When “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” premieres Thursday as the first spinoff of the popular but mired flagship series, it faces a test tougher than learning a viral TikTok dance: figuring out if the reality TV property that became an unexpected hit can successfully franchise beyond its Utah backdrop — and baggage.

Born from a confession that took off online by influencer Taylor Frankie Paul about “soft swinging” — an arrangement she and her then-husband had with other couples that involved group drinking and intimacy short of intercourse — “Mormon Wives” turned intrigue about a salacious suburban scandal into a reality TV hit. Suddenly the time-honored reality TV format built on documenting the personal lives and social dynamics of women, pioneered by Bravo’s “The Real Housewives” franchise, underwent a modern makeover in Hulu’s series by casting its lens on a group of Utah-based TikTok influencers known as #MomTok.

It premiered in September 2024 — showcasing a messy cocktail of flexuous faith, fracturing friendships and fascinating marriage dynamics — and was such a hit that four more seasons have been pumped out in the time since. Now the original show is facing cast departures and internal fallout driven by outside career moves, deteriorating friendships and serious domestic abuse allegations involving Paul, which led to filming disruptions and renewed scrutiny over reality TV casting standards. The Times requested to speak with executive producers of the series — Jeff Jenkins and Lisa Filipelli — for this article but were told they were not available .

Can “Orange County” and the group of nine women it features brighten its outlook?

“I haven’t watched all of it; I’ve watched snippets of it,” says Jen Affleck, a main cast member of the original series who anchors the spinoff. “It was hard watching it back. It was the first time that I watched back a season where I actually felt like ‘this is me’ … I was really just looking for community. This year has been the hardest year of my life, and you’ll see watching the season why having a group of supportive women around you is so important.”

The lore behind how the group of women was cobbled together is explained by Affleck in the season‘s opening moments. She and fellow “Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt were in California as contestants on Season 34 of “Dancing With the Stars,” and they each became friends with different women who had ties to the Mormon church. Post-”DWTS,” Leavitt went on to pursue opportunities on Broadway, while Affleck decided to move to Orange County and, as she tells it, combine the two friend groups for this new series. Finding “community” is a recurring sentiment expressed by the women throughout the season.

Jordan McClanahan, from left, Jen Affleck, McCall DaPron and Chandler Higginson in “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.”

(Ashley Rose / Disney)

The group is a mix of active Latter-day Saints, former or non-practicing members, and non-Mormons with nominal ties — each with varying degrees of social media presence: McCall DaPron is an active member of the LDS church — and staunch defender of the church’s traditional practices; she’s also the sister of original “Mormon Wives” cast member Mayci Neeley; Jordan McClanahan, who converted after reconnecting with her high school sweetheart (now husband) and grew close to the faith while attending addiction recovery programs through the church; Madison Bontempo, an active churchgoer who made her name as a family YouTuber; Salomé Andrea, a content creator with more than 1.6 million TikTok followers who was raised in the church but is currently inactive; Aspyn Ovard, a prominent lifestyle, beauty and fashion YouTuber and influencer who was baptized in the church but does not identify as Mormon now; Ashleigh Pease, an Austrialian-born active member of the church and fitness instructor; Avery Woods, a former pediatric ICU nurse turned full-time content creator and podcaster who has never been a member of the church; and Bobbi Althoff, a longtime social media creator and popular podcaster who hosts “The Really Good Podcast” and is not Mormon, but whose brother is and she occasionally attended LDS church services growing up.

On a recent afternoon, the cast members are sitting alongside each other (minus Andrea, who was absent that day) inside a West Hollywood hotel room — the site of their press junket — a week before the show‘s premiere. And it’s hitting them that they’re about to face a new level of attention.

“Especially after seeing the billboard,” McClanahan says. “We were driving in our party bus or whatever you want to call it.”

Althoff interjects: “I saw one by my daughter’s preschool.”

“We saw two different ones,” McClanahan says. “We got out the second time when we saw it and tried to take photos.”

Many in the group, as high-profile online personalities, already know what it’s like to be perceived by the public. When the spinoff was announced, the opinionated takes came swiftly — either because the casting skews away from the premise in the title, or the fact that not all the women actually live in Orange County. But in reality TV, buzz is buzz.

“There’s so many people that have commented that are like, ‘Oh, I’ll never watch this,’ ” Pease says. “And then they see the trailer and they’re like, ‘Actually, maybe I will.’ ”

There’s no going back now, whatever the response.

The spinoff doesn’t have cameos of massive Swig cups with dirty soda concoctions (Diet Coke with fresh lime is the vibe here) or interstitials of group TikToks (yet). Fans who lamented the amount of screen time the husbands (and the like) commanded in “Mormon Wives” will see only nominal signs of that with their shore-side counterparts; and there’s is a Chase McWhorter jump scare because — spoiler alert — he has a history with one of women. But much like its predecessor, there’s plenty of petty clashes and misunderstandings. The merging of the two friend groups, early on, triggers clique dynamics that splits the cast into opposing camps — the so-called “Molly Mormons” and the non-Mormons or loosely affiliated influencers — and drives much of the season’s drama.

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1. Jen Affleck, left, and Avery Woods. “This year has been the hardest year of my life and you’ll see watching the season why having a group of supportive women around you is so important,” says Affleck, who recently filed for divorce. 2. Madison Bontempo, right, and Ashleigh Pease of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” during the show’s press junket in West Hollywood. (Ian Spanier/For The Times)

“Some people were religious and some people weren’t,” DaPron says.”It was like natural formation. It was who we felt comfortable around because a lot of the Mormon girls, minus Madison, weren’t influencers. It was just a different world for us.”

“Everyone was cast for a reason,” Woods says. “That’s what makes it so different from the original show … we have such a different storyline where we challenge each other and we learn more about each other and our beliefs, our moral values.”

They also insist they aren’t trying to be #MomTok 2.0. There will be no emergency meetings or votes to determine who is in or out of the group or jockeying over who runs the pack. They’ve even sworn off making digital digs at each other — though, only time will tell how long that lasts.

“We made it clear early on that we didn’t think a leader was necessary in a friend group at our age,” Woods says. “We also have had open discussions about online hate and coming at each other online, which we feel is unnecessary.”

“I also feel like that’s a normal friend group,” Affleck chimes in. “OG MomTok was not a normal friend group.”

“Yeah, I would never go online about my friends in real life,” Althoff adds. “So, I’m not gonna like do that with any of them. That was a decision we all talked about too. We all obviously spend a lot of time together. We have problems sometimes. We can all handle that offline without destroying each other online.”

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1. Bobbi Althoff, left, Aspyn Ovard of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.” 2. Mccall DaPron, right, and Jordan McClanahan. (Ian Spanier/For The Times)

Like the original series, the spinoff contrasts its superficial drama and feuds by exploring the deeply personal struggles and lifestyle choices its cast is navigating. A pregnant Affleck shares that her marriage is at its breaking point and she wants to move forward with a divorce from her husband, Zac — a situation and life decision she’s mulled before and documented on the original series. (She filed for divorce last week, the day of the show’s premiere event.) Ovard, meanwhile, is divorced and in a polyamorous relationship with a married couple, while also managing the emotional load of having a terminally ill child. Later in the season, a cast member’s past on OnlyFans is revealed by another, setting in motion the season’s first emotional walk-off.

