show had performed really well.

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Southern California Edison hasn’t accepted responsibility for igniting the Eaton fire, but it is now offering each victim who lost their home hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a draft of its planned compensation program.

The owner of a 1,500-square-foot home destroyed in the wildfire, given as an example in the company’s draft, would receive $900,000 to rebuild. In addition, the utility is offering that owner an additional $200,000 for agreeing to settle their claim directly with Edison.

The family of each destroyed home would also get compensation for pain and suffering — $100,000 for each adult and $50,000 for each child, according to the draft.

Edison announced in late July that it was creating a program to directly compensate Eaton fire victims to help avoid lengthy litigation. The Jan. 7 fire destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures in Altadena and killed at least 19 people.

Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, the utility’s parent company, said in a press release Wednesday that the compensation program for victims was “designed to help them focus on their recovery.”

The company said that it would hold four community meetings to get public comments on the proposed compensation plan, the first scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m.

“While the investigation continues, inviting input on draft details is the next step in helping the community rebuild faster and stronger,” Pizarro said.

Edison said it had hired consultants Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros, who both worked on the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, to help create the program.

“The proposed fund is designed as an alternative to conventional litigation in the courtroom,” said Biros. “The terms and conditions are completely transparent and voluntary. No claimants or their lawyers are required to participate until and unless they are satisfied with the compensation offer.”

Private lawyers representing Eaton fire victims have urged caution. They say similar programs created by utilities to compensate victims of other wildfires resulted in lower payouts than families received through lawsuit settlements.

In court, Edison already faces dozens of lawsuits filed by Eaton fire victims. Settling those lawsuits is expected to take years. Attorneys bringing the cases on behalf of victims would get 30% or more of the eventual settlement amounts.

Edison’s draft protocol lists proposed payments for people who were injured, renters who lost their belongings and businesses that lost property or revenues when they were forced to close.

Among the payments to the families of those who died would be $1.5 million for pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages, according to the draft. Each surviving spouse and other dependent would receive an additional $500,000.

In addition, the family who lost a loved one would receive a direct claim premium — a bonus for settling directly with Edison — of $5 million, according to the plan.

Edison said the direct claim premiums — which include $200,000 for families who lost their home, $10,000 to those whose homes were damaged, as well as other amounts for other victims — were only available through its program and would not be offered in litigation.

The utility said victims don’t need an attorney to apply for the compensation. But it is also offering to add 10% to the damage amounts, excluding the direct claim premiums, to cover legal fees of those who have a lawyer.

Victims will get their compensation offers within nine months of applying, Edison said. The company said it was also offering victims a “fast pay” option where they could receive their financial settlement offer within 90 days.

“Speed in processing claims is essential,” Feinberg said.

Edison has said that the government’s investigation into the fire could take as long as 18 months. Pizarro said in April that a leading theory was that a century-old transmission line that had not been in service since the 1970s somehow became reenergized and sparked the fire.

If Edison’s equipment is found to have caused the blaze, the company would be reimbursed for the cost of amounts it pays to victims by a $21 billion state fund. The fund was created by lawmakers in 2019 to shield utilities from bankruptcy if their equipment ignites a catastrophic fire.

The public must register to attend the meetings at ce.com/directclaimsupdates. The final meeting is at 7 p.m. on Monday.

Trump described the group as a ‘sick, dangerous, radical left disaster’ as well as a ‘major terrorist organisation’.

United States President Donald Trump has announced he plans to designate left-wing activist group Antifa a “terrorist organisation”.

Posting on his Truth Social platform late on Wednesday, Trump described the group as a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster” as well as a “major terrorist organisation”.

“I will also be strongly recommending that those funding Antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump said.

It was unclear who or what exactly the US president plans to designate, with Antifa, short for anti-fascists, a loosely organised activist movement that lacks a distinct leader, structure or even membership list.

On Monday, senior White House officials said they would dismantle a “vast domestic terror movement” they claimed had resulted in right-wing activist Charlie Kirk being assassinated last week.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said the Trump administration is “going to channel all of the anger that we have over the organised campaign that led to this assassination, to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks”.

Investigators have yet to provide a motive for Kirk’s killing – which authorities allege was carried out by 22-year-old Utah native Tyler Robinson – but many on the right of the political divide have blamed leftist ideology for the assassination.

Trump also threatened to designate Antifa a terrorist organisation during his first term.