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Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar review: A great home theater option all by itself

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Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar review: A great home theater option all by itself

You won’t feel the need to immediately add a subwoofer to this one.

athletics Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar.

Billy Steele for Engadget

RATING : 8.6 / 10

Pros

  • Refined, modern design

  • Great bass performance without a subwoofer

  • Unique top-mounted controls

Cons

  • A single HDMI port might not be enough for everyone

  • Expansion gets pricey

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When Bose proclaimed that the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar was its “loudest, deepest and most immersive” model yet, I still assumed it would need a subwoofer.” Yet when I first connected the company’s latest soundbar to my TV, I quickly realized it didn’t need the extra bass boost. The combination of CleanBass tech and QuietPort acoustics provide enough low-end tone that you aren’t likely to crave an additional, pricey sub. Since the soundbar alone is already $1,099, that was a welcome surprise.

Design

I get it: There’s not a ton of room for innovation when it comes to the design of soundbars. They all have to be elongated and rectangular to be able to contain a collection of drivers without blocking your TV. But there is room for improvement when it comes to the general look of soundbars, and that’s where Bose stepped up its game on the Lifestyle Ultra.

The speaker is short and wide, just like you’d expect, but the textured, knit-fabric grille elevates the overall aesthetic. This is more apparent on the white colorway than the black, and luckily the lighter color is exactly what was sent to me for review. Bose also opted for a glass top where the competition typically uses a plastic panel or just buttons. The glass portion doesn’t extend all the way to the edges though, so there’s room for the up-firing drivers to do their thing.

Another excellent design choice was the volume controls. Bose installed a touch-enabled, circular panel that allows you to spin your finger clockwise and counterclockwise to raise and lower the volume. You can also just tap the “+” or “-” if you’d rather. There’s an area in the middle of the circle that you can tap to play, pause or skip tracks, as well as touch-based controls for Bluetooth, disabling the soundbar’s microphone and summoning Alexa. All of that is positioned on the right side of the glass panel.

Inside, Bose arranged a collection of nine drivers for the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar’s acoustic architecture. There are six full-range drivers, two of which are up-firing and the other four are front facing. Additionally, a center-mounted tweeter assists with dialogue clarity, while two so-called PhaseGuide drivers spread sound horizontally. To calibrate all of that for your living room, Bose’s CustomTune feature uses the microphone in your Android or iOS device to analyze the space (speaker layout, surfaces and seating) and optimize the soundbar’s output.

Like most soundbars these days, the Lifestyle Ultra only has a single HDMI eARC input. This isn’t a problem per se, but if you need HDMI 2.0 passthrough for things like game consoles, just note that it’s not available here.

In-use: Movies and music on the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar

athletics Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar in front of a TV.

Billy Steele for Engadget

The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is very much a plug-and-play device. Once you connect it to power and your TV, it’s ready to go. However, you’ll want to download the Bose app and run the CustomTune audio calibration ASAP to tailor the soundbar’s output to the acoustics of your living room or home theater space. Of course, if you add either the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer or Lifestyle Ultra Speakers to the soundbar, you’ll need to repeat the CustomTune process.

Once all of that is complete, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar provides a solid boost to your TV audio. The up-firing and PhaseGuide drivers offer a pleasant level of immersion and dimensional audio, which is apparent on shows like Drive to Survive and Masters of the Air. The bass output is the most impressive thing about this soundbar, though. It’s enough that users in small to medium spaces likely won’t immediately feel the need to add a subwoofer. Even after several weeks of testing, I’m still baffled by the low-end performance when a sound effect demands that portion of the frequency range.

This bass is abundantly apparent for music, too. Sylvan Esso’s “Flood Season” has ample lows for the bass guitar riffs and kick drum, while more bass-heavy tracks, like Russian Circles’ “Empath,” maintain the tonal depth without getting muddy. I also appreciate how the center tweeter allows vocals to consistently float on top of the mix. This makes albums like Hayley Williams’ Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party particularly enjoyable.

As I already mentioned, Bose allows you to expand your home theater system with the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and Lifestyle Ultra Speakers. Unless you have a larger space, or just crave the extra immersion that rear speakers can provide when watching movies or TV shows, I don’t think either are absolutely necessary here.

The speakers are $349 each and the sub comes in at $899, but if you opt for the Home Theater Set or Surround Sound Set (Lifestyle Ultra bundles), you can save a few hundred dollars. (Oddly, Bose doesn’t offer savings on the Extra Bass Set, which is the soundbar and subwoofer).

I tested the add-ons one at a time. First, I added the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer to the soundbar — perhaps the most likely additional purchase for most people. This achieves the obvious result of adding more bass, which could be preferential if you plan for the Lifestyle Ultra gear to pull double duty as your main music setup. But even in my living room, which is open to the main dining area and kitchen, the soundbar alone was still adequate for music.

I then added two Lifestyle Ultra Speakers as rear units, which I quickly discovered would be my preferred way to bolster the soundbar’s performance. Since the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar holds its own in the bass department, its only true deficiency is directional audio and overall immersion. Add those two speakers to the rear and that weakness is fixed, and disabling the subwoofer doesn’t result in much sacrifice to overall output. I only really noticed a big difference in certain scenes with really booming effects, like certain parts of the first episode of Masters of the Air (no spoilers from me).

AirPlay, Google Cast and Spotify Connect are all available on the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar for quick and easy music streaming. You can also opt for Bluetooth, if you prefer, but I find the three methods I mentioned are more convenient for getting audio from a phone or laptop to a soundbar.

The competition

athletics Controls on the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar.

Billy Steele for Engadget

The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar does well enough on its own that Bose’s primary competition is other companies that claim they’ve built all-in-one TV speakers that don’t need a separate subwoofer. My top pick in that category is Samsung’s QS90H, which costs $99 less at full price. This 7.1.2-channel soundbar not only provides adequate bass without a sub, but it has Samsung’s Convertible Fit tech that allows you to place it flat or mounted upright. Sensors in the soundbar then reconfigure the output based on how it’s sitting. Samsung included lots of other features, but some of them, like Q-Symphony, require a recent Samsung TV to use.

Another excellent option for a true all-in-one soundbar is the Sonos Arc Ultra. The company’s flagship model is equipped with Sound Motion technology that handles the bass in a 9.1.4-channel setup. That last number indicates two additional height channels compared to the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and the QS90H. The Arc Ultra not only has more channels overall, but it also contains more drivers than either the Bose or Samsung options, with 14 of those total. At full price, the Arc Ultra costs the same as the Lifestyle Ultra, but Sonos currently has it on sale for $899.

Editor’s note: Bose is offering a $200 discount on the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar through October 11.

Wrap-up

Perhaps Bose’s hesitance to label the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar as an all-in-one unit comes down to sales. I’m sure the company would prefer for you to buy the pricey subwoofer for a speaker combo that’s common to living rooms. I’d recommend spending extra money on a pair of Lifestyle Ultra Speakers instead, and configure your home theater for better immersion rather than overly booming bass.

No matter what you choose, it won’t change the fact that the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar can function as a standalone option to boost your TV sound. Plus, it’s more than capable of double duty for music and the company offers all the standard features you’d expect in a flagship soundbar these days. Bose has built a worthy competitor to the likes of Samsung, Sonos and Sony here, so the only real question is which company’s mix of hardware and features you prefer.

Abstract’s shutdown gives 144 apps two months to find a new chain

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Abstract’s shutdown gives 144 apps two months to find a new chain

Abstract, the consumer-crypto Ethereum layer-2 built by Pudgy Penguins parent Igloo Inc., said in its announcement that it will shut down on Dec. 15, 2026, leaving the more than 144 apps deployed on the network about two months to find a new home. Funds not bridged off before the deadline will become inaccessible.

The apps left standing on a dead chain

More than 144 apps were deployed on Abstract, a chain whose mainnet launched in January 2025. For the teams behind them, the announcement is an eviction notice with a short fuse: whatever their code does on Abstract stops mattering when the network goes dark. Abstract’s engineers and ecosystem staff said it will help projects built on the network migrate to other chains, though the announcement does not name destination chains.

Users holding assets face the tighter constraint. The announcement directs them to move funds through Abstract’s Migration Hub or its Native Bridge, and the bridge carries a three-hour delay. Abstract also urged users to watch out for impersonators, fake migration sites and direct messages claiming to represent the project, a warning that matters more than usual in a forced-migration window.

Exit terms draw criticism

The wind-down period was criticized as too short. “2 months seems like too short a window before making everyone’s funds inaccessible,” crypto commentator 0xQuit wrote on X.

Other users flagged a class-action waiver that must be agreed to before funds can be migrated. IamShugyo, a pseudonymous X user, said the terms prevent users from joining a class-action lawsuit and that a 30-day email opt-out was buried in the announcement. Those terms are user criticism relayed by one outlet, not confirmed details of the agreement itself.

Why the chain is closing

Igloo Inc. funded Abstract for the last 18 months out of the Pudgy Penguins business, and CEO Luca Netz said in his statement that the company lost tens of millions of dollars over two years without finding product-market fit. Abstract said growth stalled because of a limited DeFi ecosystem, thin on-chain liquidity, little institutional crossover and high operating costs.

“Operating a chain focused exclusively on consumer crypto has ultimately proven to be unsustainable as a standalone model,” the team wrote.

By the team’s own count, Abstract processed more than 325 million transactions, logged over $6 billion in DEX volume and generated more than $40 million in ecosystem revenue. Those figures are self-reported in the wind-down announcement, and they did not add up to a viable chain. Netz said Igloo’s focus now goes to Pudgy Penguins and $PENGU, and the deadline for every app and asset on the network is Dec. 15.

track and field Krishi Chowdhary

Krishi is a seasoned tech journalist with over four years of experience writing about PC hardware, consumer technology, and artificial intelligence.  Clarity and accessibility are at the core of Krishi’s writing style. He believes technology writing should empower readers—not confuse them—and he’s committed to ensuring his content is always easy to understand without sacrificing accuracy or depth. Over the years, Krishi has contributed to some of the most reputable names in the industry, including Techopedia, TechRadar, and Tom’s Guide. A man of many talents, Krishi has also proven his mettle as a crypto writer, tackling complex topics with both ease and zeal. His work spans various formats—from in-depth explainers and news coverage to feature pieces and buying guides.  Behind the scenes, Krishi operates from a dual-monitor setup (including a 29-inch LG UltraWide) that’s always buzzing with news feeds, technical documentation, and research notes, as well as the occasional gaming sessions that keep him fresh.  Krishi thrives on staying current, always ready to dive into the latest announcements, industry shifts, and their far-reaching impacts.  When he’s not deep into research on the latest PC hardware news, Krishi would love to chat with you about day trading and the financial markets—oh! And cricket, as well.


View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary

The Tech Report editorial policy is centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, software, hardware, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written by real authors.

Pentagon’s plan to livestream execution sparks backlash

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Pentagon’s plan to livestream execution sparks backlash

Washington — The discovery that the Pentagon strategies to livestream the execution by shooting team of Nidal Hasan, the ex-Army significant founded guilty of eliminating 13 individuals at Fort Hood in 2009, has actually stimulated extreme pushback, with one Republican senator calling it “disgusting” and critics alerting it might motivate more acts of terrorism.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth validated CBS News’ reporting that the Dec. 3 execution will be livestreamed. Hegseth informed Real America’s Voice the execution would be public “because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.” Chief Pentagon representative Sean Parnell stated that Hegseth advised, and President Trump authorized, a strategy to utilize an Army shooting team.

“Death penalty through firing squad, and he deserves it,” Mr. Trump stated throughout an unassociated White House occasion on Friday.

In an interview Friday night in Syracuse, New York, with WSTM-TV, President Trump stated he “wasn’t involved in that decision” to livestream the execution, “but I understand that decision.”

“I guess they want to have it serve as an example, and I understand that very well,” the president included.

Republican Politician Sen. Thom Tillis, who is retiring, called the choice “beyond disgusting.” Tillis voted to validate Hegseth, however is now revealing his remorse in doing so.

“Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting,” Tillis composed on X “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.”

Republican Politician Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia composed on X “I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that.”

Republican Politician Sen. John Curtis of Utah advised Hegseth to reevaluate.

“Seneca warned that Rome’s bloody spectacles corrupted the people who watched them,” he stated on X “A civilization erodes when it cultivates an appetite for executions as a form of entertainment. Secretary Hegseth’s plan to livestream the Fort Hood execution risks feeding that appetite. The victims deserve justice administered with solemnity. Broadcasting a death diminishes us and is not an effective deterrent. I urge him to reconsider.”

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy stated openly carrying out somebody is “medieval.”

“That’s disgusting. What, is he mimicking ISIS executions?” Murphy stated on CNN “I mean, I understand that in this country we have the death penalty, but public executions is medieval. It’s frankly one of the things that we abhor about terrorist groups. And the fact that the United States is doing it — I just learned this, that is just absolutely extraordinary, galling. No matter whether you support or oppose the death penalty, public hangings and executions? That’s what America has become?”

Ned Price, who was the State Department’s representative throughout the Biden administration, stated a public and livestreamed execution will develop more “radicalized zealots.”

“You can take it from those of us who’ve spent years working on terrorism: the surest way to spawn more radicalized zealots is to glorify violence, embrace a cult of death, and create a martyr for the cause,” Rate composed on X “Or take it from AQ and ISIS, whose tactics offer the closest modern-day approximation of Hegseth’s proposal. Either way, it’s hard to conjure a more vivid example of his trademark performative bravado, which routinely damages America’s image and, in this case, so ghoulishly leaves us more vulnerable.”

Alonzo Lunsford, a previous U.S. Army sergeant who was shot 7 times throughout the Fort Hood shooting however made it through, stated he supports the shooter’s execution by shooting team. Lunsford stated this execution is “not something you should view for entertainment purposes.”

“To show the whole thing without it being censored for the general public, for me personally, I don’t agree with that, but it’s not about my personal belief,” he informed BBC Radio

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, released a declaration Friday early morning prompting the Pentagon to reevaluate.

“In no way can actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered. The word of God exhorts us: ‘do not repay anyone evil for evil,'” the archbishop stated, pointing out Romans 12:17. “The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people.”

Conservative talk program host Erick Erickson, who supports the death sentence, likewise stated a public, livestreamed execution of Hasan will provide him the “platform for martyrdom he wants.”

“Hasan is a paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair,” Erickson composed “The public imagery of a firing squad killing a man sitting in a chair because he cannot stand is going to undermine support for the death penalty. A society that increasingly finds ways to sympathize with the villains will do so here. This also gives Nidal Hasan the platform for martyrdom he wants. They’ll be passing out the livestream video in the Middle East to inspire more terrorists to shoot up Americans to celebrate the glory of the martyrdom of Nidal Hasan.”

Geoffrey Corn, a Texas Tech University law teacher who served in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, informed CBS News that the strategy to livestream the execution “raises significant moral questions, above and beyond the questions related to the death penalty generally.”

“There’s a certain protocol that is normally followed with executions limiting the gallery of observers, which usually includes people close to the victims and certain members of the media,” he stated.

Corn stated “turning the execution of such a penalty into some type of public spectacle echoes of the past we seem to have put behind us.”

In spite of Lunsford’s issues about the livestream, the previous U.S. Army sergeant stated he’ll be there for the execution.

“I’m going to be there and before they pull the trigger, I want him to look at me in my eyes and I look at him in his eyes and I want him to know: ‘Dude, you failed, I’m still here,'” he informed the BBC.

The last public execution in the U.S. appeared totake location 90 years back in 1936. That’s when Rainey Bethea was hanged for rape in Kentucky. The execution supposedly drew a crowd of about 20,000.

Hegseth’s statement comes in the middle of efforts from Democrats and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie to impeach him. A vote on his impeachment was postponed by House Speaker Mike Johnson’s choice to cancel votes a day early ahead of the midterms.

Eleanor Watson and Joe Walsh added to this report.

Blanche, other DOJ appointees can take part in political campaigns, memo says

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Blanche, other DOJ appointees can take part in political campaigns, memo says

The Justice Department has actually loosened up the standards for the attorney general of the United States and other senior political appointees, permitting them to take part in political activities.

A memo sent today by Assistant Attorney General Jolene Ann Laurie unwinds principles limitations on Senate-confirmed governmental appointees such that they can speak at rallies, canvass for votes and even function as delegates or officers of a nationwide political celebration as long as those activities are performed in their individual capabilities.

The assistance uses to the chief law officer, the deputy attorney general of the United States, assistant attorney generals of the United States, the FBI director, U.S. lawyers and others.

Previous Attorney General Pam Bondi had loosened up the policies rather throughout her period by enabling political appointees to participate in rallies and fundraising events. The brand-new memo goes an action even more.

It particularly specifies that presidentially selected, Senate-confirmed Justice Department staff members are exempt from the more rigid standards troubled some other DOJ staff members, such as administrative law judges and those in the Criminal Division.

Chief Law Officer Todd Blanche resolved the Republican midterm convention in September and participated in a rally for a North Carolina Republican Senate prospect, drawing criticism that he broke enduring Justice Department standards planned to keep politics independent from the law.

“I am not in any way violating any rule or law,” Blanche stated about his looks at these occasions, including they were performed in his individual capability.

These relocations followed the Biden-era Justice Department secured down on appointees’ political activities.

“Non-career appointees may not attend any partisan political events, even in their personal capacities,” a 2024 memo stated, continuing a policy set up 2 years previously.

The 2024 memo likewise stated that appointees must “avoid making public appearances in any state shortly before a primary or general election in that state, to the greatest extent practicable.”

PBS News was very first to report on the brand-new standards.

In:

  • Todd Blanche
  • United States Department of Justice

Food processing influences metabolism and brain activity

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Food processing influences metabolism and brain activity

news

Most nutrition science suggests that meals with the same basic nutritional profile will have the same impact on a person’s blood sugar.

But is there something about food processing itself that influences how our bodies respond?

Researchers exploring that question were surprised to find that minimally and highly processed meals nutritionally matched on calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, salt, and weight produced distinct metabolic responses.

The ultraprocessed meals prompted the body to release more insulin and expend more energy while burning less carbohydrate for fuel. They also evoked different responses in the part of the brain involved in motivation and reward.

The results suggest that food processing may affect how the body and brain respond to food in ways that go beyond carbohydrates, fat, and protein — potentially helping researchers understand why ultraprocessed foods have been associated with overconsumption and long-term health effects and pointing to new areas for research.

Virginia Tech researchers with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC published their findings this month in Nature Metabolism.

Ultraprocessed foods represent more than half of the average American’s daily calories. Diets worldwide are also shifting to include more of such foods, which are formulated to be convenient, accessible, affordable, and highly palatable, making them easy to overeat.

“If you look at that population-level data, people who consume large amounts of ultraprocessed foods have higher rates of poor health outcomes — obesity, cardiac events, Type 2 diabetes, and even some metrics of mental health,” said Alex DiFeliceantonio, a Fralin Biomedical Research Institute associate professor whose lab led the study.

While highly processed foods have been linked to disease, the mechanisms connecting processing with their health outcomes and overconsumption are less understood.

news What they did

“We know that the majority of ultraprocessed foods are high in fat, they’re high in sugar, they’re low in fiber, and they’re low in protein,” DiFeliceantonio said. “But if we artificially hold all of those things constant, is there something about the processing that leads to a different outcome?”

The team recruited healthy adults between 18 and 45 years old. The full study consisted of 57 adults. Of those, 32 completed both the brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the metabolic sessions.

Each participant ate both types of meals in separate sessions, with three or more days between sessions. This allowed researchers to compare how the same person responded to each meal.

To examine metabolic effects, participants arrived at the testing site after fasting overnight. They climbed onto a twin-size bed in a metabolic chamber — a sealed, airtight room used to measure human energy expenditure and metabolism. Researchers then took baseline measurements.

An hour later, participants were given 10 minutes to eat either a minimally or highly processed meal of 300 nutritionally matched calories. In selecting the meals, the study used the Nova scale, which categorizes food in four groups based on the level of industrial processing.

The highly processed meal included a bite of peanut butter and jelly sandwich, deli turkey, veggie chips, a cookie, cereal, instant mashed potatoes, and a little bit of water. The minimally processed meal included a sliced banana, dried cranberries, cheese, and egg.

“The two meals are matched within 1 percent of carbs, fat, proteins, calories, water, and salt,” said Zach Hutelin, a researcher at the institute and the study’s first author. The study was part of his doctoral research through Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program. “If these meals had a nutritional label, they would be practically identical.”

Blood draws were again taken immediately after the meal, then six more times over the next three hours. Researchers measured post-meal metabolism, including insulin response, energy expenditure, and carbohydrate oxidation.

“We were shocked when every single metabolic metric differed,” Hutelin said. “What we noticed with the ultraprocessed food is that insulin response was much higher and blood sugar stays a little bit higher for a little bit longer.”

Chronically elevated blood sugar increases the risk of conditions like diabetes.

news The brain’s reward system

DiFeliceantonio is a neuroscientist who works to understand the basic mechanisms of food choice — why we eat what we eat. She wanted to see if the metabolic response to the meals connected to the brain’s response to food cues.

On a separate day, participants viewed pictures of nutritionally matched highly and minimally processed foods while undergoing functional MRI. The scan measures brain activity by tracking changes in blood flow across different regions of the brain. The foods served during the metabolic tests were among those shown in the pictures.

While viewing each food, participants reported how much they would be willing to pay for it. This let researchers compare how participants’ subjective value of the foods corresponded with their brain activity.

One notable result involved the ventral striatum and nucleus accumbens, part of the brain involved in learning, motivation, and reward. Differences in how participants burned carbohydrates for energy after each type of meal were linked to differences in how their brains responded to pictures of food.

Participants did not say they were willing to pay more for the ultraprocessed or minimally processed foods, but the results suggested that metabolic differences produced by food processing are related to differences in how the brain responds to food cues.

“A key debate in the literature is whether associations with poor health outcomes are driven by nutrient composition rather than processing,” Carlos A. Monteiro of the University of São Paulo told Nature Metabolism. Monteiro is a Brazilian epidemiologist whose research into obesity led to the development of the international NOVA classification of food processing used in nutrition and public health studies. He noted that beyond metabolic response, the Roanoke team looked at brain activity. “This is a novel and important contribution, as the brain ultimately regulates eating behavior.”

news What comes next

This study looked at one set of matched 300-calorie meals, and study subjects were young and healthy. DiFeliceantonio, who also holds an appointment in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, would like to examine different populations, longer time periods, bigger meals, and more pairings of minimally and highly processed foods. While the meals served were matched on protein, for example, protein sources were different and could have influenced the outcome.

The ultraprocessed meal also contained more additives, and while the study did measure total fiber, it not explicitly measure physical and chemical structures of the food studied.

“We want to examine specific factors, such as commercial additives or specific processing steps, that might lead to different metabolic responses,” DiFeliceantonio said.

The research was funded by a National Institutes of Health research grant through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship.

Original study DOI: 10.1038/s42255-026-01619-4

Ledger pauses reseller sales amid suspected $72M-$87M wallet drains

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Ledger pauses reseller sales amid suspected $72M-$87M wallet drains

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Ledger said on October 9 that it is investigating reports of stolen funds from users in Southeast Asia who bought their devices through the reseller CryptoBilis, and has asked the reseller to halt all sales and shipments of Ledger products while the investigation runs.

“Ledger is investigating reports of loss of funds from users in South East Asia who purchased products from a reseller named CryptoBillis,” the company’s support account said in a post on X, adding: “As a precaution, and pending the results of our investigation, we have asked CryptoBilis to pause all sales and shipments of Ledger devices.”

news What buyers are being told to do

Ledger advised customers who bought from the reseller within the past 90 days not to set up their devices. Those who already have should move their assets to a new Ledger device with a newly generated recovery phrase, the company said. The guidance is tied to where the device was bought, not where the buyer lives: CryptoBilis is listed as an authorized Ledger reseller in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, and is based in Kuala Lumpur.

On-chain researchers began mapping the suspected thefts the same day. A pseudonymous researcher who posts as Specter traced inflows from hundreds of victim wallets across Ethereum, Tron and Bitcoin to a set of suspected theft addresses, putting total losses above $86 million. A second researcher, posting as tanuki42, listed eight of those addresses and put the figure above $72 million and rising. The two estimates may not cover the same addresses or transactions, and Ledger has confirmed no loss amount, no affected-customer count and no cause.

“Based on information so far, it seems to be localized to a supply chain attack with one vendor,” Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao wrote on X. “A small number of people probably bought fake (or tampered) Ledgers.”

news Ledger says its own systems were not hit

Ledger said its infrastructure, systems and services were not compromised, and that it has received no reports involving devices purchased directly from the company. The company describes the incident as isolated to the reseller and its market. Former Mt. Gox chief Mark Karpelès separately said the reports may match a tampered-device case he was already investigating, after he says he received a tampered device from Malaysia, and asked affected users to send him photos of their circuit boards.

The suspicion, unconfirmed as it is, lands on a channel the industry sells as the safe path. A hardware wallet only protects a user’s keys if the device that arrives is the device the factory built: a tampered unit with a pre-generated recovery phrase hands the keys to whoever set it up. Ledger says it has sold more than 7 million devices worldwide, and CryptoBilis did not respond to press questions about the incident. The Security Alliance has asked anyone whose funds were drained to the suspected addresses to contact its SEAL 911 incident-response team.

technology news Krishi Chowdhary

Krishi is a seasoned tech journalist with over four years of experience writing about PC hardware, consumer technology, and artificial intelligence.  Clarity and accessibility are at the core of Krishi’s writing style. He believes technology writing should empower readers—not confuse them—and he’s committed to ensuring his content is always easy to understand without sacrificing accuracy or depth. Over the years, Krishi has contributed to some of the most reputable names in the industry, including Techopedia, TechRadar, and Tom’s Guide. A man of many talents, Krishi has also proven his mettle as a crypto writer, tackling complex topics with both ease and zeal. His work spans various formats—from in-depth explainers and news coverage to feature pieces and buying guides.  Behind the scenes, Krishi operates from a dual-monitor setup (including a 29-inch LG UltraWide) that’s always buzzing with news feeds, technical documentation, and research notes, as well as the occasional gaming sessions that keep him fresh.  Krishi thrives on staying current, always ready to dive into the latest announcements, industry shifts, and their far-reaching impacts.  When he’s not deep into research on the latest PC hardware news, Krishi would love to chat with you about day trading and the financial markets—oh! And cricket, as well.


View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary

The Tech Report editorial policy is centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, software, hardware, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written by real authors.

How U.S. know-how is fracking Australia into a gas boom, from Texas oilmen to Trump’s energy secretary

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How U.S. know-how is fracking Australia into a gas boom, from Texas oilmen to Trump’s energy secretary

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As the U.S. shale oil and gas revolution took off two decades ago, Australia took notice and wondered whether the boom could be replicated down under.

In September, the effort began to pay off, thanks to the arrival of American oilmen. The first commercial natural gas deliveries from the Beetaloo Basin started flowing to the energy-hungry Northern Territory. The potential is far greater, and little-known Tamboran Resources and Daly Waters Energy had to clear years of roadblocks to get here.

Sydney startup Tamboran first hired an American ExxonMobil and Chevron veteran as its CEO in 2013. In 2014, Texas oil legend Scott Sheffield joined the board of Aussie natural gas player Santos. He was intrigued by the prospect of bringing shale drilling and fracking expertise to the outback, particularly the sparsely populated reserve with a peculiar name: the Beetaloo Basin.

Sheffield saw the Beetaloo’s upside, and its similarity to the Appalachia’s Marcellus Shale. He brought it to the attention of his son, Bryan, also a Texas oil CEO. Bryan was interested but too busy taking his company, Parsley Energy, public. A few months later, shale pioneer Aubrey McClendon took a small land position in the Beetaloo and Bryan read about it.

“I just remember feeling deflated,” Bryan Sheffield told Fortune. “He got into the Beetaloo really early and cheap. I remember thinking to myself, ‘He’s just running circles around me.’”

McClendon died in a car accident a year later, and more setbacks would soon befall the basin. Amid the global pushback to fracking, the Northern Territory imposed a moratorium from 2016 to 2018. Santos and others had drilled with limited results but couldn’t replicate the American formula. COVID-19 then tanked global exploration budgets and most companies’ interest in the Beetaloo. Parsley suffered in the pandemic and was sold to Scott’s company, Pioneer Natural Resources, for $4.5 billion. Two years ago, ExxonMobil bought Pioneer for $60 billion, the largest U.S. oil deal of the century.

After the pandemic, Bryan Sheffield’s top geologist from Parsley again raised the Beetaloo. This time, Sheffield, armed with his own startup private equity firm, Formentera Partners, took the lead.

“This play keeps coming up. This is three times,” Bryan Sheffield said. It felt like a sign.

After investing heavily in the small Aussie gas players, Tamboran and Beetaloo Energy, Sheffield also started his own Australian subsidiary, Daly Waters Energy.

Fast forward four years, partners Daly Waters and Tamboran announced the first natural gas sales ever from the Beetaloo in September. The milestone shows the basin can deliver, but it still must prove it can become economic over the long term.

“This is a total gamechanger,” Sheffield said. Five wells are now ramping up. “We created revenue. This whole time, the past five years, we have not had $1 coming back to us.”

The timing matters, both for the money-losing companies and for Australia, which could face natural gas shortfalls in the coming years. The U.S., Australia, and Qatar are by far the top liquefied natural gas exporters. Qatar is largely offline now because of the Iran war, and more of Australia’s offshore gas fields are drying up. The answer may lie onshore, in Beetaloo shale.

Sheffield’s capital influx was critical, but so was recruiting top American oilfield services players with shale expertise. Drilling leader Helmerich & Payne (H&P), tools and services giant Baker Hughes, and fracking leader Liberty Energy—the company cofounded by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright—all took ownership stakes in Tamboran. Beetaloo Energy recently contracted with Halliburton.

“Applying the American recipe to another country is the way forward,” Sheffield said. A newly built pipeline and gas processing plant now move the gas. “The big problem was the lack of service companies and infrastructure. Talking the service companies into moving into this play was key to unlocking it.”

“It’s kind of like in that movie, ‘Field of Dreams,” he added. “’If you build it, they will come.’”

finance news The Liberty Energy fracking spread at the drilling program of Tamboran Resources and Daly Waters Energy in Australia's Beetaloo Basin.

The Liberty Energy fracking spread at the drilling program of Tamboran Resources and Daly Waters Energy in Australia’s Beetaloo Basin.

Formentera Partners

news A basin that long defied drillers

A 1979 minerals drilling program triggered an accidental gas blowout in the Beetaloo. That drew the attention of U.S. oil and gas power Amoco, later acquired by BP, which drilled a test well in 1984. It came up dry. Others tried and failed too, despite survey data showing the basin’s gassy potential.

That was still 20 years before U.S. shale operators would crack the code for shale rock with the right mix of horizontal drilling and slickwater fracking. Slickwater uses a mix of water, sand, and thin, friction-reducing chemicals rather than thicker gels to shatter dense shale rock deep underground and free the gas.

In 2008, in Texas, geologist and Petrohawk Energy cofounder Dick Stoneburner—a great name for a shale rock expert—helped pioneer drilling and fracking and led the discovery of the Eagle Ford Shale oil boom in South Texas. Three years later, Australian mining giant BHP bought Petrohawk for $12 billion as its entry into U.S. shale. Stoneburner was contractually required to assist with the transition, which brought him to Australia.

Once free of his BHP obligation, he was recruited to Tamboran’s board in 2014. That was the year Santos drilled its first Beetaloo test well using modified shale techniques. The results were modest and didn’t wow investors, but they remained promising.

“I got intrigued,” Stoneburner told Fortune. “Santos had limited shale experience, really none. They had a big learning curve.”

Stoneburner saw Santos’ flaws and, eventually, so did Bryan Sheffield. The wells needed wider diameters (wider casing) and slickwater fracking, not gelled fluids, to sustain enough pressure to produce ample gas flows. That required equipment available only in the U.S.

“This is when I knew the play was going to work. They just weren’t doing it right,” Sheffield said. They discovered Australian rigs could only accommodate smaller diameters. “That’s when I knew I had to talk a rig company into moving horizontal rigs to Australia.”

The pitch was easier than expected. Coming out of the pandemic, services companies had excess equipment and were eyeing growth. H&P shipped a high-specification rig, Chris Wright’s Liberty brought a fracking fleet, and Baker Hughes supplied tools and services. “It’s not off-the-shelf stuff. So it’s all worked out very, very well,” Stoneburner said.

Sheffield was first impressed by the detailed report on the Beetaloo put together by his former geologist, Tom Layman. After the pandemic, he was put in touch with Stoneburner. They knew of each other but hadn’t met in person. Sheffield then met Tamboran’s CEO at the time, Alabama native Joel Riddle.

Rather than only invest in Tamboran, Sheffield bought stakes in Beetaloo Energy and Falcon Oil & Gas, which was acquired by Tamboran earlier this year. He also formed Daly Waters.

“He was ready to go,” Stoneburner said, surprised by Sheffield’s speed and aggressiveness.

news Origin of the domino

The largest acreage holder in the Beetaloo was Australian utility Origin Energy. It lacked shale experience and had no clear plan for the land. Under investor pressure to decarbonize and avoid fracking, Origin weighed selling.

In 2022, Tamboran, flush with Sheffield’s capital, pounced. The group acquired Origin for just over $40 million, plus a portion of future royalties, and became the basin’s top player. Sheffield and Stoneburner credit Riddle with getting the deal done.

“Origin was a really huge domino to fall,” Stoneburner said.

“We split the deal because it was too much for to take on alone, and I kind of just paid out of my family office,” Sheffield elaborated. Tamboran and Formentera-backed Daly Waters essentially halved the acreage, and Sheffield forming a joint venture on Tamboran’s operations. Today he controls nearly 10% of Tamboran stock.

Formentera’s usual strategy is “singles and doubles” in mature U.S. shale basins, and Sheffield’s early Australian equity stakes followed that approach. The Origin deal changed that.

“I knew my investors would not like the Beetaloo because there’s a lot of risk,” Sheffield said. “The pension funds and the endowments, they did not invest. It was just too risky for them. The Beetaloo is the home run product, and it’s more tailored toward family offices.”

Since the Origin deal closed, Tamboran and Daly Waters have brought in their services partners to Australia, built a pipeline and processing facility, finished early permitting, and developed the pilot project, Shenandoah South. It is now finally online and poised to ramp up. Daly Waters plans to add a second H&P rig next year.

Japan’s INPEX became a major investor early this year, supporting the eventual gas supply to Australia’s LNG facilities serving Japan and the rest of Asia, especially INPEX’s Ichthys LNG hub in northwestern Australia. Tamboran also is a joint venture partner with Santos, which operates two LNG facilities the Beetaloo could supply: Darwin LNG and Gladstone LNG.

Last year, Tamboran made a change and removed Riddle as CEO, naming Stoneburner interim CEO. Scott Sheffield joined the board at the same time. He had served only three years on Santos’ board. Riddle is rightfully credited with building Tamboran up, but he also clashed with partners.

“I was there to help mend relationships,” Stoneburner said, which led to Tamboran’s Falcon acquisition.

In January, Tamboran hired Houston-based Todd Abbott—a 15-year veteran under Scott Sheffield’s Pioneer and a friend of Stoneburner. Bryan Sheffield also backed the move. “I was trained as an oilman underneath Scott Sheffield and his people, and Todd Abbott is the exact same,” he said. “We come from the same learning curves.”

Abbott read last year’s news of Stoneburner’s interim role and sent a text. “He just replied back, ‘We should talk,’” Abbott told Fortune.

finance news Formentera Partners and Daly Waters founder Bryan Sheffield crouches over a map of the liquefied natural gas export facilities in Australia that gas from the Beetaloo Basin could service.

Formentera Partners and Daly Waters founder Bryan Sheffield crouches over a map of the liquefied natural gas export facilities in Australia that gas from the Beetaloo Basin could service.

Formentera Partners

news At the starting line

Abbott’s most fun years were the “grow, grow, grow” days of the Permian Basin’s early shale oil boom at Pioneer. Now, he said, U.S. shale is about, “How do I get another penny out of it?” each day. Tamboran offers a chance to build a pioneering position in a basin again, a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“First production is the really big milestone,” Abbott said of the Beetaloo. “But it’s certainly not the finish line. It’s more of the starting line.”

The Beetaloo’s rock closely resembles the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, though the Beetaloo is 1.3 billion years old versus the Marcellus’ nearly 400 million.

Early well results are promising, Abbott said, but more are needed in the coming weeks and months to attract new investors and partners. Tamboran admits it needs a larger partner to keep scaling. Its stock is up more than 25% this year, but a new auditor’s report still flags its financial viability as a “going concern.” It isn’t profitable yet and is only now booking first revenue. “We’re out looking for the right strategic partner for the long term,” Abbott said.

Production is ramping up to 40 million cubic feet of gas per day. The plan is to grow to 100 million in 2028, once a gas-processing expansion is complete. The goal after that is more drilling and another pipeline by 2030. That would supply more Australia domestic gas beyond the Northern Territory and feed LNG exports. Until now, the territory has relied on emergency contracts with LNG exporters for gas-fired electricity.

“Once it’s fully connected, the Beetaloo is multiple times large enough to supply the Australian domestic market. It takes care of the expected shortage,” Abbott said. “But to really get this basin up to the scale, it needs LNG export access.”

Australian entrepreneur Patrick Elliott founded Tamboran in 2009 and remains on the board, but the Beetaloo quickly became an American-Aussie venture. “Seventeen years is a long time, but there was a lot of work to do, and it’s accelerating now,” Abbott said. “It’s an exponential curve, and you’re starting to see real traction.”

Nothing has underscored the Beetaloo’s potential this year more than the Iran war, which has kept Qatar’s LNG exports largely offline. That leaves the the world, especially Asia-Pacific, heavily dependent on U.S. and Australian LNG, and Australia will need more natural gas to ship. “It has focused everyone on the need for diversifying,” Abbott said. “Supply chains are critical, and energy security is national security.” He added that Australia can supply Asia more cheaply than the U.S. because of shorter shipping distances.

About 75% of Australia’s natural gas production is offshore, which limits growth. The rest was onshore coalbed methane, or coal seam gas, and those resources aren’t in growth mode either.

“There are really not a lot of other sources of this scale in the Asia-Pacific that can do it,” Abbott said. “I think it really put eyes on Australia and on the Beetaloo at a pretty critical moment for us.”

Ohio State vs. Maryland Prediction, Odds, Picks for College Football Week 6

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Ohio State vs. Maryland Prediction, Odds, Picks for College Football Week 6

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The No. 5 Ohio State are back in front of the home crowd to deal with the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday in a Week 5 college football match on BTN.

No group has actually had a response for Jeremiah Smith this season, and Iowa was no exception recently. The Ohio State receiver captured 11 passes for 206 backyards and 2 goals, his 2nd straight video game with more than 200 getting backyards.

If anybody is better than Smith, it’s quarterback Julian Sayin. The junior ranks 2nd in the Big Ten and 4th nationally with 1,530 passing lawns and has actually tossed 13 goals.

Maryland will not share that delight, since the Buckeyes are now the Terrapins’ issue. Maryland has actually lost 3 straight video games, balancing simply 17.3 points while permitting 45.7 throughout that stretch.

To remain in this video game, the Terrapins’ sophomore quarterback can’t pay for to turn the ball over. And all the best decreasing Smith.

Let’s have a look at the chances for No. 5 Ohio State vs. Maryland at FanDuel Sportsbook since Oct. 10.

This page might include affiliate links to legal sports wagering partners. If you register or position a wager, FOX Sports might be compensated. Find out more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports

Spread

  • Ohio State -34.5: -112 (wager $10 to win $18.93 overall)
  • Maryland +34.5: -108 (wager $10 to win $19.26 overall)

Over/Under

  • Over 56.5: -110 (wager $10 to win $19.09 overall)
  • Under 56.5: -110 (wager $10 to win $19.09 overall)

From FOX Sports Research:

Ohio State has actually never ever lost to Maryland, and just one of their conferences has actually been close. In 2018, the Terrapins had the Buckeyes on the ropes in overtime however stopped working on a two-point conversion, falling 52-51.

The Buckeyes have actually balanced 55.1 points throughout the 9 conferences while enabling simply 22. When the groups last fulfilled in 2023, Ohio State scored 37 points, its most affordable overall in the series.

That’s an integrated average of 77.1 points per video game. Many have actually originated from Ohio State, however that’s still a great deal of scoring.

With Ohio State balancing 42.2 points this season and Maryland balancing 30.4, anticipate another high-scoring match that reviews the overall of 56.5.

How to Watch Maryland vs. Nebraska

  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
  • Time: 4:15 p.m. ET
  • TELEVISION: BTN
  • Stream: View 3 days totally free on FOX One FOXSports.comFOX Sports App
  • Place: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

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Houston vs. Kansas State Prediction, Odds, Picks for College Football Week 6

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Houston vs. Kansas State Prediction, Odds, Picks for College Football Week 6

analysis

The Kansas State Wildcats deal with the No. 22 Houston Cougars in your home in a Big 12 face-off Saturday in a Week 6 college football match on FOX.

The Wildcats fell short in a back-and-forth fight with Cincinnati, dropping their conference opener 31-26 for their very first loss of the season. In spite of the obstacle, Kansas State is balancing 40.5 points per video game while permitting simply 15.3. It now returns home for another conference test, this time versus a ranked challenger.

The ground video game fuels the offense, led by senior quarterback Avery Johnson, who leads the group with 291 hurrying lawns. He has actually likewise tossed for 910 backyards and 7 goals.

Routing 17-0 midway through the 3rd quarter, No. 22 Houston had little going its method up until a seven-play, 75-yard goal drive stimulated a resurgence.

Quarterback Conner Weigman scored all 3 of the Cougars’ goals on the ground as Houston rattled off 27 unanswered indicate prevent a distressed versus UCF. Now, the Cougars head back on the roadway to deal with 3-1 Kansas State

Let’s have a look at the chances for No. 22 Houston vs. Kansas State at FanDuel Sportsbook since Oct 10.

This page might include affiliate links to legal sports wagering partners. If you register or put a wager, FOX Sports might be compensated. Learn more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports

Moneyline

  • Houston: +114 (wager $10 to win $21.40 overall)
  • Kansas State: -135 (wager $10 to win $17.41 overall)

Spread

  • Houston +2.5: -110 (wager $10 to win $19.09 overall)
  • Kansas State -2.5: -110 (wager $10 to win $19.09 overall)

Over/Under

  • Over 55.5: -102 (wager $10 to win $19.80 overall)
  • Under 55.5: -118 (wager $10 to win $18.47 overall)

From FOX Sports Research:

Kansas State permitted 271 hurrying lawns to Cincinnati in its conference opener, and today the Wildcats deal with another unsafe ground attack. Houston ranks 6th in the Big 12 in hurrying offense, one area behind Cincinnati. If recently was any indicator, Kansas State’s defense might be in for more of the very same.

The Cougars have 2 gamers with a minimum of 300 hurrying backyards, plus a quarterback with 150 lawns and 6 goals on the ground. They can run the ball in more methods than one, and if Kansas State can’t slow them down, it might be a long day for the home group.

A defense coming off that efficiency versus the run now deals with an offense balancing more than 200 hurrying lawns per video game. That’s a dish for problem.

Take Houston to ride its hurrying attack to another win.

analysis The Pick: Houston Moneyline

How to Watch No. 22 Houston vs. Kansas State

  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
  • Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • TELEVISION: FOX
  • Stream: Enjoy 3 days totally free on FOX One FOXSports.comFOX Sports App
  • Place: Expense Sydner Family Stadium, Manhanttan, Kansas

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MotoGP: Fernandez denies Bezzecchi for maiden pole, Marc Marquez and Martin off front row

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MotoGP: Fernandez denies Bezzecchi for maiden pole, Marc Marquez and Martin off front row

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analysis MotoGP: An interesting certifying unfolds in Indonesia as Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio sign up with SuperFile Trackhouse on the front row

For the very first time in MotoGP, Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team )will introduce from lead as a tantalising certifying scrap unfolds at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. It’s an Aprilia 1-2 at the spearhead of the grid thanks to Marco Bezzecchi’s( Aprilia Racing) efforts, the Italian 0.109 s adrift of Fernandez’s 1:28.852, and rejecting Jorge Martin( Aprilia Racing) and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team )a front row begin on Lombok was a rather fast birthday young boy on Saturday early morning– Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team )the rider to sign up with Fernandez and Bezzecchi on the front row.

Q1: ALDEGUER & OGURA JUMP TO Q2 IN DRAMA-FILLED QUALI OPENER

Right out of the certifying cage, 2025 Indonesian GP winner Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) set his finest lap of the weekend to top the early running in the opening 15-minute time attack stint, before his time was beaten by Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team). A 1:29.729 saw the Japanese rider increase above Aldeguer by 0.016 s before Aldeguer went back to P1 by 0.090 s, as Ogura then crashed in the closing phases at Turn 12 to see his session end too soon. And being in P2, would Ogura keep his Q2 promo location?

It was a session of attrition in Q1. Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), who crashed on his very first flying lap at Turn 1, and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) crashed at Turn 2 within a second of each other. Somewhere Else, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) struck the deck at Turn 1, and Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) was likewise a crasher at the opening corner too.

All of this did suggest Ogura kept his leading 2 location, with Aldeguer cruising through too. A fast shoutout too for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP). Less than an hour after dislocating his best shoulder in FP2, the Turk certified less than a 2nd off Aldeguer’s leading time in Q1. Chapeau.

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Q2: FERNANDEZ FLIES TO POLE AS MM93 & JM89 MISS OUT ON FRONT ROW

At the end of the very first leaflets in the fight for pole, Marc Marquez led Bezzecchi by 0.025 s as the title chasers set 1:29.2 s, however the rate will show up a notch or 2. Di Giannantonio briefly reached P2 before Bezzecchi fired home a 1:28.961 to cruise to provisionary pole, with Fernandez slotting into 2nd location– 0.211 s far from the Italian.

The very first 2 time attack efforts from Martin didn’t go as prepared. The title race leader sat P7, 0.814 s adrift of his colleague. And navigating the last 6 minutes of certifying in Indonesia, Martin was watched by Marc Marquez. Simply put, the leading 2 in 2026’s title race thriller were together, and having actually been offered the message that he was being followed by the # 93, Martin could not get rid of the seven-time MotoGP World Champion from his tailpipes.

Simply ahead of duo on track was Fernandez, and it was the Practice pacesetter who set a 1:28.852 to go P1. Martin and Marc Marquez both enhanced, the Ducati star somewhat quicker, with the champion leading 2 sat P4 and P5 in the session with 3 minutes to go as Di Giannantonio jumped back onto the front row.

Bezzecchi was then setting the timing screens alight, however his lap was stopped after Aldeguer crashed at Turn 16. That highlighted the yellow flags, however there sufficed time left on the clock for Bez to have another bite at the cherry.

An enhancement didn’t come on his most current effort. Had the life from that soft rear Michelin vanished? What had actually gone was Marc Marquez’s pole and front row possibilities. Regardless of a session-best very first split, the time disappeared in the 2nd split, and with that, Q2 waned.sports analysis Motogp: Fernandez Denies Bezzecchi For Maiden Pole, Marc Marquez And Martin Off Front Row

THE GRID

Fernandez will introduce from his very first MotoGP lead in the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix in Indonesia, with Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio signing up with the Trackhouse star on the front row.

A hit Row 2 sees Marc Marquez launch from P4, Martin fires far from P5, and 2025 winner Aldeguer go from P6. Ogura recuperated from his Q1 crash to certify in P7 to sit ahead of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) on the grid, the leading 9 divided by half a 2nd, while Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) comprise P10, P11, and P12 on the grid.

TURNING UP: WE GO SPRINTING IN INDONESIA

That’s an appealing grid, isn’t it? The leading 2 in the title race off the front row, with the stakes exceptionally high entering into this afternoon. Do not miss it. 15:00 regional time.

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sports analysis Motogp: Fernandez Denies Bezzecchi For Maiden Pole, Marc Marquez And Martin Off Front Row

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Golden State Valkyries reach WNBA Finals: How second-year franchise made unprecedented run

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Golden State Valkyries reach WNBA Finals: How second-year franchise made unprecedented run

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news The Valkyries, in just their second season, swept the reigning champion Aces in the semifinals

Oct 10, 2026

at

12:56 am ET

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3 min read

Just over three years ago, on Oct. 5, 2023, the Golden State Valkyries were officially introduced as the WNBA’s first expansion team in over a decade. At the introductory press conference, more than a year before the team even had any players, let alone took the court for the first time, team owner Joe Lacob made a bold proclamation.

“First press conference with the Warriors, I said we will win a championship in the first five years,” Lacob said. “I’m telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise.”

After completing a sweep of the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday with a thrilling 87-77 overtime victory in Game 3 of the semifinals, the Valkyries have advanced to the WNBA Finals for the first time in franchise history and are four wins away from making Lacob look like a genius. They’ll face the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals, beginning on Oct. 17.

The Valkyries made history in their inaugural season in 2025 when they set a record for wins by an expansion team (23) and became the first expansion franchise to make the playoffs in their inaugural season. Despite the initial success, expectations weren’t high entering 2026, especially after a somewhat confusing offseason highlighted by trading their first-round pick (Flau’jae Johnson) for two second-round picks.

But the Valkyries’ strong belief in their internal development proved well-founded, and they were bolstered by the arrival of free-agent signings Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes, who helped make their defense so overwhelming that it made up for their continued issues on the offensive end.

The Valkyries didn’t have a single player average more than 15 points per game, finished seventh in offensive rating (108.2), which was the second-worst mark of any playoff team, and were 13th in true shooting (54%), above only the Seattle Storm and Connecticut Sun, the two worst teams in the league.

But on the other end, the Valkyries had one of the best defenses in WNBA history. Their 99.1 defensive rating was more than four points per 100 possessions better than any other team, and they finished second in both opponent true shooting (53.5%) and opponent turnover rate (19.2%).

Their defensive-minded approach carried them to a 32-10 record — a nine-win improvement on last season — and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. It almost cost them in the first round, however, when they shot 35.1% in a winner-take-all Game 3 against the Dallas Wings, and had to pull off a stunning 16-point comeback to keep their season alive.

Their offense was a bit better against the Aces, but once again, their defense stepped up to save the day. The Aces were 3-0 against the Valkyries in the regular season, in large part because A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young did whatever they wanted in those contests. Those two were held in check in the semis. Wilson had 23 points per game on 41.1% shooting, while Young put up just 14.3 points on 31.6% from the field. As a team, the Aces’ true shooting was 50.8% — nearly 10 percent worse than their 59.3% mark in the regular season.

During the series-clinching victory on Friday, the Valkyries completed an 11-point comeback in the second half in large part because they held the Aces to just two points over the first eight minutes and 25 seconds of the third quarter. Las Vegas went just 2 of 16 from the field in that frame.

Williams, who made her second All-Star appearance this season and finished as the runner-up to Angel Reese for Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 20.3 points to lead the way in the series, while Kayla Thornton put up 14 points and Tiffany Hayes chipped in 11.7. As a team, the Valkyries shot 39.8% from the field, had a true shooting mark of 54% and barely had more assists (41) than turnovers (40). And yet, they’re going to the Finals.

We’ve simply never seen an organization or a team like the Valkyries.

CAF Clears National Sports Stadium For Return Of Fans, But Imposes Strict Conditions

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CAF Clears National Sports Stadium For Return Of Fans, But Imposes Strict Conditions

Football fans will go back to Harare’s National Sports Stadium next week, however just 10,000 viewers will be permitted into the location for each authorised match. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has actually approved the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) conditional approval to host matches following the death of a fan that triggered a security evaluation.

The choice leads the way for 2 components in October 2026, with rigorous crowd-control procedures enforced to avoid more security events.

National Sports Stadium Cleared For Zimbabwe vs Malawi Clash

The very first match covered by the authorisation is Zimbabwe’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament qualifier versus Malawi on 13 October 2026.

The 2nd is the CAF Champions League component in between Scottland FC and Angola’s Atlético Petróleos de Luanda, provisionally arranged for 17 October 2026.

ZIFA verified the choice in a declaration provided on Friday, 9 October 2026, while revealing acknowledgements to the household of the departed advocate.

“The security of viewers, gamers, authorities and all match workers stays our primary concern,” the association stated.

Under the brand-new conditions, arena gates should open 5 hours before kick-off. Presence will be topped at 10,000, and viewers will just be allowed into designated, authorized areas.

ZIFA stated ticketing plans, entry treatments and parking information would be interacted individually.

The association likewise alerted that hooliganism, violence, intimidation, vandalism and required entry would not be endured.

“Offenders will be declined entry, gotten rid of from the arena or prohibited from participating in matches,” ZIFA cautioned.

Extra safeguards will cover security implementation, medical services, emergency situation reaction and crowd management. A CAF Safety and Security Officer will keep track of compliance.

The conditional approval indicates the arena’s go back to hosting matches depends upon satisfying the recommended security requirements. Failure to comply might lead to more constraints or the withdrawal of approval.

  • “This Is The Price Of The Disgraceful Behaviour”: Hopewell Chin’ono Slams Warriors Fans Over CAF Sanction

Could Canada nationalize Stelco in Hamilton? Ottawa should consider it, legal expert says

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Could Canada nationalize Stelco in Hamilton? Ottawa should consider it, legal expert says

Hamilton

Stelco has actually started laying off employees at their Hamilton steel plant, resulting in require Ottawa to nationalize the business. Nicolas Lamp, associate teacher at the professors of law and school of policy research studies at Queens University, states nationalization has to do with purchasing time and openness to make certain we’re acting in our finest nationwide interests.

Queens University law teacher recommends Ottawa might action in to secure steel employees

Coleman Molnar · CBC News

· Published: Oct 10, 2026 4:00 AM EDT|Last Updated: 1 hour ago

Listen to this short article

Approximated 5 minutes

The audio variation of this post is produced by AI-based innovation. Mispronunciations can happen. We are dealing with our partners to continuously evaluate and enhance the outcomes.

public interest news A landscape image of Hamilton's industrial sector.
The Stelco steel operates in Hamilton are visualized on Oct. 9, 2026. The American steel-maker revealed 300 to 350 layoffs in the middle of the continuous trade war in between the U.S. and Canada. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

As more Hamilton steel employees get layoff notifications from the U.S.-owned plant Stelco, one legal specialist is raising the possibility of nationalization, which might see the federal government take ownership of the business.

“The essential concern, eventually, is might various management do much better,” Nicolas Lamp, associate teacher at the professors of law and school of policy research studies at Queens University, informed CBC Hamilton.

Light questioned whethers Stelco was acting in the very best interests of its Canadian employees or had an interest in the U.S. trade war versus Canada.

“Clearly there’s a dispute of interest here when it comes to the CEO … or his viewpoint on the problem is at least misshaped by the truth that he likewise has U.S. operations who are taking advantage of the tariffs. Taking these elements together, the minute of unpredictability that we’re in, the truth that we can’t truly rely on the CEO, that made me believe of that as a choice.”

  • Laid-off Stelco steelworkers worried about business’s future– and their own: ‘We’re being offered out’

    • Light states that Ottawa ought to think about actioning in before skill within the steel market is displaced, including that layoffs are tough to reverse if people move away, relocate, retrain or retire.

    “And at the minute when Canada is attempting to construct a great deal of facilities, significant plants, significant jobs, it’s truly a concern of whether Canada must simply let all that competence sort of die.”

    Layoffs at Hamilton’s Stelco steel plant are currently underway and are anticipated to effect in between 300 to 350 workers.

    Ron Wells, president of United Steelworkers Local 1005, states he’s open to the concept of nationalization.

    “I’m unsure how it would work, however I do not believe it would be a bad thing,” he informed CBC Hamilton, indicating Canada’s other crown corporations like CN and Canada Post as examples.

    Stelco owner under pressure from legal due date

    The nationalization conversation is occurring as Ottawa threatens legal action versus Cleveland-Cliffs, which got Stelco in 2024.

    On Monday, Industry Minster Mélanie Joly offered the business 5 organization days to send an intend on how it would keep its dedications to preserve Canadian tasks under the Investment Canada Act.

    “The Government of Canada takes compliance with endeavors seriously,” Joly composed in the letter, acquired by CBC News on Tuesday.

    “Where a financier stops working to adhere to an endeavor, the act supplies treatments for breaches, consisting of an application to the exceptional court for orders that might consist of directing compliance, divestiture, or financial charges.

    “I rely on that such actions will not be required.”

    Prime Minister Mark Carney remained in Sherbrooke, Que., the other day where he was asked if the federal government would want to nationalize Stelco if Cleveland-Cliffs does not reverse the layoffs.

    “They have a couple of days delegated react to the minister of market’s letter,” he stated. “We’ll wait for that reaction and take proper action later on.”

    NDP MP Don Davies calls steel essential to Canada’s sovereignty and nationwide security, and thinks nationalization deserves expedition.

    “You understand, we’re not making basketballs here. We’re discussing steel that is the structure of our nation. It’s an alternative. It needs to be taken a look at,” Davies informed press reporters at Parliament Hill on Thursday.

    He likewise stated that he believes the Cleveland-Cliffs takeover ought to never ever have actually been authorized under the Investment Canada Act.

    How would nationalization work?

    Light states that federal government ownership of Stelco is one prospective result from Ottawa’s legal hazard to Cleveland-Cliffs.

    Joly’s letter consists of referral to court-ordered divestiture, which might require Stelco to offer the business.

    “Ideally there would be a personal purchaser who would choose it up,” Lamp stated. “But if not, offered the minute of unpredictability that we’re in, that may be a chance for the Canadian federal government to action in and state, ‘Okay, we’re going to purchase it’.”

  • Will Ottawa truly take Stelco to court? Here’s what took place last time

    • Ottawa provides Stelco’s U.S. owner 5 days to share strategy to keep tasks

    Light indicated the purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Kinder Morgan in 2018 as an example of the federal government event significant facilities from a personal business.

    “I’m not stating we must certainly nationalize it,” he stated. “I would state that the Canadian federal government truly needs to look extremely carefully at what the factors for these layoffs are and whether a business that was more understanding, that had the Canadian employees and likewise the Canadian nationwide interest in mind, would act likewise.”

    The expert fate of 500 steel employees stays in limbo.

    SEE|Stelco employee speaks up as layoffs start at Hamilton plant:

    ‘ This is frightening times,’states laid-off Stelco employee|Hanomansing Live

    Stelco has actually started distributing layoff notifications at its Hamilton steel plant. This is the very first wave of task cuts anticipated to unfold over the next 3 weeks. Mike Watt, among the laid-off Stelco staff members, states he does not understand who to blame for this.

    Cleveland-Cliffs has actually mentioned the layoffs are needed to “guarantee the survival” of the business in a hard market, however Wells states he thinks that inspirations are political.

    “We believe it’s politically inspired due to the fact that of the midterms showing up in the States and due to the fact that the CEO of Cleveland Cliffs is attempting to press the Canadian federal government to make a trade offer.”

    Still, he stated he believes the tasks might “definitely” go back to Hamilton.

    “Just those declarations from the CEO sort of shows our point that this was done to get a trade offer,” he stated. “I do not believe it was market driven.”

    Light states there’s a threat in making irreversible choices about market skill throughout uncommon scenarios.

    “In law, we have the stating ‘tough cases make bad law’,” he stated. “We would not wish to make a long-lasting choice about Canadian steel capability that has irreversible effects under amazing situations.

    “And that’s why there may be a factor for the federal government to action in.”

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Coleman Molnar is a CBC press reporter and editor based in the Niagara Region. Formerly he functioned as an associate manufacturer with CBC Radio in B.C.’s Interior. He likewise works as a freelance author, contributing frequently to publications like GQ and Autostrada Magazine. You can reach him at [email protected].

      Trolling or part of a larger plan?: Why Elon Musk waded into the separatism debate

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      Trolling or part of a larger plan?: Why Elon Musk waded into the separatism debate

      Politics

      When Elon Musk required Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan to separate from Canada previously today, it might have been absolutely nothing more than the trillionaire taking part in some anti-Canadian trolling. It’s likewise possible ‘another video game’ was being played.

      Prime minister, premiers turned down Musk’s require provinces to separate from Canada

      Mark Gollom · CBC News

      · Published: Oct 10, 2026 4:00 AM EDT|Last Updated: 1 hour ago

      Listen to this post

      Approximated 5 minutes

      The audio variation of this short article is created by AI-based innovation. Mispronunciations can happen. We are dealing with our partners to continuously evaluate and enhance the outcomes.

      top stories Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
      Previously today, Elon Musk published on X that Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan need to separate from Canada.(ulia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press)

      When Elon Musk required Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan to separate from Canada previously today, it might have been absolutely nothing more than the trillionaire taking part in some anti-Canadian trolling.

      It’s likewise possible, according to one Musk observer, that the Tesla and Space X CEO had something else in mind.

      “I think with Musk, there’s often usually another game being played at the same time,” stated Quinn Slobodian, a teacher of global history at Boston University who co-authored the book: Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed.

      Previously today, Musk kept in mind of a post on X that mentioned Parti Québécois premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon had actually stated his imagine self-reliance “will be realized one day.”

      ‘Would be much better off’

      Musk reacted: “Good. Quebec should separate.”

      He followed up in another post: “They would be better off. Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too.”

      Canadian tech reporter Paris Marx, host of the Tech Won’t Save United States podcast and a routine critic of Musk, stated individuals most likely should not check out excessive into Musk’s posts.

      It might be absolutely nothing more than Musk being a “right-wing troll who has a problem with countries he perceives as being more progressive or left-leaning relative to his personal politics or that he feels aggrieved by,” Marx stated in an e-mail to CBC News.

    • Poilievre brushes off Musk’s pro-separatist posts: ‘Canadians manage their own fate’

      • @Polymarket Good. Quebec must separate.

      elonmusk

      Musk’s remarks were rapidly declined by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Prime Minister Mark Carney. On Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre likewise dimissed Musk’s require separation.

      ENJOY |’Tweets and memes do not impact Canada’: Poilievre:

      ‘Tweets and memes do not impact Canada’: Poilievre reacts to Elon Musk separatism remarks

      Asked whether he is worried about foreign disturbance from the U.S. on separatist motions in Canada, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre states’we require to invest less time stressing over ridiculous tweets by individuals who have no power over what Canadians do’and rather concentrate on things like price. He states memes do not impact Canada, however the choices made by Canadians do.

      Marx stated Musk sees separatist motions in Canada as a chance to deteriorate the federal government’s authenticity.

    • Sask., Alberta premiers turn down Elon Musk’s require provinces to separate from Canada

      • Marx stated he does not think these posts were part of any determined relocation on Musk’s part and that Musk likely hasn’t provided much idea to the implications of the provinces separating from Canada.

      Rather, Marx stated the post about Quebec self-reliance most likely appeared on Musk’s timeline and he just fired off a reaction.

      “Many people reply to posts online with knee-jerk reactions,” Marx stated. “Elon Musk’s replies just get news articles written about them because he’s incredibly rich and powerful.”

      Musk, the world’s wealthiest male and first-ever trillionaire, is a South African-born Canadian-American.

      ‘Canada is not a genuine nation’

      Musk’s mom Maye Musk is from Saskatchewan. Musk transferred to Canada in 1989 and participated in Queen’s University for 2 years before moving to the University of Pennsylvania. Musk’s grandpa Joshua Haldeman was the leader of the Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan.

      This isn’t the very first time Musk has actually weighed in on Canadian concerns.

      In 2025, Musk published on X that “Canada is not a real country” following a petition requiring his passport and citizenship to be withdrawed over his ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. The petition got more than 375,000 signatures.

      Musk likewise discussed Canadian politics previously in 2015 when he slammed then-prime minister Justin Trudeau, describing him as an “insufferable tool.” He applauded and backed Poilievre.

      VIEW|Carney reacts to Musk:

      Carney reacts to Elon Musk’s assistance for Quebec sovereignty

      Prime Minister Mark Carney stated Canada focuses on living ‘devoid of disturbance from foreign federal governments and big tech companies that believe they can inform us what to do,’ in action to remarks from Elon Musk that required several Canadian provinces to separate.

      Slobodian stated Musk has a reflexive dislike of Canada and what he views as its exceedingly progressive policies.

      When it come to separatism, “it’s like any enemy of Ottawa is a friend of mine,” Slobodian stated.

      Musk has actually likewise revealed an eager interest in political motions abroad, especially in Europe. He has actually been singing in his supprt of the reactionary, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) celebration.

      A Feb. 2025 NBC News report stated Musk had actually been motivating conservative political motions, policies and administrations in a minimum of 18 nations as part of an international push to slash migration and cut guideline of service.

      Connection with reactionary politics

      Slobodian stated he thinks there is a connection in between Musk’s current discuss separatism and his association with reactionary politics in Europe.

      With tradition celebrations throughout the European continent dealing with interruption from nimble newbies, Slobodian stated Musk has a “pretty reasonable strategy” to produce a bonds or associations with them.

      “Then when they are the ruling parties, you’ve got an automatic buy-in or partner,” Slobodian stated.

      He stated Musk sees the EU and Canada in their present types as barriers to his build-up technique, which any interruption might open brand-new chances for him and his items.

      “I think his idea is to jump on the secessionist train early, and if it does come to pass, then he’s got kind of advantage,” Slobodian stated. “And if it doesn’t, then so what? It just fades off into the background again.”

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Mark Gollom is a Toronto-based press reporter with CBC News. He covers Canadian and U.S. politics and existing affairs.

        With files from Peter Zimonjic

        APOD: 2026 October 10 – Lunar Farside

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        APOD: 2026 October 10 – Lunar Farside

        APOD

        Astronomy Picture of the Day

        Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

        A mosaic image of the farside of the Moon.

        Lunar Farside

        Explanation: Tidally locked in synchronous rotation, the Moon always presents its familiar nearside to denizens of planet Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon’s farside can become familiar, though. In fact this sharp picture, a mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s wide angle camera, is centered on the lunar farside. Part of a global mosaic of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011, the highest resolution version shows features at a scale of 100 meters per pixel. Surprisingly, the rough and battered surface of the farside looks very different from the nearside covered with smooth dark lunar maria. A likely explanation is that the farside crust is thicker, making it harder for molten material from the interior to flow to the surface and form dark, smooth maria.

        Tomorrow’s picture: Sunday’s Childe

        Date: October 10, 2026
        Credit: NASA / GSFC / Arizona State Univ. / Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
        Authors & editors: Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Robert Nemiroff, Keighley Rockcliffe
        A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
        NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.


        Random APOD Generator

        Yesterday’s Image
        APOD: 2026 October 9 – Stickney Crater

        Tomorrow’s Image

        M.C. Harris Launches The Serpent and The Shell: The Thirteenth Zodiac, Book I

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        M.C. Harris Launches The Serpent and The Shell: The Thirteenth Zodiac, Book I

        M.C. Harris Launches The Serpent and The Shell: The Thirteenth Zodiac, Book I

        A new fantasy adventure of magic, mystery, otherworldly realms, and LGBTQ+ characters

        BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, October 10, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — M.C. Harris has officially launched The Serpent and The Shell: The Thirteenth Zodiac, Book I, a fantasy adventure filled with magic, mystery, supernatural powers and ancient secrets.

        The story follows Sterling, whose ordinary life changes when a mysterious sapphire blue light transports him to an unknown realm. There, he discovers the Constellation Tower and the twelve powerful Zodians, only to learn that he may be the mysterious Thirteenth, a figure connected to an ancient secret spanning multiple realms.

        As Sterling discovers unexpected abilities and develops a unique connection with the Zodians, he is drawn into a growing threat known as the Decaying Blight, a destructive force endangering the balance between worlds.

        Blending fantasy, adventure, humour, friendship and personal discovery, the novel also places LGBTQ+ characters at the heart of its story. Created as a passion project, The Serpent and The Shell marks the beginning of The Thirteenth Zodiac series and opens the door to a much larger story of mystery, danger and discovery.

        “What if the person who does not belong is exactly the person the stars have been waiting for?”

        About the Book

        Title: The Serpent and The Shell: The Thirteenth Zodiac
        Series: The Thirteenth Zodiac, Book I
        Author: M.C. Harris
        Genre: Fantasy / LGBTQ+ Fantasy
        Publication: 2026
        Edition: First Edition

        About the Author

        M.C. Harris is a fantasy author with a passion for imaginative storytelling and LGBTQ+ representation. The Serpent and The Shell: The Thirteenth Zodiac, Book I is the first instalment in a planned series and represents a creative project Harris hopes to continue across future books.

        Media & Press Enquiries

        Author: M.C. Harris
        Book: The Serpent and The Shell: The Thirteenth Zodiac
        Publisher: Finest Book Publishers
        Available From: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GYFXJKX7

        Website: https://mcharrisauthor.com/

        Email:

        Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/mcharrisauthor/

        Review copies, author interviews and further press information are available upon request.

        What if the person who does not belong is exactly the person the stars have been waiting for?

        # # #

        Contact Information

        Alexander Michael

        Finest Book Publishers

        Queenway, Birmingham

        United Kingdom

        Telephone: 07822018080

        Email: Email Us Here

        Alkagesta Commodity Market Insights: Rhine Logistical Gridlock and Persian Gulf Supply Squeeze

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        Alkagesta Commodity Market Insights: Rhine Logistical Gridlock and Persian Gulf Supply Squeeze

        Alkagesta, the international energy and commodity trading house headquartered in Malta, has released its October 2026 Commodity Market Insights report, offering a detailed assessment of the simultaneous supply disruptions weighing on global fuel oil markets.

        The analysis centres on two structural dislocations unfolding in parallel. In Europe, record-low water levels along the Rhine — dropping to -5 cm at the Kaub chokepoint on 1 October — have brought Upper Rhine barge traffic to a standstill. Major inland refining complexes have been forced to cut barge loadings significantly, leaving nearly one million metric tonnes of fuel oil stranded at ARA coastal ports while inland German and Swiss depots face deepening shortages ahead of the winter heating season. Swiss heating oil costs rose 8% month-on-month in September alone, reaching their highest level since 2022.

        Across Asian markets, the ongoing friction affecting Persian Gulf crude and feedstock flows has compounded existing supply constraints in Singapore. Western arbitrage inflows into the hub are projected to fall to 1.5–1.6 million mt in October, tightening prompt VLSFO availability and pushing delivered bunker premiums to a one-month high of $70.33/mt. Singapore onshore heavy distillate stocks fell 5.3% to an six-week low, while Fujairah residual stocks dropped 30% week-over-week. These dynamics are consistent with the operational environment Alkagesta’s Singapore hub has navigated since commencing operations in mid-2025.

        The report also notes that high-sulfur fuel oil demand across South Asia — where utility buyers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan have substituted fuel oil for disrupted LNG supplies — continues to provide structural support to HSFO crack spreads across both Asian and European hubs. September Singapore fuel oil paper trading volume surged 65.8% month-over-month to 27.12 million barrels, with HSFO swaps reaching their highest monthly volume since September 2022.

        With the East-West arbitrage window firmly closed, both markets are expected to remain in backwardation through the near term. The full report is available on the Alkagesta website.

        Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of Alkagesta, on Friday 9 October, 2026. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/

        Country music star Ella Langley cancels concert over ‘serious security threat’

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        Country music star Ella Langley cancels concert over ‘serious security threat’

        Country music singer Ella Langley canceled her Friday night performance in Oklahoma shortly before it was scheduled to start over what the singer described as a “serious security threat.”

        Police said they conducted security checks after a caller warned of harm, but no credible threat was found.

        About two hours before Langley, who sings the hit song “Choosin’ Texas”, had been scheduled to play at the 19,000-seat Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa, she and the venue posted on social media that the show had been called off.

        “Due to a serious security threat involving the safety of my fans, the venue staff, and my team, the incredibly difficult decision was made to cancel tonight’s show,” Langley said in a Facebook post. “This decision was made under the advisement of local authorities, the venue, and my security team.”

        A statement from the venue, known as the BOK Center, said that “after careful consideration, we have determined the show cannot proceed.”

        red carpet Ella Langley sings the hit song

        Ella Langley sings the hit song “Choosin’ Texas” (Getty)

        Tulsa Police Captain Richard Meulenberg, in a video posted on Facebook, said his department did not advise canceling the event.

        The show was cleared to go forward after a standard security sweep with bomb-sniffing dogs, he said.

        After that, a person called, “saying that someone was going to do great harm” at the event with “shots fired and bombs.”

        Police conducted a second security sweep, Meulenberg said, and “advised the group that was supposed to be performing tonight that we could not find a credible threat.”

        “Everything is safe,” he added.

        Langley, 27, is a rising star in country music. “Choosin’ Texas” made history last month after spending 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, breaking Mariah Carey’s longstanding record of 22 weeks.

        “I know how much time, travel, money, and planning goes into coming to a show, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” Langley said in her statement. “This is not a decision that was made lightly. I was so looking forward to spending tonight with you, but your safety will always mean more to me than anything else. I refuse to put anyone in harm’s way.”

        Celebrity Social Media, October 9, 2026

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        Celebrity Social Media, October 9, 2026

        There’s a segment of the very passionate Ted Lasso fandom that ships Hannah Waddingham’s character Rebecca and Ted together. Now that season 4 is complete, a few sleuths analyzed how much screen time the two shared (not much).

        I wonder if this is kind of a reverse fan service, like the writers were well aware of the chatter and didn’t want to feed into it.

        This morning, Sarah wrote about Glen Powell’s Esquire profile. I had him pegged for PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive but they probably wouldn’t do another profile so close, so I’m changing my pick. I don’t think it will be Travis Kelce because sports are too divisive in terms of team loyalty; I don’t think it will be a combo of Hudson Williams/Connie Storrie because that’s too much fun for PEOPLE. Remember, this is the publication that chose Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. Jonathan Bailey was a great choice, but an outlier.  But I want to be bold here and pick Michael B. Jordan – this would make him one of a few to be chosen twice.

        Other Mommy is getting terrible reviews, particularly for Jessica Chastian. I still think it’s going to do well at the box office, led by a Gen Z audience.

        Sadie Sink is reportedly set to adapt the buzzy novel The Guest and overall, her post Stranger Things trajectory should be studied. A big role for Marvel, Calvin Klein campaign, Prada ambassador, Broadway – this is a very impressive run. She signed onto WME in 2022 and her team is earning every penny of that commission.

        Miranda Lambert has a new album out, Crisco. Her husband Brendan co-wrote 5 songs on it, which he posted about. She and Brendan celebrated their 7th anniversary this year and the bonus track for this album is Rosemary Cash’s “Seven Year Ache”, a duet with Parker McCollum. She did post with her husband in early September so everything is fine. Probably.

        Hannah Waddingham at The Albie Awards in London, October 9, 2026

        Photo credits: David Fisher/Shutterstock

        Former Fidesz minister used private aircraft for 88-kilometre trip

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        Former Fidesz minister used private aircraft for 88-kilometre trip

        Former economy minister Márton Nagy and his delegation reportedly chartered a private aircraft for the 88-kilometre journey between Brussels and Bruges, as well as for their wider trip, which cost HUF 12.5 million of taxpayer money, according to documents uncovered during an internal ministerial review.

        Fidesz minister really liked private travelling

        Former Hungarian economy minister Márton Nagy and his delegation used a chartered private jet to travel between Brussels and Bruges, despite the distance being just 88 kilometres, according to reports by Telex and 24.hu. The journey was part of an official trip that cost a total of HUF 12.5 million (more than EUR 34,000), according to Nikoletta Boda, a Tisza Party MP and parliamentary state secretary at the Finance Ministry. In a Facebook video, Boda cited documents uncovered during an internal review of the ministry’s activities.

        The trip was officially linked to an ECOFIN meeting, which brings together EU finance ministers. However, according to the documents described in the reports, Nagy did not attend the meeting and instead returned to Hungary that morning. Boda also questioned the justification for a programme item described as a private preparatory session, arguing that it did not explain the need for the overseas trip.

        Never miss a headline: join our Messenger group!

        Previous scrutiny of travel expenses

        Nagy’s official travel costs have previously come under scrutiny. Following a lengthy legal battle, 24.hu obtained records detailing the former minister’s overseas trips and accommodation expenses. The disclosures reportedly showed that taxpayers had sometimes paid more than HUF 800,000 per night (almost EUR 2,200) for his accommodation, including stays at luxury hotels. Some trips also involved high-end suites with private saunas and other premium facilities.

        Separate reporting by 444.hu found that Nagy undertook 66 official foreign trips between January 2023 and November 2024. The combined cost of transport, accommodation and accompanying delegations exceeded HUF 132 million (more than EUR 361,000), with more than HUF 60 million (more than EUR 164,00) reportedly spent on private aircraft alone. The latest revelations add to questions about the cost and necessity of official travel during Nagy’s time in government. However, the reports do not establish that the expenditure was unlawful.

        More on the former government: New document links Viktor Orbán to decision behind infamous Ukrainian gold convoy case

        Nagy has left the country and the political scene

        Nagy reportedly moved to Zurich in Switzerland in June, after leaving Hungarian politics. Telex reported, citing a banking source, that he had taken a position at Zurich-based ISP Group, a company specialising in structured products, wealth management and capital markets. The outlet said it had independently confirmed the information, but Nagy declined to comment. The former minister has not publicly responded to the latest reports about the Brussels–Bruges journey.

        Read also: Orbán-era ministers arrested as National Asset Recovery and Protection Office and prosecution order detention

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