put

A special operations team is pinned down in a valley deep inside contested territory. Ammo is running low, and close air support is nonexistent. Extraction forces are still hours out. The operatives have kept the enemy at bay, but their ability to do so is dwindling with every round they fire. Their stocks of 40mm grenades have long been exhausted; now their rifles will soon run dry too. The sky cracks with a sonic boom, which echoes across the valley, and fighting pauses for a split second as fighters on both sides look up. Soon after, the shooting resumes, but out of the blinding sun comes a capsule stuffed with ammunition hanging on a parachute and flying right toward the special operations team.

Help has arrived… From orbit.

The above is a scene that sounds like it’s ripped right out of a Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare video game, but one company is working to make it a reality.

California-based space startup Inversion has unveiled its design for a fully reusable, lifting-body spacecraft named Arc. The spacecraft is intended to deliver critical cargo from space to any point on Earth within an hour, landing on water, snow or soil with a precision of around 50 feet, the company says. The concept, aimed squarely at the defense sector, reflects longstanding U.S. military interest in using space-based systems to rapidly move cargo around the globe to meet commanders’ urgent needs.

The mission concept involves the Arc spacecraft being launched into low Earth orbit atop a rocket. Arc then remains in orbit until its cargo is required to be delivered. At that point, the spacecraft uses a deorbit engine to re-enter the atmosphere, moving at very high speed. Arc uses small thrusters and large trailing-edge maneuvering flaps to adjust its position and speed during its fiery reentry, through the atmosphere, until it approaches the ‘drop zone.’

Once it has reached a lower altitude, Arc slows down and lands using its actively controlled parachute system. This is also able to fine-tune the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. The parachute ensures a soft landing, meaning that Arc can then be reused. The entire mission is uncrewed, with the Arc being commanded by autonomous control systems.

Interestingly, Inversion’s plan to field a spacecraft that’s able to put a cargo at any place on Earth within an hour has parallels with an ambition laid out by U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), back in 2020. TRANSCOM provides transportation services and solutions to all branches of the armed forces, as well as various other defense and governmental organizations.

Speaking back then, U.S. Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, TRANSCOM’s commander, said: “Think about moving the equivalent of a C-17 payload anywhere on the globe in less than an hour. Think about that speed associated with the movement of transportation of cargo… There is a lot of potential here…”

At that point, TRANSCOM had begun a partnership with both SpaceX and Exploration Architecture Corporation (XArc) to pursue space-based rapid delivery concepts. SpaceX has since been working with the Air Force and Space Force on the ‘Rocket Cargo’ program, which seeks to quickly deliver cargo anywhere on Earth that can support a vertical landing.

It should be noted, however, that the sizes of payloads that Arc will be able to deliver are much smaller than those outlined by Lyons. The spacecraft itself will measure only around eight feet by four feet.

The C-17 has a maximum payload of around 82 tons, although normal payloads are around 60 tons or less. Arc is reportedly planned to have a cargo of just 500 pounds. Still, small cargoes often require very big logistics. As we have noted in a prior piece:

“Even the Navy has said in the past that when ships encounter problems as a result of logistics-related issues that leave them partially mission capable or non-mission capable, 90 percent of the time this can be resolved by the delivery of a component weighing 50 pounds or less.“

Nevertheless, Inversion clearly sees a niche for the very high-speed delivery of what it describes as “mission-enabling cargo.”

Inversion doesn’t provide any specific examples of the kinds of cargoes that might be delivered by Arc, beyond “equipment, food, or other mission cargo.” Conceivably, key cargo could comprise time-sensitive equipment and ammunition needed at forward operating locations. Since these spacecraft would be pre-launched, they would likely be filled with a range of generic cargoes that are generally time-sensitive. Then, they would be deorbited on demand.

Today, other small autonomous resupply systems have been used in combat, like the paragliding Snow Goose, and others are in development or limited use now. But these systems fly exclusively within the atmosphere and are much slower, more vulnerable, and require regional basing or an aerial delivery platform to launch them from relatively nearby.

Bearing in mind the considerable cost of a space launch, these cargoes would presumably only be delivered in the most critical scenarios, the kinds where only a high-cost rapid transport would suffice.

Such a capability would appear to have particular relevance in the context of future contingencies in the Indo-Pacific theater. With a growing expectation that this region will see a future high-end conflict involving the U.S. military, the ability to call upon space-based systems, like Arc, to quickly bring critical supplies to the area could be of high value — provided, once again, that the technology can be mastered.

Since Arc is reusable, that would go some way to making it more cost-efficient, when the vehicle can be recovered. Inversion also proposes putting several Arc vehicles into orbit at the same time (it’s unclear if these would be transported by the same or different rockets). The result has been described as something like a series of “constellations” with a variety of contingency cargoes that could be tailored to different customers and operational theaters.

Each Arc vehicle is reportedly able to remain in orbit for up to five years.

Another advantage compared to other space-based cargo-delivery concepts is the fact that Arc uses a parachute landing system.

Arc can, in theory, deliver cargo to any place on the planet, including remote regions, disaster zones, or hard-to-access theaters of war. Other orbital delivery concepts, such as suborbital VTOL rockets, have needed at least some kind of infrastructure to support the cargo-recovery part of the mission, but Arc should do away with that requirement, at least for small cargoes.

Last month, Inversion conducted precision drop-testing to prove the actively controlled parachute system that ensures that Arc will be able to put its cargoes where they are needed.

The company now says it wants to conduct a first mission with Arc as early as next year, which seems highly ambitious.

On the other hand, the startup does have some valuable experience from its Ray spacecraft, Inversion’s first, which was launched in January of this year as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission. This test mission helped prove technologies, including solar panels, propulsion, and separation systems, which will be incorporated into Arc.

For the time being, Inversion is focused solely on Arc’s military potential, although there would clearly be specific commercial applications as well. There is also the question of the possibility of adapting Arc as a reusable and recoverable satellite or even orbital supply vehicle. Meanwhile, the company has spoken confidently of producing hundreds of examples of the spacecraft every year.

Before that happens, and presuming military customers are forthcoming, Inversion will need to prove that its concept of space-based cargo deliveries can be cost-effective. There will also be various other regulatory issues to overcome, bearing in mind that this is an altogether new kind of transportation system.

Despite multiple dead ends and abortive programs, the idea of using some kind of space-based solution for rapid transport across the globe is one that won’t go away. Potentially, with its much smaller cargo loads, reusable spacecraft, and parachute-landing system, Inversion’s de-orbit on-demand cargo concept could be the one that finally breaks the mold.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Gabby Logan has been a mainstay of the BBC Sport presenting team for many years, but she was given a reality check by her daughter when she tried to push her into certain sports

Few individuals could be better suited to front BBC Sport than self-proclaimed sports fanatic Gabby Logan.

Gabby, who competed for Wales in rhythmic gymnastics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, has remained a familiar face for decades through her contributions to ITV and BBC, presenting World Cups, Olympic Games, Six Nations and countless other sporting occasions.

Following Gary Lineker’s exit from the corporation’s premier football programme, Match of the Day, she has joined the presenting roster tipped to succeed him. However, Gabby was decisively “put in her place” by her daughter Lois when she tried to guide her towards the sports she herself was most passionate about.

She explained to The Telegraph: “I always used to say to Lois, when she first got into horses at the age of nine: ‘Oh, if you played golf, I would play with you every night. If you played tennis, I’d play with you all the time.’

“And she’s like: ‘Mummy, those are your dreams, not mine.’ So I was very much put in my place… I used to tell Clare Balding that I’d had her love child.”

Gabby’s Clare Balding reference proved rather fitting.

Now aged 20, Lois works as a show jumper and recently took part in her first horse race as a jockey.

Lois’s twin brother Reuben has also inherited the family’s athletic streak, featuring as a back-row forward for Sale Sharks.

As a mum, Gabby admits she finds it challenging watching both her children pursue physically demanding and potentially dangerous sports. “They’ve not made it easy for me, have they?” she quipped.

“Or for Kenny, in terms of a nice, sedate sport – something a little less frenetic and potentially fraught with danger.

“Still, for me it was important that they had a passion and did something they wanted to do in life, and they both love sport.”

Reuben may have regretted his choice to go into professional rugby on one particular occasion, though.

One of his regular gym sessions at the club turned into a toe-curlingly embarrassing experience when one of his mum’s podcasts was played over the PA system.

It happened to be the episode in which Gabby, 50, was discussing changes in her sex life since her husband – former rugby international Kenny Logan – had his prostate removed following a cancer diagnosis in 2022.

Gabby has been outspoken about reconnecting with intimacy after menopause. She told The Sun: “Taking HRT saw my libido returning. I started with a very small dose of oestrogen and testosterone gels, and progesterone in tablet form. I noticed massive changes within a few weeks. It was a lovely feeling – like myself again.

