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The Big Story
What to know about the clash between Thailand, Cambodia
The fighting between Thailand’s and Cambodia’s militaries has continued for a second day in a row, with the clash progressively escalating in a border battle that has killed at least 16 people and displaced thousands of individuals.
The two militaries have fired rockets and artillery, while Thailand has struck a Cambodian military target with an F-16 fighter plane.
Both countries are blaming the other side for kickstarting the clash, which began on Thursday, with Cambodia accusing Thailand of using cluster munitions, highly controversial weapons that have multiple bomblets that explode over a large area. The weapon is banned in over 100 countries. Thailand has accused Cambodia of intentionally targeting civilians.
“The current situation involves acts of intrusion and aggression that are causing harm to the people’s lives,” Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters on Friday. “The situation has intensified and could escalate into a state of war. At present, it’s a confrontation involving heavy weapons.”
On Thursday, at least four civilians were injured and more than 4,000 people were displaced in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province, according to Gen. Khov Ly, the head official there.
The clash has grown in size, with the border conflict expanding from six to 12 locations. Both militaries have steadily ramped up their use of heavy weaponry.
The conflict has exploded along the long-disputed border, which was charted mostly by France. The two Southeast Asian countries have clashed multiple times over portions of the border since it was drawn out in 1907, during French colonial rule.
Thailand’s decision to recall its ambassador and boot Cambodia’s envoy helped set off the clash. The diplomatic shunning came after another Thai soldier got blown up by a landmine, losing a limb. Thai officials blamed Phnom Penh, an assertion that was rejected by Cambodia.
In total, over 130,000 people were evacuated near the combat zone in Thailand. The number of casualties has gone up to 15, including 14 civilians, according to Thailand’s health ministry. At least 46 people were injured, including 15 Thai soldiers.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “following with concern” the reports of the clash, according to his spokesperson Farhan Haq.
The U.S. government on Thursday also called for the fighting to end.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
The U.S. military carried out a raid in northwestern Syria on Friday, killing a senior ISIS leader and two of his sons in the Aleppo area, according to the United States Central Command (Centcom). Centcom said Friday that U.S. forces killed Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, a senior ISIS leader, along with his two sons, Abdallah Dhiya al-Hardani and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba al-Hardani, who Centcom says are affiliated with ISIS. …
The Kremlin ruled out a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before achieving major progress on a peace deal, raising doubt on ending the war before President Trump’s proposed 50-day deadline. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said peace proposals drafted by both sides are “diametrically opposed.” When asked if a meeting between the two leaders would take place before …
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is beyond the world’s “worst fears,” Australia’s government said Friday, as reports of mass starvation and disease across the war-torn enclave persist. “The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world’s worst fears. The position of the Australian Government is clear: every innocent life matters,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. “Every Israeli. …
Biden’s State spokesperson rips Gabbard’s ‘conspiratorial fiction’ in op-ed
Former Biden State Department spokesperson Ned Price went after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday in an opinion piece for Fox News following her recent claims about the 2016 election. “Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, like much of official Washington, …
Raspberry on spoon of sugar by Myriams-Fotos via Pixabay
October NY world sugar #11 (SBV25) on Thursday closed up +0.33 (+2.03%), and October London ICE white sugar #5 (SWV25) closed up +8.80 (+1.87%).
Sugar prices rallied sharply on Thursday due to speculation that the recent slide in sugar prices to 4-year lows has sparked a pickup in demand. China’s June sugar imports soared by 1,435% to 420,000 MT. Also, President Trump last Wednesday said Coca-Cola agreed to use cane sugar in Coke beverages sold in the US instead of high-fructose corn syrup, which could boost US sugar consumption by +4.4% to 11.5 MMT from 11 MMT currently, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
On Wednesday, sugar prices fell to 3-week lows due to speculation that India may boost its sugar exports. Bloomberg reported Monday that the country may permit local sugar mills to export sugar in the next season, which starts in October, as abundant monsoon rains may produce a bumper sugar crop. India’s Meteorological Department reported Monday that cumulative monsoon rain in India is 6% above normal as of July 21.
The outlook for higher sugar production in Brazil is bearish for sugar prices. Datagro said Monday that dry weather in Brazil has encouraged the country’s sugar mills to increase their cane crushing, diverting more of the cane crush toward more profitable sugar production rather than ethanol. According to Covrig, Brazil’s sugar mills are expected to crush 54% of the available cane in the first half of this month, likely adding 3.2 MMT of sugar into the market.
The outlook for higher sugar production in India, the world’s second-largest producer, is bearish for prices. On June 2, India’s National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories projected that India’s 2025/26 sugar production would climb +19% y/y to 35 MMT, citing larger planted cane acreage. That would follow a -17.5% y/y decline in India’s sugar production in 2024/25 to a 5-year low of 26.2 MMT, according to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA). Also, the ISMA reported on July 7 that India’s sugar production during Oct 1-May 15 fell -17% y/y to 25.74 MMT.
Sugar prices have retreated over the past three months, with NY sugar falling to a 4.25-year low earlier this month and London sugar sliding to a nearly 4-year low, driven by expectations of a sugar surplus in the 2025/26 season. On June 30, commodities trader Czarnikow projected a 7.5 MMT global sugar surplus for the 2025/26 season, the largest surplus in 8 years. On May 22, the USDA, in its biannual report, projected that global 2025/26 sugar production would increase by +4.7% y/y to a record 189.318 MMT, with global sugar ending stocks at 41.188 MMT, up 7.5% y/y.
Sugar prices also have support from reduced sugar production in Brazil. Unica reported last Monday that the cumulative 2025/26 Brazil Center-South sugar output through June fell by -14.3% y/y to 12.249 MMT. Last month, Conab, Brazil’s government crop forecasting agency, said 2024/25 Brazil sugar production fell by -3.4% y/y to 44.118 MMT, citing lower sugarcane yields due to drought and excessive heat.
The outlook for higher sugar production in Thailand is bearish for sugar prices. On May 2, Thailand’s Office of the Cane and Sugar Board reported that Thailand’s 2024/25 sugar production rose +14% y/y to 10.00 MMT. Thailand is the world’s third-largest sugar producer and the second-largest exporter of sugar.
The International Sugar Organization (ISO) raised its 2024/25 global sugar deficit forecast to a 9-year high of -5.47 MMT on May 15, up from a February forecast of -4.88 MMT. This indicates a tightening market following the 2023/24 global sugar surplus of 1.31 MMT. ISO also cut its 2024/25 global sugar production forecast to 174.8 MMT from a February forecast of 175.5 MMT.
The USDA, in its bi-annual report released May 22, projected that global 2025/26 sugar production would climb +4.7% y/y to a record 189.318 MMT and that global 2025/26 human sugar consumption would increase +1.4% y/y to a record 177.921 MMT. The USDA also forecasted that 2025/26 global sugar ending stocks would climb +7.5% y/y to 41.188 MMT. The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) predicted that Brazil’s 2025/26 sugar production would rise +2.3% y/y to a record 44.7 MMT FAS predicted that India’s 2025/26 sugar production would rise +25% y/y to 35.3 MMT due to favorable monsoon rains and increased sugar acreage. FAS predicted that Thailand’s 2025/26 sugar production will climb +2% y/y to 10.3 MMT.
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
An independent review upheld 45 allegations against Wallace relating to his behaviour on MasterChef
Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has said he is “so sorry” to anyone he hurt, but insisted that he is “not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher”.
In a new interview with The Sun, the TV presenter also defended his sacked co-host John Torode, saying he is “not a racist”.
Wallace was sacked earlier this month after a report upheld 45 allegations about his behaviour on the programme, including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of undress.
Torode was also axed after a claim against him using “an extremely offensive racist term” was upheld. He has said he has “no recollection” of the incident.
The inquiry, conducted by an independent law firm, was ordered by MasterChef’s production company Banijay in the wake of a BBC News investigation last year, which first revealed claims of misconduct against Wallace.
They include allegations he groped one MasterChef worker at a wrap party and pulled his trousers down in front of another.
The majority of substantiated claims against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive or racist comments.
In his first interview since being sacked, the presenter acknowledged that he had said things that “offended people, that weren’t socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time.
“I understand that now – and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry.”
He indicated his background was to blame for those comments, as a former greengrocer from Peckham working in an environment that was “jovial and crude”.
But he added: “I’m not a groper. People think I’ve been taking my trousers down and exposing myself – I am not a flasher.
“People think I’m a sex pest. I am not.”
Wallace said that one of the upheld claims against him related to a widely reported incident in which he had allegedly walked around MasterChef’s set naked with a sock on his penis.
Addressing that incident, he said that there were no contestants on set, and just four of his friends from the show outside his dressing room door.
“I was getting changed to go to a black tie event, a charity event. I put my bow tie on and my shirt. It’s only them outside the door. I put the sock on, opened the door, went, ‘Wahey!’ and shut the door again.
“The people interviewed were either amused or bemused. Nobody was distressed,” he claimed.
Autism defence
Ahead of the report’s publication earlier this month, Wallace posted a now-deleted statement on Instagram in which he appeared to link the misconduct allegations he was facing to his recent autism diagnosis.
That led to a backlash from charities and groups working with disabled people. One charity told BBC News that autism is “not a free pass for bad behaviour”, while other groups warned that such remarks risked stigmatising the autistic community.
In his interview on Friday night, Wallace spoke again about his diagnosis, saying: “I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability.”
He also repeated a claim that he “never [wears] pants”, saying: “It’s not sexualised. It’s hypersensitivity – that happens with autism.”
The BBC has said a previously filmed series featuring Wallace and Torode will still be broadcast as planned
Last week, Wallace’s co-host Torode was sacked after an allegation of using a severely offensive racist term was upheld.
Torode has said any racist language is “wholly unacceptable”.
Addressing the claim against his co-host, Wallace said: “I’ve known John for 30 years and he is not a racist.
“And as evidence of that, I’ll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, MasterChef winners, over the years. There is no way that man is a racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don’t want anybody to go through what I’ve been through.”
But he added that he had unfollowed Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner on social media, saying: “We never really did get on that well.
“We’re two very, very different characters.”
Earlier this week, the BBC announced that a new series of MasterChef, which was recorded before Wallace and Torode were sacked, will still be broadcast as planned, on BBC One and iPlayer.
Some of the women who came forward with claims against Wallace have said they did not think the new series should be shown.
One former MasterChef worker, who claims he groped her, told BBC News the decision to go ahead showed “a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward”.
The BBC said it had taken the decision “after careful consideration and consultation with the contestants”.
It added it has not yet taken a decision on what to do with the completed celebrity series and Christmas special.
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Energy & Environment
Energy & Environment
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The Big Story
FEMA denying some funding after floods
A review of federal documents by The Hill shows that the administration denied such “hazard mitigation” funds to states after 16 out of 18 flood disastersduring the Trump presidency, with both of the approvals coming before mid-March.
After the deadly Independence Day floods, the administration declined to provide Texas with access to a tranche of FEMA funds aimed at heading off the next disaster — money intended to pay for things such as warning systems, tornado shelters and anti-flood measures.
It’s not alone.
In May, children in a Missouri elementary school sheltered from a tornado that shattered windows and ripped gutters off the building inside a safe room purchased with hazard mitigation money issued after the deadly 2011 Joplin tornado.
Though the Trump administration approved Missouri’s disaster declaration, it refused the hazard mitigation funds the state requested to buy generators and more outdoor warning sirens, state officials told The Hill. Missouri is appealing that decision.
In neighboring Oklahoma, the Biden administration had in November approved hazard mitigation funding for wildfires and straight-line winds.
But even as those funds went out, more wildfires, driven by straight-line winds, were raging across the Sooner State. President Trump issued a disaster declaration on the last day of the weeklong emergency — but denied hazard mitigation funding.
It was the first time in at least 15 years that Oklahoma wasn’t approved for requested hazard mitigation, according to state emergency management officials.
This pivot — which breaks long-standing federal precedent — comes amid steep Trump cuts to FEMA, which he has also talked about eliminating entirely, as well as cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the federal forecasting and research apparatus.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
The Trump administration has placed two high-ranking officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on leave amid a series of efforts to make cuts at the agency.
The U.S. and Mexico on Thursday took collaborative steps toward curbing a long-standing, cross-border environmental crisis: the unfettered sewage flow from Tijuana into Southern California.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and other critics of the Trump administration’s environmental policies are renewing a push for legislation that would end energy subsidies that the critics say will “destroy the planet.”
“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone had a simple response to the furor the often-controversial show stoked this week with an episode showing President Trump in bed with Satan and making fun of what they depicted as the president’s small genitals. Read more
A third court ruled Friday that President Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order cannot go into effect across the country, following the Supreme Court’s decision last month clawing back nationwide injunctions. Read more
Recently listed Circle Financial (CRCL) is slowly gaining a reputation of being the Nvidia (NVDA) of the crypto industry. The hype around the USDC stablecoin issuer is real. Since its listing, the share price has rallied by more than 500%, thanks in no small part to the GENIUS Act.
www.barchart.com
The GENIUS Act or “Guardrails for Emerging and Novel Instruments Utilizing Stablecoins” Act is a U.S. is a federal law passed in July 2025 to regulate stablecoins like USDC and USDT, which is issued by Tether. Under this act, only federally approved and well-capitalized institutions (like banks or regulated fintechs) can issue stablecoins and the issuers must hold one-for-one dollar-equivalent reserves, mostly in cash or short-term Treasurys.
Acting as a further tailwind and a regulatory stamp of approval for stablecoins, this makes the case for investing in CRCL stock even more compelling. However, the stock’s massive uptick has led to valuation concerns.
Goldman Sachs has a price target of $83 for the stock, implying a 57% decline from current levels while stating that they “view CRCL’s business and growth attractively, but valuation appears elevated.” Meanwhile, analysts at Oppenheimer, without providing a price target, commented that they had a “very favorable view” of Circle and its business. However, citing its punchy valuations, advised that “investors wait for a better entry point.”
Interestingly, JPMorgan, which has also been making moves in the stablecoin space, has issued an “Underweight” rating on the CRCL stock with a price target of $80. Their concerns were also along similar lines.
So, what is to be done with Circle now? Let’s have a closer look.
In a recent piece, I outlined the bull and bear cases for Circle here.
Essentially, Circle functions as a key infrastructure provider in the evolving digital finance ecosystem, rather than as a traditional financial institution. Instead of handling fiat transactions directly, it relies on regulated banking partners to move funds. Thus, Circle’s core responsibilities remain focused on issuing digital dollars and settling them securely.
This allows Circle to operate with flexibility, while reducing its exposure to banking-specific regulatory burdens. Consequently, the company is positioned as a bridge between the traditional financial system and the blockchain-based future.
Meanwhile, in recent developments, Circle has begun to expand beyond just stablecoin issuance. The acquisition of Hashnote earlier this year led to the launch of USYC, a tokenized version of a U.S. Treasury money market fund. This step marks the company’s entry into the broader tokenized asset space, an industry with significant long-term potential.
However, regulatory shifts are shaping the company’s options. The GENIUS Act, though supportive of stablecoin frameworks, imposes strict guidelines on reserve composition, limiting it to cash, demand deposits, or short-term Treasuries. This restricts the types of assets Circle can hold, reducing flexibility around yield generation and risk management.
Another factor to consider is Circle’s revenue-sharing agreement with Coinbase (COIN). While it has been instrumental in growing USDC’s reach, the arrangement introduces recurring costs. Notably, every new distribution partner adds to Circle’s payout obligations, which could weigh on future profitability.
Finally, valuation remains an area of concern. Circle trades at a forward price-earnings ratio of of 154x and a price-to-sales ratio of 23.8x. This is far above the industry averages of 23.97x and 3.17x, respectively. These elevated multiples suggest that much of the company’s long-term growth is already priced in, leaving little room for missteps.
Circle’s financial story over the past couple of years tells a striking tale of change. Back in 2022, it was still in the red, bringing in $772 million in revenue but ending the year with a sizable net loss of $768.8 million. Things have turned around since then. By the close of 2024, revenue had surged to $1.7 billion, and the company now reported a profit of $155.7 million.
Cash flow followed a similar path. In 2022, there was negative cash flow from operations of $72.7 million. Two years later, the company was generating cash flow from operations of $344.6 million instead.
Meanwhile, Circle’s cash reserves have also grown stronger. From around $369 million at the end of 2023, the company’s cash position nearly doubled to $751 million by the end of 2024. In a space as unpredictable as crypto, that kind of liquidity offers real flexibility.
Overall, analysts have attributed a rating of “Moderate Buy” for CRCL stock with a mean target price of $184.67 which has already been surpassed. The high target price of $280 indicates upside potential of about 50% from current levels.
Out of 14 analysts covering the stock, six have a “Strong Buy” rating, one has a “Mdoerate Buy” rating, four have a “Hold” rating, and three have a “Strong Sell” rating.
www.barchart.com
On the date of publication, Pathikrit Bose did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
There are just under 20 five-star recruits in the ESPNW Class of 2026. Three players committed well before the 2025 summer recruiting period began, and as the July live period wound down, another one hit: No. 1 Saniyah Hallannounced Friday she would suit up for USC in 2026-27. More announcements should begin to trickle in during the fall.
With rosters more fluid than ever due to the increased focus on the transfer portal and the new era of revenue sharing, high school prospects must think more carefully about their future college landing spot. We won’t see these players in a college uniform for another season, but we can still make some informed projections. How will they fit in their chosen system? What’s next for those programs that have signed these top-tier talents? We’ll try to answer all these questions here.
Bookmark this page, as we will update this list and add key analysis every time a five-star recruit announces a commitment.
Background: Hall announced her commitment to USC on ESPN’s NBA Today. She went straight from her official visit at USC to the ESPN studios to break the news, choosing the Trojans over UCLA and North Carolina. She dominated at Montverde (FL) last season and has transferred closer to home to Spire Academy (OH) for her senior year of high school.
Hall was recently named the MVP of the U19 FIBA Women’s World Cup held in the Czech Republic, where Team USA won gold once again. Her production was quite impressive, as she averaged 19.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.9 SPG. She shot 52.6% from the field through the tournament, including 39.3% from behind the arc.
How she fits: Hall will join a 2026-27 roster that will include Jasmine Davidson (also on the gold medal-winning U19 squad), JuJu Watkins, and 2025 FIBA Americup Gold medalist Kennedy Smith (No. 6 in the ESPNW 100 class of 2024).
The interchangeability and scoring prowess of this combination will be hard to compete against in women’s college basketball. They will have a WNBA/European style feel to the roster. Each of these players has their own niche, but all of them can handle, score and defend at a high level. USC will look to further bolster its interior play in this 2026 class, and is targeting No. 2 recruit Oliviyah Edwards, who visited campus officially earlier in the calendar year.
How Hall must adjust: Hall will arrive on campus talented enough to contribute immediately — there was even talk of considering a reclassification into the 2025 class. However, she will still need to make adjustments to her game, primarily on the defensive end, as a wing who will likely log some minutes at the forward spot (like she did primarily for Team USA). Hall has always been the focal point offensively for her teams — and while that aggressiveness will serve her well at all levels, she will be joining a roster that has Watkins, arguably the best scoring guard in the country. So, Hall will need to learn how to play with other truly elite players, possibly taking some of the load off of Watkins as she returns to the court from her ACL injury.
How USC is positioning itself in the recruiting race: The signing of Hall shows just how strong of a brand the Trojans have built in recruiting, particularly within the imprint of the new Big Ten landscape. The USC staff managed to keep JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 recruit in 2023, close to home, had the No. 1 recruiting class in 2024, landed the No. 1 player in 2025 (Jasmine Davidson) — and have done it again with Hall. All signs point to the Trojans being a recruiting powerhouse.
Background: The 5-foot-8 multi-sport athlete (basketball, soccer, track) chose Kentucky over finalists Iowa, Duke, Clemson, UCLA, and Stanford in November. It was a massive win for Wildcats coach Kenny Brooks, who now has two five-stars commits (No. 18 Savvy Swords).
Greenway is one of the most decorated high schoolers to come out of Minnesota, with state championships in all three sports, and just won a gold medal with the 2025 USA Women’s Basketball U19 World Cup team. She’s also the reigning Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year. Her mother, Jenni, ran track at Iowa (and is now her high school track coach) and her father, Chad, played 11 years in the NFL after starring at linebacker for the Hawkeyes.
How she fits: Kentucky’s point guards must be major playmakers, and Brooks is getting just that in Greenway. She puts immediate pressure on the defense and scores at all three levels. She’s the ultimate competitor defensively, applying ball pressure and all-out hustle in rotations.
What’s next: Greenway will be tasked with becoming the next star point guard for Brooks, much like Georgia Amoore, who led Virginia Tech to a Final Four under him in 2023 before both moved on to Kentucky. Brooks is hoping to build Kentucky in a similar method in Year Two.
Background: Williams’ path to becoming one of the top post players in the country was different from many on this list: she was homeschooled until this upcoming season (where she will attend Howell High School in Michigan), and she played for independent club program Michigan Mystics P24 rather than for a shoe circuit team. She is not only good now, but has more potential to reach: At 6-foot 5, Williams can dunk the basketball.
— Select Events Basketball (@SelectEventsBB) July 10, 2025
How she fits: Williams committed to Michigan State in early 2024. She had offers from most of the Big Ten, and then some. She will join the program as the tallest player on the roster, and will be expected to anchor a defense that prides itself in pressure and creating turnovers. As a mobile and strong interior player, Williams will give the Spartans a true center to play through. The program will still look to sign a point guard and scoring guard to round out the class.
2026 ESPNW 100 ranking: 18 Committed to: Kentucky Wildcats
Background: The younger sister of Michigan guard and Canadian Olympian Syla Swords, Swords is a Canadian national team staple when not playing at Long Island Lutheran in high school. She missed most of the 2024-25 high school season and summer with a knee injury, but has rehabbed successfully. She brings a winning pedigree from everywhere she plays, from high school to FIBA competition. She committed to Kentucky over finalists South Carolina, UCLA, Michigan, and Notre Dame.
How she fits: The 6-1 younger Swords will be able to log minutes at the wing or forward spots and potentially be very interchangeable with 2025 McDonald’s All-American signee Kaelyn Carroll. She is a confident shooter and facilitator from the perimeter, but plays with the physicality needed inside. She and Maddyn Greenway are a great early tandem of commits for the Wildcats.
“[The crowd] got their money’s worth. I think they wanted 15-all but that last leg, I just had to stay focused,” he told Sky Sports.
“I didn’t really panic. Leg by leg, Andrew started to win a few on the trot, but on the last leg, against the darts, I just had to get over the line.
“He played his part, it’s very tough. Andrew never goes out of rhythm, he’s the same throw by throw. I just had to find a rhythm to match him.”
Littler teased there would be “fireworks” in the fourth quarter-final and Rock delivered.
Both the 24-year-old (104.02) and Price (100.21) averaged above 100, but it was Rock who seized the moment, winning three consecutive legs to open up an 11-8 lead and then extending his advantage to 13-9.
Price rallied to make it 13-11, but Rock – who beat three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in round two – closed out the match in style, winning the last three legs and producing a checkout of 164 in the final one.
“I’m on cloud nine at the minute. What a game,” Rock told on Sky Sports.
“I was just like, ‘Josh, you’re doing nothing wrong, you’re playing your own game, happy days’. The form Gerwyn’s in, you know what to expect.
“Littler’s one of my closest friends behind the scenes. I hope we both turn up. Hopefully it will be a cracking game.”
The Trump administration has placed two high-ranking officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on leave amid a series of efforts to make cuts at the agency.
NOAA spokesperson Kim Doster confirmed in an email that deputy general counsel Jeff Dillen and acting assistant secretary Stephen Volz, assistant administrator for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, were placed on administrative leave.
CNN, which first reported the news, also reported that the duo led the investigation into the “Sharpiegate” scandal, which is when NOAA released a statement rebuking a weather service office social media post that contradicted President Trump about the path of Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
However, Doster said that the decision to place the officials on leave was not related to the investigation.
Instead, she said that Dillen was placed on leave “pending a review of performance issues over the past several weeks.” She did not say what the alleged issues were.
She said that Volz was placed on leave “on an unrelated matter.”
The move comes a few weeks after the confirmation hearing of Neil Jacobs to lead the agency. Jacobs also led NOAA under the last Trump administration, including during the “Sharpiegate” scandal.
International concern has risen this week with warnings that starvation has gripped Gaza
Almost one in three people in Gaza are going days without eating, the UN’s food aid programme has warned.
“Malnutrition is surging with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment,” the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a statement.
Warnings of starvation in Gaza have intensified this week. Nine more people died of malnutrition on Friday, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry – bringing the total such deaths since the war began to 122.
Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into Gaza, says there is no restriction on aid getting into the territory and blames Hamas for any malnutrition.
An Israeli security official said on Friday that airdrops of aid into Gaza could be allowed in the coming days – something aid agencies have previously cautioned is an inefficient way to get supplies into Gaza.
While local media reported the United Arab Emirates and Jordan would carry out the latest drops, a senior Jordanian official told the BBC that its military was yet to receive permission from Israel to do so.
The UN has described the move as a “distraction to inaction” by the Israeli government.
The move came amid mounting international concern about humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
On Friday, Germany, France and the UK called on Israel to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid” into the territory.
In a joint statement, they called for an immediate end to the “humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza,” and to the war itself, adding that Israel must “uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law”.
“Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,” read the statement.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he could not “explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community – the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity”.
Addressing the Amnesty International global assembly, he said more than 1,000 Palestinians had been killed while trying to access food since 27 May – when the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing supplies as an alternative to the UN-led system.
‘I’m so tired’: Mother of starving Gazan baby speaks to BBC
A US security contractor who worked for the GHF in May and June 2025 told the BBC on Friday that he had “without question… witnessed war crimes” during that time.
Anthony Aguilar said he saw the IDF and US contractors using live ammunition, artillery, mortar rounds, and tank fire on civilians at food distribution sites.
The retired soldier said: “In my entire career, I have never witnessed the level of brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population until I was in Gaza at the hands of the IDF and US contractors.”
In its response, the GHF said the claims – which came from “a disgruntled former contractor who was terminated for misconduct a month ago” – were “categorically false”.
Meanwhile, the future of talks to secure a new ceasefire and hostage-release deal remains uncertain, after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from Qatar.
Hamas has expressed surprise about the US remarks.
A senior Hamas official also told the BBC’s Gaza correspondent that mediators had informed the group negotiations had not collapsed, and said the Israeli delegation was expected to return to Doha next week.
Israel launched a war in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 59,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel imposed a total blockade of aid deliveries at the start of March and resumed its military offensive against Hamas two weeks later, collapsing a two-month ceasefire. It said it wanted to put pressure on the group to release its remaining Israeli hostages.
Although the blockade was partially eased after almost two months amid warnings of a looming famine from global experts, the shortages of food, medicine and fuel have worsened.
Most of Gaza’s population has been displaced multiple times and more than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed.
On Thursday, France announced it would official recognise a Palestinian state in September – a move which angered Israel and its main ally, the US.
A day later, more than a third of UK MPs signed a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling for the UK to follow suit.
