The Sports Report: Dodgers clinch a postseason spot
Dodgers clinch postseason spot
From Maddie Lee: The Dodgers celebrated clinching a postseason berth with a champagne toast. Simple. Restrained. Leaving room for larger celebrations to come.
“The message was, ‘We haven’t come close to playing our best baseball yet,’” manager Dave Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 4-1 win over the Reds on Monday. “And here we are with 12 games left, getting a ticket to the postseason. And that says a lot about this entire organization. And just to finish strong.”
It marked the Dodgers’ 14th straight playoff berth, tying a record set by the Atlanta Braves from 1991 to 2005.
“It’s different than anything I’ve experienced, for sure,” Tarik Skubal said of the understated celebration. “But I think it just speaks to the people in this room and what they expect out of this team. That was cool. A little toast and move on. Forget it happened. We’ve got more to accomplish.”
Most teams don ski goggles to celebrate with champagne and beer showers. The Dodgers will save the messier celebration for clinching the division. Their win over the Reds (70-80) trimmed that magic number to three.
It was fitting that Skubal, the Dodgers’ big trade-deadline acquisition, was on the mound for the clincher. He’s progressively improved in his eight starts with the Dodgers. And on Monday, he breezed through seven shutout innings, allowing just four baserunners (three singles and a walk).
“I think a lot of the struggles have been me versus me,” Skubal said. “Thinking too much out there, not competing the way I know how to compete. Just thinking too much about pitch selection at times and trying to be too fine and not challenging guys.”
Will Edwin Díaz be on postseason roster?
From Maddie Lee: Even as the Dodgers clinched a postseason berth with their 4-1 win over the Reds on Monday, bullpen uncertainty loomed.
When they get to the playoffs, who’s going to take the ball in high-leverage situations?
Their options are dwindling. Edgardo Henriquez landed on the 15-day injured list Monday with low back discomfort, ruling him out for the rest of the regular season. Edwin Díaz was so shaky in his rehab assignment Sunday that a spot on the postseason roster isn’t guaranteed.
“We have to go with our best pitchers, as far as performance, talent, all that stuff,” manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers opened a four-game series against the Reds. “So my bet is that he will be [on the roster]. But there’s got to be some kind of evidence or something for us to sort of bet on. And so my bet is, yes, but we’ve still got to see something.”
Angels defeat the Mariners
Reid Detmers struck out eight over six innings, and Jose Siri and Denzer Guzman each drove in two runs to help the Angels beat the fading Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Monday night.
Detmers (6-8) gave up three runs and seven hits and a walk as third-place Seattle (70-81) dropped 5½ games behind AL West-leading Houston with 11 to play.
Ryan Watson pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings and Ben Joyce walked two in the ninth before retiring J.P. Crawford on a lineout to first base for his fifth save.
Steve Ballmer did the right thing for his team
From Kevin Baxter: Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his staff had spent the last 12 months loudly insisting they’d done nothing wrong.
The podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” first raised questions about payments star forward Kawhi Leonard received from Aspiration Partners without doing any endorsement work to benefit the company on Sept. 3, 2025. The NBA responded by starting an investigation.
In its findings — released Sept. 2 — an independent law firm reported “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations” that benefited Leonard, who received $66 million in cash and equity from four companies through agreements facilitated by Ballmer and team executives at the request of Leonard’s uncle and then-agent. Those deals violated the league salary cap, which limits how much teams can pay players. The cap is $164.961 million for the coming season.
The Clippers released two statements that same day, protesting the finding and the stiffest sanctions in NBA history, including a $30-million fine and the loss of five future first-round draft picks. In addition, Ballmer, 69, was banned from all league activities for the next year.
After immediately calling the NBA’s investigation “biased” and vowing to “vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us,” the Clippers were silent for 11 days.
On Sunday night, they surrendered.
Swanson: Clippers avoid a death penalty with Kawhi Leonard trade, but only if they clean house
Chargers miss chance to seize spotlight in L.A.
From Mirjam Swanson: It’s just one game. And it’s a long season.
Maybe a loooong season, if you’re a Chargers fan.
Sunday’s season-opening debacle — a sloppy, uninspired and uninspiring 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium — was a first, giant step back for these Chargers.
You can’t call Game 1 of any season a must-win. But you can pan back and recognize that sometimes Game 1 is a really, really should-win affair.
Not only because the Cardinals represented as close to a gimme as the Chargers are going to get on their precarious schedule.
But the Chargers also missed a prime opportunity to fill a hole in the L.A. football plot, rare as those are.
Rams give updates on Garrett, Donald
From Gary Klein: Sean McVay and the Rams thought the situation was under control, or at least manageable.
Star edge rusher Myles Garrett first experienced knee discomfort and swelling during training camp, a condition that caused him to sit out the majority of team workouts throughout the weeks leading up to the season opener.
But Garrett failed to record a tackle, and was clearly not himself, in an embarrassing defeat by the San Francisco 49ers on Friday in Australia.
On Monday, Garrett was scheduled to have surgery, and he will sit out at least the next four games on injured reserve.
Will lineman Aaron Donald, who has returned from a two-year retirement, make his season debut against the Giants?
“We haven’t decided that yet,” McVay said. “He’s going to continue to work his process and we’ll see what that looks like.”
This day in sports history
1899 — Willie Smith wins the U.S. Open golf title, beating George low, Val Fitzjohn and W.H. Way.
1923 — Bill Tilden wins the U.S. Lawn Tennis Assn. championship, beating William Johnston in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.
1962 — Frank Tripucka of the Denver Broncos passes for 447 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills.
1971 — Stan Smith wins the U.S. Open title over Jan Khodes and Billie Jean King beats Rosie Casals for the women’s title. It’s the first time in 16 years both titles were won by U.S. players.
1973 — Three-year-old Secretariat wins the Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap in the then-world record time of 1:45 2-5 for 11/8 miles.
1973 — Archie Griffin of Ohio State starts his NCAA record string of 31 games of rushing for at least 100 yards, leading the Buckeyes to a 56-7 rout of Minnesota in Columbus.
1978 — Muhammad Ali becomes the first three-time heavyweight champion with a unanimous 15-round decision over Leon Spinks at the Superdome in New Orleans.
1991 — The United States women’s gymnastics team makes history with its first team medal — a silver — at the World Championships in Indianapolis.
2002 — Sam Hornish Jr. wins another incredible race at Texas Motor Speedway, and his second straight IRL title. Hornish side-by-side with Helio Castroneves for many of the last 25 laps in the season-ending Chevy 500, crosses the finish line 0.0096 seconds — only a few inches — ahead of the other driver in contention for the season championship. Hornish wins his IRL-record fifth race of the season and becomes the first driver to win two IRL championships.
2002 — Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon begins NFL record-tying (Kurt Warner, Steve Young) streak of six consecutive 300-yard passing games, throwing for 403 yards in Raiders’ 30-17 victory at Pittsburgh.
2004 — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announces a lockout of the players union and cessation of operations by the NHL head office.
2012 — LSU beats Idaho 63-14 to give the Tigers an NCAA FBS record 40th-straight non-conference regular season victory. LSU also set a Tiger Stadium mark with 20 straight home wins. Kansas State had 39 straight non-conference regular-season wins from 1993-2003.
2013 — Philip Rivers is 36 of 47 for 419 yards and three touchdown passes to Eddie Royal to lead San Diego to a 33-30 victory at Philadelphia. Michael Vick of the Eagles passes for a career-best 428 yards and two touchdowns and runs for a score.
2018 — Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores his 500th worldwide goal in the Galaxy’s 5-3 loss to Toronto FC. The 36-year-old Swede joins Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only active players with 500 goals for in club and international play.
2021 — U.S. gymnasts, including Simone Biles, testify against former team doctor Larry Nassar at a Senate Committee hearing, criticizing a system that allowed it to happen.
2022 — Tennis great Roger Federer announces his retirement from pro tennis at 41 with 20 grand slam wins and 103 ATP titles.
Compiled by the Associated Press
This day in baseball history
1902 — Chicago Cubs infielders Tinker, Evers and Chance turn their first double play together.
1912 — Joe Wood of the Boston Red Sox pitched his 16th consecutive victory to tie Walter Johnson’s record as he beat the St. Louis Browns 2-1.
1938 — Brothers Lloyd and Paul Waner hit back-to-back homers for the Pittsburgh Pirates off Cliff Melton of the New York Giants. This was the only time brothers hit successive home runs in a major league game. It was Lloyd’s last homer.
1946 — The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in five innings when the game was called because of gnats. The insects became such a problem for the players, umpires and fans that the game had to be stopped.
1963 — All three Alou brothers — Felipe, Matty and Jesus — played in the outfield at the same time for the San Francisco Giants in a 13-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1969 — St. Louis left-hander Steve Carlton struck out 19 Mets for a nine-inning game record. New York won the game 4-3 on a pair of two-run homers by Ron Swoboda.
1979 — Bob Watson of the Red Sox became the first player to hit for the cycle in both leagues as he led Boston to a 10-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He hit for the cycle with the Houston Astros against San Francisco on June 24, 1977.
1990 — Bobby Thigpen pitched one inning and became the first relief pitcher with 50 saves in a season as the Chicago White Sox beat the Red Sox 7-4.
1996 — The Baltimore Orioles set baseball’s season home run record with five against Detroit, including Mark Parent’s record breaking shot in the third inning and Brady Anderson’s 10th leadoff homer of the year. The homers gave the Orioles 243, three more than the 1961 New York Yankees.
1997 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 51st and 52nd homers in Seattle’s win over Toronto to become the sixth major league player to hit 100 or more home runs over two consecutive seasons. Griffey hit 49 homers last season.
1998 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his AL-leading 52nd homer and drove in five runs to become the fourth-youngest player to reach 1,000 RBIs, leading the Seattle Mariners over the Minnesota Twins 12-7.
2002 — Arizona’s Curt Schilling struck out eight to reach 300 for the season, joining Randy Johnson as the first teammates in baseball history to each strike out 300 in the same season. The Diamondbacks beat Milwaukee 6-5 in 13 innings.
2008 — In an unprecedented move, the Milwaukee Brewers fired manager Ned Yost. It marked the first time in major league history — except the strike-split 1981 season — that a manager was fired in August or later with his team in playoff position. The Brewers, 83-67, lost seven of eight and fallen into a tie with Philadelphia for the NL wild-card lead.
2009 — David Ortiz hit his record-breaking 270th homer as a designated hitter and had an RBI single in Boston’s 4-1 victory over the Angels. Frank Thomas had held the mark with 269.
2011 — Pablo Sandoval tripled in the sixth inning to complete the first cycle of his career and San Francisco beat Colorado 8-5.
2017 — The Cleveland had its AL record winning streak stopped at 22 as the Indians were beaten 4-3 by the Kansas City Royals, who became the first team to conquer the defending league champions since Aug. 23. The Indians came within four of matching the overall record held by the 1916 New York Giants.
2014 — The Mets’ Jacob deGrom ties a major league record when he strikes out the first eight batters he faces before his opponent on the mound for the Marlins, Jarred Cosart, singles to right. DeGrom ties the record set by Jim Deshaies in 1986. He strikes out 13 in seven innings but ends up with a no-decision as the Marlins win, 6-5.
2022 — On Roberto Clemente Day, the Rays make history by fielding an all-Latino line-up (excluding starting pitcher Shane McClanahan). It consists of C René Pinto, 1B Harold Ramirez, 2B Isaac Paredes, SS Wander Franco, 3B Yandy Díaz, LF David Peralta, CF José Siri, RF Randy Arozarena and DH Manuel Margot, with five countries being represented. All wear Roberto Clemente’s iconic uniform number, 21, as they go on to defeat the Blue Jays, 11-0.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Arab News | Iran war cost hits $38 billion, forecast to rise $3 billion a month, CBO says
WASHINGTON: The six-month-old US war against Iran has cost $38 billion so far and that amount is projected to rise by $3 billion a month, Congress’ nonpartisan bookkeeper reported on Tuesday, as the Trump administration searches for ways to end the conflict and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The war is expected to increase inflation by 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2027, according to the Congressional Budget Office accounting, which totaled expenses through August 1.
The mounting costs have strained US munitions stockpiles and driven up energy prices, raising concerns about the country’s ability to respond to other potential conflicts and adding pressure on an already stretched federal budget.
The cost was close to the $37.5 billion that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported at a Senate hearing on July 21.
The budget office said the majority of the costs stem from the rapid drawdown of munitions, estimating that it could take five years to replenish US stockpiles. Reuters reported in August that the US had used “virtually all” of its long-range precision missiles during the war.
The Department of Defense did not cooperate with congressional financial auditors, CBO reported.
Representatives from the White House and Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The inquiry was conducted at the request of the top Democrat on the US House of Representatives Budget Committee, Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania.
“Donald Trump’s disastrous war in Iran has already taken the lives of brave American servicemembers and left others wounded,” Boyle said in a statement.
“Beyond that human toll, this nonpartisan CBO report makes clear that the war has also cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and counting, while continuing to drive up costs.”
Eighteen US military service members have died in the Iran war.
The report did not include costs of recent strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on US military installations in the region. It also did not factor in the borrowing expenses associated with financing the war, which could add tens of billions of dollars to the total cost.
IMPACT ON US READINESS
The CBO accounting found the war could have sprawling consequences for the US defense posture and the domestic economy.
The deficit in critical munitions, including missile interceptors, risks hampering the Pentagon’s response in the event of another major conflict, such as potential hostilities involving China and Taiwan, CBO said.
At the July hearing in the Senate, Hegseth pleaded for nearly $90 billion emergency funding legislation to restock munitions supplies.
“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls,” Hegseth said.
Energy shocks caused by attacks in the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil traveled before the war — and on energy facilities in neighboring Gulf countries have sharply increased prices for consumers and global producers.
The rising cost of the war also threatens to weigh on deteriorating US fiscal health. The nation’s total public debt surpassed $40 trillion in August.
Trump regularly contrasts the Iran war with the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan that followed the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The eight-year US war in Iraq, which involved more than 100,000 ground troops at its peak, cost $2 trillion, Reuters reported. The two-decade-long US conflict in Afghanistan, which also involved more than 100,000 troops at its most intense, cost $2.3 trillion, according to Brown University’s Costs of War project.
Thirteenth Met Police officer sacked after Charing Cross Panorama film
Another Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed following BBC Panorama’s undercover investigation into the force’s Charing Cross station.
PC Mason O’Connor was sacked after a hearing found he had breached standards of professional behaviour, relating to a comment he made to a female colleague, the Met said.
O’Connor was reported to a “proactive wider investigation” following the broadcast of the programme in October 2025 and he has become the 13th officer to be sacked since then, the force added.
Other officers who were covertly filmed for the documentary were seen calling for immigrants to be shot, boasting about excessive use of force and joking about rape and sexual assault.
O’Connor’s dismissal relates to a comment he is alleged to have made to a female colleague while off-duty in a pub in October 2024.
A hearing held on Tuesday found he had breached standards of professional behaviour for authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, and discreditable conduct.
Daisy Edgar-Jones stuns in plunging silk gown with thigh-high split for star-studded Sense and Sensibility premiere
DAISY Edgar-Jones has stunned in a plunging silk gown with a thigh-high split at premiere for Sense and Sensibility.
Daisy is set to lead the remake of Kate Winslet‘s 31-year-old classic Sense & Sensibility, and before wowing fans on the big screen, she’s wowed them on the red carpet.
Leading the glamour at the glitzy event, Daisy wore a silky cream gown which had a plunging neckline and thigh-high split.
Wearing her brunette locks in a tousled style, Daisy kept her makeup minimal and inkeeping with the era of the film.
Daisy takes on the role of Kate Winslet’s Elinor Dashwood in the new Austen adaptation.
As well as Daisy, there were a whole host of other famous faces at the star-studded premiere.
Made In Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh attended in a slinky floor-length gown, which had a strapless bodice.
Scottish actress Chloe Pirrie looked sensational in a corset-style dress with a completely see-through chiffon skirt.
Esme Creed-Miles, who acts opposite Daisy in Sense and Sensibility, looked beautiful in a cropped black jacket-style top with a huge voluminous white skirt.
Esme plays the role of Marianne Dashwood in the coming of age flick.
The classic by Jane Austen is about two sisters, Elinor played by Daisy and Marianne played by Esme, who navigate love, heartbreak, and financial ruin in 19th-century England.
Austen’s 1811 novel has been adapted for the screen multiple times over the years.
The most notable adaptation was the 1995 film with Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, and Alan Rickman.
Arab News | Trump administration plans $2.8 billion munitions sale to Israel, sources say
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to sell to Israel a munitions package worth $2.8 billion, which will include tens of thousands of highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs, according to a US official familiar with the sale.
The planned sale, which has been informally communicated to relevant congressional committees who weigh in on large arms sales, includes 20,000 MK 84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said.
News of the package was first reported by the Washington Post.
The State Department and the Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US public support for Israel has fallen since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among Democrats. A June Quinnipiac University poll found 48 percent of voters and 66 percent of Democrats believe the United States is too supportive of Israel, up from 16 percent and 20 percent when the question was first asked in 2017.
The 2,000-pound bombs have been regularly used by Israel in Gaza as well as in Lebanon, drawing scrutiny from rights experts. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, according to Gaza health authorities. A UN inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Isarel rejects.
Israel calls its actions self-defense, after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in an October 2023 attack.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
DHS voter probe may break state laws and wrongly implicate U.S. citizens, whistleblower alleges
NEW YORK — A last-ditch Trump administration effort to hunt for noncitizen voters ahead of November’s elections is requiring federal employees to misrepresent themselves on voter lookup tools in a way that likely violates state laws, according to a federal whistleblower’s statement released Monday.
The Department of Homeland Security probe known as the “Unlawful Voter Initiative” also asks employees to create federal law enforcement records about voters based on unreliable data, the account warns. That could potentially wrongly implicate U.S. citizens in official documentation that could spur further investigation.
The anonymous, nearly 30-page disclosure was published Monday by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California, the ranking member of a Senate committee overseeing federal elections.
It features screenshots and transcripts of a DHS training for a group of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staffers, who it says were forced in late August to drop their other work, complete a less than two-hour training session and begin running DHS-provided lists of individuals through state voter registration systems to find “unlawful voters.”
The whistleblower contends that agents have been asked to review 40 individuals per day, giving them about 12 minutes to determine whether each person is a legal voter and create federal records of anyone who is not.
Padilla and Schumer said Monday the initiative was an example of President Trump attempting to interfere in elections and the short timelines would impede officials from conducting proper investigations. They noted that the data DHS has on voters can be unreliable and differ from state records, making any federal findings based on that data potentially problematic.
“We just got more proof of Trump’s vile schemes to rig our elections,” Schumer told reporters in a news conference. “The lengths Trump will go to cheat, lie and steal in this upcoming election are simply beyond the pale.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration has been targeting noncitizen voting to allege it could be a source of significant fraud during the midterm elections, even as research shows voting by people who are not citizens is extremely rare. Trump has been pushing for the U.S. Postal Service to send mail ballots only to voters verified as U.S. citizens, and his Justice Department has sued to force the release of detailed voter data in 30 states and the District of Columbia, though it has not yet succeeded in those cases.
The whistleblower report details an effort by the federal government to work around a lack of data from the states by directing Citizenship and Immigration Services employees to pose as individual voters to access their state voter records.
Some states, such as Virginia, explicitly limit their voter lookup tools to individuals who attest under penalty of law that they are looking up their own records. In other states, like California, personally identifiable information such as a driver’s license number or partial Social Security number is needed to look up individual voter records.
The whistleblower said that when officers raised concerns about liability for searching the tools against state guidance, agency leaders told them to proceed with the searches anyway.
Schumer and Padilla on Sunday sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin requesting more information about the initiative and demanding that it be stopped.
Asked about the whistleblower report, a DHS spokesperson said it is “laser focused on prosecuting and removing aliens who vote and preventing the dilution of the votes of U.S. citizens.”
“The department accessed publicly available data from states’ voter rolls and cross referenced them with known aliens in our systems,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “It’s not rocket science; it’s an easy step to secure our elections.”
In response to complaints about the timing, limited training and quotas for agents, the spokesperson said that “far from being rushed or untrained, these investigative efforts are conducted diligently and professionally.”
The New York Times first reported on the DHS initiative in early September.
The whistleblower account released Monday was produced by the watchdog group Democracy Defenders Fund. The group, which said it represents the whistleblower as a client, said the person is anonymous because of “an extreme fear of retaliation but they feel an obligation to speak up about the misconduct and gross mismanagement they have witnessed.”
Swenson writes for the Associated Press.
Arab News | Referees chief Webb ‘really disappointed’ over VAR error in Manchester derby
LONDON: Referees’ chief Howard Webb said he was “really disappointed” with the VAR mistake that allowed Erling Haaland’s winner in the Manchester derby last weekend.
Haaland scored in the second half of City’s victory against archrivals United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Haaland’s close-range finish from Josko Gvardiol’s cross was initially disallowed for offside, but VAR official Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus overturned the decision.
Donohue ruled City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was not interfering with play when he tried to reach the ball before it was finished off by Haaland.
City went on to win 1-0, but the result was overshadowed by the controversy involving the decisive goal.
United manager Michael Carrick said he was “staggered” by the decision because Fernandez blocked Lisandro Martinez’s attempt to clear and potentially distracted goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Donohue and Antrobus have been stood down by the Pro Ref organisation for this weekend’s Premier League matches.
Webb, the chief refereeing officer at Pro Ref, said on the ‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up’ programme on Tuesday: “I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are. None more so than the officials themselves.
“They take a lot of personal pride in what they do and they’re obviously hurting now, having fallen short in this situation.
“They’ll not be officiating again until after the international break. We’ve reached out to Manchester United and acknowledged the error, as we do when these things happen.”
Asked how the VAR officials had come to the conclusion that Fernandez was not interfering with play, Webb said: “In that moment, he (Donohue) gets tunnel vision.
“He gets focused on Haaland, and it’s down to the rest of his team to pull him out of that tunnel, and unfortunately, that didn’t happen on this occasion.
“This goal should have been disallowed. We’ll review it, reflect upon it, and try to take the learning forward to prevent this unusual type of error from happening again.”
Arab News | Libya’s NOC says it may declare force majeure after protests hit oil facilities
TRIPOLI: Operations were suspended at two oilfields and a pumping station after members of the security force charged with protecting Libya’s oil sector closed a valve on the main Hamada-Zawiya crude-loading pipeline, the National Oil Corporation said on Tuesday.
The NOC said it may declare force majeure if the valve remains closed or if other fields are subjected to similar forced shutdowns.
The company said production had completely halted at the Hamada and Tahara fields and at a pumping station. Libyan oil output has been subject to repeated closures for political and technical reasons since the 2011 uprising against Muammar Qaddafi.
In a statement obtained by Reuters, the Petroleum Facilities Guard, which provides security for Libya’s oil fields, pipelines and terminals, demanded that their agency be transferred “financially and administratively under the National Oil Corporation”.
They called on the prime ministry and the NOC to take urgent measures to complete the administrative and financial arrangements for this, and set a clear implementation timeline.
The agency currently operates under the defense ministry. The Guard said it would implement a partial production cut for one week as of Tuesday at several fields including Wafa, Al-Khamsa and El Feel, adding that a complete shutdown would follow if their demands were not met.
Oil production is Libya’s main economic source, representing approximately 90 percent of the economy of the entire country. “Shutting down oil fields and halting production operations at this critical juncture — as the world witnesses a rise in crude oil prices — constitutes a devastating blow to the national economy,” the NOC said in a statement.
Arab News | Iraq first so that the nation does not turn into an arena of conflict
At a highly sensitive juncture, and amid increasing talk regarding the possibility of a third round of regional escalation, Iraqis are confronted with a fateful question: Is there someone seeking to make Iraq a part of this conflict – not merely a venue from which messages are dispatched or through which pressure is managed, but rather one of its open arenas?
There can be no avoiding the question, as the answer is linked to Iraqi blood, state sovereignty, the future of the economy, and Iraq’s standing among its brethren, neighbors, and the world. The matter is no longer a limited security issue; rather, it is a question of statehood, destiny, and direction, as well as a question of Iraq’s ability to protect itself from being dragged into what it does not want.
Repeated attempts to use Iraqi territory to target fraternal and neighboring Arab countries – the latest of which was the announced targeting of Saudi Arabia, preceded by the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan – reveal that we are facing a systematic trajectory rather than an isolated incident. If not decisively resolved, this trajectory could transform into a de facto policy.
Should the state succumb to the blackmail of forces acting outside its authority, it loses not only its security decision-making power but the very meaning of statehood itself. Iraq must not remain a conduit for messages, a proxy mailbox for others, a negotiating card in their conflicts, or an arena pushed forward during every regional escalation.
The problem is no longer about issuing a statement after each incident or settling for a reassuring narrative that does not prevent the recurrence of danger. The deeper problem is the existence of a repeating pattern that consumes Iraq’s political and moral capital, leaving the government to face the consequences of actions that do not reflect its own decisions. The longer a decisive resolution is delayed, the more a dangerous perception takes root abroad that the Iraqi state alone does not control its security decisions. This is an unfair image of Iraq and harmful to its interests, but it cannot be corrected by words alone.
Sovereignty is not safeguarded through slogans; rather, it is maintained by the state’s capacity to serve as the sole authority for force and decision-making. Consequently, restricting weapons to state control is neither a stance against any faction nor a detraction from anyone’s sacrifices. Instead, it is a prerequisite for the survival of the state and the protection of everyone. A state that does not hold exclusive authority over the decisions of war and peace can neither demand that others respect its borders, reassure its citizens, nor build stable relations with its neighborhood. It is in the interest of all forces, above all others, for the state to be strong, because a weak state protects no one; instead, it leaves everyone exposed.
Today, under highly sensitive circumstances, the Iraqi government is working to reconnect Iraq with its Arab, regional, and international surroundings, and to sincerely leverage available support and openness to serve the interests of Iraqis. These efforts deserve support – not because they are the efforts of a specific government, but because they represent the trajectory of a state. However, there are those, both internally and externally, who do not want Iraq to move past the logic of conflict and axes, and who seek to undermine any attempt to solidify its position as a balanced, secure partner state that is capable of speaking for itself, rather than for others.
The truth is that the Arabs, despite all the complexities that have affected the relationship, have not turned their backs on Iraq; rather, they have continued to view it as a pivotal country indispensable to regional stability. Throughout the difficult years, there remained an Arab readiness to embrace Iraq and restore it to its natural position, out of belief in its role, presence, and civilized and political depth. The problem has never been an Arab desire to break ties with Iraq; rather, it lay in Iraq’s ability to present itself as a state with a single decision-making authority – not a country where decisions are contested between the government and factions, the constitution and weapons, and national interest and wills that do not emanate from Iraqi state institutions. It is unfortunate that opportunities for openness and trust are squandered due to practices that reflect neither the will of Iraqis nor the interest of their state.
The risk of slipping today is greater than some believe. Every uncalculated action could drag Iraq into a confrontation it does not want, and every use of its territory outside state decisions could push it an additional step toward isolation. Isolation is neither heroism, an interest, nor a viable option in a world where countries thrive on economy, partnerships, investment, and trust. Every armed message launched outside the state is met with a message of concern from the investor, the partner, and the fraternal state, and every new disruption reflects on the market, labor, energy, banks, and Iraq’s image in the world. Iraq needs projects, energy, job opportunities, education, infrastructure, and openness – not more anxiety, armed messages, and alignments that deplete it.
We must be candid with our people: statements are no longer enough. Neither the domestic public is convinced by statements, nor is the outside world reassured by them. What preserves Iraq’s standing is action: a professional investigation, fair accountability, real control, and a clear decision that no entity, regardless of its title, can place the country in war, isolation, or economic loss. Backing the government along this path is a national duty, because it is a support for the state, its right to protect sovereignty, preserve relations, and build the future.
Iraq is subordinate to no one, an enemy to no one, and an arena for no one. It is a great homeland, and the decision of war and peace within it belongs to the Iraqis and their state alone. This is the hour of the state, the hour of reason, and the hour to say clearly: Iraq first.
After Allison Janney’s Emmys mention, Savannah Guthrie renews plea for mom’s return
Savannah Guthrie continued her calls for kidnappers to return her mother Nancy Guthrie, as the investigation into the elder Guthrie’s disappearance surpasses its six-month mark.
The “Today” show co-host during Tuesday’s broadcast shared a desperate message to those who kidnapped 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie from her Tuscon home in February.
“We just want our mom home [to] give her a proper goodbye,” she said.
Guthrie renewed her plea in response to the support that she, Nancy Guthrie and their loved ones received backstage at the 2026 Emmy Awards. Allison Janney, who won supporting actress in a drama for “The Diplomat,” said backstage that she has been thinking about the morning news anchor’s family daily and “about the loss Savannah and her family are going through.”
“It just took over,” Janney said backstage to reporters.
Federal and local law enforcement have worked for more than six months to locate the elder Guthrie, without success. Since Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, investigators analyzed ransom notes apparently sent by those responsible for the kidnapping. One note states that Guthrie “perished shortly after she was taken” and that she is “buried in nature.”
“Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome,” the letter states. “We want your family to know this and hope you can find peace. We are truly sorry.”
Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday that Janney’s remarks at the Emmys were touching, especially considering the actor’s win earlier in the evening, she said. She then told co-host Willie Geist she will not pass up a moment to speak about her mother. “How much we miss her and love her,” the longtime NBC personality said, her voice cracking. She added that her family is in “such pain.”
“We need help,” she continued. “So thank you Allison Janney for remembering us and for giving an opportunity to renew that call.”
Times staff writers Richard Winton and Hannah Fry contributed to this report.
US threatens EU with retaliation over European preference in EU budget
Published on •Updated
In a document sent to EU legislators and seen by Euronews, the US has threatened the EU with retaliation if it does not scrap European preference provisions in its multiannual budget.
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EU member states are currently discussing the EU’s long-term budget (2028-2034), which includes a €402 billion fund dedicated to competitiveness that favours the production of key goods within the EU, including in defence.
The measure would potentially exclude foreign firms from EU financing to protect strategic and economic security interests.
“With further expansion of European preference measures in EU defence funds, the United States will review all potential response measures, including a rollback of the existing ‘Buy American’ blanket waivers and exceptions associated with the RDPAs [Reciprocal Defence Procurement Agreements] with 19 of the 27 member states,” the non-paper reads.
The Buy American Act requires the US government, including the US Department of Defence, to give preference to products manufactured in the US for certain public procurements, with some exceptions being granted in defence for some EU countries.
The non-paper adds that the European preference would impede “partnership” and “collaboration” with the US, and calls on the EU to introduce a “made with Europe” system – or, in the specific area of defence, a “made in NATO”.
Trade tensions
The US’s latest warning comes after the creation of the Security Action for Europe programme in 2025, already sparked trade tensions between Washington and Brussels over a European preference for joint purchases of arms and military equipment.
The “made in Europe” approach is also pushed by France and the European Commission in several pieces of legislation over the last year designed to boost EU industry, with foreign countries lobbying hard against being excluded from the EU market.
The US and EU have been at loggerheads over trade since the start of the second Trump administration, amid repeated tariff threats and disputes over environmental and digital regulations which the White House deems to be non-tariff barriers.
The Commission hoped that the conclusion of a trade agreement in July 2025 would be a step towards a more stable transatlantic relationship.
McConnell returns to the Senate for the first time since his June hospitalization
WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky returned to the Senate to vote on Monday for the first time in three months, looking noticeably more frail after he was hospitalized for a June fall in his home.
McConnell’s lengthy absence from the Senate generated a flood of criticism and online speculation, as he initially remained quiet for weeks about his condition. The 84-year-old senator eventually disclosed a month later that he had been “briefly unconscious” due to the fall and had also been treated for mild pneumonia in the hospital.
He briefly addressed reporters Monday from a wheelchair outside the Senate chamber, smiling but speaking slowly and with some difficulty. McConnell joked that he wasn’t sure how many reporters would be there after dodging so many questions during his almost two decades as leader.
He said he was back in the Senate to work on a pending farm bill and because he has an ongoing interest in NATO and “backing up our good friends who are totally in the fight against the Russians.”
Reporters and photographers were told by Senate staff not to take video of his remarks in the second-floor hallway, even though video is often permitted in that area. Still images were allowed.
McConnell, who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Senate leader, is in his final months of his four decades in office. He is retiring at the end of January after one of the most consequential careers in modern politics.
Republicans have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Barr to replace him, while Democrats have nominated former state lawmaker Charles Booker. McConnell has said he is determined to finish out his term.
McConnell suggests he’s still recovering
In a statement issued before his remarks, McConnell made clear that he may still miss some votes due to his health issues.
He said that he is “still not quite back to 100%, but I’ve assured Leader (John) Thune that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.”
“My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier,” McConnell said in the statement.
The senator’s extended leave highlighted increasing public concern about the age of lawmakers and their capacity to carry out their duties. Speculation about his condition grew so intense at one point that Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear took the extraordinary step of issuing a public letter asking McConnell to update the public in a “transparent manner.”
McConnell’s absence was also felt over the summer as Republicans were unable to advance a farm bill out of committee. His return could give GOP leaders a needed vote as they try to advance legislation on cryptocurrency regulation and college sports.
A history of health problems
McConnell had polio in his early childhood and has long acknowledged difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs.
A statement from the Capitol physician that was included with McConnell’s July release said that the senator has “experienced several falls through the year” due to his “post-polio condition.” The office said his physical therapy was aimed at reducing the risk of him falling again.
“A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage,” the physician’s office said.
McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was the Republican leader from 2007 until last year, serving as both majority and minority leader during that period.
Toward the end of his time as leader and in the last two years as a rank and file senator, McConnell’s health has visibly declined.
He was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 and missed several weeks of work after falling in a Washington hotel. He twice froze up during news conferences after he returned, staring vacantly ahead before colleagues and staff. A year later, he fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP luncheon.
Jalonick writes for the Associated Press.
Arab News | Iraq eyes Europe as it seeks to diversify oil exports: PM
BERLIN: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Tuesday that he discussed selling oil to Europe during visits to France and Germany, as Baghdad seeks to diversify its export routes and reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.
During a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Zaidi said “we want to expand and diversify our export routes”.
He added that “Iraq cannot remain hostage to a single corridor” as recent events have demonstrated, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran during the Middle East war.
Zaidi said that he had discussed oil exports to Europe with Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, whom he met in Paris on Monday.
Crude oil sales account for nearly 90 percent of Iraq’s revenue but its exports have been hurt by the outbreak of the Middle East war between Iran and the United States.
Before the war began in February, Iraq produced around four million barrels per day, and exported an average of 3.4 million bpd, mostly via Hormuz.
Most of its oil exports go to East Asia, with China and India its largest buyers.
Due to the disruption, Iraq began exporting crude using tanker trucks through Syria, as well as through a pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, although these routes can handle only a fraction of its usual sea-bound trade.
Zaidi said that Baghdad could “double its oil exports through the Mediterranean” to supply markets in Europe and the United States.
Zaidi, who hopes to increase Iraq’s oil production to 10 million barrels per day, said that “a large share, or nearly half, can go to European countries and the West”.
He said that Iraq and Germany were expected to reach “an understanding on the export of crude oil” while Baghdad would purchase German technology and equipment.
Merz said that the main focus for Iraqi-German cooperation is the economy.
“Many German companies are now active in Iraq. They are developing new solutions, for example for energy supply,” he said, adding that “the best example is an agreement on Iraq’s electricity supply, which we will sign today”.
Merz also expressed his concerns after Yemen’s Houthis cemented their control over the Bab al-Mandab waterway at the entrance to the Red Sea, a vital route for Saudi oil exports.
“This further exacerbates the situation on the energy markets, and also affects Germany,” he said.
Russia warns Denmark after near miss in Baltic Sea | Conflict News
Moscow and Copenhagen trade blame for the incident as Denmark says it will not invoke NATO treaty.
Published On 15 Sep 2026
Moscow has warned Denmark to avoid “reckless” action after a Russian frigate fired two flares that narrowly missed a Danish military helicopter.
Moscow’s ambassador in Copenhagen, Vladimir Barbin, on Tuesday insisted that “dangerous manoeuvres” taken by the Danish aircraft were to blame for the Baltic Sea incident.
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The Russian diplomat told state news agency RIA Novosti that he had delivered a formal note demanding steps to prevent a repeat of the episode.
He said that the helicopter’s actions were provocative and condemned Danish attempts to call them routine, saying they raised “serious concern about the possible consequences of such recklessness”.
The Fennec helicopter was on a routine mission to photograph the frigate as it sailed in international waters off Denmark, the Danish defence command said. Ships typically use such flares as warning signals.
Denmark’s Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus told TV 2 News that one flare passed within a “matter of metres” of the aircraft, and accused Russia of “deeply unprofessional seamanship”.
When asked if Denmark would seek Article 5 consultations over the incident – invoking the NATO measure that considers an attack against one member of the bloc to be an attack against all of them – Bruus said the incident was being taken seriously, but “we are not there”.
Barbin said he had complained last year about what he called dangerous fly-bys and low hovering by a Danish helicopter over the Russian warship Vice-Admiral Kulakov.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, saying he lacked details.
The Danish Straits – where most Danish incidents with Russia have taken place – are the Baltic’s main shipping gateway and a key oil route, including for Russian oil tankers.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the incident serious but not surprising, describing it as part of a pattern of intensifying Russian hybrid warfare against Europe and testing NATO.
‘Fear and discord’
“Russia wants to sow fear and discord,” Frederiksen said, calling for closer unity and stronger defences for Denmark and Europe.
Russia denies carrying out hybrid attacks in Europe. However, the potential for the war in Ukraine to escalate and entangle Europe’s NATO member states is rising.
A spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry later on Tuesday warned Western politicians and diplomats to “soberly” assess the risks of travelling to Ukraine, following a Russian drone strike on a rail line on which a train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt had passed minutes earlier.
Rail hubs and transport infrastructure serving Ukraine’s military are legitimate targets, she said, and Russia warned foreign diplomats in May to leave Kyiv because of strikes on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.
Noah Donohoe: Inquest verdict delivered but questions remain
It’s been more than six years since teenager Noah Donohoe was found dead 600m into a freezing underground water tunnel in Belfast.
His death – and the speculation over what happened to him in the week between his daylight disappearance and the discovery of his body – became a huge news story that provoked countless unanswered questions.
Now, after an inquest and months of exhaustive hearings and long deliberations by a jury, there is a verdict – but much is still unknown about what happened to Noah.
Why, the night before he disappeared, did he leave his home in the middle of the rain-soaked night? Where did he go? Why did he come back 34 minutes later, as documented by CCTV, barefoot?
LIVE: Noah Donohoe inquest jury finds failings by department officials possibly contributed to death
Hours later, on Sunday 21 June 2020, he left the south Belfast home he shared with his mother for the final time.
Why did he leave and go to an unfamiliar part of north Belfast? Why was the teenager naked when he was last seen in the area of the water tunnel entrance?
And what might have been if he had seen the social media message sent him by one of two friends he planned to meet in north Belfast telling him their plans were cancelled?
An autopsy found Noah had died from drowning, with the tunnel he was found in heading towards Belfast Lough and its tides.
Now, after years of delays, a jury has found that it was possible, but not probable, that failings by the Department of Infrastructure over the tunnel in which he was found contribute to his death.
They also found 13 failings by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) but that these did not in any way contribute to the 14-year-old’s death.
Having spent months in court following all the evidence, it was clearly not an easy process for the men and women of the jury.
They heard from dozens of witnesses and received voluminous amounts of official and expert documentation.
This week they deliberated on Monday and Tuesday. But it came more than two months after the inquest was dramatically adjourned in the early hours after three days of deliberations did not lead to a verdict.
A federal tax credit could add 143,000 film and TV jobs, study says
A federal film and television tax credit could boost U.S. production spending by $125 billion and add more than 143,000 jobs by 2035, according to a new study commissioned by the Motion Picture Assn.
The analysis, released Tuesday morning, is expected to bolster Hollywood’s push for a federal production incentive, which the industry says is necessary to compete with the generous credits offered abroad. Sixty-five nations now offer them, the study said.
The effort has been quietly building for more than a year. It got a major boost last month when President Trump posted on Truth Social backing a proposed credit.
Details are still being worked out,, but the study assumed a transferable credit with a minimum rate of 20% on qualified spending for U.S. resident labor — broadly what industry groups have supported. It also assumed add-ons of 5% for independent production companies and 5% for labor costs in areas the Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared disasters.
If the incentive took effect Jan. 1, 2027, U.S. production spending would reach $277.5 billion through 2035, the study said, compared with $152.2 billion without it.
A coalition that includes the Motion Picture Assn., industry unions, producers’ groups and small production businesses, along with Democratic and Republican lawmakers, is expected to press the case at a virtual news conference Tuesday.
“A federal incentive would be a gamechanger for our industry,” Charles Rivkin, chairman and chief executive of the Motion Picture Assn., said in a statement. “This study tells us that we can bring more opportunities to life for people in all 50 states who bring great stories to life.”
Arab News | Saudi Arabia trains over 1m people in push for ethical AI
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has surpassed its goal of training 1 million people in AI through a new initiative that embeds ethical use and safety standards into national skilling programs
Speaking at the 4th UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in Riyadh, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, CEO of the Saudi Data and AI Authority’s capacity building sector, said: “We launched SAMAI (One Million Saudis in AI initiative) last year to train 1 million in AI, raise awareness and provide them with the knowledge and skills to use AI in life and in their work.
“We trained more than that number and an important part of the training focused on ethical AI, responsible use and data preservation,” he told Arab News.
The UNESCO forum is co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, represented by the SDAIA and the International Centre for AI Research and Ethics.
Al-Ghamdi said that the forum had brought together more than 25 ministers from around the world, as well as global leaders and tech companies under the umbrella of UNESCO to shape the future of AI safety and responsible use.
SAMAI was part of a broader push to invest in capability building across national sectors and entities, enabling them to develop the skills needed to adopt AI safely and effectively, he said.
“In SAMAI we provided training with knowledge on what data to show and what tools to use safely.”
Al-Ghamdi said that ethical AI was positioned as a core element across the SDAIA’s training programs and frameworks, rather than a standalone topic.
The authority announced national frameworks and curricula for AI in January as part of efforts to align education pathways with national needs.
Additional capacity building frameworks were also announced at the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building, aimed at professionals, educators and training programs to support wider adoption across the economy, Al-Ghamdi said.
“For example, for the developers it includes training the right model on the right data, avoiding bias, and not using AI for fraud or any violence,” he said.
“It includes respecting the data privacy of people and organizations and complying with data laws within the country and within the world.”
The pace of AI advancement had raised the stakes globally, making governance and ethics central to discussions about safe deployment and public trust, he said.
“The ethics of AI comes in the heart of all activities of capability building in SDAIA. We believe the ethical use and the safety of AI are a priority for us.”
Jack Draper decides not to play again this season
Draper will not qualify for a protected ranking if he does return in January, as only those who are out for over six months are able to retain the ranking they had when they left the tour.
He is currently ranked 155, which means he would require wildcards or have to come through qualifying to play in Grand Slams and ATP Tour events.
But none of that will worry him if he is able to play freely and without so much pain.
Draper peaked at four in the world last June after winning a first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells and finishing runner-up at another in Madrid.
“Last summer, all the dedication and work I had put into this sport was coming together,” Draper added.
“It was all going my way and the path seemed so clear. However a complicated injury made things incredibly challenging, and since that moment I’ve been desperately trying to get back and feel as I once did on the court.
“Managing so much change, adversity and pain has helped me to grow massively in many areas of my life but has also made me feel a level of fatigue.”
Draper has taken a holiday with friends in recent weeks and has been trying to aid his recovery by taking a mental break from the sport.
He is expected to make a gradual return to training over the next few weeks, as his team try to work out the principal causes of the injury.
What are ‘space weapons’, which US says it has deployed into orbit? | Weapons
The United States has acknowledged deploying space weapons in orbit of the Earth.
US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed on Monday that the so-called “space control weapons” would be used to defend US forces on the planet, marking a significant new chapter in the militarisation of space – or at least the transparency of it.
The announcement, which Meink framed as a message to US rivals China and Russia, could turn Earth’s orbit into an increasingly contested military domain, experts warn. Warfare could include countries targeting each other’s satellites, which provide critical services such as GPS, communications and intelligence to military forces on the ground, as well as civilian infrastructure.
“Space Force doctrine describes ‘space control’ as having the outcome of space superiority, which they define as the ability to operate at the time and place of their choosing, while denying the same to an adversary,” Victoria Samson, chief director of Space Security and Stability for Secure World Foundation, a private non-profit focused on military space and security issues, told Al Jazeera.
So, what do we know about the US-deployed weapons in space? And do some countries already have them?
What do we know about these space weapons?
Not a lot. Air Force Secretary Meink said the US has stationed “weapons” in Earth’s orbit, but did not specify when they were placed there, how many there are, or what they are designed to do.
“Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist,” Meink said at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference. “This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.”
However, he did not give any details about what sort of weapons these may be, where they are positioned or what they are designed to do.
Samson said the keyword from Meink’s announcement is “weapons” in the context of “space control”. “Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain – employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities,” Meink said, adding that “these capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes”.
“That’s the first time any official has acknowledged an actually designed weapon has been placed in space,” Samson told Al Jazeera. “It’s always been ‘systems with capabilities’ prior.”
Experts say these weapons are likely to be space-based communications jammers rather than kinetic ones that launch strikes. Kinetic weapons – for instance, a suicide satellite designed to ram into an adversary’s satellite – would likely cause fast-moving debris to be launched dangerously into space.
Bleddyn Bowen, an associate professor in astropolitics at Durham University in the United Kingdom, told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme: “We don’t know exactly what the mechanism of the weapon is. I would expect there to be some kind of electronic warfare or radio-jamming platform. This would be a non-destructive kind of anti-satellite weapon, and these variants already exist on Earth.
“Less likely would be a kinetic kill vehicle of some sort, so a vehicle that would release a projectile of some sort that would ram into a satellite and destroy it.”
What is the US Space Force?
The US Space Force is the newest branch of the US military, created in December 2019 under President Donald Trump’s first term, responsible for organising and conducting US military operations in and through space.
Unlike NASA, which focuses on civilian space exploration, Space Force is part of the US Air Force and comes under US Space Command, which is headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
Its responsibilities include operating and protecting military satellites, providing satellite communications and positioning services, monitoring objects and potential threats in space, and supporting US forces on Earth.
“China and Russia are developing new space systems to enhance military effectiveness and end any reliance on US space services,” the Space Force’s website says. “China and Russia are also testing and fielding sophisticated counterspace capabilities with the intent to disrupt and degrade US space-enabled capabilities.”
Aren’t there treaties limiting weapons deployments in space?
Yes, but they do not amount to a blanket ban on weapons in space.
The key agreement is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits countries from placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or stationing them in outer space. It also bans military bases and weapons testing on the moon and other celestial bodies.
However, the treaty does not expressly prohibit conventional weapons from being placed in Earth’s orbit. That means systems such as conventional anti-satellite weapons, electronic-warfare systems, or other counterspace capabilities are not automatically prohibited.
Such gaps leave room for interpretation and are at the heart of current international efforts to enhance military activities in space.
How have Russia and China reacted to the US announcement?
China’s Foreign Ministry opposed the move, warning against the “weaponisation of outer space, turning it into a battlefield, as well as an arms race there”.
“We urge the US side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing.
Russia called for space to be kept “free of any weapons”.
“We are counting on broad international consolidation to continue working towards the complete demilitarisation of space,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Are Russia and China developing space weapons too?
Independent reports from research groups and think tanks note that both China and Russia are developing a broad range of counterspace capabilities designed to interfere with, disable, or potentially destroy satellites and other space systems.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a foreign policy think tank based in Washington, DC, identified both countries as possessing or developing kinetic and non-kinetic counterspace weapons.
A 2025 CSIS report notes that both Moscow and Beijing have direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, as well as capabilities involving jamming, spoofing, and cyber operations.
Samson of the Secure World Foundation (SWF) told Al Jazeera that her team has highlighted in their reports that “China and Russia have space-based jammers”. Therefore, she told Al Jazeera, “I always thought it would be strange that the US didn’t have them too.”
Bowen told the BBC: “In the last 10 years, Russia and China have been doing a lot more manoeuvres in space – rendezvous and proximity operations, as we call them – so, flying up really close to Western satellites, inspecting them, taking pictures. And on another occasion, the Chinese have demonstrated a ‘space tug’ capability. So, a vehicle that goes up to a satellite can grapple it and then move it into a different orbit.”
China has executed such a manoeuvre only with one of its own old satellites, which needed to be moved away from its location, he added.
What about other countries?
The emerging space-weapons race is not limited to the US, Russia and China: India has also demonstrated an ASAT capability and is developing technologies that could allow spacecraft to operate alongside other satellites.
France is also reported to be developing co-orbital capabilities, while the UK has conducted on-orbit cooperative operations with the US.
A 2026 report by SWF also notes how Iran, for instance, illustrates the less visible side of space warfare, relying increasingly on jamming and spoofing satellite-based services. Israel, meanwhile, has developed significant military space and electronic-warfare capabilities, although there is no public record of it conducting a debris-generating ASAT test.
Countries like North Korea and South Korea are also racing to develop more sophisticated space-based tech.
Is space the next frontier of war?
Samson told Al Jazeera that the US announcement of deploying weapons in Earth’s orbit is not essentially disruptive in the context of space technology. “What this does is normalise weaponising space,” she said.
“Space has always been a domain with the potential of being a flashpoint for conflict; this just turns up the heat there,” Samson added.
A US Space Force spokesperson told ABC News that the US “capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands”. The spokesperson noted that Washington “has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalisation since 2007”.
“Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain,” the spokesperson said. “Open communication strengthens deterrence, prevents adversary miscalculation, and normalises space operations alongside the other services.”
Samson further noted that Meink’s statement “crosses a line”, and would “either encourage China and Russia to also declare weapons in space, or will make US allies and partners want to also place weapons in space”.
“Counterspace capabilities have been proliferating already – this speeds up that trend,” she said, adding that this “is incredibly destabilising and will work against US national security goals”.
“By opening the door to weaponising space, the US loses the most,” Samson noted. “Every person on this planet uses space-based data and services in some way. Any interference with access to or use of space will affect everyone, not just space powers.”
Who is NFL billionaire Robert Kraft?
Who is Robert Kraft, the Epstein-linked NFL billionaire and why did he get Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour?
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Hilton reveals 10 new ‘economy’ hotels opening in UK
HILTON has revealed 10 new locations are set to come to the UK – and one is coming to a major capital city.
The new hotels will form part of the chain’s “value-focused” brand.
Ten new hotels, operating under the Spark by Hilton brand, are set to come to major railway stations, stadiums, motorways and visitor attractions across the UK.
The locations, confirmed to open in Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Doncaster – among others will add a total of 672 rooms to Hilton’s portfolio.
Created with “value” in mind, the sites will provide reliable, comfortable and affordable accommodation.
Exact dates of completion and room rates are yet to be confirmed, however the company said the new locations could open as early as late 2026 through to 2028.
Paul Blackmore, vice-president of development for the UK and Ireland at Hilton, said: “With nearly 700 rooms in the pipeline, including the brand’s first hotel in Wales, Spark continues to gain momentum.”
Launched in 2023, Spark by Hilton operates more than 275 hotels worldwide, with more than 200 properties in development.
The budget conscious “premium economy” brand was designed to provide a reliable and value-driven stay at an accessible price point.
The 10 properties have been signed through an agreement between Hilton and UK hotel owner and operator AG Hotels Group.
An additional 53-room property in Dunfermline, Scotland is scheduled to launch in late 2026.
However this is set to operate separately from the 10 hotels included in the latest agreement.
All 10 new Spark by Hilton locations
- Spark by Hilton Cardiff North – 51 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Coventry Walsgrave – 48 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Derby Station – 100 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Doncaster East – 51 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Hull Central – 51 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Peterborough Norman Cross – 99 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Runcorn – 53 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Sunderland Northern Spire Bridge – 63 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Wakefield South – 77 rooms
- Spark by Hilton Washington Newcastle South – 79 rooms
Big Brother star breaks down in tears as chaos erupts in house
ITV will air some dramatic scenes on Big Brother just a couple of days into the series
Frankie struggled to hold back the tears(Image: ITV)
The emotions are already too much for some housemates.
One Big Brother star broke down in tears as they spoke about the real reason they have joined up for the ITV reality series. Chaos is also set to erupt in dramatic scenes airing tonight (September 15).
Fans have been teased about what to expect in the upcoming episode. It comes as more than a dozen new housemates moved into the famous residence to spend up to eight weeks as part of the unique social experiment.
However, despite being in there for less than 48 hours, it is clearly proving too much for some. The first morning in the house has already seen one star break down in tears.
Viewers tuning in will see Frankie, Johanne and Pauline are in the bathroom during a cryptic conversation. Frankie said: “I ain’t slept one bit. I feel like I went from a really big high to a really big low last night. Quick and all, the turnaround was weird. I went from high to straight low…”
Pauline asked: “But what caused that though?” Frankie hinted: “Oh, to be fair, like, I’ve come on here for various reasons. I know why, I need to get that sorted. Once that’s sorted…”
Johanne responded: “You’re so top secret with that. Everybody when you ask them like why did you come on it’s just like simple answer.”
Frankie explained: “Do you know what it is, I don’t want to… like I’ll be honest, I come on cause I was like… I don’t want to get upset though man.”
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Johanne said: “Your answer, it must be very complicated… You okay?” Frankie then struggled to hold back tears and puts his hand to his face, as he wiped his eyes.
Looking on, Pauline said: “Oh gosh.” They both asked if he is ok as Pauline reassuringly told him: “Frankie don’t. If you don’t want to disclose it, you don’t have to, you know.”
While Johanne offered: “Or if you need to disclose it and you need someone to talk to, you can.” It’s not yet known if Frankie does reveal the truth behind his motives but he confessed: “I knew it was gonna hit me but I didn’t think it’d hit me early. It’s hit me straight away…”
He also stated: “It has to be done, I have to face myself. I can’t run forever, do you know what I mean?” Meanwhile, later in the house there is a heated exchange between Johanne and Rochelle.
While some housemates attempted to play a game, it went too far. As part of it, Charlotte asked Johanne: “Who annoys you the most?”
Johanne replied: “Rochelle. It’s gonna be the same thing. She asked me who annoys me the most and I said Rochelle. I mean every answer, who do I like least, who annoys me the most. It’s gonna be her.”
Rochelle quipped: “Ditto… You’ve got a real f****** problem. You’ve only been here one day.” To which Johanne retorted and repeated the phrase: “You’re my f****** problem.” The argument continued and resulted in some of their fellow housemates stepping in to try and calm the situation.
Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and streaming on ITVX.