“You kind of have no choice when that’s your real life and you sign up to do something like this,” Ovard says. “What choice do we have? We’re going through what we’re going through, and it just is life. This is my first time sharing my story. I am newer to Orange County and didn’t have community here, and it’s been really great and life changing to form this friend group and just have each other and be able to lean on each other.”

Affleck says, for now, she’s staying offline, dodging all chatter — supportive or not — about the end of her marriage.

“I don’t want people rallying around me,” Affleck says. “Zac is the father of my kids, and I will have to co-parent with him for the rest of my life. I just try to stay offline because I know that can mess with our heads [because] there’s also the other side of people saying like, ‘Oh, she chose fame over her marriage.’ I know that I gave everything to my marriage.”

Avery Woods, left, Salome Andrea, McCall DaPron and Bobbi Althoff in a scene from a cast trip in the first season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.”

(Ashley Rose / Disney)

For the women who already live some of their lives online, joining a reality show can seem redundant and risky, inviting fresh vitriol that could add more emotional stress or threaten their carefully built brands. But Woods sees it as “the next best thing in my career,” to show more of who she is to her online fanbase. Still, their decision to join the show came before the events that cast a shadow on the franchise. Cameras began rolling in April, just weeks after domestic violence allegations involving Paul and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Dakota Mortensen surfaced.

“I kind of separated the two a little bit,” Bontempo says. “I just saw Taylor as an individual, as a [woman] that just needed help and going through a hard time.”

Reality TV fans might notice the spinoff also arrives at a broader inflection point for a genre built on the lives of complicated women. “The Real Housewives of Orange County” — the blueprint for a television empire that’s kept viewers rapt with everything from chaotic sprinter van excursions and friendship fallouts to messy divorces and fraud investigations — celebrated its 20th anniversary this year along with a 20th season of the series. Yet that milestone, as some fans have expressed, acutely exposed the show’s fatigue. And it’s not the only one. Bravo has rebooted the show in some cities across its lineup to mixed results. The expansion of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” into Orange County will test whether the region can deliver another hit, and whether the TikTok generation’s brand of voyeuristic soap can carry the torch.

While the bigger existential reality TV crisis can be debated by philosophers, the cast members are reflecting on a much simpler question: What surprised them most about the experience?

“How exhausting it would be,” Woods says. “It was emotionally and mentally draining.”

“I was going to say something positive — like the friendships,” adds Althoff. “Obviously going into it, it is a job. We’re all doing it to get paid at the end of the day. I didn’t expect to find so much community here and friendship. I didn’t expect to ever like some of these people. Now I really enjoy McCall and Jordan. Me and McCall … went on a trip together after the show, and it wasn’t filmed, and we sat together for 10 hours and got to know each other. By the end of it, I text someone and was like, ‘I think I like McCall now.’ ”

“If you see the show, that will blow your mind,” DaPron says.

Brayden Schenn had a goal and two assists, Victor Eklund scored for the fourth straight game, and the New York Islanders ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Kings on Thursday night.

Matthew Schaefer scored in his 100th NHL game, Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist, Bo Horvat scored a late empty-netter, and the Islanders picked up at least a point for the third straight game. Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves.

Trevor Moore and Quinton Byfield scored, and Kevin Fiala had an assist in his season debut as the Kings lost their third straight game. Playing in his 500th career game, Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves.

Schaefer and Eklund, two of the Islanders’ young cornerstones, came up with key contributions while each picking up a point for the fourth straight game.

Schaefer had a power-play goal to put New York up 2-1 midway through the first period, his 29th career goal and 77th point. Schaefer moved up to fourth in career points by a teenage defenseman, behind Hall of Famers Phil Housley (132) and Ray Bourque (79) and Buffalo Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin (84).

Eklund made it 3-1 early in the second period, becoming the third New York rookie to score in four straight games in the past 20 years and 11th overall.

Fiala played for the first time since breaking his left leg at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February, but the offensive-minded winger’s presence was not enough to get the Kings back on track. Fiala did have the secondary assist on Byfield’s power-play goal, which marked the 300th helper of his career.

Up next for Kings: vs. Calgary at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

Asian football giants Australia’s upcoming friendly with Jordan was initially scheduled to be played in Amman.

The international ‌football friendly between Australia and Jordan next week has been moved to ⁠Doha, Football ⁠Australia (FA) said on Friday, after security concerns were raised over playing the fixture in Amman.

Late last month, Jordan launched air strikes in Syria in “retaliation” for the church attack that killed nine people and injured 40. Attacks ⁠like this are rare in the country, a relatively stable United States ally, but a security officer was killed and another wounded in a stabbing attack in Amman ‌this month.

Australia, who face Qatar in ⁠Doha later on Friday, had been set to travel to Jordan for Tuesday’s game. However, it was relocated after Professional Footballers Australia ⁠last week said Australia’s players had “overwhelmingly” expressed their view that the match should be moved.

“We are very grateful to the Jordan Football Association for accepting to relocate the match,” FA CEO Martin Kugeler said ‌in a statement.

“We know how much the Jordan team and fans were looking forward to welcoming the Socceroos to Amman.

“The dialogue with the JFA has been nothing but open, respectful and collaborative. They were wonderful hosts in Amman this week, and I thank them for their professionalism and flexibility. We ⁠look forward to welcoming Jordan to Australia in ⁠the future.”

Last week, Jordan also cancelled their international friendly against Indonesia at the request of the Indonesian FA.

Australia’s friendlies against Qatar and Jordan were intended to be part of their preparations for the Asian Cup, which was ‌postponed ‌until December next year following attacks on host nation Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces.

ALANIS Morissette risked sparking a war of words with Ben Affleck while discussing their former working relationship on Wednesday evening.

The Canadian star was entertaining fans during the third of four scheduled appearances at Inglewood’s YouTube Theatre when she recalled starring with Affleck in 1999 film Dogma.

Morissette, 52, had a cameo role as God in director Kevin Smith’s light-hearted comedy about two fallen angels who hatch an audacious plan to find their way back to heaven.

And she claimed Affleck, 54, who took a starring role as hapless angel Barnaby, wasn’t entirely convinced by her portrayal of the Almighty.

“I’ve even had a guy ask me why I didn’t lead with my sexuality,” she told fans during Wednesday’s show. “Thank you, Ben Affleck.”

The monologue ended with an appropriately chosen scene from the film, during which Barnaby’s head explodes following a confrontation with Morissette’s God.

OUGHTA KNOW

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Dogma – a box office hit following its 1999 release – also features Affleck’s close friend Matt Damon, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, Jason Mewes and Chris Rock.

Morissette was onstage after bringing her hugely successful Butterfly with a Machete residency to California for a four night run following an earlier two week stay in Las Vegas.

