May 25 (Asia Today) — Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating plans to mass-produce humanoid robot Atlas and deploy it at manufacturing sites, creating new software-defined factory and robotics parts organizations as it pushes to build AI-driven future factories.

Industry officials say the leading candidate for Atlas mass production is the company’s Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, or HMGMA, in the U.S. state of Georgia.

Analysts say Hyundai’s strategy goes beyond simply introducing robots into factories and instead aims to simultaneously establish AI-based manufacturing systems and a dedicated robotics supply chain.

According to industry sources Sunday, Hyundai Motor Group recently created a new “Software Defined Factory,” or SDF, division and appointed Alpesh Patel to lead the effort.

SDF refers to a next-generation manufacturing system in which AI integrates and controls factory-wide production, quality management and logistics through unified software systems.

The goal is not only factory automation but also real-time analysis of manufacturing data and optimization of quality control and logistics operations.

Patel, formerly with consulting firm McKinsey & Company, joined Hyundai Motor Group in 2023 and previously served as chief innovation officer at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore, or HMGICS, where he led development of digital manufacturing systems.

Industry observers said Hyundai’s decision to move Patel into a broader group leadership role reflects plans to expand smart manufacturing systems validated in Singapore across global production sites.

Patel is also expected to oversee digital twin operations, production data management and AI-driven factory systems while coordinating future deployment of Atlas robots in manufacturing facilities.

Analysts say humanoid robots require integrated coordination among production equipment, logistics systems and worker movement within a unified software environment to function effectively in factories.

Hyundai Motor Group is also expanding its robotics supply chain infrastructure.

The company recently established a dedicated Robotics Parts Procurement Office and appointed So Hyun-sung to lead the division.

The office will oversee sourcing and cost competitiveness for core humanoid robot components such as actuators, robotic grippers and head modules as Boston Dynamics moves toward mass production.

Boston Dynamics reportedly requested that key Atlas components be mass-produced by Hyundai Mobis.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to build a mass-production system centered on Hyundai Mobis while linking it to global procurement networks to secure supply stability and pricing competitiveness.

Industry officials have also discussed the possibility of constructing a U.S.-based actuator production facility capable of producing about 350,000 units annually.

The company has additionally reorganized teams handling global trade risks amid rapidly changing international trade conditions.

Hyundai recently established a Global Trade Strategy Office under its Global Policy Office to oversee diplomacy, trade and tariff issues, appointing Jang Jae-ryang to lead the division.

Industry analysts said the move is intended to address growing risks involving global manufacturing and supply chains.

Georgia has emerged as the leading candidate for Atlas mass production over Massachusetts, where Boston Dynamics is headquartered, according to industry sources.

Officials reportedly concluded Georgia would allow newly produced robots to be immediately deployed and tested at HMGMA production facilities.

HMGMA already operates as a smart factory combining about 1,700 workers and more than 1,000 robots.

Industry officials said the facility offers advantages for repeated testing, machine learning and operational improvement of Atlas robots in real manufacturing environments.

The site is also viewed as strategically favorable for vertically integrating component procurement, robot production and deployment logistics.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to establish annual Atlas production capacity of 30,000 units by 2028 and gradually deploy more than 25,000 of those robots across Hyundai and Kia production facilities.

Initially, Atlas robots are expected to handle parts sequencing operations at the Georgia factory before expanding into assembly work.

Hyundai also plans to extend SDF technologies to facilities including its Pune plant in India and a dedicated electric vehicle factory in Ulsan, South Korea.

An industry official said Hyundai Motor Group is pursuing more than a traditional automated factory model.

“What Hyundai is building is a future manufacturing system combining AI and humanoid robots,” the official said. “The creation of SDF organizations, robotics supply chains and production hubs is essentially preparation for the era of mass-produced robots.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260526010007193

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden was left in tears after uncovering a heartbreaking family discovery.

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden was left fighting back tears after uncovering a heartbreaking family secret during her appearance on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?

The beloved dancer delved into her ancestry on the popular genealogy programme, where she made a series of shocking discoveries about her family’s past.

Among them was the devastating revelation that a 13-year-old relative had been murdered, prompting Amy to seek out the truth behind the tragedy.

However, it was another discovery that truly struck a chord with the Welsh star. Exploring her dad’s side of the family after learning her grandfather had been adopted, Amy uncovered the story of her great-grandmother Louisa, who passed away young, leaving behind several small children.

