prepares

WELL, arc at you, birthday girl!

Model Iris Law beams with joy under a rainbow as she prepares to celebrate hitting 25.

Iris showed off her toned tum in ­swimwear on a beach while on hols.

The daughter of actors Jude Law and Sadie Frost wrote on social media: “Last day of 24.”

For Iris, who dated footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold, 27, last year, the sky’s the limit in the fashion world.

We recently revealed how Iris had her assistants running across New York to find her favourite treats ahead of the Victoria’s Secret show.

LAYING DOWN LAW

Nepo-baby Iris Law had list of ‘diva demands’ before Victoria’s Secret show

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Iris Law spotted out for summer stroll with Trent Alexander-Arnold lookalike

The model made her debut as an Angel during the return of the world famous runway show in October.

Iris is said to have sent her team of assistants looking for cookies from a particular bakery and then smoothies from another place in New York, according to Daily Mail.

The Victoria’s Secret catwalk show made a stunning return earlier this month and was full of A-list models including, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jasmine Tookes, Angel Reese,  Barbie Ferreira,  Ashley Graham, Irina Shayk and Emily Ratajkowski.

Iris burst onto the modelling scene when she was in her teens and has been booked by some of the biggest fashion houses in the world.

She has previously posed for Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, and Versace.

She has also started to forge a career in the movies and follow in her famous parents’ footsteps.

Tandy has returned to Wales after leaving in 2018 at the end of a six-year stint as Ospreys head coach.

He took up a defence coach position with the Waratahs in Sydney before moving on to Scotland in 2019.

Tandy also spent a summer with the British and Irish Lions in 2021 as part of Warren Gatland’s backroom staff.

In July Tandy opted to return home to Wales and has already met up with some familiar faces in his new role, such as former Ospreys team-mate and current Dragons boss Filo Tiatia.

“I can only speak highly of Tandy, he’s a beautiful man,” said Tiatia, who played with the 45-year-old former flanker for five years.

“He’s a very uplifting coach, very caring, but also very demanding when he needs to be.

“He can only be good for Wales and I wish him all the best with all this success. He’s got four tough Tests, they will need support.”

Tiatia believes Tandy’s decision to move around to develop his coaching skills will stand him in good stead.

“He’s a big learner,” added Tiatia. “He’s done a lot in a short space of time. He wants to keep improving but also improve the people who he is around.

“You look at Steve’s journey as the Ospreys coach, he got moved on, there was an opportunity in Australia and he took himself out of his comfort zone.

“He moved to Scotland and embraced the challenge there also, where he did a great job as a defence coach.”

Oct. 15 (UPI) — The Japanese Diet is scheduled to vote on the nation’s next prime minister on Tuesday, which has political parties angling to gain support for their preferred candidates.

Sanae Takaichi is the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and is its choice to become Japan’s next prime minister, but opposition parties might block her path, according to NHK World.

The LDP has asked the opposition Japan Innovation Party to join its political coalition and support Takaichi’s candidacy to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The JIP would replace the Komeito party, which last week announced its withdrawal from the ruling coalition.

LDP members hold 196 of 465 seats in Japan’s House of Representatives and 100 of 248 seats in the House of Councillors [sic], which is the most of any political party.

While it holds more seats in the Japanese Diet than any other political party, it does not control of majority and seeks additional support to solidify Takaichi’s candidacy.

The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan also seeks support from the JIP and the Democratic Party for the People to promote a viable candidate capable of winning the Diet’s vote over Takaichi.

Despite the opposition to her candidacy to become prime minister, Takaichi told supporters she “will never give up” in her quest to win the election, which typically goes to the leader of the ruling party, China Daily reported.

The leaders of Japan’s various political parties have several meetings scheduled on Wednesday to potentially build support coalitions that could result in Takaichi or other candidates to replace Ishiba as Japan’s prime minister.

DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki is among those who might derail Takaichi’s effort to become prime minister.

If Takaichi should become Japan’s next prime minister, she would be the nation’s first woman to hold the position, according to CNBC.

Oct. 11 (UPI) — A cease-fire remains in effect in Gaza, where aid is flowing while Israel prepares to receive 48 released hostages, only 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

U.N. officials said medical supplies, fuel and other needed materials are flowing into Gaza once again as the fighting has stopped ahead of a proposed permanent peace, NBC News reported.

The Israeli military also has withdrawn to a predetermined line, which has started the 72-hour countdown for Hamas to release the remaining 48 hostages, including the remains of an estimated 28 hostages who are believed to be dead, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced.

No hostilities are underway in Gaza, which has enabled its remaining residents to begin returning to their former homes, many of which have been decimated during two years of war that started when Hamas launched an unprovoked attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants killed some 1,200 Israeli civilians and others and kidnapped another 250, but released more than 100 during a prior cease-fire.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians are returning to cities and villages that largely have been destroyed, according to Al Jazeera.

Israel has agreed to release nearly 250 Palestinian prisoners and has begun notifying the families of those who were killed by the prisoners that Israel will release.

Israel’s partial withdrawal from Gaza and the exchange of remaining hostages held in Gaza and prisoners held in Israel are part of the first phase of the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli officials expect to begin receiving the living hostages and the remains of those who are deceased on Monday.

While the first phase of the peace agreement is underway, leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine have rejected any potential foreign nations acting as peacekeepers in Gaza, though.

The United States is among the nations that are tasked with helping to maintain the peace in Gaza.

Gazan officials also are demanding an independent investigation of alleged Israeli war crimes and genocide against Gazans.

The demand comes after the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported about 67,000 Gazans died and 170,000 were injured during the two-year conflict.

The Health Ministry’s numbers do not differentiate between Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters and civilians, and the number of reported casualties has been disputed.

Rock band Oasis, who Hatton adored and would later befriend, were building on Manchester’s reputation as a capital of the music world.

Manchester United were dominating English football.

Hatton was playing his part in the ring and also giving his Manchester City-supporting backers something to cheer while their team struggled in the Red Devils’ shadow.

In the city centre, a new venue opened and staged a Torvill and Dean performance on its opening night.

“It was fortunate that they built the Manchester Arena when they did,” said Speak of the indoor venue that welcomed its first customers in 1995.

This is where Hatton had 15 of his professional fights. “It would become his fortress,” Speak said.

By the time Hatton fought Kostya Tszyu in 2005, he was selling out the arena.

Hatton stopped the man who was regarded as the world’s best light-welterweight to win the IBF title.

Danny Jackson, a close friend to Hatton and Manchester City’s matchday announcer, delivered an emotional speech in memory of his pal at the recent City-United derby.

He gives Hatton credit for putting his beloved football club – now giants of the world game – in the spotlight.

“You look at Rick’s time as a boxer, there wasn’t a lot to like about City then,” Jackson said.

“Rick was a bit of a shining light in that period. He got City’s brand out there to millions of people.”

Retired world champion Anthony Crolla described the Tszyu fight as “one of the greatest nights Manchester has ever had in any sport”.

The next day, Hatton set up camp at the New Inn in Hyde for what had become a regular celebration – nicknamed the not-so-nice shirt nights.

“He didn’t want to swan off to celebrity hotspots; he wanted to be around his mates and having a laugh,” said Jackson.

Paul Smith, the Liverpool world title challenger who trained alongside Hatton, remembers one fancy dress party when Hatton dressed as ‘Ginger Spice’ Geri Halliwell.

Those kind of images would get out and help to keep Hatton in the hearts of those from Manchester, because they could see he was one of them.

That never changed. This summer, Hatton attended a friend’s stag do in Portugal.

They set him up by giving him dissolvable swimming shorts to wear in the pool.

“There were a group of lads there from Leeds by the pool idolising him and they were saying ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this to a superstar’,” said Jackson.

“He took the stick, he gave the stick, just a normal guy.”

OLIVER GLASNER, Fabian Hurzeler and Andoni Iraola are among the coaches under consideration to replace Ruben Amorim if he is sacked by Manchester United.

Amorim suffered his 17th Premier League defeat out of 33 games in charge of United against Brentford on Saturday, who have lost three of their six league matches this term.

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Although Amorim retains the club’s backing, United are keeping an eye on potential replacements amid their alarming form.

Club sources insist they do not have a successor to Amorim lined up but accept the speculation around the manager’s role.

Erik ten Hag was dismissed after four defeats from the first nine league fixtures last term, though the United hierarchy is more invested in Amorim, the first managerial appointment under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

United initially placed an emphasis on Premier League-proven signings in the summer with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo and could apply that to their next managerial search.

That has had an impact on former England manager Gareth Southgate’s chances – he has not managed in the Premier League since Middlesbrough were relegated in 2009.

Southgate has suggested he may not return to management while his friend and ally, United director Sir Dave Brailsford, is no longer visible at the club after his disastrous attempt to improve performance at Old Trafford.

Glasner guided Crystal Palace to their first piece of silverware in the FA Cup last season and the Eagles are the only unbeaten side in the top flight, having ended Liverpool’s winning run with a 2-1 triumph on Saturday.

Iraola took charge of Bournemouth two years ago and led them to ninth last season.

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Despite the high-profile departures of Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez, the Cherries are currently third.

Hurzeler replaced Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton at the start of last season and presided over an eighth-place finish.

The Seagulls beat Chelsea 3-1 on Saturday to rise to tenth.

Glasner, 51, uses the same 3-4-2-1 system that Amorim is wedded to, which could be a deterrent.

The Austrian has European pedigree from his time at Eintracht Frankfurt, whom he led to Europa League glory in 2022.

Palace have so far failed to tie down Glasner on a new contract as his current one expires at the end of the season.

Iraola’s deal also runs out in the summer of 2026, while Hurzeler is tied to Brighton until 2027.

Meanwhile, reports suggest Xavi would be extremely keen on the Old Trafford gig.

However, there is not believed to have been any interest from the Red Devils as yet.

Amorim insists he’s right man

Amorim signed a two-and-a-half year contract with United when he was appointed as Ten Hag’s replacement last November but the club finished 15th last season, their worst top-flight finish since the team was relegated in 1974.

United have invested £256.82million in six signings on Amorim’s watch but the team have plunged to 14th following Saturday’s loss.

Sunderland travel to Old Trafford next week before the October internationals and United resume their schedule against Liverpool at Anfield on October 19.

United are winless in their last ten at Anfield and have not won there since January 2016.

Asked if he can turn it around at United, Amorim replied: “I’m always confident as I know what to do.

“When you lose, you go back to the same place and you fight again for one win that can help you to create the momentum.”

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Katie Piper has admitted she is unsure on her Loose Women future as ITV get ready to have a huge daytime television shake up

Katie Piper has candidly admitted she doesn’t know what the future holds for her Loose Women role. The presenter is among a number of stars who could see their time on the show cut short due to the impending huge changes on the ITV panel show.

She has admitted she is currently in the dark about her future as the new look Daytime line-up gets ready to launch in January. The changes will see Loose Women switch to just being a seasonal show.

Elsewhere, Good Morning Britain will be extended, chopping Lorraine episodes to just 30 minutes. For the Loose Women panel, they will only be on air seasonally, running for just 30 weeks.

READ MORE: Loose Women star hits out at ‘cruel’ cuts by ITV ahead of schedule changesREAD MORE: Alison Hammond admits relief over This Morning’s NTA win after string of scandals

Speaking of the switch-up, Katie admitted she doesn’t know what is coming her way. When asked by The Sun about the situation at the National Television Awards, she admitted: “You’d have to ask the producers that. I don’t know.”

The decision to drop the show’s 100-strong audience will also see bosses remove the need for extra security and a warm-up act. But the move is said to have angered a number of the regular panellists who feed off the audience interaction.

The cost-cutting measure also sees This Morning and GMB move away from its current home at BBC Studioworks Television Centre.

And in July, the big changes at Loose Women were explained in full. The iconic lunchtime chat show, which is best known for its bold debates and A-list guests, is reportedly getting ready to cut celebrity interviews completely from January as part of the channel’s sweeping budget cuts.

Instead, it’s said the high-profile bookings will now be prioritised for Lorraine and This Morning. This will leave Loose Women to rely solely on its panel discussions of the day’s news and lifestyle topics.

“Not having guests is a big blow for both the presenters and viewers at home,” an insider revealed at the time. “The celebrity interviews are often one of the highlights of the show and bring a unique energy you don’t get on other programmes. It feels like a strange decision to cut them altogether.”

It will also only air for 30 weeks of the year rather than its usual 52, meaning production time will be slashed by nearly in half.

And speaking of cutting the audience, Nadia Sawalha admitted she was “devastated” by the news. It also meant that f her close friend and warm-up artist Lee Peart has lost his job as a result.

“The audience is so important for the show,” Nadia said. “What a lot of people don’t realise is that we’re self-employed. Every contract is a new contract – I could be let go tomorrow or in five years. It’s brutal.”

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It was as startling as seeing a bear swimming in a backyard pool.

Travis Russell, the 40-year-old Jesuit priest who’s president at Verbum Dei High, was carrying around a Craftsman tool box as if he were the school’s handyman. He pulled out a hammer to demonstrate he knows what he’s doing.

Verbum Dei president Father Travis Russell finally got around to putting up a photo of new Pope Leo XIV.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

“I had to hang up a picture of the new pope,” he said.

It’s all hands on deck at “The Verb,” a beacon of hope for many in South Los Angeles. With an enrollment of 310 students, the all-boys Catholic school in Watts has a tuition of just $4,000, with most families paying $1,200 thanks to assistance from a corporate work study program and other Catholic scholarship funds.

Once a powerhouse in basketball in the 1970s with the likes of Raymond Lewis, David Greenwood and Roy Hamilton, the school canceled its football season after four games in 2024 because of a lack of players. It was a decision made by Russell, who believed his school needed to start over.

He hired as head coach Gary Parks, who was an assistant for Verbum Dei’s 2005 championship football team and is a Verbum Dei grad. Russell hired another Verbum Dei grad, Darius Spates, to be athletic director. Parks hired five assistants who are Verbum Dei grads. Everyone decided to return to football slowly, so the team won’t play its first game this season until Oct. 19 against Belmont, then host its first home game in more than 20 years on a new grass field against Locke the following week.

The school is undergoing a $30-million reconstruction project.

“The assignment is rebuilding the legacy and tradition of Verbum Dei,” said Parks, a Baptist pastor who spent four years as head coach at Maya Angelou High until being called back to duty at The Verb.

Russell has made it clear that despite some Catholic schools using a strategy to fix sports programs quickly by turning to transfers and promises of financial breaks and other perks, he wants none of that.

“When you build for a community rather than just a school, loyalty and long-term success follow,” Russell said.

Parks wants to build with each freshman class.

“That’s what we did at Angelou,” he said. “We want you to come because Verbum Dei is a great educational institution. Football is a byproduct.”

All students participate in a corporate work study program that requires them once a week to get real work experience. Some have to show up wearing a suit and tie. They are balancing work, sports participation and school as 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds, something that prepares them for college and adulthood.

“It’s definitely going better,” said 250-pound Geovanny Gutierrez. “Last year there was no motivation to play.”

They’ve been using a synthetic turf field built by the Rams at nearby Nickerson Gardens while waiting for their new field to be finished next month. Otherwise, they work out in their weight room or asphalt next to the school parking lot.

“We’re going to make it work,” Parks said. “That’s why we don’t mind practicing on blacktop. We know what we could be.”

The program now has 26 players, including 12 freshmen. This is a program building step by step, focusing on academics during the day, study halls, then sports in the afternoon.

Adrian Alvarado was on the team last year but almost didn’t come out this year after last season’s abrupt halt.

“I felt disappointed,” he said. “I like the idea we’re starting slow. We’ve been able to recruit more students. I just want to get a game in already.”

It’s a refreshing and inspiring scene to see an administration and coaching staff on the same page by using sports to teach life lessons while not looking for shortcuts in order to win first.

Russell has never shied away from a challenge, and getting the football program back led him to say he might make a call to the Vatican with a message for Pope Leo XIV, who’s a sports fan.

“I’ll invite him to a game here,” he said.

Welcome to the new Verbum Dei, full of hope, full of dreams, full of respect for its families and community.

Barcelona, Spain – Volunteers from across the world have come together in the main hall of one of Spain’s oldest labour unions, the UGT – once a registration centre for international volunteers who came to Spain to fight fascism during the Spanish Civil War.

Now it has trained the nonviolent international volunteers – Palestine supporters, activists, journalists and politicians – who will sail on the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza on Sunday.

“We are not heroes. We are not the story. The story is the people of Gaza,” organiser Thiago Avila, a lifelong activist for Palestine and environmental justice, told the crowds gathered for a news conference before the ships set sail.

Their goal is to deliver humanitarian aid, which is the flotilla’s only cargo, and open a humanitarian corridor for Palestinians facing being starved and killed by Israel.

In less than two years of war, Israel has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians with tens of thousands more injured and missing.

Sailing into the uncertain

About 26,000 applications from people around the world came in and were whittled down to the hundreds who will be on board the roughly 100 flotilla boats.

The flotilla will start in Barcelona and head to Tunisia, where it will be joined by more vessels on Thursday.

Once out again on the Mediterranean Sea, it will converge with more boats leaving Italy and other undisclosed ports, and together they will sail in formation to the Gaza Strip.

Organisers know time is against them as Israel kills Palestinians daily, not only using air strikes and ground forces but also a man-made famine that it has imposed.

Since 2010, all freedom flotillas to Gaza have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces.

In June, the ship Madleen was illegally intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters about 185km (115 miles) west of Gaza, where Israel has no authority. Its crew, which included climate activist Greta Thunberg, were detained or expelled.

In 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, made up of six ships carrying humanitarian aid and more than 600 passengers, was raided by Israeli commandos in Mediterranean waters.

The commandos killed 10 activists and wounded dozens.

Other attempts were blocked by Israel in 2011, 2015, 2018 and multiple attempts in 2025, including the Conscience, which was struck twice by drones 25km (14 nautical miles) off Malta.

An earlier attempt over land, called the Global March to Gaza, set out in June to deliver aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Many of those volunteers have regrouped in Tunisia to gather ships to join the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Determined volunteers

The Barcelona gathering reflected a wide international presence, including delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland and the United States.

The volunteers, some veterans of multiple flotillas, are focused on their collective purpose: to break Israel’s siege of Gaza and deliver aid to its people.

Training sessions in Barcelona were intense, designed to prepare participants for scenarios such as interception in international waters, arrest, imprisonment, deportation, violent assault or bureaucratic strategies to halt the departure of boats.

But the foundation of their preparation is maintaining nonviolence in any of these scenarios, something the organisers highlighted several times and warned that breaking from that principle would not be accepted.

Every volunteer has signed a strict code of conduct, committing to peaceful resistance and rejecting systems of oppression and exploitation throughout the mission.

Workshops also revisited the history of nonviolent struggle – from Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership in India’s independence movement to Rosa Parks’s defiance against racial segregation in the United States.

Among the participants was Luna Valentina, a 24-year-old Colombian volunteer. She is married to a Palestinian refugee and has lived in exile herself after being targeted in Colombia for her activism during mass protests against right-wing former President Ivan Duque.

The couple live in Jordan after facing racism in Europe as they tried to find somewhere to settle, she told Al Jazeera.

During the Global March to Gaza, Valentina joined other Colombians on the way to Rafah. She recalled the solidarity, strength and care she found among fellow Colombian female activists, some of whom will set sail with her now, and others who will support the mission from land.

Getting ready to set sail

On Friday, a three-day celebration of the volunteers and their mission began on Moll de la Fusta, a port walkway in Barcelona, as the countdown began for their departure.

It was a warm outpouring of support as sounds of drums filled the air, hundreds of Palestinian flags fluttered and crowds gathered for a festival of music, culture and art to show support for Palestinians in Gaza and for the volunteers of the flotilla.

What everyone is hoping for is that the ships will arrive on the coast of besieged Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid that Israel has blocked from entering.

For Avila, the father of a newborn, this flotilla continues a legacy: “I love my daughter so much, as the mothers and fathers in Gaza, and because of this love, … we cannot leave a world like this. We have to change the society that enables a genocide to happen,” he told Al Jazeera.

“I believe that anyone that is not dead inside dies a little bit with every child in Gaza that dies,” he added.

That sentiment was shared by an Australian mother of four who has also joined the flotilla. Her voice broke as she said: “No one should live and die like this. Everyone deserves the same dignity and freedom.”

More than 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary personnel have been mobilised to help with the evacuation.

Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate from Vietnam’s coastline facing the South China Sea, with airports and schools shut as authorities brace for Typhoon Kajiki.

The Vietnamese government said on Monday that about 30,000 people had been evacuated from coastal areas. Authorities said on Sunday that more than half a million people would be evacuated and ordered boats to remain in port.

“This is an extremely dangerous fast-moving storm,” the government said in a statement on Sunday night, warning that Kajiki would bring heavy rains, flooding and landslides.

More than 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary personnel have been mobilised to help with the evacuation and to stand by for search and rescue, the government said in a statement.

The typhoon with winds of up to 166km/h (103mph) at sea is due to make landfall on Monday afternoon, the country’s weather agency said. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said conditions suggested “an approaching weakening trend as the system approaches the continental shelf of the Gulf of Tonkin where there is less ocean heat content”.

Two airports in the Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces have been closed, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air cancelled dozens of flights to and from the area on Sunday and Monday.

Coastal provinces have banned ships from going out to sea starting Monday and were calling in those already out, said Vietnam’s news agency.

Vietnam is prone to storms that are often deadly and trigger dangerous flooding and mudslides. More than 100 people were killed or went missing due to natural disasters in the first seven months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Last year, Typhoon Yagi killed about 300 people and caused property damage of approximately $3.3bn.

‘A bit scared’

The waterfront city of Vinh was deluged overnight, its streets largely deserted by morning with most shops and restaurants closed as residents and business owners sandbagged their property entrances.

“I have never heard of a typhoon of this big scale coming to our city,” 66-year-old Le Manh Tung, in the city of Vinh, told the AFP news agency. He is sheltering alongside other evacuated families at an indoor stadium.

“I am a bit scared, but then we have to accept it because it’s nature – we cannot do anything.”

Houses run the risk of collapse from the storm, and even high-rise buildings could suffer serious damage, said Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, the official Vietnam News Agency reported.

The storm is projected to move inland across Laos and northern Thailand.

Kajiki hit the southern coast of China’s Hainan Island on Sunday as it moved towards Vietnam. About 20,000 residents were evacuated from the Chinese province, which downgraded its typhoon and emergency response alerts on Monday morning.

But authorities warned of heavy rain and isolated storms in cities in the southern part of the province.

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Sunday threatened to expand his military deployments to more Democratic-led cities, responding to an offer by Maryland’s governor to join him in a tour of Baltimore by saying he might instead “send in the ‘troops.’”

Last week, Trump said he was considering Chicago and New York City for troop deployments similar to what he has unleashed on the nation’s capital, where thousands of National Guard and federal law enforcement officers are patrolling the streets.

Trump made the threat to Baltimore in a spat with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who has criticized Trump’s unprecedented flex of federal power, which the Republican president says is aimed at combating crime and homelessness in Washington. Moore last week invited Trump to visit his state to discuss public safety and walk the streets.

In a social media post Sunday, Trump said Moore asked “in a rather nasty and provocative tone,” and then raised the specter of repeating the National Guard deployment he made in Los Angeles over the objections of California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.

“Wes Moore’s record on Crime is a very bad one, unless he fudges his figures on crime like many of the other ‘Blue States’ are doing,” Trump wrote. “But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the ‘troops,’ which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime.”

Moore said he invited Trump to Maryland “because he seems to enjoy living in this blissful ignorance” about improving crime rates in Baltimore.

“The president is spending all of his time talking about me,” Moore said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “I’m spending my time talking about the people I serve.”

After surging National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers into Washington this month, Trump has said Chicago and New York City are most likely his next targets, eliciting strong pushback from Democratic leaders in both states. The Washington Post reported Saturday that the Pentagon has spent weeks preparing for an operation in Chicago that would include National Guard troops and, potentially, active-duty forces.

Asked about the Post report, the White House pointed to Trump’s earlier comments discussing his desire to expand his use of military forces to target local crime.

“I think Chicago will be our next,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, adding, “And then we’ll help with New York.”

Trump has repeatedly described some of the nation’s largest cities — run by Democrats, with Black mayors and majority-minority populations — as dangerous and filthy. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is Black, as is Moore. The District of Columbia and New York City also have Black mayors.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking during a religious event Sunday at Howard University in Washington, said the Guard’s presence in the nation’s capital was not about crime: “This is about profiling us.”

“This is laced with bigotry and racism,” he later elaborated to reporters. “Not one white mayor has been designated. And I think this is a civil rights issue, a race issue, and an issue of D.C. statehood.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said there is no emergency warranting the deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago.

“Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he’s causing families,” Pritzker wrote on X. “We’ll continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect Illinoisans.”

Cooper and Askarinam write for the Associated Press and reported from Phoenix and Washington, respectively.

Video shows a large explosion targeting an apartment building near the al Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City, only hours after the Israeli security cabinet approved a proposal to completely occupy the city.

From Chuck Schilken: Luka Doncic is a changed man.

Just look at the photos accompanying a new “Men’s Health” feature on the Lakers superstar.

He’s slimmed down. He’s toned.

“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” Doncic said in the article published Monday.

His altered physique, however, is not what makes Doncic a changed man. His sleek new look is the result of much bigger changes in his lifestyle this offseason.

According to the article, Doncic has been home in Croatia where he gets in two 90-minute workouts a day. The sessions included deadlifts, dumbbell bench presses, lateral bounds, resistance band drills, sprints and hurdles. The workouts wrap up with Doncic on the basketball court shooting jump shots.

And Doncic’s eating habits have changed too. His diet is now gluten-free, low-sugar and high-protein. He also uses an intermittent fasting plan the article says is “designed to limit inflammation and help his body recover better.”

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Get informed and entertained about everything Bruin sports, from takeaways on the latest big game to recruiting buzz. We’ll also remember some of the greatest athletes, coaches and games that made UCLA sports so special.

The newsletter will be interactive, including polls and questions about UCLA sports old and new. It’ll also cover the school’s tradition-rich Olympic sports, highlighting one each week.

The newsletter will be emailed to you every Monday morning.

You can sign up for it here. And you can’t beat the price: Free!

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s season can be divided into three distinct parts so far.

The thrilling opening act, when the second-year Japanese star started the season with a 4-2 record and 0.90 earned-run average in his first seven starts.

A shaky middle stanza, when the 26-year-old right-hander stumbled with a 2-4 mark and 4.43 ERA over his next eight outings from May 8 to June 19.

And lately, what he and the Dodgers hope will be a midseason revival, with Yamamoto rounding back into Cy Young-caliber form again with a 3-1 record and 1.71 ERA over his last six trips to the mound bump.

In a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, Yamamoto delivered another master class for the Dodgers at Great American Ball Park, giving up just one run on four hits while striking out nine over seven superb innings.

“He was fantastic,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It seemed like he had all of his pitches working tonight.”

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As Dodgers look to upgrade outfield, Harrison Bader could be a trade deadline fit

With Dodgers battling more injuries, prospect Alex Freeland could make MLB debut

Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

ANGELS

Kevin Newman, Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo homered to help the Angels beat Texas 6-4 on Monday night, breaking the Rangers’ six-game win streak.

Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 19th save as the Angels won back-to-back games for the first time since defeating Arizona on July 11 and 12.

The 37-year-old Jansen hasn’t allowed an earned run in 16 consecutive appearances, the longest active streak in the American League and the third-longest of his career.

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Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase placed on paid leave as part of MLB betting investigation

Shaikin: How the Emmanuel Clase betting probe could lead to fans losing an investment

Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

RYNE SANDBERG DIES

Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball’s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65.

Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home on Monday, according to the team.

Sandberg announced in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and then said in August 2024 that he was cancer-free.

But he posted on Instagram on Dec. 10 that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs. He announced this month that he was still fighting, while “looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.”

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sandberg “will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise.”

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From Ryan Kartje: When DJ Wingfield picked USC in the transfer portal last January, it seemed like an ideal one-year arrangement for both parties. The Trojans desperately needed experience on the interior of their already thin offensive line. Wingfield — after two seasons at a junior college, one at New Mexico and another spent at Purdue — was seeking to raise his profile in his final season of eligibility.

USC offered him a clear path to playing time at left guard, as well as a $210,000 payday for his name, image and likeness. He just needed the NCAA to approve a waiver for him to play another season.

Neither Wingfield nor USC figured that would be a problem at the time. But the NCAA denied Wingfield’s initial request for a waiver in late March, then later denied his appeal.

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RAMS

From Gary Klein: A few years ago, the Rams’ defensive line was built around a sure-fire Hall of Fame player and a supporting cast.

This season, with Aaron Donald entering his second year of retirement, the Rams’ defensive front is stacked with ascending stars and proven players.

“At any given moment,” nose tackle Kobie Turner said Monday, “you got to be ready for any one of us to strike — and that’s dangerous.”

The defensive line mostly controlled Monday’s practice, the Rams’ first in pads.

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Rams already reaping benefits from the Davante Adams-Puka Nacua combo

CLIPPERS

From Ira Gorawara: Before Chris Paul’s voice echoed through the room, his reasons for returning home were staring at him.

His three children, perched quietly next to their mom, Jada Crawley, watched as Paul talked about why he decided to return to the Clippers. Paul’s mother sat in the second row of the news conference with a beaming smile.

Chris Paul was back home.

“It was a no-brainer. The easiest decision in this is sitting right up here,” Paul said, gesturing to his family in the front three rows. “Right here, it’s my family.”

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1751 — The first International World Title Prize Fight takes place in Harlston, England. The champion, Jack Slack of England, beats the challenger, M. Petit of France, in 25 minutes.

1934 — Paul Runyan beats Craig Wood on the 38th hole to win the PGA Championship at Park Country Club in Williamsville, N.Y.

1956 — Cathy Cornelius wins a playoff over Barbara McIntyre to win the U.S. Women’s Open.

1957 — At the Polo Grounds in New York, Floyd Patterson TKOs Tommy Jackson at 1:52 of the 10th round to retain the heavyweight title.

1960 — The first American Football League preseason game is played in Buffalo, N.Y. The Boston Patriots, led by quarterback Butch Songin, beat the Bills 28-7 before 16,474 fans at War Memorial Stadium .

1979 — Amy Alcott shoots a 7-under 285 to beat Nancy Lopez in the Peter Jackson Classic, later named The du Maurier Classic. The du Maurier is one of the LPGA Tour’s major championships from 1979-2000.

1986 — The USFL wins and loses in its lawsuit against the NFL. The jury finds the NFL violated antitrust laws, as the USFL claimed, but awards the USFL only $1 in damages.

1989 — Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor becomes the first person to high jump 8 feet, breaking his world record at the Caribbean Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He surpasses his mark of 7-11½.

1990 — Beth Daniel shoots a 66 to overcome a 5-shot deficit and win the LPGA Championship — her first major title in 12 years on the tour. Daniel beats Rosie Jones by one stroke and pockets $150,000, the largest in LPGA Tour history.

1992 — The U.S. 400-meter freestyle relay team wins the gold medal, with Matt Biondi and Tom Jager becoming the first U.S. male swimmers to win golds in three Olympics.

1996 — Michael Johnson sweeps to victory in an Olympic 400-meter record 43.49 seconds, while Carl Lewis leaps into history in Atlanta. Lewis’ long jump of 27 feet, 10¾ inches earns him his ninth gold medal, equaling the American mark held by swimmer Mark Spitz.

2001 — Copa América Final, Estadio El Campín, Bogotá: Defender Iván Córdoba scores winner as home team Columbia edge Mexico, 1-0.

2008 — Disgraced ex-NBA official Tim Donaghy admits he brought shame on his profession as a federal judge sentenced him to 15 months behind bars for a gambling scandal.

2012 — Kimberly Rhode wins the Olympic gold medal in women’s skeet shooting, becoming the first American to take an individual-sport medal in five consecutive Olympics.

2012 — Dana Vollmer of the U.S. sets a world record to win the 100-meter butterfly at the London Olympics. Vollmer hits the wall in 55.98 seconds to shave 0.08 off the mark set by Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden at the 2009 world championships in Rome.

2015 — Russia’s Natalya Ishchenko wins a record 18th career synchronized swimming gold medal at the world championships at Kazan, Russia.

2021 — Sunisa Lee wins the women’s all-around gymnastics gold medal in Tokyo.

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1908 — Rube Waddell struck out 16, sending the St. Louis Browns past the Philadelphia A’s 5-4.

1911 — Joe Wood of the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns with a 5-0 no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader. Wood fanned 12 and allowed three baserunners on two walks and a hit batsman.

1915 — Honus Wagner, 41, became the oldest player to hit a grand slam as Pittsburgh beat Brooklyn 8-2. The grand slam was an inside-the-park homer. Wagner remained the record holder until 1985, when Tony Perez hit one the day before his 43rd birthday.

1928 — The Cleveland Indians scored eight runs in the first inning and nine more in the second and went on to beat the New York Yankees 24-6 at Dunn Field. Johnny Hodapp singled twice in the second and sixth innings.

1936 — The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 22-7 in the first game of a doubleheader, then lost the second game 5-4.

1955 — Smoky Burgess of the Cincinnati Reds hit three home runs and drove in nine runs in a 16-5 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Crosley Field.

1968 — George Culver of the Cincinnati Reds pitched a 6-1 no-hitter against the Phillies in the second game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia.

1983 — Steve Garvey of the San Diego Padres ended his NL record of 1,207 consecutive games. The streak ended when he dislocated his thumb in a collision with Atlanta pitcher Pascual Perez while trying to score.

2000 — Eddie Taubensee hit a game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth and homered again in the 11th to lead Cincinnati to a 4-3 win over Montreal.