Addressing fans, the singer also claimed she’d been ‘harshly judged’ by critics throughout her lengthy career and had endured numerous personal attacks.

“… about my songs,” she added. “About my body, about how I look, about how I think, about how I feel, about my value system, about my weight.

“About how feral I am, about how feral I live, about my approach to parenting, about my approach to education, my approach to freaking anything.”

The singer went on to claim she had been rebuffed by a Hollywood star after turning to him for help.

“I did call Johnny Depp at one point, and his response was, ‘Why are you calling me?’” she said.

The show comes after Morissette discussed her pansexuality – an attraction to people regardless of their gender identity – during an appearance on the Handsome podcast.

The singer sat down with hosts lesbian comedians Tig Notaro and Fortune Feimster, and non-binary screenwriter Mae Martin.

While pushing for when her next big hit will be released, Fortune admitted: “I’m sorry for the men that hurt you, but I’m not sorry for the songs that came from it.

“Did it make you want to be a lesbian at any point?”

Leaving the hosts taken aback, she replied: “I’m pansexual, so yeah.”

Despite being the defending champion, Cleveland was not the No. 1 seed in the City Section Open Division boys’ water polo playoffs.

When the final game was over, however, the Cavaliers proved they are still the best, beating host Palisades 9-7 in a defensive struggle Thursday night to capture their fourth section title in a row and third straight in the Open Division.

Arthur Petrosian scored six goals, including the winner on a shot from the hole with 1:30 left to break a 7-7 tie.

“I’m used to scoring this many goals in a game,” said Petrosian, who netted his team’s first five goals, two of them on five-meter shots, but had to be careful after getting two ejections in the first half. “This title means the most because we had to beat them in their own pool.”

Charlie Rinsky added an insurance goal 40 seconds later, and after the top-seeded Dolphins were thwarted on their next possession, Cleveland played keep-away to run all but three seconds off the clock.

“We came into the game thinking we’d run them over, but after the first three quarters it was tied and we just kept thinking next play and reset on defense,” added Petrosian, who scored twice on five-meter shots in last year’s 9-4 championship victory over Eagle Rock.

Daris Fathali Nejad scored in the second quarter and again in the fourth and goalie Matthew Prontenko made 10 saves for the second-seeded Cavaliers (21-8), who have won five section titles — the first coming in 2010.

Jake Gallagher, Max Szymanski and Reed Winters each scored twice for Palisades (19-11), which holds the City record with 18 crowns, including the Division I title last year. Kai Gundershaug also scored and Aidan Moriarty had nine saves for the Dolphins.

Cleveland started its Open Division trifecta two years ago by snapping Palisades’ streak of 11 consecutive titles with a 15-4 finals victory at Valley College.

Earlier, Granada Hills beat Eagle Rock 10-8 for the Division I title.

This island has delicious food, rich history and plenty to explore

Summer has well and truly drawn to a close, with UK temperatures dropping steadily by the day amid concerns that the Polar Vortex could bring an even colder snap soon. Yet within easy and affordable reach of Britain, there are destinations where the weather remains mild and the sun continues to shine.

One such gem is a breathtaking Mediterranean island celebrated for its spectacular landscapes and mouthwatering cuisine.

While summer daytime temperatures on this island can soar to 35C, the autumn shoulder season offers the ideal window to visit. Currently, the island of Sicily is enjoying impressive highs of 25C – perfect for soaking up some late-season sunshine.

Major cities such as Palermo and Catania remain vibrant throughout the year, but autumn brings fewer crowds, allowing you to wander the bustling street markets without being hemmed in by fellow tourists.

November also marks the height of olive-picking season across the countryside. This means numerous beautiful rural estates will be offering olive grove tours, tastings and cookery classes – an ideal way to spend the day.

One of the best estates you can tour is Serafica on the slopes of Mount Etna. You can enjoy a two hour tour of the groves and the olive mill, then a delicious tasting of three of their home-made olive oils with local cheese and bruschetta.

And with daytime temperatures being more moderate, it’s also the perfect opportunity to tackle Mount Etna, the imposing volcano that dominates the island’s skyline. Mount Etna is Europe’s tallest active volcano and there are numerous walking routes up it depending on your fitness level – however, by law you are not permitted to climb beyond 2,800 metres without a licensed volcanological or alpine guide.

During the autumn months, the views across the island are truly breathtaking.

If you’d prefer to keep your feet on the ground, November is also an ideal time to discover some of the island’s well-known archaeological sites that are typically packed with visitors throughout the summer.

Among the most remarkable is the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento – widely regarded as one of the finest examples of ancient Greek art and architecture. It features the remains of seven temples alongside the Tomb of Theron, a large pyramid-shaped monument that historians believe was built to honour Romans who fell during the second Punic War.

Entry tickets to the Valley start from just £11, and those who have made the trip were left speechless by the ruins. One visitor wrote on Google: “An extraordinary place where more than 2,500 years of history come to life. The Valley of the Temples is a highlight of any trip to Sicily, with magnificent ancient buildings set in a beautiful Mediterranean landscape.”

Another commented: “A beautiful and impressive place with remarkably well-preserved ancient ruins. With some reconstruction, it’s easy to imagine the original size and scale of the buildings.”

Sicily, much like the rest of Italy, is famous for its mouth-watering fresh cuisine including traditional pasta dishes, arancini and chargrilled vegetables. Dining options span from budget-friendly and casual trattorias through to upscale Michelin-starred restaurants.

The slopes of Mount Etna offer lush, fertile soil perfect for farm-to-table eateries such as Zafferana Etnea on the mountain’s eastern slopes.

This upscale, fine dining restaurant offers ingredients from their own organic gardens and orchards, paired with estate wines.

Flights to Sicily from the UK

Skyscanner is displaying numerous bargain flights direct to Sicily in November. These include Stansted to Palermo with Ryanair for £28 and Stansted to Catania with Ryanair for £32.

It’s one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, dating back to 1570

A recent study by mobility specialists at Muick Sandy named Europe’s most accessible Christmas markets. The research examined the proximity to accessible toilets, parking and step-free public transport, surrounding terrain conditions, and the accessibility amenities on offer to guests.

According to the research, Strasbourg, in France, tops the list as Europe’s most accessible Christmas market. Visitors were found to be a mere 23 metres from step-free public transport, the shortest distance of any market examined.

Strasbourg also scored nine out of 10 for accessibility facilities, making it perfect for older travellers visiting the famous Christmas market this winter.

Strasbourg is known as the “capital of Christmas”, and its festive market ranks amongst the oldest and most enchanting in Europe, with roots stretching back to 1570.

It is also considered one of the most stunning in the world, set against the backdrop of its magnificent cathedral. Strasbourg recently featured in TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Top 10 French destinations.

Boasting timber-framed houses and charming canals, this picturesque city makes for an ideal winter escape.

Strasbourg Christmas Market runs from November 27 to December 24, 2026.

Birmingham came second and was named the UK’s most accessible Christmas market, scoring a perfect 10 out of 10 for accessibility facilities. Guests are situated just 110 metres from an accessible toilet, 158 metres from accessible parking and 133 metres from step-free public transport.

The experts explained: “Just 5.7% of the surrounding ground assessed was rough or uneven, contributing to Birmingham finishing comfortably ahead of the remaining markets.”

Birmingham Christmas Market runs from November 5 to December 24, 2026.

Ben Kenny, director at Muick Sandy, said: “Christmas markets are a huge part of the festive season for millions of people, but something as simple as uneven ground, a long journey from accessible parking or a lack of suitable facilities can make visiting much more difficult for somebody with limited mobility.

“Anyone with mobility needs planning a Christmas market trip should check the accessibility information available before travelling, particularly the location of parking, toilets and step-free transport.”

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Most accessible Christmas markets

1. Strasbourg, France
2. Birmingham, United Kingdom
3. Baden-Baden, Germany
4. Frankfurt, Germany
5. Vienna, Austria
6. Rotterdam, Netherlands
7. London, United Kingdom
8. Dresden, Germany
9. Nuremberg, Germany
10. Manchester, United Kingdom

On November 10, Gulf defence ministers approved the establishment of a forward command in Kuwait under the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Unified Military Command, with forces to be allocated to it. The decision marks another step towards Gulf states taking greater collective responsibility for their security.

One day earlier, after meeting Qatar’s prime minister, US President Donald Trump had said: “Iran militarily is effectively over.” He also said the US blockade would continue and left open further military action. His remarks fell short of announcing an agreed end to the war.

Any opening for diplomacy deserves support. But even a lasting agreement would leave the Gulf’s underlying security problems unresolved. The Kuwait command’s value will depend on implementation and on how it connects with the region’s other security partnerships.

The answer requires abandoning the expectation that one grand security arrangement can resolve every threat facing the region. That expectation assumes a degree of agreement about enemies, priorities and acceptable risks that does not exist.

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states during this war, together with Israel’s September 2025 strike on Qatar, demonstrate the breadth of the challenge. A security architecture designed around only one adversary will leave serious gaps. Armed militias and terrorist groups add other risks, alongside cyberattacks, maritime disruption and the consequences of state failure in the neighbourhood. The erosion of international restraints on the use of force makes all of these problems harder to manage.

The most credible response to this complex set of threats is a security architecture that is both layered and networked. Gulf states are already moving in this direction. The task now is to make those arrangements work together and sustain the effort when the immediate pressure of war recedes.

Layering starts with the recognition that different partnerships do different jobs. National capabilities and cooperation within the Gulf Cooperation Council provide the foundation. The relationship with the United States remains central, while additional arrangements address needs that a single partner cannot meet.

Cooperation with US Central Command supplies an operational layer. The air and missile defence coordination cell opened at Al Udeid in January, for example, was designed to improve regional coordination, share threat warnings and prepare for contingencies.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, adds a collective defence commitment among its members. The Badr memorandum, signed in October by Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia, sets out cooperation in defence manufacturing, research and technical training.

These arrangements should be judged by the gaps they fill. Collective defence, operational coordination and industrial capacity reinforce one another, but none can substitute for the others. Buying an interceptor, producing its components and deciding who will use it in a crisis are separate problems.

The next step is to connect these layers so that capabilities developed through one partnership strengthen what countries can do through another. This is what makes the architecture networked.

Qatar offers a useful example. It shares GCC membership with Saudi Arabia and participates in Badr alongside Turkiye and Pakistan. It therefore connects to all three Mecca signatories through other arrangements, despite not being a party to Mecca itself.

Those connections create opportunities. Stronger production capacity or better coordination among shared partners could improve the capabilities available to Qatar through its own relationships. A more effective deterrent against attacks on a neighbour could also improve the wider security environment.

Such benefits depend on deliberate cooperation. Qatar acquires no automatic Mecca guarantee through association. Information, equipment and expertise travel through a network only when governments agree to make that possible. The connections need as much attention as the agreements themselves.

This is also where the Gulf’s interests converge with those of a wider group of countries. European states, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Pakistan all have reasons to resist a world in which force routinely overrides sovereignty and access to trade depends on political coercion.

Energy exporters and importers face different consequences when shipping is disrupted, but both need these routes to remain open. Countries need not share a political system or an identical relationship with Washington to recognise the costs of an international order becoming less predictable.

There is already a diplomatic basis for cooperation. The EU and GCC have jointly defended freedom of navigation through Hormuz. ASEAN and GCC ministers have reaffirmed sovereignty, the protection of civilian infrastructure and the need for diplomacy.

These states should become more active defenders of the basic rules on which their prosperity depends. They have an opportunity to shape the emerging international order collectively. Their combined economic, technological and diplomatic resources can give weight to rules that individual states struggle to defend alone. The same networks that help protect infrastructure can support coordinated diplomacy when those rules are violated.

Credibility will require consistency. Sovereignty must matter when the aggressor is a partner as well as an adversary. Civilian protection must apply in Palestine, Ukraine and the Gulf. Mediation must remain possible even when the parties at the table are politically inconvenient.

At the operational level, the immediate task is to connect existing security arrangements. Gulf governments and their partners should agree on how warnings can be shared across arrangements, which capabilities can be made available, and who has authority to request assistance. Joint exercises should test those connections under pressure, including when one partner cannot participate.

The next priority is protecting the systems that allow societies to function. Energy and water facilities, ports and communications networks deserve sustained cooperation on protection and repair. A partnership that can restore an essential service quickly contributes directly to security, even if it has no mutual defence clause.

Diplomacy to prevent escalation must form a layer of its own. Channels with Iran, arrangements to prevent incidents at sea and mechanisms for managing escalation remain necessary alongside stronger defences. Gulf states should use any opening created by the current talks to pursue reciprocal, verifiable restraint.

This wider security architecture would give Gulf, European and Asian partners practical work around which to organise. Some can contribute defence technology, others maritime expertise, industrial production, financing or diplomatic access. Cooperation should allow states to contribute where they have both the capacity and the political willingness to act.

The difficulty is that every participant remains sovereign. Gulf states themselves do not have identical interests. Their external partners face different constitutional requirements, domestic pressures and relationships with other powers. Some constraints are enduring; others reflect political choices that can change.

A government willing to provide intelligence may be unwilling to deploy forces. Another may support maritime protection but oppose an operation on land. Those limits should be understood before a crisis, when there is still time to plan around them.

Overlapping partnerships also carry risks. They can duplicate effort, create false expectations or draw countries into disputes they intended to avoid. Clear responsibilities and consultation procedures are essential. Adding agreements without clarifying what they deliver would produce more complexity without more security.

Nor should we promise that such an architecture will deliver a long peace. The rivalries and political grievances shaping this region will not disappear because its governments cooperate more closely.

A more attainable objective is relative peace and security: fewer opportunities for coercion, crises contained before they widen, and civilian life less exposed to each new confrontation. That means reducing the frequency and consequences of violence while continuing to work towards durable settlements. Permanent emergency cannot become an acceptable destination.