The emotional revelation hit particularly close to home for Amy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, aged 32, after finding a lump before her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones.

Upon learning that Louisa had died in 1921 at just 39 years old from breast cancer, Amy was visibly overcome with emotion, reports Wales Online.

“Oh my goodness,” Amy said, speechless for a moment. “That’s made me a little bit emotional.”

Pausing to compose herself, she tearfully shared, “She was only in her 30s. I wonder if there’s a link between her and me.”

Amy continued: “What an awful few years they went through, the war and then this cancer diagnosis, never mind then the Lockout with the collieries.

“My mum had breast cancer and witnessing her go through it, that was tough. Just the thought of the family having to go through what we went through, and it would have been worse then.

“But also, knowing the timing as well. Poor Bill, losing his wife to breast cancer and then having six children.

“Also, she had one of the same type of breast cancers as me, and I’d love to find out more, did she get surgery, did she have treatment? Was there a chance of cure?”

She added, “Knowing what she went through is horrible, but I’m lucky, I’m still here; it took her life, so it’s a bit raw.”

Hearing of the treatment that wouldn’t have been available for Louisa, with cancer at the time known as an incurable disease, Amy shared: “I can’t imagine, I know what it’s like to have a cancer diagnosis, but I’m a lucky one, I’ve been able to come out the other side.”

Louisa’s six children were aged between 11 years old and just one year old, including Amy’s grandfather Frank, who was informally adopted after her death.

“You instantly just feel for these children,” Amy said. “To lose their mum, the girls grew up without a mother and probably also had to become a mother really to the younger siblings.”

She continued, “It’s heartbreaking to see a family go through losing a mum. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to be told you’ve got cancer, and knowing then that was a death sentence.

“I’d imagine Louisa and Bill had to make a very difficult decision, most likely together, about my grandfather Frank, and that must have been absolutely heartbreaking.”

Amy Dowden’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Tuesday 2 June at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer, with Zoe Ball’s episode airing tonight.

Watch the trailer for a new BBC Sport documentary offering unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Manchester United and England star Ella Toone as she prepares for her wedding.

Launching on BBC Sport’s YouTube channel and BBC iPlayer on Friday 29 May, 24 Hours With Ella Toone is the first episode of a new BBC Sport digital series which captures a defining 24-hour chapter with some of sport’s most fascinating characters.

Watch on Friday 29 May from 18:00 BST on BBC Sport’s YouTube channel, external, 19:00 on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three. The YouTube Premiere page will be available from 18:00 on Wednesday to set a reminder.

READ MORE: How Toone is navigating grief through football

Available to UK users only.

Coffee chain has seen ‘very significant’ drop in sales after campaign that evoked deadly crackdown, local operator says.

Starbucks Korea has suffered a “very significant” drop in sales after a marketing campaign that evoked a brutal 1980 military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters triggered a public outcry, according to the coffee chain’s local operator.

Shinsegae Group, whose subsidiary E-Mart owns the coffee chain in South Korea, has faced mounting criticism over its so-called “Tank Day” campaign, launched on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising, when the military government deployed troops and tanks to suppress pro-democracy demonstrations.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Shinsegae Group chairman Chung Yong-jin made a public apology and asked people not to take out any anger on Starbucks Korea employees and front-line staff.

“I take it very seriously, the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea’s inappropriate marketing campaign,” Chung said.

“I will take all responsibility for the incident.”

Chung also asked people not to take out their frustration on staff at Starbucks shops, saying the responsibility lies with management. There were no immediate reports of major incidents at stores.

Chung issued his first apology on May 19, saying in a statement that the campaign caused “deep pain to the victims and bereaved families of the May 18 Democratization Movement as well as to the public”.

Shinsegae fired the head of Starbucks Korea last week after apologising over the campaign. Starbucks Global also apologised and said that an investigation had begun.

A Shinsegae official said sales had fallen sharply since the marketing controversy.

“While sales are not our main concern at the moment, we have seen a very significant drop,” said the official.

At Tuesday’s news conference, Jeon Sangjin, a senior Shinsegae Group executive, said the company had yet to find conclusive evidence that Starbucks Korea marketing employees intended to mock the pro-democracy movement, an accusation the employees have denied.

However, he said some employees refused management requests to hand over their smartphones during a weeklong internal review.

Jeon said the company would look at the results from the police inquiry, and any employee found to have intended to ridicule protesters would be fired.

The anger over the campaign has triggered public calls for boycotts, amplified by government officials, including Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung, who said Starbucks products will no longer be used at government events and lamented the chain’s “anti-historical behaviour”.

The country’s president, Lee Jae Myung, said on X last week that the campaign displayed “inhumane and disgraceful behaviour by cheap profiteers who deny the values of the South Korean community, basic human rights and democracy”.

Hundreds of people are estimated to have died ⁠or gone missing when Chun Doo-hwan’s military government cracked down on the protests in Gwangju.

Many details remain unconfirmed, including who gave the order to open fire.

Both the US and Iran have recently signaled progress on efforts to reach a deal to end their conflict, though their accounts of its terms differ on some issues across respective media narratives, Anadolu reports.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said an agreement with Iran to end the war was “largely negotiated” and awaited finalization.

On Sunday morning, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency also published a report on the details of a potential agreement. However, certain aspects of what has been agreed seem to diverge.

Here is a comparison of the US and Iranian versions of the deal by key issues.

Strait of Hormuz

Citing a US official, Axios said the deal that Washington and Tehran are close to signing would extend a ceasefire by 60 days, during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened.

During the 60-day period, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened without any tolls, and Iran would remove the mines it has placed there to ensure unrestricted maritime passage.

In return, Washington would lift its blockade on Iranian ports, added the report.

The New York Times also said it was informed by three senior Iranian officials that Tehran had agreed to a memorandum of understanding to halt fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said on Sunday that the agreement could, if successful, result in a “completely open” Strait of Hormuz, with no tolls or restrictions on passage.

“They don’t own it. It’s an international waterway,” Rubio told reporters of the strait, in remarks that came during his visit to India.

A report by Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim, however, said that the Strait of Hormuz will not fully return to its pre-war status if the agreement is reached.

Instead, the number of ships allowed to pass would be restored to pre-war levels within 30 days, the outlet added.

Tehran also demands an end to the US blockade on its ports, arguing that no changes will be made in the strait if the blockade remains in place.

For its part, the US argues that the quicker Iran removes the mines and allows shipping to resume, the sooner the blockade will be lifted.

READ: Iran ready to reassure world it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, president says

Sanctions relief and release of frozen Iranian assets

Iran was seeking the immediate unfreezing of funds and a permanent lifting of sanctions, but the US position indicates these measures would only be granted after Iran made concrete concessions, according to the Axios report.

As part of the proposed 60-day agreement, the US is offering temporary sanctions waivers that would allow Iran to sell its oil freely. These waivers are explicitly linked to Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, removing mines, and ending restrictions on maritime traffic. Once these steps are taken, Washington would also lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Tehran, however, says no agreement will be reached unless at least a portion of the frozen Iranian assets is released immediately. Iranian media confirmed the discussion of temporary oil sanctions waivers in the latest US proposal but insisted on broader and more permanent sanctions relief.

Nuclear file

The Axios report said the draft deal includes commitments from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons, along with provisions to negotiate a suspension of uranium enrichment and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The Iranian media reports, however, indicate that Tehran has not yet accepted anything on its nuclear program.

A potential deal would involve a 60-day negotiation window on Iran’s nuclear program, according to Tasnim.

Extent of ceasefire

Both US and Iranian media reports suggest that the cessation of hostilities would mean a halt to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon.

This was also highlighted by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Saturday, when he said Tehran was prioritizing an end to hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon.

Context

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel, as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation and was later extended by Trump indefinitely. Washington and Tehran also held rare direct talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on April 11-12, but have failed to reach an agreement.

Trump’s Saturday remarks came after Pakistani army chief Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran. The visit was the second of its kind in recent weeks, as Munir is directly involved in Islamabad’s mediation efforts.

READ: Trump says Iran talks ‘constructive’ but blockade will remain until final deal is reached

The Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French was taken aback when a fan yelled at her in the street enthusiastically but had mistaken her for her fellow sitcom legend Dame Joanna Lumley

Dawn French was taken aback aback when a fan mistook her for Dame Joanna Lumley. The comedienne, 68, is best known playing the title role of Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley, while former model Joanna, 80, starred as boozy fashion magazine editor Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous alongside Dawn’s sketch comedy partner Jennifer Saunders.

The TV star took to social media on Bank Holiday with a humorous video where she recounted the situation for her fans and followers as she appeared to take it all in good humour.

She said: “So I did something on the telly and come out of there, just walking along and [someone shouts] ‘Hey you, you! You are absolutely fabulous.’

READ MORE: Dawn French shocks fans with talk of ‘funeral’ plans and the sad story behind new projectREAD MORE: Joanna Lumley says she believes secret to not ageing is not eating meat as she turns 80

“Oh, thank you very much!’ [And they said] ‘No, you are Absolutely Fabulous, Joanna Lumley. That’s you!’ Yeah that’s me all right!” Captioning the post, she wrote: “ABSOLOOOOTLY FABLUSS!!!”

Fans were quick to react to the post, with one simply writing: “Joanna Lumley,” and leaving behind a string of crying-laughing emojis. Referring to a moment from the second series of The Vicar of Dibley, in which Geraldine is mistaken for a celebrity, another fan wrote: “Its like someone thinking you’re Alison Moyet all over again!”

Another joked: “You’ve finally made it [face palm emoji]” and a fourth said: “Recognition get it where you can! and another said: “Poor fella probably thinks Joanna Lumley was a lady vicar.”

Author and singer Jann Arden wrote: “joanna lumley!! just the best. I once had someone come up to me in the grocery store, they were awfully excited and then proceeded to tell me that I looked like Jann Arden’s mother. So there’s that.”

Dawn is actually part of the history of Absolutely Fabulous, which followed the capers of hapless PR guru Edina Monsoon and her best friend Patsy.

The sitcom, which ran sporadically over the course of 20 years, was initially based on a sketch that appeared as part of French & Saunders titled Modern Mother and Daughter, where Dawn played the part of Edina’s straight-laced daughter Saffy, and the part was eventually taken on by Julia Sawalha when the project was greenlit as a full series.

Dawn later made a cameo appearance as a television presenter in the first series, and reprised the role for Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie in 2016, alongside a host of other guest stars like Rylan Clark, Kate Moss and Dame Joan Collins.

Joanna’s early career consisted of appearances in Coronation Street and The New Avengers but she has also gone on to become known for narrating a host of travel documentaries, and has found renewed sitcom success with a starring role in Amandaland.

Meanwhile, as well as French & Saunders and The Vicar of Dibley and more recent TV roles with Can You Keep A Secret? , Dawn has carved out another career as an author, having recently released her fifth novel Enough.

It follows a woman named Etta who at 68 invites all of her family to go to the beach as the sun is rising, where she tells them that by sunset, she won’t be there anymore.

“She’s made a decision to excuse her kids from the difficult, prickly last part of life,” Dawn said as she appeared on The One Show. “And she has made this decision thinking that it’s extremely selfless to do that.”

The star told the BBC show’s hosts Angellica Bell and Clara Amfo that she felt that the fact her own father had died by suicide gave her some “permission” to write the story. Dawn also shared that her own age – 68 – was also a factor when she penned the book.

She said: “I feel a little bit of permission to write this theme because I am a child of suicide myself. My dad took his life when I was 19. And I have lived with the various stages of grief about that for my whole life.”

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The 29-year-old endured a difficult 2025, dropping from 24th in the world to outside the top 100, and she lost her British number one ranking amid injury issues.

Searching for a fresh start, she split from her long-time coach Biljana Veselinovic and appointed Michael Joyce – the former coach of Maria Sharapova – in early 2026.

After a first-round exit in January’s Australian Open, Boulter returned to the world’s top 100 with a WTA 250 title in Ostrava and a run to the third round in Miami.

But her form remained inconsistent and she had won just three WTA Tour-level singles matches from four clay tournaments in the build-up to the Paris major.

Unforced errors flew freely from both players’ racquets and the pair twice traded breaks in the opening set before Boulter served it out at the second time of asking.

Back-to-back double faults from Boulter put Urhobo on the front foot early in the second, and although Boulter levelled the scores mid-set, the Florida-born player restored her advantage immediately and forced the decider.

Both players raised their level in the third and the quality improved somewhat as Boulter stamped her authority on the contest with a break in the fourth game.

Once again, the Briton failed to serve out the set and she eventually grabbed the win – after two hours and 10 minutes – by breaking Urhobo’s serve for a sixth time.

Ultimately, 58 unforced errors to Boulter’s 35 proved too costly for rising star Urhobo, who broke into the top 200 for the first time earlier this year.

Speaking after the match, Boulter said she was not quite physically at 100% during her first-round contest, adding: “I think it’s just been cumulative over the last few weeks, maybe playing with a bit of an illness.

“I really expected to feel a bit better today walking on the court, but I wasn’t fully there. Whether it was just a little bit of the conditions, a little bit of the last few weeks, I haven’t quite got enough rest, I’m not entirely sure.

“In the last couple of days I’ve been pretty tired going on the practice courts. My goal was just to go out and not overthink it, just try to play, almost forget that I wasn’t feeling amazing and try to do the best I could.”

May 25 (UPI) — Israeli forces launched a renewed wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah on Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify attacks against the Iran-backed militia.

The strikes came as Israel and Lebanon have been engaged in U.S.-mediated talks, the first in decades between the two nations, aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The attacks were expected to further strain the already frayed negotiations.

Israeli warplanes launched more than 85 munitions, striking more than 70 sites across Lebanon, including about 10 Hezbollah headquarters and weapons storage facilities in Tyre, located in southwestern Lebanon on the Mediterranean.

Infrastructure used by Hezbollah to attack Israel was among the targets struck, the IAF said in a statement, adding the Israeli military “eliminated” alleged motorcycle-riding Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon where IDF forces were operating.

The IDF said earlier that it had hit sites in the northeastern Beqaa Valley and several other areas in Lebanon, though it was not clear if that was part of a separate operation.

Netanyahu vowed in a video statement on Instagram to intensify strikes targeting the Iran-backed militia, stating that they were in response to Hezbollah firing fiber-optic drones over the last few weeks at northern Israel.

“We are at war. We are not taking our foot off the gas — on the contrary. I said to press the gas in Lebanon. We will strike them,” he said.

In a sign of concern over potential Hezbollah retaliatory strikes, the IDF issued new, tightened restrictions for northern Israel residents on Tuesday, capping outdoor gathering limits from 200 to 50 people and indoors from 600 to 200.

Hezbollah initially attacked Israel a day after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023. The conflict halted 13 months later with a fragile cease-fire that was never fully observed.

In early March, Israel launched renewed attacks on Lebanon, involving ground troops. In April, a cease-fire was announced in the larger Iran war, with Israel claiming it did not apply to Lebanon, while Lebanon and Iran said it did.

In mid-April, amid the confusion, Israel and Lebanon held their first diplomatic talks since 1993.

In another visible sign of the damage inflicted by Iran during the now-paused war, a KC-135 Stratotanker was spotted over the weekend at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom peppered with temporary shrapnel damage repairs. The aircraft is at least the second to transit through the installation with damage from the war.

The photographs, from aviation photographer Andrew McKelvey, show the KC-135 heavily speckled with shrapnel damage to the tail, its vertical stabilizer as well as its flaps. It is also missing its refueling boom entirely.

It is unclear where this jet was struck. There were five tankers reportedly damaged in the Iranian long-range strike on Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in Saudi Arabia on March 14. However, data from FlightRadar24 shows that the jet was taking off and arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Israel on the day before and after the attack on PSAB. In addition, that data shows it was still flying missions after that incident, which seems highly unlikely. The KC-135 could have been hit somewhere else or the data is wrong. We just don’t know at the moment.

“It’s still here and parked on the visitors ramps on the north side of the base,” McKelvey told us Monday morning EDT.

This jet, tail number 63-8028, belongs to the Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing. It arrived at Mildenhall from Ben Gurion on Saturday, according to data from FlightRadar24. 

As we have reported in the past, dozens of U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft now deployed to Ben Gurion Airport are expected to stay in Israel at least until the end of this year, Israel’s N12 News reported on X.

“The presence of the aircraft—not the U.S. military—is causing significant operational difficulties at Ben Gurion Airport, as they are parked almost everywhere possible at the port,” the outlet added.

