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AuMEGA Metals discovers high-grade gold at Intersection Project, Newfoundland

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AuMEGA Metals Ltd. reported high-grade gold results from a comprehensive surficial geochemical, geological mapping and prospecting program completed at its 100%-owned Intersection Project along the Cape Ray Shear Zone (CRSZ) in southwest Newfoundland and Labrador.

Highlights: 100.5 g/t gold sample (float), the second-highest grade gold sample ever collected across AuMEGA’s Newfoundland property portfolio.

Two additional samples grading 23.8 g/t gold (float) and 23.1 g/t gold (float), confirming multiple high-grade gold occurrences within the project area.

Intersection lies at the convergence of the CRSZ and Hermitage Flexure, two of Newfoundland’s largest known gold-bearing structural corridors.

Results advance Intersection from the broad gold-in-till anomalism identified in 2024 to the identification of high-grade gold mineralization at surface.

The project shares important geological characteristics with the Valentine Gold District and is adjacent to mineral claims recently staked by Equinox Gold.

Additional assay results remain pending and will be integrated with geological, structural andgeochemical data to design a follow-up exploration program.

Sam Pazuki, Managing Director and CEO of AuMEGA, commented: “These results demonstrate the value of the systematic exploration approach we have applied across our Newfoundland portfolio and our ability to continually build the exploration pipeline. By progressively integrating geochemistry, geological mapping, prospecting, geophysics and structural interpretation, we have identified areas containing exceptionally high-grade gold mineralisation while generating and expanding the targets that led to our 2026 drilling programs.

“That process enabled us to drill the first-ever holes into several new targets across the portfolio in 2026. Intersection is progressing through the same disciplined sequence. Our 2024 reconnaissance program identified four large gold target areas, and the expanded 2026 program has now identified multiple high-grade gold occurrences at surface, including the 100.5 g/t gold sample.

“This is the proper way to explore large, remote and underexplored land packages: systematically build the geological evidence, strengthen the targets and advance the highest-priority areas toward drilling. With additional assays pending, we will integrate the complete dataset to design the next phase of exploration, which we expect will include advancing targets toward drill testing.”

The 169 km² Intersection Project is positioned where the CRSZ and Hermitage Flexure, two of Newfoundland’s largest known gold-bearing structural corridors, converge. The project contains prospective Windsor Point Group sedimentary rocks, the same stratigraphic package that hosts the company’s Central Zone deposit, together with felsic intrusions in a geological setting that shares important characteristics with the Valentine Gold District.

AuMEGA’s inaugural exploration program at Intersection in 2024 comprised 914 till samples collected across an area measuring approximately 15 km by seven km. The program identified four large gold target areas, including a significant anomaly within the Windsor Point Group, and returned values of up to 173 ppb gold with associated silver-copper-bismuth anomalism.

Building on those results, the company completed a substantially expanded surficial geochemical, geological mapping and prospecting program across the eastern portion of the Project in 2026. The program included systematic till sampling on a nominal 320-metre by 80-metre and infill on a 160-metre by 80-metre grid.

The float samples, collected during geological mapping and reconnaissance in parallel to the till sampling program, returned samples grading 100.5 g/t gold, 23.8 g/t gold and 23.1 g/t gold represent an important advancement from broad regional gold anomalism to the identification of high-grade gold mineralization at surface. A total of 56 grab samples were collected during this reconnaissance geological mapping program. Assays are pending for the majority of the program samples collected.

In May 2026, AuMEGA staked the Solstice Project immediately north of Intersection. The strategic significance of the area is further highlighted by mineral claims recently staked by Equinox Gold adjacent to the Intersection and Solstice projects.

The 2026 exploration program was designed to expand systematic coverage across Intersection, improve the company’s understanding of the underlying geology and regional structural architecture, and identify areas warranting advancement toward drill-ready status.

Field activities included systematic till sampling on a nominal 320-metre by 80-metre and infill on a 160-metre by 80-metre grid; geological and structural mapping; prospecting and rock sampling; and follow-up evaluation of prospective geological and structural settings.

The three high-grade float samples were collected shortly after field activities commenced and before the start of the company’s 2026 drilling campaigns. Assay results from additional rock and till samples remain pending.

Upon receipt of the remaining assay results, the Company will integrate the complete geochemical dataset with geological mapping, historical airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys, and updated structural interpretations.

The integrated interpretation will be used to refine priority targets and design the next phase of exploration, which is expected to consider tighter-spaced surficial geochemistry; detailed prospecting and structural mapping; ground geophysics, potentially including induced polarization; and advancement of priority targets toward scout drilling.

Drilling continues at the Company’s Bunker Hill Project, where AuMEGA is testing priority gold and polymetallic targets across multiple prospective structural corridors.

At Cape Ray, the first phase of the Company’s 2026 drilling program has been completed, and assay results are pending.

These programs form part of AuMEGA’s systematic strategy to advance multiple discovery and resource-growth opportunities across its district-scale Newfoundland property portfolio.

MPs bag nearly £500k in freebies from UAE and Manchester City as campaigners raise ‘conflict of interest’ concern

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MPs bag nearly £500k in freebies from UAE and Manchester City as campaigners raise ‘conflict of interest’ concern

track and field Links: Andy Burnham pictured with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarakin in 2019 (PA)

Cosy: Andy Burnham with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak (PA Wire)

Politicians have received hundreds of thousands of pounds in freebies from Manchester City and its UAE owners.

Manchester City handed out gifts worth £25,000 to politicians from all parties from October 2014 to May 2025.

Meanwhile, the UAE has splashed out more than £467,000 on hospitality for MPs from all parties over an extended period, with Labour the biggest recipient.

The revelations, in an investigation by The Sun, come after City were found guilty of breaking financial rules using ‘sham contracts’ to disguise secret funding of more than £830million. City have lodged an appeal.

Prime minister Andy Burnham said he was ‘really concerned’ City’s owners could pull investments in Britain after the verdict, a comment that caused outrage among City’s rivals.

He later said it was ‘important to separate the football issues from wider investment’. However, the investigation has drawn more attention to the close links between the UAE and UK politicians.

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track and field Deputy Labour party leader Lucy Powell (L) and Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham (R) chat on stage on the first day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, north-west England, on September 27, 2026. Britain's ruling Labour Party gathers Sunday for its first annual conference under Andy Burnham's leadership, heartened by his start as prime minister but now looking for concrete plans to tackle looming challenges. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)

Freebies: Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell received hospitality from City (AFP)

Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell, whose Manchester Central constituency includes City’s Etihad stadium, has received hospitality at matches worth £2,360.

Other Labour figures to receive hospitality from City include Stretford and Urmston MP Andrew Western, Manchester Withington MP Jeff Smith and former PM Sir Keir Starmer.

track and field File photo dated 19/05/24 of Kyle Walker.   Manchester City’s glory years cannot be taken away from the players, according to former captain Kyle Walker.  City have appealed against last week’s seismic judgment of an independent commission that they broke Premier League financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18.  Walker spent eight years at City from 2017 to 2025, winning the Champions League as well as 12 major domestic honours.    Issue date: Wednesday October 7, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

Glory years: But City have been found guilty breaking financial rules (PA)

Since 2012, the UAE has spent almost half-a-million pounds on freebies for MPs of all parties.

Some 78 separate entries in the MPs’ Register of Interests show a total of £467,000 was accepted from the Gulf state, with Labour MPs taking £275,000 of freebies, the Tories £175,000, the SNP £15,000, the Lib Dems £3,500 and Reform UK £1,000.

The freebies, mainly including free flights and hospitality, came from bodies including the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government of the UAE and the Abu Dhabi Education Council.

Mr Burnham was known for forging close ties with the UAE in his time as mayor of Greater Manchester.

He spoke to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president and brother of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, days after becoming PM. And Mr Burnham’s Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, met City chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak at No.10 shortly before the guilty verdict was announced.

track and field File photo dated 10/06/23 of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18 by an independent commission, the league has said. Issue date: Tuesday September 29, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

Influential figure: Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour (PA)

Some Premier League clubs were reported to be ‘concerned’ by how Mr Burnham’s comments after the Manchester City verdict could affect the appeal process.

The close links between MPs and the UAE were criticised by William Yarwood of TaxPayers’ Alliance, who said: ‘Taxpayers will be concerned to hear that politicians are receiving gifts that may lead to conflicts of interest.

‘Against the backdrop of ongoing scrutiny of UAE-backed Manchester City, politicians dining at the club’s expense raises serious questions about foreign influence and transparency.

‘Politicians who are elected to serve taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of integrity and avoid any conflicts of interest.’

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Samsung Galaxy S25 gets Rs 10,900 discount: Details here

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Want a flagship Samsung phone without spending a fortune? The Samsung Galaxy S25 could be worth considering.

The smartphone is currently listed at Rs 65,990 while the device’s launch price is Rs 74,999.

That means you’re getting a direct discount of Rs 9,009. The discount doesn’t end here; there’s more.

Buyers can also get cashback up to Rs 1,979, bringing the effective price down even further.

With this additional offer, the effective price of the Samsung Galaxy S25 drops to Rs 64,011.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
is using Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which can easily offer raw performance  without any stutter or lag.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a massive 6.9-inch screen, up from 6.8 inches in the previous model. The bezels around the display are quite slim too. Gamers will surely enjoy using this phone.

It packs 5,000mAh battery, which can offer almost a full day’s battery life. You can also expect excellent camera experiene from this Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with 50-megapixel ultra-wide sensor.  The other three sensors in the rear camera setup are – a 200-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.

This is perhaps the lowest Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s price and you should not miss this deal. Although, its price is expected to drop even lower as S26 Ultra is likely arriving in a month.

iPhone 17 price drops to lowest: Full details

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The iPhone 17 has received a flat discount of Rs 12,901 on Flipkart, bringing it to its lowest price. There is also an extra bank discount of Rs 5,000. Here are the details of the deal.

Currently, the iPhone 17 is selling on Flipkart’s website at a discounted price of Rs 86,999. This is for the base model with 256GB storage version.

Its current official retail price is Rs 99,900, which means that Flipkart is offering a flat discount of Rs 12,901.

There is also an extra discount of Rs 5,000 on Flipkart SBI and Flipart Axis bank cards, which will further drop the price of the phone.

And to save even more, you can exchange your old device. The savings in this case will depend on the condition of the phone you trade in for the iPhone 17. You can consider selling your old phone to Flipkart or Cashify.

The iPhone 17 is Apple’s best vanilla iPhone. The device brings a solid all-around package at this price. Here is everything you need to know about the flagship phone.

Under the hood, the iPhone 17 uses Apple’s A19 chipset. In our review, the device was easily able to handle heavy multitasking or long gaming sessions on titles such as Genshin Impact.

On the front, you get a 6.3-inch OLED panel. The iPhone 17 finally gets a 120Hz refresh rate, something that was missing from the iPhone 16. We found the screen itself to be quite vibrant with minimal bezels.

The iPhone 17 features a dual rear camera setup – a 48-megapixel main and a 48-megapixel ultrawide. Both sensors can give you good results, even in some challenging lightning conditions.

During our review, the iPhone 17 lasted for a day and more on a single charge. To top it up, the device supports USB-C charging and MagSafe.

Youth, we’re with you: Rahul Gandhi’s message as cops crack down on CJP protest

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Rahul Gandhi attacked Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as Opposition protests intensified in Delhi over the electoral roll revision exercise. The remarks came amid mass detentions and fresh Opposition claims that peaceful dissent and voting rights are under threat.

medical Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi said the Opposition would defend the Constitution and “protect the voice of the Indian people”. (Credits: X and PTI)

New Delhi,Oct 10, 2026 18:16 IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid a major crackdown on protests against the Election Commission in Delhi.

In a post on X, Gandhi said he had been fighting Modi and the RSS for more than a decade and claimed that the space around the government was “closing”. He named Modi, Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Kumar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as the “villains of this story”.

“The core characteristic of these people is cowardice,” Gandhi said.

He also challenged the government to deploy more police and arrest Opposition leaders and young protesters, saying such action would not stop the movement.

Mr. Modi, do whatever you want. Call out all the police: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, whatever you want. Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all,” Gandhi said, adding that the protesters were “not going to back down.”

Gandhi said the Opposition would defend the Constitution and “protect the voice of the Indian people”. He also urged young Indians to continue protesting.

“Youth of India, I am proud of you. Keep protesting. We are standing with you. We are going to ensure that this regime and the people who have attacked our Constitution are defeated,” he concluded.

(Credits: X/Rahul Gandhi)

I’ve been fighting Narendra Modi and the RSS for over a decade now. I understand them like you would understand your opponent – inside out, like the back of my hand. The core characteristic of these people is cowardice. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat, Gyanesh Kumar and Ajit Doval, the villains of this story, are slowly finding the space closing around them. We are closing that space. Mr. Modi, do whatever you want. Call out all the police: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, whatever you want. Arrest all the leaders. Arrest all the young people. Arrest us all. We are surrounding you, and we are not going to back down. Mark my words: we already have the information we need. We are going to defend our Constitution. We are going to protect the voice of the Indian people. And we are going to ensure that what was done to India over the last 10-15 years will never, ever be done again. Youth of India, I am proud of you. Keep protesting. We are standing with you. We are going to ensure that this regime and the people who have attacked our Constitution are defeated. , RSS , , – , , , , – – – , , – 10 , 20 , 50 , – , – , 10-15 , , , — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 10, 2026

PRIYANKA GANDHI ATTACKS DELHI RESTRICTIONS

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the security measures imposed in Delhi during the protests.

In a post on X, she claimed that 254 MPs had been “roughed up” and detained illegally and accused authorities of taking similar action against protesters from Opposition parties.

She said the national capital had effectively been placed under siege, with barricades, restrictions on trains and metro services, internet curbs and checkpoints across the city.

Priyanka Gandhi also accused security forces of detaining young men and women who were exercising their constitutional right to protest.

She questioned whether the crackdown and restrictions indicated that the government was concerned about allegations of election manipulation and demands for accountability from the Election Commission.

“India is not a democracy anymore. It is a dictatorship being run by Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah,” she said.

She further accused those supporting the government in actions that, in her view, undermine democratic institutions of “committing treason against the nation”.

(Credits: X/Priyanka Gandhi)

MAMATA, KEJRIWAL AMONG OPPOSITION LEADERS DETAINED

The Congress leaders’ remarks came as Delhi Police mounted a major security operation to prevent a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were among several Opposition leaders detained on Saturday.

Several other leaders, including TMC MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) MPs John Brittas and KN Balagopal, and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Durgesh Pathak, were also detained.

More than 2,000 people were detained during the crackdown, including YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, as authorities sought to prevent the CJP protest from gathering at Jantar Mantar.

Mamata Banerjee later said she and other leaders had started a dharna at Dwarka North police station.

She claimed that they were taken away in a prison van and driven around for nearly two hours. She also said she would remain in Delhi and join an INDIA bloc march planned for Monday.

The detentions and restrictions have intensified the Opposition’s campaign against Kumar and the Election Commission, with Opposition parties demanding his removal and questioning the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

– Ends

iPhone 17 Pro Max available at the lowest price for limited time

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The iPhone 17 Pro Max is listed on Vijay Sales’ website at a discounted price, dropping its price to lowest. It has received a flat discount of Rs 6000 and a bank offer of Rs 6000. Here is everything you need to know.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is listed on Vijay Sales’ website for Rs 1,43,900, down from the launch price of Rs 1,49,900. This means you are getting a flat discount of Rs 6,000.

There is also an additional discount of Rs 6,000 on HDFC bank cards, which will further reduce the price. So, you are getting a total discount of up to Rs 12,000.

The mentioned price is for 256GB storage model. The offer is currently applicable on different colour model.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is Apple’s latest top-of-the-line flagship. The device brings impressive performance, good cameras, and solid battery life.

For performance, you get the A19 Pro chipset on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. During our review, the phone could easily handle long sessions on titles such as Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves.

On the front, the iPhone 17 Pro Max packs a 6.9-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. We found that the display delivers punchy colours with high brightness.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with a triple rear camera setup with three 48-megapixel sensors – a main, an ultrawide, and a 4x telephoto. This provides you a versatile setup that can give you good results, particularly for video recording.

When it comes to battery life, the iPhone 17 Pro Max easily lasted for a day and some more on a single charge during our review. To top it up, you get support for USB-C charging and MagSafe.

Overall, the current iPhone 17 Pro Max offer is a solid deal for those who were planning to buy this phone and were looking for massive discount offers.

iPhone Air gets Rs 30,000 off, no conditions

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The iPhone Air just got a big price cut on Reliance Digital, and you don’t need any bank offers to get this deal.

The iPhone Air is available right now for Rs 1,19,900, down from the Rs 1,49,900 listed price.

This means that you save Rs 30,000 on the iPhone Air straightaway with this deal.

Of course, you can save extra with bank offers or by exchanging your old device for the iPhone Air.

The iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever made with a thickness of just 5.6mm, making it standout among other phones.

Under the hood, the iPhone Air packs the A19 Pro chipset, albeit with one less GPU core compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. Nonetheless, the device was able to handle everyday tasks and multitasking with ease during our review.

The iPhone Air comes with a 6.5-inch OLED display on the front. We found the screen to be quite immersive with good colours, making it ideal for streaming movies or shows.

The iPhone Air gets a single 48-megapixel camera on the back. But we found that this should do the job for most users with sharp details and good colours.

Apple promises all-day battery life for the iPhone Air. During our time with the device, it would usually make it till a day’s end on a single charge. You get USB-C and MagSafe support for charging.

How Did Alleigha Botner and Caleb Flynn Meet? Mistress Denies Helping Singer Murder His Wife

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Alleigha Botner, the former mistress of American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn, has denied helping him plan the murder of his wife, Ashley Flynn. Her lawyer, Nick Gounaris, says the disturbing messages exchanged between the pair do not establish that his client participated in the killing.

Flynn, 40, was convicted of aggravated murder and other offences following a trial in Ohio. Ashley, 37, was shot twice in the head while she slept in the couple’s home in Tipp City on 16 February 2026. On 5 October, Judge Jeannine Pratt sentenced Flynn to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Botner has not been charged in connection with Ashley’s death. However, text messages presented during Flynn’s trial drew attention to the affair and the pair’s discussions about Ashley. The exchanges became a significant part of the prosecution’s case against Flynn.

Botner testified that she was 20 when she met him in 2022 at Christian Life Center in Dayton, Ohio, where she was an intern. Flynn was in his mid-30s at the time. The two later served together on the church’s worship team.

According to her testimony, their relationship became romantic in early 2024. Their affair continued through an extensive exchange of messages, with more than 100,000 texts reportedly exchanged between them. The messages became important evidence during the trial, offering jurors insight into their relationship and conversations about Flynn’s marriage.

In an interview published by Fox News Digital on 8 October 2026, Gounaris defended his client and argued that the messages did not prove she had helped plan the killing. His comments came after Flynn’s conviction and sentencing attracted renewed attention to Botner’s role in the case.

news Alleigha Botner’s Lawyer Challenges Claims About Her Involvement

Gounaris said Botner accepted responsibility for the affair and for the hurtful things she said about Ashley. He argued that those actions should not be confused with participation in murder.

‘The truth is that she had an affair with a married man and she said terrible things about that man’s wife. That’s what she did,’ he told Fox News Digital.

He also said Botner ‘takes full responsibility for her actions, but not what he was convicted of.’

The lawyer’s position centres on the distinction between the messages and evidence that would establish criminal involvement. Although the exchanges included disturbing statements about Ashley, Botner has not been charged in connection with her death. Her legal status should not be confused with Flynn’s conviction.

Among the messages presented at trial was a July 2025 exchange in which Botner wrote, ‘I want to kill her, Caleb. It’s so bad.’ Flynn reportedly responded, ‘That makes two of us.’

Another exchange concerned the possibility of hiring someone to kill Ashley. According to the testimony described in court reporting, Flynn raised the idea and Botner responded, ‘So tempting.’

These messages are relevant to understanding why questions about the affair have persisted. However, the meaning of individual exchanges must be considered in context rather than treated as independent proof of criminal participation.

Botner also testified about messages in which Flynn discussed thoughts of killing his wife. In one exchange, he reportedly described staying awake until 4 a.m. and thinking about ways to kill Ashley without going to jail. Botner said she did not want him to kill his wife and argued that divorce would change their circumstances.

Another message contained the words, ‘Until she’s gone, I’m gone.’ Under questioning from Flynn’s defence team, Botner said she had meant that she wanted him to divorce Ashley.

news Messages Before Ashley Flynn’s Death Raise Further Questions

The exchanges continued to attract attention because of their timing. Prosecutors presented messages concerning divorce, child custody and the possibility that Ashley would discover the affair. Botner had also researched divorce-related questions and shared information with Flynn, according to trial reporting.

Shortly before midnight before Ashley’s death, Flynn reportedly sent Botner a message saying, ‘Good night, tomorrow’s a big day.’ He also wrote, ‘I choose you, I’m about to be free.’

The messages took on greater significance after Ashley was killed in the early hours of 16 February 2026. Prosecutors argued that Flynn killed his wife and attempted to make the scene appear to be a burglary. Flynn was convicted by a jury on 29 September 2026.

Botner testified that she became concerned after learning about Ashley’s death. She later contacted Flynn to ask whether he had been involved. She also acknowledged deleting a message because she feared investigators might discover the affair by examining his phone.

According to her testimony, she initially told the FBI that she did not believe Flynn had killed his wife. She later described the circumstances as ‘way too much of a coincidence’.

The distinction between Botner’s testimony and her lawyer’s current position remains important. Her statements and the messages were discussed during the trial, but she has not been charged in connection with Ashley’s killing. Gounaris maintains that the evidence does not establish her involvement.

Flynn, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence despite the verdict. His lawyers filed a notice of appeal following his sentence, according to local reporting. The appeal is a separate legal development and does not alter the jury’s existing verdict.

Flynn first came to wider public attention when he appeared on American Idol in 2013. During his audition, he credited Ashley with encouraging him to pursue his musical ambitions.

More than a decade later, his television appearance has become a footnote to a case centred on Ashley’s death, the affair and the messages examined in court. The case has also raised difficult questions about how threatening or disturbing private communications should be interpreted when investigators examine a serious crime.

For now, the legal outcomes remain distinct: Flynn has been convicted and sentenced, while Botner has not been charged in connection with the killing. Any further claims about her involvement must be supported by evidence rather than inferred from the affair or the messages alone.

PlayStation 6 Release Date: Why a Former Sony Executive Notes That Gamers Have ‘Finite Budgets’

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The PlayStation 6 release date remains unconfirmed, but former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida believes Sony should avoid rushing into its next console generation. He argues that rising hardware costs and limited consumer budgets could make new consoles harder to justify while existing systems remain capable.

Yoshida’s comments highlight a challenge for console manufacturers: convincing players to buy new hardware when their current machines still meet their needs. His argument centres on affordability, rather than a confirmed decision by Sony to postpone its next console.

The PlayStation 5 launched in November 2020, while Sony later introduced the PS5 Pro as a more powerful option within the same generation. These systems give players different performance options without requiring a move to an entirely new console generation.

A new console must offer compelling reasons for people to upgrade. Better graphics and improved performance can attract enthusiasts, but higher prices may discourage customers who are satisfied with their existing hardware.

In an interview published by The Vergecast on 28 September 2026, Yoshida discussed the rising cost of gaming hardware and the financial pressures facing consumers. He suggested Sony and Nintendo could benefit from keeping their current console generations going for as long as possible. His comments were an assessment of the market, not an announcement of Sony’s plans for the PS6.

news Why Yoshida Thinks Sony Should Extend the PS5 Generation

Yoshida explained that specialised components used in gaming consoles and personal computers have become more expensive. He believes these increases could influence how consumers approach their next hardware purchase.

‘People have finite budget,’ Yoshida said during the interview, discussing the financial limits facing players. He argued that people who already own a PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 or sufficiently capable gaming PC may prefer to continue using their existing systems.

His reasoning also draws on personal experience. Yoshida said he had considered replacing his gaming PC, which he had purchased five years earlier, but delayed the decision as prices increased. He suggested other players might make similar calculations before committing to new hardware.

The issue extends beyond the price of a console itself. Buyers may also consider the cost of games, accessories and subscriptions when deciding whether an upgrade represents good value. A more powerful system must offer benefits that justify the additional expense.

Yoshida also questioned whether players and developers are actively demanding another major performance increase. ‘I don’t think lots of people are asking for more power,’ he said, expressing his view that current hardware could remain suitable for years.

His comments should not be interpreted as proof that all players are satisfied with existing consoles. Enthusiasts may still want higher frame rates, better graphics and improved technical capabilities. However, Yoshida believes there is no compelling reason to assume that demand for more powerful hardware requires an immediate generational change.

news What Yoshida’s Comments Mean for the PlayStation 6 Release Date

Yoshida’s argument raises questions about how Sony will position its next console. The company would need to demonstrate meaningful improvements while considering the price consumers might be willing to pay.

The PS5 Pro already provides an upgraded option for players seeking enhanced performance within the current generation. However, it does not establish when Sony will introduce a successor or what features that system might offer.

Developers also have a role in determining when a new generation becomes necessary. Better optimisation and improved development tools can help studios make effective use of existing hardware. Nevertheless, technical progress alone cannot establish how long a console generation should last.

There are commercial considerations on both sides. Extending a generation could allow manufacturers to continue serving existing customers without immediately introducing another expensive device. Conversely, a future console could attract buyers if it delivers improvements that current systems cannot provide.

Yoshida’s remarks do not establish that Sony has delayed the PS6 or settled on a launch window. Nor do they confirm claims that the next PlayStation could arrive in 2027 or cost more than $1,000. Without an attributable announcement or substantiated reporting, those figures should be treated as unconfirmed speculation.

Sony’s eventual decision will depend on factors that cannot be determined from Yoshida’s comments alone. These include hardware development, production costs, software requirements and the company’s commercial priorities.

For now, the PlayStation 6 release date remains an open question. Yoshida’s central point is that Sony and Nintendo should consider whether their existing consoles can continue meeting players’ needs before moving to the next generation.

His argument offers a useful perspective on the industry’s affordability challenge, but it does not reveal Sony’s launch plans. Until the company confirms further details, consumers should distinguish informed commentary from an official release date or price announcement.

The Most Amazing Cosplay of New York Comic Con 2026, Day 2

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Why should you have to choose between Batman and the Joker when you can cosplay as both at the same time?


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On day two of New York Comic Con 2026, anime got a lot of love from cosplayers. We saw three different characters from Chainsaw Man (Reze, Makima, and Denji), plus a super impressive Deku from My Hero Academia. And, of course, we need to give a special shout-out to the person in full-body makeup cosplaying as Jake Sully from Avatar. Take a look at the best cosplay we saw yesterday.

Want more io9 news? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this month and all the upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books that should be on your radar.

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Two characters open up a world of typosquatting opportunities in Chromium browsers

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Researchers say two characters available to typosquatters and phisherfolk can trick Chromium browsers into displaying lookalike URLs as genuine web addresses.

Wangling a domain name to look an awful lot like that of a popular website is nothing new. We’ve all encountered phishing sites such as macrosoft[.]com and applle[.]com before in our daily struggles against spam.

However, as browsers mature, new characters are always being made available for use. This opens up new opportunities for those whose languages contain characters/homoglyphs that aren’t ASCII-compliant, but it also introduces new ways for attackers to abuse display logic quirks in programs like Chrome and Edge.

According to Ian Muscat and Leanne Briffa of Have I Been Squatted, there are still characters available to cyber-imposters that can reliably fool web users into trusting URLs that they certainly should not.

The latest glyphs bypassing browser safety checks allow tricksters to run websites from a clearly fake domain name (when displayed in Punycode), although they appear just like the real deal in Unicode.

The characters of note, in this case, are ө, which is found in various Cyrillic languages such as Kazakh, Mongolian, and Tatar, and the Latin K with hook, ƙ, used in Hausa and Karai-karai.

Both are visually similar to the letters e/o, i, and k, respectively, and allowed the researchers to register 20 lookalike domain names.

These included:

  • aррӏө[.]com

  • sрасөх[.]com

  • oƙta[.]com

  • niƙe[.]com

Below are the URLs’ Punycode equivalents – how browsers should display them safely:

  • xn--80a6aa68c8d.com

  • xn--80a5aeq0fr0c.com

  • xn--ota-f6a.com

  • xn--nie-g6a.com

You can try them out; they’re registered by Have I Been Squatted and are safe to visit.

They take you to research demo pages set up by the researchers, and each page explains how exactly they bypass browser protections.

Crucially, they all bypass the key security measures deployed by Chromium-based browsers.

How the bypasses work

Browsers deploy two main defense layers. The first is a set of seven sequential checks run by Chromium’s SafeToDisplayAsUnicode function, which check for a range of common spoofing methods.

Vendors began introducing these checks in 2017 after researcher Xudong Zheng registered аррӏе.com – a domain consisting of all-Cyrillic characters.

Chromium’s checks, which factor in a hardcoded list of known Cyrillic characters known to be used in place of Latin letters, can be seen as “all or nothing.”

Built to detect all-Cyrillic strings, the measure only takes action against domain names if every character in the string is on its hardcoded list.

If one character is missing, the check is bypassed. Characters such as ө, ї, and ү, are known as “breakers,” as these are not present in the lookalike list, as of Chrome 154 (released to stable channel on September 22).

Failing any of the seven display checks tells the browser that the characters are unsafe to display as Unicode and to instead display the Punycode, revealing just how dissimilar they are to the genuine domains they try to imitate.

The second measure browsers take is to compare the domain name against a list of popular websites to see if it is trying to imitate one of them.

In Chromium, these checks are handled by the GetSimilarTopDomain() function. This step converts a supplied domain name into a “skeleton,” stripping its characters of diacritics, such as accents (ó becomes o), and checking the skeleton URL against a hardcoded list of popular websites.

Chromium checks against almost 8,500, and if the skeleton matches any of them, then it displays Punycode.

However, the Latin K with hook, ƙ, does not have an accent, and is added to the skeleton as a Latin k with an added combining mark, bypassing the security check.

In this case, the skeleton is formed as: .

(The skeleton maps “m” to “rn”).

Likewise, with аррӏө.com, the Cyrillic barred o retains its bar in the skeleton as a combining mark, meaning it does not match the genuine Apple domain.

Its skeleton is formed as: .

Browsers are always working to stymie these tools of imposterment. Chrome 148 put an end to attackers being able to use ҏ and ӿ as breakers to imitate their Latin lookalikes, for example.

The two main security checks are not the only lines of defense. Chromium also deploys warnings at the time of navigation called Safety Tips.

An example domain that would bypass the two main checks is ínstagarm[.]com. The inflection on the beginning character is removed and what’s left is essentially the real Instagram domain with two letters swapped.

The Instagarm domain does not match any of the hardcoded sites, nor does it contain any banned characters.

In this case, Chrome will display one of two popups, asking the user if they meant to visit the genuine domain, warning that the current direction of travel appears fake.

However, there are limits to this extra security layer.

The warnings only trigger when an imitation domain is an exact-character match, a one-edit match, or a match with an adjacent swap from the genuine URL. Two or more changes, like with аррӏө[.]com, which has all-Cyrillic characters preceding the “.com,” will not trigger these warnings.

The warnings will also not trigger with domains consisting of fewer than five characters. Domains such as oƙta.com, which is only one edit from the real Okta, may not trigger defenses because of the one-edit rule and the fact that it is only four characters.

Safety Tips also checks the skeleton against the sites users visit regularly, not just the hardcoded list of trusted sites. Frequently visited sites may trigger the same warnings, but for users who do not have a comprehensive visit history, the defense layer may fail.

The defenses described here only apply to browsers. Email clients are even less picky with imitation domain strings.

Websites like Gmail displayed each of the 20 domains HIBS fed the clients, which were a mix of lookalikes and genuine internationalized domain names (IDNs), as an attacker would want it to, all in Unicode. Outlook Web showed all 20 as Punycode, even the harmless ones, suggesting neither apply the right checks to properly inform users.

To quantify the scale of the issue, the researchers looked at ICANN’s list of every .com domain. There are around 167 million of them, approximately 733,000 of which are IDNs, those that contain non-ASCII characters and are stored in Punycode form.

The researchers took each of the IDNs and swapped their non-ASCII characters for ASCII equivalents to determine how many matches there were. They found around 162,000 pairs – IDNs that resemble plain ASCII domains.

It should be said that this does not mean there are circa 162,000 typosquatted domains, just that many yield lookalikes. Some may be registered by businesses for defensive purposes; others may be owned by the same business that wants to operate multiple websites catering to different languages.

However, organizations should be aware of the means available to typosquatters, and monitor registered domains accordingly. ®

A ‘Super’ El Niño Is Here. Can the US Power Grid Handle It This Winter?

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Power Shift is Ellyn Lapointe’s ongoing Gizmodo series that explores advancements in green technology, with a focus on renewable energy, grid modernization, and emissions reduction.

When signs that a strong El Niño was brewing first appeared in late spring, no one could have imagined just how powerful it would become.

Over the last several months, tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures have risen so fast that they’ve already surged past the record-warm peak of the very strong 2015-2016 El Niño. And they’re still climbing. Forecasts suggest this year’s El Niño won’t peak until December, and by that point, sea surface temperatures will likely have risen about 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) above average.

El Niño alters weather patterns across the globe, and weather impacts every aspect of our lives, including the power sector. Its effects are often most pronounced during Northern Hemisphere winter, when Americans rely heavily on the grid for heating and lighting. So what could this exceptionally strong El Niño mean for the grid this winter?

The short answer to that question is: It’s complicated. El Niño-driven weather phenomena can damage power infrastructure and affect energy supply and demand, but its effects vary across the United States. Even strong El Niños like this one don’t guarantee specific weather outcomes. Regional differences in grid infrastructure and energy resources will also shape how vulnerable various parts of the country are to El Niño’s impacts.

With that said, stronger El Niños tend to tilt the odds in favor of expected weather outcomes, so experts can make some highly educated guesses about how this winter could unfold, how the power sector might respond, and what that would mean for American households.

How El Niño could impact US weather

El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, the biggest source of year-to-year climate variation on the planet. This warm phase begins with a weakening of trade winds that pushes warm water from the western Pacific Ocean to the central and eastern tropical Pacific. When water temperatures off the coast of South America rise, the warming pumps huge amounts of heat and moisture into the atmosphere, altering weather patterns across the globe.

In the U.S., El Niño has historically increased the odds of a warmer, drier winter in the northern tier and a cooler, wetter winter in the southern tier and on the West Coast. That’s largely because El Niño causes the jet stream to shift southward and extend eastward across the South. But again, El Niño does not guarantee that specific weather events—such as ice storms or unseasonably warm days—will occur or be more severe.

technology El Nino Weather Impacts Us
El Niño causes the Pacific jet stream to move south and spread farther east. During winter, this leads to wetter conditions in the southern U.S. and warmer and drier conditions in the North. © NOAA

“When we see an El Niño, particularly a strong El Niño, what that tells us is there is a much higher likelihood of this or that. It’s not going to increase the magnitude of events,” Erik Smith, a technical lead for climate data analytics at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), told Gizmodo.

Every El Niño unfolds differently, but forecasters gain a lot of predictive power by examining past events that look similar to what’s developing now, Smith explained. This year’s event is both very strong and somewhat eastern-shifted, like the 1997-1998 El Niño.

That event contributed to the second-warmest and seventh-wettest winter since 1895 for the contiguous United States. As expected, the southern tier saw wetter-than-normal conditions, while the northern tier saw warmer-than-usual conditions. Extreme weather events included flooding in the Southeast and California, an ice storm in the Northeast, and tornadoes in Florida.

It’s highly unlikely that this year’s El Niño will lead to exactly the same outcomes, especially because this event is shaping up to be even stronger. But looking at analogs in the climate record does provide some insight.

El Niño can impact energy supply and demand

Weather affects the power sector by influencing both energy supply and demand. In winter, colder temperatures typically increase demand as people use more energy to heat their homes. Because El Niño tends to favor warmer winters across the northern U.S., heating demand there may be lower than usual. In the South, where El Niño increases the odds of a colder winter, demand for heating could rise.

Because heating systems vary by region, El Niño’s effects on electricity demand do, too, Smith said. For example, most homes in the Midwest rely on natural gas for heating, while electric heating is more common in the South. A milder winter in the North could therefore reduce heating fuel demand more than electricity use, while a colder winter in the South could drive up electricity demand.

Historically, El Niño winters reduce heating degree days (a measure of how much heating is needed) in regions where heating demand is greatest, such as the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Because the South generally has lower heating needs to begin with, any increase in heating demand there tends to be smaller by comparison. Thus, national heating demand tends to be lower in an El Niño year even when the South is cooler than normal.

“That’s great for the system—less stress in the winter,” Michael Craig, an associate professor of energy systems at the University of Michigan, told Gizmodo. “That’s also great for household energy bills. Lots of energy-burdened households exist in the United States that spend a large portion of their monthly income on energy, so warmer temperatures will hopefully defray some of those burdens for those households.”

On the supply side, El Niño winters can reduce snowpack and reservoir storage in the Pacific Northwest, which generates about half of U.S. hydropower. While that can have a significant regional impact, hydropower only makes up 5.7% of the nation’s total energy mix.

Potential risks to physical grid infrastructure

Because El Niño tends to shift storm tracks toward the South and the West Coast, energy infrastructure in these regions may be more susceptible to damage this winter—particularly transmission and distribution lines.

High winds can uproot poles, snap cables, and send tree limbs or debris crashing into critical components. Heavy rain can cause flooding that submerges or corrodes structures. In California, rain-triggered mudslides are a particular concern, as these events can topple and destroy utility poles, transmission towers, and even sever underground lines. And in the South, ice storms can cause extensive power line failures.

“The more extreme weather events that you have—the higher wind speeds, the more lightning with risk for physical damage to infrastructure, to trees that can fall on lines—the more damage you’d expect to see,” Craig said.

Whether this strong El Niño actually leads to more extreme weather in the South and on the West Coast this winter remains to be seen, but utilities can look at past events to predict where certain risks are most likely to increase. They also perform seasonal forecasts to anticipate fluctuations in demand.

“I’m sure utilities have been working very hard to forecast what those effects would be and deal with it the best they can,” Craig said.

For example, if a utility expects a colder-than-average winter, it might increase natural gas or heating fuel storage to make sure it has enough supply on hand for generators, he explained. How the U.S. power grid fares this winter will depend not just on the impacts of this El Niño but on how ready the country’s energy systems are to handle what comes their way.

EC users should be afraid of a US kill switch

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columnists

OPINION

EU executive branch is building a sovereign backup with
Element, not replacing Teams. Not yet anyway

You’d swear from the over-the-top reactions that someone is threatening to take European Commission workers’ dogs out back and shoot them. Why the freakout? Because the EC is deploying a self-hosted alternative to Microsoft Teams to keep staff communicating if Microsoft’s service becomes unavailable.

To be clear, the Commission isn’t replacing Teams with Element Pro; it’s setting up a backup. That’s it. That’s all.

But according to a Politico report, users are having fits. Element is “absolute shit,” rants one. Another proclaims: “The US would ‘instantly win the war’ if it ever decided to switch off its technology.”

Uh, guy, that’s exactly the point. If US providers cut off European users, whether by choice or government order, many EU governments and companies would face serious disruption. That’s exactly why Europe needs an open source, sovereign backup. That’s the entire point of this exercise. Take away all the hysteria, and you’re left with a rather mundane business-continuity initiative.

Don’t think for a minute that Trump wouldn’t have a snit and order tech giants to block services to officials. Just ask Kimberly Prost, a Canadian International Criminal Court judge, who, besides losing tech services, also lost her credit cards, access to Amazon and Google services. “Alexa wouldn’t talk to me,” she says – punishment indeed.

Now imagine Russia and its allies start attacking the Baltic states. Oh, wait, Putin is already doing that. Then it gets heated, and Trump decides to side with his good friend Putin. What happens to American tech companies’ services in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania? I can answer that in two words: “Nothing good.”

That said, the EC of course is not dumping Microsoft services. No, it has configured Element Pro to run on the Commission’s own infrastructure. An internal memo described the service as an “internal backup” that gives the EU’s executive branch an alternative channel for internal messaging, audio and video calls, file transfers, and project discussion rooms.

Let me spell it out for you. This is a Commission initiative. It’s not an EU-wide order to abandon Microsoft software. I’d love that myself, but that’s not what’s happening here. Teams will remain the principal platform, while Element provides a fallback intended to reduce dependence on an externally operated communications service. Got it? I hope so!

Mind you, there are other good reasons to dump Microsoft Teams. I’m not a fan. For my sins I have to use it and every other groupware program out there. And, I might add, I’ve been using them since Lotus Notes rolled out the door in 1990.

Digital sovereignty isn’t just a good idea. It’s essential. Or, as an EC July staff memo put it: “In practice, this means having greater control over our data and systems so that we can reduce risks and limit disruption to our work, wherever possible.” Exactly so.

Element’s architecture is well suited to digital sovereignty. Built on Matrix, an open standard for real-time communications, the platform supports self-hosting, decentralized operation, and interoperability with other Matrix-based systems. Element also supports end-to-end encrypted messaging and calls.

You see, the sovereignty argument isn’t just about getting an EU-based technology stack. After all, Element is a British company. No, what really makes Element a winner for the EC is that it’s mature groupware that lets them deploy and run the system on their own infrastructure rather than relying on Microsoft’s cloud.

As for the crybaby users, suck it up. No one ever likes change. If the EC switches over to Element lock, stock, and barrel, I suspect much of today’s outrage will be forgotten in six months. I’ve seen this time and time again.

Some short-term inconvenience is a reasonable price for greater control over essential communications in an uncertain world. A complete switch isn’t the plan now. I think it should be. ®

Bootnote

Element told The Register: “Governments and defense organizations are migrating to sovereign alternatives to ensure they can still operate effectively in extreme circumstances. As IT strategy and IT functions move quickly, less adaptive end-users may well feel discomfort as the US Big Tech solutions they’ve been used to are replaced by sovereign alternatives. Hopefully this is the largest inconvenience most people experience over the coming decade.

“We’ve only had positive and constructive feedback from our actual customers; the leaders and IT functions that are driving sovereignty.

“There’s inevitably a few unhappy change-resistant users in large deployments, but we work in lockstep with our customers to gather feedback and incorporate it, especially during the trial phase. From what we see in the field, open source alternatives like Element are ready for primetime as a much needed alternative to dependency on the big tech vendors.”

Biting the hand that feeds IT

Stack Overflow survey finds devs hooked on AI, but not totally sold on its judgment

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news

software

Source attribution matters to 79% of respondents – handy for a company licensing its Q&A archive to model builders

Nearly a third of developers who use AI daily spend four hours or more of their working day with it, according to Stack Overflow’s latest survey.

The survey received 30,903 responses from developers and technologists across 169 countries. Among the 10,926 daily AI users who answered the time-use question, about 80 percent reported using the tools for at least an hour a day.

The research by developer Q&A site Stack Overflow also found skepticism from developers toward using AI in their roles. Only about 7 percent of developers said they trusted AI output for important work decisions, while 48 percent trusted it when they could easily verify the output. Seventy-nine percent considered source attribution important or very important when deciding whether to trust an AI-generated technical answer.

Stack Overflow CEO Prashanth Chandrasekar said developers were highly skeptical as a group. “As AI agents become rapidly more autonomous, that skepticism now acts as a critical safeguard. As agents take on more work, developers need to know where an answer came from, what context informed the information that was produced or a decision that was made, and the most crucial piece – that they can actually verify its accuracy and relevance. Trust is not a given when it comes to developers; it is earned through transparency, source attribution, and rich technical context.”

The survey found that coding assistants or coding agents are used by 66 percent of respondents, general-purpose chat tools by 63 percent, and automated agent workflows by 26 percent. Seventeen percent of respondents said they did not use AI tools.

Stack Overflow’s commercial relationships with AI companies have proved contentious. In early 2024, it introduced OverflowAPI, offering paid access to its question-and-answer content and requiring participating AI providers to attribute answers to relevant posts.

A couple of months later, users began to revolt against its partnership with OpenAI, which allowed the LLM builder to train AI models using 15 years of users’ contributions. The Q&A site was also set to benefit from the deal by getting access to OpenAI’s technology. A number of users said they’d rather remove their posts and risk their reputation scores than have their contributions train OpenAI models.

The survey also found that 52 percent of respondents had learned a new coding skill or programming language this year. AI code-generation tools were among the most common learning resources, behind technical documentation. ®

The P/PTSD Perspective: KOC’s Jefferson Update, OL Rocked by Injury, and Saquon Barkley

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sports NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PurplePTSD works in partnership with Vikings Territory, similarly doing their utmost to offer top-notch coverage of the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, we’re promoting five of their top articles of the past month in “The P/PTSD Perspective.” Take a peek at some of their best stuff.

The P/PTSD Perspective: October 10th, 2026

1) Vikings KOC Updates Justin Jefferson’s Ankle on Pat McAfee: Minnesota’s WR1 is from the New Orleans area. Being able to lean on him for that Saints game would make a massive difference since he has a gravitational pull on the defensive backfield.

sports camp schedule
Jul 28, 2022; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) talk during training camp at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

2) Vikings Donovan Jackson Meniscus Tear Injury Rocks O-Line: No doubt, the loss of Donovan Jackson to injury is a brutal development. What’s encouraging is that the player being tasked with filling in — sophomore UDFA Joe Huber — played well last week. Since then, he has generated a pile of praise.

3) Should the Vikings Make a Trade for Saquon Barkley?: The great issue here has nothing to do with Saquon Barkley. Rather, the issue rests with the Philadelphia Eagles. Good chance, folks, that Philly isn’t interested in trading away the terrific runner. Maybe a different running back makes more sense.

sports NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball past Dallas Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas (30) at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images.

4) Another Notch in the Vikings’ Defensive Belt: So far, the defensive belt has snagged a pile of notches. Do note, though, that there are some weaknesses that need to be addressed. In particular, there’s the run defense.

5) Vikings QB Kyler Murray Shows Improvement Despite Struggle: The second half of the Week 4 game saw some long-awaited rhythm for the passing attack. Now, it wasn’t perfect, but Kyler Murray formed a connection with TE T.J. Hockenson and RB Aaron Jones. Can that chemistry begin to get formed with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings?

sports NFL: Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings
Oct 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks to pass during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Enjoy the extra reading, Vikings fans.


sports avatar

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudryvikingsterritorycom. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Oxford Hospitals Charity funds patient care projects at OUH

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A charity has actually moneyed 10 jobs to enhance client care in Oxfordshire healthcare facilities.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) introduced a plan welcoming personnel to send concepts for jobs that might make a huge effect utilizing small financing of approximately ₤ 5,000.

Now Oxford Hospitals Charity has actually contributed ₤ 50,000 to support 10 jobs through the Quality Improvement (QI) plan.

Jamie French, interim head of program at the charity, stated: “We are enjoyed see how our charity’s financing has actually made it possible for such ingenious work to occur throughout our health centers through this brand-new plan.

“Hearing staff talk with such passion and insight about their findings and breakthroughs was just wonderful, and we’re excited to see the difference these projects will make for patients in our hospitals.”

An overall of 152 quotes were sent, with the last 10 tasks covering a wide variety of enhancements.

These consisted of much better assistance for kids and households after cancer treatment, group-based client education in ophthalmology, brand-new ‘All About Me’ client boards in paediatric important care, boosted team effort in the ambulatory evaluation system, and the development of a devoted pleural service at Horton General Hospital.

OUH held a day-long display in September to highlight development on a few of the picked tasks.

Felicity Taylor-Drewe, primary running officer at OUH, stated: “Our trust is devoted to quality enhancement, based upon the experiences of our personnel.

“This is a method of increasing quality through whatever we do, putting the client experience at the heart of these modifications.

“We likewise strongly think that enhancing quality conserves cash and enhances personnel experience.

“It was dazzling to find out about the lots of QI tasks that are going to drive genuine enhancements to services.

“I would like to thank our QI team for supporting the project teams and for putting on an excellent event, and Oxford Hospitals Charity for their financial support which enabled this to happen.”

One job checked out whether a blood test might change a bone marrow biopsy.

Scientific researcher Lauren Campbell and medical trainee Danny McAlea dealt with the Myeloma Support Group.

Ms Campbell stated: “We are truly grateful to this wonderful group of clients, who assisted form the task from the beginning.

“Their input helped us understand what matters most to people living with myeloma and how this technology could be used to improve their care.”

The task concluded that for these follow-up tests, biopsies must have the ability to be lowered by 35 percent, enhancing the experience of clients and personnel in addition to conserving money and time.

Oxford school wins national award for supporting autistic pupils

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An award-winning school has been praised for its work supporting autistic students.

LVS Oxford received the Excellence in Special Schools Award at the National Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Awards 2026.

The award recognises the school’s commitment to providing an exceptional learning environment for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Richard Daniel Curtis, chair of the National SEND Awards, said: “This award was tightly contested, with several amazing specialist settings being named as finalists.

“However, it was clear from the evidence presented to the judges that LVS Oxford is going above and beyond the finalists and deserve to win this award.”

Judges described the school’s entry as ‘a very rich entry’ and said ‘LVS Oxford have clear, sustained impact that is consistent throughout the setting’.

Melanie Waller, executive principal of LVS Oxford, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this national recognition.

“This award reflects the dedication, passion and expertise of our entire school community.

“Every day, our staff work tirelessly to create a nurturing and ambitious environment where young people can thrive, develop confidence and achieve their individual goals.

“We are incredibly proud of our students, whose resilience, determination and achievements inspire us every day.

“This award is also a testament to the strong partnerships we have with our families, whose support helps make our school such a special place.

“We are honoured to be recognised among so many outstanding SEND providers across the country.”

Family home near Bicester goes on market for £695,000

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A four-bedroom detached house near Bicester is on the market for £695,000.

The Woodlands is part of a development of 12 properties built in 1993 on the  village of Chesterton’s edge.

The freehold property has a double garage and driveway parking.

Inside, an entrance hall leads to a recently refitted kitchen with light grey flooring and eye-level units.

Integrated appliances are fitted, with space for an American-style fridge freezer.

A utility room provides storage and room for appliances, and has a side door.

At the rear, the dining room has sliding doors opening on to the garden.

The living room includes a bay window, French doors, a fireplace and double doors to the dining room.

A ground-floor WC completes this level.

Four bedrooms are located upstairs, alongside the family bathroom.

The master bedroom has an en-suite shower and views over the rear garden.

Outside, gated access leads to a southerly garden, mainly laid to lawn with a patio area.

A playgroup, primary school, and church are within walking distance, according to the Rightmove listing.

Bicester is around two miles away, with Bicester North and Bicester Village stations offering services to London Marylebone in about 45 minutes.

The listing says Birmingham can be reached in one hour.

The M40 is accessible at junctions 9 and 10, with links towards London, the M25, Oxford and Birmingham nearby.

Oxford primary school received £250 donation for World Teachers’ Day

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This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today,
and has been written by our American colleagues.
It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald.

A local housing provider has donated £250 to a primary school to help it celebrate World Teachers’ Day.

Leaf Living made the donation to Barton Park Primary School in Oxford.

Headteacher Bryony McCraw said the money will be used towards a celebration event for teachers and teaching partners.

Ms McCraw said: “The donation from Leaf Living will help us recognise the hard work of our teaching and support staff and is a great celebration of World Teachers’ Day.

“It was a pleasure to welcome Leaf Living to our school and to hear how they share our community values.”

Laura Conaty, representing Leaf Living, visited the school to present the donation on October 5.

Ms Conaty said: “Our commitment to the communities in which we deliver and manage rented homes for families is an important part of our ethos.

“It was an honour to recognise and celebrate the fantastic teaches at Barton Park Primary School and continue building relationships with our neighbours, just a five minute walk from our homes to rent at Beckley Place.”

Leaf Living provides professionally managed family homes and focuses on building long-term community partnerships.

The company currently offers three and four-bedroom homes for rent at Beckley Place, all rated EPC C or above and designed for modern family living.

All homes are pet-friendly and equipped with smart technology, including keyless entry and smart thermostats.

Glut! Farmers count losses as prices crash, customers happy

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Farmers of vegetables in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region are counting their losses as a sharp decline in the prices of tomatoes, pepper and okra threatens to undermine their incomes.

The prices of the vegetables have dropped significantly within the past month, following what farmers described as an increase in supply as more farmers bring their produce to the market.

Market survey

A market survey conducted by the Daily Graphic at the three major markets in Nabdam, including Pelungu, Kongo and Zanlerigu, showed that the price of a bucket of tomatoes had fallen from between GH¢120 and GH¢150 at the beginning of September this year to between GH¢60 and GH¢70 in early October.

Similarly, a basin of tomatoes, which previously sold for between GH¢300 and GH¢350, was now selling for between GH¢120 and GH¢150.

The prices of okra and fresh pepper had also declined sharply.

A bucket of okra, which previously sold for about GH¢120, was now going for GH¢80, while a bucket of fresh pepper was being sold between GH¢100 and GH¢120, as against the GH¢150 and GH¢200 recorded in September.

Farmers count losses

The development has brought some relief to consumers but has left farmers worried about recovering the huge investments they made in producing the vegetables.

Farmers attributed the situation to an increase in the supply of vegetables, saying the abundance of produce had weakened their bargaining power in the markets.

A tomato farmer, Mboleni Zoya, expressed frustration over the situation, saying the prevailing prices did not reflect the cost of producing the vegetables.

“We are not happy with the current prices, considering our expenses. However, with tomatoes being perishable, we are forced to sell at whatever price we can when there is abundance. This is the time most of us are harvesting because we all depend on the rain, and that is why you are seeing tomatoes all over with few buyers,” he said.

Another tomato and pepper farmer, Samson Wougnab, said the falling prices were discouraging, emphasising that farmers would struggle to break even if the trend continued.

“We were happy when a bucket was around GH¢150 or above because that would have helped us cover our expenditure, but now we are not even breaking even with the current prices.”

Buyers will intentionally come and wait until around 11 a.m. or 12 noon, and they come in with their own prices.

If you don’t agree, you have to send it back home because they can’t even finish buying it,” he said.

High production costs

The farmers said the sharp decline in prices was particularly worrying because the cost of production remained high.

They cited increasing expenditure on labour, seedlings, fertiliser and other farm inputs as some of the major costs affecting their profitability.

Mr Wougnab stated that, “During the beginning of the season, a bag of fertiliser was between GH¢450 and GH¢500, and a labourer was paid between GH¢70 and GH¢80.

Even putting my daily routine on the farm aside, imagine selling a bucket of tomatoes for GH¢60 or GH¢70, which is even in rare cases because sometimes you just have to give it out for something small. So, we are losing a lot.”

Mixed fortunes

While farmers complained about the situation, some food vendors and consumers welcomed the reduction in prices.

A food vendor, Ateni Ababila, said fluctuations in vegetable prices made it difficult for traders to predict their profit margins.

“For instance, buying a bucket of tomatoes for GH¢50 in Pelungu and transporting it to Bolgatanga at an additional GH¢10, only to sell it for less than GH¢80, means we end up with little or no profit. Sometimes, we are forced to sell it at a lower price because we cannot store it,” she said.

However, another food vendor at the Pelungu Market, Yenmah Mba, said the lower prices had improved her profit margins.

“The lower prices have led to substantial profits for me, and I hope this trend continues because this is normally the season for us to also enjoy. By the end of December, prices will rise, and by January, we won’t get enough to buy in the district. So, let us enjoy it. Even if we get a bucket for GH¢40, we want it,” she said.

A customer, who is a teacher, also expressed satisfaction with the price reductions, saying they had made it possible for consumers to buy more vegetables with relatively little money.

“The reduced prices are fantastic. Now, a small amount of money can buy what I need, which is a significant improvement. It is time for us to also enjoy our stew at a lesser cost, but we are sorry for the farmers, though,” she said.

Call for support

The seasonal harvesting of vegetables and other crops in the Upper East Region usually increases from September and continues into the latter part of the year, resulting in increased supplies of some farm produce on local markets.

The Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, Alhaji Fuseini Zakaria, said most of the farmers relied on rain for production.

“Over 90 per cent of the farmers rely on rain, so what it means is that they start planting at the same time, and that is the result we are seeing now.

If there is support for them to have mechanised boreholes, that will be appreciated because it tells you that when these farmers are given the needed support to produce year-round, we won’t have problems with vegetables at any time in the season,” he said.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

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