Gulf states should use this moment to connect their partnerships, strengthen their own capabilities and establish clearer limits on escalation. The aim is a region with more partners able to act together, and fewer crises capable of dragging everyone into war.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Poland’s two main political camps are locked in an escalating fight for control of the Constitutional Tribunal, each claiming to defend the rule of law. In the process, they are undermining the legitimacy of the Polish state in the eyes of its own citizens, playing directly into Putin’s playbook.

The roots of the dispute go back more than a decade. In 2015, the outgoing centre-right Civic Platform-controlled parliament attempted to appoint judges to the Constitutional Tribunal for vacancies that should have been left to the incoming parliament. The newly elected conservative Law and Justice government used this controversy to intensify its efforts to pack the Tribunal with party nominees rather than independent judges.

Now back in power, Civic Platform is trying to bring new judges into the Constitutional Tribunal. But President Karol Nawrocki and the Tribunal’s leadership, both aligned with Law and Justice, have blocked several of the newly appointed judges from taking office. Last month, one of the newly elected judges ordered the suspension of the Tribunal’s president and deputy, and police were deployed to the building. Nawrocki denounced the move as a forcible takeover, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended it as an effort to restore the rule of law.

Moscow has already seized on the confrontation to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Poland’s institutions. On November 3, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described the intervention as a “coup”.

A decade ago, it was the conservative Law and Justice government that sought to pack the Constitutional Tribunal with party nominees, disregarding legal constraints. Today, it is the coalition of the centre-right Civic Platform and the liberal Left that is acting unlawfully. We see the main parties becoming mirror images of one another. Conservative Law and Justice is calling on its supporters to take to the streets to defend the rule of law, a slogan previously used by the liberal opposition when Law and Justice was in power. Now it is the liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk who is playing the strongman, with police carrying shields and wearing helmets deployed around the Constitutional Tribunal during the operation. He presents himself as an effective leader who gets things done, with little regard for legal subtleties and doubts raised even by some liberal-leaning experts. Against this backdrop, a photograph of Tusk reading an issue of the philosophical journal Kronos devoted to Carl Schmitt has recently circulated widely on social media. Schmitt, a theorist of decisionism, famously declared, “Sovereign is he who decides on the exception.”

Law and Justice’s efforts to politicise the Constitutional Tribunal pushed middle-aged supporters of the liberals in big cities onto the streets a decade ago. It seems, however, unlikely that Poles will again take to the streets in their millions to support either political bloc. The public is tired of the tug-of-war between politicians, not only because both main blocs demonstrate considerable hypocrisy when invoking the rule of law over force, but also because the fight does not speak to people’s chief everyday concerns: the cost of living and the safety of a country with an aggressive neighbour waging a hot war on its border and a hybrid and cognitive war inside the country.

What has changed drastically compared to the protests that took place a decade ago, when the main forces occupied mirror-image positions, is the geopolitical context: Russia’s full-scale war in neighbouring Ukraine, alongside its hybrid and information warfare aimed at weakening Poland’s position on the global stage.

In the worst-case scenario, this struggle over the legitimacy of state institutions could extend to elections. A precedent can be found in Romania, where, on December 6, 2024, the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election following intelligence reports of alleged foreign interference, social media manipulation and campaign financing irregularities, and ordered the electoral process to be repeated.

What we might see in other Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland if the situation deteriorates, is, on the one hand, the liberal establishment adopting measures that override electoral outcomes, such as courts annulling elections in response to genuine foreign interference through social media campaigns. On the other hand, the opposition could become increasingly anti-establishment, effectively delegitimising the institutions of the state. The problem will be aggravated by the fact that foreign interference may be real rather than invented by the establishment.

These two opposing forces are squeezing the middle ground on which democracy depends: on one side, social media platforms controlled by foreign superpowers algorithmically manipulating the emotions of the populus and fuelling distrust in the state; on the other, the decisionism of an establishment governing in a state of exception through politically subordinated courts. Both leave less space for thoughtful civic self-determination.

A large part of the commentariat in Poland, however, still sees this dynamic as another round in the familiar two-party struggle between Civic Platform’s EU-oriented liberals and Law and Justice conservatives backed by the US. Beyond this rivalry, Russia- and China-inspired, supposedly anti-establishment radical influencers and parties, both anti-European and anti-American, seek to portray the state as a foreign occupation. The wilder the theories delegitimising the state become, the more pretexts the ruling establishment will have to delegitimise the opposition.

The danger is no longer simply that one political bloc might gain control of the Constitutional Tribunal at the expense of another. It is that, as both sides continue to undermine the legitimacy of state institutions, growing numbers of Poles may cease to see those institutions as their own. What is being weakened is not just the authority of a particular government, but the bond between citizens and the state itself.

No one could be happier about this kind of self-reinforcing dynamic, which weakens Poland’s position, than Putin.

If any healing is possible, it will not come from the existing political forces.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

CHRISTMAS just wouldn’t be Christmas without Mariah Carey’s high pitched falsetto and the opening strains of her tireless festive hit.

But the singer appeared to have other things on her mind while signing autographs for loyal fans during a recent public appearance in Brazil.

Video footage captured Mariah, 57, as she erratically climbed from her chauffeur driven car and approached a gathering of placard wielding fans this week.

The singer appeared to be in good spirits as she signed autographs and posed for selfies, but her shaky hands and vulnerable demeanour prompted inevitable concern from those who subsequently viewed the clip on social media.

Commenting on TikTok, one fan wrote: “Should we be worried?”

Elsewhere, a second added: “She looks like she’s in pain.”

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While a third shared: “Praying and sending health wishes for our Christmas queen.”  

Referencing the closeness of Mariah’s female assistant, whose arm is seen clutching the singer’s waist as she unsteadily works her way along a line of eager fans, another reasoned: “1: it’s raining 2: they are on a slant 3: she is wearing heels 4: she doesn’t want to fall.”

Meanwhile, British fans have been left fuming over “diabolical” ticket prices for her Christmas shows.

The Sun previously confirmed that Mariah’s Christmastime tour will touch down in Birmingham, London and Manchester across November and December this year.

These are Mariah’s first dedicated UK Christmas shows on this side of the Atlantic in eight years.

However, fans were stunned when they realised just how steep the ticket prices were, with some seats costing a jaw‑dropping £577.

Taking to social media, one wrote: “I think the prices are awful.”

A second added: “£325 for the first few rows in Birmingham. I paid less for Celine Dion on the front section.”

CIF SOCAL REGIONALS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Quarterfinals

DIVISION I

#8 San Juan Hills d. #1 Harvard-Westlake, 17-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-11, 18-16

#4 Redondo Union d. #5 Murrieta Valley, 24-26, 28-26, 25-20, 25-23

#14 Coronado d. #11 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 15-25, 20-25, 25-12, 25-18, 15-9

#7 San Luis Obispo d. #15 Bishop’s, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-12

DIVISION II

#16 Mission College Prep d. #8 Bakersfield Liberty, 18-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 17-15

#5 Santa Fe Christian d. #13 Vista Murrieta, 27-25, 25-18, 25-23

#6 Newbury Park d. #14 Glendora, 25-22, 25-19, 20-25, 25-17

#2 North County San Marcos d. #10 Westview, 25-20, 25-14, 25-22

DIVISION III

#1 Santa Barbara d. #9 Steele Canyon, 25-18, 26-24, 25-19

#4 Helix d. #5 Woodland Hills Taft, 25-9, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21

#3 Sage Creek d. #6 Cleveland, 25-19, 25-16, 18-25, 25-19

#10 Westridge d. #2 Point Loma, 25-21, 29-27, 25-17

DIVISION IV

#1 El Camino Real d. #8 Placentia Valencia, 25-13, 25-11, 23-25, 24-26, 15-6

#5 Chatsworth d. #4 Granada Hills, 27-29, 25-19, 25-19, 20-25, 21-19

#3 Cqstaic d. #11 Fullerton, 3-0

#7 Capistrano Valley d. #2 Lakewood, 24-26, 26-24, 25-18, 17-25, 15-8

DIVISION V

#1 Rio Mesa d. #8 San Diego Hoover, 25-11, 25-15, 25-12

#5 Bakersfield North d. #4 Strathmore, 18-25, 25-19, 25-11, 25-22

#3 Desert Christian Academy d. #6 Maywood CES, 3-1

#7 Rancho Mirage d. #2 San Gabriel Academy, 3-2

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

Semifinals

OPEN DIVISION

#4 San Diego Cathedral Catholic at #1 Mater Dei

#3 Torrey Pines at #2 Sierra Canyon

DIVISION 1

#8 San Juan Hills at #4 Redondo Union

#14 Coronado at #7 San Luis Obispo

DIVISION 2

#16 Mission College Prep at #5 Santa Fe Christian

#6 Newbury Park at #2 North County San Marcos

DIVISION 3

#4 Helix at #1 Santa Barbara

#3 Sage Creek at #2 Point Loma

DIVISION 4

#5 Chatsworth at #1 El Camino Real

#7 Capistrano Valley Christian at #3 Castaic

DIVISION 5

#5 Bakersfield North at #1 Rio Mesa

#7 Rancho Mirage at #3 Desert Christian Academy

Note: Finals (all divisions) Nov. 17 at higher seeds; State Finals Nov. 20 at Santiago College.

A stunning view on the Isle of Skye

At Camasunary bay on the Strathaird peninsula of the Isle of Skye, we watched an otter at low tide lifting seaweed to find crabs. Boots off, we crossed one of Skye’s shortest (and coldest) rivers, before slogging upwards through unforgiving heather to the col beneath the pathless hill Sgùrr na Strì. The mountain view from the summit’s glaciated slabs is perhaps the finest in Scotland – or even Europe. Below is landlocked Loch Coruisk, girdled by the black teeth of the entire Cuillin ridge. Extraordinary. An hour passed, maybe two, before we headed back. The otter was by then long gone, hopefully just as replete and satisfied as we were.

Hugh Jones

Winter walking on the Cape Wrath trail

I did a long-distance winter walk on part of the Cape Wrath trail, heading south from the hamlet of Strathcarron to Fort William. Initially, the weather was perfect, with temperatures of about -4C, but then a full-on named storm blew in. I camped a couple of nights, but all my water froze. I then stayed in some great bothies. After five days, the only other person I had seen was at a gift shop in Morvich.

Tim

Pristine beaches on the Isle of Lewis

My girlfriend and I pitched our tent at Ardroil Sands, dropping a fiver into the campsite honesty box and putting aside pound coins for the hot showers later. The weather was unusually warm and there really was a tropical feel to the place. After firing up our barbecue, the glassy Atlantic beckoned. With dry bags strapped to our paddleboards, we launched into the turquoise waters of Uig. As we skirted rugged headlands and the water beneath us shifted to deep sapphire, we glided into the hidden sanctuary of Carnish Beach, claiming our own untouched white-sand paradise at the edge of the world.

Jason

Rewilding in Glen Affric

Last September, I spent a week in Athnamulloch Bothy in Glen Affric with 10 other like-minded people of different ages and backgrounds, planting trees, removing old deer fencing, climbing hills and viewing beaver lodges from canoes. We were volunteering for Trees for Life, which manages a range of rewilding projects in the north-west Highlands from their tree nursery base at Dundreggan (which also hosts volunteers). I found wonderful company and fulfilling activities all in an utterly beautiful location. The cost (£690) includes accommodation and food, with all profits going to the charity.

Debbie Carr

Blissful isolation on Iona

The tiny island of Iona might be best known for its medieval abbey and nunnery, but the whole southern part of the island is uninhabited and wild – you can explore all day and not see another soul. There’s an abandoned marble quarry, several idyllic bays and stunning views everywhere you look. And when you get tired of exploring and isolation, you can quickly head back into the village for food and drink.

Roddy

The beauty of Kintyre

I visited the remote Kintyre peninsula in a very wet January and was still blown away by its beauty. The world-class whisky distilleries and log fires helped, as did the sandy beaches and historic sites. The quality of the seafood rivalled that of Oban. I loved it so much I visited again in summer, and also went to the Isle of Gigha, another incredible place. This time the sun was shining and we got that Caribbean feeling. Can’t wait to go back again.

Michelle

An adventure in Knoydart

It was an adventure to get into and out of remote Knoydart. There are no roads, so the choice is between a multiday hike from Kinloch Hourn or Glenfinnan, or the 40-minute ferry from Mallaig. We took the latter, which proved an adventure in itself. Magnificent Munros rise sharply above shimmering sea lochs, while ancient woodlands and quiet shores offer plenty of red deer and dolphin sightings. Our hike up Ladhar Bheinn offered dramatic views over the area, and on another day we followed some locals on part of the Cape Wrath trail. We stayed in the village of Inverie and visited the UK’s most remote pub, the Old Forge. Inverie sits on beautiful Loch Nevis – often called the Loch of Heaven because of its idyllic calm waters and spacious open setting.

Joe

Sea kayaking on the west coast

A multiday sea kayaking journey in the Moidart and Arisaig region on the west coast fully immersed us in a remote wilderness. Unzipping our tents each morning above a glorious white beach with our kayaks there ready was unreal. We would paddle past seals, lunch on another beach or island, and enjoy the ever-changing vistas of distant islands and a delightful new camping spot every evening. Dinner cooked after a day’s paddling tasted fabulous, and the sunsets over the sea, which few others got to see, were sublime. The trip was through Arisaig Sea Kayak Centre and cost £595.

Glynis Davies

Winter wonders on Mull

The Ardmeanach peninsula in February offers a broody atmosphere and wonderful wildlife. Thin red sunrises illuminated the wake of an otter swimming past our lochside cottage window; the shortened days featured thunderous clouds, snow and rainbows. Atop a wizened Scots pine in Tiroran forest, a majestic sea eagle perched in sunlit splendour. A noble stag held our enraptured gaze in a stunning roadside encounter. Shoreside walks, through volcanic rocks erupted a mere 60 million years ago, led to basalt columns and, for the brave (the paths are narrow and vertiginous), MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree, trapped in lava for ever.

Barbara Maher

Winning tip: forest and corries on a long Cairngorms hike

One of the most incredible multiday hikes is into the heart of the Cairngorms. Start at Glenmore (there’s a campsite on the beach of Loch Morlich, or great rooms and a bar at the Lodge) and walk an hour or so on a good path up to Ryvoan bothy, through woodland alive with crested tits, red squirrels and capercaillie. Walk past Bynack More and round to Lairig an Laoigh, where you might feel like the only people in the world. You can wild camp on the route below pure dark skies, but it’s a walk up the Fords of Avon that is the real highlight. A rough path takes you past Beinn Mheadhoin (worth diverting up for the huge rock formations on the summit) until Loch Avon opens up in front of you – one of the most stunning corries in Scotland and a beautiful place for a swim, a climb or just to lie back and watch the world.

Hannah

Australia captain Pat Cummins ⁠has again denied any involvement in ⁠the plot to use sandpaper on the ball in a Test against South Africa in 2018, describing the allegations in Usman Khawaja’s autobiography as “utter nonsense”.

Former Australia batsman Khawaja, whose autobiography was published on Tuesday, said last weekend that all the players in the team knew about ⁠the plot to rough up the ball with sandpaper to make it swing. His latest comments triggered calls for a new investigation into the incident.

The scandal centred around the third Test in Cape Town, but Khawaja also claimed the tactic was used in the second Test at Port Elizabeth.

“When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he’s 100 percent wrong. I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years,” Cummins told a news conference in Sydney on Friday.

“I did not know that was happening, but I think ⁠Usman actually says things that are actually far more serious than that.

“He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper. That’s complete and utter nonsense.

“There was no master plan around using illegal methods,” he added. “There’s no grand plan. There’s no team meeting. There’s no bowlers saying ‘this is what must happen’.”

Cummins and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all denied publicly in a 2021 statement that they were aware of the plan.

Darren Lehmann, who was the Australian head coach at the time, has also denied any knowledge, as has former batting coach Graeme Hick, who called Khawaja’s allegations “absolutely false”.

Cummins spoke for 68 minutes on Friday, taking every question from the media and saying he would never discuss the ball-tampering incident again.

The Australia skipper also took exception to Pakistan-born Khawaja’s contention in the book that the colour of his ‌skin and background had prevented him from becoming Australia captain.

“I think of all the things that I’ve read this week, I think that’s actually the most serious,” he said.

“Him saying that if you’re Australian captain, you have to be a certain skin colour, I couldn’t disagree with that statement any more.”

Steve Smith and David Warner, the then-Australia captain and vice-captain, were banned by Cricket Australia from elite cricket for a year for their roles in the ball-tampering.

Opening batter Cameron Bancroft, who brought a piece of sandpaper onto the field, received a nine-month suspension for his part in the ball-tampering.

“I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out that Usman admitted that he told Cam to be careful when using sandpaper. That’s not the Usman that I know,” Cummins said.

“It’s not the Usman that has helped rebuild the Australian cricket ⁠culture over the last eight years.”

Later on Friday, Warner said the trio had paid a heavy price for the incident and revealed ⁠that his wife Candice had lost a baby in the aftermath of what became known as “Sandpapergate“.

“I still stick by Uzzie and what he has written in that book. It is the truth,” the former Test opener said in TV commentary ahead of a one-day international between Australia and England.

“I actually feel for [Khawaja] at the moment. I actually feel that the captain today threw Uzzie under the bus and I’m very disappointed ⁠by that.”

‘Casual with lives and reputations’

Cummins was asked about Khawaja’s recollection that two players had rejected the batsman’s call for the team to take collective responsibility for the ball-tampering.

“I don’t remember any conversation around collective responsibility,” he said.

“So then, I’ve got no idea who ⁠those two people would be because I don’t remember ever being asked or having a conversation about it.”

Khawaja and ⁠Warner have also been critical of the Cricket Australia investigation in 2018 that found the three punished players solely responsible for the plot.

“I got asked to be part of that review,” Cummins said. “I was totally truthful. I’ve been very consistent since then at that event till now. Nothing’s changed.”

Earlier this week, the head of Cricket Australia ruled out opening another investigation into the 2018 incident.

Cummins said he respected the right of Khawaja to tell ‌his story in the autobiography but felt some of the allegations were very serious and had to be addressed.

“Usman’s a friend, but friends aren’t casual with each other’s lives and reputations,” he said.

“In his book, Uzzie has been casual with my life and the lives of many others, and I think Australian cricket.”

Cummins added, though, that he would not ‌be ‌taking legal action against Khawaja over the allegations in the book.

“I did get advised this week that some of the things that’ve been said are probably defamatory, but I won’t be doing that,” Cummins said.

“You’ve got to move on. It’s been eight years. We’re moving on. So, you got to draw a line at some point.”

Aviation startup Hermeus and established prime contractor Northrop Grumman say they are now working together toward the aim of delivering operational uncrewed aircraft capable of high-supersonic, if not hypersonic, flight to the U.S. military. Through a newly announced partnership, Northrop Grumman is set to integrate electronic warfare systems, sensors, autonomy packages, and other capabilities onto “next-generation” Hermeus drones.

Hermeus and Northrop Grumman announced their team-up earlier today. Hermeus, which was founded in 2018, has already flown a succession of ever-more capable uncrewed jet-powered Quarterhorse demonstrator drones. The delta-winged Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 was the first of these to break the sound barrier during a test flight in May. The company is now working on a further evolved Quarterhorse Mk 2.2, which it hopes to push beyond Mach 2.

Hermeus’ stated end goal is a design capable of hypersonic flight. The company has also previously shown renderings of a planned “mission plane” prototype described as being capable of “high-Mach” flight and equipped with six underwing pylons, three under each wing, as well as one along the centerline.

Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 has already demonstrated the ability to release stores at high speed. In September, Hermeus also unveiled Ramjet-X, a smaller ramjet-powered platform that can be air-launched from Quarterhorse drones, ostensibly to support high-speed flight testing activities, but that could be adapted to operational missions.

Now, as part of the new partnership, “Northrop Grumman will provide integrated mission systems design, development, integration, and sustainment for Hermeus’ next-generation aircraft — reusable, unmanned high-Mach platforms designed to deliver affordable capability on relevant timelines,” according to a press release from Hermeus. “The collaboration creates a path to equip Hermeus’ aircraft with technology across sensing, communications, navigation, and command and control, allowing the aircraft to operate more intelligently and take on more complex missions” and “give warfighters faster, more survivable options in combat.”

“As the threat environment accelerates, the Department of War needs autonomous systems developed and fielded in months, not years,” per a separate Northrop Grumman press release. “Northrop Grumman and Hermeus will meet that need by pairing Northrop Grumman’s combat‑proven mission systems and ‘ready‑now’ electronic warfare, communication, sensing and autonomy expertise with Hermeus’ high‑speed Quarterhorse aircraft.”

“We’re building a new class of aircraft that gives the warfighter improved speed, range, and flexibility while integrating into the existing Force,” Zach Shore, CEO of Hermeus, also said in a statement. “Adding Northrop Grumman’s battle-tested mission systems will push what those aircraft can do in real world scenarios and help us field operational capability faster. Northrop brings decades of experience turning aircraft into effective mission platforms and that’s exactly what we want to tap into.”

Beyond the mention of electronic warfare, sensing, and communications capabilities, neither company’s press release elaborates more specifically on the kind of operational missions that future Hermeus drones could be tasked with. It is also unclear which branches of the U.S. military might be looking to fly them. TWZ has reached out for more information.

That being said, development of the Quarterhorse family has been supported in part through contracts from the U.S. Air Force and the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The aforementioned stores release testing was conducted under the auspices of a DIU effort called High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities (HyCAT).

Hermeus’ inclusion in HyCAT brought “a technical focus on turbine-based combined cycle [TBCC] propulsion and a pathway for dual-use, reusable hypersonic flight aircraft,” according to a DIU press release back in 2023. “Hermeus will emphasize demonstration of enabling technologies – aircraft sub-systems and mission integration – needed for future hypersonic aircraft.”

Hermeus has also been developing a TBCC propulsion system called Chimera. The company’s goal is to integrate that onto a future Quarterhorse Mk 3 design.

Hypersonic Engine Test Milestone

As we have written previously:

“A practical TBCC propulsion system has long been viewed as something of a holy grail for very high-speed aircraft design. Ramjets and scramjets typically used to propel air-breathing air vehicles to hypersonic speeds, typically defined as anything above Mach 5, do not work properly at subsonic speeds and can have trouble operating efficiently even at low-supersonic speeds. As such, a significant initial boost velocity, usually provided by a rocket motor, is required before those engines can kick in. A TBCC combines ramjets/scramjets with jet turbines that work at lower speeds and offers the ability to seamlessly shift from one mode to the other. An air vehicle with a TBCC propulsion system would be able to take off and land from suitably long existing runways, but cruise at high-supersonic or even hypersonic speeds, offering immense operational flexibility.”

Furthermore, the U.S. Air Force has been open in recent years about at least having an interest in reusable hypersonic air vehicles capable of performing strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The service has publicly pursued the development of relevant technologies, including advanced scramjet engines and TBCC propulsion concepts, and full-up demonstrators to prove them out, through several programs in recent years, but the outcomes to date remain unclear.

The Air Force did award Leidos a contract for the development of a full-up prototype reusable hypersonic air vehicle under its secretive Mayhem program back in 2022. That effort, which aimed to demonstrate a platform that could be adapted to hypersonic strike and ISR missions, ran into budget and other hurdles, and its status was decidedly murky as of 2024. That same year, a very similar-sounding project called Next Generation Responsive Strike (Next RS) emerged at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), in which the Air Force was also involved. As of 2025, the Next RS plan also included plans to acquire a flying prototype or demonstrator by 2030, but how that effort has advanced since then is unclear.

As we have also written in the past:

“A reusable uncrewed air-launched hypersonic strike and reconnaissance aircraft could certainly offer benefits in various operational scenarios. Such a system could be ideal for prosecuting time-sensitive targets, or just gathering intelligence on them, including deep in denied areas at extreme stand-off ranges. From an ISR perspective, spy satellites, which might be the only other option for collecting on the targets in question, could take too long to retask and are predictable, with the enemy knowing when they will pass overhead.”

“An air-launched reusable platform could offer additional flexibility in terms of vector of approach and timely arrival over a target area compared to regional ground and surface-launched concepts.”

Northrop Grumman’s press release today highlights the potential to add electronic warfare capabilities to the mix. It’s not clear whether the aim here is to provide self-production for the drone or to enable non-kinetic attacks, or both. An electronic warfare package could also allow the vehicle to act as a very-high-speed reusable decoy.

It’s also important to note that a design from Hermeus would not need to be capable of hypersonic flight, defined as anything above Mach 5, to be relevant in the roles described above. As mentioned earlier, even before today’s announcement, the company had plans for an operationalized ‘high-Mach’ drone. We have also already seen such capability fielded in China in the form of the WZ-8, a rocket-powered tactical theater reconnaissance drone.

Aircraft, crewed and uncrewed, that can fly at transitional speeds between the high-supersonic and fully hypersonic regimes are also set to be increasingly relevant for research and development and test and evaluation activities. This is the arena where Hermeus is working now through efforts like HyCAT. Growing demand for these kinds of high-speed flight test capabilities has also recently been underscored by reports that NASA is exploring returning a retired SR-71 Blackbird to flight as an experimental X-plane.

There is clearly work still to be done before any version of Quarterhorse, or a future design from Hermeus, emerges as an operational platform, hypersonic or not. At the same time, the new partnership with Northrop Grumman reflects a new and very explicit step toward that goal, which is building on work already being done with the support of the U.S. military.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

SHE may have been murdered on The Celebrity Traitors by best friend Alan Carr, but Paloma Faith is back and very much alive.

The singer has announced that her seventh studio album, In Full Colour, will drop on March 5 before she embarks on a huge UK tour.

The record is Paloma’s first since 2024’s The Glorification Of Sadness – an album all about the breakdown of her relationship with artist Leyman Lahcine, dad of her first two children.

While that record showed the singer at her most broken, she insists In Full Colour is her at her happiest.

Paloma, who appeared on last year’s Celebrity Traitors, said: “This album is intentionally optimistic. In a world that can feel hopeless, this album is joy as protest. Humanity can win.”

But self-doubt creeps into the lead single, Gone, which is out today and has a Seventies soul sound.

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Paloma explained: “It is about how isolating this job can be.

“You can be on a stage in full sequins and wonder if anyone can really see you, or even worse, if you can see yourself at all any more.”

Paloma’s 18-date tour, which kicks off next October, includes shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.

Addy Brown had 18 points and eight rebounds, Sienna Betts had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and No. 10 UCLA never trailed Thursday night in a 76-44 win over Arizona on Thursday.

Timea Gardiner added 16 points, KK Bransford scored 13 and Somto Okafor 10 for UCLA (3-0).

Makayla Presser-Palmer and Aliyahna Morris led Arizona (2-1) with eight points apiece.

Betts made back-to-back baskets before Donovyn Hunter hit a three-pointer that made it 14-4 a little more than four minutes into the game and the Bruins took a 13-point lead into halftime.

Sumayah Sugapong hit a three-pointer and Gerda Raulusaityte followed with a layup 48 seconds into the second half that made it 37-29 but the Wildcats got no closer.

Brown had a three-point play and hit a three-pointer as part of a a 16-2 run that closed the third quarter and gave UCLA a 62-39 lead going into the fourth.

The Wildcats scored just 19 second-half points, five in the fourth quarter — their lowest-scoring quarter this season. Arizona shot 24% (14 of 58) overall, made just three of 16 (19%) from three-point range, and hit 13 of 19 (68%) from the free-throw line.

The Bruins have won four straight against Arizona and lead the all-time series with their former Pac-12 rival 67-25.

Up next for UCLA: vs. Princeton at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday.