Shining the spotlight on India’s dwindling Parsi community
Shining the spotlight on India’s dwindling Parsi community
Cherylann Mollan
BBC News, Mumbai
BBC
The museum contains artefacts and furniture from prominent Parsi families
Tucked away in a lane in the southern end of India’s financial capital, Mumbai, is a museum dedicated to the followers of one of the world’s oldest religions, Zoroastrianism.
The Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla Museum documents the history and legacy of the ancient Parsi community – a small ethnic group that’s fast dwindling and resides largely in India.
Now estimated at just 50,000 to 60,000, the Parsis are believed to be descendants of Persians who fled religious persecution by Islamic rulers centuries ago.
Despite their significant contributions to India’s economic and cultural fabric, much about the Parsi community remains little known to the mainstream population and the wider world.
“The newly-renovated museum hopes to shake off some of this obscurity by inviting people to explore the history, culture and traditions of the Parsi community through the rare historical artefacts on display,” says Kerman Fatakia, curator of the museum.
An exhibit showcasing Parsi garments with designs inspired by ******** and European prints
A mannequin draped in the Parsi Ghara saree and jewellery inspired by Victorian fashion
Some of these include cuneiform bricks, terracotta pots, coins and other objects sourced from places like Babylon, Mesopotamia, Susa and Iran and are dated to 4000-5000 BCE.
These are places where Zoroastrian Iranian kings once ruled, like the Achaemenian, Parthian and Sasanian dynasties.
There are also artefacts from Yazd, a city in central Iran which was once a barren desert and the place where many Zoroastrians settled after fleeing other regions of Iran after the Arab invasion in 7th Century BCE.
One of the notable artefacts on display is a replica of a clay cylinder of Cyrus the Great, a Persian king who was the founder of the Achaemenid empire.
Fatakia says the clay cylinder – also known as the “Edict of Cyrus” or the “Cyrus Cylinder” – is one of the most important discoveries of the ancient world. Inscribed in cuneiform script, it outlines the rights granted by Cyrus to his subjects in Babylon. Widely seen as the first human rights charter, a replica is also displayed at the United Nations.
Then there are maps that trace the migration routes of thousands of Iranian Zoroastrians who fled their home country fearing persecution and travelled to India in the 8th to10th centuries, and again in the 19th century.
The collection also features furniture, manuscripts, paintings, and portraits of prominent Parsis – among them Jamsetji Nusserwanji *****, founder of the iconic ***** Group, which owns brands like Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley tea.
Another striking section showcases artefacts collected by Parsis who grew wealthy in the early 19th century trading tea, silk, cotton – and notably, opium – with China. The exhibits include traditional Parsi sarees influenced by designs from China, France, and other regions shaped by these global trade ties.
The museum has a replica of a fire temple, which non-Parsis are not allowed to enter
An installation depicts the living conditions of Iranian Zoroastrians in Yazd
Two of the museum’s most compelling exhibits are replicas of a Tower of Silence and a Parsi fire temple.
The Tower of Silence, or dakhma, is where Parsis leave their dead to be returned to nature – neither buried nor cremated. “The replica shows exactly what happens to the body once it’s placed there,” says Fatakia, noting that entry to actual towers is restricted to a select few.
The life-size replica of the fire temple is equally fascinating, offering a rare glimpse into a sacred space typically off-limits to non-Parsis. Modelled on a prominent Mumbai temple, it features sacred motifs inspired by ancient Persian architecture in Iran.
The museum has cuneiform tablets and artefacts dating back centuries
A replica of the Cyrus Cylinder in the museum
The Alpaiwala Museum, originally founded in 1952 in what was then Bombay, is one of the city’s older institutions. Recently renovated, it now features modern displays with well-captioned exhibits in glass cases. Every visitor is offered a guided tour.
“It’s a small museum but it is packed with history,” Fatakia says.
“And it’s a great place for not just the residents of Mumbai or India to learn more about the Parsi community but for people from all over the world.”
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Wales and Lions rugby star Jamie Roberts to become junior doctor
Wales and Lions rugby star Jamie Roberts to become junior doctor
Jamie Roberts says it’s a “privilege” to join the NHS as a junior doctor
Former Wales rugby international Jamie Roberts says he is “ready” and “excited” to become a junior doctor and complete his medical training in the NHS.
Twelve years after graduating from Cardiff University’s school of medicine, the former British and Irish Lion will begin two years of foundation training in hospitals in south Wales.
Roberts won 94 caps for Wales and was the British and Irish Lions’ Player of the Series following their tour of South Africa in 2009, before being selected again for the Australia tour in 2013.
The 38-year-old said rugby had given him “some of the best experiences” of his life and he was “looking forward to the same in a medical career”.
Roberts made his debut for Wales against Scotland in 2008, while he was a medical student.
“I always wanted to play rugby. It was a passion of mine,” Roberts told BBC News.
“I loved the sport, I still do and it will stay with me forever. But I was a problem-solver at school.
“I love maths and I love science and I love people, I guess. And medicine was the perfect fit and ticked a lot of boxes for me.”
In the ***, medical training involves an undergraduate degree which usually takes five years to complete, followed by a two-year foundation programme when trainees become junior doctors and are paid a salary.
Getty Images
Roberts in 2008, as a medical student making his debut for Wales against Scotland
It took Roberts seven years to complete his undergraduate degree because of his commitments with Wales, the Lions and Cardiff Blues.
“I reflect on it now and I wonder how on earth I did that. You know, the enthusiasm of youth helps. I was very busy. I was very driven,” he said.
He sat his final undergraduate exams in 2013 – the same week that he was part of a Wales side which won the Six Nations after defeating England by 30-3 – and graduated a few months later.
“You know, we won the tournament here [in Cardiff], and then a month or two later – having sat my medical finals in that Wales v England week – I got my exam results,” he recalled.
“I guess it was the culmination of a lot of hard work over both disciplines.”
Cardiff University
Roberts graduated from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine in 2013
After graduating, Roberts spent the next decade focused on his rugby career, playing at centre for several clubs including Racing Metro, Harlequins, Bath, Dragons and Waratahs.
But academia continued to give the aspiring doctor the escape from rugby he said he “craved”, and he completed postgraduate degrees at both Loughborough University and Cambridge University.
Jamie Roberts
Roberts, his wife Nicole and their son Tomos outside Cambridge University, where Roberts earned a Masters degree in medical science
He became a father in 2021, before retiring from rugby the following year.
“When you finish playing rugby, you know, when people ask you what you’re doing it’s sometimes challenging when you can’t really answer that question and you’re doing random bits and bobs,” he said.
In November 2023, Roberts passed a “return to medicine” exam which allowed him to resume his medical training.
So, in which field does he hope to specialise?
“I was obviously very interested in my own injuries. I had quite a few big ones,” he said.
“Reconstructive surgery to quite a few of my joints, a fractured skull as well.
“Whether I can foresee a future in sports medicine, or orthopaedics, that’s what I’m naturally leaning towards.”
Stu Forster/Getty Images
Roberts suffered a fractured skull after colliding with Australia’s Stirling Mortlock in 2008
Roberts follows in the footsteps of several other Wales internationals who turned their hands to medicine, including Dr Jack Matthews, orthopaedic surgeon JPR Williams, former captain Dr Gwyn Jones and, more recently, Hallam Amos.
“I’ve a massive amount of respect for everyone who works for the NHS,” said Roberts.
“I’ve no doubt it’s challenging at times and I’ve no doubt I’m going to feel that, but again that’s the challenge isn’t it. It rewards you in many different ways, so I’m looking forward to it.”
John Downing/Getty Images
JPR Williams, who had just received his first cap for Wales, as a 19-year-old medical student in February 1969
As one of the most familiar faces in Welsh sport, Roberts said being recognised by patients was “always great.”
“People love rugby in Wales. As a student that had its rewards for me – it’s a great way of connecting with people and again, I’m excited by that.”
Reflecting on his sporting career, Roberts added: “I gave the game everything I had and it roared at me in such amazing ways.
“It’s given me some of the best experiences of my life and I’m looking forward to the same in a medical career.”
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Escaped detainee charged after alleged stabbing attack
Escaped detainee charged after alleged stabbing attack
Two days on the run have ended for an escaped detainee who has been arrested and charged after allegedly stabbing one man in the neck and assaulting another.
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U.S. Navy announces updates for preservation of Pearl Harbor’s USS Arizona
U.S. Navy announces updates for preservation of Pearl Harbor’s USS Arizona
The USS Arizona is considered a war grave for about 900 of the sailors and Marines who died during the 1941 attack. The USS Arizona Memorial at Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, was created in 1962. File Photo by John M. Hageman/U.S. Navy
May 16 (UPI) — The U.S. Navy on Friday announced its plans for a preservation project coordinated with the National Park Service for Pearl Harbor’s USS Arizona that includes the removal of its aging mooring platforms.
The USS Arizona, a Pennsylvania-class battleship commissioned in 1916, suffered a direct hit from Japanese forces in December 1941 while stationed at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor. It sank within minutes, killing 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen aboard.
The ship is considered a war grave and remains the resting place of around 900 of the sailors and Marines who died during the attack. While the ship will always remain underwater and undisturbed, work is needed to ensure the site — which now includes a national memorial — is preserved and to prevent further environmental damage.
After the attack, in 1942, mooring platforms were attached to the sunken ship to help with salvage operations of the ship’s weapons and equipment to aid in the war effort after the U.S. joined World War II.
“What the Pearl Harbor salvors did in the years following the attack and throughout the war was nothing short of miraculous,” said Capt. Lee Shannon, the officer in command of the platform removal.
The terrifying events of the day are clear in a view looking down Battleship Row from Ford Island Naval Air Station, shortly after the Japanese torpedo plane attack. USS California (BB-44) is at left, listing to port after receiving two torpedo hits. In the center are USS Maryland (BB-46) with the capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) alongside. Most smoke is from USS Arizona (BB-39). File Photo by U.S. Navy
“I don’t know of any equivalent salvage effort before or since. The sheer magnitude of technical expertise, meticulous planning and grueling work under unprecedented and dangerous conditions, day in and day out, all the way up to the final peace treaty signing 80 years ago, makes me very proud of the Navy and the people of Hawaii.”
But the mooring platforms were not meant to be permanent and are deteriorating, posing a threat to the ship, the monument built at the site in 1962, and the environment around it.
The USS Arizona (BB-39) is pictured in center, burning furiously. To the left are the USS Tennessee (BB-43) and the sunken USS West Virginia (BB-48). File Photo by U.S. Navy
In October 2023, one platform partially collapsed, raising alarms about their structural integrity. Leaving the platforms in place risks damage to the ship’s fragile hull, which could cause pieces to break off or shift underwater or pollute the harbor with oil and fuel.
After a year of planning and analysis, the Navy has announced that it will install a new temporary mooring system to facilitate the removal of the aging mooring platforms. The temporary mooring system would then also be removed.
“Before we are able to start platform removal operations, it is important to establish measures that further enable the safe removal of the platforms from the Arizona by containing the worksite and protecting the environment,” said Matthew Englehart, a diving and salvage officer with the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
The Navy is expected to begin placing containment buoys and anchors in the waters surrounding the USS Arizona Memorial site May 19 as a precautionary measure and in preparation for the upcoming removal, expected to take place later this year.
It was not immediately clear how the preservation work would impact visitors. Some 2 million people visit the site, which is only accessible by boat, each year.
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Israel ramps up attacks on Gaza as Trump leaves region without a deal – The Washington Post
Israel ramps up attacks on Gaza as Trump leaves region without a deal – The Washington Post
Israel ramps up attacks on Gaza as Trump leaves region without a deal The Washington PostIsrael launches major offensive in Gaza after airstrikes that killed more than 100 The GuardianNorthern Gaza pummeled by Israeli air strikes Middle East EyeIsrael expands attacks in Gaza and Yemen as Trump wraps up trip to region AP NewsMore than 100 Palestinians are killed in Gaza in a day of Israeli airstrikes NPR
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Europa League final – are Man Utd or Spurs in best shape?
Europa League final – are Man Utd or Spurs in best shape?
Tottenham have had the measure of Manchester United this season, beating them home and away in the Premier League and also in the Carabao Cup.
They will also likely back themselves to score against the Red Devils, having hit 21 more league goals than them, despite sitting fourth from bottom with United a place above.
In fact, no team outside the top six has scored more than Tottenham’s 63 goals.
Keeping them out, however, has been an issue with 61 league goals conceded, while United have fared marginally better with 54.
Encouragement for Postecoglou will also come from a lively first-half display by Son Heung-min against Villa.
The forward is looking to return to peak fitness after being sidelined with a foot injury and went close to scoring before the break.
Son, 32, has lost his last two finals with Spurs and will no doubt be determined to end his trophy drought with the club after a decade.
“He is ready and available,” Postecoglou said of Son. “He feels like he is getting back to some rhythm.”
United, meanwhile, could only muster one shot on target against Chelsea with Rasmus Hojlund again struggling to make an impact in attack.
The forward has scored just three goals in his last 15 appearances in all competitions.
“They have a problem, they have no striker,” former Manchester United captain Roy Keane told Sky Sports.
“Hojlund looked like a young boy from the academy. He is not good enough to be the main man. United are up against it all the time.”
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Man, 41, dies after horror e-scooter ****** in Lake Illawarra, southern NSW
Man, 41, dies after horror e-scooter ****** in Lake Illawarra, southern NSW
A man has died after falling from an e-scooter in southern NSW overnight, with another man now assisting police with their inquiries.
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If I Could Only Do 5 Lower-Body Exercises Forever, Here’s What I’d Choose
If I Could Only Do 5 Lower-Body Exercises Forever, Here’s What I’d Choose
Sebastien Oreb—known online as the *********** Strength Coach—shared his five favorite lower-body exercises for building serious strength and size.
He chose these lifts as if they were the only ones he’d be able to do for the rest of his life, aiming to stay as strong, muscular, and aesthetic as possible. That’s not to say other exercises don’t have their place, but these options are guaranteed to keep your progress moving forward.
We know most guys would rather bench than squat, but Oreb’s advice is worth following if you want to keep leg day as streamlined and effective as possible.
High Bar Squat
“Of all squat patterns, this is the perfect combination of loadability and range of motion,” Oreb says. Front squat is great, but not as loadable. Low bar squat is great, but lacks the range of motion and is more fatiguing.”
He advises using a pair of weightlifting shoes to optimize your position.
Stiff-legged Deadlift
The conventional deadlift is a solid go-to, but it doesn’t hit your hamstrings as much as a stiff-legged variation does. Plus, it’s much more fatiguing on the body, which can affect the recovery you need to power through the rest of your workout.
Oreb suggests using a pair of lifting straps to ensure your grip doesn’t become a limiting factor.
Leg Extension
The leg extension machine sometimes gets a bad reputation, but it’s a must for complete quad development. Squats are great for overall leg development, but they don’t fully engage the rectus femoris. To target it directly, you need an isolation movement.
Lean back in the machine to train the quads at a greater stretch, Oreb advises.
Hamstring Curls
Hamstring curls hit all heads of the hamstrings, which RDLs fail to do.
“If you have access to the seated version, it’s slightly better because it trains the hamstrings in a more stretched position. But if you only have access to the lying version, use that,” Oreb says.
Standing Single-leg Calf Raise
Stop blaming your genetics on your week calves. No more bricks on sticks this year.
Standing calf raises (with your knees extended) are key for full calf development, whereas bent-knee variations exclude the gastrocnemius—the larger, more visible calf muscle.
Related: The 5 Biggest Leg Day Mistakes Guys Make, According to a Strength Coach
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Fever's Clark on entering Year 2: 'I know I belong' – ESPN
Fever's Clark on entering Year 2: 'I know I belong' – ESPN
Fever’s Clark on entering Year 2: ‘I know I belong’ ESPNCan the Indiana Fever win the WNBA championship? Caitlin Clark thinks so – The Athletic The New York Times2025 WNBA award predictions: Caitlin Clark for MVP, Paige Bueckers a unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year CBS SportsCaitlin Clark and Indiana Fever draw heavy betting action as WNBA season prepares to open AP NewsCaitlin Clark got a real offseason and has sights set on a championship. Watch out, WNBA. USA Today
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How Australia’s deadliest animals save lives
How Australia’s deadliest animals save lives
Katy Watson
Australia correspondent
Watch: How snakes and spiders are milked for venom
With a pair of bright pink tweezers in hand, Emma Teni is delicately wrestling a large and leggy spider in a small plastic pot.
“He’s posing,” the spider-keeper jests as it rears up on its back legs. It is exactly what she’s trying to achieve – that way she can ***** the venom from its fangs using a small pipette.
Emma works from a tiny office known as the spider milking room. On a typical day, she milks – or extracts the venom from – 80 of these Sydney funnel-web spiders.
On three of the four walls there are floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked full of the arachnids, with a ****** curtain pulled across to keep them calm.
The remaining wall is actually a window. Through it, a small child stares, both fascinated and horrified, as Ms Teni works. Little do they know that the palm-sized spider she’s handling could kill them in a matter of minutes.
“Sydney funnel-webs are arguably the most deadly spider in the world,” Emma says matter-of-factly.
Australia is famously full of such deadly animals – and this room at the *********** Reptile Park plays a critical part in a government antivenom programme, which saves lives on a continent where it’s often joked that everything wants to kill you.
‘Spider girl’
While the quickest recorded death from a Sydney funnel-web spider was a toddler at 13 minutes, the average is closer to 76 minutes – and first aid gives you an even better chance of surviving.
So successful is the antivenom programme here at the *********** Reptile Park that nobody has been killed by one since it started in 1981.
The scheme relies, however, on members of the public either catching the spiders or collecting their egg sacs.
In a van plastered with a giant crocodile sticker, each week Ms Teni’s team drives all over Australia’s most famous city, picking up Sydney funnel-webs that have been handed in at drop-off points such as local veterinary practices.
Spider keeper Emma Teni in her office at the *********** Reptile Park…
Where up to 80 Sydney funnel-web spiders are milked for their venom every day
There are two reasons why these spiders are so dangerous, she explains: not only is their venom extremely potent, but they also live exclusively in a densely populated region where they’re more likely to encounter humans.
Handyman Charlie Simpson is one such person. He moved into his first home with his girlfriend a few months ago, and the keen gardener has already found two Sydney funnel-webs. He took the second spider to the vet, where Ms Teni picked it up shortly after.
“I had gloves on at the time, but realistically I should have had leather gloves on because their fangs are so big and strong,” the 26-year-old says.
“I [just thought] I had better catch it because I kept getting told you’re meant to take them back to be milked, because it’s so critical.”
“This is curing my fear of spiders,” he jokes.
As Ms Teni offloads one arachnid that was delivered to her in a Vegemite jar, she stresses her team isn’t telling Australians to go looking for the spiders and “throw themselves into danger”.
Rather, they’re asking that if someone comes across one, they safely capture it rather than kill it.
“Saying that this is the world’s most deadly spider and then [asking the public to] catch it and bring it to us does sound counter-intuitive,” she says.
“[But] that spider there now, thanks to Charlie, will… effectively save someone’s life.”
Charlie Simpson says catching a Sydney funnel-web has helped him with his fear of the arachnids
All of the spiders her team collects get brought back to the *********** Reptile Park where they are catalogued, sorted by sex and stored.
Any females that get dropped off are considered for a breeding programme, which helps supplement the number of spiders donated by the public.
Meanwhile, the males, which are six to seven times more toxic than the females, are used for the antivenom programme and milked every two weeks, Emma explains.
The pipette she uses to remove the venom from the fangs is attached to a suction hose – crucial for collecting as much venom as possible, since each spider provides only small amounts.
While a few drops is enough to kill, scientists need to milk 200 of these spiders to have enough to fill one vial of antivenom.
A marine biologist by training, Emma never expected to spend her days milking spiders. In fact, she started off working with seals.
But now she wouldn’t have it any other way. Emma loves all things arachnid, and goes under various nicknames – spider girl, spider mama, even “weirdo”, as her daughter calls her.
Friends, family and neighbours rely on her for her knowledge of Australia’s creepy crawlies.
“Some girls arrive home to flowers on their doorstep,” jokes Emma. “For me it’s not unusual to arrive home to a spider in a jar.”
The best place to be bitten?
Spiders represent just one small part of what the *********** Reptile Park does. It’s also been providing snake venom to the government since the 1950s.
According to the World Health Organisation, as many as 140,000 people die across the world from snake bites every year, and three times that many are left disabled.
In Australia though, those numbers are far lower: between one and four people each year, thanks to its successful antivenom programme.
Removing a King Brown snake from its storage locker, Billy Collett, the park’s operations manager, brings it to the table in front of him.
With his bare hands, he secures its head and puts its jaws over a shot glass covered in cling film.
Mr Collett collects venom from a King Brown snake
“They are very uninclined to bite but once they go, you just see it pouring out of the fangs,” Mr Collett says, as yellow venom drips to the bottom.
“That is enough to kill all of us in the room five times over – maybe more.”
Then he switches to a more reassuring tone: “They’re not looking for people to bite. We’re too big for them to eat; they don’t want to waste their venom on us. They just want to be left alone.”
“To get bitten by a venomous snake, you’ve got to really annoy it, provoke it,” he adds, noting that bites often occur when someone is trying to kill one of the reptiles.
There’s a fridge in the corner of the room where the raw venom Mr Collett is collecting is stored. It’s full of vials labelled “Death Adder”, “Taipan”, “Tiger Snake” and “Eastern Brown”.
The last of these is the second-most venomous snake in the world, and the one that’s most likely to bite you here, in Australia.
No one in Australia has been killed by a Sydney Funnel-web Spider since 1981 when the antivenom programme started
This venom gets freeze-dried and sent to CSL Seqirus, a lab in Melbourne, where it’s turned into an antidote in a process that can take up to 18 months.
The first step is to produce what’s known as hyper-immune plasma. In the case of snakes, controlled doses of the venom are injected into horses, because they are larger animals with a strong immune system.
The venom of Sydney funnel-web spiders goes into rabbits, which are immune to the toxins. The animals are injected with increasing doses to build up their antibodies. In some cases, that step alone can take almost a year.
The animal’s supercharged plasma is removed from the blood, and then the antibodies are isolated from the plasma before they’re bottled, ready to be administered.
CSL Seqirus makes 7,000 vials a year – including snake, spider, stonefish and box jellyfish antivenoms – and they are valid for 36 months. The challenge then is to ensure everyone who needs it has supplies.
“It’s an enormous undertaking,” says Dr Jules Bayliss, who leads the antivenom development team at CSL Seqirus.
“First and foremost we want to see them in major rural and remote areas that these creatures are likely to be in.”
Vials are distributed depending on the species in each area. Taipans, for example, are in northern parts of Australia, so there’s no need for their antivenom in Tasmania.
Antivenom is also given to the Royal Flying Doctors, who access some of the nation’s most remote communities, as well as *********** navy and cargo ships for sailors at risk of sea snake bites.
Mr Collett says snakes won’t waste their venom on humans, who are too big for them to eat
Papua New Guinea also receives about 600 vials a year. The country was once connected to Australia by a land bridge, and shares many of the same snake species, so the *********** government gives the antivenom for free – snake diplomacy, if you like.
“To be honest, we probably have the most impact in Papua New Guinea, more so than Australia, because of the number of snake bites and deaths they have,” says CSL Seqirus executive Chris Larkin. To date, they reckon they’ve saved 2,000 lives.
Back at the park, Mr Collett jokes about the nickname of “danger noodles” that is sometimes given to his serpentine colleagues – a classic *********** trait of making light of something that gives so many visitors nightmares.
Mr Collett, though, is clear: these animals should not put people off from visiting.
“Snakes aren’t just cruising down the streets attacking Brits – it doesn’t work like that,” he jokes.
“If you’re going to get bitten by a snake, Australia’s the best place – we’ve got the best antivenom. It’s free. The treatment is unreal.”
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We catch up with the top five favourites
We catch up with the top five favourites
Mark Savage
Music Correspondent
Sarah Louise Bennett / Alma Bengtsson / Getty Images
Bookmakers have tipped them for success (L-R): Erika Vikman, Kaj, Louane, JJ and Claude
The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final on Saturday night in Basel, with 27 countries fighting for the coveted glass microphone trophy.
This year’s contestants are the traditional mix of the spectacular, the silly and the sincere.
Australia marks the 69th edition of the contest with the barely-disguised innuendo of Milkshake Man; Ukraine’s Bird Of Pray is a message of hope amidst the brutal war with Russia; and Ireland’s entrant Emmy dances on a Russian spacecraft, while singing about doomed cosmo dog, Laika.
The competition feels less predictable than recent years, when acts like Loreen (Sweden, 2023) and Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine, 2022) were ordained to win before they’d even sung a note.
Currently, bookmakers have installed Sweden at the top of the table, with their delightfully bonkers sauna sonnet, Bara Bada Bastu.
But here’s the thing: A novelty number has never won. Voters typically prefer songs about triumph over adversity, and stonking great pop anthems.
Ideally, they want a stonking great pop anthem about triumph over adversity, and there are plenty of those sprinkled through tonight’s running order.
We spoke to the six contestants with the best odds, to find out what makes their Eurovision entries stand out.
SWEDEN: KAJ – BARA BADA BASTUGetty ImagesChance of winning: 39%Language: SwedishGenre: EpadunkSpotify streams: 43.9m
KAJ are the first Finnish act to represent Sweden at the Eurovision, hailing from the coastal town of Vörå, where Swedish is still the main language.
A comedy troupe who met at school, they’ve been performing together for more than 15 years – and were the surprise winners of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen, where the public selects the country’s Eurovision entry, earlier this year.
Their song, Bara Bada Bastu, is an accordian-led tribute to sauna culture (Finland has more than three million saunas, one for every two people).
“It felt like a natural thing to sing about,” says Kevin Holmström. “We really like the sauna. It’s universal.”
The first Swedish-language entry since 2012, the song extols the practice’s stress-busting virtues. Is that why Finland is consistently ranked as the world’s happiest nation, I wonder?
“It’s a chicken and an egg situation,” laughs Jakob Norrgård. “I don’t know which came first, the happiness or the sauna, but the sauna definitely brings your pulse down.”
The trio have brought a mock sauna to the Eurovision stage this year, complete with birch branches, hot coals and dancers in skimpy towels. In the lyrics, they ask, “how long can you last?”.
“Oh, we can make it last all evening,” confirms Jackob. “A sauna party that lasts for hours.”
“I like to do it with a lot of intervals,” says Axel Åhman. “Two to three hours, going in and out, having something to drink, maybe even snack on a sausage outside, and then go back in – just to make it a calm and long session.”
And how does Finland feel about the fact the trio are representing their neighbour and Eurovision rival?
“Finns love a bargain, so this is great,” laughs Jackob.
“Sweden gets to pay for everything, but it’s a Finnish win as well.”
AUSTRIA: JJ – WASTED LOVEGetty ImagesChance of winning: 22%Language: EnglishGenre: Pop-operaSpotify streams: 6m
Austria has the best opening couplet of the year: “I’m an ocean of love / And you’re scared of water.”
“It’s about my personal experience with unreciprocated love,” says singer Johannes Pietsch, who performs under the name JJ. “It felt like I was walking a one-way street.”
The 24-year-old is moonlighting at Eurovision from his day job at the Vienna State Opera, where he’s had roles in The Magic Flute and Von der Liebe Tod.
“A sold-out show at the opera holds 1,600 people, so that’s nothing compared to the Eurovision audience,” he says (last year’s TV broadcast was seen by 163 million people).
Pietsch’s song, Wasted Love, is a turbulent ballad that makes spectacular use of his counter-tenor, with an EDM twist.
On stage, he performs in a ramshackle sailing boat, clinging to the mast as the ocean threatens to consume him. It’s one of the night’s most arresting performances, and it requires a lot of preparation.
“That’s the opera singer in me, I practice every day.” he says. “I have to do vocal warm-ups to keep the voice active and before I go on stage, I always do ten push-ups and one-minute planks.”
Reaching the Eurovision final has been a dream since he watched Conchita Wurst win for Austria in 2014. Could he replicate that success in Switzerland?
“That would be great for Austria. I would love to do that. I would call Conchita my mother, so I’d love to make her proud.”
Eurovision 2025 at the BBC
FRANCE: LOUANE – MAMANSarah Louise Bennett / EBUChance of winning: 8%Language: FrenchGenre: Torch songSpotify streams: 6.9m
“I’m surrounded by a sand storm, a sand tornado, and I’ll be wearing a custom Rabanne dress.”
French singer Louane is describing the simple, but stunning, staging for her ballad, Maman.
The sand is real (how she avoids inhaling it, I’ll never know) but it serves a purpose: The song, which was inspired by her mother’s death from *******, is all about the passage of time.
“It’s a song that says that, even through sadness and deep pain, you can finally feel fine,” she says.
Maman is technically a sequel to a 2015 song of the same name, written in the depths of Louane’s despair. “I’ve lost my taste for fun / I can’t find meaning,” she sang.
The 2025 version includes several callbacks to the first song. For example, the original opened with the lyric: “Lovers move from bed to bed”, but the update finds her singing, “No more lovers, no more beds.”
Having a child of her own helped Louane lift the veil of grief.
In the song, she talks about how holding her daughter’s hand brought back memories of the times her mum had done the same – only this time, the pain of remembering was gone.
In Maman’s closing bars, we briefly hear her daughter’s voice.
“She won’t be here in Basel,” says Louane. “She’s going to be watching on TV, because she’s only five.”
“But she’s super proud. She keeps on telling me, ‘Maman, you have to bring the trophy home.
“She’s just adorable’.”
NETHERLANDS: CLAUDE – C’EST LA VIEGetty ImagesChance of winning: 6%Language: French and EnglishGenre: Chanson Spotify streams: 17.2m
The Netherlands originally asked last year’s entrant, Joost Klein – who was barred from the final after an alleged altercation with a camera operator — the chance to come back for 2025.
Although he’d already written a song for the contest, he declined, saying his disqualification still “stings”.
Instead, the honour went to 21-year-old Claude Kiambe, who moved to the Netherlands from the Democratic Republic of Congo when he was nine years old.
“It wasn’t always safe in Congo,” he says. “I couldn’t afford to go to school… and I love school.”
His mum eventually managed to smuggle the family out of the country, and it’s to her that his Eurovision song is dedicated.
Titled C’est La Vie, it’s a joyous blend of Afropop and French chanson that repeats the advice she used to give Claude and his siblings in the asylum centre in Alkmaar.
“She used to tell me, ‘C’est la vie. Life is beautiful, even if it is hard sometimes.’
“So when I heard about Eurovision, I was like, ‘Wait, if I go there, I want to bring that message to the world’.
“I have a lot of respect for her. She fought through life, and we’re still here.”
Claude comes into the contest with a little advantage, as he’s known throughout Europe for his massive 2022 hit Ladada. But he’s had to pick up a new skill for Eurovision: Choreography.
“I’d only ever done one dance move before, but when I was writing the song, I was like, ‘It’s time for me to step out of my comfort zone and dance around’.”
Learning the choreography took three days, he reckons. “We started at 11 and ended at nine. I wanted to know it so well that I could do it in my dreams.”
FINLAND: ERIKA VIKMAN – ICH KOMMEGetty ImagesChance of winning: 4%Language: Finnish, GermanGenre: EurodanceSpotify streams: 11.8m
Ask Erika Vikman to describe her song, and she doesn’t pull any punches.
“It’s about orgasm.”
Full of pummelling techno beats and what appears to be a Welsh male voice choir, it’s one of those tracks that’s guaranteed to become part of Eurovision folklore, no matter where it comes in the final.
Vikman was once hailed as the queen of Finland’s tango scene but gave it up for pop, “because I can’t be very wild with that type of music.”
Citing artists like Madonna, Cher and Lady Gaga as inspiration, she’s one of the few artists to take to the stage without dancers.
“Why? Because I’m selfish!” she laughs. “I want attention.”
“No, it’s because when I go the stage, I feel like a rock star, and when I feel like a rock star, I really don’t need dancers, because it’s owning my power and myself.”
She certainly owns the stage – ending her song atop a giant gold microphone that spurts fire as she’s hoisted into the sky.
Eagle-eyed viewers might notice, however, that her costume is a little less revealing than the one she wore for Finland’s selection show, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu.
“They said that it won’t pass if we don’t tone down something,” she says, “and one of the suggestions was my outfit.”
“So I was like, ‘Okay, if that, that’s price to pay, we cover my butt’.”
That doesn’t mean she’s happy about it.
“The song is about owning your sexuality, and then someone comes and controls me, saying, ‘you will ruin every child who is watching this show’. It’s a double standard.”
Censorship or not, Vikman’s odds of winning shortened dramatically after a barnstorming performance in the semi-finals.
“I have a feeling about it,” she smiles. “I can be the dark horse.”
WHAT ABOUT THE ***?Sarah Louise Bennett / EBUChance of winning: 1%Language: EnglishGenre: Musical theatreSpotify streams: 3.1m
After Thursday’s semi-final, *** act Remember Monday shot up the odds… well, kind of.
Formerly predicted to come 17th, they’re now gunning for 11th place.
But the trio – who are the first girlband to represent the *** since the 1999 – are determined to have fun, no matter what the outcome.
“This is all so surreal, beyond anything we could have imagined,” says singer Lauren Byrne.
“It sounds so cheesy, but it is genuinely everything we’ve ever wanted,” says her bandmate Charlotte Steele. “Who gets to stand up and perform their music, with their two best friends, to millions of people? It’s mental.”
“And listen,” adds Lauren. “If we do really badly, we’re just gonna keep coming back until we win.”
In their favour, Remember Monday’s performance is chirpy and fun, drawing on their background in musical theatre. There’s a dress-ripping nod to former *** winners Bucks Fizz, and their live harmonies are exquisite.
Ace Bowerman talks about Remember Monday’s Eurovision staging
“They have an insane amount of experience,” says Ace Bowerman, a creative director for Dua Lipa and Blackpink, who designed their staging.
“Their performance is constantly moving, and bringing the audience in. Ultimately, the energy we want to create is that people will want to be a part of this band.”
Maybe fans have underestimated Remember Monday’s chances because West End show tunes are an untested quantity at Eurovision – but the ***’s track record doesn’t bode well.
We’ll have to wait and see what the hell (just) happens.
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Duck for Labuschagne – courtesy of Aussie county foe
Duck for Labuschagne – courtesy of Aussie county foe
Marnus Labuschagne arrived early in Wales to get in crucial time at the crease before the World Test Championship final only to have his grand plans immediately scuppered by an Aussie “mad badger”.
In his first of two county matches for Glamorgan before June’s Lord’s showdown with South Africa, the world’s former No.1 Test batter lasted just seven ****** and eight minutes on Friday before Northamptonshire’s ebullient import from Sydney, Harry Conway, dismissed him for a duck.
The prize wicket brought a big, pointed celebration from the bustling 32-year-old seamer Conway but, doubtless, more than a few sighs from selectors hoping to see Labuschagne return to his best after a recent paternity break.
The 30-year-old Labuschagne is much loved in his adopted Welsh county and the locals at Cardiff had been hoping to see their favourite run machine set out on the path to an 11th first-class century for Glamorgan in his sixth season at Sophia Gardens.
Alas, on a seamers’ pitch after Northants had already been bowled out for 185, Conway eked out his compatriot in the evening session to continue what’s been a spectacular start to county championship life for the South Australia quick.
His *********** county coach Darren Lehmann adores their new signing, famously introducing Conway before his debut thus: “Harry is a mad badger, and people are going to love him!”
In Northampton, they certainly have, with the 2-37 he took on Friday, which helped the visitors reduce Glamorgan to 3-82 by the close, now having taken Conway’s tally to 15 wickets in just his third match, at an average of 15.46.
Elsewhere on Friday, Marcus Harris took his bow as Lancashire captain by losing the toss at Old Trafford which enabled Derbyshire to make the hosts bat so they wouldn’t have to face an awkward early examination from returning 42-year-old legend James Anderson.
Instead, Harris, who’s taken over as skipper from Keaton Jennings, got to work on extending his county championship-leading run tally, scoring another 45 which took him to 794 for the season at an average of just under 80.
But the run-hungry left-hander will have been frustrated to get out fishing when looking set for a seventh score of 50-plus this season and after sharing a century partnership for the third wicket with opener Luke Wells, who went on to make 141 in Lancashire’s 5-250.
If Labuschagne didn’t get the Test final practice he’d been hoping for, another squad member Beau Webster was a little busier at Edgbaston as he took 2-42 off his 11 overs for Warwickshire against Hampshire.
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US FAA to announce temporary flight cuts at Newark after airline meetings
US FAA to announce temporary flight cuts at Newark after airline meetings
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it plans to announce proposed temporary cuts to flights at Newark after meetings with major U.S. airlines to address congestion impacts.
The FAA held three days of one-on-one meetings with the airlines “to find a balance between reducing their operations at the airport and meeting the needs of each individual airline.” The FAA plans to make a final determination on arrival rates on or after May 28.
The agency is proposing a maximum arrival rate at Newark of 28 aircraft per hour until the runway construction is complete by June 15 except for Saturdays until the end of the year.
The FAA held numerous rounds of individual meetings with air carriers to win concessions to cut flights at specific times as the airport deals with a chaotic series of equipment outages, runway construction and staffing issues.
“The airport clearly is unable to handle the current level of scheduled operations,” the FAA said this week, adding it believes the proposal “would reduce overscheduling, flight delays, and cancellations to an acceptable level.”
Newark has also been hit by a series of serious telecom outages with controllers on April 28 briefly losing radar and telecommunications contact with airplanes.
Outside of the construction *******, the maximum arrival rate would be 34 aircraft an hour until October 25.
The meetings included United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air.
United has sharply cut flights at its Newark hub and wants the FAA to impose new limitations on flights there to address ongoing delays.
“Reducing the number of flights scheduled at Newark will help ensure that we can safely and reliably operate the flights that remain on the schedule,” United said Friday.
The FAA last year relocated control of Newark’s airspace to Philadelphia to address staffing and congested New York City-area traffic.
Nationwide, the FAA has about 3,500 air traffic controllers, below targeted staffing levels, and some controllers overseeing Newark took stress leave following the April 28 outage.
The area overseeing Newark has a targeted staffing level of 38 certified controllers, but currently has just 24 in place.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Anna Driver)
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10 New Orleans Inmates Escape Jail Through Cell Wall Where Toilet Was Removed – The New York Times
10 New Orleans Inmates Escape Jail Through Cell Wall Where Toilet Was Removed – The New York Times
10 New Orleans Inmates Escape Jail Through Cell Wall Where Toilet Was Removed The New York Times10 inmates escape from Orleans jail in overnight breach fox8live.comProject NOLA facial recognition helps capture 1 escaped inmate from Orleans Parish Jail WDSUInmates facing ******* charges among 11 escapees from New Orleans prison BBCLouisiana law enforcement agencies searching for Orleans Parish jail escapees WGNO
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Google’s AI Overviews are often so confidently wrong that I’ve lost all trust in them
Google’s AI Overviews are often so confidently wrong that I’ve lost all trust in them
Have you Googled something recently only to be met with a cute little diamond logo above some magically-appearing words? Google’s AI Overview combines Google Gemini’s language models (which generate the responses) with Retrieval-Augmented Generation, which pulls the relevant information.
In theory, it’s made an incredible product, Google’s search engine, even easier and faster to use.
However, because the creation of these summaries is a two-step process, issues can arise when there is a disconnect between the retrieval and the language generation.
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While the retrieved information might be accurate, the AI can make erroneous leaps and draw strange conclusions when generating the summary.
(Image credit: Google)
That’s led to some famous gaffs, such as when it became the laughing stock of the internet in mid-2024 for recommending glue as a way to make sure cheese wouldn’t slide off your homemade pizza. And we loved the time it described running with scissors as “a cardio exercise that can improve your heart rate and require concentration and focus”.
These prompted Liz Reid, Head of Google Search, to publish an article titled About Last Week, stating these examples “highlighted some specific areas that we needed to improve”. More than that, she diplomatically blamed “nonsensical queries” and “satirical content”.
She was at least partly right. Some of the problematic queries were purely highlighted in the interests of making AI look stupid. As you can see below, the query “How many rocks should I eat?” wasn’t a common search before the introduction of AI Overviews, and it hasn’t been since.
(Image credit: Google)
However, almost a year on from the pizza-glue fiasco, people are still tricking Google’s AI Overviews into fabricating information or “hallucinating” – the euphemism for AI lies.
Many misleading queries seem to be ignored as of writing, but just last month it was reported by Engadget that the AI Overviews would make up explanations for pretend idioms like “you can’t marry pizza” or “never rub a basset hound’s laptop”.
So, AI is often wrong when you intentionally trick it. Big deal. But, now that it’s being used by billions and includes crowd-sourced medical advice, what happens when a genuine question causes it to hallucinate?
While AI works wonderfully if everyone who uses it examines where it sourced its information from, many people – if not most people – aren’t going to do that.
And therein lies the key problem. As a writer, Overviews are already inherently a bit annoying because I want to read human-written content. But, even putting my pro-human bias aside, AI becomes seriously problematic if it’s so easily untrustworthy. And it’s become arguably downright dangerous now that it’s basically ubiquitous when searching, and a certain portion of users are going to take its info at face value.
I mean, years of searching has trained us all to trust the results at the top of the page.
Wait… is that’s true?
(Image credit: Future)
Like many people, I can sometimes struggle with change. I didn’t like it when LeBron went to the Lakers and I stuck with an MP3 player over an iPod for way too long.
However, given it’s now the first thing I see on Google most of the time, Google’s AI Overviews are a little harder to ignore.
I’ve tried using it like Wikipedia – potentially unreliable, but good for reminding me of forgotten info or for learning about the basics of a topic that won’t cause me any agita if it’s not 100% accurate.
Yet, even on seemingly simple queries it can fail spectacularly. As an example, I was watching a movie the other week and this guy really looked like Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of the musical Hamilton), so I Googled whether he had any brothers.
The AI overview informed me that “Yes, Lin-Manuel Miranda has two younger brothers named Sebastián and Francisco.”
For a few minutes I thought I was a genius at recognising people… until a little bit of further research showed that Sebastián and Francisco are actually Miranda’s two children.
Wanting to give it the benefit of the doubt, I figured that it would have no issue listing quotes from Star Wars to help me think of a headline.
Fortunately, it gave me exactly what I needed. “Hello there!” and “It’s a trap!”, and it even quoted “No, I am your father” as opposed to the too-commonly-repeated “Luke, I am your father”.
Along with these legitimate quotes, however, it claimed Anakin had said “If I go, I go with a bang” before his transformation into Darth Vader.
I was shocked at how it could be so wrong… and then I started second-guessing myself. I gaslit myself into thinking I must be mistaken. I was so unsure that I triple checked the quote’s existence and shared it with the office – where it was quickly (and correctly) dismissed as another bout of AI lunacy.
This little piece of self-doubt, about something as silly as Star Wars scared me. What if I had no knowledge about a topic I was asking about?
This study by SE Ranking actually shows Google’s AI Overviews avoids (or cautiously responds to) topics of finance, politics, health and law. This means Google knows that its AI isn’t up to the task of more serious queries just yet.
But what happens when Google thinks it’s improved to the point that it can?
It’s the tech… but also how we use it
(Image credit: Google)
If everyone using Google could be trusted to double check the AI results, or click into the source links provided by the overview, its inaccuracies wouldn’t be an issue.
But, as long as there is an easier option – a more frictionless path – people tend to take it.
Despite having more information at our fingertips than at any previous time in human history, in many countries our literacy and numeracy skills are declining. Case in point, a 2022 study found that just 48.5% of Americans report having read at least one book in the previous 12 months.
It’s not the technology itself that’s the issue. As is eloquently argued by Associate Professor Grant Blashki, how we use the technology (and indeed, how we’re steered towards using it) is where problems arise.
For example, an observational study by researchers at Canada’s McGill University found that regular use of GPS can result in worsened spatial memory – and an inability to navigate on your own. I can’t be the only one that’s used Google Maps to get somewhere and had no idea how to get back.
Neuroscience has clearly demonstrated that struggling is good for the brain. Cognitive Load Theory states that your brain needs to think about things to learn. It’s hard to imagine struggling too much when you search a question, read the AI summary and then call it a day.
Make the choice to think
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
I’m not committing to never using GPS again, but given Google’s AI Overviews are regularly untrustworthy, I would get rid of AI Overviews if I could. However, there’s unfortunately no such method for now.
Even hacks like adding a cuss word to your query no longer work. (And while using the F-word still seems to work most of the time, it also makes for weirder and more, uh, ‘adult-oriented’ search results that you’re probably not looking for.)
Of course, I’ll still use Google – because it’s Google. It’s not going to reverse its AI ambitions anytime soon, and while I could wish for it to restore the option to opt-out of AI Overviews, maybe it’s better the ****** you know.
Right now, the only true defence against AI misinformation is to make a concerted effort not to use it. Let it take notes of your work meetings or think up some pick-up lines, but when it comes to using it as a source of information, I’ll be scrolling past it and seeking a quality human-authored (or at least checked) article from the top results – as I’ve done for nearly my entire existence.
I mentioned previously that one day these AI tools might genuinely become a reliable source of information. They might even be smart enough to take on politics. But today isn’t that day.
In fact, as reported on May 5 by the New York Times, as Google and ChatGPT’s AI tools become more powerful, they’re also becoming increasingly unreliable – so I’m not sure I’ll ever be trusting them to summarise any political candidate’s policies.
When testing the hallucination rate of these ‘reasoning systems’, the highest recorded hallucination rate was a whopping 79%. Amr Awadalla, the chief executive of Vectara – an AI Agent and Assistant platform for enterprises – put it bluntly: “Despite our best efforts, they will always hallucinate.”
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Trump’s frantic peacebrokering week hints at what he really wants
Trump’s frantic peacebrokering week hints at what he really wants
BBC
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” So supposedly said the Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. The diplomatic whirlwind that has surrounded US President Donald Trump this week suggests the old Bolshevik might have been onto something.
For the protectionist president, who promises always to put America First, has in recent days instead been busy bestriding the world stage.
He and his team have done business deals in the Gulf; lifted sanctions on Syria; negotiated the release of a US citizen held by ******; ended military strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen; slashed American tariffs on China; ordered Ukraine to hold talks with Russia in Turkey; continued quiet negotiations with Iran over a nuclear deal; and even claimed responsibility for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan…
The pace has been breathless, leaving allies and opponents alike struggling to catch up as the US diplomatic bandwagon hurtled from issue to issue.
“Just, wow!” remarked one London-based ambassador. “It is almost impossible to stay on top of everything that’s going on.”
So what is going on? What have we learned in this frantic week about the US president’s emerging foreign policy? Is there something approaching a Trump doctrine – or is this just a coincidental confluence of global events?
Pomp and flattery in Saudi
A good place to start, perhaps, is the president’s visit to the Gulf where he set out – in word and deed – his vision for a world of interstate relations based on trade, not war. In a speech in Riyadh, Trump said he wanted “commerce not chaos” in the Middle East, a region that “exports technology not terrorism”.
His was a prospect of a breezy, pragmatic mercantilism where nations did business deals to their mutual benefit, a world where profit can bring peace.
Getty Images
In Saudi Arabia, Trump signed deals the White House claimed represented $600bn of investment in the US
As he enjoyed the flattery of his Saudi hosts and the obeisance of visiting dignitaries, the president signed – with his **** felt tip pen – deals that the White House claimed represented $600bn of investment in the US.
This was Trump in all his pomp; applauded and rewarded with immediate wins he could sell back home as good for American jobs.
Some diplomats privately questioned the value of the various memorandums of understanding. But the show, they said, was more important than the substance.
A ‘none of our business’ approach
Absent from Trump’s speech was any mention of possible collective action by the US and other countries; no talk of multilateral cooperation against the threat of climate change, no concerns about challenges to democratic or human rights in the region. This was a discourse almost entirely without reference to ideology or values except to dismiss their significance.
Rather, he used his speech to Saudi leaders to make his clearest argument yet against Western interventionism of the past, attacking what he called “the so-called nation-builders and neo-cons” for “giving you lectures on how to live or how to govern your own affairs”.
To the applause of his Arab audience, he said these “Western interventionists” had “wrecked more nations than they built”, adding: “Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it’s our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins.
“I believe it’s God’s job to sit in judgement. My job is to defend America.”
AFP via Getty Images
‘My job is to defend America,’ Trump told audiences this week
That reluctance to intervene was on show in recent days when it came to the fighting between India and Pakistan. In the past, the US has often played a key role seeking to end military confrontations in the subcontinent. But the Trump White House was initially cautious about getting involved.
Vice-President JD Vance told Fox News the fighting was “fundamentally none of our business… We can’t control these countries”.
In the end, both he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio did make calls, putting pressure on both nuclear powers to de-escalate. So too did other countries.
When the ceasefire was agreed, Trump claimed US diplomacy had brokered the deal. But that was flatly dismissed by Indian diplomats who insisted it was a bilateral truce.
Pros of policy in one man’s hands
The centrality of Trump to US foreign policy has also become apparent this week. This is more than just a simple truism. On show was the lack of involvement of other parts of the US government that traditionally help shape US decision-making overseas.
Take the president’s extraordinary decision to meet Syria’s new president and former jihadist, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and lift sanctions on Syria. This showed the potential advantage of having foreign policy in one man’s hands: it was a decisive and bold step. And it was clearly the president’s personal decision, after heavy lobbying by both Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
It was seen by some diplomats as the quid pro quo for the diplomatic fawning and investment deals Trump received in Riyadh. Not only did the decision surprise many in the region but it also surprised many in the American government.
Diplomats said the State Department was reluctant to lift sanctions, wanting to keep some leverage over the new Syrian government, fearful it was not doing enough to protect minorities and tackle foreign fighters.
Diplomats say this pattern of impulsive decision-making without wider internal government discussion is common in the White House. The result, they say, is not always positive.
AFP via Getty Images
A billboard in Damascus, thanking Saudi Arabia and the US, after sanctions were lifted
This is due, in part, to Trump’s lack of consistency (or put simply, changing his mind).
Take the decision this week to do a deal with China to cut tariffs on trade with the US. A few weeks ago Trump imposed 145% tariffs on Beijing, with blood thirsty warnings against retaliation. The ******** retaliated, the markets plunged, American businesses warned of dire consequences.
So in Geneva, US officials climbed down and most tariffs against China were cut to 30%, supposedly in return for some increased US access to ******** markets. This followed a now-familiar pattern: issue maximalist demands, threaten worse, negotiate, climb down and declare victory.
Limitations of his ‘art of a deal’
The problem is that this “art of a deal” strategy might work on easily reversible decisions such as tariffs. It is harder to apply to longer term diplomatic conundrums such as war.
Take Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On this, Trump’s policy has been fluid, to put it mildly. And this week was a case in point.
Last Saturday the leaders of the ***, France, Poland and Germany visited Kyiv to put on a show of support for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. And in a group call with Trump on French President Emmanuel Macron’s phone, they spelled out their strategy of demanding Russia agree an immediate 30-day ceasefire or face tougher sanctions.
This was Trump’s policy too. The day before he wrote on social media: “If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.” But then on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin suggested instead there should be direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey on Thursday. Trump immediately went along with this, backtracking on the strategy he had agreed with European leaders a day earlier.
AFP via Getty Images
Some diplomats say they are confused by Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine. (Pictured with Putin in 2019)
“Ukraine should agree to (these talks) immediately,” he wrote on social media. “I am starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin.”
Then on Thursday, Trump changed his position again, saying a deal could be done only if he and Putin were to meet in person.
This puzzles some diplomats. “Does he genuinely not know what he wants to do about the war in Ukraine?” one remarked to me. “Or does he just grasp at what might offer the quickest resolution possible?”
A snub to Netanyahu?
Into this puzzling mix fell two other decisions this week. First, Trump agreed a ceasefire after a campaign bombing Houthi fighters in Yemen for almost two months. There have been questions about the effectiveness of the hugely expensive air strikes, and the president’s appetite for a long military operation. He repeatedly told his Arab hosts how much he disliked war.
Second, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, held his fourth round of talks with Iran over efforts to curb their nuclear ambitions. Both sides are hinting that a deal is possible, although sceptics fear it could be quite modest. Talk of joint US-Israeli military action against Iran seems to have dissipated.
Getty Images
Netanyahu appears to have been snubbed by Trump this week, according to some onlookers
What unites both issues is that the United States was acting directly against the wishes of Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu may have been the first world leader invited to the Oval Office after Trump’s inauguration, but in recent days, he seems to have been snubbed. Trump toured the Middle East without visiting Israel; he lifted sanctions on Syria without Israel’s support. His Houthi ceasefire came only days after the group attacked Tel Aviv airport.
Diplomats fear Netanyahu’s reaction. Could the spurned prime minister respond with a more aggressive military operation in Gaza?
Capitalism to overcome conflict
So after this week of diplomatic hurly burly, how much has changed? Perhaps less than might appear.
For all the glitz of Trump’s tour through the Middle East, the fighting and humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues unresolved. A fresh Israeli offensive seems imminent. One of Trump’s chief aims – the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia – remains distant.
For all the talks about ending the war in Ukraine, there is no greater likelihood of the guns falling silent. Putin’s ambitions seem unchanged. And for all the deals to cut US tariffs, either with the *** or China, there is still huge global market instability.
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Despite deals to cut US tariffs, there is still huge global market instability
We do have a clearer idea of Trump’s global ideology, one that is not isolationist but mercantilist, hoping optimistically that capitalism can overcome conflict. We also have a clearer idea of his haste, his desire to clear his diplomatic decks – in the Middle East, Ukraine and the subcontinent – so he can focus on his primary concern, namely China.
But that may prove an elusive ambition. If there are weeks when decades happen, there are also weeks when nothing happens.
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I tried Manus AI’s impressive new image generation and ChatGPT should watch out
I tried Manus AI’s impressive new image generation and ChatGPT should watch out
Manus AI is having a moment. The all-in-one AI agent from China has been building buzz for months, thanks to its ambitious approach to task automation. Manus has positioned itself as an autonomous online coworker complete with invisible mouse and keyboard and capable of breaking down requests into steps and carrying them out across multiple tools. That toolkit now includes image generation.
Of course, there’s a lot of competition among AI image generators. ChatGPT’s own recent upgrade, in particular, has stood out for its high-quality creation. But, Manus is pitching its visuals as a part of a larger workflow, one that can incorporate those images into ******* projects.
Introducing Manus image generation.Manus doesn’t just generate images. It understands your intent, plans a solution, and knows how to effectively use image generation along with other tools to accomplish your task. pic.twitter.com/pWbaVOy7XbMay 15, 2025
Sandwich Shop
(Image credit: Manus)
I decided to take Manus for a spin and see if this new visual muscle was just a gimmick. I gave it a couple of complex, multi-step prompts, including images, to see just how well it did at understanding my requests.
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To start, I went for a batch of related business-related images by telling Manus I was setting up a food truck and I wanted it to come up with the name and to show me the truck, the menu, and even come up with a shirt for me to wear. After clarifying what kind of food (sandwiches) and who I would be marketing to (hungry people). Manus went to work and produced the images above. Admittedly, it took about seven minutes, but that’s because the AI threw in some marketing guidelines, sandwich recipe ideas, and even a business card to get me started.
To round out the project, I asked for asked Manus to show someone working at the sandwich truck. Manus asked who should do it, and I uploaded a headshot of myself. The AI did a pretty good job of putting the shirt on a human body and showing what a popular truck restaurant line would look like.
(Image credit: Manus)
Manus the fate of AI
What impressed me most wasn’t just the aesthetic quality of the images, but how seamlessly image generation was integrated into larger task workflows. Manus never treated these prompts as endpoints. Everything felt modular and adaptive. Want to use the logo on merch? It mocks that up too.
That kind of cohesion puts Manus in a different category than most visual AIs. Midjourney, Firefly, ChatGPT, and others are all great for making artwork, but you usually need multiple prompts to get it to put the images in a different context. Manus generates images to complete a task, not just as a random piece of art.
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Of course, there are still kinks. Not every human looks quite human, and it takes significantly longer, even than ChatGPT’s image creator, because of how it fits the images into the larger workflow. Still, for something this early in its visual evolution, it’s remarkably polished.
What Manus is building hints at the next phase of AI use. Models won’t just get smarter, they’ll be more integrated. Manus isn’t trying to win an art image generation contest. It’s trying to get you to your goal, whether it’s launching a business or building an imaginary universe full of glowing jellyfish.
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Champions League qualification: Chelsea keep hopes in hands, Villa need slip-ups
Champions League qualification: Chelsea keep hopes in hands, Villa need slip-ups
Chelsea have Champions League qualification in their own hands and Aston Villa moved into the top five as both teams won in the Premier League on Friday.
The Blues looked as if they were going to drop down to sixth before Marc Cucurella’s header earned them a 1-0 win over Manchester United.
Aston Villa, who would have had their fate in their hands had Cucurella not scored, beat Tottenham 2-0.
Unai Emery’s side are up to fifth, but sixth-placed Manchester City, one point below them, play Bournemouth on Tuesday (20:00 BST) in their game in hand.
Chelsea know a win at Nottingham Forest on the final day would seal a Champions League spot, but seventh-placed Forest are still in the hunt themselves.
Cucurella said: “Step by step we are creating something special and now only two games left to achieve something special.
“The most important thing is it depends on us so we have to play the game on Sunday [25 May] and then we are thinking about the [Conference League] final [against Real Betis].”
Aston Villa will probably have to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford and hope rivals drop points.
“We can get Champions League, fantastic,” said Villa boss Emery.
“We are wishing to continue in the season we are doing. We are now in a good moment.”
England will have six teams in next season’s Champions League – the top five in the Premier League and the winners of the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham.
The bonus fifth spot through the league came as a result of English teams’ good performances in Europe this season – with Spain also gaining one.
Arsenal host Newcastle on Sunday (16:30 BST) in a game that could go a long way to deciding another place or two.
The Gunners would seal their spot with a win, while a draw would practically make it safe because of their superior goal difference.
Newcastle would go up to second with a win and take them close to sealing a Champions League place.
If Arsenal lose that game, they could yet finish outside the Champions League places, despite having seemingly had second place sewn up for months.
However, they do play rock bottom Southampton on the final day.
FA Cup finalists Manchester City have to get at least a point on Tuesday against Bournemouth to go back into the top five.
Liverpool have long been guaranteed Champions League football and have already won the Premier League.
Forest’s chances are now quite slim and they visit West Ham this Sunday (14:15) knowing a defeat would end their hopes. They sit four points off the top five.
The prize of a place in the Champions League has added extra spice to Wednesday’s Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham in Bilbao.
Both have endured wretched Premier League seasons and sit 16th and 17th respectively in the competition, but a highly lucrative crack at Europe’s elite is nonetheless within touching distance.
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‘Like the mower’s rolled’: Alleged triple-0 transcript of pilot charged with wife’s *******
‘Like the mower’s rolled’: Alleged triple-0 transcript of pilot charged with wife’s *******
An air force pilot charged with the ******* of his wife – before allegedly staging it to look like she had an accident on their ride-on mower – allegedly claimed in his triple-0 call that the mower had “rolled” and he had to “pull it off” his wife while asking for an ambulance “ASAP”.
The bombshell transcript of the emergency call made by Robert John Crawford on the night his wife Frances was found dead at their Upper Lockyer property in July 2024 can be detailed after the release of court documents, which include an alleged timeline of texts between the RAAF pilot and his wife in addition to several affidavits and an expert biomedical engineering report.
The release of the documents follows Crawford, 47, successfully applying for bail in the Supreme Court in early May.
He will reside at the same property, report daily to police and not go within 500m of international airport terminals or enter any airfield due to his status as an RAAF pilot while his case continues to track through the courts.
Camera IconRobert John Crawford is charged with the ******* of his wife Frances Crawford. Supplied Credit: News Corp AustraliaCamera IconMs Crawford’s body was found at the base of a retaining wall, under a ride-on mower. Supplied Credit: Supplied
Police arrested and charged Mr Crawford with one count each of ******* and misconduct with a corpse in October last year.
His wife’s body was found at the base of a retaining wall at their property, located west of Brisbane, on the night of July 30, 2024 near a ride-on mower.
It is alleged Mr Crawford flew into a “murderous rage” and fatally strangled his wife following an argument between the pair on the night of July 29.
“Mr Crawford then spent a significant amount of time manipulating their property so that it appeared that Ms Crawford had died by misadventure while outside on a ride-on mower in her pyjamas in the middle of a cold winter’s night,” the Crown alleges in court documents, obtained by NewsWire.
“Once he was done, he called triple-0.”
A transcript of that triple-0 call, made at 3.47am on July 30, allegedly details Crawford requesting an ambulance after finding his wife.
After being asked what happened, he allegedly tells the call taker: “I don’t know. I just found her. She’s off the (wall i/a ledge) … like the mower’s rolled and she’s, I … I dunno what she’s doing?”
Camera IconMr Crawford was granted bail in early May. Queensland Police Credit: Supplied
The call taker clarifies if the mower had rolled on Ms Crawford, and Mr Crawford allegedly replies: “Yeah … yeah … I’m just, I’m trying to … I had to pull it off and like … I think she’s still OK … I think, but I need an ambulance ASAP.”
Paramedics attended at 4.am and found Ms Crawford at the bottom of a rock retaining wall, with a ride-on mower in proximity,
In his own statement to police, Mr Crawford states he arrived home at 6pm the night before his wife’s death to find her making a chicken curry for dinner.
He claims he last saw her “sometime around 9.45pm” while they were “snuggling on the couch, sharing a heated blanket” while watching TV.
“I woke up sometime in the middle of the night and reached over in bed to grab her hand. I realised she was not in bed,” Mr Crawford claims in his statement.
He claims he searched the house and went out to the back patio, finding his wife under the mower when he looked over the back rock ledge.
NED-13688-Crawford-text-timeline
Messages allegedly exchanged between the pair on the encrypted messaging app Signal have also been released – with Ms Crawford allegedly sending him a message at 11.21pm: “Hey are you going to put the mower away soon?”Crawford is alleged to have replied at 11.25pm: “Just give me a sec”, before replying a minute later: “You can just turn the sprinklers off if easier too xx”.
Later that night, Crawford is alleged to have messaged his wife: “Hey I’m finished with my revision study stuff, I’m brushing teeth and going to bed soon. Are you coming?”
He allegedly follows up at 12.30am with: “Helllloooo? Xx stop watching Korean Netflix and come to bed haha”, and again at 12.35am: “Hey I’m getting really sleepy.”
But police have cast doubt on Crawford’s version of events – pointing to his phone data allegedly showing “significant” activity through the night, including thousands of steps allegedly recorded on his Garmin watch.
‘Improbable’: Alleged major detail in expert’s report
An autopsy concluded Ms Crawford died from neck and head injuries, but an expert biomechanical report prepared for the Crown alleged it was “most improbable” that an accident with the ride-on mower resulted in the head injury at the top of the retaining wall and Ms Crawford’s body coming to rest 1.8m from the wall.
Chips and scraping on the rock wall from the undercarriage of the mower, as well as damage to weeds in the area, allegedly suggest the mower progressed over and down the retaining wall in a “wheels down” manner, the biomechanical report states.
“The steep gradient of the retaining wall (approximately 60 degrees from horizontal) indicates that sideways or angled travel of the mower down the slope would not have been possible without the mower rolling over, a scenario that appears inconsistent with the scrape marks on the rocks or damage to the mower,” the report states.
The report found no evidence supporting Ms Crawford being “caught” and forcefully carried over the slope by the mower.
It continued by saying a fall event was “conceivable” – possibly from Ms Crawford falling off the mower – but noted the mower’s centre of mass was closer to the retaining wall than hers.
Camera IconThe crime scene at the Crawfords’ Upper Lockyer property, depicting the rock retaining wall in question and the ride-on mower. Supplied / Brisbane Supreme Court Credit: Supplied
“The neck injuries reported at the time of death, including hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage fracture, are very rare as far as traumatic fractures are concerned,” the report states.
“It is unlikely that impact forces associated with the mower could explain the observed neck pathology.”
A botanical expert determined Ms Crawford’s Ugg boots “were not worn on the lawn outside the house” on the night of July 29 due to the absence of grass clippings on the tread and in the grooves of the boot.
Her left Ugg boot was still on her body, while the right one was found adjacent to her body.
A 20cm piece of grass was found on her right sock, between her big and second toe, according to the report.
Camera IconBlood found on one of the rocks of the retaining wall. Supplied / Brisbane Supreme Court Credit: Supplied
“It is highly unlikely the deceased would have put her right sock on with a flowering grass inflorescence between her toes or a 20cm piece of grass being present in her sock before she put (it) on,” the report writer determined.
The Crown alleges Ms Crawford was not actually walking around in her Ugg boots at the time and a “reasonable inference open” is that Mr Crawford “put socks and Ugg boots on his dead or dying wife” after positioning her outside.
Camera IconA diagram depicting where blood stains were found on the retaining wall. Supplied / Brisbane Supreme Court Credit: SuppliedCamera IconA crime scene photograph showing blood near the ride-on mower. Supplied / Brisbane Supreme Court Credit: Supplied
However, Mr Crawford’s defence team says the Crown case is not strong and the conclusions in the biomechanical report “are, at best for the Crown, highly contestable”.
Barrister Saul Holt KC notes the autopsy report does not rule out a scenario “the deceased was reversing the lawnmower at night and fell from it”.
“The case against the applicant (Crawford) is not overwhelming, and indeed, it is positively contestable. (He) is motivated to defend the allegations against him,” Mr Holt writes in an affidavit.
Pilot ‘abusive, manipulative’, wife felt ‘very unsafe’
In court documents, police detail the allegedly fraught relationship between Mr Crawford and his wife – marked by alleged infidelity over 10 years and accusations the air force pilot was “abusive” and “manipulative”.
The pair met at a Maroochydore church camp in 1996 before getting married two years later.
A Queensland Police court brief alleges Mr Crawford was “financially motivated” and “controlling” of his wife, who allegedly felt “very unsafe”.
According to the brief, the couple’s three children are “estranged” from Mr Crawford and have described him as “abusive, explosive, unpredictable, aggressive, controlling (and) manipulative” with “violent outbursts” and that they “grew up walking on eggshells … fearful of the defendant”.
Camera IconMs Crawford felt ‘very unsafe’, according to a Queensland Police brief. Supplied Credit: Supplied
The Crawfords separated for nine months in 2023 after his alleged extramarital relationships came to light.
By April 2024, the pair agreed to a three-month trial to try to repair their marriage; however, Ms Crawford was set to leave her husband “for the final time” as the relationship had not recovered.
“This angered Mr Crawford as he stood to lose financially and would likely be required to leave the family home again,” the Crown alleges in court documents.
“Mr Crawford’s frustration at his wife sent him into a murderous rage.”
In his statement, Mr Crawford acknowledges he had “marital problems in the past” and was “unfaithful on numerous occasions over the course of a 10 year *******”.
“I am not proud of these things and embarrassed by my actions,” Mr Crawford states.
In the statement, he says he had continued to work on their marriage after moving back in and believed they were “moving in the right direction … although it seems like we sometimes take two steps forward and one step back”.
Camera IconIn his statement, Mr Crawford acknowledges he had ‘marital problems in the past’ and was ‘unfaithful on numerous occasions over the course of a 10 year *******’. Queensland Police Credit: Supplied
Mr Crawford’s legal team have indicated much of the evidence on the claimed infidelity will be contested.
Through an affidavit, a fellow pilot and friend of Mr Crawford says he is not aware of any affairs – noting Mr Crawford had mentioned he had an eHarmony account.
“He said that all the details of everything were discussed as part of his marriage counselling and that Frances was aware of everything,” the affidavit states.
“My experience is that Rob is genuinely a good person and has defined his whole live by his Christian values. If he did something like this, he would already have told someone. It would have destroyed him.”
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Futuristic Grenade Launcher From Colt And Northrop Grumman Seen Being Fired For First Time
Futuristic Grenade Launcher From Colt And Northrop Grumman Seen Being Fired For First Time
Northrop Grumman released a brief video clip showing an individual shooting a new 25mm precision grenade launcher it has been working on with gunmaker Colt. This appears to be the first time we’ve seen a working prototype of the weapon being fired. It is one of several designs being pitched to meet U.S. Army requirements for a highly computerized Precision Grenadier System (PGS) that soldiers could use to engage ground targets, including ones behind cover, as well as help shield themselves from the growing threats posed by drones.
The footage of the grenade launcher being tested was included in a video montage, seen in the social media post below, that Northrop Grumman put out earlier this week to highlight “the latest in Bushmaster Chain Gun technology, advanced ammunition and counter-uas [uncrewed aerial systems] solutions.”
Inspired by innovation, perfected with precision.
Together with our teammates, we recently demonstrated the latest in Bushmaster® Chain Gun® technology, advanced ammunition and counter-uas solutions.
These live-fire scenarios highlighted the depth of our innovations – reliable,… pic.twitter.com/UURCzuvHF7
— Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) May 13, 2025
In general, the new grenade launcher has the look of an oversized rifle. It is semi-automatic and feeds from a five-round box magazine. The barrel is between 14 and 15 inches long, and the overall weight is under 15 pounds, Colt previously told Defense News.
In the recently released video clip from Northrop Grumman, the gun is seen fitted with a Vortex Optics XM157 computerized optic, which the U.S. Army is already acquiring to go along with its new 6.8x51mm XM7 rifles and XM250 light machine guns.
A member of the US Army with an XM7 rifle equipped with an XM157 optic during a test. US Army
In April, at the Modern Day Marine exposition in Washington, D.C., Northrop Grumman representatives told TWZ‘s Howard Altman that the company has been focused primarily on developing a family of specialized ammunition to go along with the launcher. Colt has been leading the development of the weapon itself, a mockup of which was shown at the event.
“We’re responsible for integration. We went to Colt to help design this [the grenade launcher],” Michael O’Hara, Senior Manager for Tactical Weapons Solutions & Strategy at Northrop Grumman, explained. “These specialized rounds is [sic; are] all Northrop Grumman, and then we’re working with different types of smart optics.”
The mockup of the grenade launcher at Modern Day Marine was equipped with a SMASH-series computerized optic from Israeli firm Smartshooter. SMASH-series optics have been steadily gaining traction across the U.S. military and elsewhere globally in recent years, with a particular eye toward improving the ability of individual shooters to engage small drones. O’Hara also specifically mentioned Vortex Optics as another source of “smart optics.”
A mockup of the Northrop Grumman-Colt precision grenade launcher with the SMASH-series optic on display at Modern Day Marine. Mockups of various ammunition types for the weapon are also seen at bottom right. Howard Altman
“The program is focused primarily, currently, at surface-to-surface [targets]. So we’re able to take out targets down-range that are hidden behind objects. That’s the whole purpose of the weapon system,” O’Hara added. “We are also taking that functionality and taking the prox[imity] capability of the ammo and going to go against UAS. So, for like squad-level/platoon-level protection, a rifleman would be able to utilize this [to] engage UAS, small UASs, for protection.”
The U.S. Army has said its plan for the future Precision Grenadier System (PGS) envisions “a Soldier portable, shoulder fired, semi-automatic, magazine fed, integrated armament system (weapon, ammunition, fire control) that enables rapid, precision engagements to destroy personnel targets in defilade and in the open with increased lethality and precision compared to legacy grenade launchers, while also not impacting Soldier mobility,” according to a contracting notice the service put out in February. “The PGS is anticipated to be deployed as a Soldier’s primary weapon system, providing organic, close-quarters combat, counter-defilade, and counter-UAS capabilities through a family of ammunition to ranges in concert with the rest of the squad’s battlespace, and requiring minimal resupplies to support. This capability shall provide overmatch to comparable threat grenade launchers in near-peer formations in future operating environments to include urban, jungle, woodland, subterranean, and desert, in day, night, or obscured conditions.”
Previous PGS contracting notices have also called for a weapon with an overall length of no more than 34 inches, a weight of 14.5 pounds or less, and an effective range of at least 1,640 feet (500 meters). The PGS also needs to be able to fire rounds along a relatively flat trajectory, with the goal of making it easier to engage targets accurately. The desired maximum range for the PGS is notably greater than that offered by the M203 and M320 grenade launchers currently in Army service, which also fire 40x46mm rounds along a more arced trajectory. Unlike the PGS, the M230 and M320 are both designed to be attached under the barrels of existing standard infantry rifles, though the Army also fields the latter in a stand-alone configuration.
A member of the US Army fires an M203 grenade launcher attached to an M4 carbine. US Army
A member of the US Army fires a stand-alone M320 grenade launcher. US Army
The Army wants a family of specialized ammunition to go along with the PGS that includes a so-called “Counter Defilade Round” that can “precisely and quickly defeat personnel targets” behind cover, which would be an air-bursting design. As Northrop Grumman’s O’Hara noted, with the help of a proximity fuze, rounds designed for counter-defilade use could also be employed against drones. Armor-piercing, shotgun-like “close quarters battle” anti-personnel canister, and training rounds are expected to go along with the PGS, as well.
It is important to remember that the Army’s current PGS effort follows the cancellation of work on a similarly advanced 25mm grenade launcher, designated the XM25 and nicknamed “The Punisher,” back in 2018. Work on the XM25 began in the mid-2000s as an outgrowth of an abortive next-generation infantry weapons program called the Objective Infantry Combat Weapon (OICW) that started in the 1990s. Given the stated PGS weight requirement, it is interesting to note that the XM25’s 14-pound weight was cited as contributing to its ultimate cancellation. The cost of the grenade launcher and its advanced programmable ammunition, as well as its physical bulk, were also factors.
At least two other grenade launchers are being pitched to the Army now for PGS. These are the Squad Support Rifle System (SSRS) from Barrett Firearms and MARS, Inc., and FN America’s PGS-001. The SSRS and the PGS-001 could have an additional leg up thanks to being the two finalists in the Army’s xTechSoldier Lethality challenge that wrapped up in 2023. You can read more about what is known about those designs here.
A mockup of the Squad Support Rifle System from Barrett Firearms and MARS, Inc. Jamie Hunter
What the Army’s timeline is now for settling on a PGS design and fielding remains unclear. The aforementioned contracting notice put in February was tied to PGS, but was specifically about a Prototype Project Opportunity described as “a risk reduction effort separate from the Precision Grenadier Program of Record with the goal of developing technologies associated with the current capability gap.”
The Army clearly still has an active interest in the capabilities that PGS could offer, now further spurred on by the ever-growing threats that drones present. Though the danger posed by drones is not new, it has been very pointedly observed in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as other hotspots around the world in recent years.
Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, in the green jacket, is shown, from left to right, mockups of the Northrop Grumman-Colt precision grenade launcher, the FN America PGS-001, and the Barrett/MARS SSRS. An M4 carbine and an M320 grenade launcher are also seen at right. US Army
The recently released video shows that Northrop Grumman and Colt are continuing in their development of one grenade launcher design that could meet the Army’s PGS needs.
Howard Altman contributed to this story.
Contact the author: *****@*****.tld
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Moody's downgrades U.S. credit rating, citing rising government debt – CBS News
Moody's downgrades U.S. credit rating, citing rising government debt – CBS News
Moody’s downgrades U.S. credit rating, citing rising government debt CBS NewsU.S. Loses Last Triple-A Credit Rating WSJMoody’s downgrades United States credit rating on increase in government debt CNBCMoody’s downgrades U.S. credit as Congress considers bill that could add to deficits The Washington PostMoody’s Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating Below Triple-A The New York Times
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Ex-winner Shaun Micheel gives way to snake at PGA
Ex-winner Shaun Micheel gives way to snake at PGA
Shaun Micheel has shrugged off an experience with an unwelcomed visitor on his way to missing the cut in the 107th US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
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Trump Rants After Slamming ‘******’ Reporter’s Question
Trump Rants After Slamming ‘******’ Reporter’s Question
President Donald Trump launched into a full-blown rant after blasting a reporter for asking a “******” question about his decision to welcome white South Africans as refugees.
Aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump was pressed on his decision to grant refugee status to members of South Africa’s Afrikaner community, claiming without evidence that they were victims of “genocide.”
The U.S. funded a charter flight for dozens of Afrikaners—a white ethnic ********* group in South Africa descended from mainly Dutch colonists—even as the Trump administration barred many other refugee admissions.
An Omni Air International charter flight from South Africa to the United States lands at Washington Dulles International Airport on May 12, 2025 in Dulles, Virginia. / Chip Somodevilla / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Doubling down on his genocide claims, Trump declared that South Africa was “out of control” and accused the media of turning a blind eye.
“And it’s been out of control for a long time, and the media doesn’t report it,” Trump said.
“I think if I see people in distress, I don’t care what color, what they look like, what anything—their size, their height, their eyes. I don’t care,” he told the press, insisting his decision wasn’t based on race.
“But I think that, from all evidence, the farmers in South Africa are being treated brutally. And it’s been reported, and nobody wants to cover it,” Trump continued.
“But they happen to be white. And if they were ******, I’d do the exact same thing. And we treat people very well when we see there’s a genocide going on,” he said. “So if it’s a genocide, that’s terrible. And I happen to believe it could very well be.”
Trump then tore into the reporter who asked the question, branding it as “******.”
“And I’m not looking for reporting because, believe me, it’s easier for me not to do anything. It’s a lot easier because I don’t get ****** questions like that,” the president said.
“But the fact is that we’re about saving lives, and we’re gonna do that. So we’ve made a home, and we’ll make a home for other people that are treated badly, no matter what their color.”
Afrikaners such as Charl Kleinhaus arrive at Dulles International Airport on May 12, 2025 in Dulles, VA. / The Washington Post / Craig Hudson For The Washington Post via Getty Images
South African officials have accused the Trump administration of having ulterior political motives for granting the group refugee status. Trump has denounced South Africa for its relationship with Iran and taking Israel to the International Court of Justice over the Gaza conflict, The New York Times reported.
“It is most regrettable that it appears that the resettlement of South Africans to the United States under the guise of being ‘refugees’ is entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa’s constitutional democracy,” Chrispin Phiri, a spokesman for the South African government, told the newspaper in a statement.
Meanwhile, Trump’s billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who grew up in South Africa during the final years of apartheid, as well as his AI chatbot Grok, have come under fire for also promoting the claim that Afrikaners are victims of genocide.
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Thaddeus Mosley Shapes Universes in Wood
Thaddeus Mosley Shapes Universes in Wood
The first sculpture in Thaddeus Mosley’s spectacular show “Proximity” is an assembly of four roughly wishbone-shaped pieces of carved walnut that stands 6 ½ feet tall. He calls it “Arboreal Choreography.” Seen from the gallery’s front door it does indeed bring to mind a well-dressed dancer in a self-conscious pose, thumbs in braces, one toe raised. From the end of a nearby bench, though, it becomes a complex jungle of shadows, creases, cracks and reinforcements, with brown and off-white tones so rich and various that you’d almost think he painted them on. As you pass alongside, it all becomes something else again.
Mosley, who was born in 1926, has also worked in assemblage, sourcing miscellaneous objects from a Pittsburgh junkyard owned by Andy Warhol’s brother; one piece in the current show is mounted on a found lamp stand. In the past few years he’s also taken up casting, and a group of his recent bronzes will soon be installed in City Hall Park in Manhattan. But since he started making sculpture in Pittsburgh in the 1950s, the Pennsylvania native has chiefly worked with hardwood, enlisting every last bit of its natural aesthetic splendor, as Noguchi did for stone.
Many of the pieces in “Proximity” express more singular thoughts than “Arboreal Choreography.” There are stools, wooden embraces, and several notched spirals that culminate in a majestic, nine-foot-tall column topped by a jaunty half pipe. Two sculptures made of locust wood are so shiny and yellow that they call to mind glazed French confections, at least for the moment. (Exposure to the air will eventually turn them brown.) It’s not that any of these things are simple — you could almost see “Curvilinear Reach” in a graduate-level math course — just that they’re easily taken in as wholes. Still, even in the most straightforward pieces, Mosley weaves together heady pairs of opposites: stillness and motion, curves and straight edges, intimacy and grandeur, conscious intention and organic growth.
“Sonic X24” leans back like a debonair narwhal, and in “Crossroads,” a blade-shaped length of walnut notches a semicircular piece that evokes a slice of melon. In “Flight Form,” a rounded, hollow piece of dark brown walnut sits horizontally atop a ballet-toe-shaped column.
Viewed from the middle of the room, it brings to mind a flayed beef carcass of the kind that Chaim Soutine liked to paint, a bulging, numinous stand-in for the universe itself. But Mosley ends his universe with 12 square projections, as if to impose some human order and decision onto the natural world. From the other side the same form reveals a crackling cavity full of esoteric mystery.
Thaddeus Mosley: Proximity
Through May 23, Karma Gallery, 549 West 26th Street, Manhattan; (212) 717-1671, karmakarma.org.
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