Ali: The stakes are high for both contenders, yet I wonder how many Angelenos will be watching.

It’s surprising the number of otherwise politically aware folks who had no idea the debate was taking place tonight until I mentioned it. Then they were irked to find it airing on network TV: “Who still has cable?!” Apparently, venturing onto Telemundo or NBC’s live feed is a bridge too far. But it shouldn’t be.

Raman is still a mystery to many, even though she’s polling ahead. Tonight, she needs to definitively show who she is beyond The Candidate Who Is Not Karen Bass. Bass has to defend her record, of course, but also contend with the electorate’s insatiable need for change — even if they know very little about what that change may bring.

As for the rest of us? Tune in! The future of L.A. requires your attention.

Lopez: Picking up on Gustavo’s framing of the debate as Round 3, we’re talking about two pugilists who used to fight for the same club, more or less, and now enter the ring looking to take each other out. So it’s personal, and could indeed get nasty.

Raman’s job in the debate is a little easier, in some ways. Though I don’t put much stock in polls, she’s ahead on points by virtue of Bass’ high negative rating alone. And yet, think of the pressure on Raman to seal the deal.

If the challenger doesn’t prevail tonight and go on to win the election next month, she could be setting herself up for a lonely political future, having alienated more than a few former allies in her quest to evict the mayor from City Hall.

For Bass, the stakes are just as high. A 21-year political career is on the line.

I hope that along with the punches and counter-punches, we get some inspiration, too, and a workable game plan for making a great but troubled city a better place to call home, even if the Dodgers end up breaking our hearts.

Arellano: Will the Third Bass-Raman debate be a classic — or a dud?

Ali-Frazier. Morales-Barrera. Liddell-Couture. Trilogies are hallowed in the worlds of boxing and mixed-martial arts as case studies of evenly matched rivals to wallop each other in the first two matches, creating the setting for a final showdown and chance at eternal bragging rights — and usually, a title.

Will tonight’s bout between L.A. mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman, scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on KNBC, rise to those rarified levels?

The makings of a classic are there. Bass was the wily incumbent during her primary face-off with Raman who let fellow mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt land most of the attacks against their shared opponent. That left Raman uttering loopy word salads when she wasn’t crying conspiracy between the two. But the council member nevertheless made it into the general election against Bass, and dominated their second debate, hosted in August by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.

All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.

The two go into their rubber match each promoting polls that they claim show voters back them, while letting proxies launch attack ads that promise to get uglier and more ubiquitous as Election Day nears. Expect Bass at tonight’s debate to try and assert her dominance early with equal part offense against Raman and defense of her record. Expect Raman, whom City Hall opponents have long trashed as conflict-averse, to focus on a message of possibility and positivity while holding her ground and striking back — and hard — when necessary.

Will tonight cement the Bass-Raman trilogy as an electoral classic — or end it on a deflating note? One thing’s for sure: the two need to leave everything on the debate stage if either wants to win and get that much closer to become L.A.’s Madam Mayor.

Shohei Ohtani emerged from the visiting dugout at American Family Field with a bat in his hand, and the mass of media members scattered in foul territory up the third-base line shifted his way, pulled by the magnetic force that is Ohtani’s stardom.

Monday marked the third straight day Ohtani had hit on the field, after a multi-round session off the pitching machine on the workout day and batting practice before each of the first two games of the National League Championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers. But the novelty of the move — Ohtani only took batting practice on the field a few times during the regular season, always in the midst of a slump — had yet to fully wear off.

“The results, take full responsibility,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Tuesday. “That’s all I can really say, why the results haven’t been where I wanted it to be. But I think there’s different approaches to this, whether that be focusing on reducing the symptoms and getting rid of the pain and/or just making sure that I’m moving well in the swing.”

That break of routine for the start of the NLCS did not pay off in terms of results. But after a conversation with Ohtani, manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that he felt “great” about playing Ohtani in Game 3 of the NLCS, even though Ohtani is still physically compromised by nagging right biceps and left knee problems.

“He’s adamant he feels good enough to be in there,” Roberts said. “He’s close to finding something with his swing. … Yeah, he wants to be in there and help us win a ballgame and win a championship. Great conversation, and I’m excited about having him in there.”

Roberts made clear that he wasn’t ever considering “benching” Ohtani, but rather weighing whether it would make sense to give him a couple days to “reset,” similar to how they approached Freddie Freeman’s ankle injury in 2024, giving him two days off during that postseason run.

“The symptoms have subdued a lot, especially when I was on the IL, spending that time just being able to reduce the symptoms,” Ohtani said. “As of now with the swing, it’s a daily process of trying different things, different feel on a daily basis.”

Though Ohtani’s arrival kicked off the Dodgers’ back-to-back championships, this isn’t his first time slumping in the postseason. His bat went quiet in the 2024 World Series (two for 19). And between his two-homer game to open last year’s wild-card round, and Game 4 of the NLCS when the two-way star authored the best individual game ever played, he went four for 33.

The difference this time is Ohtani, who has hit three singles in 20 postseason at-bats, isn’t fully healthy. But he was adamant that he would still be able to find a way to produce regardless.

“Over the course of this long season, there’s only really a short period of time when my mechanics is completely in sync,” he said. “So it’s just really kind of just going back and forth, finding the right parts of the swing and managing just the different parts of the swing. So it’s a constant, ongoing process that’s headed in the right direction.”

When healthy, Ohtani has the ability to break out of even the most dire of slumps with an otherworldly performance, like that three-homer (as a hitter), 10-strikeout (as a pitcher) all-timer. Opposing pitchers still have taken a cautious approach to facing him.

This version of Ohtani, however, hasn’t hit a home run since Aug. 18, a little over three weeks before he landed on the injured list. He’d played through nagging knee and biceps injuries for most of the season. But by the first week of September, the Dodgers could no longer argue that his poor performance wasn’t necessarily connected to his ailments.

Shohei Ohtani strikes out during the sixth inning of Game 2.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Now, the stakes are as high as ever. Trailing the Brewers 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Dodgers desperately need to put themselves in the best possible position to win Game 3 and avoid four straight win-or-go-home contests. And to do so, they need to know what kind of production Ohtani is physically capable of.

“I’ve never wavered in my belief in him,” Roberts said. “The work that he’s putting in — shoot, he squared the bunt in Game 2 to potentially get on base. That just speaks to whatever it takes to help the team win. He’s always been about the team, whether it’s hitting first, second, fourth, or wherever, right? So for me, just hearing his conviction, that’s what I wanted to hear.”

The communication between Ohtani and the team on injuries has been a work in progress in his third year with the Dodgers.

“We certainly had a lot of communication with him throughout the year, and worked together really well in terms of how to go about this,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in late September.

“And I think in his mind, he just thought that what he was dealing with was more minor, because it wasn’t like he would see a doctor and go, ‘Oh my God, you have this ailment.’ There were just a number of different things that were bothering him. And I think in his mind, he thought the best way to help the team was to go out and play, which I respect. But us staying really connected and sharing that information, I think, will be really important going forward.

“And again, the communication back and forth has been awesome. The fully sharing exactly how he’s feeling, maybe not as awesome. But again, I would rather [have] that with a guy than the other side of that.”

So, Ohtani kept trying to work his way back to the mound for weeks after receiving a lubricating Orthovisc injection in his knee at the beginning of the All-Star break. And when his biceps injury flared again, and the discomfort extended up through his neck, the Dodgers put off an IL move as long as possible.

Roberts said Ohtani’s conviction lined up with what the manager was hearing from the Dodgers hitting coaches and medical staff.

“No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow and the ensuing days,” Roberts said. “At the end of the day in this big moment, we’re listening to Shohei, and we’re going to support the crap out of him and believe in him, and that’s it.”

The second-largest US bank faces record penalties for failing to comply with sanctions and money laundering laws.

The US Treasury Department has imposed more than $1.21 billion in penalties against Bank of America, the second-largest bank in the US, for violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.

The fines announced on Tuesday include the third-largest penalty in the department’s history, the US Treasury said in a statement.

“When a bank of this size fails to meet its anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations, the consequences extend far beyond its own walls, exposing the entire US financial system to significant illicit finance risks,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

He added that these “actions send a clear message that even the biggest financial institutions are not above the law”.

Enforcement actions

According to the Treasury Department, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) assessed a $1.2 billion penalty over the bank’s failure to mitigate and report “priority national security risks, including Chinese Money Laundering Networks and illicit finance along the southwest border”.

The failures identified by FinCEN involved deficiencies related to the bank’s suspicious transaction identification and reporting and customer due diligence processes. According to the statement, “the Bank effectively outsourced to third parties a substantial portion of its proactive detection and reporting obligations”.

“Bank of America failed to timely report to FinCEN over $5 billion dollars in suspicious transactions”, the Treasury said in the statement.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) assessed a $750 million fine, the largest in its history, for the bank’s deficient and ineffective anti-money laundering compliance programme. FinCEN’s $1.2 billion penalty includes credit for the OCC fine.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also announced an $11.6 million settlement agreement over apparent violations of numerous sanctions programmes, including on Iran, Russia, narcotics and global terrorism.

Bank of America agreed to settle 475 apparent violations of multiple sanctions programmes, and the settlement includes “significant compliance commitments regarding training, testing and audit, and future communication and cooperation with OFAC”.

In the statement, the Treasury said the actions “underscore the importance of effectively complying” with US anti-money laundering and sanctions requirements.

In response, Bank of America said in a statement: “Financial crime compliance is serious, and we are responsible for getting it right.”

“We have invested billions of dollars in technology and dedicated thousands of employees to combat financial crime, and our team is far along with and committed to completing the work required to address the issues raised by our regulators.”

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Hanwha Aerospace completed operations in a simulated battlefield scenario with the Mojave short take-off and landing (STOL) drone on September 16. The testing formed part of a Defense Drone Technology Exhibition and included Mojave operating from an austere short runway at the Seungjin Training Field in Pocheon-si. The flying portion of the trials also saw the Mojave operating down at low level to demonstrate its ability to terrain mask to avoid potential threats and to support ground forces at close quarters.

TWZ’s Jamie Hunter spoke to Matt Petraitis, senior manager of U.S. Army programs at GA-ASI, at the AUSA 2026 trade event being held this week in Washington D.C. about how the Mojave landed on a rough maneuver trail typically used by tanks and artillery vehicles, and about the company’s plans for Mojave in partnership with Hanwha Aerospace.

General Atomics Mojave Drone Completes Austere Testing in Korea

The last time audiences saw Vision, the reconstructed synthezoid was flying off into the distance, and we didn’t know when we’d actually see him again. But he’s finally back.

Premiering Tuesday on Disney+, “VisionQuest” brings Vision (Paul Bettany) back into the spotlight — along with a few of his closest inorganic friends — as he tries to figure out his identity and understanding of humanity. Along the way, he’ll encounter a bounty hunter (Todd Stashwick) and a teenager that just might be his son (Ruaridh Mollica), sort of. It’s a long story.

Created by Terry Matalas, “VisionQuest” is set to wrap up the story set into motion by the 2021 series “WandaVision.” The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first-ever streaming series saw a grief-stricken Wanda magically manifest a happy life for herself and Vision as newlyweds and, eventually, new parents. But that happiness wasn’t meant to last since the actual Vision was gone.

A lot has changed in the MCU since the conclusion of “WandaVision,” so here’s a quick refresher to get you up to speed for everything you need to know before watching “VisionQuest.”

Ultron (James Spader), left, and Vision (Paul Bettany) in “VisionQuest.”

(Marvel)

What is ‘VisionQuest’ about?

Set some time after the events of “WandaVision,” “VisionQuest” will follow Vision as he tries to sort through his understanding of his identity and humanity. The former weapon of mass destruction has been in hiding for some time, but a bounty hunter tracks him down and disrupts his quiet life before also discovering a young man who appears to be Vision’s son.

When was the last time we saw Vision?

Audiences last saw Vision at the end of “WandaVision.” The monochromatic version of the former Avenger had been rebuilt without his memories to be a sentient weapon, but during a showdown with his magically created double, he regained them. He then flew off into the unknown to figure out what having access to these memories means for him.

What happened to Wanda?

After undoing her hex that let her live out a version of a happily ever after with Vision, Wanda had to watch him and their kids — twin boys Tommy and Billy Maximoff — disappear. Her story continues in the 2022 movie, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” where she taps into some dark magic in order to find a way to reunite with her boys somewhere in the multiverse for another attempt at that happy life. But she’s a bit overzealous and things take a (villainous) turn for the worse before she ultimately sacrifices herself and is crushed by a mountain.

Thomas Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica) in “VisionQuest.”

(Marvel)

What happened to Wanda and Vision’s kids?

Audiences learned in the 2024 series, “Agatha All Along,” that although Billy and Tommy’s physical forms disappeared when Wanda undid her hex at the end of “WandaVision,” their souls remained. Instead of crossing over into the afterlife, Billy, the magically inclined twin, transferred his soul into the body of William Kaplan, a teenager who had just been involved in a fatal car crash. Billy, now inhabiting the body of and living as William, was then able to use his powers to help Tommy’s soul find a new body to inhabit. At the end of “Agatha,” Billy and his magical mentor, Agatha, headed off to search for Tommy.

Who else is in this show?

Joining Vision in his “VisionQuest” adventures are an array of other AIs created by Tony Stark — all of which essentially now reside inside of Vision’s head. Most of these programs did not have physical forms in their original MCU incarnations, but appear in human form within the world inside Vision’s mind.

J.A.R.V.I.S. (James D’Arcy) is the AI assistant that Stark originally created to help manage his home and office as well as his Iron Man suit. His core programming was used to make Vision during “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015). F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady) is the AI assistant that was created to take over J.A.R.V.I.S.’ duties afterward.

E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire) was created by Stark to help manage his company’s security and defense systems and was connected to his glasses. These glasses were passed on to Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” before they were acquired by the film’s villain for his nefarious plot.

F.R.I.D.A.Y (Orla Brady), J.A.R.V.I.S. (James D’Arcy), U (Johnathan Sayer) and D.U.M.-E. (Henry Lewis) appear human in Vision’s mind in “VisionQuest.”

(Marvel)

D.U.M.-E. (Henry Lewis) and U (Jonathan Sayer) were a pair of arm robots that helped Stark in his workshop. All of these AI have specific roles and responsibilities within Vision’s home in his mind.

Another resident within Vision’s head is Ultron (James Spader), the misanthropic genocidal AI originally created by Stark and Bruce Banner to help save humanity. He tried to delete J.A.R.V.I.S. during the events of “Age of Ultron,” which led to the creation of Vision, so their dynamic is a bit complicated.

Also set to appear on the show is Mollica’s Thomas Shepherd, an older incarnation of one of Wanda and Vision’s magically created sons who had disappeared when the hex enveloping Westview was undone.

What do I need to watch before watching ‘VisionQuest’?

“VisionQuest” has been touted as the conclusion of the “WandaVision” trilogy, which also includes “Agatha All Along.” The events of “WandaVision” appear to be most central to “VisionQuest’s” story, though.

Those who’d like to see Vision and Ultron’s story from the very beginning should add “Avengers: Age of Ultron” to their queue. Fans who want to delve more into Vision and Wanda’s love story can also check out “Captain America: Civil War” (2016) and “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) — with the latter adding more context to Vision’s current state of being. Those who want to see what happened to Wanda after “WandaVision” should also watch “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

Swansea City head coach Vitor Matos says the lengthy stoppage during their 1-0 win away at Millwall was a result of racist abuse aimed at Ji-sung Eom.

The South Korea winger was among the Swansea substitutes, and had been warming up on the side of the pitch when the Championship game was brought to a halt.

Referee Edward Duckworth had lengthy discussions with both sets of coaches, during which the game was paused for around seven minutes.

Following the stoppage, an announcement was made over the speakers at The Den confirming there had been alleged chants of racism and that police were working to identify any offenders using CCTV.

Speaking after the game, Matos said it was the 24-year-old who had been the subject of the abuse.

“The situation was with Ji-sung Eom,” said Matos.

“The referee followed the protocol for these sort of situations, they did the right thing. Millwall also did the right thing to get the protocol moving on.

“We all know there is no space for this, this kind of situation should not happen.

“When they do happen we are here to stand with the player, in this case it is our player.”

The incident marred what was otherwise an evening of celebration for the Swans, as Ronald’s late strike sealed a 1-0 win for the league leaders.

Millwall stated they were “aware of an alleged, individual incident of discriminatory abuse towards a Swansea City player during the second half” of the game.

“The club operates a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory abuse. Any individual found to have engaged in such behaviour will face the strongest possible action,” added the hosts.

“The club is working alongside the relevant authorities to establish the facts and is unable to comment further as tonight’s alleged incident is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, which the club fully supports.”

Victory kept Swansea two points clear at the top of the Championship, with the Welsh club putting together their best start to a season in a century.

Matos said he was saddened by the abuse aimed at Eom, but says the rest of the squad will rally around their team-mate.

“He is a smart kid, he is not happy with the situation but he knows we will stay with him and follow the situation as long as we can,” added Matos.

“Millwall did the right thing by announcing there is no place for this sort of thing.

“I’m happy with how it was handled, but really sad that it happened. Now it is about evaluating the situation and we’ll see what happens.”

US President Donald Trump has accused Houthi rebels of targeting Saudi infrastructure to inflate energy prices before the US midterm elections.

Airbus U.S. Space and Defense has been actively developing and iterating the technology for its Lakota Connector, an uncrewed, autonomous variant of the multi-mission UH-72B Lakota helicopter. This includes testing under Team Lakota Connector, that has brought together Shield AI, L3Harris Technologies, and Parry Labs in a prototyping phase for the U.S. Marine Corps.

TWZ’s Jamie Hunter spoke with Carl Forsling from Airbus U.S., at the AUSA 2026 trade event in Washington D.C. A former U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight and MV-22 Osprey pilot, Forsling explained the requirement for uncrewed logistics in contested theaters, and what’s next for Team Lakota Connector.

Airbus Talks Progress With Lakota Connector Cargo Drone

BROOKS Nader oozed confidence as she took to the stage in Cannes to promote the upcoming Baywatch reboot, just as its trailer dropped.

The model-turned-actress rocked an all-black corset and leggings, teamed with sky-high knee-high boots and chic black gloves.

The 29-year-old plays Selene, captain of the Zuma Beach lifeguards, and features in the newly released trailer.

Brooks, who The Sun recently revealed is enjoying a steamy romance with Brit actor Taron Egerton, 36, made sure her latest outfit clung to her curves in all the right places.

She was in Cannes for MIPCOM, a TV industry event where broadcasters and producers showcase and sell shows, attending a Fox panel promoting Baywatch’s return.

The iconic lifeguard drama is set to return to screens in January 2027, airing on Sky and NOW in the UK.

NADE HER MARK

Brooks Nader ditches her bra in sheer black lace mini-dress as she parties

OOOH LALA!

Brooks Nader sticks out her bare chest in a totally see-through lace dress

The trailer drew a mixed reaction from fans, with some sceptical about the reboot.

One wrote: “Another reboot, it ain’t touching the original.”

Another added: “Looks like another cheese fest that nobody asked for.”

But one viewer hoped the new series would recapture the original’s appeal, pleading: “Please bring back that 90s magic!”

Brooks stars alongside Livvy Dunne, Stephen Amell and Shay Mitchell in the series.

Aside from modelling for Sports Illustrated, Brooks is known for her TV appearances.

These include a stint on Dancing With The Stars and her reality show Love Thy Nader.

Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson has been suspended for two games without pay for punching Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb after Monday night’s game at SoFi Stadium, the NFL announced Tuesday.

The Bills defeated the Rams 37-34 in overtime. The incident occurred on the field as players from both teams were talking and exchanging jerseys.

Jackson violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,” the NFL said in the release announcing the suspension.

Jackson can appeal the suspension.

The loss of Jackson leaves star quarterback Matthew Stafford potentially vulnerable when the Rams play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 25.

Veteran David Quessenberry could start in place of Jackson. Or coach Sean McVay could move right tackle Warren McClendon Jr. to the left side and play Quessenberry on the right.

Rookie Keagan Trost has been on injured reserve since before the start of the season.

This is the second time that Jackson has been suspended. In 2024, he sat out the first two games for an unspecified violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Jackson had been named the defendant in a lawsuit filed by a woman, who alleged he recorded her without her consent during sex, that he refused to delete the video and that he taunted her with it. The civil suit was dismissed.

Jackson also was under scrutiny before this season after he was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence involving an incident in West Hills. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and the City Attorney declined to file formal criminal charges.

Manchester United beaten 2-0 at Atletico Madrid, but defender Lisandro Martinez slams club’s failure to invest in team.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez blasted the club’s board for a perceived lack of investment this summer, after the team were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

United are winless in five games across all competitions after the 2-0 defeat in the Spanish capital and have made their worst start to a league season in 40 years.

“Really poor,” Martinez told Amazon Prime when asked about the team’s performance against Atletico.

“I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection… [or] mirror of how our club is at the moment.”

Martinez said he “100 percent” expected more investment in the squad over the summer after United finished third in the Premier League last season and returned to Europe’s top competition.

“I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox], I have to be honest, as players we have to do more, but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for these kind of nights,” he continued.

Martinez said last season the club had “created the base to create an amazing team”, but they did not follow through.

Pressure is mounting on coach Michael Carrick after five games without a win, but Martinez suggested sacking the Englishman was not the way forward.

“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more,” said Martinez.

“Tonight it is easy to say the coach [is to blame], easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.”

Red Devils minority owner Jim Ratcliffe was at the stadium to watch the league-phase defeat by last season’s semi-finalists.

Man United spent around 140 million pounds ($185m) this summer on midfielders Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, but fans were upset the club did not reinforce other positions, including left-back and striker.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Carrick said he had not heard Martinez’s comments and so could not judge them.

“I think it’s a little bit on the emotions of the game as well, of coming here and being disappointed not to get something from the game,” said the coach.

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney said Martinez’s criticism was excessive.

“I think he’s maybe gone a bit too far, and that should have stayed internal,” Rooney told Amazon Prime.

“You can clearly see that he cares and he wants the club to invest more money in more players, and to do that he’s probably one of the players who’ll be out the door if I’m being honest.”

“That is where we need to get him,” said the Gunners boss before the game. “And if he misses the chance, so be it. At the end, the more volume we generate, the bigger the probability of him scoring more goals.”

Saka’s strike against Lille was a confident one-touch finish and came after he missed a late one-on-one opportunity in Saturday’s Premier League victory over Leeds.

“He has been getting in great positions, getting shots, getting one-touch finishes and tap-ins,” added Arteta.

“That is the kind of unpredictability we have with that player, otherwise we know how the opponent is going to defend him. He is doing well, he could have had another four or five goals by now, easily. But if he continues like that, we know.

“When he talks about scoring a certain amount of goals, he needs to be thinking about scoring a certain amount of goals per game. If that shifts, that mentality, he will get into those positions and score more goals.”

Saka has scored 20 goals in a season just once in his career, which came in the 2023-24 campaign and 16 in the Premier League.

But the winger has also been in good goalscoring form for England with five in his last four matches and scored a double in the 7-0 Nations League demolition of Croatia in the recent international break.

Saka is now on 19 goals in major European competitions for Arsenal, only behind Thierry Henry (42), while he has nine assists in the Champions League which puts him behind Henry (16) and Cesc Fabregas (14).

He has refused to disclose the targets he has set himself, but Arteta welcomed Saka’s response following his message to do more in front of goal.

The Spaniard said: “I don’t know if that’s the case, but I am very happy.

“He wasn’t feeling that good yesterday and today, as he had some sort of illness. He wasn’t ready to start but he was really wanting to contribute to the team if it was needed and he came on and made a huge impact and delivered with real quality.”

Arteta revealed he also spoke to Saka after telling the media about his desire for the player to have a greater impact.

“After the press conference I went, he was on the massage table, and I said, ‘Bukayo I just killed you in the press conference, good luck tomorrow’, he added.

“He was laughing. He knows that we have discussed these kind of things and he takes it because he wants to be the best version of himself.

“In order to do that, you have to put big objectives and challenges and try to reason by working and being consistent – and when it doesn’t work, keep going because he has the ability to do it.”

Some Big Brother fans demanded another housemate be nominated for eviction after the task

It came after a ‘brutal’ task caused chaos.

Fans of Big Brother were left raging as they claim some housemates made the ‘worst choice ever’ with a killer nomination. It comes as the housemates were confronted with the final power game in their teams.

Rob chose Yasmin, Omar and Rhianna to represent the red team. Meanwhile, Samuel picked Rochelle, Catrin and himself to play on behalf of the blue team.

Housemates had to take it in turns to place a domino in a line on a beam. Once all 60 dominos were lined up, one player knocked down the first domino to trigger a run and win the game.

However, after having to restart, Yasmin said: “We’re actually f**ked.” Rihanna was displeased with Omar’s attempt at encouraging comments and told him: “Shut up Omar. Just one second, please.”

Back in the living area, Rob commented: “Please don’t start bickering.” Frankie said: “We’ve got a civil war going on now, falling apart.”

The blue team thought they had victory in their grasp but had to start the whole thing again. At one point, Sam quipped: “Guys are showing your true colours in this game.”

To which Yasmin responded: “Sam, is that not the game? It’s the rules.” And Catrin noted: “No, I think you’re just being quite bitter with it. Quite nasty, I’ll be honest.”

Amid rising tensions, Yasmin knocked over the other team’s dominos which meant that her team was disqualified and the blue team was named winner. The entire group was called to the Task Room and Big Brother revealed the prize.

He said: “Congratulations, you have won today’s power game… but you have not won power of the House. You have won the power of the vote… you are now in possession of a killer nomination.”

Harry replied: “That’s crazy.” Big Brother instructed: “You must now select one housemate from the opposite team to receive this killer nomination. Whichever housemate you select will automatically face the public vote this Friday.”

Lynx quickly tried to put Rob up for eviction again, repeating previous reasons for nomination about his singing. Omar was suggested by Samuel and Catrin because of comments he made to Yasmin and Rihanna during the dominos challenge.

The house seemed to descend into chaos as the blue team struggled to come to a decision. Ultimately Yasmin was chosen.

It did not take long for fans watching along at home to share their feelings about it. One posted on social media: “Worst possible outcome. Not our Yasmin.” While another replied: “How’s that happened? Like the worst choice.” Someone else commented: “This killer nomination has actually ruined my mood.”

Others demanded that Omar be nominated for eviction later in the week after his recent behaviour. This included his conversation with Samuel as he confronted him for calling his behaviour as ‘classeless’.

One person said: “I genuinely don’t think Omar knows what classless means… that whole conversation was embarrassing. I wish Sam had the confidence to challenge him.”

A viewer agreed: “Actually don’t think I can watch anymore till Omar is out. I feel like I’m losing the plot because he’s moving around like that and they’re all just saying he’s a sweet misunderstood little superstar.”

Big Brother continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

A human defeated two of the three robots he faced in a cage fight recently held in San Francisco.

The humans behind that fight could face a battle of their own — the legal type — if they want to hold another event like “Human Vs. Robot,” the Sept. 18 competition that placed influencer Frankie LaPenna inside an octagon to battle three humanoid robots that were controlled remotely by a human operator in separate MMA-style fights.

REK (Robot Entertainment Kombat), the “humanoid robot fighting” company that staged the event, billed it as the “first human vs. robot fight in history.” Videos of the bouts have combined for more than 10 million views on YouTube.

Not everyone is a fan. On Sept. 23, the California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist order to REK, its CEO Cix Liv and “all persons holding, promoting, advertising or sponsoring unsanctioned human versus humanoid robot cage fight.”

The letter states that “any boxing or mixed martial arts contest, match, or exhibition, involving any human in the State of California” requires the prior approval of the commission and that it is a misdemeanor to hold such an event without obtaining a license or permit from the state.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the CSAC, said in a statement emailed to The Times that the commission is “committed to protecting the safety of the public and integrity of combat sports.”

“Unsanctioned activity puts the physical and financial well-being of all those involved at risk and such activity will not be tolerated,” the statement said.

An X post by Liv on Sept. 30 indicated he’s not overly concerned about the cease-and-desist order.

“We made it boys,” he wrote in the post, which also included a photo of the commission’s letter.

Liv said in an email to The Times on Tuesday that REK did not seek CSAC approval before the event “because the law clearly states it is not a real boxing match if it doesn’t include ‘two persons,’” rather than a human vs. a humanoid robot controlled by a human.

“So they can argue in court that actuators are somehow persons,” he said. “The case would give us nonstop media coverage, even if we incurred a fine.”

LaPenna also appeared to make light of the cease-and-desist order in a pair of X posts on Oct. 1.

“I fought a robot and within 12 days the state of California passes a new law saying no more robot vs. human fights,” wrote LaPenna, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.

He added in the second post: “Good work Cix, you disrupted the system.”

According to Liv, LaPenna pushed for the opportunity to face humanoid opponents in the cage.

“We felt the robots were ready to fight amateur fighters like Frankie, but not actual MMA fighters yet,” Liv said.

The 29-year-old content creator signed a full waiver of liability, but “we didn’t actually want to hurt him,” Liv added.

The written description accompanying a “Human vs. Robot” video posted on REK and LaPenna’s YouTube pages states that “there was no predetermined outcome, both Frankie and Nick, the robot operator were told to try their best.”

Wearing spiked gloves, a helmet and protective padding, the 5-foot-6, 205-pound LaPenna held his own against all three bots. He dominated his first opponent, referred to at the fight as “the child robot.” Next came an imposing “Terminator”-inspired humanoid, which was listed on the fight video as 6-feet and 200 pounds with a kick force of 850 pounds.

The robot landed several hard kicks, including one that knocked LaPenna across the mat and another with an impact that brought the humanoid to the ground and caused its head to come off — but the human seemed to gain strength as the match went on and eventually stood triumphantly with his foot on the machine’s crumpled body.

LaPenna was dominant early in his final match, in which he faced a robot that resembled a “Predator” from the movies of the same name. After landing several punches and kicks and taking his opponent to the ground multiple times, LaPenna eventually became fatigued and called for the match to be ended.

“He doesn’t get tired. He doesn’t stay down,” LaPenna said in a postmatch interview. “Just keeps getting up. I thought he’d be dead.”

According to Liv, LaPenna emerged from the bouts basically unscathed. “The only damage he experienced was hurting his hand a bit by punching metal,” Liv said.

Since then, REK has turned its attention back to all-robot fights, although Liv said the company eventually plans to stage more human vs. humanoid bouts.

“We are avoiding it for now,” Liv said. “CSAC has no legal case but it may not be worth the battle. We may just do it in Vegas or a state that is less lame.”

Who: Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
What: UEFA Champions League, matchday 2
Where: City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Wednesday, October 14, at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 16:00 GMT.

After being found guilty of an unprecedented breach of the Premier League’s financial rules, Manchester City turn their focus to the Champions League this week, as they host two-time holders PSG on matchday two.

Fresh off a defiant league win over Liverpool at a hostile Anfield, City have momentum on their side as they welcome PSG in a clash of two of Europe’s finest teams.

Fans will have a golden opportunity to witness a mouthwatering battle between Erling Haaland, City’s lethal striker, and forward Ferran Torres, who is enjoying his new spell at PSG after helping Spain win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Haaland has eight goals across all competitions; Torres has seven. On Wednesday, more could be added to those tallies in this round of the UCL.

After Tuesday’s league matches, PSG are ranked fifth while Man City are ninth.

Here’s everything to know about the clash:

Which financial rules have Man City breached?

An independent commission found City guilty of almost all of the 115 charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, as well as three of four charges relating to failures to cooperate with the investigation.

City have denied wrongdoing and lodged an appeal.

No sanctions have been decided yet, but if City’s appeal fails, potential punishments include a significant point deduction and expulsion from the Premier League.

There is even the prospect of three Premier League titles being stripped from City, who won them from 2009 to 2018, the period to which the charges relate.

How have Man City played this season?

Man City have maintained a perfect record in the Premier League, winning all six matches.

Their only defeat across all competitions this season came in mid-August, when they lost to Arsenal in the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season.

How have PSG played this season?

PSG, who usually dominate Ligue 1 having won a record 14 titles, are fifth in the table, three points adrift of leaders Barcelona.

What happened in the first round of Champions League matches?

Reigning champions PSG thrashed Slovan Bratislava 6-1 at home in their first UCL match of the season, while Man City won 2-0 away to Porto in their campaign opener.

That keeps PSG fifth and Man City ninth in the league phase of this year’s Champions League.

The top eight teams at the end of the league phase qualify directly to the knockout rounds, which begin with the round of 16.

Man City vs PSG: Predictions

The Opta supercomputer has made City the favourites, with a win probability of 44.1 percent. PSG were given a 32 percent chance of winning, while a draw was estimated at a 23.9 percent likelihood.

Man City vs PSG: Head-to-head

(In the Champions League)

• Matches: 7
• Man City wins: 4
• PSG wins: 2
• Draws: 1

Man City vs PSG: Form guide

(Last five matches across all competitions, latest match first)

Man City: W-W-W-W-W

PSG: W-W-W-W-L

Who are the top players to watch?

Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki (Man City): Haaland’s six goals make him the Premier League’s leading scorer this season. His excellent form follows an equally impressive World Cup debut with Norway in North America. Haaland’s teammate Cherki is another vital City attacker with five goals and two assists in all competitions.

Ferran Torres and Marquinhos (PSG): Torres, whose extra-time goal guided Spain to the 2026 World Cup triumph, has made a quick start to life at his new club PSG, scoring seven goals in all competitions. That includes a hat-trick in PSG’s first UCL fixture. Meanwhile, captain Marquinhos has been an important presence in defence and has also scored three times.

Did you know?

• City are unbeaten at home against PSG (W3 D1), winning each of the last three games – most recently 2-1 on matchday 5 in 2021-22.
• City also defeated PSG in the 2015-16 quarterfinals (2-2 away, 1-0 home) and the 2020-21 semifinals (2-1 away, 2-0 home).
• City have lost only two of their last eight matches against French opponents (W5 D1), although they have won only one of their last four (D1 L2), drawing 2-2 at Monaco on Matchday 2 last season.
• PSG are unbeaten in their last 11 matches against English teams (W8 D3), beating Aston Villa 2-1 in August’s UEFA Super Cup. Last season’s Champions League final against Arsenal is the only fixture in the last six they did not win in normal time.
• A 2-0 victory at Liverpool in last season’s quarterfinal second leg was PSG’s third in succession in England.

Team news and predicted lineups

Man City team news

City have a fully fit squad for the match.

Predicted starting XI:

Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Ayyoub Bouaddi, Enzo Fernandez; Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo; Erling Haaland

PSG team news

Senny Mayulu is out until late October with a thigh injury.

Predicted starting XI: 

Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Dro Fernandez, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Maghnes Akliouche, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ferran Torres

Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka score as Arsenal overcome Lille in UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal blew away Lille with a three-goal blitz in seven second-half minutes for a 3-0 win to extend their perfect start to the Champions League on Tuesday.

Jurrien Timber’s deft finish opened the floodgates just after the hour mark at the Emirates Stadium before Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka rounded off the scoring.

Victory takes Arsenal into a share of the lead at the top of the Champions League table alongside Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon.

Mikel Arteta was able to use the wealth of resources at his disposal as he made five changes to the side that beat Leeds 2-1 on Saturday.

But it was Lille boss Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, who was the happier after a goalless first half.

The visitors even had the ball in the net but Ayase Ueda was flagged offside.

Bruno Guimaraes came closest to breaking the deadlock for Arsenal before the break when he fired wide from close range and then saw a powerful shot from range parried by Berke Ozer.

The Gunners quickly went through the gears in the second period once Timber dinked the ball over Ozer from Noni Madueke’s pass.

Arteta had left arguably his three most potent attacking weapons on the bench and the introduction of Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard made an immediate impact.

Saka’s low cross picked out Eze whose deflected shot flew into the top corner to end any doubt over the destiny of the three points.

The England winger then finished off an exquisite team move from Havertz’s cut-back for Arsenal’s third.

There were further cheers from the home fans when Olivier Giroud came on as a late substitute for Lille on his return to the club, where he scored 105 goals in a six-year spell.

But Giroud could not conjure up another Emirates goal as Lille remain without a Champions League point after their defeat to Real Betis on matchday one.

VIC Reeves has stepped out with wife Nancy Sorrell following a health scare that reportedly saw him rushed to hospital after collapsing at a friend’s wedding.

The 67-year-old comedy legend was reportedly taken away by paramedics after falling ill during the celebrations.

But he was back on his feet as he posed alongside Nancy on the pink carpet at the 2026 Sky Arts Awards at the Roundhouse in London.

Vic, whose real name is Jim Moir, is said to have suffered a medical emergency at a pal’s wedding in Poole over the weekend.

The comedian had been celebrating at the Hotel du Vin when he allegedly collapsed in front of worried guests.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, a source at the event said: “Vic was telling jokes and entertaining people – and obviously everyone was hitting the bar as the party went on just as you’d expect.

HEALTH SCARE

Vic Reeves, 67, ‘rushed to hospital after collapsing at pal’s wedding’

keeping it real

This Morning fans shocked as they discover Vic Reeves’ real name

“But suddenly it appeared to take a bit of a turn for the worse – there was a commotion in the middle of the group and staff were being asked to call for an ambulance which turned out to be for Vic who wasn’t looking at all well.

“It all happened very quickly.

“The next thing he was being wheeled out by paramedics. It all seemed to shift from lots of laughter to serious concern pretty fast.”

He had been attending the wedding alongside wife Nancy Sorrell, 52.

Vic has previously revealed he has an inoperable benign tumour that left him completely deaf in one ear.

He previously told Adam Buxton on his podcast how he hates having to have his MRI scans.

“The last time they put me in one I said ‘get me out of here quick’,” he said. “I just couldn’t do it, so I ended up having to pay for it, but they got my head which is all they wanted.”

Acoustic neuromas grow on the nerve used for hearing and balance, which as well as causing hearing loss, can result in unsteadiness and a sensation of moving or spinning.

They tend to affect adults aged 30 to 60 and usually have no obvious cause, although a small number of cases are a result of a genetic condition. 

The surge in soccer fans this summer was bad for some businesses in Los Angeles.

World Cup host cities had lofty economic expectations for the summer tournament. But the city’s hotels only got a 1% bump in occupancy, according to a report published this week by Hospitality Education and Research Organization, a project of the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles.

Seventy-two percent of surveyed hotels said the tournament hurt their 2026 finances, and 48% called the impact “extremely negative.” Just 2% said it met projections.

Downtown occupancy reached 66% in June, down from 71% a year earlier, the report says. Room nights fell between 10% and 12%.

Hotel guests at the Metropole restaurant just opposite the main lobby at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles in May.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Ahead of World Cup tournaments, FIFA holds large blocks of rooms. But FIFA canceled or released up to 70% of the hotel room blocks it had reserved in host cities, including Los Angeles.

“We understood that we were maybe going to be disappointed with attendance going into the World Cup simply by the volume of cancellations that came out of the room block agreement,” said Jackie Filla, president and CEO of the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles.

The disappointing turnout led to staff reductions. Of the hotels surveyed 82% reduced seasonal staff and more than six in 10 reported reducing employee shifts, scheduled hours, or permanent staff.

Hotels did raise prices, with the average daily rate hitting $228, the highest of any comparable L.A. event in three years. But occupancy was 71%, well below the 83% recorded during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

A visitor walks in the lobby of the Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The survey drew 58 responses from 210 hotels, and the analysis was done by travel-data firm Rove using CoStar and AirDNA data. International visitors were also scarce, with Los Angeles welcoming 700,000 international arrivals in June and July — roughly 80,000 visitors below 2024 levels for the same period, the report says.

“We particularly didn’t see a lot of foreign visitors and that’s something that was disappointing,” Filla said. “Foreign visitors do spend three times the amount of money as the average domestic traveler.”

Short-term rentals, meanwhile, gained. Their demand rose 23% and revenue 21% versus July 2024, while hotel revenue fell 3.3%. Airbnb, the tournament’s official fan accommodation, offered new hosts $750 incentives.

The city is currently weighing a temporary proposal to ease its short-term rental rules through the end of 2028 to accommodate tourists. “That will really, truly undercut the business of hotels,” Filla added. “We saw some of that with the World Cup.”

The worry is carrying over to the Olympic Games, set to be hosted in Los Angeles in 2028. Six in 10 surveyed hoteliers expect an Olympic rental surge to hurt their bookings and rates, the report says.

The World Cup “gave us false hope to recover from a negative year,” one Los Angeles hotelier said, according to the report. “I also feel [the] same thing will probably happen for [the] Super Bowl and Olympics.”

The 71-year-old is recovering in Rome’s Gemelli hospital after surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his lung.

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with cancer after an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, according to a medical bulletin published by the Vatican.

Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican added, noting the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests. It did not provide details on the recovery outlook or course of treatment.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Vatican said the procedure lasted 90 minutes and that the surgery “was successful, and there were no complications”.

The 71-year-old has returned to his room at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he is expected to recover for a week, with all his audiences through October 20 cancelled.

The Vatican said doctors are not currently discussing chemotherapy or other therapies pending the results of other tests.

The Holy See’s press office noted the medical statement spoke of the “radical” removal of the lobe as an indication that doctors removed all suspect tissue in the hope of eliminating any lingering traces of the cancer.

Before the procedure, Leo waved to dozens of well-wishers gathered at the hospital’s main entrance.

In an unusually transparent update on papal health, Leo first revealed that doctors found a small nodule during his Sunday noon prayer in St Peter’s Square.

“The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it,” he said during remarks delivered in Italian.

Latin American tour

The pope has no reported history of serious illness and is considered physically active, routinely swimming and playing tennis.

The surgery comes ahead of an official Latin America tour scheduled for November 6-17, with stops planned across Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

It is unclear whether his recovery will affect the ambitious itinerary, which includes a dozen flights, two helicopter rides and significant altitude changes in Peru.

The pope told reporters on Sunday that he intends to make the journey.

The family of a man who was killed by a tiger after he entered its enclosure at a wildlife park have paid tribute, describing him as “bright, warm and engaging”.

William Chapman, who was in his mid-20s, visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday and was attacked after going into the animal’s pen. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement, his family said that he had suffered from “significant mental illness” over a number of years and had been prescribed “strong medication”.

City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into Chapman’s death and the park remains closed.

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