2001 — Craig Monroe homered in his first major league at-bat, and the Texas Rangers beat Tampa Bay 2-0.

2003 — Boston’s Bill Mueller became the first player in major league history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in a game and connected for three homers in a 14-7 win at Texas.

2006 — Tomas Perez tied a major league record with four doubles, going 5-for-5 and leading the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 19-6 rout of the New York Yankees.

2010 — Anibal Sanchez pitched a one-hitter, leading the Florida Marlins past the San Francisco Giants 5-0. Sanchez retired his first 13 batters and matched a career high with eight strikeouts.

2018 — The Hall of Fame inducts one of the largest classes in its history. Honored are Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones, Jack Morris, Jim Thome and Alan Trammell.

2022 — Aaron Judge hits two more homers in leading the Yankees to an 11 – 5 win over the Royals. He now has 41 on the season, tying the American League record for most before the end of July held by Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Ken Griffey Jr. Judge will set a new record with another homer tomorrow.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

When Jarry’s symptoms began, he was ranked inside the world’s top 20 and on the rise, having reached the Rome Masters final, where he was beaten by Alexander Zverev.

Jarry was told it would take three weeks to recover but still has episodes a year on. Tennis is a good form of rehabilitation, given the hand-eye coordination it requires, but he has struggled for wins, falling to 143 in the world and suffering six successive first-round Grand Slam exits.

He recalled feeling like everything was “moving like a tornado” in Rome, but it quickly dissipated.

A similar feeling at the French Open before a match left him “not connecting with the ball” and “reading the game bad” before he returned home to Chile, where he experienced the worst incident to date.

Jarry also plays table tennis to help with his recovery, and a positive run at Wimbledon can only be encouraging.

Emotional on court after beating teenage talent Joao Fonseca in four sets on Friday, Jarry said: “It’s amazing to put in my best performance here at Wimbledon, my favourite tournament of all.”

There is a reason this tournament means so much to him.

This run to the fourth round matches that of his grandfather Jaime Fillol, who reached the same stage at Wimbledon in 1974.

“I came here with him when I was 10 and 11 years old. Since then, I’m in love with this tournament,” Jarry said.

“It has been very tough physically, emotionally, psychologically.

“I have been trying to get back to my level and trusting myself again.”

June 27 (UPI) — Honduras is preparing for general elections on Nov. 30, 2025, amid a fragile democracy and ongoing internal conflict. Corruption, violence and impunity have eroded the country’s institutions and deepened public distrust in the electoral process.

The National Electoral Council, or CNE, is facing a crisis after chaotic primary elections in March involving the nation’s three major political parties. The vote was marred by severe logistical failures. In many polling stations, ballot boxes and voting materials arrived up to 12 hours late, and officials reported major problems with transporting supplies.

CNE President Cossete López testified before Congress that she could not “guarantee” a clean general election, prompting concerns about a possible postponement.

Although other CNE members later confirmed the vote would proceed as scheduled, internal divisions remain. The council’s three commissioners — each affiliated with a different political party — have publicly blamed one another for the breakdown in March.

The Center for the Study of Democracy, or CESPAD, has been strongly critical of the electoral process, citing weak institutions, low public confidence, and a lack of clear action to address failures from the March primaries. The group also pointed to legal loopholes that allow arbitrary decisions, ongoing political violence and clientelism, and a history of result manipulation.

“The country is at a critical juncture. Current conditions raise fears that the general elections will unfold amid distrust, institutional improvisation and potential political destabilization,” CESPAD said.

CESPAD said the electoral budget was approved late, jeopardizing key systems such as the Election Results Transmission System, or TREP, and external audits. It also warned that the CNE continues to struggle with internal partisan divisions, technical staff resignations and low public credibility.

A survey by the Reflection, Research and Communication Team, or ERIC-SJ, found that 62.5% of respondents said the March primaries weakened democracy, while 76.8% said they do not trust the CNE.

Civil society groups and election experts are urging immediate reforms to restore the credibility of the CNE and ensure a reliable election process in November. They cite poor coordination, undertrained personnel and political interference in technical decisions within the electoral authority. They are also calling for extensive national and international monitoring to promote transparency and reduce the risk of fraud.

The ERIC-SJ survey also revealed a shift in the political landscape. The opposition Liberal Party now leads, with 39% of respondents saying they expect it to win, compared to 25.6% for Libre, the ruling party, and 23.2% for the National Party.

The change is attributed to growing dissatisfaction with President Xiomara Castro’s administration, which has weakened the candidacy of her ally, Rixi Moncada. At the same time, Liberal candidate Salvador Nasralla — a well-known television host running on an anti-corruption platform — has gained momentum.

Nasralla is attracting protest votes from Hondurans frustrated with the ruling party, while the National Party is working to rebuild support with candidate Nasry Asfura — despite lasting fallout from corruption scandals involving former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.

Beyond individual candidates, political skepticism remains deep. Only 1 in 10 Hondurans believes elections are fair, and just 10% trust the National Congress or political parties.

Still, voter turnout is expected to remain high. Eight in 10 respondents said they plan to vote in November.

President Castro enters the election season with falling approval ratings. Her administration earned an average score of 4.13 out of 10 — the lowest since she took office in 2022. Nearly 40% of Hondurans say the country is worse off than before her presidency.

Hondurans identify the government’s main failures as the ongoing economic crisis (28.8%), unemployment (17.9%), broken promises (16.1%) and insecurity (13.2%). Although President Castro points to achievements like a historic drop in homicides, her security strategy — based on emergency measures modeled after El Salvador’s approach — has drawn criticism from international human rights groups.

The international community, including the Organization of American States, the European Union and the United Nations, along with local organizations such as CESPAD and ERIC-SJ, have issued urgent calls for electoral reforms and technical protocols as a prerequisite for credible elections. The key question now is not only whether the vote will happen, but under what conditions.

Despite the tensions, there is broad consensus that the elections must be held on schedule. Canceling or postponing the vote is widely viewed as a step that could spark a deeper institutional crisis.

The United Kingdom has announced a major investment in defence in response to a “new era of threats” driven by “growing Russian aggression”.

The UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), unveiled on Monday, includes new investments in nuclear warheads, a fleet of new submarines and new munitions factories. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the SDR would bring the country to “war-fighting readiness”.

“The threat we now face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War,” Starmer said as he delivered the review in Glasgow, Scotland.

The SDR described Russia as an “immediate and pressing” threat, and referred to China as a “sophisticated and persistent challenge”.

European nations have rushed to strengthen their armed forces in recent months, following Trump’s repeated demands that Europe must shoulder more responsibility for its security.

What are the key features of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review?

The defence review, the UK’s first since 2021, was led by former NATO Secretary-General George Robertson. Among the 62 recommendations in the SDR, all have been accepted by the government.

Starmer said the measures recommended in the review would bring “fundamental changes” to the armed forces, including “moving to war-fighting readiness”, re-centring a “NATO first” defence posture and accelerating innovation.

“Every part of society, every citizen of this country, has a role to play because we have to recognise that things have changed in the world of today,” he said. “The front line, if you like, is here.”

Boosting weapons production and stockpiles

Based on the recommendations in the review, the government said it would boost stockpiles and weapons production capacity, which could be scaled up if needed.

A total of 1.5 billion pounds ($2bn) will be dedicated to building “at least six munitions and energetics factories”, with plans to produce 7,000 long-range weapons.

In turn, UK ammunitions spending – just one component of overall military spending – is expected to hit 6 billion pounds ($8.1bn) over the current parliamentary term, which ends in 2029.

New attack submarines

There are also plans to build up to 12 new attack submarines by the late 2030s as part of the AUKUS military alliance with Australia and the United States – equivalent to a new submarine every 18 months.

This accounts for nearly half the projected spending outlined in the SDR.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) also said it would invest 15 billion pounds ($20.3bn) in its own nuclear warhead programme.

New F-35 fighter jets

The SDR recommended procuring new F-35 fighter jets and the Global Combat Aircraft Programme, a sixth-generation fighter produced jointly with Japan and Italy.

Use of technology to improve the army

The target size of the army will remain roughly the same, but the SDR recommended a slight increase in the number of regular soldiers “if funding allows”. There are currently about 71,000.

Instead of a dramatic increase in troop numbers, the SDR recommends using technology, drones and software to “increase lethality tenfold”.

To do this, the MoD plans to deliver a 1 billion pound ($1.35bn) “digital targeting web”, an AI-driven software tool designed to collect battlefield data and use it to enable faster decision making.

Investment in defence companies

More details about the SDR will be provided in the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, expected in the coming weeks, but UK defence companies will be among the big winners from the new SDR.

Though supposedly a 10-year review, past SDRs suggest its shelf life might be more limited.

The last SDR was published in 2021 and recommended “a strategic pivot towards the Indo-Pacific region to counter China’s influence and deepen ties with allies like Australia, India, and Japan”, in line with strategic priorities of the time.

This SDR, undertaken in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has re-oriented the UK’s geographical priorities. In the coming years, those could change again.

Can the UK afford this defence expansion?

Proposals to prepare the UK’s armed forces to be “battle ready” will cost at least 67.6 billion pounds ($91.4bn) through to the late 2030s, according to costings and estimates provided in the SDR.

Before Monday’s announcement, the government had already pledged to increase spending on defence from 2.3 percent currently to 2.5 percent by 2027, an increase of about 6 billion pounds ($8.1bn) per year. This would raise 60 billion pounds over 10 years – a bit shy of the cost projected by the SDR.

The government has said it will cut overseas aid to fund that 0.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) rise in defence spending.

Critics say this will not be enough and that the measures outlined by the SDR will cost more like 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, said the “authors of the strategic defence review were clear that 3 percent [not 2.5 percent] of GDP ‘established the affordability’ of the plan.”

In February, the Labour government said it had “an ambition” to raise defence spending to 3 percent in the next parliament (after 2029), but Cartlidge said: “That commitment cannot be guaranteed ahead of the next general election.”

According to researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies – an independent, London-based research organisation – raising defence spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2030 would require an extra 17 billion pounds between now and then, which the government has not yet accounted for.

But the UK could be required to raise spending even more than this. In discussions taking place in advance of the NATO summit in The Hague later this month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is understood to be pushing for member nations to commit 5 percent of GDP towards defence-related spending.

Rutte has proposed that NATO’s 32 members commit to spending 3.5 percent on hard defence and 1.5 percent on broader security, such as cyber, by 2032.

“At this Ministerial, we are going to take a huge leap forward,” Rutte stated before a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday this week. “We will strengthen our deterrence and defence by agreeing ambitious new capability targets.” He specified air and missile defence, long-range weapons, logistics, and large land manoeuvre formations as among the alliance’s top priorities, according to a briefing note from NATO on Wednesday.

“We need more resources, forces and capabilities so that we are prepared to face any threat, and to implement our collective defence plans in full,” he said, adding: “We will need significantly higher defence spending. That underpins everything.”

Will taxes have to rise in the UK?

On Monday, Starmer refused to rule out another raid on the aid budget to fund higher military spending, and signalled that he was hopeful the extra investment could be supported by a growing the economy and generating more taxes to pay for defence.

After the SDR’s announcement, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, warned that the prime minister will need to make “really quite chunky tax increases” to pay for the plans.

Alternatively, increased defence spending could be siphoned off from other parts of the budget – for instance, through reduced state spending on areas like transport and energy infrastructure.