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SANTIAGO, Chile, Nov. 4 (UPI) — Latin America is projected to receive $239 billion in mining investments through 2033, a study by consulting firm PwC indicates. Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Peru are expected to be the main beneficiaries, although most of the projects are not new initiatives.

“It’s a large and strategic figure in absolute terms and competitive compared with other resource-rich regions. Latin America maintains a leading position in transition minerals such as copper and lithium, as well as base minerals like iron,” Carlos Rivas, senior manager for PwC Chile’s mining sector consulting division, told UPI.

The analysis included projects from major mining companies such as BHP, China Shenhua Energy, Rio Tinto Group, Freeport-McMoRan, Zijin Mining Group and Glencore.

Rivas said much of the projected investment is needed for companies to maintain production levels amid declining ore grades and increasing environmental, social and governance requirements.

“New capital investment is required to address issues such as environmental permits, water, energy and logistics needs, and to diversify supply in the face of global concentration risks,” Rivas said.

Chile, which accounts for 22% of global copper production and 17% of lithium output, will receive the largest share of investments — about $83.2 billion — of which only 20% is earmarked for new projects.

“The predominance of brownfield projects [those developed on existing sites or infrastructure] at 80% reflects the maturity of Chile’s mining assets and a rational strategy,” Germán Millán, a partner in PwC Chile’s mining sector consulting division, told UPI.

“These projects generally carry lower financial risk and involve faster permitting processes. Exploration continues, but it competes for capital with emerging hubs such as Argentina and faces longer development cycles,” he said.

Millán said expansion projects include a significant component of technology investment that is highly relevant to the industry.

Brazil is projected to attract about $68.5 billion in mining investments, while Peru is expected to receive roughly $54.6 billion over the next eight years, with 60% of those projects focused on new developments.

Millán cited Argentina, where investments of about $33 billion are projected, with 70% of the total earmarked for new projects.

Among greenfield projects — those launched from scratch — new initiatives stand out in mining districts such as Vicuña, with ventures like Filo del Sol for copper, gold and silver exploration and Josemaría, which is related to copper.

Under development scenarios, Argentina could reach 1.2 million metric tons of copper production within a decade.

“For that to materialize, infrastructure must be secured in areas such as water, energy, roads and ports, along with predictable permitting processes, strong community engagement and access to capital,” Rivas said.

He added that with Chile’s support and expertise, “Argentina’s learning curve could be accelerated. There is strong growth potential if institutional frameworks, infrastructure and financing align, with partnerships that share risk and accelerate the development of studies and the execution of projects.”

PwC’s Mine 2025 study noted that the global mining supply is becoming increasingly concentrated, and that “in several cases, there is a growing mismatch between where mineral reserves are located and where they are produced. This situation creates both opportunities and supply risks.”

For copper, Chile and Peru remain among the world’s leading centers of production and reserves, reinforcing their role in new value chains despite rising output in other jurisdictions, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For lithium, Australia, Chile and China lead production, while the largest reserves are situated in the Lithium Triangle — Chile, Argentina and Bolivia — “opening room for further development and potential cross-border synergies in South America. This concentration calls for responsible diversification and solid investment frameworks,” the report said.

Israel says it expects to receive all its remaining living captives from Gaza early on Monday, a key step in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas now in effect.

Speaking on Sunday, government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said that Israel anticipates all 20 living captives will be returned together early on Monday.

As in previous exchanges during Israel’s two-year war on Gaza, the captives will first be handed over to the Red Cross, which will transport them to an Israeli military base inside Gaza for initial medical checks before they proceed to Israel to reunite with their families.

A Hamas source told Al Jazeera Arabic that the captives have been moved to three locations in the enclave ahead of their transfer to Red Cross officials.

Once Israel has confirmed all its captives are inside Israeli territory, it will begin releasing Palestinian prisoners, Bedrosian said.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is to release about 2,000 Palestinians it holds in detention, many without charge. The prisoners include 250 Palestinians serving life sentences. Imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, whose release Palestinians have long sought, will not be among them, Israel has said.

Some detainees will be released in the occupied West Bank, where relatives have been instructed by Israel not to hold celebrations or speak to the media.

Israel is also preparing to receive the bodies of 28 captives confirmed to have died in captivity, according to Bedrosian.

Speaking in a televised address on Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped the captives’ release would be a moment of unity for the country, despite controversy over his handling of the war.

“This is an emotional evening … because tomorrow, our children will return to our borders,” said Netanyahu, quoting a biblical verse. “Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path – a path of rebuilding, a path of healing and, I hope, a path of united hearts.”

Some of the families of captives have criticised Netanyahu for allegedly prioritising military victory over their release. On Saturday, when the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, praised Netanyahu’s leadership at a rally in Tel Aviv, many in the crowd booed.

‘Trump’s show’

The planned exchange comes three days after Israel’s government approved the first phase of a deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza, and just as United States President Donald Trump, who spearheaded the agreement, visits Israel before a summit in Egypt.

Trump left for Israel from the Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Sunday afternoon, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe accompanying him on Air Force One.

“This is going to be a very special time,” said Trump on Sunday afternoon before boarding the flight. “Everybody’s cheering.”

On board Air Force One, the US president told reporters that the captives may be released “a little early”, that his relationship with Netanyahu was good, and that Qatar deserved credit for the role it had played in mediating the ceasefire.

“The war is over. You understand that,” Trump added.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan, because the network is banned in Israel, said: “It is Trump’s show.”

“He will be arriving in Israel, meeting with the families of captives, addressing the Knesset, and then going to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has summoned the leaders of more than 20 countries.”

As part of the Trump-led ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces have withdrawn from parts of Gaza, including Gaza City and other northern areas, although they still control more than half of its territory.

Palestinians returning to the combat zones they were displaced from have found widespread devastation, or “wastelands” where their neighbourhoods once stood, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili reported from Gaza City.

Humanitarian aid has begun to trickle into the enclave as part of the ceasefire, with dozens of trucks arriving on Sunday. But distribution remains slow for a population that has endured months of extreme deprivation, said Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary.

“People are not waiting only for food, but also for tents, mobile shelters, solar panels and desperately-needed medical equipment and medicines – items largely unavailable for the past two years,” Khoudary said from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. “Most people have lost their savings, have no access to bank accounts, and are completely dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.”

Leaders to convene in Egypt

The Gaza summit, scheduled for Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, will be co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

More than a dozen world leaders are expected to attend, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said that neither he nor Iran’s president would accept an invitation to the summit because they could not “engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People”, in reference to the US and its strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier this year.

Although both Israel and Hamas said they would not participate, Cairo has hailed the summit as a “historic” event that will seek “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East”.

Egypt said that a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” is also expected to be signed at the summit.

‘Hard work’ to come

Despite the ceasefire progress, many details on phase two of the deal, which is still to be negotiated, need to be ironed out, including the exact makeup of a post-war administration for Gaza and the fate of Hamas.

The second phase is expected to involve a phased Israeli withdrawal, Hamas’s disarmament, the establishment of new security and governance arrangements, and reconstruction.

“After the big day tomorrow for Trump, after the release of the hostages… then comes the hard work,” Adnan Hayajneh, professor of international relations at the University of Qatar, told Al Jazeera. “If you look at the situation in Gaza, it’s like an earthquake happened… There’s no government. There’s no schools. There’s nothing there.”

US Vice President JD Vance appeared to acknowledge on Sunday that the road to stability would be difficult. “It is going to take consistent leverage and consistent pressure from the president of the United States on down,” he told US broadcaster CBS.

In a separate interview with ABC, Vance said that the 200 US troops reportedly being sent to Israel to monitor the ceasefire are not intended to have a combat role and will not deploy to Palestinian territory.

“The idea that we’re going to have troops on the ground in Gaza, in Israel, that that is not our intention, that is not our plan,” said Vance.

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.

Oct. 5 (UPI) — Soybean farmers could be the recipients of between $10 billion and $14 billion in government aid after China’s unofficial embargo tanked sales.

China stopped buying soybeans after President Donald Trump levied tariffs on the country.

Soybean farmers are urging the president to reach a deal with China.

“China is the world’s largest soybean customer and typically our top export market,” said American Soybean Association president Caleb Ragland in a statement on Sept. 24 after China reportedly bought 20 shiploads of soybeans from Argentina when that country said it would waive all taxes on soybean exports.

“The U.S. has made zero sales to China in this new crop marketing year due to 20% retaliatory tariffs imposed by China in response to U.S. tariffs. This has allowed other exporters — Brazil and now Argentina — to capture our market at the direct expense of U.S. farmers. The frustration is overwhelming,” Ragland said.

China was responsible for about $12 billion in soybean sales in 2024, NBC reported.

“The soybean farmers of our country are being hurt because China is, for ‘negotiating’ reasons only, not buying. We’ve made so much money on tariffs that we are going to take a small portion of that money and help our farmers,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Declan Minogue, a 63-year-old, felt a bit of hunger coming on while on a Ryanair flight, so he decided to order the £5.90 Hot Ham and Cheese Panini from a flight attendant

A hungry dad claims Ryanair served him the ‘worst airplane food ever’ after he received a miserable sandwich.

Declan Minogue and his wife Claire Minogue, 61, were travelling back from Faro to Dublin Airport on 21 July after seven relaxing nights in Portugal. The 63-year-old felt a bit of hunger coming on, so he decided to order the £5.90 Hot Ham and Cheese Panini from a flight attendant.

However, it was not the hunger-busting snack he had hoped for. Decland claims he was ‘stunned’ to open it up and discover just one piece of ham and the ‘tiniest bit of cheese’ with no butter. Despite polishing off the ‘bland’ sandwich that he compared to ‘something out of Oliver Twist,’ Declan claims he was forced to buy more food when he landed because he was still hungry.

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Taking to social media, the dad-of-two shared a photo of the sandwich captioned ‘shocking and insulting’.

Users took to the comments to express their shock at the ‘disgusting’ meal, empathising with the hungry holidaymakers. Others were less sympathetic, questioning why he had decided to buy food on a budget flight.

Declan who lives in Lusk, Dublin, Ireland, said: “It was the worst airplane food ever. It was a massive rip off. I was shocked when I saw it. I got it and I opened it and couldn’t believe it so I took a picture. It had two slices of ham and the tiniest bit of cheese and the cheese was like butter. There was no substance to it. I was stunned.

“It was like something out of Oliver Twist. You wouldn’t be asking for more than that. It didn’t taste good. It was very bland but I was starving so what could I do. You wouldn’t really think you can mess up a ham and cheese sandwich. I left the flight feeling quite hungry and had to get something from the airport.

“I know it’s a budget airline but you’d expect better service. I wouldn’t buy anything on Ryanair’s flights again. The standards are a disaster. I didn’t complain about it, which I should have. My other half wouldn’t let me.”

One commenter wrote: “Never buy the food on board. Bring your own and cold drinks. Much nicer.” Another user said: “Take your own sandwiches. We never buy food on the plane.”

While Declan may have had a bad experience, Ryanair performed well in a recent ranking of airline food. Despite frequent jokes about Ryanair’s cost-cutting approach and their humorous social media responses to complaints, it ranked with the lowest percentage of negative food reviews, while a fellow Irish airline company Aer Lingus topped the charts for the worst feedback on food in the skies.

Ryanair has been approached for a comment.

Sept. 4 (UPI) — The Transportation Department Thursday announced $86 million in federal grants to enhance safety programs along the nation’s 3.3-million mile pipeline network, or 85% of all pipelines in the United States.

“Safety is the number one priority of the Department of Transportation,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “The grants announced today will support our existing partnerships with states to support pipeline inspection, keep communities safe, and keep our energy economy moving.”

The plan earmarks $82 million for states to monitor and update safety programs for above-ground pipelines and another $4 million for underground natural gas pipelines.

California is slated to receive nearly $12.4 million in grants, the largest share, while New York is scheduled to receive more than $8.8 million. Illinois and Massachusetts are in line for more than $5 million each.

The grant programs allow states to support federal pipeline safety standards and reimburse them up to 80% for their costs related to personnel, equipment, inspections and regulation enforcement.

The UK Government has issued an urgent reminder to all passport holders who are planning to travel abroad in the near future, whether it be for a holiday or business purposes

Passport holders across the UK have received a crucial warning from HM Passport Office. Officials are urging anyone planning holidays or business trips abroad to carry out one vital check.

Text messages circulating read: “Remember to check that your passport is valid for the country you are travelling to.” The guidance also emphasises the need to “check the entry requirements” via their official website. This resource lists numerous destinations and helps travellers access “advice and warnings about travel abroad, including entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences.”

France serves as a prime example of a popular holiday spot and travel guidance highlights that France operates under Schengen area regulations. Under these rules, your passport must have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive, and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue).

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Before you start packing your bags, you need to make sure you’re clued up on the requirements. The UK Government has issued a fresh warning to holidaymakers, which reads: “Do not book travel until you have a valid passport – your new passport will not have the same number as your old one.”

If it’s time for a renewal, head over to the official GOV.UK website to submit your application. You can replace, renew, apply for or update your passport and even make a payment online.

The cost of a passport can vary based on your age and whether you apply online or via post. Applying online could save you £12.50 compared to sending your application by post.

Nearly two dozen television shows will receive incentives for shooting in California — including two series that relocated from Texas and Canada — in the first award period since the state bolstered its film and TV tax credit program earlier this summer.

The 22 shows were chosen amid a massive amount of interest in the state’s incentive program, which now has an annual cap of $750 million, up from $330 million. In this round, the California Film Commission saw a nearly 400% increase in applications, said Colleen Bell, the agency’s executive director.

“These enhancements to our program, they’re not just about curbing runaway production,” she said in an interview. “We’re building momentum to grow and expand production here in California.”

In total, the 22 shows were allocated $255.9 million in credits and are expected to generate about $1.1 billion of economic activity in California, she said. The productions are estimated to employ 6,500 cast and crew members and more than 46,000 background actors.

Of the 22 awarded series, 15 were new projects, five were recurring shows and two relocated from outside of California, including Tom Segura’s darkly comedic Netflix series “Bad Thoughts,” which previously filmed in Texas.

Apple TV+ comedy “The Studio” and legal thriller “Presumed Innocent” received production incentives, as did CBS’ “NCIS: Origins,” a new HBO series by comedian Larry David, a pilot called “Group Chat” from “black-ish” creator Kenya Barris and a new Hulu drama from Dan Fogelman of “Paradise” and “This is Us.” All of the qualified projects that applied were able to get a tax credit in this round, Bell said.

“California has long been the entertainment capital of the world — and the newly expanded film and TV tax credit program is keeping it that way,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We’re not just protecting our legacy — we’re reminding the world why the Golden State remains the beating heart of film and television.”

Newsom called for an expansion of the state’s film and TV tax credit program late last year in an attempt to stem the tide of productions moving to other states or countries with lucrative incentive packages. Hollywood studios, producers, unions and other workers rallied around the issue for months, traveling up to Sacramento to lobby legislators about the importance of the entertainment industry to California’s economy.

In addition to the higher cap, the revamped program broadened the types of productions eligible for incentives, including half-hour television shows, certain large-scale competition shows and animated shorts, series and films.

For this round of incentives, the California Film Commission was able to consider all of the new categories except for animated shows and large-scale competition shows because those require new regulations that are being drafted, Bell said. Those categories could be eligible starting early next year, she said.

The new program provisions also upped the tax credit to as much as 35% of qualified expenditures for productions filmed in the greater Los Angeles area, and up to 40% for projects shot outside the region. For this application period, most of the series will shoot in the L.A. area, except for four that will shoot at least partially outside of that zone, Bell said.

“People want to shoot their projects here in California,” Bell said. “Now, decision makers are giving California a second look because we have made these important programmatic changes that have made us much more competitive with other jurisdictions.”

Washington has approved the transfer of thousands of Extended Range Attack Munitions (ERAM) to Ukraine, which will provide the country with a powerful new and relatively low-cost standoff strike capability, it has been reported. However, it’s unclear whether Kyiv will be able to use the new weapon to strike targets deep within Russia, with unnamed U.S. officials telling the Wall Street Journal that such targets are off-limits, at least for the U.S.-donated Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).

According to the WSJ, the Trump administration last week approved the sale of 3,350 ERAM missiles to Ukraine. The weapons, which have a range between 150-280 miles and are stated to be air-launched, at least initially, should start to arrive in around six weeks. “Several” unnamed U.S. officials told the same publication that ERAM use would require prior approval from the Pentagon, due to the fact that it could strike targets relatively deep within Russia.

The ERAM package is said to be worth around $850 million, including undisclosed other items, with most of the funds for this coming from Ukraine’s European allies. The deal was delayed until after U.S. President Donald Trump’s summit meetings with Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

In January 2024, the U.S. Air Force issued its first public contracting notice regarding ERAM, a request for information (RFI), but made no mention at that time about any connection to Ukraine.

Then, in July last year, the service disclosed that Ukraine was the intended recipient of ERAM, a precision-guided air-launched standoff munition that it was poised to start developing. A request for proposals (RFP) called for proposals from 16 companies, without naming them.

Included among those 16 companies, are CoAspire and Zone 5 Technologies. Of these, Zone 5 is also involved in the U.S. Air Force’s Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV). Under this program, the service has picked four companies to build prototypes of a relatively low-cost and readily producible missile, with the aim of informing future cruise missile concepts. This is far from the first project of this kind to explore similar and related technologies. It’s not clear if the Zone 5 offering for ETAM is the same as that for ETV.

As for CoAspire, as well as ERAM, this firm is actively involved in a jointly funded U.S. Air Force and Navy project called the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM), which has been described in very similar terms to ETV.

Once again, we don’t know at this point the exact relationship between the company’s ERAM and RAACM offerings, let alone whether either of CoAspire or Zone 5 will be building missiles for the Ukrainian contract. There are many other possibilities here, not least more than a dozen companies that we don’t know about and that were issued an RFP. Looking at the same kind of space more broadly, it is clearly a growth area among defense contractors, both well-established ones like Lockheed Martin and relative newcomers such as Anduril and Kratos.

The RFP said that ERAM would be “pivotal for accelerating Ukraine’s capability to meet warfighter needs efficiently and effectively, and provides an affordable mass weapon to be produced at scale.” The Air Force added: “The Government is seeking to prototype and adapt commercial autonomous modular open-architecture vehicle [sic] that can deliver affordable long-range effects. The resultant prototype will provide a platform that is mass producible.”

ERAM will provide the Ukrainian Air Force with an important new capacity to strike targets beyond the reach of many of the weapons currently in its arsenal, including Western-supplied precision-guided bombs. It would make Ukraine better able to hold at risk a range of Russian targets far from the front lines — command-and-control facilities, logistics hubs, military-industrial capacity, and airfields, for example — helping offset Russian advantages in terms of manpower, weaponry, and resources.

Previously, Ukraine received Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) and Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) from the United States, as well as French-made Hammer guided bombs. All of which can hit targets out to distances of around 40 to 45 miles, depending on the release envelope and other factors. Ukraine has also received smaller numbers of Storm Shadow cruise missiles from the United Kingdom and Italy, and functionally identical SCALP-EGs from France that have maximum ranges of around 300 miles.

As well as its range parameters, some other specifications for the ERAM were disclosed in the RFI. In particular, the missile will be in the 500-pound class required and will have “a top speed of no less than Mach 0.6.” The weapon is required to have a “blast/fragmentation type with at least some degree of penetrating capability and unspecified variable fuze settings.”

“The ERAM’s internal navigation system has to be ‘capable of operating in a GPS degraded environment,’” the RFI continues. “The weapon also needs to have a ‘terminal Accuracy’ of ‘CEP 50 w/in 10m’ (meaning the weapon hits within 10 meters, or around 33 feet, of the specified impact point at least 50 percent of the time) in ‘both in non-EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) and high EMI environments (includes GPS degraded).’”

Russian forces have reportedly been using electronic warfare systems to good effect against GPS-assisted guidance packages used on a variety of air and ground-launched munitions that Ukraine has received from the United States and other Western partners. The ability of standoff precision-guided munitions to still operate effectively in the face of heavy electronic warfare jamming is also an area of considerable interest to the U.S. military.

Just as important to Ukraine are the significant numbers of missiles involved: the 3,350 ERAM rounds will go some way to helping offset the huge advances in Russian long-range precision weapons capabilities, especially the Shahed/Geran one-way attack drones. At this point in the conflict, sheer capacity is becoming critical to Ukraine to keep pressure on Russia via long-range strikes.

It’s unclear what aircraft the ERAM missile will be launched from, but Ukraine has adapted its Soviet-era MiG-29 Fulcrum, Su-24 Fencer, and Su-27 Flanker tactical jets to deliver Western-supplied precision ordnance. The MiG-29 and Su-27 have also been fitted with specialized pylons and tablet-based cockpit interfaces that make it easier to employ GPS-guided weapons. The Ukrainian Air Force has also received second-hand F-16s, which would be another possible candidate. It should also be noted that while publicly released answers to questions from prospective ERAM vendors have specifically discussed launch from aircraft, this might be just one mode of launch for what is already shaping up to be a highly modular weapon.

Last year, Lt. Gen. Serhii Naev, commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that unspecified air-to-ground missiles with ranges of between 186 to 310 miles were expected to be provided to arm the F-16. While it’s possible he may have been referring to ERAM, there are other possibilities, as TWZ explored at the time.

Another key aspect of the original RFI was the requirement that 1,000 examples of the new missile could be built within two years, for an average production output of around 42 per month.

This also relates to increasing U.S. military interest in weapons, especially those with standoff range, that can be rapidly developed and then their production capacity and stockpiles scaled up, something that is seen as vital when it comes to planning around a potential future high-end conflict with China.

With that in mind, ERAM should also be a very useful real-world learning opportunity for the United States.

Most immediately, though, the ERAM missile helps meet Ukrainian demand for weapons that can engage targets deeper behind the front lines, reducing the launch aircraft’s exposure to highly capable Russian air defenses. Potentially, depending on its propulsion system and flight profile, Ukrainian pilots might be able to launch ERAM from lower altitudes, further improving their chances of survival, and still hit targets at extended distances. For now, these details about the weapon remain unknown.

Then there is the consideration about what kinds of targets the Pentagon will allow Ukraine to go after with ERAM.

Citing two unnamed U.S. officials, the WSJ reports that, “for months,” the U.S. Department of Defense has prohibited Ukraine from using long-range missiles to strike targets deep within Russia. Since late spring, the report continues, Ukraine has been blocked from using ATACMS against targets in Russia.

On at least one occasion, a Ukrainian request to use ATACMS against a target on Russian territory was rejected, the two officials said.

In his final year in office, President Joe Biden finally authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike objectives in Russia, starting with the Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a ground advance into Russia, before extending that authorization into other areas, according to reports. There remains some confusion here, however, since the U.S. State Department has also said that its policy on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons had not changed.

The apparent policy change by the Trump administration seems to be connected to efforts to bring the Kremlin into peace talks and find a resolution to the conflict.

Amid the latest reports on weapons restrictions, Zelensky has talked up Ukraine’s ability to strike targets in Russia using domestically produced weapons.

“At present, honestly, we are using our long-range weapons of domestic production,” Zelensky said, during a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “And lately, we have not been discussing such matters with the U.S.,” he added.

Zelensky’s words follow the public unveiling of the locally produced Flamingo ground-launched long-range cruise missile last week. This weapon has a reported range of 1,864 miles (3,000 kilometers) and a powerful warhead, making it a much farther-reaching and more destructive weapon than any missile or one-way-attack drone available to Ukraine now.

Efrem Lukatsky, head of the AP photo service, published a very interesting teaser: “Ukrainian-made over 3,000 km range Flamingo missiles, which were launched into serial production, are seen in a workshop of one of the country’s leading Fire Point defence company in an… pic.twitter.com/i1qvFDgaW4

— Denis Danilov (@DenisDanilovL) August 17, 2025

Since then, Ukraine has shown off another long-range cruise missile from domestic production. This is the so-called Long Neptune, an extended-range version of the land-attack version of the Neptune anti-ship missile. Ukraine famously used Neptune missiles to sink the Russian Navy’s Slava class cruiser Moskva in 2022 and reportedly began developing a new land-attack version in 2023.

In the past, the maximum stated range of the anti-ship version of Neptune has been said to be around 190 miles (300 kilometers). A Ukrainian defense official told TWZ that the original land-attack version could have a range of up to 225 miles (360 kilometers). With its extended body having capacity for additional fuel, Zelensky has said the range of the Long Neptune is in the region of 620 miles (1,000 kilometers). Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president says that the new version has already been tested in combat.

A first official look at Ukraine’s other operational land attack cruise missile; the Long Neptune.

The Neptune LACM reportedly has a range of roughly 1000km, and has already seen combat this year. pic.twitter.com/cPHJ5sjZlu

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 25, 2025

For the time being, it’s unclear to what degree Ukraine will be able to use ERAM missiles against targets deeper inside Russia.

Even without that possibility, however, the new weapon will be of value to Ukraine, and its relevance also extends to the U.S. military.

In addition, while the Air Force says ERAM is ostensibly for Ukraine, it is not hard to see how the service or other branches of the U.S. military might also be interested in this weapon.

Already, the Pentagon is looking to develop and field weapons in this class, and domestic interest in the ERAM would not be surprising.

There are, meanwhile, U.S. efforts aimed at reducing costs and speeding up large-scale production of other systems, especially uncrewed platforms, which also parallel plans to prepare missile stockpiles for any future high-end conflict, especially one against China.

In the immediate future, the lower-cost, easier-to-produce ERAM should provide a significant boost to the Ukrainian Air Force. Looking further ahead, weapons like this may well be critical to the U.S. military’s potential to wage war against higher-end adversaries.

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Puerto Rican pop visionary Rauw Alejandro will be honored at the 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards.

On Wednesday, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation announced that the singer-songwriter will receive the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Award for Vision, a title that honors his groundbreaking contributions to Latin music and his role in shaping its global future.

“As an artist in constant motion, Rauw Alejandro embodies the very essence of the vision award, bold in creativity, future-focused in his global impact and unapologetically original in everything he does,” says Antonio Tijerino, president and chief executive of HHF. “His work is not just music, it’s a movement that confirms what Latin artists mean to the world.”

The award, established by the White House in 1998, is bestowed on notable public figures for their accomplishments and cultural contributions to the Latino community. Past honorees, specifically in the vision category, include Wisin, Ivy Queen, Bad Bunny, Residente and more.

The 32-year-old songwriter from San Juan welcomed the award with an unveiling of his own: the title of his next album, “Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0.”

“This is just the beginning … with my next project ‘Capítulo 0’ I want to keep showcasing not only Puerto Rico, but the full essence of the Caribbean.”

News of this honor should not come as a surprise to those who have been following Rauw Alejandro’s career and hustle. His 2020 debut album, “Afrodisíaco,” earned him his first Grammy nomination for best urban music album, as well as a Grammy nod for best new artist.

Throughout the years, the eclectic singer-songwriter and dance phenom has innovated the Latin music scene with the release of experimental albums like his electronic and R&B-inspired LP, “Vice Versa,” in 2021; his techno-infused psychedelic album, “Saturno,” in 2022; and his beachy follow-up, “Playa Saturno,” in 2023.

In 2024, Rauw Alejandro released his fifth studio album, “Cosa Nuestra,” a project inspired by New York City’s salsa music scene in the 1970s. Upon its release, the record landed him the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Latin Albums chart, and No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The critically-acclaimed album is likely to claim top prizes at the upcoming 2025 Latin Grammys.

“‘Cosa Nuestra’ has always been my way of representing my island, my culture, and my people — wherever they may be,” said Rauw Alejandro in a statement. “Every detail — the beats, the visuals, the dancing — reflects part of our Puerto Rican roots and our connection with other sister cultures, because we’ve been shaping the history of music for a long time.”

The 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards will take place on Sept. 4 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. To date, this year’s honorees include NPR’s Felix Contreras, stoner comic Cheech Marin, Rizos Curls chief executive Julissa Prado and more.

Stoner comedy legend, actor and Chicano art curator collector Cheech Marin will be honored this year at the 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation named Marin as a recipient of the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Award for the arts on Tuesday, one of several honors bestowed on notable public figures for their accomplishments and cultural contributions to the Latino communities.

Past awardees at the Hispanic Heritage Awards include Bad Bunny, America Ferrera, Becky G, J Balvin and others. Marin will be awarded alongside National Public Radio journalist and “Alt.Latino” host Felix Contreras and Rizos Curls co-founder and CEO Julissa Prado.

“I’m extremely honored to be receiving this Hispanic Heritage for Arts Award,” Marin said in a press release. “I accept this recognition with deep gratitude and a commitment to continue uplifting voices, building bridges, and honoring the legacy of those who came before us.”

Having spent his childhood in South-Central L.A. and the San Fernando Valley, Marin’s comedy career kicked off in the late 1960s, when he fled to Canada to avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War. It was during that time that he first met his future comedy partner Tommy Chong — and the rest is burned into history.

“For over five decades, Cheech Marin has reflected our cultural impact on America and the world as a comedian, actor, director, art collector, and humanitarian,” said Antonio Tijerino, the president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, in a press release. “His groundbreaking work has not only entertained but enlightened. We are thrilled to pay tribute to Cheech and the other 2025 Honorees and tell their stories to inspire, unite, and mobilize other generations.”

Cheech and Chong’s blazing success first reached national attention after the release of their first comedy album “Cheech and Chong” in 1971. The 11-track LP was nominated for a comedy recording award at the 1972 Grammy Awards and generated the famous “Dave’s not here” line. Their second album, “Big Bambú,” was nominated for a Grammy in the same category at the 1973 award ceremony.

In 1978, the duo released the stoner comedy feature film, “Up in Smoke,” which was based in L.A. Though it was critically panned, the film became a cult classic and was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2024.

Marin’s 1987 film “Born in East L.A.” — which includes a spoof of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” — was acclaimed by critics for blending of comedy with such serious subject matters as deportation and living as an undocumented person in the U.S.

“Without saying so much as a single word that could be even remotely described as preachy, Cheech Marin makes his points about the second-class nature of American citizenship for ethnic minorities and the desperate situation in which illegal aliens find themselves,” The Times wrote in a 1987 review of the movie.

In recent years, Marin is perhaps best known for his work as a collector of Chicano art. After being a lifelong gatherer of art, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum opened to the public in June 2022.

Many consider the museum to be the largest private collection of Chicano art in the world, with more than 550 paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs from Marin’s personal collection will be on permanent rotation. Nicknamed “the Cheech,” the 61,420-square-foot, two-story art museum and education center resides in what used to be the downtown Riverside Public Library, and has displayed works by artists Chaz Bojorquez, Judithe Hernández, Frank Romero, Patssi Valdez and others. It’s considered the only permanent art space to exclusively showcase Chicano and Mexican American art in the country.

“You don’t have to be Chicano to love and appreciate this work,” Marin told The Times in 2022. “Just like I don’t have to be French to appreciate Impressionism or German to appreciate Expressionism. We recognize it as part of the conversation in the history of art. And now we are part of that conversation in a more concentrated effort than we’ve ever had before.”

Englishmen Black, Richardson and Hylton plus Welsh duo Thomas and Baulch were belatedly presented with their gold medals at Saturday’s Diamond League meeting at a sold-out London Stadium.

“It’s been hanging over us for a very, very long time. I mean, 28 years is a long time so yesterday really completed it. It was great,” added Black.

“In some ways, it was more special because we were there with our families and our kids, who obviously weren’t born back then.

“I think Jamie had a baby then but we were able to share it with our families and you don’t get to do that, do you?

“Also, more importantly, we shared it with 60,000 British fans in there and a lot of them supported us back in the day.

“I think pulling that together, it was actually a surprisingly emotional moment and we loved it. It was really special.”

Cherry Alexander, UK Athletics’ strategic lead for major events, said: “We’re proud to be able to give these athletes their moment in front of a home crowd.

“It’s a chance to recognise not just their talent, but the values they stood for. This medal means even more because of how long they’ve waited for it.”

NPR is receiving a highly symbolic financial boost days before Congress is expected to vote on the fate of federal funding that supports the news and culture nonprofit.

Ann Philbin, former director and current director emeritus of the Hammer Museum at UCLA, has been named this year’s Getty Prize recipient. The honor comes with a $500,000 grant for a nonprofit of the winner’s choice, and Philbin has selected NPR and its Los Angeles member stations, KCRW and LAist.

The prize is considered the Getty’s highest honor and recognizes what the institution calls “cultural leaders whose work expands human understanding and appreciation of arts and culture.” Previous awardees include Frank Gehry, Mark Bradford, Ed Ruscha, Yo-Yo Ma and Thelma Golden.

“I wanted to shine a light on one of the most pressing issues of our day,” Philbin said in a phone interview. “And that’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press.”

Philbin said she requested that half of the Getty grant go to NPR and the other half to be split between KCRW and LAist.

“Those two radio stations for me — and I think for so many Angelenos who spend so much time in their cars — are constant companions,” Philbin said. “We listen to them all the time, and they’re precious to us. To even think about the fact that they might not exist is unbearable.”

NPR Chief Executive Katherine Maher in May filed a lawsuit against President Trump after he issued an executive order directing the Corp. for Public Broadcasting to freeze all funding to NPR and PBS. She said Philbin’s decision to split the donation between NPR and its local affiliates showed a level of understanding about the interdependency of the local and national radio platforms not often mirrored in the national conversation.

“It is an extraordinary gift at an extraordinary time with real, material impact for the stations,” Maher said.

Congress has until the end of the week to vote on a White House proposal known as the rescission bill that would claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and more than $500 million per year in federal funding already approved for the Corp. for Public Broadcasting, which funnels financial support to NPR and PBS as well as local public radio and TV stations across the country.

Trump has been adamant that his allies vote in favor of the rescission package, writing on Truth Social last week that he will withhold support and endorsements from any Republican who doesn’t vote in its favor. He called the Corp. for Public Broadcasting, NPR and PBS “a monstrosity.”

The proposed cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would total $1.1 billion over the next two years. Federal funding accounts for about 15% of PBS’ budget and 1% of NPR’s budget, according to NPR, but local stations would be the hardest hit and some may not survive, Maher said. If they vanished, she added, they would take with them the kind of hyper-local, community-based reporting that helps forge and maintain a sense of place, identity and purpose, particularly in rural communities.

“That impact is something that is hard to conceptualize, even when you are a member of Congress who represents some of these communities,” Maher said. “Because you spend so much time living with one foot in the world of places like Washington, D.C., and very little time in the areas of the country where broadband services are not reliable or easily available, and cellphone service is not necessarily consistent and universal.”

Philbin noted that NPR’s mission statement is to create a more informed public and to celebrate the diversity of the human experience, and that those values are being challenged by a storm of misinformation.

The Getty Prize was founded in 2013 as the Getty Medal. It was initially given to several individuals each year, but last year it transformed into its current incarnation, honoring a single person who chooses the “pay-it-forward” grant recipient.

Last year’s honoree was Mark Bradford, who chose to steer the grant money to the Arts for Healing and Justice Network, which brings arts programming to minors in the juvenile justice system.

July 9 (UPI) — Legendary cyclist Greg Lemond on Wednesday became the first cyclist and 10th athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

Lemond, 64, joins the likes of Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Billie Jean King and Jack Nicklaus in being so honored by Congress.

Lemond was the first American to win the Tour de France with a victory in 1986 and won two others in 1989 and 1990.

He also is the only American to officially win the prestigious, multiday cycling event following disqualifications of Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis over doping allegations, USA Today reported.

A strong and faithful support system

“Throughout his life, Greg has put his talent and success to good use, speaking up for children and our military veterans, for fairness in the sport and for the next generation of cyclists, ” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during Wednesday’s award event.

“As Greg will tell you, no race gets easier, and no great victory is won all alone,” Johnson continued. “Behind every champion stands a strong and faithful support system.”

Johnson cited Lemond’s wife, Kathy, and his extended family as the cyclist’s support system and acknowledged their attendance at the Gold Medal ceremony.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., called Lemond an “American and worldwide cycling legend” who initially was a skier but began cycling as a way to stay in shape during the off season at age 13.

“Once he got on two wheels, he had a new passion,” Thompson said of Lemond.

“After just one year of training, Greg placed second in his first club ride,” Thompson said, “He rode in a tank top, jogging shorts and tennis shoes.”

Lemond “didn’t have the right gear or the right bike, but it didn’t matter,” Thompson added. “His rocket-ship rise to success had begun.”

Honoring people, places and moments

Lemond and his family joined Johnson and other lawmakers on the stage for the medal presentation.

“The honor is more than I ever expected, and I accept it with deep gratitude and a profound sense of humility,” Lemond said of the Congressional Gold Medal.

“Today isn’t just about reflecting on my own journey,” Lemond told the audience. “It’s also about honoring the people, places and moments that shaped it.”

He thanked his parents and family for their support and all of the teammates who helped make him a champion.

“Cycling was an unusual sport for a 14-year-old kid in 1976,” Lemond said. “I didn’t even know the sport existed until one day a bicycle race passed my home.”

Lemond said he became “passionately obsessed with racing” after winning his first cycling event and “believed that, as an America, if I worked hard enough, anything was possible.”

His dream was to become the world’s best cyclist, so he moved to Europe at age 19 to make it happen.

Just a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid

“I brought an American attitude to the sport of cycling,” Lemond said. “I was open to new ideas and bringing innovation and technology to a very traditional sport. That was a huge competitive advantage.”

He said Europeans taught him a lot and embraced him as “le American.”

“I was just a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid from America, and for some reason, that resonated with people,” Lemond said. “I think Europeans saw in me what the U.S. has meant to Europe at critical times — as an ally, a liberator and a friend.”

He recalled a recent encounter in a village of about 80 people in the French Alps, where he said an old man approached him and announced he was the one who invented the carbon fiber disc wheels that Lemond was the first to use and that helped him to win the 1986 Tour de France.

Lemond told the man he wished he still had those wheels. The man told him they were in his mother’s garage and asked if he would like to have them.

“They were the first carbon fiber wheels to win the Tour de France,” Lemond said.

A legacy of sacrifice and courage

Lemond, his wife, Kathy, and the man walked to the 104-year-old woman’s home, where the old woman hugged him, invited them into her home.

She had an old U.S. flag and lots of American-related memorabilia in her home and told Lemond and Kathy that she witnessed the Nazis occupy France in 1940.

Her brothers fled into the mountains to join the resistance, and she rode her bicycle through the countryside to deliver food and information, Lemond told the audience.

“Sadly, one of her brothers was killed in the fighting, and then the Americans came,” he said.

The woman told him Americans saved her father, her family and her country.

“She cried as she told us, and so did we,” Lemond said. “That moment has stayed with me.

“It reminded me that being an American, especially abroad, carries a legacy of sacrifice, of courage and showing up when it matters most,” he said. “So I am honored beyond words to receive this Congressional Gold Medal.”

Lemond said the honor isn’t his alone and belongs to every teammate, supporter, family member and to “all the extraordinary Americans whose courage and sacrifice made my life possible.”

Greatest U.S. cyclist who raced clean

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest award that a civilian can receive from Congress, which Congress initially awarded to Lemond in 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed Lemond’s receipt of the Gold Medal until Wednesday.

Lemond was born in northern California and grew up in Reno, Nev., where he was graduated from Wooster High School in 1979 and soon after pursued his cycling dreams in Europe.

He is considered the greatest U.S. cyclist who did not resort to performance-enhancing drugs to become a champion.

Lemond’s final two wins came he was nearly killed when accidentally shot during a turkey hunt on his family’s ranch in northern California in 1987.

His 8-second margin of victory during the 1989 race is the closest in the history of the Tour de France, which covers more than 2,000 miles in the French Alps over 21 stages each summer.

It is one of the world’s most popular sporting events and its oldest and most prestigious cycling race.

In January, as wildfires tore through greater Los Angeles, more than 7,500 emergency personnel mobilized — confronting searing heat and extreme winds, trying to contain the devastation.

Among them stood an Olympic gold medalist and a professional soccer champion.

L.A. County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan, former athletes who were among the 7,500 emergency personnel who responded to the January wildfires in Southern California, earned them this year’s Pat Tillman Award for Service that will be presented at the ESPY Awards.

The award — named after Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety who left the NFL to enlist in the Army following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and was killed in action — celebrates those with deep ties to sports who have served others, embodying Tillman’s legacy.

Years before joining the fire department, Walters helped the U.S. win the 4×200-meter freestyle relay gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. He swam the lead leg in the preliminaries, helping the team set an Olympic record that paved the way for a world-record win in the final.

During the fires, Walters recounted the exhausting conditions as crews fought blazes that scorched nearly 38,000 acres — claiming the lives of 30 people and destroying homes, businesses and landmarks in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades.

“We’re pretty much trying to keep what is left here standing,” Walters told NewsNation. “So we’re not laying down. We’re staying in our position — that’s correct, I did sleep on top of the hose bed last night, just staying ready to do what we can still do.”

Walters told ESPN he is honored to serve Los Angeles.

“This has been a challenging year, but also a rewarding one as we watched the Los Angeles community come together to support their neighbors,” he said in ESPN’s award announcement.

Regan, who joined the department in 2008, once anchored the Washington Freedom to a Women’s United Soccer Assn. title following a stellar goalkeeping career at Wake Forest, where she earned first-team All-ACC honors and broke multiple school records.

Outside of firehouse duties, Regan champions female representation in the fire service. She co-founded Girls’ Fire Camp, a one-day program introducing young girls to firefighting, and launched the Women’s Fire Prep Academy, offering mentorship and hands-on training for aspiring female firefighters.

“My career choice was inspired by my family’s history of public service, so receiving this award is a tribute to the many great influences that shaped my upbringing,” Regan said in ESPN’s award announcement. “As first responders, we take pride in hard work and serving others, and I’m truly humbled to be recognized alongside incredible heroes like Pat Tillman.”

The ESPYs, hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, will air on ABC and stream on ESPN+ on July 16 at 8 p.m. PDT.

MILLIONS of Vodafone and Three customers are set for a huge boost to their mobile signal as the newly-merged mega network reveals its £11billion grand plans.

A major improvement to services will start for more than seven million users of Three and its budget sub-brand SMARTY in just two weeks time.

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Customers will receive a 20 per cent average speed uplift on 4G.

And within a few months, 27million mobile subscribers across both Vodafone and Three will benefit from better signal with shared access across both networks at no extra cost, the new joint VodafoneThree firm claims.

This will eradicate dreaded “not spots” from 16,500 sq/km of the country – the equivalent to 10x the size of London.

VodafoneThree has confirmed that its various brands will remain separate.

This not only includes Vodafone and Three, but also VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile which piggyback on their network kit.

However, Vodafone will be the only brand for business customers.

“A new era of connectivity has begun,” said Max Taylor, CEO of VodafoneThree.

“We will connect every nation, every community, in every corner of the UK.

“We will build the UK’s best 5G network with an unprecedented £11bn privately funded infrastructure project, laying the digital foundation for our country’s growth ambitions.”

The network is pledging to bring 99.95 per cent of the population 5G Standalone – the fastest version of 5G speed around – by 2034.

And by this time next year, bosses are planning to launch trials of space-based satellite mobile network coverage too to eliminate even more “not spots”.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “I’m delighted that this huge investment is being made in mobile phone network infrastructure, better connecting people with families, loved ones and work by providing stronger, more widespread 5G coverage.”

BROADBAND SHAKE-UP

Changes are afoot for broadband services too.

Three’s brand will disappear from its mobile broadband over the next 12 months and brought together with Vodafone’s Full Fibre, all under the Vodafone name.

The firm has announced a new partnership with Community Fibre on top of existing deals with CityFibre and Openreach.

Two extra customer care centres are opening in Belfast and Sheffield as well, bringing 400 jobs back to the UK.

Vodafone and Three both operate their own stores across the country but the company says it has “no planned retail redundancies”.

The £16.5billion tie-up makes VodafoneThree the UK’s biggest mobile network.

WILL PRICES RISE?

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun

All these changes sound pretty exciting – but most customers will be wondering if it will cost them more.

VodafoneThree says its mobile network boost comes at “no extra cost”.

And bosses have insisted as much to get the deal over the line for months.

Vodafone’s CEO Margherita Della Valle told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in December that the merger would cause “no extra costs from public funding and no extra cost for our customers”.

The company has had to agree to a number of legally binding commitments to win the approval of the competition regulator CMA.

One of those was a cap on “selected mobile tariffs and data plans” for three years.

As things stand Vodafone, Three and sub-brands VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile, will continue to sell their own mobile products, so it shouldn’t result in less choice or competition.

Former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer prevailed in court Monday, when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered the woman who accused him of sexual assault to pay more than $300,000 for violating the terms of a settlement agreement.

Bauer and Lindsey Hill, the woman whose 2021 allegations triggered a Major League Baseball investigation that resulted in Bauer’s suspension, settled dueling lawsuits two years ago. He had sued her for defamation, she had sued him for assault and sexual battery, and the parties agreed that neither had paid any money to the other.

In an email to Bauer’s attorneys, Hill’s attorneys said she would receive $300,000 from her insurance policy. On Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel Crowley ordered Hill to pay $309,832.02.

After the settlement, Hill claimed on social media that Bauer “handed back an insurance sum to me that was meant for him in order for me to drop my countersuit.”

Bauer sued her in October, citing 21 similar claims on a podcast or on social media — all of them alleged violations of a settlement provision forbidding her from saying Bauer or any representative “paid her any money as consideration for the settlement.” Each alleged violation cost $10,000, according to the terms of the settlement agreement.

Hill did not contest or respond to the suit. After telling Bauer’s attorneys in February they had not made a strong enough case and then telling them in April they had not justified their fees, Crowley granted Bauer a victory by default and ruled his attorneys had produced “sufficient evidence to justify the award.”

The award included $220,000 for the 22 violations of the agreement. The remaining money requested by Bauer’s attorneys and approved by Crowley covered attorney fees and costs, plus interest on the award.

On Tuesday, after her X account had been deactivated, Hill resumed posting there and acknowledged she had “refused to participate in this suit in any way shape or form.” She nonetheless said she would appeal and “further delay any shot he ever had at getting his career back.”

Wrote Hill: “He will never see a cent from me.”

SKY customers can finally take advantage of a streaming perk months after a dreaded downgrade came into force.

Many TV and movie apps have introduced ads now, with an option to pay extra to remove them.

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In January, Sky customers were warned that their Paramount+ access would now be ad-based.

Sky Cinema subscribers get access to Paramount+ at no extra cost.

However, the change strangely didn’t include an option to upgrade for those wanting to avoid the ads.

But thanks to a new update, Sky customers can now choose an ad-free option instead.

What’s more, customers get money off compared to subscribing directly to Paramount+.

“Finally no ads so I can get back to watching South Park and Nobland with no interuptions!” one viewer wrote on Sky’s forum.

“This is good news,” another commented.

Sky customers can subscribe to Paramount+ standard – which has no ads – for £3 extra per month.

Usually, the standard plan costs £7.99 per month.

For those who want 4K quality as well as a screen allowance boost and no ads, it’s £6 extra.

That’s instead of the £10.99 you would have to pay for it directly.

Sky Cinema costs £10 per month and comes with two free cinema tickets for Vue Cinemas each month.

PARAMOUNT+ PRICES AND PERKS

In November, Paramount+ announced a new pricing structure.

Before then, there was just one standard plan costing £7.99.

Since November, there have been three.

The cheapest is £4.99 with ads, the ability to watch on one device at a time and only full HD quality – you also don’t have the privilege to download shows offline.

Paramount+’s new standard plan is £6.99 per month, allowing up to two concurrent streams in full HD and you can download content to watch on the go.

The premium plan is £10.99 per month, with up to four devices allowed to watch at the same time, as well as 4K UHD, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on selected titles.

Departing midfielder Kevin de Bruyne will receive a farewell from Manchester City after his final home game against Bournemouth on Tuesday.

The Belgian announced last month he will leave City after 10 years when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old has won 16 trophies since joining from Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.

De Bruyne, though, missed the opportunity to bring his City career to a dream finish when they lost Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

Manager Pep Guardiola did not confirm whether De Bruyne would start against Bournemouth, saying: “Kevin will get what he deserves. That is the best compliment for his incredible trajectory.

“What he has done with other legends in the club, it would not have been possible since Sheikh Mansour took over the club to reach another level.”

The game will be his last at Etihad Stadium and he will be afforded a guard of honour from team-mates at coaches at full-time.

De Bruyne will give a short speech on the pitch and be presented with gifts by the wife and son of late club legend Colin Bell, before heading on a lap of appreciation with the other players.

City end the campaign with a trip to Fulham on Sunday (16:00 BST), which is likely to be De Bruyne’s last game for the club.

The side compete in this summer’s Club World Cup in the USA, which starts on 14 June, but De Bruyne said he “probably” will not play in the tournament for City as injury could scupper plans to find a new club.