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A Ukrainian FP-1 long-range attack drone is launched by the 413th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems "Raid" on a deep-strike drone mission to hit Russian targets deep in their territory, in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2026-08-19T04:05:43Z Waves of Ukrainian drones targeted the massive logistics center outside Moscow overnight. The next morning, it was still ablaze, dark smoke rising into the sky from what was one of Russia’s largest retail warehouses.Hundreds of miles away, Ukrainian drone crews had barely paused after the night’s work before starting to prepare for another attack. A small group of soldiers quickly assembled in a sunflower field in southern Ukraine, gathering around 20 small planelike drones laden with explosives, before launching them toward Russia. The launch by the Ukrainian 413th “Raid” Unmanned Systems Regiment on Sunday morning was observed by a team of Associated Press journalists — a rare glimpse into a rapidly expanding part of Ukraine’s war effort. It’s Ukraine’s latest tactic — long-range drones designed to carry the war deep inside Russia, striking military, industrial and logistical sites far from the front line. Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting military industries and energy facilities. It has also increasingly pummeled giant Wildberries depots, burning billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise belonging to the Russian online retail giant.Those attacks have brought the war home to the Russian public, nearly 4½ years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The scale of the attacks has also forced Russia’s military to stretch air defenses over a larger area, disrupted airports, sparked fuel shortages and undermined morale in Russia. The regiment’s commander, Yevhen Karas, said his unit had also taken part hours earlier in the strike on the Wildberries warehouse, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Moscow, during one of Ukraine’s largest attacks on Russia to date. Read More Ukraine will need to punish the Kremlin “if we want to get a stable and long period of peace, and normal peace,” Karas said.“The bigger casualties they have,” the sooner they will go for peace, he added. Kyiv officials aim to make the Russian public feel the war’s consequences and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiating a peace settlement. Putin has so far shown no sign he intends to end the war.Karas, however, believes the impact of Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign on Russia’s economy is bringing home the cost of the war to ordinary Russians and hopes this will drive Moscow back to the negotiating table after months of U.S.-brokered talks between the two sides stalled. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. On Sunday morning, before the drones took to the skies, Karas took out a black marker and wrote a message on the fuselage: “Moscow burns under the sky, red flame rises so warm and high, dark smoke moves above the town, fire lights the night all around.”Like the majority of Ukraine’s serving military, Karas had a very different life before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.But on that day, the 38-year-old who majored in philosophy in his university studies and his brother Volodymyr both volunteered for the front. His brother was killed while defending the Kyiv region. In the months that followed, Karas rose through the ranks to become an officer in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces. In 2024, Karas was appointed commander of the newly-formed 413th Raid Unmanned Systems Regiment, which began as a unit using drones for reconnaissance and other battlefield tasks. As drone technology developed and flight range increased from hundreds to over a thousand miles, his unit was tasked with mounting long-range operations using Ukraine’s domestically produced FP-1 drones against targets deep inside Russia.Others in the unit include a former opera singer, a computer programmer, a rapper and a cellist. Their routine now focuses on a very simple sequence of tasks: prepare the drone, check the systems, move it into position and launch. Wait for the result, then repeat. The unit’s medallion — something militaries across the world refer to as a “challenge coin” — carries the troops’ insignia on one side, a stylized, three-prong arrow. On the other is a relief depiction of a Kremlin in flames, with a drone flying over it.Karas said that in this phase of the war, Moscow should fear the skies. “Muscovites should spend their nights in their wonderful metro, just as residents of Kyiv have spent years going underground to escape Russian missile and drone attacks,” Karas said. Back in the sunflower field, once the drones were airborne, the soldiers packed up their equipment and drove away, leaving hardly any traces of their activity. They were on to the next launch site.

A Ukrainian FP-1 long-range attack drone is launched by the 413th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems "Raid" on a deep-strike drone mission to hit Russian targets deep in their territory, in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)2026-08-19T03:52:48Z SYDNEY (AP) — Five Australian rules footballers have been banned for the remainder of the AFL season by the Sydney Swans for breaching player codes of conduct during a stay at a Melbourne hotel that has led to a police investigation into allegations of sexual assault.The Swans issued a statement Wednesday saying “Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner will not be considered for selection for the remainder of the 2026 AFL Season,” ruling them out of a regular-season game this weekend and the playoffs series.The Swans said the club-imposed sanctions were independent of an investigation by Victoria state police. No charges have been laid, and no player has been identified as being involved in an alleged sexual assault. Police were called to a hotel in East Melbourne early Monday when a woman made a complaint to staff there. “We respect there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police and the actions we have taken today are independent of this,” the Swans statement said, adding that the Australian Football League “is supportive of the club’s sanctions.”Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich told a news conference Wednesday the club sanctions were imposed for a series of postgame code of conduct breaches. Swans players were staying at the hotel after a game on Sunday because a commercial flight wouldn’t have got the squad back to Sydney in time before an airport curfew.“It was staying out late, it was drinking, it was continuing their night, it was bringing women back to the hotel,” Pavlich said. Such behavior “was a long way short of what we expect of our players. “We’re holding them to a really high standard. But they were well short of anywhere near that standard.” Read More He declined to comment on any matters relating to the police investigation.AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon earlier released a statement saying the allegations were “deeply concerning.”“While the matter remains under police investigation, it raises broader issues for our game and our responsibilities as a sport,” Dillon said. “The woman who made the report to police is entitled to privacy and care, and that should be respected.” The competitive bans followed a club board meeting Tuesday night and interviews with the players involved. “The Sydney Swans condemn all forms of abuse and disrespectful behavior toward women,” the Swans said in a statement ahead of the board meeting. “Any conduct that causes offense or harm to others is unacceptable and falls well short of our expectations. All women deserve to be respected and feel safe.”Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham apologized for the actions of the players and said there was deep disappointment within the club.“To effectively torpedo our season by making a decision such as this tells you how seriously we’ve taken it,” he said.___See AP’s full sports coverage here

Guarding Stephen Curry has its consequences, according to Matthew Dellavedova originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Everyone knows that Stephen Curry is one of the greatest players of his generation. He has proven that he is a top player because of his three-point shooting, clutch factor, and overall ability. However, he is also a nightmare matchup for any defender. For anyone who watched Curry play, they will see that he is one of the toughest players to stop because of his constant off-ball movement. Staying in front of him is challenging, which is made even harder with all the off-ball screens that Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has the players setting for Steph.Matthew Dellavedova gives a glimpse into how tough it is to guard Stephen CurryOne of the players who has stood out when defending Curry was Matthew Dellavedova. The first big stage he had to defend the Warriors superstar was in the 2015 NBA Finals, especially when Kyrie Irving went down with an injury. It was one of the toughest matchups that Dellavedova had to endure during his career. Not only was he trying to chase Curry all over the place, but he had to be physical against the Warriors. It was a draining task, but he was ready to contribute for the Cleveland Cavaliers.MORE: Kevin Love speaks on what made the 2016 title-winning Cavaliers so specialThe role Dellavedova had to play against the Warriors was tough because he was having his physical limits tested. In the locker room, he was feeling the brunt of the job he had to do, and that landed him in the hospital after Game 3 of the 2015 Finals."They like cut my tights. They’re trying to rub ice. My quads are cramping. My hamstrings are cramping. So you can’t stretch one or the other. I’m just in a world of hurt. Then they like carry me and put me in the ice bath up to like here, and I’m just sitting there and slowly the cramps kind of go away. And then we only had 1 day between the games," Dellavedova said on Richard Jefferson's YouTube channel.Cramps are no joke, especially at the highest level. Fortunately for Dellavedova, he managed to keep playing and standing out for the Cavaliers. Now, he can look back on the ring that he won in 2016 with the Cavs, where he became known as the premier defender against Curry.More NBA news:Dennis Schroder speaks on what it's like playing behind the All-Star backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James HardenKlay Thompson speaks about why LeBron James was the toughest player to defendJames Harden's patience could be paying off for him to get a long-term contractByron Scott believes James Harden blocked another LeBron James reunion with the CavaliersJames Harden wanted to have LeBron James to return to the Cavaliers

Little League World Series games on TV today: Updated schedule, times, channels, live streams for 2026 LLWS originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is the center of the baseball universe once again, as the 2026 Little League World Series is underway. Twenty teams from around the world will fight through U.S. and international brackets over a week and a half to try and take home the most coveted championship in youth sports.Taiwan has made the final each of the last two years, winning it all in 2025, but didn't make it back to Williamsport this time. That means a new champion will be crowned in 2026.Who will prevail in today's games? Here's when and where to watch. Little League World Series games on TV todayHere are today's LLWS games. See the full schedule of upcoming games below. Wednesday, Aug. 19GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch1Caribbean vs. Latin America1 p.m.ESPN, fubo2Southeast vs. Northwest3 p.m.ESPN, fubo3Asia-Pacific vs. Canada5 p.m.ESPN, fubo4Metro vs. New England7 p.m.ESPN, fuboWhat channel is the Little League World Series on today?TV channels: ESPNLive streams:fuboAll of today's Little League World Series games will be broadcast on ESPN and can also be streamed live on fubo, which offers a free trial to new users. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)Little League World Series schedule 2026Thursday, Aug. 20GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch5Mexico vs. Australia12 p.m.ESPN, fubo6Mountain vs. Great Lakes2 p.m.ESPN, fubo7 Curacao vs. Japan4 p.m.ESPN, fubo8Midwest vs. West6 p.m.ESPN2, fuboFriday, Aug. 21GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch9Panama vs. Game 1 winner1 p.m.ESPN, fubo10Southwest vs. Game 2 winner3 p.m.ESPN, fubo11Europe-Africa vs. Game 3 winner5 p.m.ESPN, fubo12Mid-Atlantic vs. Game 4 winner7 p.m.ESPN, fuboSaturday, Aug. 22GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch13Game 3 loser vs. Game 5 loser1 p.m.ESPN, fubo14Game 4 loser vs. Game 6 loser3 p.m.ESPN, fubo15Game 1 loser vs. Game 7 loser5 p.m.ESPN, fubo16Game 2 loser vs. Game 8 loser7 p.m.ESPN, fuboSunday, Aug. 23GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch17Game 6 winner vs. Game 10 winner9 a.m.ESPN, fubo18Game 5 winner vs. Game 9 winner11 a.m.ESPN, fubo19Game 8 winner vs. Game 12 winner1 p.m.ABC, fubo20Game 7 winner vs. Game 11 winner2 p.m.ESPN, fuboMonday, Aug. 24GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch21Game 9 loser vs. Game 13 winner1 p.m.ESPN, fubo22Game 10 loser vs. Game 14 winner3 p.m.ESPN, fubo23Game 11 loser vs. Game 15 winner5 p.m.ESPN, fubo24Game 12 loser vs. Game 16 winner7 p.m.ESPN, fuboTuesday, Aug. 25GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch25Game 18 loser vs. Game 23 winner1 p.m.ESPN, fubo26Game 17 loser vs. Game 24 winner3 p.m.ESPN, fubo27Game 20 loser vs. Game 21 winner5 p.m.ESPN, fubo28Game 19 loser vs. Game 22 winner7 p.m.ESPN, fuboWednesday, Aug. 26GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch29Game 18 winner vs. Game 20 winner1 p.m.ESPN, fubo30Game 17 winner vs. Game 19 winner3 p.m.ESPN, fubo31Game 25 winner vs. Game 27 winner5 p.m.ESPN, fubo32Game 26 winner vs. Game 28 winner7 p.m.ESPN, fuboThursday, Aug. 27GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch33Game 29 loser vs. Game 31 winner3 p.m.ESPN, fubo34Game 30 loser vs. Game 32 winner7 p.m.ESPN, fuboFriday, Aug. 28No games scheduledSaturday, Aug. 29GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch35International championship: Game 29 winner vs. Game 33 winner12:30 p.m.ABC, fubo36U.S. championship: Game 30 winner vs. Game 34 winner3:30 p.m.ABC, fuboSunday, Aug. 30GameMatchupTime (ET)Watch37Third place: Game 35 loser vs. Game 36 loser10 a.m.ESPN, fubo38Championship: Game 35 winner vs. Game 36 winner3 p.m.ABC, fuboLittle League World Series teams 2026United States bracketGreat Lakes: Hamilton, OhioMetro: Bayonne, New JerseyMid-Atlantic: West Chester, PennsylvaniaMidwest: Davenport, IowaMountain: Henderson, NevadaNew England: Bridgewater, MassachusettsNorthwest: Tacoma, WashingtonSoutheast: Phenix City, AlabamaSouthwest: Boerne, TexasWest: Bonita, California International bracketAsia-Pacific: Seoul, South KoreaAustralia: SydneyCanada: VancouverCaribbean: Santiago, Dominican RepublicCuracao: WillemstadEurope-Africa: Brno, CzechiaJapan: TokyoLatin America: Leon, NicaraguaMexico: TijuanaPanama: ChiriquiRelated LinksLatest MLB news and rumors2026 MLB schedule and scoresMLB standings 2026

Here's a look at Portage County high school sports results from the week of August 17, 2026.All varsity high school coaches are encouraged to send box scores to sports@recordpub.com.Watch Ohio High School Sports Live on NFHS Network all yearTuesday, August 18Girls SoccerField 4, Woodridge 1Senior Molly Murphy scored two more goals to push her total to five through two games. The Falcons (2-0-0, 1-0-0 Metro Athletic Conference) scored twice in the opening 85 seconds with freshman Keira Schock scoring in the first minute and Murphy striking 40 seconds later. Another freshman, Odessa Hottensmith, had a goal and an assist while junior Brooklyn Wilson also scored for Field.Boys SoccerRootstown 3, Northwestern 1Tycho Smolk broke a scoreless stalemate in the closing seconds of the first half, finding the back of the net with a header. Zach Pastor and Sam Textor added insurance goals in the second half while Dean Abdlrasul and Bryson Scarlett had an assist apiece for the Rovers (1-0-0).Girls GolfStreetsboro 208, Norton 228, Tallmadge 269The Rockets improved to 5-1 in the Metro Athletic Conference. Streetsboro's Arianna Jacobs and Aryana Puleo had the two highest scores of the day with a 44 and a 46, respectively.Boys GolfStreetsboro 161, Springfield 178 Silas Hunt earned medalist honors for the Rockets (2-2, 1-0 Metro Athletic Conference) with a 38. Dom Marcini added another sub-40 score when he fired a 39 for Streetsboro. Brody Sanford and Tyler Schramm capped the scoring, each firing a 42.Crestview 176, Garfield 179Derek Duvall lifted the Rebels (3-6, 2-6 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference) to victory, earning medalist honors with a 38. Broden Neal and Ollie McMayon tied for the second-best score of the day, each firing a 43 for the G-Men (1-4, 1-4).Monday, August 17Boys GolfGarfield 181, Liberty 193Kade Fedor (42), Broden Neal (43) and Ollie McMayon (46) turned in the top three scores of the day, for either team, to lead the G-Men (1-3, 1-3 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference) to victory.Contact Jonah L. Rosenblum at jrosenblum@recordpub.com and follow him on Twitter at @JLRSports.This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage County high school sports recaps for the week of August 17-23

There's a certain know-it-when-you-see-it moment when a baseball team goes from underperforming to checked out, from disappointing to joylessly headed nowhere. The Seattle Mariners seem to have reached that point.Their 22-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, Aug. 18 had it all: Managerial malfeasance, an embarrassing gaffe by a superstar and, in the end, an utter lack of fight that belies the fact the Mariners are actually in the playoff hunt.Let's be clear: That doesn't mean they're a good team. The Mariners are 59-67, have been outscored by 45 runs and have a 60-homer superstar batting .157 — nearly 50 points worse than the lowest-qualified hitter in the major leagues. In any other year, that would typically invite a housecleaning at the trade deadline and perhaps a few rolling heads in management.In the American League in the year 2026, however, it gets you just four games out of first in the West and three games out of the wild card. Yet Seattle's fortuitous positioning can't wash away how dismal this season has been, particularly since expectations were sky-high after the Mariners came within eight outs of their first World Series appearance ever in 2025. That Game 7 loss — courtesy of George Springer's historic home run — would not be possible had Mariners manager Dan Wilson not pushed virtually every wrong button in the pivotal seventh inning. And 2026 has been one hell of a hangover.The Mariners' location in the Pacific Northwest makes them the game's best-kept secret when things are going well. It can also serve to camouflage disappointments. But you can't hide from 22-0. The remarkable thing? It was just a 1-0 game going into the bottom of the fifth. That's when Mariners starter Bryce Miller got peppered — single-walk-single-walk-sacrifice fly — with a one-out rally. Even then, it was just 3-0.Lefty reliever Josh Simpson was warming in the bullpen. Christian Yelich was striding to the plate. Wilson stuck with Miller, not unlike sticking with Eduard Bazardo to face Springer all those months ago in Toronto. Like Springer, Yelich crushed a three-run homer. And then Wilson lifted Miller once again after the fact. But it was game over at that point. Christian Yelich doubles the Brewers lead with one swing 💪 pic.twitter.com/OhMN1E97bW— MLB (@MLB) August 19, 2026The ignominy was just beginning, though, reaching a crescendo when position player Leo Rivas was peppered for nine hits and nine runs in the bottom of the eighth. Yet only seven were earned runs, because franchise center fielder Julio Rodriguez lost track of the outs, tossed the ball into the stands and two more runs scored.Hey, brain farts happen. But combine that with all that's gone wrong with the squad — this was the Mariners' eighth loss in 11 games — and it's a massive spotlight on a bad team.Up 22, the Brewers saw fit to throw their own position player on the mound — catcher Gary Sanchez — and still, the Mariners couldn't push across a run. So they joined the 2004 Yankees and 1975 Pirates for the worst shutout loss since 1888.Nonetheless, they'll wake up Wednesday four games behind Houston in the West. The division is so bad that the Mariners' odds of winning it are 23.1%, per FanGraphs, compared to their 7.4% chance to snag the final wild card, which is just three games out of their reach. But the Mariners would have to leapfrog six teams, not two, to claim the final wild card. That's just not happening. Bad seasons happen, certainly. But this one seems like a continuation of all that went wrong when the Mariners held that 3-2 ALCS lead, only to go home empty-handed. It seems a lot likelier there will be consequences for this failure.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Mariners have been bad all year. Losing 22-0 is an embarrassment | Opinion

NEW YORK (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. favors robbing homers over hitting them.Tatis' glove and bat were on display Tuesday night in a 5-2 win over the Mets as the 27-year-old robbed New York's Francisco Lindor of a grand slam in between hitting two homers.“Tough challenge,” Tatis said following his 14th career two-homer game, which ties him for second in franchise history. “But robbery today was more fun.”Tatis hit the first pitch from New York's Zac Thornton 452 feet into the second deck in left field before adding a two-run homer off Thornton in the fifth. He has 15 homers after opening the season without a longball in his first 238 at-bats.But Tatis’ biggest contribution in the game came in the field in the second inning, when reached over the wall in in right field and pulled back Lindor’s potential slam.“It’s amazing — he’s seriously one of the most athletic fielders I’ve ever seen,” said Padres pitcher Robbie Ray, who loaded the bases with three walks. “What he’s able to do out there, just to be able to be in that spot to make that catch, was incredible.”Tatis, Ray and manager Craig Stammen were all surprised as Lindor’s fly drifted toward the wall on an night with minimal wind.“I knew it was going to be a play at the wall,” Tatis said. “Just great timing — prepare myself to launch and go for it.”Tatis was one step from the wall when he jumped and grabbed the ball just as it began to clear the wall. The converted shortstop used his hands to break his fall as his hat fell off and bounced behind him.Tatis stood straight up and stared toward the infield, which left everyone on the field and the crowd of 35,508 wondering if he’d made the catch.“Just taking off a grand slam right there, that’s a game changer,” Tatis said.Tatis then raised his glove, after which Ray raised his arms and put his glove on his head.“He does it with a flair,” Stammen said. “And that’s who makes Fernando who he is and why we love watching him.”Ray walked a few more steps with his glove on his hat, grinning in disbelief as he gazed at Tatis, who jogged in with his mouth agape before he exchanged low fives with centerfielder Jackson Merrill.“I kind of blacked out in the moment,” Ray said with a grin. “Just a really cool — it was just an incredible play.”Ray allowed just two baserunners over his final four innings.“It’s up there as one of the most impactful games he’s had as a Padre, for sure,” Stammen said. “You look at how many runs he created and then how many runs he took away. That’s a pretty big number.“They talk about plus/minus in the NBA and hockey and stuff like that. That was a big plus/minus game for ‘Tati’ tonight.”___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

State Representative Angie Nixon, a progressive firebrand, defeated a moderate who dramatically out-raised her with grass-roots enthusiasm. Can it carry her to victory in November?

Debris is seen along Hawaiʻi Belt Road near Pahala, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)2026-08-19T04:26:52Z MIAMI (AP) — A storm system moving west away from Hawaii has quickly strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said late Tuesday.The hurricane was about 335 miles (535 kilometers) south-southeast of Maro Reef, the hurricane center said. The storm was moving west-northwest at 125 mph (205 kph). The hurricane center called it the first major hurricane of 2026 in the Central Pacific. Forecasters said they expected the storm to remain a hurricane for the next several days. They predicted it would strengthen tonight before slowly weakening. A hurricane warning was issued for the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. A warning means hurricane conditions are expected in roughly 36 hours. The storm had battered parts of Hawaii Sunday as it passed by without making landfall and weakened from a hurricane into a tropical storm. Crews were working to clean up and restore power in parts of the state.

Debris is seen along Hawaiʻi Belt Road near Pahala, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)2026-08-19T04:34:55Z NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata in the early hours Wednesday, killing at least nine people and injuring six in the capital of India’s West Bengal state, police said.The blaze erupted around 1:45 a.m. at a hotel in central Kolkata close to the West Bengal Fire Department headquarters, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.Five fire engines were deployed to bring the blaze under control, while police and disaster management teams carried out rescue operations, the report said. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.Firefighters struggled to reach people trapped on the upper floors as thick smoke engulfed the building, a police officer told the news agency. The fire was brought under control, the officer said.Authorities said their immediate focus was on rescuing anyone still trapped inside and investigating the cause of the fire, which was not immediately known. Nine people have been confirmed dead but the toll could rise, police told PTI.Deadly fires, often linked to electrical faults or gas cylinder explosions, are common in India where investigators have frequently pointed to safety lapses and inadequate enforcement of fire regulations as contributing to recurring loss of life.On Monday, a blaze at a hotel in West Bengal’s temple town of Tarapith left at least seven people dead and several others critically injured. In December, at least 25 people were killed after a fire ripped through a popular nightclub in western Goa state. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Where to watch England vs. Pakistan free live stream, TV channel, start time for 1st Test originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.A new era of English cricket begins with Stephen Fleming as head coach when Pakistan start their tour of the country for the three-match series.Joe Root also returns as captain following Ben Stokes' retirement and will hope for a winning start to life back in charge. The visitors are touring England for Test cricket after six years, having lost the three-match series in 2020.This opening Test takes place at Headingley, with the two subsequent matches scheduled to be played at Lord’s and Edgbaston.Pakistan arrive following a seven-wicket win over a County Select XI as Saud Shakeel hit an unbeaten hundred and Imam-ul-Haq scored 80.Here's everything you need to know about England vs. Pakistan, including TV channel and streaming options for the first Test.England vs. Pakistan live stream, TV channel in the US and CanadaHere's how to watch this Test match in the United States and Canada:TV channel: Willow TV, Willow Sports, Willow XtraLive stream:Fubo, Fubo CanadaFans in the United States and Canada will be able to watch this game live exclusively on Willow TV.Willow Sports is a cable TV channel, but if it's not included in your current package or you've cut the cord, it's available on fubo.Fubo offers Willow TV as part of its expanded sports offering for a small fee. In addition to live matches, you can also watch replays and highlights on demand at any time from any device. The first day will be shown for free on Willow Sports and Willow Xtra with the rest of the days on Willow TV.Fubo offers a FREE trial for new subscribers in the US only, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)Fubo Canada is the home of cricket for fans north of the border.England vs. Pakistan start timeThis match takes place at Headingley, in Leeds, UK and starts on Wednesday, August 19 at 11 a.m. local time.Here's how that time translates across North America:DateStart time (ET)Eastern TimeWeds, Aug. 196 a.m.Central TimeWeds, Aug. 195 a.m.Mountain TimeWeds, Aug. 194 a.m.Pacific TimeWeds, Aug. 193 a.m.England vs. Pakistan Test schedule1st Test: Aug 19-23 at Headingley, Leeds (6 a.m. ET)2nd Test: Aug 27-31 at Lord's, London (6 a.m. ET)3rd Test: Sept 9-13 at Edgbaston, Birmingham (6 a.m. ET)

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 13: A locked padlock and chain against two official MLB baseballs representing a potential lockout between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) for the 2027 MLB season, as photographed on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country.The 2026 season has been full of bad news for the San Francisco Giants and their fans. And if you’re an optimist who sees a light at the end of the tunnel, well … that light will be dimmed very quickly, and not even because of anything the Giants do.Yes, baseball is headed for a lockout, and while the last one was short, everything we’ve heard going into this one suggest it will be very long. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ spending and dominance and the altered landscape of regional sports networks and streaming platforms are large factors, and it seems like both sides will get bloody arguing over whether or not a salary cap should be introduced. It will be ugly. You’ll get sick of hearing about it. I’ll get sick of writing about it. But as long as it’s ugly, you might as well take a chance to be right, right? So give us your predictions as to how much baseball we are deprived of while watching billionaires argue with their (mostly) well-compensated employees. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

Former ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Songchainoi “Mini-Hulk” Kiatsongrit is promising fireworks at The Inner Circle 27, and he is not the type to make empty threats.He stars in a crucial atomweight Muay Thai main event clash alongside Banluelok Sitwatcharachai, which streams live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s world-famous Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, August 21. The complete card will be available exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.View this post on InstagramThe Thai slugger opened his promotional tenure with four knockouts from a nine-fight win streak, but that momentum has since cooled considerably, with only one win to show across his last four appearances. He suffered two losses to Numsurin Chor Ketwina and a defeat to reigning divisional king Nadaka at ONE SAMURAI 1 in Tokyo, Japan.His most recent outing, a unanimous decision loss to Numsurin this past June, left plenty to be desired, and the 25-year-old is the first to admit the version of himself that showed up that night fell well short of his standard.Songchainoi said:“It was a big learning experience for me. Credit to him, he was well-prepared. But on my end, adjusting my weight for the fight drained me, and my body never recovered.“My confidence took a slight hit, but I’m hungry to get back to my true form. I’m 100 percent ready to go for this fight.”View this post on InstagramWith redemption firmly on his mind, he has left no stone unturned throughout this training camp, fully aware that another difficult test awaits him inside the mecca of Muay Thai.Banluelok enters on a two-fight winning streak, and Songchainoi has taken careful note of exactly what makes his opponent so dangerous.He added:“He’s on a great run right now. He’s won two straight in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Looking at his past fights in both Muay Thai and kickboxing, he’s really fast. I have to press forward and stay glued to him.“If I back up like I did in my last fight, I’ll just get battered by his left kicks.”View this post on InstagramRespect for Banluelok’s skill set has not translated into any hesitation about what needs to happen once the two go to war on fight night.Songchainoi is well aware of everything riding on this fight for his opponent, and he has no intention of making it easy at The Inner Circle 27.The Kiatsongrit Muay Thai Gym representative pointed out:“He’s definitely coming in hot. A win over me could earn him a ONE contract, push him onto the big stage, or set up a rematch with Nadaka. But we’ll see what happens inside the ring.“I’m not letting anyone pass through me easily. I want this win to reclaim my prime form. Fans are definitely going to get an action-packed, toe-to-toe war.”View this post on InstagramSongchainoi Dissects His Path To Victory Against BanluelokSpeed and left kicks may be Banluelok Sitwatcharachai’s greatest weapons, but Songchainoi Kiatsongrit insists he has spent this camp specifically preparing to neutralize exactly that threat. Rather than simply hoping his own power carries the day, the Thai veteran, who seeks the 61st win of his career at The Inner Circle 27, has drilled a concrete defensive answer designed to close off his opponent’s best avenue of attack.The 25-year-old continued:“I’ve trained to actively raise my block on the left side. I need to block that left kick and counter quickly, because if I’m slow [when we are inside the pocket], he’s going to land it.“I also worked a lot on my boxing throughout this camp because my hands are my main weapon. I went back to refining my core strengths while adding new tools.”View this post on InstagramBeyond simply solving the puzzle in front of him, a win inside the legendary venue this Friday would mark a genuine step back toward the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship.That said, Songchainoi is not interested in cutting corners on the road back to gold, no matter how tempting a shortcut might be.He concluded:“The goal is still to build my way back up to Nadaka. I want to keep my spot at the top and keep raising my game.“But I want to do it right. I want to win two, three, four, or five fights in a row first, so nobody can question it when I get that title shot again.”View this post on InstagramSource

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The long ball hasn’t been the Milwaukee Brewers' strength this season, but the team with the best record in the majors put its power on full display on Tuesday night in a record-matching 22-0 rout of the Seattle Mariners.The Brewers equaled baseball’s modern-era record for the biggest shutout with a power surge that included three-run homers from Christian Yelich, David Hamilton and Luis Lara and a two-run shot by Jake Bauers.The Brewers have 117 home runs this season, the fewest in baseball, but as was pointed out by Seattle manager Dan Wilson, they have multiple players with the ability to go deep.“They’ll put bunts down and put pressure on the bases and steal bags,” Wilson said before the game. “They also have the ability to hit the home run. You kind of have to prepare for all areas of the game.”The Brewers also generated offense doing what they do best, pulling off a double steal in a five-run fifth inning that helped break open a tight game.The 78-48 Brewers matched a franchise record for runs in a game, tying the 22 runs they scored at the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 28, 1992. The Brewers also had a season-high 22 hits.“It’s one game but a pretty darn good performance,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I’d like to order that every night.”The only other 22-0 victories since 1901 were by Pittsburgh over the host Chicago Cubs on Sept. 16, 1975 and by Cleveland at the New York Yankees on Aug. 31, 2004.Yelich connected for his ninth homer of the season, a three-run shot off Bryce Miller in the fifth. The Brewers tacked on five more runs in the sixth.“It’s kind of crazy. It happened fast,” Yelich said. “It’s always fun to be on this side.”Bauers smiled as he struggled to find words to describe the Brewers offensive outburst.“I’ve got nothing for you on that one,” Bauers said. “It was just good performance all around. Just good at-bats all night up and down the lineup.”Bauers hit his team-leading 22nd home run of the season in the sixth inning and he’s now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games.The Brewers tagged Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, who came on to pitch in the eighth, for nine runs, which included a three-run home run from 21-year-old rookie Lara, his first career homer.Lara took some good-natured ribbing about whether the homer counted since he hit it off a position player, but he was in a celebratory mood.“For me, it all counts,” Lara said through an interpreter. “But I understand that it may not be common to get your first (home run) against a position player.”Bauers and Yelich backed their young teammate.“It’s a hard game. Every bloop single, dribbler single, home run off a position player, they all count,” he said.Yelich urged Lara to embrace the moment.“The first career homer is always cool,” he said. “Anytime you get to jog around the bases in a major league game is always special. It was cool for him to get his first one and smile and laugh about it.”The Brewers also used a position player on the mound, veteran catcher/first baseman Gary Sanchez, with a much different result. Sanchez pitched a scoreless ninth with many in the announced crowd of 36,870 standing and cheering.It was the third career pitching appearance for Sanchez and second this season. He has tossed two scoreless innings in the pair of outings the season.“He did great. He was a showman as always,” Bauers said. “The crowd was involved. They loved it. He loved it. We loved it. But I still think he’s a better catcher than a pitcher.”___See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Baker Mayfield thinks the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can surprise the NFL in 2026. The quarterback made that clear while speaking with reporters Tuesday.“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people this year,” Mayfield said. “And so I’m excited to just get on the road and do that.”The confidence comes after Tampa Bay finished 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs. The Buccaneers also lost seven of their final eight games after starting 6-2.MORE: Tom Brady calls out NFL players for resting during preseasonMayfield knows many outside the building expect another difficult season. When asked about those predictions, he offered a direct response.“Yeah, I mean, listen, embellish it,” Mayfield said. “There’s no embellishing. I think you can’t avoid it. There’s TVs everywhere.”Mayfield then made his confidence even clearer when asked if he truly believed Tampa Bay could turn things around.“Yeah. Hell yeah, I am,” he said. “Everybody’s picking us probably to have a losing record. So, we’ll see.”Why Baker Mayfield thinks Tampa Bay can turn it aroundEast Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up before a game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)The Buccaneers have already shown some depth during the preseason. They defeated the New York Jets 24-16 despite resting Mayfield and most starters.However, that result says little about the regular season. Mayfield must lead an offense adjusting to another coordinator, with Zac Robinson taking over the unit.The bigger challenge involves replacing veteran production. Mike Evans left for San Francisco, while Tampa Bay also lost other important pieces during the offseason.Still, the roster has young talent around Mayfield. Emeka Egbuka gives the passing game another weapon, while defensive additions could help address last season’s problems.Tampa Bay’s ceiling depends heavily on Mayfield staying healthy and limiting mistakes. His 3,693 passing yards and 26 touchdowns last season were not enough to prevent the collapse.MORE: Giants’ Cam Skattebo impresses coach despite not being 100%Mayfield will likely get his first preseason action Saturday against Kansas City. He is expected to play a couple of drives, giving Tampa Bay its first look at the new offense with its starting quarterback.His prediction is bold, but the 2026 Buccaneers have enough changes to make the season worth watching. Now Mayfield must turn that confidence into consistent results.— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

The Democratic former congresswoman and the incumbent Republican senator will face off in November. Whether a potential spoiler candidate with the same name as the senator qualifies alongside them has not been determined.

Gas prices are going to remain high. Don’t blame the price of crude oil. Blame the crack spread.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews walks past pashkevilim, posters used to publicize news and important messages in the ultra-Orthodox community, in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)2026-08-19T05:03:58Z JERUSALEM (AP) — Ultra-Orthodox Jewish families are an unmissable facet of Israeli life. Immediately recognizable, the men dress in black suits and hats, the women in modest long sleeves and skirts with wigs, turbans or scarves covering their hair, and numerous children tag along, often in matching outfits.They are growing in numbers and in political and cultural clout. That’s bringing their vision of faith, Jewish identity and civic practices into conflict with other Israelis, both religious and secular. Distrust spirals on all sides.Mass protests over proposed changes to the exemption from the military draft for ultra-Orthodox men highlight the most contentious issue as the country approaches three years of war on multiple fronts — and national elections where ultra-Orthodox parties are likely to be kingmakers.At the core of ultra-Orthodox doctrine is the belief that studying scripture — and teaching it to family and community — is the highest duty, above working or joining the armed forces even in wartime. Judith Rosenblum, who has seven sons and one daughter, believes that ultra-Orthodox practice is under threat from secular culture, and that conscripting young men into the military can “compromise” their religious practice.But when she ran into an acquaintance whose grandson lost two legs and an arm in the war in Gaza, she was proud to relay that three of her sons also signed up to serve after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.“If all my kids were cut out for full-time Torah learning and had the money to support themselves doing so, for sure that would be a preference,” Rosenblum said. “But my kids who left full-time Torah study are amazing human beings. And I believe that they did the right thing by going into the army and participating in the defense of the country.” Full-time Torah study anchors ultra-Orthodox beliefsIn Hebrew, the ultra-Orthodox are called Haredim. The term was first used in the late 19th century by several rabbis and is derived from the Prophet Isaiah’s description of being “fearful or astounded by the word of God,” according to Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld.“God’s word is not supposed to be intuitive; you have to look deeply,” said Gershenfeld, who grew up in Philadelphia but has lived in Israel, studying and teaching the Torah, for half a century. “Understanding the Torah is the crucial mission of life.” Read More He runs two Jerusalem yeshivas — or seminaries — for ultra-Orthodox boys and men.Such institutions are “the beating heart of the community,” said Rabbi Heshy Grossman, an administrator at a prominent yeshiva in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot. Inside the residential yeshiva, students aged 17-22 in white shirts and black pants spend long days praying, studying and discussing sacred texts and commentaries. Etl Lovy, 22, is completing his five years of study at the age when families start matchmaking for marriage.“We have a lot of belief in what we’re learning,” he said a day before the start of summer break. The Torah guides every moment of daily lifeLovy enthusiastically described how days begin at 7 a.m. with a prayer and continue with Talmud studies until late evening, learning “all commands from God and how to get close to him.”As he took a sip of water on the hot day, he whispered a prayer. “Everything comes from the one above,” he explained with a smile.For the ultra-Orthodox, each commandment and each good deed is not just a God-given obligation, but a way to find fulfillment and holiness.And the highest one is studying God’s word — especially for men. Women receive a broader education in secular subjects like math, and they are expected to work while also raising large families. Ultra-Orthodox Jews believe many forms of birth control are opposed to God’s will, a view held by other conservative faiths but not all branches of Judaism. “My life is not about making money, or building a nice house,” said Lovy, who plans to continue to study the Torah while his future wife works.For the ultra-Orthodox, “every second of life is devoted to God,” said Rabbi Emanuel Feldman, adding that other Jews will either follow suit or “disappear into the mainstream.”“The Orthodox are fighting assimilation,” said Feldman, who in his late 90s has witnessed the growth of the practice and still writes columns for a popular Haredi weekly magazine. “If you don’t study Torah and observe the commands, you become like any other Mediterranean country.”He added that the ultra-Orthodox follow civil law so long as it doesn’t interfere with religious belief, such as forbidding or “affecting” the study of the Torah. The ultra-Orthodox Jews’ complicated relationship with IsraelMuch of the Torah studies tradition was lost during the Holocaust. When the state of Israel was founded shortly after, it gave ultra-Orthodox scholars special rights so they could rebuild, said Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, director of the Israel Democracy Institute’s Religion and State Program.That included an exemption from the military draft, originally for a few hundred scholars and in later decades broadened by conservative governments to everyone who wanted to engage in Torah learning full-time, she said. The same body of men was also largely outside the workforce. But the ultra-Orthodox have grown rapidly, outpacing other Israelis. Ravitsky Tur-Paz estimates they will be about 25% of the population by 2050, and about 40% of the potential army draft. “Israelis aren’t concerned about the Haredi way of life; they’re concerned about their way of life,” she said, adding that includes everything from welfare tax impacts to how much time non-Haredi Israelis might need to serve in the reserves. “The question is, who’s paying the price for your choice of life? This has become the issue everyone is talking about.” For many ultra-Orthodox, there’s no debate — they’re fulfilling their individual obligation to God, and nothing else matters more. “The importance of the Torah is a genuine feeling, and not just an escape, not just an excuse,” Rosenblum said. “Haredi world will put Torah first, and then Israel.”Fewer than 10% of ultra-Orthodox men reaching the conscription age of 18 enlist, according to a parliamentary committee, and they usually join separate units accommodating their religious practices. Reacting to a recent bill protecting the ultra-Orthodox from draft evasion prosecution, the Israeli army’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, called such exemptions “inconceivable” while troops are being asked for “unprecedented sacrifice.” But most ultra-Orthodox rabbis are adamant about their youths’ exemption from the draft, to avoid “diluting their piety” at a critical age. Other Jewish men in Israel are required to serve for nearly three years, and women for two years. “Studying the Torah is itself a spiritual protection,” Feldman added — an argument wearing thin with many Israelis, especially since about 1,000 troops have been killed fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon since the 2023 attack.Asked if he had any qualms about his peers serving as soldiers while he devotes his life to studies, Lovy, the yeshiva student, said he prays “all the time” for soldiers.“But we think because we believe in the Bible, we believe this is the right way to live. We don’t apologize,” he said. “I’m doing what God wants.”___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Dell’Orto is a multimedia reporter with The AP’s Global Religion team. She has reported across the United States, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, covering events and issues ranging from the conclave to the Israel-Hamas war to the Olympics, from immigration to the intersection of Indigenous spirituality and the environment. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

People sell their merchandise during rush hour traffic in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)2026-08-19T05:02:27Z Nigeria on Wednesday kicked off campaigns for the presidential election scheduled in January, with incumbent President Bola Tinubu seeking reelection against a fractured opposition.Africa’s most populous country will hold the election against a backdrop of worsening economic and security crises that have caused anger among voters against Tinubu’s government.The presidential vote will be held Jan. 16 alongside parliamentary elections, while gubernatorial elections will be held Feb. 6.Tinubu is challenged by 18 opposition candidates but analysts predict a three-man race, including the two top contenders that he defeated in 2023. They are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, a serial presidential candidate, and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, a former state governor who blew the last race wide open with his mass appeal to Nigeria’s youth.Historically, the ruling party in Nigeria’s presidential elections usually has a higher chance of winning when the race features more than one prominent opposition candidate. Tinubu unpopular among young votersTinubu was elected president in 2023 after campaigning on promises to build on his predecessor’s efforts to deliver democratic dividends to citizens in a country grappling with deadly security crises, corruption in the government, and widespread poverty and hunger.But critics say the president has not met those expectations and has become unpopular among many of Nigeria’s mostly young voters. His massive economic reforms and their poor implementation has had a knock-on effect on the price of just about everything, resulting in the country’s worst economic hardship in a generation.Nigeria’s challenges, notwithstanding, analysts say the split opposition could give Tinubu a higher chance of winning as was the case in 2023. In that year’s election, Tinubu emerged ahead of multiple prominent opposition candidates but recorded one of the lowest vote percentages ever for an elected president, showing how unpopular he was. An opposition coalition formed by Atiku and Obi among others in 2025 to unseat Tinubu collapsed before it took off.“Voters are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the administration’s handling of inflation, insecurity and unemployment but because the anti-incumbent vote is split, the president has the edge,” said Ikemesit Effiong, a partner at SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based risk advisory firm. Read More The president has solidified his baseTinubu has also shored up his support base through the defections of erstwhile opposition figures, with 31 of Nigeria’s 36 state governors now members of his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress. The defections had prompted fears of a one-party state, which the national government denied. In a country where current and former governors command massive grassroots support and are often accused of working with local electoral officials to manipulate election results, analysts say the defections could work in Tinubu’s favor.The Nigerian leader began his administration with centerpiece economic reforms. At his inauguration in May 2023, he announced the removal of the decades-long fuel subsidy and later floated the local naira currency by ending its distorted foreign exchange rate, which caused a major devaluation. The bold reforms, which Tinubu’s government argues saved the economy and handed the government more money, were cheered by investors but resulted in soaring inflation. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Nigeria’s security woes have also persisted in recent years with more mass kidnappings and killings, and have further spread to regions that were once spared the violence. “No matter how bad things are, Tinubu will still win because they are not working together,” said Juliet Onah, a resident in the capital of Abuja, referring to the opposition candidates not uniting as one front. OPE ADETAYO Adetayo is a West and Central Africa reporter for The Associated Press. He covers news and regional development across West and Central Africa. twitter facebook mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A worker gets a robot ready for demonstration at a booth for leading Chinese commercial humanoid robotics firm Unitree Robotics during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China, on July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)2026-08-19T05:01:52Z HONG KONG (AP) — Shares of Unitree, one of China’s largest humanoid robot makers, initially soared as much as 629% in its public stock trading debut Wednesday in Shanghai, in the latest highlight of investor optimism over China’s technological advances.The company, founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Wang Xingxing in the eastern Chinese technology hub of Hangzhou, raised around 6.1 billion yuan ($904 million) in its listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Nasdaq-style STAR market. The shares were priced at 150.80 yuan ($22.36) a share. Shares were still up nearly 500% as of midday.Advanced robotics, often referred to as “embodied” artificial intelligence, is a key sector in the heated technology rivalry between China and the U.S. China leads the U.S. in terms of production capacity of humanoid robots and the ability to scale up manufacturing. Last year, of the roughly 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally, Unitree and AGIBOT, another major Chinese humanoid robot maker, each shipped more than 5,000, according to technology research and advisory group Omdia, way ahead of their U.S. counterparts.But analysts say for now, many of these humanoid robots are still mainly used for demonstrations, performances and research rather than real-world applications. Unitree’s humanoid robots, for example, dazzled audiences at China’s annual Spring Festival gala by performing backflips and martial arts. “The real competitive test will be whether companies – Chinese or American – can achieve reliable performance and attractive returns on investment in large-scale industrial and commercial deployments,” analyst Kangyuxiao Li at investment research firm Morningstar said in a commentary. Read More Unitree said proceeds from the IPO will be used for advanced robot research and development and development of its robot manufacturing base.The company is the first publicly traded humanoid robotics maker in mainland China. Analysts believe the IPO could set a precedent for valuations of other robotic company stock offerings. It “gives mainland investors direct exposure to one of the sector’s leading companies,” said Li at Morningstar. UBTech, another major Chinese humanoid robot maker, has shares traded in Hong Kong. Its shares fell 10.6% on Wednesday. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Unitree reported about 1.7 billion yuan (about $250 million) in revenue in 2025, mainly from sales of its humanoid robots and quadruped robots, often referring to four-legged robot dogs. More than 40% of that revenue was from overseas. Last year, the U.S. accounted for roughly 13% of Unitree’s revenue, the company said. But that was before the U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned imports of new foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots in July on national security grounds.Unitree cautioned that the U.S. ban, which it said applies to its new models, could affect its future sales in the U.S. market. Existing models of its advanced robots can still be sold, but Unitree faces the risk that the U.S. could further expand its restrictions. CHAN HO-HIM Chan writes about business and economy in China for The Associated Press, reporting on key sectors of the world’s second-largest economy from trade and technology to autos. He is based in Hong Kong. mailto

They’re the teams you’re not paying attention to on the schedule.Either they don’t have the big name, or they struggled last year and are forgotten, or they’re the ones everyone looks past with Ohio State or Alabama or Notre Dame coming up. They’re the surprise teams of 2026, and here’s our annual call on who they’ll be.How did we do last year? Not great compared to 2024, when we nailed it cold at an all-time nuclear level with Indiana as our No. 1, along with an Arizona State team that won the Big 12 and went to the College Football Playoff.Last year our No. 1 was Rutgers (nope), then Southern Miss (sort of, 7-6), Mississippi State (no, but it was competitive), Cincinnati (yeah, over the first half, very no over the second), and Wake Forest (boom – 9-4).26 for ’26, No. 7: College Football Teams That Will Surprise26: Winningest Programs Yet To Make the CFP25: ACC Key Questions24: Big 12 Key Questions23: Big Ten Key Questions22: Top 2027 NFL Draft Prospects21: SEC Key Questions20: What’s Next in Realignment?19. Ranking all 30 New Head Coaches18. Who Has the Easiest Schedules?17. Who Has the Hardest Schedules?16. Who Might Be the Next Indiana?15. Group of Six Teams with Best CFP Shot14. 5 Teams Due For a Letdown13. 5 Programs Under the Most Pressure12. 26 Bold Predictions11. 5 Teams We’re Disrespecting10. 5 Hottest Head Coaching Prospects9. Biggest Games of the Season8. Coaches On Hot Seat5. East CarolinaHow good was East Carolina last year? Great. The program has been solid over the last few years, closing with a strong performance in a 23-17 win over Pitt in the Military Bowl.Why will it be a surprise team? Because no one was paying attention to the Pirates last year. They won eight games in 2024 and were deep in the hunt for the American title in 2025, closing 6-1.Realistic projection: East Carolina was seriously in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot last year, and there’s no reason why it can’t be in the American championship hunt again. There’s no Navy, North Texas, Tulane, or UTSA on a schedule that’s built for another nine-win run.– East Carolina 2026 Team Preview4. South CarolinaHow good was South Carolina last year? Blah. Expected to be a major player coming off a strong 2024, the Gamecocks couldn’t get the offense going, went 4-8, and didn’t beat a team that finished with a winning record.Why will it be a surprise team? Last season never got going. The flat offense will be far better, starting with getting star quarterback LaNorris Sellers back. No, this might not be a College Football Playoff team, but it has the look to be far more like the 2024 version. Realistic projection: South Carolina will get back to winning at least eight games. It’ll beat Kent State and Towson to get off to a hot start, and then comes a nice stretch with three SEC games in the next four against teams that finished with a losing record. It won’t be easy, but expect the Gamecocks to win the games that last year’s version didn’t.– South Carolina 2026 Team Preview3. Kansas StateHow good was Kansas State last year? Not bad, but it lost its mojo right away in a late collapse against Iowa State in Ireland. There were some nice moments, but it became a grind to get to six wins, helped by playing Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Colorado in the back stretch.Why will it be a surprise team? The 2025 Wildcats lost to Utah by four, Baylor by one, Arizona by six, Army by three, and Iowa State by three. All they need is a little spark and some positive momentum, and that 6-6 run of last year could quickly turn into 9-3.Realistic projection: Collin Klein should be that spark. Kansas State returns enough talent to be strong, the transfer portal helped, and the schedule is a dream with no Texas Tech, BYU, or Utah.– Kansas State 2026 Team Preview2. UCLAHow good was UCLA last year? It was an entertaining failure. UCLA went 3-9, but it all but ended the James Franklin era at Penn State with a wild win. It was fun for a while, and then the road games at Indiana, Ohio State, and USC happened, along with a blowout against Washington.Why will it be a surprise team? In comes Bob Chesney. A terrific coach who knows how to win, he took James Madison to the College Football Playoff, brought in a slew of stars from that team to go along with a good base of Big Ten talents, and …Realistic projection: Do I really believe in my own hoo-ha or not? Ever since the Chesney hire, I’ve been preaching loud and long that UCLA was doing the smart thing by copying what Indiana did by hiring former JMU head man Curt Cignetti.Purdue, at Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan State – four of the first five Big Ten games are against teams that didn’t go bowling. There’s a date with Nevada, a winnable home game against San Diego State, and a 50/50 game against Cal to open things up.– UCLA 2026 Team Preview1. FloridaHow good was Florida last year? It was better than the 4-8 record. Good enough to take out Texas and push Georgia in a fantastic battle, it failed to show up offensively in too many blowout losses. The Gators went 0-7 when scoring 20 points or fewer.Why will it be a surprise team? The fundamentals are strong. This needs more of a tweak than an overhaul, and that’s where new head coach Jon Sumrall comes in. He did a great job in the transfer portal, has brought the new coach energy, and … there’s no Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, or Texas A&M on the schedule.Realistic projection: Florida hasn’t won eight regular season games since 2020. Sumrall has never won fewer than eight in a regular season in his first four years as a head coach. No, the team isn’t quite there yet to be a dark horse contender to get into the College Football Playoff, but it’ll start hot, end hot, and be warm enough in the middle to suggest that the program is on the right track.– Florida 2026 Team Preview

Andrew Briggs says player safety has to be considered before deciding whether games can go ahead [BBC]Months of hot dry weather have left sports pitches in an increasingly dangerous state.Football, rugby and cricket clubs across Wiltshire have expressed fears that the hard ground could lead to players getting injured.The start of the community rugby season has been delayed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), until 21 September instead of 5 September, and there are concerns that football leagues may be forced to do the same."Seeing the football pitches in the condition they're in now is tough," said Andrew Briggs, Head of of Operations at Central Swindon North Parish Council, which recently spent £35,000 on improving the grass pitches at the town's Moredon Sporting Hub. More from Wiltshire Tributes to 'exceptionally talented' 16-year-oldEverything you need to know about the hosepipe ban'Ear wax removal shouldn't be a taboo subject'"This year has been exceptional in that we haven't had a single bit of rainfall in as many weeks as I can remember, and it's left the pitches struggling," he added."But player safety is paramount and that'll be the main factor in deciding whether play actually can take place."The weather has also meant that many teams haven't been able to complete their normal pre-season training - particularly contact practice - so won't be ready for the demands of a full game.Recent guidance by England Football has urged match officials to arrive at games early enough to carry out thorough pitch inspections and decide whether it is safe to play.An "excessively hard surface", cracks in the ground or particularly bad conditions around high use areas like goalmouths can all be reasons to call off or abandon a game.Clare Avenell says the hard ground can cause an array of injuries [BBC]Clare Avenell, lead sports therapist for Chippenham Rugby club, said the hard ground can cause a range of injuries:"We could see shin splints, tendon problems and even stress fractures," she said."Landing on the hard ground could lead to bone bruising and bursa problems, especially in rugby where you're also having to worry about landing on shoulders and elbows."The decision to delay the start of the rugby season due to the dry weather also has an impact on clubs and players behind the scenes:"It has a huge impact really, if you've got a commercial club and a bar it's the income that generates that keeps the club going really," said chair of Royal Wootton Bassett RFC Chris Elias."If you take a prime month out then its a huge loss of revenue, and if you're not seeing players come back there is a chance that you will see people drifting away from the sport," he added.Cricket teams are also struggling this season [BBC]The cricket season is ongoing, but player safety is also a concern in that sport.Cricket clubs are allowed to water the central square of their pitches, even in times of a hosepipe ban, but the outfield has to stay dry.Richard Mosdell is the groundsman for Allington Cricket Club, near Chippenham.He says watering the pitch is crucial to allowing games to be played, but the dry outfields remain a danger."A cricket pitch is predominantly clay, which needs water to bind it together " he said. "As it starts to crack, it can mean the five ounce cricket ball is coming at you at 60mph and you don't know whether it's going to hit you in the knees or the face.""In the outfield you're a brave person if you decide to dive for a catch."The cricket season ends in late September.Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this story Winemakers prosper but veg farms wilt in the droughtConcern as 300-year-old pond dries up in heatwavesEverything you need to know about the hosepipe ban Related Internet links England Football

Can Arsenal retain the Premier League title they won for the first time in 22 years last season? [Getty Images]Time to dust off the crystal ball once more and have a crack at predicting where the 20 Premier League teams will finish this season.Having confidently announced the Premier League title was Liverpool's to lose last season, they then lost it quite spectacularly, resulting in manager Arne Slot's dismissal.This season there are nine new managers in the top flight, making this season arguably the toughest set of predictions I've made.Breakouts & wildcards - 13 surprise stars for new seasonNightmare Man City start for Maresca - are Arsenal really so far ahead?1) ArsenalLast season: Champions.Having finally crossed the line to their first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal are in perfect shape to retain the crown - and I believe they will.Mikel Arteta's side have quality everywhere and will have the confidence of being champions. Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis showed they are additions of the highest quality as Arsenal dismantled Manchester City in the Community Shield.The easiest prediction of them all.2) Manchester CityLast season: 2nd.It is the start of a new era, with Enzo Maresca following arguably the greatest manager of the modern era, Pep Guardiola.Huge players and personalities have gone in the shape of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones, so there is a real sense of transition at Etihad Stadium.The Community Shield loss to Arsenal may have spooked some, but great players still remain - with the probability of more high-class signings before the season starts. £116m Elliot Anderson has already arrived and Morocco's brilliant teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is expected to join from Lille.Most significantly of all, any side with the phenomenal Erling Haaland as its striker can never be ruled out of anything. There will be silverware.3) LiverpoolLast season: 5th.Andoni Iraola has arrived from Bournemouth to restore some order after a dismal title defence last season.The start of the post-Mohamed Salah era will not be easy and Iraola's all-out, intense style may take time to bed in, but there is still lots of quality in Liverpool's squad and players such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak now know what life at Anfield is all about.If Bradley Barcola arrives from Paris St-Germain and Rio Ngumoha's rapid progress continues, Liverpool can have a good season.Young central defenders Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are also potential stars. Spain winger Victor Munoz will provide thrust and pace.Definitely a top-four place and in contention for trophies.4) ChelseaLast season: 10th.I can see the raised eyebrows from here, but Xabi Alonso is smart - and enjoyed Bundesliga title success at Bayer Leverkusen. He is not alone in having then been chewed up and spat out at Real Madrid.He must shape a squad that resembles a small commune and deal with a disaffected Enzo Fernandez - if indeed he remains at Chelsea - but there is real quality if he can fashion it into shape. Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix are outstanding additions while the surprise signings of veterans Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck are clearly designed to police the dressing room and set the tone.It's a bit of a punt but, without any distractions in Europe, Chelsea could do very well in the Premier League.5) Manchester UnitedLast season: 3rd.This is the first full season under Michael Carrick, who did so well to guide Manchester United back into the Champions League last season following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.A Champions League place and a trophy must be the aim for this season and I fully expect United to meet that challenge.Youri Tielemans is a smart, streetwise signing from Aston Villa while Andrey Santos is a player of promise from Chelsea - but United and Carrick still need more if their ultimate ambitions are to be fulfilled.There is no chance of a title challenge, but I expect United to be in the upper reaches of the Premier League.6) Aston VillaLast season: 4th.Unai Emery's outstanding work at Aston Villa continued when they won the Europa League and he took them back into the Champions League. This brilliant strategist can never be under-estimated, but Villa's financial balancing act has led to the departures of key players Tielemans and Rogers. Heavy responsibility will lie with loan signing Alejandro Garnacho, whose career has stagnated, while hopes are high for Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes, who was signed from Wolves for £38m.Villa pulled off a real coup when they pipped Newcastle to Freiburg's 20-year-old midfielder Johan Manzambi, who was a stand-out performer for Switzerland at the World Cup. Villa look set to bring in Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma as a long-term first-choice, with Emiliano Martinez's future in doubt. So, it is a time of churn at Villa Park, but there is no reason to believe Emery cannot work more of his magic - while teenage striker Brian Madjo could be a breakout star.7) Tottenham HotspurLast season: 17thNew-ish manager. New ambition. The purse strings have been loosened at Spurs this summer, so there are no excuses for a repeat of last season's shambles, when Roberto de Zerbi - their third manager of the season after Thomas Frank and, briefly, Igor Tudor - kept them up on the final day.De Zerbi's fierce ambition has been backed big time, so optimism is running high.Andrew Robertson is a smart signing on and off the pitch, while Marcos Senesi is another good deal on a free transfer from Bournemouth.The big money has been spent in midfield, with Sandro Tonali in for £100m from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United for £85m.Jan Paul van Hecke cost £52m from Brighton to offset the loss of captain Cristian Romero - will he really be missed? - from central defence. Djed Spence has also left for Inter Milan.Micky van de Ven has committed his future, so it all looks good for Spurs. At least it does right now.Breakouts & wildcards - 13 surprise stars for new seasonIs Haaland worth the price? Pick Rogers or Palmer? Five key FPL questions 8) Nottingham ForestLast season: 16th.How did a squad with Nottingham Forest's obvious quality end up fighting relegation last season? Easy - have four managers.After Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Vitor Pereira comes the ambitious appointment of Oliver Glasner.Glasner is demanding and will have an even more demanding owner in Evangelos Marinakis, but Forest will surely use the £116m from the sale of Anderson to back their new manager.Expect plenty of activity before the deadline, with Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande already in for £34m from Sporting.Morgan Gibbs-White has stayed and will be a key figure again. The Glasner era - like all other managerial eras at Forest - will not be dull.9) Brighton and Hove AlbionLast season: 8th.There is European football back at Brighton this season in the Conference League, and that will put added workload on Fabian Hurzeler's squad - but it will be relished at this well-run club.Welbeck's goals and experience will be a loss, along with the retired James Milner and Tottenham recruit Van Hecke, but Brighton feel they have pulled off a special deal by signing young defender Luka Vuskovic from Spurs for £46m.Pascal Struijk's arrival from Leeds adds defensive experience, and with plenty of quality elsewhere, Amex Stadium will again be an entertaining place to be this season.10) BrentfordLast season: 9th.Keith Andrews did a superb job in succession to Frank last season, with Brentford only just missing out on a place in Europe.Bees fans will expect more of the same this season and an indication of their continued ambition was demonstrated with the club-record signing of Mali midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens.Callum Wilson, if fit, will provide proven Premier League experience up front, while Jaidon Anthony has shown what he can do at Burnley.Igor Thiago is an outstanding spearhead, so it is easy to see why Andrews expects improvement this season.11) Crystal PalaceLast season: 15th.Lacroix is a big loss in central defence, while the manager who inspired their FA Cup and Conference League wins, Glasner, has also gone.In his place comes the highly regarded Pierre Sage, whose performance at Lens - where he became Ligue 1's manager of the year - was good enough to attract attention from Liverpool.Palace may be without Lacroix, but this is still a squad with class in all areas, from goalkeeper Dean Henderson through to Adam Wharton in midfield and Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr in attack.If they can fight off any late advances for their top players, a good season lies in store - and, perhaps, another cup challenge.12) Newcastle UnitedLast season: 12th.There has been trauma on Tyneside this summer. Some of their best players - sold. The manager who brought the first domestic trophy for 70 years - gone. So, a challenging job awaits for new man Matthias Jaissle.The momentum has gone out of the Saudi Arabian project with the departures of Eddie Howe, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes from St James' Park. Uncertainty and instability reign.Newcastle failed to land many of their top transfer targets, although Lukas Hornicek has arrived from Braga to address the goalkeeping problem, while midfielder Aladji Bamba is rich in promise after arriving from Monaco. The same applies to Dutch midfielder Sean Steur, the 18-year-old signed from Ajax, and 20-year-old Bazoumana Toure, the Ivory Coast winger who has joined from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.Defender Amar Dedic has arrived from Benfica, having worked with Jaissle when winning the Austrian title with Red Bull Salzburg in 2023.An experienced midfielder is key, with Tonali and Guimaraes gone, and Joao Palhinha has been mentioned after a deal for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg failed to materialise.Jaissle needs a good start - and more players - to settle the Toon Army's nerves.13) EvertonLast season: 13thDavid Moyes has been silent for most of pre-season - but when he did speak he was hardly talking up Everton's chances when he said "we're far off from where we want to be" and that he would like to do "a lot more business".Everton have actually done a couple of pieces of smart business in signing last season's Championship player of the year Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough and experienced Denmark midfielder Christian Norgaard from Arsenal.And they still have the rare talent of Iliman Ndiaye, while Tyler Dibling has had a good pre-season after struggling following his £40m move from Southampton last summer.However, doubts remain over the right-back position and also whether Beto and Thierno Barry are good enough to be Premier League spearheads.The early weeks of the season are crucial for Moyes and Everton to appease discontent supporters who felt last season's late collapse wasted an opportunity for European football.Haaland's main rivals for the Premier League Golden Boot£2.14bn and counting - why Premier League spending could set new record14) BournemouthLast season: 6th.How will Bournemouth cope without Iraola? How will his successor Marco Rose settle? And how will they handle the extra burden of Europa League football?These are the reasons I am predicting a Premier League drop-off for the Cherries - but would not be surprised to see this one defied.The foot injury that rules Eli Junior Kroupi out for up to four months is a real blow, but there is plenty of talent elsewhere as Bournemouth stand firm against any advances for the outstanding Alex Scott.New faces follow a familiar pattern with 22-year-old Portugal defender Antonio Silva arriving from Benfica, along with young forward Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche. Juanlu Sanchez, a £11m signing from Sevilla, has Champions League experience and could prove yet another clever Cherries purchase.15) Leeds UnitedLast season: 14th.Leeds United manager Daniel Farke wanted a show of ambition from the club. He has got it - so now it is up to him.James Trafford will hope to press his claims to succeed Jordan Pickford as England's next goalkeeper after a club-record £45m move from Manchester City, while the capture of Harry Wilson from Fulham was a real coup.Tarik Muharemovic, the 23-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovina centre-back signed from Serie A side Sassuolo for £34m, will add defensive solidity.As last season, I expect the hothouse Elland Road atmosphere to be a crucial factor.16) FulhamLast season: 11th.Fulham are another club under new management after the departure of Marco Silva to Benfica, with Alvaro Arbeloa now in charge after a spell at Real Madrid.The appointment, as with so many, is a gamble - but Fulham have established themselves in the Premier League, so will want another season of stability.Shea Charles showed real touches of class with Southampton so plenty will be expected of him, while Arbeloa has gone with what he knows by signing Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid.Stability will be satisfactory.17) SunderlandLast season: 7th.What Sunderland and Regis le Bris achieved last season was close to miraculous, as they went from pretty much unanimous relegation tips to Europa League qualification.Can they produce a repeat performance?I'm not so sure, although keeping Granit Xhaka from the clutches of Chelsea was huge, in what has been a quiet summer so far in terms of incoming transfers.Brian Brobbey showed what a threat he is with the Netherlands at the World Cup but this campaign may just be a reality check for the Black Cats after the dreamland of last term.18) Coventry CityLast season: N/A.It's going to be very tough for the three promoted teams this season, but Coventry City's renaissance under the vibrant leadership of Doug King is a real feel-good story - mirroring Frank Lampard's own renaissance as a manager.The Sky Blues have shown real ambition in the summer and will, along with other newcomers Ipswich Town and Hull City, relish making a nonsense of naysayer predictions such as this one.Taiwo Awoniyi will provide a spearhead, while Gus Hamer has returned from Sheffield United and goalkeeper Carl Rushworth has signed permanently following his successful loan from Brighton last season.Winger Loum Tchaouna has joined from Burnley, defender Aurele Amenda arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt and Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi signed from Nordsjaelland.No-one can say King and Coventry are not having a go.19) Ipswich TownLast season: N/AKieran McKenna's decision to step down as manager was a shock after taking back into the top flight, so now it is up to Gary O'Neil to pick up the reins.The Tractor Boys went down with a whimper last time they were in the Premier League, so they will be hoping it is different this time - and they have also shown ambition in the transfer market.Since securing promotion, Ipswich have spent £150m with the acquisitions of Abdoul Ouattara and Julio Enciso, who worked with O'Neil at Strasbourg, taking them up to 12 major signings.Daizen Maeda will be hoping to transfer the form which helped Celtic win the Scottish title last season to the Premier League, while the exciting Abdul Fatawu from Leicester City will also hope to make an impact.If Ipswich Town do not survive, it will not be through lack of trying or lack of ambition.20) Hull CityLast season: N/AThe Tigers are back in the top tier after nine years away and have embarked on some hefty squad renewal to help manager Sergej Jakirovic.Will it be enough? It will certainly defy the odds and expectations, but I feel it might be just a very entertaining ride as Hull City try.They have completed 11 new signings so far and have broken their own transfer record twice in the process by bringing in Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis from Olympiacos and Senegal defender Nobel Mendy from Rayo Vallecano.Once again, no-one can accuse Hull City of accepting what many regard as inevitable.And why should they?Get news, insight and fan views on your Premier League teamAll your football quizzes in one placePremier League indexPremier League tablePremier League fixtures

Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev successfully defended his title in the UFC 330 main event, defeating Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision. Days after the win, Makhachev’s next opponent is reportedly known.After a recent meeting with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, top ranked welterweight contender Carlos Prates has a new multi-fight contract and assurances that he’s next in line for a title shot.“I’m really excited now to go. It’s my time to train for him, fight him, and get the title,” Prates said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I’m the next for the title. Yeah, basically, new contract, next one for the title and let’s go.”When Prates eventually stands across the octagon from the champion, he predicts a violent ending and the crowning of a new champion. “I’m excited to test myself against him. I know I’m really underdog, but not because of the title only the title or money, but I really want to fight him because I want to test myself against him,” said Prates. “I’m really excited to do this. I really think I can win. I can like shock the world I can make everybody surprising. … I will do this. I will do this.” “I’m ready to fight. I can’t wait to fight him. I know I’ll knock him out. I promised everybody. I promise people in Brazil. I promise my coach. We’re going to change up everybody’s life and I will bring that belt to Brazil.”

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken cut practice short. GettyCleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken during a preseason game against the Chicago Bears. GettyCleveland Browns coach Todd Monken abruptly ended Tuesday’s practice after a series of hits crossed the line.Monken became visibly angry as the session grew increasingly physical. Defensive tackle Adin Huntington knocked running back Quinshon Judkins to the ground during a run play, prompting Monken to send Huntington to the sideline.That was not the only incident. Benton Whitley made contact with Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback released a pass, while Jared Verse refused to let go of Judkins at the end of a run and knocked his guardian cap askew.Monken had seen enough and with approximately 15 minutes remaining, he gathered the team for a heated message and ended practice early. View this post on Instagram “We’ve had a really two great days of practice. I was really fired up about the way our guys came back after playing Saturday,” Monken said on 92.3 The Fan during his weekly appearance. “And today got a little chippy at the end. It just did.”His message to the team is simple: “Browns take care of Browns, I’ll just leave it at that.”Todd Monken Previously Addressed Practice PhysicalityGettyCleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken during a preseason game against the Chicago Bears.This was not Monken’s first time addressing a practice hit that went too far. Earlier in training camp, Judkins delivered a hard shot to defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. during a non-padded practice. Hall was vulnerable when Judkins knocked him to the ground.Monken met with Judkins after the incident and called the hit a “mistake.”“In the heat of the moment, what happened on the practice field — I’ve met with Quinshon about it — there is a certain amount of regret at the moment when it happens,” Monken said. “We are all human and we do make mistakes. And that’s what I always tell our team. I said, ‘You got to fight to not get hijacked emotionally in a highly emotional game, or all of us, whether it’s in our work or our personal lives.’”Judkins acknowledged Monken’s message and the importance of keeping teammates safe.“For me, it was just basically you’ve got to protect the team, got to protect your teammates,” Judkins said. “Even though you guys are out there competing, at the end of the day, we’re not against each other.”Browns Preparing for Physical Joint Practice With BillsThe Browns will soon have an opportunity to channel some of that pent-up physicality against another team. Cleveland will host the Buffalo Bills for a joint practice on Thursday.Verse acknowledged that facing a different opponent should allow Cleveland’s defenders to play more freely while still respecting the boundaries of a joint practice.“When you’re in a joint practice, I don’t really hold back as much,” Verse said. “I’m not going to do anything dirty, but we’re going to play it like it’s a full game. The only person that’s off-limits is the quarterback.”Monken and Bills coach Joe Brady have agreed to give their starters significant work in the controlled setting, potentially allowing many veteran players to sit out Saturday’s preseason game.“We both talked about that if we see out of our ones, our group, our older players what we want to see on Thursday, they would not play in the game,” Monken said. “We agreed upon that. The plan is that we’ll play our ones a significant amount against each other on Thursday in a controlled environment. Not that the other guys aren’t going to get reps, but in a controlled environment and see where we’re at.”The joint practice will also be an important evaluation point in Cleveland’s quarterback competition. Sanders and Deshaun Watson are expected to split first-team reps against Buffalo. Sanders is scheduled to start Saturday’s game, while Watson is slated to play in the third quarter — regardless of how much work the veterans receive Thursday.Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.This article was originally published on HEAVYThe post Browns Coach Todd Monken Sends Blunt Warning After Practice Gets Heated appeared first on HEAVY.

Photo by John Fisher/Getty ImagesThe Milwaukee Brewers beat the Seattle Mariners in a way that calling it dominant is an understatement. Naturally, fans on social media were a little unsure of how to react.The Milwaukee Brewers massacred the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night, there is simply no other way to describe it. Having scored just one run in the first four innings, they scored a whopping 21 in the next four.Christian Yelich got the show on the road with his homer in the fifth inning. However, the entire batting lineup for the Brewers managed to get themselves on the scorecard.Milwaukee’s 22-0 win is historic, to say the least. It is tied for the largest shutout win in baseball since 1888. Unsurprisingly, the result has gone viral on social media.Photo by John Fisher/Getty ImagesMLB fans are destroying the Seattle Mariners on social media following their historic lossNo team likes to lose, but a loss of this magnitude can potentially end a season. After they almost made the World Series last season, the Mariners have struggled this year. This might be the cherry on top.There is no sympathy in the world of sports, though. Especially not when a team allows a humiliation of this nature. And fans on social media have a lot to say.“I think it’s time for the Mariners to just call it quits as an organization and move out of Seattle,” one fan wrote. “End their season, I’m so serious. What an embarrassment this is,” said another.“Imagine paying for tickets to watch that and your team scores nothing. Seattle fans deserve hazard pay at this point,” a hilarious comment read. “I am still in shock and might be for a few more days,” a fourth fan claimed.“I know it’s time to laugh at the Mariners, but what a performance by Milwaukee’s bats!” a fan pointed out. “However you slice it, a football score in a baseball game is crazy,” claimed a sixth fan.All of these comments make complete sense. The Mariners will need some time to lick their wounds, and they have a lot to answer for to their fans following this humiliating defeat.Read more:San Diego Padres’ record $3.9 billion sale unanimously approved by MLB ownersMark Walter’s LA Lakers sale covered 1/3rd of $20 billion debt, could be forced to sell LA DodgersDiamondbacks manager in tears as he clarifies Ketel Marte situation after Red Sox no-show

The Chargers' defensive line is expected to enter the 2026 season as a strong unit.Led by edge rushers Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu, those two, plus rookie Akheem Mesidor, are set to elevate that unit. However, the concern stems from the interior line, which raises a major question mark and is a significant issue. With that being the case, Pro Football Focus ranked the Chargers in the bottom half of their latest defensive rankings heading into the season. Gordon McGuinness of PFF ranked Los Angeles No. 23. "The Chargers are in solid shape on the edge, where Khalil Mack earned an 80.7 PFF run-defense grade and Tuli Tuipulotu posted a 74.4 PFF pass-rush grade last season."The interior is more concerning. Teair Tart is the only projected starter there who earned a PFF grade above 65.0 last year, leaving the middle of the defensive line as the clear weakness of this group."The Chargers' rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, are ranked right behind them at No. 24. Jamaree Caldwell, Dalvin Tomlinson and Teair Tart currently make up the Chargers' starting interior defensive line. Tart stands out as the group's top run-stopper, but his role could expand significantly in 2026.Following his contract extension, Tart is expected to take on more responsibilities in a multi-gap role, which could unlock additional opportunities as an interior pass rusher.Tomlinson will look to have a bounce-back season as he enters his first with the Chargers. As for Caldwell, he'll look to build on a promising rookie season and solidify himself as a true threat week to week. This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' defensive line lands in bottom half of latest PFF rankings

Liverpool can revisit deal for ‘extraordinary’ star, he’d only be €50mLiverpool still have a lot of work that they need to do to their squad. While the three players that have been brought in will certainly help, the Reds still need a few more to be added to their ranks.Indeed, Andoni Iraola's style of play will probably help get the most out of them as it'll mean that they never stop running and, with the 4-2-3-1 formation, they'll probably have a little bit more stability.However, without all of their problem areas being addressed this summer, there's no way that they'll do better than they did last term.Many players have already been linked with an Anfield switch but now, it feels like some old moves for other players could start cropping up again.Olympique Marseille only want €50 million for Igor PaixaoAt the moment, deals for Ibrahim Mbaye and Bradley Barcola seem to be just around the corner.The Paris Saint-Germain duo are being replaced by all the new signings that Luis Enrique is making this summer.And, while that double deal seems all but done, it's still a good idea for the Reds to have a couple of different back-up options in case things go south.Of course, now that we're edging closer to deadline day, moves will need to be made soon so, if Richard Hughes is going to change course, he should really be thinking about doing it now.And, as per a fresh update from journalist Santi Aouna, Igor Paixao could be another player that Liverpool go for."OM expects to be approached by a Saudi club for Igor Paixão before the end of the transfer window," he shared via X."Franck McCourt is demanding 50M€ for the Brazilian."Bet £10, Get £30 in Free BetsOpen an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater.18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org£30 FREECLAIM NOWIgor Paixao was on Liverpool's shortlist in the pastWhen Arne Slot was in charge of Liverpool, many of his former players were linked with Liverpool.Lutsharel Geertruida, Paixao and Mats Wieffer are just a few of his former players who popped up as potential options.And, while these players may have had a better chance of joining the Reds with Slot in charge, there's no denying that they're still very talented players.Paixao has been one of Marseille's best attackers over the last couple of years with the attacker even managing to contribute to 18 goals across all competitions.Not only does this prove how good he is but it also shows why a €50 million (£42.75 million) deal would be an absolute steal for Liverpoool.Obviously, fans will be holding out for Barcola and Mbaye to get over the line but, as a back-up option, the "extraordinary" Brazilian could end up being a solid choice.

CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 18: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jo Adell (7) motions to the dugout after hitting a 2-run single during the second inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians on August 18, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images One week after his best start of the season, Carson Whisenhunt wasn’t fooling anyone on the Cleveland Guardians. Especially not Jo Adell.Adell drove in six runs in his first three trips to the plate, setting a career high in the game’s first four innings. He hit Cleveland’s longest home run of the season (455 feet) to give the Guardians a 3-0 lead three batters into the game, delivered a two-run single in the 2nd inning, and hit another RBI single in the 4th as the Guardians cruised to an 8-1 win.In the midst of us being so back, for a brief moment, it was so Jover.#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/lUDvUJGzAk— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 18, 2026Whisenhunt gave up nine hits and seven runs in four innings, while walking two and striking out one. He just barely finished with more outs than baserunners, though only six runs were earned thanks to Drew Gilbert’s error on Adell’s third single that let Steven Kwan advance to third base.Having 6 RBIs in 4 innings is pretty good, right?#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/YtPAG13wD5— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 18, 2026Adell did this all despite fouling a ball off his knee in the first inning, which led to him leaving the game after seven innings. One batter later, Angel Martinez added injury to insult by lining the ball off Whisenhunt for an RBI groundout. He stayed in the game to finish the inning, achieving a moral victory by being removed from the game for poor performance, not injury.The Giants did get a very solid relief appearance from Trent Harris,. who struck out five Guardians in two innings. Reiver Sanmartin loaded the bases with no one out in the 7th, but should have escaped after inducing a popup and what would have been an inning-ending double play had Bryce Eldridge not dropped the relay throw.All the same, all three Giants pitchers finished the game with ERAs north of 7, which is quite rare and impressive for the middle of August.All the Giants scoring came off a second-inning home run from Bryce Eldridge, his 14th of the season.If nobody got me, I know Bryce Eldridge got me pic.twitter.com/4wzG3uPVmd— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 18, 2026The rookie made a nice play in the bottom of the inning, retiring former teammate Patrick Bailey with an athletic tag.Eldridge somehow tags Bailey for the out 🤯 pic.twitter.com/JlfZofP8xs— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 18, 2026Eldridge had two hits off of tough lefty Foster Griffin (14-4), who have up five hits and two walks in six innings, striking out five. His 4th-inning single kicked off an almost-rally where the Giants loaded the bases with one out, only for Andrew Knizner to hit a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. The next nine Giants also made outs.That ended the Giants’ best scoring threat and also ended the home plate umpire’s night by fouling a ball off his mask. It was 7-1 by the end of the inning, so he didn’t miss much.The Giants got two hits in the last five innings, both of them doubles. The second was 27-year-old rookie Turner Hill’s first major-league double and his second career hit, delighting a large contingent of friends, family, and various Hill-Heads who made the 160-mile trip to Cleveland from his hometown of Marietta, Ohio.Jonax Cox paid tribute to “MajorLeague” by finding success imitating Willie Mays Hayes. When he pounded the ball into the ground, he hit a single to left and legged out an infield hit. And like Hayes in the first half of the movie, he got picked off his first time on base and missed a diving catch by about eight feet.But the main problem in the game was that Whisenhunt couldn’t miss bats. He threw 80 pitches in the game and the Guardians only swung and missed at five of them. He was a regular Eddie Harris out there, while his battery mate couldn’t deliver the same footspeed as a Jake Taylor.Meanwhile Roger Dorn would have been out with season-ending surgery and Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn would have already been traded for a toolsy middle infielder who can’t stop swinging at breaking balls out of the strike zone. And the Giants will remain juuuuust a bit outside of the playoff picture.

It’s that time of the year where everyone tries to second guess how it might all play out, and we’re not daft enough to predict the one to twenty in the Premier League, but Gav & Martin join Chris to put their neck on the line! On today’s show…Was last season a turning point in the Premier League?Is this season a big opportunity?Who will win the title and who will go down?!Is it a crossroads for Sunderland?What’s a good season for the Lads this year?!All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily show.Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — ⁠Claude.ai/HAWAY⁠ Want to get in touch with us? You can drop us an email at HawayThePodcastSAFC@Gmail.com, or you can contact us via social media – we’re @RokerReport on almost every platform. For your daily SAFC fan-written content, head over to⁠⁠RokerReport.SBNation.com⁠𝗛𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 🎙️✨ 26/27 SEASON PREVIEW! ✨With the Premier League starting this weekend, we make some bold predictions about the season ahead…APPLE: https://t.co/L0nnYEUNBuSPOTIFY: https://t.co/8cOxINw0Pehttps://t.co/aYOWtcjgm2 | #SAFC ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/0J6OPS4QY2— Roker Report (@RokerReport) August 19, 2026

Arshad Hamid, an earthquake survivor, looks for valuable in his damaged house in North Lamba Leda, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)2026-08-19T05:50:02Z REO, Indonesia (AP) — Grocery stores, gas stations and other shops reopened Wednesday, four days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 70 people, injured nearly 1,200 others and damaged thousands of homes. Debris covered streets and searchers continued to dig in the rubble for possible victims, while more than 40,000 people remained in tents, evacuation centers and makeshift shelters.The earthquake struck shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday off Flores, a remote island in East Nusa Tenggara province and caused widespread destruction across the island, damaging at least 11,925 homes, 182 health facilities, 653 schools, 184 government offices and 173 places of worship, according to the National Disaster Management Agency and other officials.Immediate food and water needs have been met and local governments in seven regencies hit by the quake have resumed operations “to accelerate post-disaster recovery and serve the community’s administrative needs,” East Nusa Tenggara Gov. Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Residents fled in panic as tsunami warnings were issued and later lifted. Authorities recorded more than 2,100 aftershocks through Tuesday, though only 70 were felt by residents. Thousands of people across the island slept outdoors, fearing aftershocks. The streets remained covered in debris as rescue workers were cleaning up the rubble and mud from a landslide while “anticipating the possibility of discovering more victims,” said Fathur Rahman, the search mission coordinator. In Maumere, a port city in Sikka regency, markets and gas stations drew large crowds when they reopened. In Reo, a town in the hard-hit Manggarai regency, residents lined up outside a grocery store that only partially opened its doors to limit the number of customers entering. Read More “Food aid has helped, but it doesn’t cover everything we need for daily life,” said Delvina Panjaitan, who was waiting outside the store. “We still rely on grocery stores and markets, and we need them to be operating again.” Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Flores experienced one of the country’s deadliest disasters in 1992, when an earthquake and ensuing tsunami killed about 2,500 people.

Adults and children search for gold at a mining site in Iga-Barrière, Ituri province, eastern Congo, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Dieudonne Dirole)2026-08-19T05:39:52Z IGA-BARRIÈRE, Congo (AP) — Isaac Batisa spends his days digging for gold at a mining site in eastern Congo, hoping to earn enough money to support his family. He is among hundreds of people, many of them children, working at the artisanal gold mine in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, where the country’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak is concentrated.For the 11-year-old Batisa, though, his immediate concern is not the disease which has killed more than 2,300 people among at least 5,000 cases. He just wants to return home with some earnings, sometimes as little as $2 a day.“We don’t know about Ebola here,” he said.As the outbreak spreads and kills people faster than any other outbreak of the disease in history, a major source of concern for monitoring efforts is miners constantly on the move and in hard-to-reach, unsafe territories.The Associated Press gained rare access into one of Ituri’s largest mines, in the locality of Iga-Barrière, where miners crowd into pits to dig for gold. Although there are no known reports of the outbreak reaching any of Congo’s mining sites, officials say it’s difficult to know the true situation in hard-to-reach areas. Most new cases and deaths are reported among groups not being monitored, they say.Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or through contaminated objects and surfaces. However, measures in place to limit the spread, such as regular handwashing and social distancing, are not followed at the artisanal mining sites, where work to extract gold is done by workers using basic hand tools like shovels and pans. Many of the mines are illegal, with miners making efforts to evade local authorities.The Bundibugyo virus causing the current outbreak in Congo is less common than others that cause Ebola disease, which is complicating the response, because there are no specific treatments or vaccines. Health workers say it’s difficult to track minersIn parts of the east, including Ituri, artisanal gold mining draws a highly mobile workforce as miners travel across villages in search of gold and related work while small-scale traders travel between mining areas and population centers to trade the mineral. But that constant movement is also making Ebola harder to contain, complicating efforts to find infected people and trace those who may have been exposed, said Mari Ndika, an Ebola response worker involved in disease monitoring. “Artisanal miners may come into contact with several communities as they move from one place to another (which) can facilitate the transmission of the virus if a person is infected,” she said.Health workers recently lost track of two miners who had been identified as Ebola contacts after they moved to another mining site, according to Anna Ndroy Kansime, a community worker who helps educate people about the disease. Read More “They left for a destination that, to this day, remains unknown,” said Kansime. The danger is particularly acute because health authorities are already struggling to keep up with the virus. People can become infected in one place and travel elsewhere before monitoring teams know they have been exposed, potentially creating new chains of transmission that are difficult to trace.Complicating the effort, there is no reliable system for registering mine workers and tracking their movements, Kansime said. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Workers left with little choice but to work mining jobsThe minerals in eastern Congo, not only gold but also coltan, tin and tungsten, have been a source of decades-long conflict and of economic opportunities for its residents.The 11-year-old Batisa said his parents and two of his brothers were killed in an attack by Congolese rebels. He now lives with his aunt together with five siblings, and said he was encouraged to work at the mine by his aunt, whom AP was unable to reach for comment. More than 100 militant and other armed groups operate in eastern Congo, including the ADF and CODECO militia in Ituri. Fighting has displaced large numbers of people and deepened the poverty that drives families toward artisanal mining.About 2 million people work in artisanal and small-scale mining across Congo, according to a 2024 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. There is no reliable recent estimate of how many are children like Batisa.UNICEF estimates 15% of children ages 5 to 17 in Congo are engaged in child labor. In Ituri province, where conflict has uprooted families and where jobs are scarce, the mines offer the possibility of cash, however dangerous the work.At the Iga-Barrière site, the search for gold takes miners beneath the earth through shafts that can extend dozens of meters (yards) underground. Tunnels are dug largely by hand, often with little reinforcement. Above ground, others work in open pits, digging through and sorting earth in search of gold.Children work alongside adults. Pregnant women can also be found in the open pits, sometimes late into their pregnancies, Kansime said.Singoma Aimé, a 36-year-old miner, said they lack adequate protection in their work at the sites. “We especially need hand-washing facilities because everyone comes from home to work at the site,” Aimé said. An outbreak that continues to outpace responseThe outbreak unfolding across six provinces in eastern Congo is already the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history and is on track to become history’s deadliest if it surpasses the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people.Nearly 5,000 people have been infected by the disease in Congo, including 2,325 deaths, with Ituri accounting for nearly 90% of the cases. Experts believe the virus was spreading in the mining town of Mongbwalu as early as February, months before authorities declared the outbreak on May 15.Last week, the Mercy Corps aid group warned that Ebola cases have been reported along a major travel route about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Congo’s border with South Sudan, expressing concern over the outbreak’s “widening footprint.”Its speed remains “extremely concerning” as it continues to outpace efforts to track and slow it, Trish Newport, emergency coordinator with humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, told AP on Monday.“We see family members that come in who have had 15 people in their family die. We rapidly need to scale up to be able to prevent more deaths from happening, more families and communities from being impacted,” she said.According to Ndika, the response worker, that includes educating miners about prevention and working with local authorities, mine managers and communities to identify and track suspected cases.But challenges remain, including impassable roads, the presence of armed groups and the movement of people displaced by violence. It’s also not easy to slow down the miners as they move around, Kansime said.“For many families, gold is what pays for food,” she added.___Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.___For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse___The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. MARK BANCHEREAU Banchereau covers 22 countries across West and Central Africa for The Associated Press. He is based in Dakar, Senegal. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., speaks with reporters after a debate with U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., ahead of the special GOP Senate runoff election to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Newberry, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)2026-08-19T05:29:52Z WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Darline Graham, who is competing in next week’s runoff election in South Carolina, stumbled over a question about foreign policy in a debate on Tuesday night. “Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?” asked one of the moderators.Graham started her answer by saying, “I’m just going to be honest here.”“I’m not that informed on national security,” she said, then paused. “But I do support the military.” Graham’s brother, Lindsey, died unexpectedly on July 11. She was appointed to fill his seat temporarily, and now she’s running in a special election for her own term. Her opponent is Rep. Ralph Norman.Her answer was noteworthy because her late brother was known for his involvement in foreign policy, something that Graham mentioned in her answer.“My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years so I will do everything I can to support the military,” she said. “My dad was in the Army. I’m not a polished politician up here, national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”Graham was endorsed by President Donald Trump. She and Norman advanced to the runoff in last week’s primary. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Tyler Robinson, accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, on June 12, 2026. (Francisco Kjolseth /The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)2026-08-19T05:23:04Z SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Prosecutors in Charlie Kirk ‘s killing pointed Tuesday to an engraved bullet, arguing that the inscription “Hey Facist! CATCH!” demonstrates that Kirk was targeted for how the defendant perceived his politics.Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty — or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table.The prosecution and defense have filed dueling documents focused on whether the crime included aggravating factors that would make Robinson eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Those include political targeting and whether the shooting endangered thousands of others who attended Kirk’s Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University.Robinson is charged with crimes including aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. The 23-year-old defendant turned himself in a day after the shooting. The latest batch of court documents follows a five-day preliminary hearing in July, when prosecutors presented what they said was “overwhelming” evidence against Robinson, while defense attorneys worked to sow doubt about analysts’ findings. Judge Tony Graf said he will decide if the case should advance to trial after he hears again from both sides on Sept. 1. In a document filed late Tuesday, prosecutors argued the engraved bullet found in the suspected murder weapon was an “overt political reference.” They also noted that Robinson allegedly wrote in a text message about Kirk: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Robinson’s attorneys have argued that the text message is not strong enough evidence to prove a political motivation. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment on prosecutors’ new filing. Read More Before his death, Kirk and the organization he co-founded, Turning Point USA, galvanized the conservative youth vote to help President Donald Trump win a second term. Prosecutors contend that Kirk’s opposition to same-sex marriage and gender-affirming care stood in sharp contrast to Robinson, who was reportedly in a romantic relationship with his roommate, Lance Twiggs. Twiggs told investigators he had considered a gender transition around the time of Kirk’s killing, according to prosecutors. A handwritten note that prosecutors allege Robinson left for Twiggs read in part, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.” Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. In a recorded interview shown in court last month, Twiggs said he had never heard Robinson talk about Kirk before the shooting. Robinson also did not talk much about gender issues or LGBTQ+ rights, but he did sometimes talk about politics, including Trump, Twiggs told investigators. The Associated Press emailed Twiggs’ attorney seeking comment.During the July hearing, investigators presented DNA analyses that they said linked Robinson to both the suspected murder weapon and a tool he allegedly used to engrave the bullet cartridges. Robinson’s attorneys repeatedly questioned the reliability of DNA tests and other evidence.Defense attorneys also have argued against a possible sentence enhancement for endangering others, saying the shooter “hit the intended target.” Prosecutors said numerous people were within a “zone of danger” around Kirk when he was shot from a rooftop. HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Schoenbaum is a national reporter for The Associated Press, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She covers politics, policy and breaking news in the Mountain West and beyond. twitter mailto

“I’ll put it this way: If the U.S. is in charge of the strait, then I’m also straight — and let’s face it, I’m not,” the guest host said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

Torchbearer Jason Arday carries the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg between Sutton and Merton, in London, July 23, 2012. (Joe Giddens/LOCOG/PA via AP)2026-08-19T05:57:08Z LONDON (AP) — In 2012, a smiling Jason Arday was photographed by the British press carrying the Olympic flame in the torch relay that preceded the London Games. He was back in the news in 2023 when Cambridge University hailed him as the youngest Black professor in the institution’s history.Three years later, after weeks of news stories presenting evidence that he was a plagiarist and fabulist, Arday, 41, was found dead on Friday at his apartment in south London.His death quickly led to a blame game. Cambridge has been criticized for elevating Arday in a rush to promote diversity — despite red flags about his qualifications — and the news media has been targeted for driving him to despair when his credentials and life story began to unravel under intense scrutiny. Universities’ ‘due diligence’ criticizedJames Cleverly, a Black member of Parliament who held Cabinet positions in past governments, said a number of universities “failed to do the proper due diligence” on Arday.“We see now that he was not completely honest and he clearly did have frailties and failings,” Cleverly told Times Radio. “But he was teed up by a number of academic institutions because they desperately wanted a wunderkind. They desperately wanted to play on the fact he was young and Black and good-looking, and they wanted him to be their poster child.”But Patrick Vernon, who was recently knighted for his work on racial equality, is focused on the media. Coverage of the Arday story was out of proportion to his position in society, reflecting the higher standard to which people of color are held when compared with their white peers, Vernon said. Read More “The level of scrutiny that the late Professor Jason Arday faced was unprecedented,” Vernon said. “He’s not the prime minister of this country. He’s not a current secretary of the civil service or local government or the (National Health Service) or a chief executive of a major PLC. ... But he was treated at the same standard, which is outrageous,” Vernon said. Cambridge trumpeted Arday’s arrivalCambridge hired Arday as a professor of sociology of education in February 2023, when he was 37.In announcing the appointment, Cambridge highlighted his place as the youngest Black professor in the university’s history and described him as a “respected scholar” focused on increasing the representation of Black, Asian and other minorities in higher education. Arday achieved this stature, the university said, even though he was born with a form of autism spectrum disorder that left him unable to speak until he was 11 and unable to read or write until his late teens — aspects of his biography that have since been questioned in news stories.British universities have been working to hire more academics from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds so that their faculties better reflect the broader society. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. There were 270 Black professors at U.K. universities during the 2024-25 academic year, up from 120 in 2016-17, according to data published by the Society for Research into Higher Education. Black scholars still represent just 1% of all U.K. professors, even though Black people make up about 4% of the working age population, the data shows.Questions about Arday’s qualifications became public last month. Nathan Cofnas, a one-time Cambridge researcher who left the university after his vitriolic comments about diversity programs and minorities sparked widespread protests, said he had found evidence of plagiarism in Arday’s Ph.D. thesis. The Times of London and other newspapers picked up the story, publishing an analysis of the thesis and highlighting multiple passages they said were “identical or near-identical” to an earlier paper by another academic.The news media also questioned Arday’s claims about astounding personal accomplishments, such as running 30 marathons in 35 days, and raising 5.5 million pounds ($7.4 million) for charity over 20 years.The public scrutiny was partly fueled by the impending publication of Arday’s memoir, “Great and Unfortunate Things.” Simon & Schuster published the book last week in the U.S., and it is scheduled to be published in the U.K. on Aug. 27. After initially standing by Arday, Cambridge said Aug. 5 that it was opening an investigation after receiving “new information” about his qualifications. Arday resigned later that day. The University of Glasgow and Durham University, where Arday previously taught, have announced their own investigations. The ceremonial head of Cambridge on Sunday defended the university’s decision and criticized media coverage of Arday.“I do believe it is possible to hold to two principles at the same time: To believe in the importance of academic integrity, and, where criticisms of plagiarism arise about any academic, whoever they are, ensure that they are rigorously investigated, and also to refuse to join in a racist feeding frenzy over a particular academic,” Chancellor Chris Smith told the BBC. Demand for investigation of media coverage By Tuesday afternoon, more than 107,000 people had signed an open letter calling on the government to commission a public inquiry into media coverage of Arday.The letter alleges that media organizations kept up their coverage of Arday even after Simon Baron-Cohen, director of Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre, publicly warned that their focus on a “vulnerable autistic man” raised “safeguarding issues.” Circulated by the Good Law Project, a campaign group, the letter says Arday and other prominent Black people have been subject to “press harassment with racist overtones.”Steven Barnett, a professor of communications at the University of Westminster, put the onus on British newspapers, not social media. The mainstream press published 289 stories about Arday in 22 days, almost two-thirds of them after he resigned, Barnett said.No one should doubt that he was overwhelmed by the scrutiny because Arday himself said it was more than anyone could bear, Barnett said. “I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate the impact that those newspapers, those publishers, have had in this particular case,” he said.Charles Moore, a former editor of the Daily Telegraph who writes about education, rejected that criticism in a column on Monday.If Cambridge had properly investigated concerns about Arday that surfaced as early as 2023, he wouldn’t have suffered the shame caused by widespread media coverage, Moore wrote.Rather than trumpeting Arday’s position as the university’s youngest ever Black professor, Cambridge “could quietly have nurtured his talents and sorted out his problems, which were surely those of a young man out of his depth rather than a brazen impostor,” he said.“It was the university, not the press, which was obsessed with the color of Dr. Arday’s skin,” Moore wrote.Sarah Ditum, writing in the Times of London, said Arday was a legitimate news story because his actions hurt the academics he plagiarized, public confidence in the rigor of his discipline and other early-career lecturers against whom he competed. But she acknowledged that the story was given extra oxygen because it broke during the summer, when Parliament is closed and journalists are desperate for something to write about.“Academic plagiarists don’t usually make headlines, but Arday was not any old academic,” Ditum wrote. “He was publishing a high-profile memoir with celebrity blurbs,” she added. “He had chosen the spotlight.”Vernon, meanwhile, is encouraging people to remember that there was a man, a husband and father behind the headlines. He has created a GoFundMe campaign to help Arday’s family that has already raised more than 193,000 pounds ($261,000).“This tells you that Britain still cares about justice, they care about inequalities,” he said. “And more importantly they really want to support Jason and his family in their hour of need.”

[Getty Images]"First and foremost, we want to win," said Michael Carrick when asked what style of football he wanted his Manchester United team to play this season.But he quickly clarified, "we want to be excited - that's why we love this club. I'm fully aware that we need to do it in a certain way".Carrick echoed the sentiment of the architect of United's most successful era, Sir Alex Ferguson, who in 2017 said: "I think you have a duty to entertain. We have to always remember there's a public to be entertained."'United DNA' has often been referenced when fans, ex-players and pundits have discussed the club in recent years. And after failed attempts from managers to mould the team into a slower, more measured, possession-heavy side, Carrick is aiming to create a style and system that mirrors United's traditions.Before the Red Devils kick off their Premier League season at Hull City this Saturday (12:30 BST) what have we learned from how Carrick has approached pre-season tactically?Breakouts & wildcards - 13 surprise stars for new seasonMan Utd will reject any bid for FernandesBalancing fast attacks with controlled possessionBeginning with the shape of United's squad provides much-needed context, but it is important to note that much of their play is based on tactical principles, not just formations. In build-up play, United have looked to play short.Former manager Ruben Amorim's solution to the increase in man-to-man pressure across the Premier League was to encourage goalkeeper Senne Lammens to play long. This was to avoid the risk associated with short passing - something he tried to mixed results early in his tenure. Carrick has instead looked to revert United's mindset here, asking them to take that risk again.The shape his team have used from goal-kicks has been a 4-2-4 with Lammens between the two central defenders. The front four play in a very fluid manner with the four defenders and two central midfielders taking up more consistent positions behind them.Here we see how United set up when building out from the back. The goalkeeper is involved, positioned in the middle of the back four and behind a narrow midfield two. The front four take up fluid positions, rotating between themselves and making runs off the ball. [BBC]Overall, building out from the back has been a promising part of United's game in pre-season and where we have most clearly seen some of the principles Carrick has tried to instil in his squad.Going back to Amorim's United once more, when they did play out from the back, they would execute pre-planned passing routines. Carrick's United instead look to escape pressure through trios of players passing the ball between each other in a less choreographed manner. Pre-season coaching has reinforced the players' understanding around supporting team-mates to create clusters of threes.Which three players converge differs throughout the game and the players are given a level of personal responsibility to interpret the match during it.More specifically, a collective principle being taught to the players is to look to make third-man runs - often off the back of their marker - to receive the ball with time and space.Once United have broken the opposition's initial pressure in the described manner, they often find themselves in open space with pacy attackers ahead of them ready to attack in a more direct fashion.The signings of technical, deep-lying midfielders aid these overarching concepts. Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Mason Mount in particular have combined well to help United get up the pitch. This style of play suits the strengths of Kobbie Mainoo too, who returned to action with a cameo in Saturday's 4-2 defeat by AC Milan.The increased responsibility players have to interpret the game has benefits and trade-offs as with all tactical approaches. Against Milan, we saw the introduction of arguably United's best player last season, Bruno Fernandes. Alongside Tielemans and Santos, the midfield trio struggled to build up and create a solid platform upon which United could dominate the ball. The natural instincts of these players in the conditions of the game resulted in a United side that looked to play forward too often and too early - resulting in turnovers and a lack of control.Carrick wants United to maximise the quality of their fast attackers by playing more vertically - pleased when his side transition from their half into the opponent's with as few passes as necessary, while also hoping United do not lose the ball carelessly. United's high-risk, high-reward pressingOut of possession, United have looked to press high. Starting in a 4-2-4 formation again, players hold their positions before springing to press certain opponents when the moment is right.We have established that Carrick is keen to embrace United's front-footed DNA, looking to be proactive in their set-up this season rather than giving the opponent too much respect by sitting deep. Their defensive tactics feed into this.The 4-2-4 leaves four attackers high and narrow. This is for a number of reasons. First, defending in this way blocks the centre of the pitch making it difficult for opponents to find players through the middle. Generally coaches, including Carrick, are more willing to concede possession in wide areas, considering the middle of the pitch more dangerous. Here we see Manchester United's 4-2-4 defensive shape. The central attackers look to prevent Leeds' holding midfielders from getting on the ball. [BBC]Secondly, the front four are positioned with United's counter-attack in mind. If United are able to win the ball back, they can quickly find four attackers closer to goal against fewer defenders. Their press becomes a method of chance creation. This paid dividends in the 1-1 draw against Paris St-Germain, resulting in their equaliser. After winning the ball, United found themselves four against four in PSG's final third, before Bryan Mbeumo scored.AC Milan's win against United, however, may have provided clues as to how teams might counteract Carrick's defensive set-up - notably with the use of a 5-2-3 formation.United's two central attackers would look to block passes into Milan's midfield two before pressing the defenders. Milan's wing-backs would drop very deep, making it easy for the central defenders to find them around United's narrow front four. This required United's full-back to cover a large distance to close down the wing-back on the ball. By the time pressure was applied, the ball had already been moved on.With how fast the tactical landscape changes in the Premier League, Carrick will have to be nimble in how his side defends against such solutions.Milan's back three would drop deep, baiting United's front four to step up and press them. This was the cue for Milan's wingbacks to drop deep, increasing the distance United's full-backs had to cover to apply pressure. [BBC]Looking at both the tactics Carrick has used in pre-season and the signings United have made, the story of the season will likely revolve around the difficult task of moving away from relying solely on the counter-attack, something they used so effectively towards the end of last season.After starting brightly, Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stumbled when they looked to bridge that same gap in the hopes of remaining direct and dangerous when needed, while also controlling games for longer periods.

Jose Mourinho unsure about Real Madrid captain’s role ahead of new season – reportReal Madrid may be closing in on the start of the 2026/27 campaign, but one major question remains unresolved at Valdebebas: where exactly does Federico Valverde fit into José Mourinho’s plans?Los Blancos are preparing for their La Liga opener against Espanyol after a strong pre-season preparation.The Real Madrid squad has also been strengthened by six new signings, giving Mourinho more options across the pitch and increasing competition for places. Yet, according to Defensa Central, that growing depth has created uncertainty around the role of one of the club’s most important players.Indeed, Valverde has been a key figure for Real Madrid for years, but Carlos Carpio claims Mourinho is still not fully convinced about the position in which the Uruguayan should play.The journalist explained, “From what I’m told, it’s not clear where he’s going to play. I don’t see him at the heart of the play, just as I didn’t last year. “He doesn’t have those qualities. I’m told that Mourinho doesn’t see him on the right wing – we’ll have to wait and see what happens,” he explained.Mourinho does not see Valverde as a midfielder or wingerMourinho is unsure about Valverde’s playing position. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)The reported uncertainty is particularly interesting given Valverde’s importance within the Real Madrid squad.The Uruguayan has operated in central midfield during the pre-season, gradually moving away from the right side of the pitch. However, the aforementioned report suggests Mourinho may not view him as the player capable of controlling the heart of the team.That does not necessarily mean Valverde is set to lose his place. Instead, the issue appears to be about finding the right tactical role for him.Furthermore, Mourinho is also unconvinced about using Valverde on the right wing, a position the midfielder has occupied regularly in the past.Right-back is another option, but Valverde has his doubtsThere is, of course, another position Valverde knows well.Valverde can play across multiple positions. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)The Uruguayan has previously been deployed as a right-back when Real Madrid needed extra cover. However, it is known that Valverde does not feel fully comfortable playing at right-back. That issue contributed to some of his first disagreements with Xabi Alonso last season.Moreover, Real Madrid now have two strong candidates for the right-back role in Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold, so it makes no sense for Valverde to be used there.Valverde’s versatility has always been one of his greatest strengths, but it can also create a difficult tactical problem.A player capable of operating in midfield, on the right wing and at full-back gives any manager several options. Yet Mourinho may now need to decide whether Valverde should have one clearly defined role rather than continuing to move around depending on the team’s needs.

Man Utd miss out on immediate cash injection as £43m bid for forward is swiftly rejectedManchester United have missed out on an immediate £15.3 million cash injection after Real Betis rejected a £43m offer for Antony.When negotiating his move to the Spanish outfit last summer, the Red Devils included a sell-on clause in Antony’s terms.Antony to stay put at Betis amid outside interestNow, Sport Witness has relayed reports claiming that Betis have rebuffed the lucrative approach for the Brazilian international, which came from an unspecified, non-Premier League suitor.They have no interest in facilitating Antony’s departure less than 12 months after he made the permanent switch from Old Trafford to the Benito Villamarín on a five-year deal.This time last year, Betis were desperate to bring the winger back to the club following his stellar half-season loan spell.Antony notched nine goals and five assists in 26 appearances for Los Verdiblancos on loan, prompting them to shell out £22m to bring him in upon the culmination of his temporary contract.Last term, the 26-year-old maintained such prolific form, returning 14 goals and 10 assists in 46 matches – making it no surprise Betis are closed off to a potential sale.How did Antony fare for United?It seems as though Antony is finally enjoying his football following a torrid three-year stint in M16.Quite simply, he was not suited to the English top flight, and never really got going during his time at United despite being granted ample chances.He pulled the curtains on his United tenure with just 12 goals to his name in all competitions, five of which came in the 63 Premier League games he featured in.It goes without saying that Antony will go down as one of United’s most disastrous pieces of business in recent years, given they paid an upfront £80m to prise him from Ajax in August 2022.ShareTweetShareShareEmail

Barcelona draw up three-man shortlist as Julian Alvarez transfer on the verge of collapseBarcelona are reportedly preparing to move on from their pursuit of Julian Alvarez, with the Atletico Madrid forward now believed to be out of reach.As previously reported, the Julian Alvarez to Barcelona transfer is said to be “99% off the table”, forcing the Catalan giants to look elsewhere for a striker.As a result, according to El Chiringuito TV, Barcelona have already identified three alternative options as they consider their next move. Villarreal forward Georges Mikautadze, his teammate Ayoze Perez and Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez are all reportedly on the club’s shortlist.However, each of the three names presents a different challenge, whether it is the transfer fee, the timing of a potential deal or Barcelona’s own level of interest.Hansi Flick has reservations over MikautadzeOf the three players mentioned, Georges Mikautadze appears to have strong backing from Barcelona sporting director Deco.The Villarreal striker has impressed enough for Deco to become convinced that he could be a useful addition to the Barcelona attack. Ayoze Perez is on Barcelona’s radar. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)Yet the operation does not currently have the same level of support from Hansi Flick.The Barcelona manager is not fully convinced by the idea of signing Mikautadze and “does not see it clearly” at this stage. Furthermore, Mikautadze’s price is another issue. Any Barcelona transfer for the forward would reportedly require an investment of at least €70 million, making him a major financial commitment.Perez and Martinez also present complicationsMeanwhile, Ayoze Perez represents a very different type of opportunity.The Villarreal forward could reportedly be available for between €10 million and €15 million, making him by far the cheaper option on Barcelona’s reported shortlist.However, his potential arrival could be linked to Barcelona’s longer-term plans for Julian Alvarez.Lautaro Martinez to Barcelona is a long shot. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)The Blaugrana may have accepted that a move for the Argentine is unlikely to happen now, but the report suggests they could return for him in January or even wait until 2027. Perez could therefore be viewed as a more affordable solution while Barcelona keep the door open for another attempt to sign Alvarez in the future.Then there is Lautaro Martinez.The Inter Milan star has been linked with Barcelona on several occasions over the years and would bring proven quality at the highest level. But unlike Mikautadze, there has been no concrete move from Barcelona to sign the Argentine.Therefore, for now, there appears to be little evidence that a serious Lautaro Martinez to Barcelona operation is underway.

Teofimo Lopez has won and lost big fights in a series of good nights and bad nights in the boxing ring. On Saturday, he fights Rolly Romero in Las Vegas for the WBA’s Super version of the welterweight title, and nobody is sure which Teo will climb through the ropes at the T-Mobile Arena. Romero is equally inconsistent, and that is what makes the fight such an entertaining proposition; they are both capable of boxing out of their skin and are equally likely not to deliver when the lights go down. The truth is that it will take a very good performance from the winner to walk out of the ring with the WBA bauble, which is one of 37 that the sanctioning body currently recognises in their male category. Three different men hold versions of the WBA’s welterweight title. The pair have held several versions of world titles at different weights during the last five or six years; it is Lopez’s first fight at welterweight, and it will be the first fight for Romero since dropping and outpointingRyan Garcia in May last year. Romero missed the chance to take full advantage of the win, which was surely a mistake. Activity is certainly not an affliction in modern boxing; it is a business where boxers wait and wait and wait for a big payday. Luckily for Romero, it came along, and the WBA rewarded his inactivity by upgrading him from regular champion to Super champion. Garcia is fighting Conor Benn in a massive fight in Las Vegas next month, and the winner of Romero vs Lopez will inevitably be linked with a huge payday against the winner of that one. However, there is a disorderly queue of contenders holding out for the riches attached to the Garcia and Benn fight. Lopez has held world titles at lightweight and super-lightweight and has beaten, in style, excellent fighters like Josh Taylor, Vasyl Lomachenko and several other quality boxers. His points defeat by Shakur Stevenson earlier this year only highlighted how good Stevenson is, but he was unimpressive in the 2021 loss to George Kambosos. Romero and Lopez have joked with each other in the lead-up to their fight (Getty)There were also wins where he looked uninspired; Lopez has acted like a man on the very edge in fights, his self-doubt dominating his performances. It has made for uncomfortable viewing at times.Romero dropped Garcia last year en route to a decision win, with which he easily won the vacant title, but the stoppage defeats by Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz were disturbing. Romero was considerably lighter in both fights, and weight might have been an issue. Romero has fought just five times in over four years, losing twice and gaining 13lb; his resume is typical of too many quality modern boxers who are simply circling and waiting for a payday. The Garcia win has kept him in the game and rightly so. Lopez has been a young veteran for a long time, which is often a compliment in the boxing business. At just 29 years old and after 24 fights, he is still young and fresh and should be too slick for Romero. Lopez is aiming to bounce back from a loss to the great Shakur Stevenson (Getty)These are the unknowns that make the fight such an attraction; can Romero repeat the Garcia form, and will Lopez enter the ring with a head full of swirling demons? It’s a good fight, and the WBA’s gaudy belt is an irrelevance – just a tool to allow the sanctioning body to acquire a few seats and levy a few dollars for the dubious pleasure of being their champion.

Jeanie Buss became the first female controlling owner to guide a team to an NBA championship in 2020 [Getty Images]Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is trying to block her siblings' sale of her family's remaining stake in the NBA franchise.Josh Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared, and former Disney chief executive Bob Iger agreed a deal last week to buy the controlling interest in one of the world's most iconic sports teams from Mark Walter for$12.5bn (£9.3bn).Walter bought his share from the Buss family last year for about $10bn (£7.5bn) in a deal that ensured Jeanie remained as governor until 2030.The Buss family, who have been either a primary or minority owner of the Lakers since 1979, released a statement on Monday saying they had voted to sell their remaining 17.8% stake to the incoming owners. "We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction," the statement read. "We love the Lakers, Lakers fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can."However, Jeanie's lawyer has now said she plans to fight her siblings' plan to sell. The Buss family trust comprises of Jerry Buss' six children, with Jeanie serving as the governor of the Lakers since her father's death in 2013. Jeanie's lawyer Adam Streisand said in a letter to her five siblings that any vote for a sale "would be and is void" because her approval as one of three co-trustees, along with siblings Joey and Janie Buss, is needed for such a move."Co-trustees are bound to vote to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain controlling owner," the letter said, according to ESPN. "Any attempt by the co-trustees to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court."On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed 'vote' to sell the 17.8% stake."Despite Jeanie's objections, her siblings Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse reiterated their stance on Tuesday in a statement saying they "remain united in that decision". "We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process," they added.Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in a $67.5m deal (£50m) in 1979 that included the Los Angeles Kings hockey team and a Los Angeles arena that is known as the Kia Forum.After he died in 2013, ownership was passed to his six children before a deal was completed with Walter, who also owns a stake in the LA Dodgers with Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly.The LA Lakers have 17 NBA titles - 11 of which were won under the ownership of the Buss family - one less than the record tally held by the Boston Celtics. The deal involving Josh Kushner comes after he was part of the recent controversy surrounding Fifa president Gianni Infantino and an aborted plan to sell off stakes in the governing body's competitions to private investors.Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Kushner, was expected to lead the proposed investor group for the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal. The proposed sale of the Lakers still needs to be approved by the NBA's board of governors next month.But if it goes through, it would be the most expensive sports team sale ever reported - and Walter will have made a quick $2.5bn (£1.9bn) profit on his investment.Done in a weekend - the $12.5bn LA Lakers sale that shocked the NBA

Di Marzio: Serie A giants keen on both Chelsea and Manchester United attackersNapoli Explore Nicolas Jackson and Joshua Zirkzee in Premier League Striker SearchNapoli are assessing multiple attacking options as they look to reshape their forward line following Romelu Lukaku’s departure, with Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that Gabriel Jesus is not the only name under consideration. The Serie A side have also made enquiries for Joshua Zirkzee and Nicolas Jackson, two forwards whose situations in the Premier League are drawing attention this summer.The information points to early-stage checks rather than an advanced move, but the direction of travel is clear. Napoli are scanning the market for a mobile striker profile, and both Zirkzee and Jackson fit that brief in different ways. Zirkzee remains a technically gifted option who can link play and operate across the front line, while Jackson brings pace, running power and a willingness to attack space repeatedly.Photo IMAGONapoli transfer plans depend on exitThere is an important condition attached to any concrete step. Napoli are expected to wait for another departure in the attacking department before progressing. That out-ball appears to centre on Lang, with Atalanta still pushing for a loan deal and renewing that interest again. If that move gathers pace, Napoli could then accelerate their work on targets from England.This part matters, because it suggests Napoli are keeping flexibility in the market rather than committing too early. It also reflects a wider pattern in their recruitment, with the club increasingly comfortable dealing in the Premier League after a series of productive moves, including the arrival of Badiashile in Italy.Nicolas Jackson future attracts Chelsea attentionFrom a Chelsea perspective, Jackson being mentioned will not come as a major shock. His future has felt open to interpretation for a while, particularly whenever elite-level striker discussions gather momentum around Stamford Bridge. Napoli making contact for information is logical, especially for a player who still carries value, profile and upside.There is no suggestion here of an agreement or even formal negotiations at this stage, but this is exactly how many moves begin. Quiet background checks often determine whether a deal has room to develop, and Napoli appear to be doing that groundwork on both Jackson and Zirkzee.Premier League striker market remains activeWhat stands out most is Napoli’s willingness to keep several files active at once. Gabriel Jesus, Nicolas Jackson and Joshua Zirkzee are different cases, with different costs and different practicalities, but all sit within a similar level of market opportunity. That makes sense in a summer when timing, exits and salary structure are likely to shape every major decision.For now, Napoli’s striker search remains active, informed and dependent on movement elsewhere. Jackson and Zirkzee are firmly on the radar, and if Napoli create space in the squad, this could become one to watch closely.Our ViewAs a Chelsea supporter, this report feels believable without being especially dramatic. Jackson has long looked like one of those players who divides opinion outside the club more than inside it. There are obvious flaws in his game, particularly with consistency in front of goal, but there are also attributes that many teams would value highly. Napoli noticing that is hardly surprising.The Chelsea angle is straightforward. If the club are still adjusting the attack and refining the squad, then every saleable asset will attract interest. Jackson is young, experienced at a high level, physically strong and capable of stretching defences. That creates a market. Whether Chelsea would actively want to lose him is a different question, because replacing his availability and athletic output is not simple.From a fan perspective, there would probably be mixed feelings. Some would be ready to cash in if the fee is right, especially if Chelsea are targeting another striker. Others would argue that Jackson remains useful, especially across a long season with multiple competitions. The main point is that this kind of approach feels routine for a club of Chelsea’s size. Good players will always generate calls.So yes, unsurprised is the right word. Napoli are ambitious, they know the Premier League market well, and Jackson is exactly the sort of name they would ask about before deciding whether to move seriously.

A local boys’ high school soccer coach reached an incredible milestone on Monday.[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]Bethel High School boys soccer head coach Bob Hamlin won his 500th career game on Monday night.The Bees beat Graham High School, 4-1.TRENDING STORIES:Coroner IDs woman killed in rollover crash in Butler CountyMeta pledges $8 million for Piqua emergency equipment amid data center planNWS confirms 4 tornadoes hit Miami Valley, including an EF2Bethel Athletics said in a social media post that Hamlin is the third-winningest high school boys soccer coach in Ohio.“A milestone like this represents so much more than a number,” Bethel Athletics said. “It is a reflection of years of dedication, leadership, commitment, and the countless student-athletes who have had the opportunity to play for Coach Hamlin.”Samir Mamatov scored the Bees’ first goal, but senior Reynald Rincon added three.“Congratulations to Coach Hamlin, his players, coaches, families, and everyone who has been part of this incredible journey,” the athletic department added. “500 wins is an unbelievable accomplishment and a milestone that will forever be a part of Bethel soccer history!”Bethel’s next match is Aug. 25, when they host Emmanuel Christian Academy. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Jose Mourinho reveals how Real Madrid youngster gave him a black eye: ‘Hit me with a ball’Jose Mourinho gave Real Madrid fans something unexpected to talk about during the club’s final pre-season match against Schalke, with a noticeable black mark below his right eye immediately catching the attention of photographers.When the Real Madrid manager arrived at the Veltins-Arena, the bruise around his eye was impossible to miss. Images of Mourinho quickly raised questions about what had happened, especially with the team preparing for its final test before the start of the competitive season.As it turns out, there was no dramatic story behind the injury.What happened to Mourinho?As explained by the manager himself, he had simply been involved in an accident during one of Real Madrid’s final training sessions before travelling to Germany. A ball struck him while he was wearing glasses, leaving him with the visible bruise that became one of the more unusual talking points around the Schalke match.Mourinho has now explained exactly what happened during an interview with El Chiringuito TV.When jokingly asked whether he had stepped in to break up another supposed clash involving Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, Mourinho was quick to dismiss the suggestion.“No… A poor kid, La Costa, hit me with a ball, and I was wearing glasses. But that’s not why he wasn’t in the squad in the last match (laughs).”New signings make first Real Madrid appearancesBeyond the unusual attention surrounding Mourinho, the match against Schalke marked an important step for several members of the Real Madrid squad.Mourinho came out with a black eye. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)The likes of Ibrahima Konate, Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella all made their first appearances in a Real Madrid shirt, giving fans an early look at three of the club’s new additions.Meanwhile, established stars such as Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe also continued building their fitness as Mourinho prepares his side for the start of the new campaign.The Schalke game therefore served its purpose beyond the final result. Mourinho was able to assess his new players in match conditions while gradually bringing some of his most important names closer to full match fitness.

Newcastle United in contention to sign AC Milan’s Christopher NkunkuJust one year after signing from Chelsea, Christopher Nkunku (28) could be on the move once again this summer. The Frenchman will be allowed to leave AC Milan, and three teams have lined up the forward, as per a report from Foot Mercato. Following his €37m move, Nkunku scored eight goals and registered three assists in 35 games for the Italian club. However, he does not seem to feature in the plans of new manager Ruben Amorim. His availability has now alerted his suitors.Foot Mercato understands that Borussia Dortmund have made an enquiry for the France international. Whilst a return to the Bundesliga, where he previously flourished at RB Leipzig, is on the cards, other options do exist for the former Chelsea man. A return to the Premier League is also a real possibility, with Newcastle United described as a “serious option” for the forward this summer. Finally, RB Leipzig are also an option. Moves to Turkiye or Saudi Arabia are not being considered by Nkunku.GFFN | Luke Entwistle

FILE -A man connects electric cables on a pole above the Kibera informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde, File)2026-08-19T06:32:30Z NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya has tripled its long-term target for expanding its renewable energy capacity to meet surging demand and support its industrialization, but that might not result in more affordable power for consumers. The plan calls for renewable power generating capacity of 5,500 megawatts, up from about 1,500 MW now. That would include 2,000 MW of nuclear power alongside 700 MW of hydropower and new geothermal projects. That will strengthen the country’s position as a global leader in renewable energy. Kenya already produces 93% of its electricity using renewable sources. But experts say that reforms for utility contracts, electricity grids, financing and pricing are needed to translate clean energy growth into lower cost power for consumers.“We have recalibrated our long-term growth trajectory from 1,500MW to a 5,500MW renewable energy development pipeline,” said Peter Njenga, CEO of KenGen, the state-owned utility that produces about 60% of Kenya’s power. Cheaper electricity is neededLawmakers have been pushing the government to reduce electricity rates. In July, the parliament directed Energy Minister Opiyo Wandayi to develop a policy for renegotiating electricity supply agreements with major power producers. Lawmakers said lower wholesale prices could create more leeway for Kenya Power to cut consumer rates without damaging its finances. Energy experts say Kenya needs to focus less on building new generation capacity than on making electricity cheaper. Read More “The answer to this conundrum is not as straightforward as it may seem,” said Mugwe Manga, climate finance lead at the nonprofit FSD Kenya. “One must look at the entire energy system holistically to understand the drivers of the end cost of power.”Unlike countries like Morocco, Egypt and China, Kenya provides limited direct subsidies to cushion electricity prices. While renewable generation costs are broadly competitive, consumers ultimately bear the burden of financing costs, transmission and distribution losses, taxes, and foreign exchange movements.Latest data show that industrial consumers in Kenya pay between $0.18 and $0.23 per kilowatt-hour, compared with about $0.03 in South Africa and Egypt, and $0.05 in Morocco and Ethiopia. “The perception that electricity is expensive is subjective,” Kenya Power CEO Joseph Siror said in an earlier interview. “The consumer prices are dependent on infrastructure costs, electricity tariff structures, and outstanding bill recoveries.”Kenya’s heavy reliance on green energy sources adds to costs since the infrastructure required to generate such power is expensive to install and maintain, he said.Power grids and financing add to costsOne of the biggest inefficiencies keeping electricity costs high lies in the distribution network itself, Manga said. More than 20% of electricity is lost to technical failures and illegal connections, compared with a global average of 8%-10%,” he said “That offers a great low-hanging fruit to improve efficiency and pass that efficiency dividend to end consumers through reduced tariffs.” High financing costs are another problem. Renewable energy developers across Africa borrow at significantly higher interest rates than their counterparts in wealthier economies because investors perceive view projects as having greater risks. Those extra borrowing costs ultimately are passed on to consumers.Kenya’s power purchase agreements have also come under renewed scrutiny. Independent power producers supply about 40% of total capacity under long-term contracts signed after electricity generation was liberalized in the late 1990s.In the end, consumers pay moreSome contracts include “take-or-pay” clauses that require Kenya to make agreed-upon payments even when contracted electricity is not fully consumed. Critics argue such arrangements force consumers to pay for surplus electricity, although Manga said such guarantees were necessary to secure financing for capital-intensive projects.“Kenya’s renewable resource base is a major advantage, but electricity prices are determined by the whole system, not only by the cost of power generation,” said Albert Nganga, senior regulatory manager at CrossBoundary Energy. “They also reflect how power is contracted, transmitted, distributed and recovered.”Recently proposed open-access electricity market reforms could increase competition by allowing large consumers to purchase electricity directly from power generators, he said. The ambitious targets for expanding power generation require predictable investment policies and reforms, said Cynthia Angweya-Muhati, CEO of the Kenya Renewable Energy Association.“The real test will be whether that additional clean generation is matched by reforms that lower electricity costs for consumers,” Angweya-Muhati said.——-The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Five players in the Australian Football League (AFL) have been bannedfor late-night drinking and inviting women to a hotel after a weekend match in Melbourne.The Sydney Swans' Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice have been stood down from Australian Rules football's top league for the rest of the season, the club announced.The suspension comes after detectives in Melbourne began an investigation into an alleged sexual assault, said to have to taken place in the early hours of Monday morning at the Pullman Hotel where the players were staying after the match.None of the players have been arrested or charged in the investigation.Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham apologised to fans, players and the wider community on Wednesday.Speaking to reporters, he explained that the sanctions were handed down because the players had breached the club's standards by drinking alcohol later than accepted and bringing women to the hotel.In a statement published earlier in the day announcing the suspensions, the club said: "We respect there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police and the actions we have taken today are independent of this. "The AFL is supportive of the Club's sanctions."Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich told a media conference: "We're deeply embarrassed and ashamed that the poor choices of five of our players, and the impact that's had on the women involved and also the club."We are deeply concerned about their welfare and the wellbeing of those women."He declined to say whether any of the players had been drug tested, saying that any testing would form part of the police inquiry.(From left): Swans players Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice and James Jordon have been suspended. [Getty Images]A spokesperson for Victoria Police said officers have spoken to several people who were at the Pullman Hotel, but no one was formally interviewed or arrested. On Tuesday, club officials held talks with the players ahead of their suspension.AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has described the reports of the alleged sexual assault as "deeply concerning".Sydney has dominated this season, currently placing second on the ladder which guarantees them a spot in the qualifying and elimination finals' round that begins in two weeks. The club is scheduled to play against North Melbourne at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, which will be the last fixture ahead of the finals.Heeney and Warner are considered two of the sport's biggest stars.Unlike some other Australian sports, the AFL does not have a strict no-fault stand-down policy on players charged with serious offences such as sexual assault, and instead handles cases on a discretionary and case-by-case basis.Sydney Swans coach 'extremely disappointed' as players linked to sexual assault probeAussie rules footy players under investigation as police probe sexual assault claim

Jul 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (37) celebrates his two run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect MostMost times a player has scored and assisted in a single league game in Europe’s top five leagues since Opta records began in 2006/07:◉ Lionel Messi (102)◉ Cristiano Ronaldo (65)◉ Mohamed Salah (49) The elite. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/8WXpwzrBB0— Squawka (@Squawka) August 18, 2026Deal🚨🟣🔵 Breaking: Aston Villa agree deal to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham, here we go!Deal in place on loan with mandatory buy clause, green light from the player to #AVFC project. Agreement between all parties.Green light for medical. pic.twitter.com/COpiNOBHFe— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 18, 2026UnluckiestUnluckiest teams last season.Points | xPts | Difference🥇 Wolves: 20 | 37 | -17🥈 Leeds: 47 | 56 | -9🥉 Chelsea: 52 | 60 | -8— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) August 18, 2026

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters and champs have weighed in on whether Islam Makhachev has earned GOAT status. The Russian defended his welterweight title for the first time at UFC 330, picking up his fifth defense overall in the UFC after a dominant run at lightweight. His latest win, a decision victory over Ian Garry, served as a record-breaker, with Makhachev now the leader for most consecutive wins in promotional history.Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal have offered their takes on where he stands among the sport's greatest fighters.Chris Weidman questions Islam Makhachev's title defenses as Dustin Poirier backs Jon Jones for UFC GOAT In the latest episode of “Deep Waters,” Weidman, Poirier and Masvidal shared their thoughts on whether Makhachev has earned the right to be called the greatest fighter in UFC history. “I am not saying that yet,” Weidman said, responding to the question about Islam being the GOAT now. “Because I’m still old school… Title defenses mean a lot and you go back to Anderson Silva or Demetrious Johnson if we’re ever talking about GOAT… I don’t know if he’s there yet.” Poirier then chimed in, giving a definitive answer for who he considers the GOAT. “To me, Jon Jones.” Masvidal, meanwhile, pointed to the level of competition Makhachev faced during his lightweight title reign. While the former BMF champ acknowledges Alexander Volkanovski as one of the greats, he emphasized that many of his 155-pound title defenses came against former featherweights. “Two of those title defenses at lightweight were to a ‘45er,” Masvidal said before Weidman pointed out that Charles Oliveira also previously fought at 145 pounds.Has Islam Makhachev earned GOAT status? pic.twitter.com/38qMXm5ZTf— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 18, 2026