“My libido came back within about a week. I felt a massive improvement there, and that was important to me and also to Kenny. Once I was on HRT and my libido returned, our sex life was back on track – even to the extent of having daytime sex. There are plus points to becoming empty nesters!”

Sometimes you have to sacrifice having great statistics to lead your team to victory. That’s what 5-foot-8 running back Journee Tonga has done for Leuzinger this season.

A year ago, he rushed for 2,267 yards and 29 touchdowns. This season, to help Leuzinger win the Bay League championship, go 9-1 and earn a Division 2 playoff matchup against unbeaten Crean Lutheran on Friday, Tonga has been doing everything, from playing quarterback to slot.

“He’s been our Swiss Army Knife,” coach Jason Miller said.

A hand injury to starting quarterback Russell Sekona forced Tonga into a wildcat formation to fill in. Sekona will find out this week if he can return.

If that happens, Tonga will be providing help with his running and catching skills.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

For the first time, Sikorsky’s optionally-piloted UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter performed parachute drops, hovered on its own while sling loads were attached, and flew a simulated medical evacuation mission at the direction of an untrained individual onboard. This all took place at an exercise earlier this year, which also marked the first instance in which a member of the U.S. military had full control over the Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) Black Hawk. Sikorsky has been steadily expanding the OPV’s flight envelope and capabilities for years now, work that is now also feeding into its plan for its fully uncrewed U-Hawk drone.

Sikorsky, currently a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, brought the OPV Black Hawk to Exercise Northern Strike 25-2 back in August, but details about how the helicopter was utilized are only being shared now. The OPV’s participation in the event came through a partnership with the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Each year, the Michigan National Guard’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC) hosts multiple iterations of Northern Strike, which features air, as well as ground and maritime components.

Flight testing of the OPV Black Hawk first started in 2019, and it flew for the first time without anyone on board three years later. At the core of the OPV is a fly-by-wire control system coupled with the MATRIX autonomy flight control software package. Development of MATRIX stretches back more than a decade now, and DARPA supported it early on through the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.

At present, the semi-autonomous OPV is capable of flying along preset routes, which can be planned in advance of a sortie or on the fly in the field, all via a touch-screen interface on a tablet-like device. The helicopter has a degree of automated obstacle avoidance capability, and routes can also be manually altered by an operator while it is in flight. The pilot-optional Black Hawk does not require constant contact with a human operator to perform a mission, and it can act on instructions from multiple individuals at different points in a sortie. In addition, the control system allows for the performance of certain specific tasks, such as ordering the helicopter to go to a point and hold a hover there at a designated altitude. Just starting up and shutting down the OPV is done at the touch of a button, as well.

“Events like Northern Strike give us the opportunity to take user feedback and roll that into [MATRIX] software improvements as part of a continuous spiral of software loads,” Mike Baran, chief engineer at Sikorsky Innovations, told TWZ in an interview ahead of today’s announcements. “So over the past year, it’s [continued work on the OPV] been largely in the software area, and it enabled a lot of these missions that we performed successfully out at Northern Strike.”

It is important to note the OPV flew all of its sorties at Northern Strike 25-2 with a safety pilot on board. This is something that was dictated by the parameters of the exercise, which occurred within domestic U.S. airspace managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). There are strict regulations around where and when fully uncrewed aircraft can fly within the United States. In general, having a human pilot onboard also provides an additional margin of safety.

At Northern Strike 25-2, “a U.S. Army National Guard Sergeant First Class, trained in less than an hour, became the first soldier to independently plan, command, and execute OPV Black Hawk missions using the system’s handheld tablet,” according to a press release from Lockheed Martin today. “He directed the payload to a location 70 nautical miles away and commanded multiple precision airborne drops, marking the first time OPV Black Hawk operated fully under the control of an actual warfighter, instead of a trained test pilot or engineer.”

The Sergeant First Class in question, who has not been named, was also notably not a military aviator, which Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky say underscores the ease of training individuals to operate the OPV.

“The level of autonomy that the team has with the MATRIX technology and how that’s put into the [OPV] aircraft, it really takes an operator, not a pilot,” Ramsey Bentley, Sikorsky Advanced Programs Business Development Director, also told TWZ while speaking alongside chief engineer Baran.

For the precision parachute drops during Northern Strike 25-2, the OPV had first been directed to fly racetrack patterns over Lake Huron. Soldiers on board were responsible for actually releasing the payloads from the helicopter. Lockheed Martin’s press release also notes that this particular sortie was planned and executed while the operator was aboard a U.S. Coast Guard boat on the lake.

In addition, the “OPV Black Hawk completed its first-ever autonomous hookup of an external load while airborne,” according to the release. “Using its hover stability capabilities, the aircraft held position while soldiers quickly and efficiently attached a 2,900-pound water tank [trailer; also known colloquially as a water buffalo] without pilot intervention. The demonstration showed that a MATRIX-equipped aircraft can perform complex aerial resupply missions in the field.”

The OPV also carried Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Family of Munitions (MFOM) ammunition ‘pods’ slung underneath multiple times during the exercise. Tracked M270 MLRS and the wheeled M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launch vehicles both fire various munitions via standardized MFOM pods.

Sling load operations, including hooking and unhooking payloads, as well as flying to a destination with a large object swinging below, can be complex and challenging.

“The amount of experience that a pilot has, especially doing sling load operations and hookups – it takes really years to develop that capability, and that additional sense, or that ‘air sense,’ if you would,” Bentley said. “It’s not very easy, hovering over a point that you can’t see underneath to do these hookups and things like that.”

“One of the things that we’ve heard from operators on the ground is that the MATRIX capability and the autonomy [on the OPV] actually provides a much more stable platform than with a human pilot on board,” he added. “When you bring the aircraft in through the tablet interface and you ask it to hold a 10-foot hover, it holds a 10-foot hover.”

“You’re not relying on a crew chief that’s frankly hanging out of a window or hanging out the back of the aircraft, kind of upside down,” to help keep the helicopter in the proper position, he further noted. With the OPV, “the operator himself kind of has that third-person viewpoint.”

Lastly, at Northern Strike 25-2, “a soldier then used OPV Black Hawk to conduct a simulated personnel recovery, including a tail-to-tail patient transfer to a piloted Black Hawk at an unimproved landing site,” according to Lockheed Martin’s release. “This was the first time an untrained soldier commanded an autonomous MEDEVAC [medical evacuation] recovery from inside the OPV Black Hawk aircraft.”

All of this underscores the potential benefits and flexibility that optionally piloted Black Hawks might offer, especially due to the reduced crewing requirements. Being able to perform missions, or just pre-position helicopters, without the need for a pilot would be a boon in many scenarios, while also helping to reduce physical and mental strain on aviators, particularly during high-tempo operations. DARPA’s aforementioned ALIAS program was focused heavily just on increasing safety margins by scaling back the workload for human pilots, as you can read more about here. Not needing to have any humans on board for certain missions would help reduce risk, which could open up new operational opportunities in or around more contested environments, as well.

In speaking with TWZ, Sikorsky’s Bentley offered a more complete vignette for how OPVs might be utilized in future operations.

“Think about contested logistics, where, at the load point, you’ve got soldiers on the ground … The aircraft runs through all the preflight checks and everything, just like a human pilot would,” he explained. So, with “the ability of the aircraft to be sitting there at a field site, a non-pilot operator walks up, cranks the aircraft, loads in his mission, the aircraft picks up, it hovers over, or it does its internal load operations, and then it takes off and departs along on the mission [route], avoiding obstacles, etc.”

“Then, once the aircraft gets to the destination, another operator can take command of the aircraft, and execute the load out or the drop of the load,” he continued. “Or the aircraft will land and the operator can shut it down, or whatever they need to do.”

“You know the key thing there is that that’s really a customer decision,” Bentley also said when asked specifically about whether there might be plans to demonstrate the ability of OPV to conduct air drops with personnel in the main cabin, but no one in the cockpit. “Obviously, we are very comfortable with the autonomy capability of the aircraft, … but when it comes to employment of the capability and technology, that’s really a customer decision on how they want to employ the asset.”

He added that the OPV’s capabilities, and that of the underlying MATRIX software, are expanding and evolving with a constant eye toward being scalable to meet individual customer demands, which will be based in part on “their permissions, their authorizations,” and what they learn as they “develop their individual techniques, tactics, and procedures.”

Work on the OPV is also now feeding into a larger vision of crewed, pilot-option, and/or fully uncrewed variations of the Black Hawk operating collaboratively together. Bentley noted that Sikorsky has previously envisioned OPVs flying out ahead of crewed Black Hawks with soldiers onboard to perform various tasks as part of a larger mission.

“Now you’ve got [fully uncrewed] U-Hawks out there in front, and that U-Hawk is delivering launched effects UASs [uncrewed aerial systems] ahead of the ground force, and then that U-Hawk lands in the landing zone and dispatches UGVs, uncrewed ground vehicles, ahead of the soldiers,” he said. “And now we’re doing that autonomy, uncrewed, both air and ground teaming, in the soldiers’ hands, setting the conditions before the soldiers ever arrive at the landing zone.”

Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin are also heavily pitching U-Hawk as a way to squeeze new capability out of older UH-60L model Black Hawks, which the U.S. Army is notably in the process of retiring. Converting L variants in U-Hawks has been presented as a relatively economical option that is able to leverage well-established global sustainment chains, as well.

“We think about the Black Hawk as an enduring platform. The Army’s said that it’s going to be around for another 50-plus years,” Bentley said when asked about any potential plans now for offering an OPV-type conversion option. “So our ability to take MATRIX technology and put that on enduring platforms is critical to developing new capability, and, frankly, doing it at a different price point.”

The exact difference in the price point between the U-Hawk and OPV configurations is unclear, but Sikorsky has noted in the past that the OPV has additional systems requirements because it is still rated for crewed flight. There are then distinct costs associated with meeting those demands.

Non-military customers for OPV Black Hawks, as well as U-Hawks, could also be in the wings. The current operator base for crewed Black Hawks already extends beyond armed forces. Sikorsky has already demonstrated the OPV’s ability to conduct a wildfire-fighting mission, which also involved working with a third party to develop unique additions to the MATRIX software for that role.

“So we were out in California in April of this year, working with a company called Rain. And Rain went in and developed a kind of a wildfire suppression algorithm and autonomy capability, where it uses the sensors on board OPV Hawk to spot the wildfire,” Bentley said. “And we were able to demonstrate autonomous wildfire suppression to include OPV going [and] finding the pool or the fill site for the Bambi Bucket.”

“And then once it filled up the Bambi Bucket with water, then the system [on] the aircraft would take off, and it would go toward a general area that the team designated as an area of interest,” he continued. “The sensors on board the aircraft … then would identify the fire through a FLIR [forward-looking infrared] camera. And then the Rain autonomy [package] would figure out the hot spot, figure out the approach path, and the dispersion of the water, and then it would command the OPV aircraft to fly the flight route. And then it commanded the water release also.”

Altogether, as the details about what happened at Northern Strike 25-2 have now further underscored, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin continue to steadily build out the OPV Black Hawk’s capabilities, which could also now have implications for U-Hawk.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Oct. 29 (UPI) — Two U.S. attorneys in Washington, D.C., have been suspended after turning in a sentencing memo that described the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as carried out by “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters,” sources said.

The prosecutors were assistant U.S. attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, who were prosecuting a case against Taylor Taranto. Taranto was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his part in the Jan. 6 riots. He was arrested for unrelated threats and firearms charges, and the description of the capitol insurrection was part of a sentencing memo for that case, according to anonymous sources reported by ABC News, Politico and The Washington Post. Taranto is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.

White and Valdivia were locked out of their government-issued devices Wednesday and told they will be placed on leave. It happened just hours after they filed the memo, sources told ABC.

The memo asked U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to sentence Taranto to 27 months in prison for a hoax threat against the National Institute of Standards and Technology and for driving through President Barack Obama‘s neighborhood with a van full of guns and ammunition.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who leads the Washington, D.C., office prosecuting Taranto, declined to comment.

But Pirro released a statement on the case.

“While we don’t comment on personnel decisions, we want to make very clear that we take violence and threats of violence against law enforcement, current or former government officials extremely seriously,” Politico reported Pirro said in a statement. “We have and will continue to vigorously pursue justice against those who commit or threaten violence without regard to the political party of the offender or the target.”

It wasn’t clear whether the two prosecutors were told why they were put on leave or if the suspensions would change Taranto’s sentencing date.

In the memo, White and Valdivia said the following about Jan. 6:

“On January 6, 2021, thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol while a joint session of Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Taranto was accused of participating in the riot in Washington, D.C., by entering the U.S. Capitol Building. After the riot, Taranto returned to his home in the State of Washington, where he promoted conspiracy theories about the events of January 6, 2021.”

Six months later, Vaughan replaced Hussain as Test captain. His mission was to reshape an England team scarred by years of Ashes beatings. Only four of the XI from Sydney made it to the first Ashes Test at Lord’s in 2005.

“It wasn’t two years of waking up and thinking, ‘we’ve got to beat Australia’, because the only way to beat Australia is to win the games before,” says Vaughan. “You can’t suddenly arrive in an Ashes to beat that side having not beaten the other teams.

“It became obvious we were going to have a fresher team, a younger team, a team that had very little baggage. What was very clear in 2002-03, understandably, once we’d lost the first Test it was ‘here we go again’, because a lot of those players had been around the England side in the 1990s.”

Those unforgettable eight weeks of summer in 2005 etched the names of Vaughan and his players into English cricketing folklore. Steve Harmison drawing blood from Ponting, and Andrew Strauss’ catch. Kevin Pietersen’s hair and Gary Pratt’s direct hit. Andrew Flintoff’s batting. Andrew Flintoff’s bowling. Andrew Flintoff’s drinking.

Because of injuries that occurred even before the series ended, the class of 2005 never played together again.

“That moment when you win is the best moment, but also quite deflating because it’s all over,” says Vaughan. “All the stress and pressure were hard to deal with, but you get adrenaline from being in a series like that. When it’s over you wonder what’s next.”

Vaughan did not know it at the time, but lifting the urn was to be his last act as an Ashes cricketer. His troublesome knees meant he played only two more Tests in the 18 months that followed, including missing the defence in Australia in 2006-07. Under the captaincy of Flintoff, and a shadow of the team that won in 2005, England were dismantled 5-0 by an Australia side determined for revenge.

“We got absolutely hammered, and would have got hammered with me playing,” says Vaughan. “We poked the bear.

“It was hard to watch, because a lot of my mates were playing. Once we beat that Australia team once, they weren’t going to allow us to beat them twice, especially in their own backyard.”

Vaughan tearfully stepped down as England skipper in 2008, although still with thoughts of playing in the home Ashes of 2009 under the captaincy of Strauss. Form and knees didn’t allow it. In the four years between Ashes series played in this country, Vaughan went from winning captain to former cricketer. He retired at the age of 34.

“Straussy rang me and said he wanted me to get runs in county cricket and we’d have a look, but my body was knackered,” says Vaughan. “I couldn’t do the training or the work.

“There was the odd morning I woke up and thought, ‘come on, let’s have a go at getting that batting slot’. I was thinking there was a chance.

“I probably retired a little bit too young, but I would have royally embarrassed myself in 2009.”

Considering his lofty standing in recent English cricketing history, Vaughan played relatively few Ashes Tests – 10 of them, five away and five at home.

He will forever be remembered for what he achieved in 2005. It would not have been possible without what happened in 2002-03.

State officials on the front lines of preparing for natural disasters and responding to emergencies say severe cuts to federal security grants, restrictions on money intended for readiness and funding delays tied to litigation are posing a growing risk to their ability to respond to crises.

It’s all causing confusion, frustration and concern. The federal government shutdown isn’t helping.

“Every day we remain in this grant purgatory reduces the time available to responsibly and effectively spend these critical funds,” said Kiele Amundson, communications director at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

The uncertainty has led some emergency management agencies to hold off on filling vacant positions and make rushed decisions on important training and purchases.

Experts say the developments complicate state-led emergency efforts, undermining the Republican administration’s stated goals of shifting more responsibility to states and local governments for disaster response.

In an emailed statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the new requirements were necessary because of “recent population shifts” and that changes to security grants were made “to be responsive to new and urgent threats facing our nation.”

A new wrinkle tied to immigration raids

Several DHS and FEMA grants help states, tribes and territories prepare for climate disasters and deter a variety of threats. The money pays for salaries and training, and such things as vehicles, communications equipment and software.

State emergency managers say that money has become increasingly important because the range of threats they must prepare for is expanding, including pandemics and cyberattacks.

FEMA, a part of DHS, divided a $320 million Emergency Management Performance Grant among states on Sept. 29. But the next day, it told states the money was on hold until they submitted new population counts. The directive demanded that they omit people “removed from the State pursuant to the immigration laws of the United States” and to explain their methodology.

The amount of money distributed to the states is based on U.S. census population data. The new requirement forcing states to submit revised counts “is something we have never seen before,” said Trina Sheets, executive director of the National Emergency Management Association, a group representing emergency managers. “It’s certainly not the responsibility of emergency management to certify population.”

With no guidance on how to calculate the numbers, Hawaii’s Amundson said staff scrambled to gather data from the 2020 census and other sources, then subtracted he number of “noncitizens” based on estimates from an advocacy group.