As noted earlier, this is at least the second KC-135 that has visited Mildenhall sporting shrapnel damage and temporary repairs. Last month, McKelvey shared images with us of a KC-135 from the Ohio Air National Guard’s (OANG) 121st Air Refueling Wing covered from nose to tail with these repairs. However, additional ones could have transited to Mildenhall or other installations in Europe before flying to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma for far more comprehensive repair work. Tinker is home to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, which performs programmed depot maintenance and modifications on KC-46, KC-135, B-1B, B-52, E-3 and Navy E-6 aircraft.

As we explained in our story about the OANG jet: “While all tankers are precious assets, at least to a degree, due to the high demand on the fleet and its cumulative age, in this case there may be at least one positive side effect from the damage. Executing a battle damage repair plan in the field to get a KC-135 back in the air is a good real-life exercise, one that could prove vital if a future conflict in the Pacific were to erupt. Lessons will certainly be learned on many levels from Operation Epic Fury. And some of these lessons came the hard way even though they really shouldn’t have.”

The pock-marked tankers are among more than 40 aircraft damaged or destroyed during Epic Fury. In addition to those hit by shrapnel, two tankers were involved in a mid-air collision in March over Iraq that killed all six crew members aboard one of the jets.

About two weeks after that incident, a KC-135 was pulled from the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and sent to Tinker.

“At the request of the KC- 135 System Program Office, the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group regenerated KC-135R, tail number 58-011, to support operational requirements,” an Air Force spokesperson told us last month. “The aircraft departed on April 2, 2026, enroute to the Oklahoma Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.”

The Air Force declined to specify what those operational requirements were.

You can get an idea of the extent of U.S. aircraft losses from our recent graphic linked here.

However, these aircraft losses are just part of the damage from Iranian missile and drone attacks.

“Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East since the war began, hitting hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defense equipment,” The Washington Post reported earlier this month. “The amount of destruction is far larger than what has been publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government or previously reported.”

We have reached out to the wing and U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) for more information about the damaged tankers and will update this story with any pertinent details provided.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

Emmerdale spoilers for next week tease big moments ahead on the ITV soap, from Dr Todd being exposed, to a planned Home Farm robbery and there’s also an affair heating up

It’s another big week ahead on Emmerdale, with new spoilers teasing big plans and secrets under threat.

Charity’s desperate when Kim pulls out of the Woolpack purchase deal. She instead asks Kim for a loan, but Chas overhears their conversation. Charity confesses to Chas she’s being blackmailed by Dr. Todd about Leyla’s true parentage.

Charity and Chas hatch a plan to rob Home Farm to pay Todd. When Charity can only give Todd a portion of the money she’s demanding, Todd demands the rest of it within 24 hours, or she will reveal her secret.

Laurel and Ross’ secret affair heats up, while Gabby is devastated over her rejection from Ross. As Ross and Laurel’s passion continues, only for them to almost be rumbled by Sam.

READ MORE: EastEnders icon makes unannounced return with huge news for Zack – as fans stunnedREAD MORE: What’s wrong with Coronation Street’s Sarah ‘revealed’ in new ‘health scare’

To cover things up, Ross claims Laurel is Sam’s new dance partner as Sam continues to have secret sessions to impress Lydia. Kim is suspicious of Sam’s shifty behaviour though, while Nicola, knowing about Ross and Laurel, almost reveals all to Manpreet.

Kerry and Pollard present a united front after being conned by Archie. Liam advises Cain to find a practical solution to start living his life again and Gabby contemplates clean living.

Emmerdale isn’t the only soap seeing big things ahead, with Hollyoaks and Home and Away also offering emotional and dramatic moments in the coming days. On Hollyoaks, Diane’s funeral arrives, and Dee Dee is devastated by her late mum’s letter to Tony.

Dee Dee publicly calls out Leela, accusing her of trying to replace Diane. As Dee Dee turns to drugs to deal with her grief, Tony is concerned.

Elsewhere, Beth is convinced the Osbornes are hiding Charlie who has decided to go on the run from the police. As she organises a family lunch, what does she have planned?

As for Home and Away, Tane wakes from his coma after his recent brutal prison attack, and he shocks Jo by dumping her after she’s been supporting him at his bedside. Alf sparks concerns after his recent driving troubles, as he’s determined to visit Martha.

But when he faces accusations of a hit and run, is he to blame? Sonny wants to move back in with Dana, and Richie and Cash continue to clash at work.

So it’s a big week across more than one soap next week, with plenty to keep focus on. As ever some things are not revealed in spoilers too with plenty under wraps, so expect twists and turns.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .