strike

From Jack Harris: The Phillies seemed rattled. The Dodgers looked confident. And the Chavez Ravine crowd was excitedly smelling blood.

Early in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday, the Dodgers had all the momentum. They’d already taken each of the first two games of this best-of-five set in Philadelphia. Their best pitcher this season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, had started his night with three scoreless innings. The Phillies, most of all, appeared to be pressing, with Trea Turner leading the game off with a curious bunt and Brandon Marsh misplaying a ball in the bottom of the first with an over-aggressive dive that gifted Mookie Betts a triple.

Then, after a questionable pitching change from Phillies manager Rob Thomson in the bottom of the third, Tommy Edman greeted newly inserted left-hander Ranger Suárez with a leadoff home run to open the scoring.

As Edman rounded the bases, and Dodger Stadium erupted around him, the Dodgers looked well on their way to an NL Championship Series berth.

In postseason baseball, however, momentum can be a fickle thing. Every new inning brings the potential for a plot twist. Every at-bat carries the threat of a turning point. And every single pitch can prove to be the difference.

“You never know in the playoffs,” Kiké Hernández said before the game, “which pitch is going to win you a game.”

On Wednesday, in the Phillies’ come-from-behind, elimination-staving 8-2 victory, the pitch that swung the Dodgers’ loss came with no outs in the fourth.

Continue reading here

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Dodgers box score

MLB POSTSEASON SCHEDULE, RESULTS

NL Division Series
All times Pacific

Dodgers vs. Philadelphia
Dodgers 5, at Philadelphia 3 (box score)
Dodgers 4, at Philadelphia 3 (box score)
Philadelphia 8, at Dodgers 2 (box score)
Thursday at Dodgers, 3 p.m., TBS
*Saturday at Philadelphia, 5 p.m., TBS

Chicago vs. Milwaukee
at Milwaukee 9, Chicago 3 (box score)
at Milwaukee 7, Chicago 3 (box score)
at Chicago 4, Milwaukee 3 (box score)
Thursday at Chicago, 6 p.m., TBS
*Saturday at Milwaukee, 1:30 p.m., TBS

AL Division Series

Detroit vs. Seattle
Detroit 3, at Seattle 2 (11) (box score)
at Seattle 3, Detroit 2 (box score)
Seattle 8, at Detroit 4 (box score)
at Detroit 9, Seattle 3 (box score)
Friday at Seattle, 1:40 p.m., FS1

New York vs. Toronto
at Toronto 10, New York 1 (box score)
at Toronto 13, New York 7 (box score)
at New York 9, Toronto 6 (box score)
Toronto 5, at New York 2 (box score)

*-if necessary

KINGS

Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore scored during the shootout and the Kings spoiled Pavel Dorofeyev’s hat trick and Mitch Marner’s debut in a Vegas uniform with a 6-5 win over the Golden Knights on Wednesday night.

After squandering a pair of two-goal leads in the second period, and falling behind by two goals in the third, the Kings bounced back from Tuesday’s season-opening loss to Colorado.

Moore and Brandt Clarke scored late in the third to tie the game and force overtime after Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored to give Vegas a 5-3 lead.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

LAFC

Jeremy Ebobisse scored in the 13th minute, substitute Frankie Amaya added a second-half goal, and LAFC beat Toronto 2-0 on Wednesday night for its sixth straight victory.

LAFC (17-7-8) secured the club’s fourth six-game winning streak — with a chance to match its longest regular-season streak of seven on Sunday at Austin. LAFC moved within one point of San Diego and Vancouver for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Toronto (5-14-14) entered with eight consecutive draws in league play since Aug. 9 — the longest tie streak in MLS history.

Continue reading here

LAFC summary

MLS standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1943 — Bob Hoernschemeyer throws six touchdown passes, an NCAA record for a freshman, to lead Indiana past Nebraska 54-13.

1965 — The United States wins the Ryder Cup 19½-12½ at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Arnold Palmer clinches the title, beating Peter Butler 2 up. It’s the 13th victory for the Americans in this event, which began in 1927. Britain, a three-time winner, last won in 1957.

1974 — The Washington Capitals lose their first NHL game, 6-3 to the Rangers at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

1982 — Al Del Greco kicks six field goals for all of Auburn’s points in an 18-3 triumph over Kentucky.

1983 — Buffalo’s Joe Ferguson passes for 419 yards and five touchdowns in an 38-35 overtime win against Miami. Uwe Von Schamann of the Dolphins misses two field goals in the overtime and Joe Danelo ends the game with a 36-yard field goal.

1991 — The San Jose Sharks gain their first NHL victory, defeating the Calgary Flames 4-3.

1993 — Minnesota’s Scott Eckers passes for 402 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in his first college start, sending the Gophers past Purdue 59-56.

1993 — Carey Bender rushes 33 times for 417 yards, setting an NCAA all-division single-game rushing record, in Coe’s 69-7 Division III victory over Grinnell.

2004 — Texas Tech beats Nebraska 70-10, the worst lost in the Cornhuskers’ storied 114-year history.

2004 — Texas loses to Oklahoma 12-0, getting shut out for the first time in 282 games and ending the longest streak in the country.

2005 — Chris Burke hits a home run in the bottom of the 18th inning and Roger Clemens pitches three scoreless innings of relief in Houston’s 7-6, series-ending victory over Atlanta in the NLDS. The longest postseason game in history takes 5 hours, 50 minutes.

2010 — Mike Brinkley passes for six touchdowns and Armond Smith runs for five scores to lead Union (Ky.) to an 84-55 victory over Bethel (Tenn.) in an NAIA game.

2010 — Derek Stepan becomes the fourth player to score three times in his NHL debut to lead the New York Rangers to a season-opening 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

2011 — Sebastian Janikowski kicks four field goals, including three from at least 50 yards (54, 55, 50), in Oakland’s 25-20 win over Houston. Houston’s Matt Schaub throws for 416 yards and two touchdowns.

2011 — The NHL returns to Winnipeg, but Carey Price stops 30 shots and the Montreal Canadiens dampen a city celebration with a 5-1 victory over the Jets.

2015 — Sepp Blatter, hoping to return to power as FIFA president, is banned for 90 days, essentially ending his 17-year reign as the leader of soccer’s governing body. UEFA President Michel Platini also gets a 90-day ban following an investigation of financial misconduct at FIFA in a Swiss criminal case.

2016 — Tom Brady returns from his four-game “Deflategate” suspension, passing for 406 yards and three touchdowns to Martellus Bennett in the New England Patriots’ 33-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

2022 — Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen secures his second consecutive World F1 Drivers C’ship after finishing in front of Sergio Pérez and Charles Leclerc in the Japanese GP at Suzuka.

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1928 — World Series: NY Yankees beat St. Louis Cardinals, 7-3 at Sportsman’s Park to become first to sweep consecutive World Series; Babe Ruth hits smashes 3 HRs for Yanks.

1934 — World Series: St Louis Cardinals rout Detroit Tigers, 11-0 at Navin Field to clinch 4 games to 3 series victory and 3rd championship.

1966 — World Series: Baltimore Orioles claim first championship in franchise history; edge LA Dodgers, 1-0 at Memorial Stadium for 4-0 sweep; MVP: Orioles outfielder Frank Robinson.

1988 — Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley saves all four games in the ALCS.

2005 — Chris Burke hits a home run in the bottom of the 18th inning and Roger Clemens pitches three scoreless innings of relief in Houston’s 7-6, series-ending victory over Atlanta in the NLDS. The longest postseason game in history takes 5 hours, 50 minutes.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

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

Oct. 7 (UPI) — The Supreme Court‘s conservative justices signaled Tuesday they were likely to side with a Christian therapist who argued that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy violates her free speech rights.

The case stems from a lawsuit by Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor whose practice is based in Christianity who says the Colorado law prevents her from assisting her minor clients who seek “to live a life consistent with their faith.”

Conversion therapy can include psychological, behavioral, physical and faith-based practices that are intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identification. Opponents point to evidence that it is harmful and leads to more serious psychological problems for people who experience it. Roughly half of states have banned it.

However, the court’s justices argued whether the conversion therapy banned by Colorado’s law is harmful to minors and if it was a violation of the Constitution’s free speech protections or regulation of medical treatment.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said that Colorado’s law would mean different treatment for an adolescent male who approaches a licensed therapist hoping to lessen his attraction for other males versus another adolescent male who wants to feel something different.

“It looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination,” he said.

Colorado is one of 23 states that ban conversion therapy, which is the practice of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through therapy.

Critics call the technique a pseudoscience, and the American Psychological Association and several other mental health and LGBTQIA+ organizations have come out in opposition to its use.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said a Supreme Court ruling striking down Colorado’s law could imperil not only efforts to prevent conversion therapy but other healthcare treatments that medical experts say are harmful or ineffective.

“For centuries, states have regulated professional healthcare to protect patients from substandard treatment,” he said, according to NBC News. “Throughout that time, the First Amendment has never barred states’ ability to prohibit substandard care, regardless of whether it is carried out through words.”

James Campbell, the lawyer for Chiles argued that the studies showing the harms of conversation therapy are flawed because they lump together voluntary conversations between a client and therapist with coercive measures, like shock therapy.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal firm, is representing Chiles in the case.

Shannon Stevenson, the state’s solicitor general, argued that the harm in conversion therapy “comes from telling someone there’s something innate about yourself you can change.”

“Then you spend all kinds of time and effort trying to do that,” she said. “And you fail, but you bore the burden.

A lower court ruling said the Colorado law is a restriction on mental health treatment, not on speech. In a ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, justices said the ban aligned with medical consensus that conversion therapy is “ineffective and harmful” and “rationally serves” the interests of the state in protecting minors.

Stevenson reiterated that argument saying that “Colorado’s law regulates treatments only and because it enforces the professional standard of care,” not speech.

However, conservative members of the court didn’t seem to buy that argument.

“Just because they’re engaged in conduct doesn’t mean that their words aren’t protected,” Chief Justice John Roberts said.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of the court’s liberals, brought up how the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. She asked if Colorado’s law wasn’t just the functional equivalent” of Tennessee’s law.

“I realized that there were two different constitutional provisions at issue, but the regulations work in basically the same way, and the question of scrutiny applies in both contexts,” she said. “So it just seems odd to me that we might have a different result here.”

Hashim Mooppan, a principal deputy solicitor general representing the Trump administration, argued that Tennessee’s law concerned drugs and medical treatment while Colorado’s law was focused on what is said during talk therapy sessions.

Oct. 3 (UPI) — War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the U.S. military had sunk a “narco-trafficking” vessel in international waters near Venezuela early Friday morning.

Hegseth said the vessel carried four male “narco-terrorists,” all of whom were killed with no harm done to U.S. forces involved in the operation.

“The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics headed to America to poison our people,” Hegseth said in a social media post.

“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route,” he continued.

“These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over,” Hegseth added.

His post includes unclassified video footage showing an open vessel traveling at high speed on blue waters until it explodes.

The deadly strike is the first this month and the fourth since the Trump administration last month began targeting vessels that the military says were carrying potentially deadly and illicit drugs to the United States.

The strike occurred after the Trump administration recently notified Congress that the U.S. military is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels, many of which President Donald Trump has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

“The president has directed these strikes against Venezuelan drug cartels in these boats, consistent with his responsibility to protect the United States’ interests abroad and in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told media on Friday.

She said such military strikes fall within the president’s authority as commander in chief and as the nation’s chief executive.

The military actions have drawn scrutiny regarding their legality and among those who suggest it would be better to intercept suspected vessels and capture their crews and cargo.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., criticized Vice President JD Vance earlier praising the deadly strikes that have killed 21 in total.

Congressional Democrats on Sept. 10 sought information from the Trump administration regarding the legality of the strikes in the absence of a Congress-approved declaration of war.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has offered to hold direct talks with the Trump administration regarding the matter.

Maduro also ordered Venezuela’s military to conduct military drills following the U.S. strikes on the alleged Venezuelan drug runners.

Airlines will not know exactly how many flights they need to cancel until the action is confirmed and almost underway, but Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said he expects Ryanair to be told to cancel up to 600 daily, affecting up to 100,000 passengers.

Ryanair and easyJet have issued warnings to passengers ahead of a run of disruptive strikes that could impact more than 100,000 passengers.

The main French air traffic control union, SNCTA, has announced a strike scheduled from 7 to 10 October 2025, which is expected to trigger a large number of flight cancellations and delays throughout western Europe.

Airlines will not know exactly how many flights they need to cancel until the action is confirmed and almost under way, but Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said he expects Ryanair to be told to cancel up to 600 daily, affecting up to 100,000 passengers.

He said: “We cannot have a situation in the EU where we have a single market yet we close that market every time the French go on strike. They have the right to strike, but if flights are to be cancelled they should be flights arriving to and from France. They should not be overflights.”

Have you been impacted by the strikes? Email [email protected]

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The union’s reasons for striking include concerns over air traffic control governance, highlighting “mistrust, punitive practices, and harsh managerial methods,” along with demands for pay increases to offset inflation.

Kenton Jarvis, CEO of easyJet, said: “While this is outside of our control, we will be doing all we can to minimise the impact this will have on our customers. Our passengers and crew have been impacted by ATC related disruption for too long and so a solution must be found.

“We are calling on the new head of the French aviation authority to urgently address this issue by building more resilience into the system and crucially, by protecting overflying on strike days to ensure the travel plans of passengers whose flights do not take off or land in France are not needlessly ruined.

“We need action on this now, so the rest of Europe is not held hostage when French Air Traffic Controllers go on strike.”

This industrial action is likely to cause major disruptions, especially affecting flights crossing French airspace, with past strikes having resulted in thousands of cancellations and substantial costs for the aviation sector.

By law, airlines must reroute passengers and provide accommodation and meals for cancelled flights, regardless of the strike’s cause—though managing these obligations becomes difficult during widespread disruption.

Latest analysis by AirAdvisor shows the strike will impact over 129,600 UK passengers, with mass cancellations expected on routes to Spain, Italy, France, and beyond. AirAdvisor expects a 50-60% disruption rate, which means 240 UK flights per day or over 720 flights to and from the UK will be disrupted, affecting 129,600 Brits over three days.

According to AirAdvisor, the routes that are most vulnerable to being disrupted are:

UK to Spain (all routes except northern Spain via the Bay of Biscay)

UK to Portugal (including Madeira and Azores)

UK to Italy (especially southern Italy)

UK to Greece (western routes)

UK to the Canary Islands

UK to Morocco and Tunisia

French airspace acts as Europe’s bottleneck. More than 30% of all UK-to-Mediterranean flights, and a huge chunk of UK-Spain, UK-Italy, and UK-Portugal routes, are about to face either outright cancellation or one to four hour delays. The disruption isn’t limited to French airports, but will affect every hub from Barcelona, Madrid, and Palma to Amsterdam and Brussels.

Airlines cannot simply fly around France as alternate, oceanic or North African routes add time, cost, and complexity. Fuel, crew, and slot constraints mean not every flight gets an alternative path.

Travellers headed to Spain and Portugal from London, Manchester, and Bristol are expected to be especially hard hit, with flights being axed at the last minute and others rerouted hundreds of miles out of the way, resulting in arrivals creeping into the early hours or simply overnighting at hubs.

WASHINGTON — President Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and says the United States is now in a “non-international armed conflict,” according to a Trump administration memo obtained by the Associated Press on Thursday, following recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean.

Congress was notified about the designation by Pentagon officials on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The memo, startling in scope, signals a potential new moment not just in the Trump administration’s willingness to reach beyond the norms of presidential authority to wage war but in Trump’s stated “America First” agenda. It also raises stark questions about how far the White House intends to use its war powers and if Congress will exert its authority to approve — or ban — such military actions.

The move comes after the U.S. military last month carried out three deadly strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. At least two of those operations were carried out on vessels that originated from Venezuela.

Those strikes followed up a buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean.

“Although friendly foreign nations have made significant efforts to combat these organizations, suffering significant losses of life, these groups are now transnational and conduct ongoing attacks throughout the Western Hemisphere as organized cartels,” according to the memo, which refers to cartel members as “unlawful combatants.” “Therefore, the President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.”

Pentagon officials could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict, a matter that was a major source of frustration for some of the lawmakers who were briefed, according to the person.

Lawmakers have been pressing Trump to go to Congress and seek war powers authority for such operations.

The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. Multiple defense officials reached Thursday appeared to be caught off guard by the determination and would not immediately comment or explain what the president’s action could mean for the Pentagon or military operations going forward.

What the Trump administration laid out at the closed-door classified briefing was perceived by several senators as pursuing a new legal framework that raised questions particularly regarding the role of Congress in authorizing any such action, the person familiar with the matter said.

As the Republican administration takes aim at vessels in the Caribbean, senators and lawmakers of both major political parties have raised stark objections. Some had previously called on Congress to exert its authority under the War Powers Act that would prohibit the administration’s strikes unless they were authorized by Congress.

The first military strike, carried out on Sept. 2 on what the Trump administration said was a drug-carrying speedboat, killed 11 people. Trump claimed the boat was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, which was listed by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

The Trump administration had previously justified the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

But several senators, Democrats and some Republicans, as well as human rights groups questioned the legality of Trump’s action. They called it potential overreach of executive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes.

By claiming his campaign against drug cartels is an active armed conflict, Trump appears to be claiming extraordinary wartime powers to justify his action.

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committees, said the drug cartels are “despicable and must be dealt with by law enforcement.”

“The Trump Administration has offered no credible legal justification, evidence, or intelligence for these strikes,” said Reed, a former Army officer who served in the 82nd Airborne Division.

The Trump administration has yet to explain how the military assessed the boats’ cargo and determined the passengers’ alleged gang affiliation before the strikes.

Madhani and Mascaro write for the Associated Press. AP writer Konstatin Toropin contributed reporting.

DUBAI — President Trump has signed an executive order vowing to use all measures, including U.S. military action, to defend the energy-rich nation of Qatar — though it remains unclear just what weight the pledge will carry.

The text of the order, available Wednesday on the White House’s website but dated Monday, appears to be another measure by Trump to assure the Qataris following Israel’s surprise attack on the country targeting Hamas leaders as they weighed accepting a ceasefire with Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip.

The order cites the two countries’ “close cooperation” and “shared interest,” vowing to “guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the state of Qatar against external attack.”

“The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States,” the order says.

“In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the state of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”

The order apparently came during a visit to Washington on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump organized a call by Netanyahu to Qatar during the visit in which Netanyahu “expressed his deep regret” over the strike that killed six people, including a member of the Qatari security forces, the White House said.

Qatari officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s order. However, the Qatari-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera prominently reported about it Wednesday under the headline: “New Trump executive order guarantees Qatar security after Israeli attack.”

The true scope of the pledge remains in question. Typically, legally binding agreements, or treaties, need to receive the approval of the U.S. Senate. However, presidents have entered international agreements without the Senate’s approval, as President Obama did with Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

And ultimately, any decision to take military action rests with the president. That uncertainty has clouded previous U.S. defense agreements in Trump’s second term, such as NATO’s Article 5 guarantees.

Qatar, a peninsular nation that sticks out into the Persian Gulf, became fantastically wealthy through its natural gas reserves. It has been a key U.S. military partner, allowing America’s Central Command to have its forward operating base at its vast Al Udeid Air Base. President Biden named Qatar a major non-NATO ally in 2022, in part due to its help during America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In the aftermath of the Israeli attack, Saudi Arabia entered a mutual defense agreement with Pakistan, bringing the kingdom under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella. It’s unclear whether other Gulf Arab countries, worried about Israel as well as Iran as it faces reimposed United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program, may seek similar arrangements as well with the region’s longtime security guarantor.

“The Gulf’s centrality in the Middle East and its significance to the United States warrants specific U.S. guarantees beyond President Donald J. Trump’s assurances of nonrepetition and dinner meetings,” wrote Bader al-Saif, a history professor at Kuwait University who analyzes Gulf Arab affairs.

Gambrell writes for the Associated Press.

THIS is the terrifying moment Ukrainian soldiers on fire dived from their speeding Humvee after a drone strike.

Footage shows brave Ukrainian troops cheating death as they jumped out of the military vehicle after being targeted by the Russian forces.

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Troops from the Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment were travelling inside the Humvee when a drone attack struck them.

The soliders, who were engulfed in fire, took a leap of faith and dived out of their seats to escape.

They were seen rolling on the floor before dashing away from the burning car.

Smoke can be seen coming out of the US-made military vehicle as the soldiers look at it from a distance.

The Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment is a military unit within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

It is made up of Belarusian volunteers fighting agasint the Russians.

THe military unit was formed in March 2022 in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The regiment is named after Kastus Kalinoŭski, a Belarusian national hero and leader of the 1863 January Uprising against the Russian Empire, symbolising resistance to oppression.

They view the Russian forces as a common enemy of both Ukraine and Belarus, and their aim is to defend Kyiv on the frontlines.

The fighting group also aspires to liberate Belarus from its authoritarian regime, which is aligned with Russia.

Their motto, “Liberation of Belarus through the liberation of Ukraine,” reflects this dual mission.

The unit has become a significant symbol of Belarusian solidarity with Ukraine and resistance to Russian influence, with its members fighting alongside Ukrainian forces to defend their homeland.

Previous footage from the frontlines showed the moment a landmine blew up a Humvee – with Ukrainian soldiers still inside.

The crew miraculously all survived the fireball blast thanks to the tough armour on the US-made military vehicle.

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The clip shows Ukrainian fighters riding in the truck – with one standing up through a gap in the roof to man the machine gun.

One of the soldiers then starts shouting as gunshots ring out in the background.

Two brave men grab their rifles and sprint out to join the battle.

Smoke can be seen rising in the distance as the armed defenders scour the immediate area for Russian attackers.

Suddenly a blast erupts under under the Humvee – with at least three soldiers still inside.

Flames are seen filling the cab, and debris falls from the roof.

The occupants then rush to escape as the vehicle fills with smoke.

And thanks to the incredible US-made armour, they all survived the terrifying blast.

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Ukraine claimed it attacked a major electronic connector production facility with R-360 Neptune ground-launched cruise missiles early Monday morning. The Elektrodetal plant, located in eastern Bryansk Oblast, was attacked from well inside northern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, who are still working to determine the extent of the damage.

“We are adjusting the work of the Russian defense factories,” the Ukrainian Navy stated on Telegram. “At night, our ‘Neptune’ successfully struck the Russian Karachevsky ‘Electrodetal’ plant. Another link in the enemy’s supply chain is down.”

The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff offered more details about the strike and the target.

The attack involved four Neptunes fired from a distance of roughly 240 kilometers (about 150 miles). That would put the launch site about 25 miles across the border in Ukraine.

The Karachev Electrodetal Plant “manufactures various electrical connectors for military and general industrial applications, including low-frequency, high-frequency, and combined connectors,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff explained. “The products are used in aerospace, electronics, instrument engineering, and other industries. These include connectors for printed circuit boards, military equipment, aircraft, antennas, base stations, and other systems, as well as components for various measuring instruments.”

“Explosions and a fire have been recorded on the premises of the facility,” the general staff added.

The plant produces “most of the inter-block connections of Russian cruise and ballistic missile wings,” the Ukrainian Colonel General Staff Telegram channel reported on Monday. In addition, its products are also used in the production of first-person view (FPV) drones such as the Chimera, the Ukrainian Militarnyi news outlet reported.

Ukraine’s forces famously used Neptunes to sink the Russian Navy’s Project 1164 Slava class cruiser Moskva in 2022 and reportedly began employing a new land-attack version in 2023. The R-360 is derived from the Soviet-era Kh-35 and is very similar externally to that missile, which remains in service in Russia and elsewhere today. You can read more about what is known about this variant of the missile here.

Earlier this year, Ukraine showed off another variant, called the Long Neptune. 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, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Long Neptunes can strike targets at a range of about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers). Zelensky said that the new version has already been tested in combat.

The attack on the Elektrodetal facility came shortly after Ukraine struck an energy plant inside Russia’s Belgorod region, reportedly launched by a U.S.-made Army High Mobility Rocket System (HIMARS).

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed off on Ukraine using American-made standoff weapons inside Russia on a case-by-case basis, Keith Kellogg, a White House special envoy to Ukraine, told Fox News on Saturday. He did not say what weapons Ukraine might use, but confirmed the Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile (TLAM), which the Trump administration is considering sending to Ukraine, was not one of them. 

That the administration is now considering giving TLAMs to Ukraine highlights the ephemeral nature of Trump’s support for Kyiv, which may have to rely on U.S. weapons for years to come. As we recently noted, after saying long-range munitions were off the table and throttling the supply of weapons and intelligence to Ukraine, the American president has reversed course on both, as we noted in our recent story, which you can read here.

Meanwhile, as we have frequently reported, the U.S. wants to restock its own supply of a wide array of long-range missiles.

“The Pentagon, alarmed at the low weapons stockpiles the U.S. would have on hand for a potential future conflict with China, is urging its missile suppliers to double or even quadruple production rates on a breakneck schedule,” The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The brainchild of Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, this new effort is called the Munitions Acceleration Council. It is focusing “on 12 weapons that the Pentagon wants on hand for a potential conflict with China,” the publication reported, citing unnamed sources. “The list includes Patriot interceptors, Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, the Standard Missile-6, Precision Strike Missiles and Joint Air-Surface Standoff Missiles. Patriot is a particular priority because Lockheed has struggled to keep pace with surging global demand.”

Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth “are exploring extraordinary avenues to expand our military might and accelerate the production of munitions,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the Journal, when asked about the plan. “This effort has been a collaboration between defense industry leaders and senior Pentagon officials.”

However, some involved in the effort, both inside and outside of the government, “worry that the government’s targets aren’t realistic,” according to the newspaper. “Individual missiles can take two years to fully assemble. It can take several months and hundreds of millions of dollars to test and qualify weapons from new suppliers as safe and reliable enough for U.S. service members to use.”

The U.S. is already working to expand its ability to make missiles. It is opening up new plants, expanding work at existing ones and increasing the budget for buying new munitions. These existing efforts include jumpstarting production overseas for certain missiles, as well. How much more all this can be accelerated without using other means, like the Defense Production Act, isn’t clear, but what is clear is that the Pentagon knows this isn’t enough.

The war in Ukraine and fighting in the Middle East have shown the extreme importance of deep stockpiles of long-range strike missiles and air defense interceptors. As China shows increasing belligerence in the Pacific, the need to support Ukraine with weapons has no end in sight, and NATO’s relationship with Russia continues to spiral, as well as a massive spike in demand for these weapons around the globe, the race is on in the U.S. to ensure it can meet these challenges.

Contact the author: [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a White House visit on Monday to extend a formal apology to his Qatari counterpart for a recent military strike targeting Hamas officials in the Gulf emirate that infuriated Arab leaders and triggered rare criticism by the U.S. of Israel.

Meanwhile, the White House has released a Trump plan for ending the Israel-Hamas war and Gaza governance. There’s no immediate word on whether Israel or Hamas has accepted the deal presented by the U.S. administration.

Netanyahu made the call to Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as he met with President Trump for critical talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza and developing a U.S. plan on postwar governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory, according to the White House.

“As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” the White House said in a statement. “He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future.”

The White House talks, and apology from Netanyahu, come at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict.

As he welcomed Netanyahu to the White House, Trump responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal soon would be reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

“I am. I’m very confident,” Trump said.

Netanyahu’s apology for strike that angered U.S. ally

Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Qatar on Sept. 9 as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally was a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages. No senior Hamas officials were killed in the strike.

The attack on an energy-rich Gulf nation hosting thousands of American troops, which has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the war and even before, was described by Trump as out of step with Israeli and U.S. interests. And Trump sought to move quickly to assuage his Qatari allies.

Qatar, meanwhile, condemned the strike as a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms” as smoke rose over its capital, Doha. Other key U.S. allies in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, promised their support to Qatar.

The White House said Al Thani welcomed Netanyahu’s “assurances” and emphasized “Qatar’s readiness to continue contributing meaningfully to regional security and stability.”

But even as the White House was spotlighting the apology, Israel’s far right national security minister newly defended the decision to carry out Israel’s attack.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a key coalition partner of Netanyahu’s, in a posting on X called the operation “an important, just and ethical attack.”

“It is very good that it happened,” he added.

Geller, Mednick and Madhani write for the Associated Press.

Sept. 27 (UPI) — Humberto weakened to a Category 4 hurricane Sunday, but remains a threat to the East Coast and Bermuda this week, the National Hurricane Center said.

Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, was located about 525 miles north-northwest of the Northern Leeward Islands and about 470 miles south-southeast of Bermuda, and was moving west-northwest at 10 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported in its 5 p.m. EDT update.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center of the storm, and tropical-force winds to 125 miles outward.

No coastal watches or warnings are in effect, but the NHS advises officials in Bermuda to monitor Hurricane Umberto’s progress.

Hurricane Humberto likely will retain its major hurricane status for the next several days and turned to the northwest on Sunday, and is projected to make another turn to the north by Tuesday, according to the NHC.

Swells generated by Humberto will start affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda beginning Sunday night, where the hurricane likely will cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

The NHC shows Bermuda in the storm’s cone on Tuesday.

Humberto is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic season and became the season’s third hurricane on Friday morning.

Tropical Depression Nine could threaten southeastern U.S.

The NHC also is tracking Tropical Depression Nine on Saturday morning and expects it to strengthen to tropical storm status by late Saturday night, which would be named Tropical Storm Imelda.

The tropical depression had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and was moving northwesterly at 5 mph while located about 200 miles northwest of the eastern tip of Cuba and about 105 miles south-southwest of the Central Bahamas, according to the NHC’s 5 p.m. EDT update.

“Strengthening is expected during the next few days, and the system is forecast to become a tropical storm tonight or early Sunday and a hurricane by late Monday or Tuesday,” the NHC update said.

A tropical storm watch was issued for Florida’s east coast from the Palm Beach/Martin County line north to Flagler/Volusia County line.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Central Bahamas and San Salvador, while a tropical storm watch is in effect for portions of the northwest Bahamas.

Moving north-northwest through Monday, the storm is expected to track across the central and northwestern Bahamas on Sunday and approach the U.S. coast early next week, according to the NHC.

Eastern Cuba is expected to see 8 to 12 inches of rain with the potential for up to 16 inches in isolated areas, while the Bahamas is predicted to see 4 to 8 inches of rain, forecasters said.

Between 2 and 4 inches of rain is forecast across Hispaniola, Jamaica, and portions of central and southern Cuba.

“This rainfall will likely produce flash and urban flooding,” NHC said. “Mudslides are also possible in areas of higher terrain across eastern Cuba, Hispaniola and Jamaica.

Swells generated by the cyclone, as well as Hurricane Humberto, will affect parts of the Bahamas this weekend and are predicted to spread to the southeast U.S. coast early next week.

The potential for swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, NHC said.

NEW YORK — Robot umpires are getting called up to the big leagues next season.

Major League Baseball’s 11-man competition committee on Tuesday approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System in the major leagues in 2026.

Human plate umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game and get additional appeals in extra innings. Challenges must be made by a pitcher, catcher or batter — signaled by tapping their helmet or cap — and a team retains its challenge if successful. Reviews will be shown as digital graphics on outfield videoboards.

Adding the robot umps is likely to cut down on ejections. MLB said 61.5% of ejections among players, managers and coaches last year were related to balls and strikes, as were 60.3% this season through Sunday. The figures include ejections for derogatory comments, throwing equipment while protesting calls and inappropriate conduct.

Big league umpires call roughly 94% of pitches correctly, according to UmpScorecards.

“Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The strong preference from players for the challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today.”

ABS, which utilizes Hawk-Eye cameras, has been tested in the minor leagues since 2019. The independent Atlantic League trialed the system at its 2019 All-Star Game and MLB installed the technology for that’s year Arizona Fall League of top prospects. The ABS was tried at eight of nine ballparks of the Low-A Southeast League in 2021, then moved up to Triple-A in 2022.

At Triple-A at the start of the 2023 season, half the games used the robots for ball/strike calls and half had a human making decisions subject to appeals by teams to the ABS.

MLB switched Triple-A to an all-challenge system on June 26, 2024, then used the challenge system this year at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teams for a total of 288 exhibition games. Teams won 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges (617 of 1,182) challenges.

At Triple-A this season, the average challenges per game increased to 4.2 from 3.9 through Sunday and the success rate dropped to 49.5% from 50.6%. Defenses were successful in 53.7% of challenges this year and offenses in 45%.

In the first test at the big League All-Star Game, four of five challenges of plate umpire Dan Iassogna’s calls were successful in July.

Teams in Triple-A do not get additional challenges in extra innings. The proposal approved Tuesday included a provision granting teams one additional challenge each inning if they don’t have challenges remaining.

MLB has experimented with different shapes and interpretations of the strike zone with ABS, including versions that were three-dimensional. Currently, it calls strikes solely based on where the ball crosses the midpoint of the plate, 8.5 inches from the front and the back. The top of the strike zone is 53.5% of batter height and the bottom 27%.

This will be MLB’s first major rule change since sweeping adjustments in 2024. Those included a pitch clock, restrictions on defensive shifts, pitcher disengagements such as pickoff attempts and larger bases.

The challenge system introduces ABS without eliminating pitch framing, a subtle art where catchers use their body and glove to try making borderline pitches look like strikes. Framing has become a critical skill for big league catchers, and there was concern that full-blown ABS would make some strong defensive catchers obsolete. Not that everyone loves it.

“The idea that people get paid for cheating, for stealing strikes, for moving a pitch that’s not a strike into the zone to fool the official and make it a strike is beyond my comprehension,” former manager Bobby Valentine said.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy, a big league catcher from 1978-87, maintained old-school umpires such as Bruce Froemming and Billy Williams never would have accepted pitch framing. He said they would have told him: “‘If you do that again, you’ll never get a strike.’ I’m cutting out some words.”

Management officials on the competition committee include Seattle chairman John Stanton, St. Louis CEO Bill DeWitt Jr., San Francisco chairman Greg Johnson, Colorado CEO Dick Monfort, Toronto CEO Mark Shapiro and Boston chairman Tom Werner.

Players include Arizona’s Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen, Detroit’s Casey Mize, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and the New York Yankees’ Austin Slater, with the Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ at Detroit’s Casey Mize as alternates. The union representatives make their decisions based on input from players on the 30 teams.

Bill Miller is the umpire representative.

Blum writes for the Associated Press.

In what it claims is the first such attack in history, Ukraine has used drones to strike a pair of Russian Navy Be-12, a twin-turboprop amphibious aircraft that we have profiled in depth in the past. The raid appears to have targeted two of the extremely scarce seagoing planes, potentially halving the number of airframes available to Russia and leaving a question mark over the future service for the type.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense today published a video showing the attack on an airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea, which it says is “the first ever strike on a Be-12.” Seen from the perspective of the kamikaze drones, two of the amphibians are hit (one of them with the Bort number 08) and a Mi-8 helicopter is also struck. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claims the destruction of all three aircraft, but that cannot currently be independently verified. The airbase is almost certainly Kacha, near the Black Sea Fleet’s major naval base at Sevastopol.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), the drone strike was carried out on September 21 by the “Ghost” special forces unit.

The Be-12, known as Tchaika, or Seagull, in Russian and codenamed Mail by NATO, was first flown in 1960 and which then served throughout the rest of the Cold War. It has played an unsung but important role since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most notably helping hunt for Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), or ‘drone boats,’ in the Black Sea.

What is clear, however, is that the number of these amphibians available to Russia was already strictly limited.

The U.K.-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank reports that, at the beginning of 2023, Russia had six Be-12s. All were said to be in the Be-12PS search-and-rescue configuration. Recent satellite imagery of Kacha airfield in Crimea shows seven or eight Be-12s, of which four or five were airworthy, according to the Ukrainian Channel 24.

Provided that the two aircraft struck by the GUR were airworthy, and both are now either destroyed or damaged beyond repair, then the Be-12 force available to the Russian Navy may well have been halved. On the other hand, the fact that one aircraft appears to lack a propeller on one of its engines suggests it might already have been withdrawn from use. It could still be a highly valued source for spare parts though.

Videos and photos showing Russian Be-12s operating over the coast of Crimea began to proliferate in summer 2022, and, since then, there have been multiple reports indicating that these aircraft are being used to spot USVs, and likely other Ukrainian activity, including by special forces teams, combat divers, and reconnaissance parties, in and around the peninsula.

During its Cold War heyday, the Be-12 was mainly an anti-submarine warfare platform, but, without any significant upgrades, the aircraft has long since ceased to have any real utility in this role.

Today’s aircraft can also be used for combat search and rescue, for example, dropping supplies to Russian airmen downed over the Black Sea. The Be-12PS can also carry 13 survivors, although, since there are very strict limits on landing on water, due to the age of the airframes, this is of little relevance.

The Be-12 can also be used in a transport capacity, if required.

In an uncontested environment, the Be-12 still offers useful reconnaissance capabilities. Its radar is able to provide a basic situational awareness picture of the coastline, as well as detect ships, in a sea-control role. More importantly, especially for USV detection, is the extensively glazed nose station, accommodating the navigator/observer.

Israel says Hezbollah member killed in strike, but Lebanon says attack is a ‘crime against civilians’.

An Israeli drone strike has killed five people, including three children, in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon’s Health Ministry has said, as Israel continues to target its neighbour despite a US-brokered truce that took effect in November.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported on Sunday that the strike targeted a motorcycle and a vehicle, and wounded two other people.

Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri said that the three children – named as Celine, Hadi, and Aseel – and their father were United States citizens. The mother of the children was injured in the attack.

Israel said that the strike had killed a member of the Hezbollah group, but admitted that civilians also had been killed.

Israel has frequently hit what it alleges are Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, claiming to be preventing the Iran-backed Lebanese group from rebuilding its military power following its war against Israel, which killed most of its senior leadership, including its longtime chief, Hassan Nasrallah.

‘New massacre’

“Is it Lebanese childhood that poses an existential threat to the Israeli entity?” Berri asked, according to NNA. “Or is it the behaviour of this entity, in killing without deterrence or accountability, that constitutes a real threat to international peace and security?”

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of committing “a new massacre”.

“What happened is a blatant crime against civilians and a message of intimidation targeting our people returning to their villages in the south,” Salam, who previously served as the president of the International Court of Justice, said.

“The international community must condemn Israel in the strongest terms for its repeated violations of international resolutions and international law.”

Labour Minister Mohamad Haidar also claimed Israel was deliberately targeting the Lebanese population that had returned to the south after more than a year of conflict sparked by Israel’s war on Gaza.

“This plan will not succeed, because the will of the people of the south is stronger than the criminal machine,” Haidar said.

The US and Saudi Arabia, along with Hezbollah’s opponents in Lebanon, have been pressuring the Shia Muslim group to give up arms. Lebanon’s army earlier this month presented a plan to the government’s cabinet to disarm Hezbollah, saying the military will begin executing it.

Hezbollah is adamant it will hold onto its weapons and insists it would be a mistake to disarm while Israel continues to strike Lebanon and occupy swaths of territory in the south.

At least four children were killed in the latest Israeli air strike on a school which was being used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians in Gaza. Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili shows us the aftermath of the strike.

Officials said people heading to the popular holiday destination could face delays

UK travellers have been issued a warning by the Foreign Office over potential strike action. Updated on September 19 2025, the travel experts note that people may face delays, and it’s best to be prepared.

On the GOV.UK website, under their latest Portugal travel advice, it warns: “Strike action that causes travel disruption, including at airports, can take place.

“Strikes can be announced at short notice. For updates on any disruption that may affect your travel plans, check the local news and follow the advice of your travel provider or tour operator.“

Strikes were planned for this month, however according to Euronews, this is no longer happening. It explains that “workers called off the strike, stating that the imposed conditions make it impossible to exercise their right to strike.”

It was set to take place across 76 days, ending on January 2 of next year. Local news outlet, publico, revealed that “in a statement, SIMA informs that it has canceled the notice because it understands that the conditions for workers to be able to exercise their right to strike with dignity are not met, following the decision of the Arbitration Court that “resulted in a real attack on the right to strike of Portuguese workers in general and of that company in particular”.

Despite this cancellation, it is still crucial that you keep an eye on the Foreign Office website in case there are more strikes planned, especially last-minute.

As well as theses disruptions, it warns people that there’s an increased risk of wildfires. This season usually begins in April and ends around October when the weather is hot and dry.

Wildfires can start anywhere in Portugal and as we have seen, they can be “highly dangerous and unpredictable.” Because of this, the Foreign Office have said that if this occurs, it’s likely that the Portuguese authorities will evacuate areas and close roads for safety reasons.

If you find yourself abroad when this happens, you should:

It concludes by warning: “Starting a fire, even if it is by accident, is illegal and you could get a fine or a prison sentence. For information about active wildfires and forecasts, visit the Portuguese Met Office website for information on Portugal and Madeira.”

At least 70 people were killed when the paramilitary RSF struck a mosque in Sudan’s el-Fasher in Darfur. The attack came the same day the UN warned of deepening ethnic violence in Sudan’s civil war, which has already killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.

Israeli forces continue to carry out attacks on Gaza’s main urban centre, with two children killed in a strike on tent.

An Israeli strike targeted a vehicle carrying displaced Palestinians who were evacuating Gaza City to the south under Israeli forced displacement orders on Tuesday. Injured women and children were filmed being carried away from the burning car, while authorities said multiple people were killed.

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Monday that the U.S. military again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard the vessel.

“The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S.,” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the strike. “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests.”

The strike that Trump says was carried out Monday came two weeks after another military strike on what the Trump administration says was a drug-carrying speedboat from Venezuela that killed 11.

The Trump administration justified the earlier strike as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

But several senators, Democrats and some Republicans, have indicated dissatisfaction with the administration’s rationale and questioned the legality of the action. They view it as a potential overreach of executive authority in part by using the military for law enforcement purposes.

The Trump administration has claimed self-defense as a legal justification for the first strike, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio arguing the drug cartels “pose an immediate threat” to the nation.

U.S. officials said the strike early this month targeted Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. And they indicated more military strikes on drug targets would be coming as the U.S. looks to “wage war” on cartels.

Trump did not specify whether Tren de Aragua was also the target of Monday’s strike.

The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported strike.

The Trump administration has railed specifically against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for the scourge of illegal drugs in U.S. communities.

Maduro during a press conference earlier on Monday lashed out at the U.S. government, accusing the Trump administration of using drug trafficking accusations as an excuse for a military operation whose intentions are “to intimidate and seek regime change” in the South American country.

Maduro also repudiated what he described as a weekend operation in which 18 Marines raided a Venezuelan fishing boat in the Caribbean.

“What were they looking for? Tuna? What were they looking for? A kilo of snapper? Who gave the order in Washington for a missile destroyer to send 18 armed Marines to raid a tuna fishing vessel?” he said. “They were looking for a military incident. If the tuna fishing boys had any kind of weapons and used weapons while in Venezuelan jurisdiction, it would have been the military incident that the warmongers, extremists who want a war in the Caribbean, are seeking.”

Speaking to Fox News earlier Monday, Rubio reiterated that the U.S. doesn’t see Maduro as the rightful leader of Venezuela but as head of a drug cartel.

“We’re not going to have a cartel, operating or masquerading as a government, operating in our own hemisphere,” Rubio said.

Following the first military strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, America’s chief diplomat said Trump was “going to use the U.S. military and all the elements of American power to target cartels who are targeting America.”

AP and others have reported that the boat had turned around and was heading back to shore when it was struck. But Rubio on Monday said he didn’t know if that’s accurate.

“What needs to start happening is some of these boats need to get blown up,” Rubio said. “We can’t live in a world where all of a sudden they do a U-turn and so we can’t touch them anymore.”

Madhani and Garcia Cano write for the Associated Press. AP writer Matthew Lee in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

unday marked the first day of strike action at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport in the Spanish capital, where “endless queues” and plenty of disruption are being reported

Brits heading for Spain are being warned of major chaos at its biggest airport, with passengers facing security delays of up to an hour and a half.

Sunday marked the first day of strike action at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, where “endless queues” are being reported. Unions say the strike is “indefinite and full-time”. The disruption has continued this morning, with images circulating online showing crowded corridors and jammed conveyor belts. Antena3 reports that lines have ‘exploded’.

Passengers have expressed dismay after finding themselves caught up in the chaos. “What’s happening at Barajas Airport at this hour? Kilometre-long lines (and this isn’t an exaggeration) to get through security at Terminal 4. Passengers are very nervous about missing their flights,” said Felix Millán on X where he posted pictures of the queues.

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Passenger control staff, managed by the Trablisa company and with about 800 personnel, began their full-time action on Sunday after negotiations to improve their working conditions failed.

The workers say their work is at a saturation level and demand salary improvements and specific compensation for this service. Alejandro Corredera Arriaga, spokesperson and member of the Madrid strike committee, said the volume of work at Barajas “far exceeds” that of other Spanish airports.

Among other demands, the passenger security guards demand at least equal conditions, such as the summer bonus paid for similar work at Palma de Mallorca, also managed by Trablisa. They also want a “danger” bonus, similar to that paid to explosives guards, when carrying out their work in a critical infrastructure such as an airport, in a context in which Spain has maintained level 4 of anti-terrorist alert since 2015.

Delays are occurring in all the terminals of the Madrid airport, both in the standard access to the passenger filter and the preferential one, known as ‘fast track’. At 9am on Sunday, the waiting time in Barajas was around 95 minutes, compared to the usual ten.

Passengers have been reporting “endless queues that reach the entrances and exits of the airport.”

The Spanish airport authority AENA has warned travellers of possible delays. To try to alleviate this situation, from the first hour, it has placed assistants in the metro hall of the old terminals and in other areas to divert passengers to T2 and T3 in the face of the collapse in the rest of the terminals.

“Due to a strike by Trablisa security personnel at Madrid-Barajas Airport, security clearance times may be longer. We apologise for the inconvenience,” said AENA in a statement.

The industrial action in Madrid is far from the only bit of aviation-related strike chaos due to take place this month.

In Italy, a 24-hour strike by airport handling staff at Milan Linate and Milano Malpensa Airport has been called on September 26. Security staff at Cagliari Elmas Airport are also planning 24 hours of industrial action on the same day.

In France, air traffic controllers in France are planning a strike in September after talks over pay between their union, SNCTA, and their employer, the nation’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), broke down.

The strike will last from September 18–19 and is expected to cause disruption to a huge number of flights. Even those who aren’t flying to or from France could be impacted, as so many flights follow routes over France.

Airports across Spain will be impacted by strikes over labour rights by Azul Handling baggage staff, which is part of the Ryanair Group. The firm handles the bags for the majority of the operator’s flights. Its unionised members have planned actions from 5am to 9am, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the rest of 2025.

The affected airports are Alicante, Barcelona, Girona, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tenerife South and Valencia.