They are not sure the methodology will be accepted. But with their FEMA contacts furloughed and the grant portal down during the federal shutdown, they cannot find out. Other states said they were assessing the request or awaiting further guidance.

In its statement, DHS said FEMA needs to be certain of its funding levels before awarding grant money, and that includes updates to a state’s population due to deportations.

Experts said delays caused by the request could most affect local governments and agencies that receive grant money passed down by states because their budgets and staffs are smaller. At the same time, FEMA also reduced the time frame that recipients have to spend the money, from three years to one. That could prevent agencies from taking on longer-term projects.

Bryan Koon, president and CEO of the consulting firm IEM and a former Florida emergency management chief, said state governments and local agencies need time to adjust their budgets to any kind of changes.

“An interruption in those services could place American lives in jeopardy,” he said.

Grant programs tied up by litigation

In another move that has caused uncertainty, FEMA in September drastically cut some states’ allocations from another source of funding. The $1 billion Homeland Security Grant Program is supposed to be based on assessed risks, and states pass most of the money to police and fire departments.

New York received $100 million less than it expected, a 79% reduction, while Illinois saw a 69% reduction. Both states are politically controlled by Democrats. Meanwhile, some territories received unexpected windfalls, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, which got more than twice its expected allocation.

The National Emergency Management Association said the grants are meant to be distributed based on risk and that it “remains unclear what risk methodology was used” to determine the new funding allocation.

After a group of Democratic states challenged the cuts in court, a federal judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order on Sept. 30. That forced FEMA to rescind award notifications and refrain from making payments until a further court order.

The freeze “underscores the uncertainty and political volatility surrounding these awards,” said Frank Pace, administrator of the Hawaii Office of Homeland Security. The Democratic-controlled state received more money than expected, but anticipates the bonus being taken away with the lawsuit.

In Hawaii, where a 2023 wildfire devastated the Maui town of Lahaina and killed more than 100 people, the state, counties and nonprofits “face the real possibility” of delays in paying contractors, completing projects and “even staff furloughs or layoffs” if the grant freeze and government shutdown continue, he said.

The myriad setbacks prompted Washington state’s Emergency Management Division to pause filling some positions “out of an abundance of caution,” communications director Karina Shagren said.

A series of delays and cuts disrupts state-federal partnership

Emergency management experts said the moves have created uncertainty for those in charge of preparedness.

The Trump administration has suspended a $3.6 billion FEMA disaster resilience program, cut the FEMA workforce and disrupted routine training.

Other lawsuits also are complicating decision-making. A Manhattan federal judge last week ordered DHS and FEMA to restore $34 million in transit security grants it had withheld from New York City because of its immigration policies.

Another judge in Rhode Island ordered DHS to permanently stop imposing grant conditions tied to immigration enforcement, after ruling in September that the conditions were unlawful — only to have DHS again try to impose them.

Taken together, the turbulence surrounding what was once a reliable partner is prompting some states to prepare for a different relationship with FEMA.

“Given all of the uncertainties,” said Sheets, of the National Emergency Management Association, states are trying to find ways to be “less reliant on federal funding.”

Angueira writes for the Associated Press.

Blackpool Sands in South Devon has been named one of the UK’s best beaches for autumn visits, but many people are left disappointed by one particular feature

Blackpool Sands in South Devon is hailed as one of the UK’s most picturesque coastal jewels.

Unlike many of your typical British beaches, this sheltered bay in the southwest of England boasts lush greenery and rolling hills. Its crystal-clear waters and secluded location draw locals and tourists alike, particularly during the summer months.

It was recently crowned one of the UK’s top beaches for autumn visits by outdoor specialists at Millets. The study, which rated beaches based on factors such as average autumn temperatures, rainfall, daily sunshine, and Google review scores, ranked Blackpool Sands fifth in a top 10 list.

READ MORE: Beach island has glorious 27C October heat making it perfect for half termREAD MORE: The idyllic island with balmy 26C October heat that’s just hours from the UK

With an impressive overall score of 8.06 out of 10, it’s evident that the beach’s numerous facilities and breathtaking location resonate with visitors.

Natalie Wolfenden, a hiking enthusiast at Millets, emphasised that autumn is the “perfect time to enjoy long walks along the coast away from the summer crowds”. However, despite its beauty and high ratings, there’s one thing about the beach that leaves many visitors feeling let down.

For a beach named “Sands,” a significant number of visitors are caught off guard to find out that it is, in fact, made up of shingle, reports the Express.

This “misnomer,” as one reviewer put it, has led to a slew of complaints from unprepared beachgoers. On TripAdvisor, many have voiced their frustration, with one person writing: “Don’t be fooled by the name it’s not sandy just shingles. We drove a long way to visit here and was so disappointed, the shingles were so sharp you couldn’t walk barefoot.”

Another visitor remarked: “Nice beach but the name lies! This is NOT a sandy beach. Parking is easy, if not a little expensive (£9 for the day). Shingle is painful on bare feet and the sea goes deep quickly so not good for small children. But if you are prepared for this, it is a good day out.”

This view is shared by other beachgoers who described the pebbles as “unforgiving” or “harsh” underfoot. Yet the shingle becomes far less problematic during an autumn trip, when visitors are typically wearing robust walking boots.

The beach’s golden shingle and lush evergreen setting acquire an especially striking and wild character during the colder seasons, with the shoreline appearing “really stunning” in the words of one visitor.

It also serves as a perfect launching point for a ramble. The South West Coast Path lies alongside the beach, presenting a magnificent 3.2-mile circular route to the village of Strete.

The trail takes walkers high above the bay, delivering spectacular vistas of the coastline stretching towards Start Point with its lighthouse. For anyone willing to take the plunge, there is an unusual wooden beach sauna on offer for hire throughout the year.

Whilst the chilly water remains unavoidable, the sauna provides a delightful reward after swimming. A wooden boardwalk extends directly to the sea for sauna guests, reducing the barefoot shingle walk to a minor inconvenience for what proves to be a genuinely revitalising adventure.

Apart from the shingle, Blackpool Sands boasts a variety of amenities that explain its glowing reviews. Unlike many of Devon’s other renowned beaches, such as Hope Cove and Sunny Cove, Blackpool Sands offers ample parking and top-notch facilities.

The on-site cafe-restaurant and takeaway kiosk usually operate from 9am to 5pm daily, although their hours may be reduced during the chillier months.

For those in search of a tranquil and picturesque autumn getaway, Blackpool Sands guarantees a stunning experience – just remember to keep your expectations about the shore underfoot in check.

Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We’d love to hear from you!

If Wednesday’s game proves to be the last one in a Dodgers uniform for Clayton Kershaw, it will do little to tarnish his legacy, said teammate Mookie Betts.

“He’s gonna have a statue, so we have to kind of keep that in mind,” Betts said. “In the grand scheme of things, Kershaw is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the best pitchers to ever do it.

“So if you let two innings kind of ruin that, then you don’t know baseball.”

But, Betts confessed, Kershaw’s relief appearance in Game 3 of the National League Division Series was hard to watch. In those two innings he gave up six hits, five runs, walked three and did not strike out a hitter, turning a tight game into an 8-2 rout for the Philadelphia Phillies, who staved off elimination and extended the best-of-five series to a fourth game Thursday.

“He just didn’t have a great slider tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Clayton pitches off his slider. He was working behind, too. The command wasn’t there tonight.”

Clayton Kershaw bends over during a tough eighth inning.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Kershaw, who went 11-2 as a starter during the regular season, was left off the roster for the wild-card series and hadn’t pitched in nine days when he started warming up in the sixth inning Wednesday. He hadn’t gone that long between appearances all year.

“I did everything I could in between,” he said. “It’s been a while but, you know, I threw [off] flat ground as best I could. It wasn’t there tonight.”

That was obvious from the first batter he faced. Kershaw, who walked a batter every 3.2 innings during the regular season, threw three straight balls to Trea Turner before giving up a single. He would give up two more walks, one intentional, in the inning but escaped harm thanks to a poor baserunning decision by the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber and a nice catch by right fielder Teoscar Hernández.

But with Tanner Scott unavailable for personal reasons and Alex Vesia having already pitched twice in the series, Roberts had few other good options against the left-handed-heavy Phillies. So he sent Kershaw out for the eighth and that’s when things really got out of hand.

J.T. Realmuto led off the inning and drove Kershaw’s second pitch — a slider — over the wall in left-center. The Phillies would send eight more men to the plate in the inning, scoring four more times, with two of those runs coming on Schwarber’s second homer of the night.

Kershaw threw first-pitch strikes to just four of the 14 batters he faced and missed the zone with 26 of the 48 pitches he threw overall. That won’t stop the Dodgers from building a statue of him when he retires this fall but it didn’t move him any closer to a second straight World Series ring either.

“I wasn’t throwing strikes, and it’s hard to pitch behind in the count,” he said.

Kershaw said he felt fine physically but added, “I just wasn’t finding it.”

That wasn’t a problem for the top of the Philadelphia lineup, which found little success in the first two games of the series. The Phillies’ first four hitters — Turner, Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Alex Bohm combined for just three hits, all singles — in 27 at-bats, striking out 12 times. They matched that hit total against Dodger starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the span of 11 fourth-inning pitches Wednesday, with Schwarber homering off the roof of the right-field pavilion and Harper and Bohm following with singles.

They finished the night nine for 16 with five runs scored and five RBIs, with Schwarber’s two homers traveling a combined 863 feet.

“We just had a little quick meeting. Nothing crazy, but just focus on the game, win today,” Turner said. “We all know we were kind of pressing as a group in the first two games and wanting to win so bad.”

If Turner and the Phillies win again Thursday, the series returns to Philadelphia and raucous Citizens Bank Park — where the Phillies had the best home record in baseball — for a decisive Game 5 on Saturday. If the Dodgers win, they move on to the NL Championship Series, where Kershaw could get a chance to end his career on a more sonorous note than the clunker he played Wednesday.

“That’s the great thing about baseball,” he said. “You get a new game every day.”

NEW YORK — When a black teen-ager was killed in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn last summer after a run-in with a gang of whites, mayoral candidate David N. Dinkins made it clear what New York should expect from its top leader: “The tone and climate of the city does get set at City Hall.”

The perception that Dinkins could soothe racial tensions was probably the single biggest force behind his election as New York’s first black mayor. The last few weeks have brought a series of racial problems that have put the mayor under intense pressure to deliver on the expectations that he built.

“Though we cannot eliminate racial and ethnic friction overnight, we must take the first steps. Our beginning will, of course, be marked by small–sometimes indirect–steps. But even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” Dinkins said Monday.

But the mayor who exults in his city as a multi-ethnic “gorgeous mosaic” is feeling the cut of its sharp edges.

Each day seems to bring worse turmoil. Dinkins appears besieged, encircled by his detractors and undercut by the expectations that he himself raised. Some black leaders have gone so far as to publicly call him a traitor.

Dinkins faces two potentially explosive controversies in Brooklyn: As two juries have deliberated almost a week in the Bensonhurst slaying of Yusuf Hawkins, angry demonstrators have rallied each day outside the Brooklyn courthouse, and some of their leaders warn that violence is inevitable if the panels return anything less than a guilty verdict.

Meanwhile, blacks in Flatbush continue a four-month boycott of two Korean grocers that started with a dispute between one of the grocers and a black woman customer. While it is far from clear who was at fault in the original incident–the woman claims to have been beaten and the grocer contends that he merely pushed her to prevent her from shoplifting–it unmistakably tapped long-festering bitterness. Demonstrators have chanted such epithets as “Korean bloodsuckers” outside the stores, and have spat at customers who try to shop there.

A few blocks from the store, a group of more than a dozen blacks on Sunday beat three Vietnamese whom they apparently mistook for Korean.

Elsewhere in the city, smaller disputes add to the tension. A black City University professor is preaching black supremacy, while a white faculty member at the same school is saying that blacks are less intelligent and more prone to commit crime than whites. A group of white students at St. John’s University in Queens stands accused of raping a black woman. And Jimmy Breslin, one of the city’s most prominent columnists, has been suspended by New York Newsday after making racial comments about another staff member.

Dinkins’ low-key and cautious approach, which had initially seemed a soothing balm to the abrasion of former Mayor Edward I. Koch, now is being criticized as weakness and indecisiveness.

Roy Innis, national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality, said in an interview Monday: “We’ve got to have a commitment to telling the hard truth. David Dinkins is not strong enough to do it.”

Innis accused Dinkins of “reverse racism” for failing to denounce the grocery store boycott that is “reeking with raw and naked, palpable racism.” He attributed Dinkins’ reluctance to the mayor’s association with Sonny Carson, the self-proclaimed “anti-white” leader of the boycott, who worked for the Dinkins campaign before being dismissed for anti-Semitic remarks.

Other blacks, however, have accused Dinkins of pandering to whites, particularly after the mayor made a rare foray onto prime-time live television last Friday to appeal for tolerance. “We must repress our rage,” the mayor said.

“He is a lover of white people and the system. And last night, he bashed black people,” said C. Vernon Mason, a lawyer who has been involved in a number of racial cases. “He ain’t got no African left in him. He’s got too many yarmulkes on his head.”

Mason made his comments at a rally Saturday, where he called the mayor “a traitor,” and some people in a crowd of hundreds chanted, “Judas, Judas.”

Many of Dinkins’ critics seem to suggest that as a black, he should automatically hold sway over New York’s black community–a view that does not recognize the diversity of opinion and outlook among blacks in the city.

One source in Dinkins’ Administration noted that the mayor has alienated some factions, who say they are disappointed in the number of blacks he has appointed to key posts at City Hall. Others have not forgiven Dinkins’ denunciation of the Rev. Louis Farrakhan, the black Muslim leader who once described Judaism as a “gutter” religion.

Dinkins’ Friday night address won high marks from many quarters, however. Former Mayor John V. Lindsay described it as “superb.”

Nonetheless, any hopes that it might have turned the tide were dashed less than 36 hours later, when the three Vietnamese were beaten by the group of blacks who thought they were Korean. Police on Monday arrested two people in connection with the assault, which Police Commissioner Lee Brown said was not related to the boycott.

Dinkins and several state legislators Monday held a news conference to announce state legislation aimed at crimes committed by groups, and to make a new push for a bill to stiffen penalties for crimes that are motivated by bias.

The Canary Islands are a popular holiday destination for Brits, but one thing has stopped me from returning in recent years.

I’ve holidayed on every Canary Island you can think of – Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma. These islands are a hit with travellers globally for their agreeable weather and stunning landscapes.

They’re often referred to as the “Islands of Eternal Spring” due to their consistently mild temperatures throughout the year, rarely dipping below 18°C.

These islands emerged from ancient volcanic eruptions, and their volcanoes remain active to this day. Mount Teide in Tenerife is not only Spain’s tallest peak but also ranks as the third-highest volcanic structure globally.

I’ve relished numerous ascents to Teide’s summit, yet despite the archipelago’s allure, one aspect has deterred me from returning lately.

That would be the black sandy shores. Tenerife boasts an array of black sand beaches, particularly in its northern regions, reports the Express.

READ MORE: ‘Fairytale’ European city that’s 21C in October and just two hours from the UKREAD MORE: Pretty European island that pensioners love is 26C in October

Although there are white sand and pebble beaches too, they’re less prevalent.

The black sand originates from volcanic lava, which, over time and under the relentless motion of the ocean, gets pulverised into fine grains.

Lanzarote is home to several black sand beaches as well, including Playa de Janubio and Playa de El Golfo. While these beaches are undoubtedly picturesque and steeped in natural history, they just don’t cut it for me when it comes to beach holidays.

During the intense heat of Canary summers, I’ve always found the black sand to be unbearably hot underfoot, absorbing more sunlight than its white or golden counterparts.

I found the beaches to be less appealing than the idyllic images on postcards had led me to believe.

Take Sardinia, for instance, which I recently visited during my holiday. It was adorned with pristine white beaches and crystal clear water everywhere, offering a more luxurious and tropical feel compared to my time in the Canaries.

However, it’s worth noting that many people are drawn to black sand beaches for their dramatic beauty, rarity, and association with volcanic landscapes, so it really boils down to personal preference.

There are also some golden beaches on the islands. Las Teresitas, situated near Tenerife’s capital, is a golden sand beach renowned for its tranquil, shallow, and safe waters.

This man-made beach was constructed in the 1960s using over 5,000 tonnes of sand from the Sahara Desert. Despite being a stunning beach, it’s always bustling as tourists and locals alike vie for a spot.

MOST of the Beckhams put on a united front at Victoria’s Paris Fashion Week show but eldest son Brooklyn snubbed his family again.

The designer and former Spice Girl, 51, was joined by husband David, 50, sons Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20, as well as 14-year-old daughter Harper in the French capital last night.

5

5

5

They fought bad weather to get to the Val-de-Grace venue but Brooklyn, 26, and actress wife Nicola Peltz, 30, remained in LA even though Victoria’s collection was inspired by being a mother.

Describing the show, Posh’s website said: “For Spring- Summer 2026 collection, Victoria Beckham revisits the instinctive experimentation of girlhood dressing, inspired by the designer’s own adolescence and her perspective as a mother.”

Ex-Vogue editor Anna Wintour, 75, was seen chatting to David before it started.

She joined the family on the front row alongside Cruz’s model girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 29.

The Beckhams’ close friend Eva Longoria, 50, was seen leaving her hotel in a black wrap dress with her producer husband, Jose Baston, 57, as they travelled to the show.

The event comes ahead of Victoria’s self-titled docuseries which will be released on Netflix on Thursday.

Earlier, Cruz was seen in a white T-shirt with the date 24.10.25 — with some suggesting it could be a release date for his music.

He has been working on tracks for several years and recently spent time in the studio with The Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard.

5

5

Sibiu, Romania’s medieval treasure

Sibiu, the former capital of Transylvania, proved a wonderful place to visit. The city’s old town is on a hill, with every other building in the three main squares and the sidestreets seemingly a historic monument, dominated by the medieval Lutheran cathedral of Saint Mary. The characteristic design of attic windows makes it clear why Sibiu is called “the town of a thousand eyes”, and the Teutsch Haus provides a brilliant history of the region and the Transylvanian Saxons. The old town is crammed full of restaurants and cafes, and down by the river there is a local market with giant aubergines, tomatoes and peppers. For an evening glass, Wine Not has a vast selection of Romanian (and Moldovan) wines, and a black cat to talk to.
Barbara Forbes

Wrocław, Poland’s buzzy student city

Wrocław has the perfect mix of quirkiness and beauty to make for a cracking affordable city break. The hefty student population gives the city a real buzz, from the boat and beach bars along the River Oder (try Forma Płynna beach bar), to the delicious Georgian bakeries (stop at Piekarnia Gruzińska PURI – on Facebook – for pastries on the way to checking out the painted backyards of the Nadodrze neighbourhood). While tourists concentrate around the huge central square, exploring the edge of the old town reaps rewards, like Pub Drukarnia (delicious Litovel Czech beer) or Stacja Breslau bistro under the rail arches on Wojciecha Bogusławskiego street.
Matt Lunt

Helsinki’s world-class architecture

Our knowledge of Helsinki stemmed mainly from the films of director Aki Kaurismäki (Drifting Clouds, The Man Without a Past etc), so discovering it’s not all dockyards and cold war-era bars came as a welcome surprise. Instead, Helsinki features green spaces, coastal views, accessible islands and world-class architecture. It’s the latter we came for: from a church built into rock to state-of-the-art community space Oodi library; from the mid-century Didrichsen museum to architect Alvar Aalto’s organic modernism. But don’t forget to eat – whether it’s brunch at Levain, Michelin-starred invention at Grön or simply an exceptional korvapuusti (cinnamon roll to you and me).
David M

Marseille is fun for all the family

Marseille fitted the diverse requirements for our family city break. Warm weather, beaches, extraordinary street art, sea kayaking and amazing walking in the Calanques satisfied teenagers and parents alike. My favourites were the Mucem (Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée), the winding streets of Le Panier and the sense of the place being a melting pot of cultures. We found the locals to be friendly as they encouraged our attempts to speak French, and there\s a good transport system of trams, metro and buses. We got there easily on Eurostar and TGV train and stayed at the Aparthotel Adagio.
Evie

Berlin’s hidden design gems

Although I’ve been travelling to Berlin for nearly 20 years, I’m still making new discoveries. The headlines, like the Brandenburg Gate and the glass dome on the Reichstag, are definitely worth seeing, but there are also hidden treasures, such as the futuristic Ludwig Erhard Haus, designed by Nicolas Grimshaw, whose steel-clad exterior is just the aperitif for some jaw-dropping architecture inside. Or the ruins of St Michael’s church, which was separated from its parishioners by the Berlin Wall. And try to bag a place on the tour of the ESMT business school that once housed East Germany’s elite. The socialist stained glass and GDR coat of arms mosaic are real showstoppers.
James Carson

A dumpling and a beer in Vilnius, Lithuania

We’ve just spent three nights in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius whose old town is easily walkable with plenty of churches, museums and other sights. We indulged in local specialities like kvass, a drink made from fermented rye bread, and cepelinai, which are potato dumplings shaped like airships and filled with minced pork. A half litre of beer (about €5) was ideal with moreish kepta duona, fingers of deep-fried black bread served with a garlic dip. A walk up hundreds of steps to the Three Crosses for views over the city burned excess calories. We stayed at Domus Maria, a former monastery, near the Gate of Dawn.
Helen Jackson

Why Maastricht is a must

A three-hour drive from Calais, or two-hour train journey from Brussels changing at Liège-Guillemins, is the Dutch city of Maastricht. Compact, largely flat (handy for an arthritic retiree) and utterly delightful. As a university town, we enjoyed the friendly, lively vibe but this did not distract from its charm and its history. The cloth market on Wednesdays and the bric-a-brac market at the weekend in the main square are amazing (we bought a milk churn!), the frites at the surrounding cafes were great and the beer was varied and delicious. Boekhandel Dominicanen (a bookshop in a converted middle-ages abbey) was certainly a highlight.
Bruce Horton

Beer spa in Olomouc, Czech Republic

Olomouc in the Czech Republic is an utter delight. Gleaming spires and domes, two old town squares, enchanting cobbled lanes, trams and its own astronomical clock. It also has a Unesco-recognised holy trinity column, which was built to mark the end of a plague in the early 18th century. A two-hour train ride from Prague, Olomouc is markedly less touristy than the Czech capital. Two great places to enjoy a beer were Saint Venceslav’s brewery, where there is a beer spa with a sauna scented with hops; and Twinburg, next to the Moravian cycle path, which serves delicious craft ales. This is a city I felt had been put on Earth specially for me.
Jack Anderton

Polar nights in Tromsø, Norway’s ‘Arctic capital’

As a Scot who once sought drawn-out summer nights, I now lean into the opposite with fervour. Winter in Tromsø, Norway – the “Arctic capital” – is for travellers who embrace the long, dark nights and are keen to meddle with their circadian rhythms. The polar night, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon, starts at the end of November and finishes in mid-January. Experience this unworldly extended twilight – the blue hour – from about 9am to 2pm. The Fjellheisen cable car and silent whale-watching with Brim Explorer are two recommended activities.
Aimee Lawrence

Winning tip: blessed are the cheese markets in Alkmaar, the Netherlands

I recently visited Alkmaar, 35 minutes north of Amsterdam by train, which has waterways, picturesque pedestrian-friendly cobbled streets, chiming churches, excellent food (De Heeren Van Sonoy, Stadskaffee Laurens and Patisserie Elhorst include gluten-free options), and markets (don’t miss the cheese market for a true Dutch spectacle). We hired bicycles from Pesie for an easy trip on well-marked paths through beautiful pine forest and the Schoorlse Duinen (Dunes) nature reserve before heading back to town via a well-deserved ice-cream on the beach at Bergen aan Zee.
Nicola

Reality TV queen Kim Kardashian has emotionally revealed that someone close to her allegedly put a ‘hit’ on her life in a shocking trailer for the new Kardashian series

Kim Kardashian has claimed someone close to her put a “hit” on her life in a dramatic admission. The reality TV star, 44, was seen crying as she shared the situation for the first time.

She revealed she learned of the alleged plot through her investigators as the scenes are expected to play out on her family’s reality show. The Kardashian clan have let cameras into their lives once again, but this time things have appeared to take a harrowing turn.

In a trailer for the upcoming series, Kim was left in tears as she opened up on someone wanting her dead. “I got a call from investigators,” she said.

READ MORE: Kylie Jenner steps out in little black dress with famous pals at Paris Fashion WeekREAD MORE: The Kardashians season 7 release date announced as new trailer ‘feels like old times’

“Someone extremely close to me put a hit out on my life.” Short clips of Kim pacing a room and then being left in tears were show as she made the shocking revelation.

Her younger sister Kendall Jenner appeared as she said: “Everybody’s kind of on edge.” The trailer cut to Kylie Jenner, who was sat speaking to her mum Kris, as she recounted: “I heard footsteps walking into my room.”

It ended with a shot of Kim speaking directly to the camera as she admitted: “I am happy it’s over.” The series is set to feature Kim’s Paris jewel robbery trial as well as brother Rob, who has taken a step away from the spotlight in recent years.

Caitlyn Jenner is also poised to make an appearance as the 75-year-old is seen in the explosive trailer. There are also big changes for the family as they bid farewell to their Hidden Hills mansion, where they filmed Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

They revisited the home for one last time as they prepared for an emotional goodbye. It also left many of the sisters spilling their confessions from life at the property.

The youngest sisters, Kendall and Kylie, admitted to sneaking boys into the home, while Khloe left her family stunned by confessing to having sex in many of the home’s rooms.

The Kardashians teases in their official synopsis: “The Kardashian-Jenners are back, and it feels like old times! Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie are diving head-first into the drama, the hustle, and the heart.

“They must revisit their past as they chase passions that push them further than ever before. Through unforgettable moments and deeply personal challenges, the family continues to evolve and redefine their legacy.”

The upcoming series has been branded a “whole different beast” as viewers are warned: “You better watch out.”

It marks the seventh season of The Kardashians and begins on streaming site Hulu on October 23, with new episodes are shown on Thursdays.

READ MORE: ‘I tested this £28 foundation – it’s a dream and made my face glow all day’

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

A California woman is suing Dignity Health, alleging two hospitals denied her emergency abortion services due to their Catholic directives, violating state law and putting her life in danger.

During two separate pregnancies, Rachel Harrison’s water broke at just 17 weeks — a condition that can cause deadly complications. An abortion is typically the course of action recommended by doctors, but on both occasions staff members at Dignity Health hospitals refused to act because they detected a fetal heartbeat, the lawsuit alleges.

The second time it happened, Harrison experienced life-threatening sepsis and had to travel to a hospital outside her insurance network to receive a blood transfusion, the complaint states.

Harrison, 30, and her partner Marcell Johnson filed a lawsuit against Dignity Health in San Francisco Superior Court on Friday. The claim, first reported by Courthouse News Service, alleges that subsidiaries Mercy San Juan Medical Center and Mercy General Hospital refused to provide her emergency abortion care for religious reasons.

The 24 Catholic hospitals within the Dignity Health network follow a set of “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services,” which caused Harrison to be turned away from an emergency room during the loss of a high-risk pregnancy, the complaint alleges.

“While publicly touting their hospitals’ qualifications as reliable emergency services centers, Dignity Health prioritized its own religious directives over the best interests of Rachel’s health and well-being,” the lawsuit alleges.

Last September the state filed a similar lawsuit against a Catholic hospital in Eureka after a woman whose water broke at 15 weeks was denied an emergency abortion. That hospital then agreed to provide emergency abortions in cases where a woman’s health is at risk.

A spokesperson for Dignity Health did not comment on the specific allegations contained in Harrison’s lawsuit.

“When a pregnant woman’s health is at risk, appropriate emergency care is provided,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The well-being of our patients is the central mission for our dedicated caregivers.”

On Sept. 13, 2024, according to Harrison‘s lawsuit, she experienced a condition called previable preterm premature rupture of the membranes, or previable PPROM, when her water broke at just 17 weeks of pregnancy.

This condition is fatal for the fetus and dangerous for the mother.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the standard of care is to inform the patient that the pregnancy is not viable and recommend termination as the safest option to reduce maternal risk. Miscarrying the fetus naturally comes with higher risk of infection and blood loss, both of which can lead to permanent loss of reproductive function or even death.

Last September, Harrison traveled to Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael for emergency care, but doctors did not recommend an abortion, the complaint alleges.

“Instead, Rachel was told that because of the hospital’s Catholic affiliation, there was nothing more the hospital could do for her,” the complaint states. “Confused and distressed, Rachel was discharged and left to complete a high-risk miscarriage of a fetus ‘the size of an avocado’ — as she was told by the physician’s assistant — at home, on her own, and without medical supervision.”

She went to a Kaiser hospital the following morning and received emergency care, the lawsuit says.

Last December, Harrison was thrilled to learn that she was pregnant again, but then “her worst nightmare” repeated itself. At 17 weeks pregnant, she once again experienced previable PPROM, the complaint states.

Her insurance only covers OB/GYN care within the Dignity Health network, so she went to Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento.

In a repeat of her past experience, her lawsuit alleges, staff members told her they could not provide the care she sought due to the fetal heartbeat. She was able to access care at another hospital, her complaint says, but experienced sepsis and heavy blood loss in the process.

The lawsuit alleges that the denials violated California’s Emergency Services Law, which requires hospitals operating a licensed emergency room to treat patients suffering from emergency medical conditions, including previable PPROM.

Harrison also alleges that Dignity Health violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Unlawful Competition Law and her right to privacy under the California Constitution.

Harrison and her partner are seeking an order requiring Dignity Health hospitals to provide emergency abortions in a manner compliant with state law, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

Maybe you can call Canada and Tesla (TSLA 3.94%) frenemies. The tension between the two entities has existed since Tesla allegedly manipulated Canada’s electric vehicle (EV) subsidy program. While Tesla believes it to be a misunderstanding and was later cleared of wrongdoing, it added to the political tension between the two nations, and added to the Canadian resentment toward Tesla CEO Elon Musk for then supporting the Trump administration.

It was a little messy, so it’s even more entertaining now that Canada might actually put more dollars in the pockets of Tesla. Here’s the situation.

What’s going on

Canadian automakers have been raising red flags and could be in for a bumpy ride if Canada’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate is enforced as currently described and EV sales don’t accelerate. Essentially, Canada’s EV sales mandate requires an automaker to ensure a certain percentage of new cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks sold are zero-emission vehicles including hybrids.

Originally the mandate was supposed to start at 20% in 2026, but now it will begin in 2027 with the caveat that the initial target will be a challenging 27%. The percentage will rise steadily every year until 2035 when all new vehicle sales are intended to be EVs. For context, EV sales in Canada nearly reached 15% of total sales in 2024, but that was when the government was offering consumer rebates up to $5,000.

Once funding ran dry for the rebate in January, sales took a mighty plunge. The most recent data from Statistics Canada shows EV sales generated 7.7% of all new vehicle sales in July — a far cry from what’s going to be required to meet standards on average.

Image source: Tesla.

What are Canadian autos to do?

As most investors following the industry know, there’s a way to comply with these mandates by purchasing zero-emission credits from companies that have a surplus. Companies such as Tesla that only sell EVs and have no gasoline vehicle sales to offset, can simply sell their credits to needy gasoline-heavy automakers and pocket the money — it’s great business for pure EV makers. Zero-emission credit sales were instrumental during Tesla’s early years and still have been a major contributor to its financials.

The good news for Tesla is that Canadian automakers may not have an option other than to begrudgingly purchase from Tesla despite the ruffled feathers between the two entities. According to Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association president Brian Kingston, with 2026 models already being purchased, Tesla would be one — if not the only — automaker with a surplus of credits on hand to sell to other companies.

It also gets a little more complicated because as the targets become more challenging there will be more demand and less supply of these credits available, forcing some automakers to buy them ahead of time to be utilized when necessary. According to Kingston, estimates show over $1 billion has already been committed to this and could cost the Canadian industry more than $3 billion by 2030.

What it all means

Zero-emission credits have been a huge business for Tesla, and the company has generated billions and billions of dollars over the years selling them to needy automakers. Unfortunately for Tesla and other EV makers, changing policy in the U.S. has erased the need for these credits in the states.

In fact, Tesla was estimated to generate $3 billion from credit revenue in 2025 alone before the policy change knocked that estimate down by 40%. Tesla’s credit revenue is expected to plunge even further next year to $595 million before becoming irrelevant in 2027.

For investors, an extremely valuable Tesla revenue stream is about to dry up, unless Canada’s mandate stays as written. While it wouldn’t generate near the revenue the U.S. credit situation has, it would still be a welcome development as credit revenue in the U.S. fades rapidly — and Tesla could sure use a small win right now.

FIRST it was Mondeo. Then Fiesta. Now Focus. 

Another much-loved Ford heading for the great scrapyard in the sky. 

6

6

6

No matter. 

Kia is here to fill the gap by giving us two sensibly-priced, Focus-sized family hatchbacks called “4”. 

One petrol. 

One electric. 

Plus, an electric saloon thingy. 

The same thing happened with small cars. 

Ford axed the cheery Ka runabout six years ago. Yet Kia is still shifting the dinky Picanto by the boatload. 

I dunno. Them crazy Koreans giving people what they actually want. 

Right, let’s discuss the cars you see on these pages today. 

The yellow car is called K4. That’s a five-door petrol hatch from £25k. Well-equipped. Fizzy 1-litre or 1.6 turbo petrols. Seven-year warranty. As with any Kia. Undercuts a Volkswagen Golf by £3k. 

The blue car is called EV4. That’s a five-door electric hatch from £35k, before any electric car grant. Looks great. Drives sweetly.

The chassis could easily handle more power. Iron Man and Mickey Mouse integrated in the onboard computer. 

I’m serious. 

You can personalise the central screen and satnav with your favourite movie characters. The kids will love that. 

Then watch Netflix or play arcade games, if you ever need to stop to recharge. 

I say IF because the biggest 81kWh battery will do 390 miles by the official WLTP test. Closer to 320 miles in the real world.

Still more than most people do in a week. And way more than a Vauxhall Astra Electric can manage. 

Everything is super easy 

The regular EV4 has a 273-mile ­battery and recharges in a 30-minute tea-and-pee break. 

Driving impressions. You sit nice and low in this car. We like that. It rides nicely (multi-link rear axle). 

We designed this car thinking about the European customer because they love to drive

Kia engineer

Handles nicely (also multi-link rear axle). Accelerates smoothly. Everything is super easy.

If you want to feel more involved, use the braking regen paddles on the steering wheel to mimic changing down gears for a bend. 

I reckon the four-wheel-drive GT due next year is going to be a lot of fun. 

A Kia engineer told me: “We designed this car thinking about the European customer because they love to drive.” 

Too right. 

The cabin is copy-and-paste Kia’s other award-winning EVs. Which means a nice mix of screens and hard controls, cup holders and chargers for everyone, lots of recycled materials, and lots of S P A C and E. 

Like 10cm more legroom in the back than a Tesla Model 3. Like a wide-opening boot that swallows loads more stuff than a Focus, Golf or Astra. 

That’s the benefit of a ground-up ­electric car. It’s no bigger on the outside. But you get a next-size-up cabin. 

6

6

6

Put simply, EV4 is a peach. 

Now for the car I’m less bothered about. The fugly EV4 Fastback. I reckon the designers were rushing to get to the pub. Either that or they finished it after they’d been to the pub. 

I’m sure someone will like it. 

It does have a bigger boot and the biggest battery as standard. 

But it costs £41k. 

At least Kia is doing Ford’s old job by giving everyone lots of choice. 

There’s desperate, and there’s desperate to where you’re looking for Roki Sasaki to be the answer to your team’s late-inning problems.

The same Roki Sasaki who hasn’t pitched in a major league game in more than four months because of shoulder problems.

The same Roki Sasaki who posted a 4.72 earned-run average in eight starts.

The same Roki Sasaki who last week in the minors pitched as a reliever for the first time.

The Dodgers’ exploration of Sasaki as a late-inning option is a reflection of the 23-year-old rookie’s upside, but this isn’t a commentary of Sasaki as much as it is of the roster.

The team’s bullpen problems have persisted into the final week of the regular season, and the potential solutions sound like miracles, starting with Sasaki’s audition for a postseason role as a reliever.

Sasaki pitched twice in relief for triple-A Oklahoma City, touching 100 mph in a scoreless inning on Thursday and retiring the side on Sunday.

Manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki would rejoin the Dodgers for their upcoming road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The earliest Sasaki would be available to pitch would be on Wednesday.

With only six games remaining in the regular season, Sasaki figures to pitch no more than twice for the Dodgers before the playoffs. That being the case, do the Dodgers plan to use him in high-leverage situations to learn how he performs in late-inning situations?

“We’re still trying to win games, and this would be his third outing in the ‘pen, first in the big leagues, so not sure,” Roberts said.

Then again, what’s the alternative? Continue to run out Blake Treinen?

The most dependable reliever on the Dodgers’ World Series run last season, the 37-year-old Treinen was re-signed to a two-year, $22-million contract over the winter. He missed more than three months of this season with a forearm strain and hasn’t rediscovered the form that made him a postseason hero. Treinen is 1-7 with a 5.55 earned-run average for the season and has taken a loss in five of his last seven games.

Treinen cost the Dodgers another game on Sunday when he inherited a 1-0 lead, only to give up three runs in the eighth inning of an eventual 3-1 defeat.

Roberts was booed when he emerged from the dugout to remove Treinen, but whom did the fans want the manager to call on to pitch that inning instead?

Tanner Scott?

Kirby Yates?

Alex Vesia is the most trustworthy bullpen arm, but if he pitched the eighth inning, who would have pitched the ninth?

Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen, right, reacts after giving up a bases-loaded walk in a 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Roberts acknowledged he was basically reduced to holding out hope that when the postseason starts Treinen would magically revert to being the pitcher he was last year.

Wouldn’t it be unsettling to have to count on Treinen without seeing him pitch better in the regular season?

“Certainly, I’d like to see some more consistent performance,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day, there’s going to be certain guys that I feel that we’re going to go to in leverage [situations] and certain guys we’re not going to.”

Evidently, Treinen is still viewed as a leverage-situation pitcher.

Roberts said: “My trust in him is unwavering.”

There aren’t many other choices.

Maybe Will Klein, who was called up from the minors for the third time last week. Klein struck out the side on Saturday and gave up a leadoff double in a scoreless inning on Sunday.

Maybe Brock Stewart, who has been sidelined with shoulder problems for the majority of the time since he was acquired at the trade deadline. Stewart will rejoin the Dodgers in Arizona.

Or maybe Emmet Sheehan or Clayton Kershaw, who are expected to be pushed out of the postseason rotation by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. Sheehan started on Sunday and pitched seven scoreless innings.

The playoff picture is unlikely to change for the Dodgers between now and the end of the regular season, as they are four games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the No. 2 seed in the National League and three games ahead of the second-place San Diego Padres in the NL West. Nonetheless, Roberts said he was unsure of how high-leverage innings over the next week would be allocated, which spoke to the degree of uncertainty about the bullpen. Should these innings be used to straighten out previously-successful relievers such as Treinen and Scott? Or to experiment with unknown commodities such as Sasaki and Klein?

Just a couple of weeks ago, the door for Sasaki pitching in the playoffs was locked and bolted. The Dodgers have been rocked by the dreadful performance of their bullpen, so much so that a door that was once slammed shut is now wide open.

THE saying goes, ‘less is more’, but celebrities are taking that a little too literally as flashing thongs return.

The trend was big in the noughties with the ‘it’ girls of the day, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, showing the tops of their G-Strings.

11

11

11

And TV royalty, Gillian Anderson flashed hers on the red-carpet at the Oscars in 2001 but later was killed off by fashion notoriety – along with tramp stamps.

Flashing your thongs had a resurgence in 2020 with the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian flashing their underwear, but now the trend is more than just peeking above your jeans.

It’s about basically doing a moony, but getting away with it because you’re in couture.

Last week Margot Robbie paid tribute to the late, and great, Mr Giorigio Armani who sadly passed away earlier this month by wearing one of his spring designs, a completely sheer and bejewelled dress.

At the premier of her new film, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, the 35-year-old undoubtedly looked incredible in the see-through gown with plunging back that showed she was only wearing a thong.

Just a couple of days later fellow actress Dakota Johnson, 35, wore a similar look.

A high neck, long sleeved, floor length dress made from lace that also flashed her bum in a black thong.

Her Gucci gown for a charity dinner in New York, again, looked incredible on her.

But we need to think about their consequences.

Thongs, a piece of fabric that connects from the front to the back and no more than a few centimetres thick. And that connection of fabric goes via your, erm, bum.

When it’s in black and white it sounds vulgar, and not to mention uncomfortable.

And I don’t want to see that when I’m in a bar sipping my glass of Sauvignon, because let’s face it where celebs lead – we all follow.

When you’re a Hollywood A-lister with the pristine figure good enough to better the world’s best supermodels, sure flash away – you look sensational.

But let’s not make this trend grip the nation or we’ll be faced with fleshy, droopy, white bottoms on the loose up and down the country.

Pants for a charity fundraiser? No thank you.

Clemmie Fieldsend

And if you shudder at the sight of a ‘builders bum’ then don’t, please don’t, let this trend catch on – because your Friday night in your local ‘Spoons will be overrun with bums.

And it’s not just Margot and Dakota that could lead us into the cringe fashion flop.

Actress Helen Flannagan celebrated her 35th birthday by wearing a gold dress with a thong-bodysuit underneath.

Whilst on holiday the Corrie star went for a more toned down version of the trend wearing something similar to a thong cossie under a beach dress.

11

11

11

Singer Dua Lipa, 30, hit the streets of New York for the Charlie Chaplin Gala this April in a beautiful black knitted dress with a fine weave that revealed her underwear.

Another modest style of the trend but nevertheless, pants for a charity fundraiser? No thank you.

Model Cara Delevingne has been at it too.

In May at the premier for the Ocean With David Attenborough documentary in London she flashed her thong, and the rest of her body all within spitting distance of our national treasure, Sir David.

There’s no escaping the fact that if we copy you we’ll become the butt of every joke

Clemmie Fieldsend

Complete with plunging neckline, the 33-year-olds chainmail grown might have been a bit too risque for such an occasion and a bit too chilly.

In the same month, Britney Spears did her one of her usual dancing around on Instagram videos, but this time just in thread-bare underwear.

The 43-year-old chose to wear just her bra and knickers for the video and black leather knee high boots.

Now, I’m all for doing what you like in your own home, but maybe the rest of us don’t need to see it.

11

11

11

Love Island host Maya Jama was reviving the noughties trend way back in January.

For the All Stars series she headed back to the villa wearing a Norma Kamali see-though, ruched gown with off-the-shoulder straps with nothing but black underwear underneath.

With the warm temperatures of South Africa, she may have felt hot and wanted something cool to wear, and if anyone is going to look amazing in this trend it’s Maya, but let’s save it for private holidays.

For high days and holidays maybe, but come on ladies.

There’s no escaping the fact that if we copy you we’ll become the butt of every joke.

So let’s leave this trend, and cracks, in the past.

11

11