The stage is set for another epic showdown between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open which starts on Monday.

The pair have thrilled tennis fans this season with two special matches, first in the Wimbledon final and then most recently at the Cincinnati Open.

Djokovic described last Sunday’s Cincinnati Open final victory over Alcaraz as “one of the toughest matches” of his career and the three-set, nearly four-hour clash will surely go down as one of tennis’ all-time great encounters.

World No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, Alcaraz and Djokovic played some otherworldly tennis in Cincinnati as the sport’s burgeoning rivalry continues to enthrall fans in the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

In truth, it’s almost impossible to see a US Open winner beyond Alcaraz, the defending champion, and Djokovic with the pair simply in a league of their own compared to the rest of the draw.

A mere 20 points separate Alcaraz from Djokovic at the top of the world rankings, before a steep drop off of more than 3,500 points to Daniil Medvedev at No. 3.

Men’s tennis has been reliant on the epic rivalries between Nadal, Federer and Djokovic over the years and while it may be hyperbole to say Alcaraz’s emergence has saved the sport, the Spaniard’s rise certainly makes the transition into the next era significantly smoother.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable season in 2023, winning six titles that include Wimbledon – his second grand slam – and two Masters 1000 events.

After his stunning five-set win over Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz’s form briefly deserted him in a shock quarterfinal defeat to Tommy Paul at the Canadian Open but he bounced back brilliantly to play some of his best tennis of the season in his run to the final in Cincinnati.

Alcaraz enters the tournament as the top seed, and faces a possible quarterfinal rematch with Jannik Sinner, a year after their epic five-set classic which saw Alcaraz win at 2.50 a.m. setting a record for the latest finish for a match at the US Open.

He is also in the same side of the draw as third seed Medvedev who he could face in the semifinals.

“What Alcaraz has done in the last year is unbelievable,” seven-time grand slam champion John McEnroe told Eurosport. “[He’s] the best I’ve ever seen at this age.

“Novak is incredible how good he still is, to see the all-time great play against the young superstar is incredible. I’d love to see that match played again.

“The last couple of matches have been close and incredible matches, let’s hope it lasts.”

Djokovic’s win over Alcaraz in Cincinnati was his fourth title of the year, including victories at the Australian Open and French Open to take his grand slam tally to 23.

The Serb is in the United States for the first time since 2021 due to his unvaccinated status but made up for lost time by immediately returning to winning ways in Cincinnati.

Djokovic faces Frenchman Alexandre Muller in the first round and is in the same quarter of the draw as Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He may now be 36 years of age and firmly in the twilight of his career but Djokovic is still capable of consistently producing his best tennis, meaning fans likely have plenty more match ups to look forward to between the world’s two best players.

Best of the rest

As world No. 3 and a former US Open champion, Russia’s Medvedev is the most likely of the chasing pack to cause an upset at Flushing Meadows.

The 27-year-old has faced hugely contrasting fortunes in the first and second half the season. Medvedev won five ATP Tour titles in the first five months of 2023, including two Masters 1000 tournaments and a run of three consecutive tournament wins in the month of February.

However, his form has largely tailed off since winning his last title against Holger Rune at the Rome Masters.

Soon after that tournament, Medvedev suffered a shock first-round defeat to Thiago Seyboth Wild at the French Open and – aside from a career best semifinal appearance at Wimbledon – hasn’t won more than two matches at a tournament since.

Medvedev is without doubt a contender at the US Open, but only if he can recapture his early season form.

After reaching the final in 2022, Capser Ruud – who has now lost on all three of his grand slam finals appearances – has plenty to play for as he hopes to defend the rankings points earned during last year’s run.

The world No. 5 has also endured an up and down season, the peak of which came during a four-week window in May and June when he reached the semifinals of the Rome Masters and then the final of the French Open.

Now with increased experience in grand slam finals, perhaps the 2023 US Open will finally be the tournament Ruud banishes his grand slam final demons.

A week after clinching Spain’s first Women’s World Cup, the country’s soccer federation is at war with the very players who brought home the trophy.

The scandal began just moments after La Roja’s historic 1-0 victory against England, when the head of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, kissed midfielder Jennifer Hermoso on the lips.

Rubiales, 46, said he made a mistake but that the kiss was consensual. Hermoso, 33, said she did not give her permission and felt violated.

Fast forward eight days and Spain’s World Cup winners are refusing to play. The country’s football federation is threatening legal action. And Rubiales is vowing to “fight to the end.”

The RFEF has called regional federations to convene for an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting on Monday to address the current situation after Rubiales was provisionally suspended by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, over the weekend.

Here’s what you need to know.

What happened

After sealing their victory on August 20, the Spanish squad lined up to receive their medals and congratulations from major political and football figures.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, was first in line. Next to him stood Spanish Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia. Rubiales stood to the younger royal’s left. He was followed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, among others.

The medal ceremony began, and one-by-one, the champions were honored by the delegation. Infantino handed each player their medals. The royals then embraced them. Rubiales greeted many of them with a big bear hug and a kiss on the cheek, even lifting some into the air.

The beginning of Rubiales and Hermoso’s encounter, however, was not caught on the live television feed. After showing one of the Spanish players kissing the Women’s World Cup Trophy, the broadcast cut to Rubiales hugging Hermoso. Rubiales’ arms are around Hermoso’s shoulders, with Hermoso’s around the top of Rubiales’ back. The pair briefly rock back and forth slightly, and Rubiales appears to say something in Hermoso’s ear.

Rubiales puts his hands on the back of Hermoso’s head. He kisses her on the lips, then slaps her twice on the back before she continues down the procession.

What Rubiales and Hermoso are saying

Hermoso said at no point did she consent to the kiss.

“I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part,” she said on social media. “Simply put I was not respected.”

Rubiales admitted he made a mistake on Monday, the day after Spain’s win, but later defended his actions. In a defiant speech on Friday, he said the kiss was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and (done) with consent.”

He added that he would not resign and said he would “fight to the end.”

What others are saying

Rubiales has been heavily criticized for his actions and could lose his job.

FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales and provisionally suspended him from all football-related activities. Spanish players’ union FUTPRO called for Rubiales to be punished after the kiss, while global players’ union FIFPRO called for “immediate disciplinary action” following Rubiales’ Friday speech.

The president of Spain’s High Council of Sport, the Spanish government agency that oversees sporting activities, said the council would look to suspend Rubiales as quickly as it could while still allowing him proper due process.

In response to Rubiales’ decision to stay, the RFEF vice president Rafael del Amo and 11 members of the Spanish national women’s soccer program have resigned.

Players have also threatened to boycott competitions should Rubiales stay in his post.

Hermoso and her teammates on Spain’s World Cup winning squad said they would not play again for the country until Rubiales has been removed from his position. Their coach, Jorge Vilda – who himself is embroiled in a controversy after video emerged of him appearing to inappropriately touch a female staff member during the World Cup final – called Rubiales’ behavior “improper.”

On the men’s side, striker Borja Iglesia said on social media he would not play for the national team “until things change.” Men’s World Cup winners Iker Casillas and Andres Iniesta condemned Rubiales, as has current men’s team coach Luis de la Fuente. Other teams have showed solidarity.

Politicians have weighed in as well.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Rubiales’ initial apology was “unacceptable” and “not enough,” while a deputy prime minister, Yolanda Diaz, called for Rubiales to resign.

The RFEF, however, is standing behind Rubiales. It accused Hermoso of lying about the incident and threatened legal action against her and others.

What comes next

By backing Rubiales, the Spanish football federation has opened a major rift between itself and its three most important partners – FIFA, the Spanish government and the unions that represent Spanish football players.

Whether Rubiales can survive the pressure for him to step down remains to be seen.

But the incident has shed a light on the issues of sexism and machismo in Spain, both of which the players’ union has vowed to fight back against.

“The union is working so that acts like the ones we have seen never go unpunished, are sanctioned and the pertinent measures are adopted to protect the football players from actions that we believe are unacceptable,” the union said Wednesday.

“It is necessary to continue advancing in the fight for equality, a fight that our players have led with determination, taking us to the position in which we find ourselves today.”

As the checkered flag waved at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday to greet home favorite Max Verstappen over the finish line, the Formula One driver took another step towards history.

The win in the Netherlands was Verstappen’s eleventh of the season and ninth in a row, drawing him level with Sebastian Vettel for the most consecutive victories in F1 history. The German, then driving for Red Bull, completed the same feat during his 2013 title win.

Home advantage is something that matters to Verstappen. He said that he already had “goosebumps” during the national anthem ahead of the race – not that the emotion affected his ruthless streak even as inclement weather threatened to upset his rhythm.

As rain fell early in the race, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez quickly switched to wet-weather tyres to steal an advantage and briefly surpass the reigning world champion, only for the 25-year-old Verstappen to make the change a lap later and rapidly exhibit his superiority over Perez and the rest of the field.

The Mexican’s afternoon was further spoiled later in the race as he made an error to allow Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly to surpass him and secure their spots on the podium.

Alonso had started the race in fifth but – Verstappen aside – put on the driving performance of the day. The 42-year-old secured the 105th podium of his remarkable career and pulled off one of the overtakes of the season to displace Lando Norris on just the second lap of the race, unconventionally sling-shotting his Aston Martin around the hairpin third turn.

The partisan crowd at Zandvoort was not bothered by the downpours, vociferously rooting for their man. That support did not go unnoticed by Verstappen, who described the atmosphere as being “incredible” throughout.

Verstappen also stated that he considered the win on Sunday as one of his more challenging victories.

“It was probably one of the more difficult races to win, but nine in a row is something I never even thought about,” said Verstappen.

“I’m very happy with that but I’m in general very happy to win here in front of my home crowd.”

Verstappen was asked after the race about being on the precipice of F1 history and the prospect of a 10th consecutive victory at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza next weekend, but he batted away the question instantly.

“I’ll think about it next week,” he said. “I’m just going to enjoy this weekend. It’s always tough, the pressure is on to perform, and I’m very happy of course to win here.”

Clearly, Verstappen thrives under that pressure. Since F1 returned to the Netherlands in 2021 following a 34-year hiatus, he has won all three editions of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner was less coy about the achievements of his star man and indeed the team as a whole.

“I think quietly he’s very proud of what he’s doing and achieving,” Horner told reporters.

“To win nine in a row is insane. And (for Red Bull) to have done it in the same team with another driver is something that I don’t think any of us could have ever envisaged.”

The Dutch star has now won 46 races in all, which puts him fifth on the all-time list. Alain Prost and Vettel, five and seven race wins ahead of Verstappen as things stands, could be overtaken before the 2023 season ends given that nine races remain. That would leave just Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher ahead of him at the end of the season.

Verstappen’s own record of 15 wins in a single season – set during last year’s triumphant campaign – is also under serious threat given his current state of apparent invincibility on the track.

Roberto Mancini was announced as the new head coach of Saudi Arabia’s men’s team on Sunday, just two weeks after resigning as manager of his native Italy.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mancini wrote that he was “honored to be selected for such a prestigious role” and that he will “proudly continue to bring our Italian culture to the world.”

He continued to say he has “accepted to embrace such an exciting new project, grounded on a shared vision and purpose to grow the national football sector as well as the young talents and the future generations.”

Both Mancini and the official Saudi national team shared a video on X showing the 58-year-old wearing a green tie and drinking a coffee. At the end of the video, Mancini says, “I made history in Europe. Now it is time to make history with Saudi.”

Mancini was head coach of Italy for five years, winning the men’s European Championship with the team in 2021. However, Italy failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup in 2022 under his stewardship and currently sits third in its group for the 2024 edition of the European championship, behind England and Ukraine.

At club level, Mancini has managed Inter Milan and Manchester City most notably, as well as a stint with Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia. He won Manchester City’s first English Premier League title in 2012 in dramatic fashion.

Saudi Arabia’s men’s national team sprung one of the surprises of the 2022 World Cup, defeating eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in the group stage.

The country has been investing heavily in sport in recent times, with teams in the Saudi Pro League – the professional men’s league in the country – signing a slew of global stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and reigning Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema.

Saudi Arabia’s next fixtures are against Costa Rica and South Korea in September. Both games are being held at St. James’ Park, the home ground of Newcastle United. Newcastle is majority owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of the Gulf state, which is chaired by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Tropical Storm Idalia is strengthening quickly as it churns toward Florida and could become a dangerous Category 3 storm as it approaches the coast with a mix of heavy rains, high winds and damaging storm surge.

Idalia is expected to intensify into a hurricane Monday and make landfall on Wednesday morning near the Big Bend of Florida as a dangerous major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As the storm intensifies, “life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds” are “becoming increasingly likely for portions of Florida,” the hurricane center said early Monday.

The storm’s expected arrival has prompted Florida to deploy swift water rescue teams as local officials called for evacuations, announced school closures and warned residents to prepare their property.

The storm is about 125 miles off the western tip of Cuba, whipping up maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, the hurricane center said in a 5 a.m. update.

Follow Idalia’s track here.

“Idalia has been moving erratically and is nearly stationary,” the hurricane center added. “A motion toward the north-northeast and north is expected to begin later today, bringing the center of Idalia over the extreme southeastern Gulf of Mexico by tonight.”

Along Florida’s Gulf Coast, a hurricane watch has been issued from Englewood to India Pass, including Tampa Bay, according to the hurricane center. A tropical storm warning is also in place for the Dry Tortugas, Florida, while a tropical storm watch has been issued for the Lower Florida Keys west of the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge.

“It should be emphasized that only a small deviation in the track could cause a big change in Idalia’s landfall location in Florida due to the paralleling track to the west coast of the state,” the hurricane center noted.

Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Dry Tortugas beginning late Monday and along the Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management urged people under a storm surge threat to have evacuation plans set, in case an evacuation order is issued.

“Storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and property from a hurricane,” the agency warned. “It happens quickly and can endanger you, your family & your home.”

With Idalia’s current forecast track, western Cuba is expected see hurricane conditions by late Monday, with winds possibly reaching tropical storm strength by Monday morning. The government of Cuba has upgraded the tropical storm warning for Pinar del Rio to a hurricane warning.

“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the hurricane center said.

As the storm approaches, the Tampa Bay area is forecast to see a storm surge of 4 to 7 feet above normal tidal levels. The highest storm surge is expected to occur in the Big Bend area of Florida, where ocean levels could top 10 feet above the normal tide.

When rising waters move inland from the shoreline, normally dry areas near the coast could become flooded, according to the hurricane center.

Scattered flash and urban flooding is also expected across parts of the west coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle and southern Georgia as Tropical Storm Idalia drops heavy rainfall from 3 to 6 inches with isolated amounts up to 10 inches from Tuesday into Wednesday.

Heavy rainfall could also lead to flash flooding across portions of the Carolinas Wednesday into Thursday.

Western Cuba could also see 3 to 6 inches of rain with isolated amounts up to 10 inches.

Florida preparing for Idalia

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Floridians Sunday to “just heed the warnings of your local officials” as the state braces for Idalia’s arrival.

“Our emergency operations center here in Tallahassee will go to a Level 1, 24-hour around the clock,” starting at 7 a.m. ET Monday, DeSantis said.

In preparation, 1,100 National Guardsmen have been mobilized with high-water vehicles and aircraft for rescue and recovery efforts, DeSantis said. The Florida Highway Patrol also has 300 troopers ready to deploy.

Power companies will also start staging personnel on Monday, according to the governor.

“If you are in the path of the storm, you should expect power outages so please prepare for that,” the governor told residents.

Hillsborough County, where the city of Tampa is located, has declared a state of local emergency ahead of possible impacts from Idalia.

A state of emergency was also declared Sunday for Citrus County, where schools will have a half day schedule Monday and close Tuesday and Wednesday.

“All citizens and businesses of Citrus County should be preparing for storm impacts – residents living in campers, recreational vehicles, tents, other structures unable to withstand the winds of a tropical storm, or along the west side of U.S. Hwy 19 are advised to voluntarily evacuate,” the county said.

Hernando County Schools will also be closed Monday through Wednesday because of Idalia, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Voluntary evacuations were issued Sunday for some areas of Hernando County Sunday. “All residents living in coastal and low-lying areas, as well as manufactured homes county wide, are included,” the county said in a post on Facebook.

Afghanistan’s Band-e-Amir National Park was known for having employed the country’s first-ever female park rangers. Now, women won’t even be allowed to visit, let alone work there, as the Taliban deepens its repressive rule over the country.

Afghanistan’s Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, announced Saturday that women will no longer be able to visit the popular park, located in central Bamiyan province, one of the country’s poorest and least developed regions.

Established in 2019 by the local Afghan government in collaboration with several international agencies including USAID and the United Nations Development Programme, the park was considered a peaceful oasis with deep blue lakes surrounded by mountains.

Heather Barr, associate director of the women’s rights at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement Monday that the ban shows how “the walls are closing in on women” within Afghanistan.

“Not content with depriving girls and women of education, employment, and free movement, the Taliban also want to take from them parks and sport and now even nature, as we see from this latest ban on women visiting Band-e-Amir,” she said.

“Step by step the walls are closing in on women as every home becomes a prison.”

The Taliban’s casts a long and notorious shadow over Bamiyan province. Home to a sizable Shia Muslim minority it was the site of horrific massacres during the civil war of the 1990s and the subsequent rise of the Taliban.

It was also once the center of a thriving Buddhist civilization on the 4th and 5th centuries. But in March 2001, the Taliban famously destroyed two enormous statues of Buddha in Bamiyan that had stood undisturbed for more than 1,500 years, saying they were idols that violated Islam.

Since re-taking control of the country in August 2021, amid the United States’ chaotic, controversial withdrawal, the Taliban has rolled back decades of progress on human rights. And with bans on most work and study, women are largely confined to their homes.

In Afghanistan, “there is no such thing as women’s freedom anymore,” Mahbouba Seraj, an Afghan women’s rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, said earlier this month.

“The women in Afghanistan are being slowly erased from society, from life, from everything – their opinions, their voices, what they think, where they are,” she added.

This latest restriction comes nearly a month after women were banned from beauty salons in Afghanistan, further diminishing their freedom in what was also a harsh economic blow to families who relied on them for income.

According to a UN report released in June, women are banned from working in most sectors outside the home, and are prohibited from attending public baths, parks, and gyms. They must wear a loose-fitting black garment that covers their face, and they’re not permitted to leave home without reason, and even then not without a male guardian.

The report was compiled after a week-long visit to Afghanistan by Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and Dorothy Estrada-Tanck, who led a contingent from the working group on discrimination against women and girls.

Restrictions imposed outside the home and economic hardship had resulted in “significant tensions” inside homes and a rise in domestic violence, and there was “notable evidence” of a “significant increase” in forced marriage of girls, the report found.

A Moscow court has extended the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, who had been arrested on espionage charges, by three months.

His pretrial detention was extended until November 30, the press service of the Lefortovo Court said Thursday.

It had been due to end on August 30 after previously being extended on May 23 while he awaits trial.

The Wall Street Journal called the development “deeply disappointing.”

“Today, our colleague and distinguished journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared for a pre-trial hearing where his improper detention was extended yet again,” the newspaper said in a statement Thursday. “We are deeply disappointed he continues to be arbitrarily and wrongfully detained for doing his job as a journalist.”

Gershkovich’s lawyers will appeal the court’s decision, according to WSJ’s Editor in Chief Emma Tucker and Publisher Almar Latour.

“It’s also a reminder of the fight we’re in as Evan has now been wrongfully detained for five months — a horrific and sobering milestone in our efforts to free him,” they said, according to the statement.

On June 22, Gershkovich lost an appeal against the extension of his pre-trial detention in Moscow.

Gershkovich has been detained in Russia since March following his arrest on charges that he, the WSJ, and the US government vehemently deny.

His arrest was the first detention of an American reporter in Russia on allegations of spying since the Cold War, rattling White House officials and further straining ties between Moscow and Washington.

The US State Department has officially designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained in Russia. US President Joe Biden has also been blunt about Gershkovich’s arrest, urging Russia to “let him go.”

Biden last month said he is “serious” about a prisoner exchange to free Gershkovich.

“I’m serious about a prisoner exchange. I’m serious about doing what we can to free Americans who are being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else for that matter. And that process is underway,” Biden told a news conference in Helsinki in July.

The launch of a revolutionary satellite that will reveal celestial objects in a new light and the “Moon Sniper” lunar lander has been postponed.

Liftoff was expected at at 8:26 p.m. ET Sunday, or 9:26 a.m. Japan Standard Time on Monday, but inclement weather — and specifically high upper winds above the launch site — led to the postponement less than 30 minutes prior, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. While the agency has not announced a new launch date, the launchpad at the Tanegashima Space Center is reserved through September 15.

The launch had already been rescheduled twice due to bad weather.

The XRISM satellite (pronounced “crism”), also called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint mission between JAXA and NASA, along with participation from the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency.

Along for the ride is JAXA’s SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. This small-scale exploration lander is designed to demonstrate a “pinpoint” landing at a specific location within 100 meters (328 feet), rather than the typical kilometer range, by relying on high-precision landing technology. The precision led to the mission’s nickname, Moon Sniper.

The satellite and its two instruments will observe the universe’s hottest regions, largest structures and objects with the strongest gravity, according to NASA. XRISM will detect X-ray light, a wavelength invisible to humans.

Studying stellar explosions and black holes

X-rays are released by some of the most energetic objects and events in the universe, which is why astronomers want to study them.

“Some of the things we hope to study with XRISM include the aftermath of stellar explosions and near-light-speed particle jets launched by supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies,” said Richard Kelley, XRISM principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement. “But of course, we’re most excited about all the unexpected phenomena XRISM will discover as it observes our cosmos.”

Compared with other wavelengths of light, X-rays are so short that they pass through the dish-shaped mirrors that observe and collect visible, infrared and ultraviolet light such as the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes.

With that in mind, XRISM has thousands of curved individual nested mirrors better designed to detect X-rays. The satellite will need to calibrate for a few months once it reaches orbit. The mission is designed to operate for three years.

The satellite can detect X-rays that have energies ranging from 400 to 12,000 electron volts, which is far beyond the energy of visible light at 2 to 3 electron volts, according to NASA. This range of detection will allow for studying cosmic extremes across the universe.

The satellite carries two instruments called Resolve and Xtend. Resolve tracks tiny temperature shifts that help it determine the source, composition, motion and physical state of X-rays. Resolve operates at minus 459.58 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 273.10 degrees Celsius), a temperature about 50 times colder than that of deep space, thanks to a refrigerator-size container of liquid helium.

This instrument will help astronomers unlock cosmic mysteries such as the chemical details of glowing hot gas inside galactic clusters.

“XRISM’s Resolve instrument will let us peer into the make-up of cosmic X-ray sources to a degree that hasn’t been possible before,” Kelley said. “We anticipate many new insights about the hottest objects in the universe, which include exploding stars, black holes and galaxies powered by them, and clusters of galaxies.”

Meanwhile, Xtend will provide XRISM with one of the largest fields of view on an X-ray satellite.

“The spectra XRISM collects will be the most detailed we’ve ever seen for some of the phenomena we’ll observe,” said Brian Williams, NASA’s XRISM project scientist at Goddard, in a statement. “The mission will provide us with insights into some of the most difficult places to study, like the internal structures of neutron stars and near-light-speed particle jets powered by black holes in active galaxies.”

Moon Sniper sets its sights on a crater

Meanwhile, SLIM will use its own propulsion system to head toward the moon. The spacecraft will arrive in lunar orbit about three to four months after launch, orbit the moon for one month, and begin its descent and attempt a soft landing between four to six months after launch. If the lander is successful, the technology demonstration will also briefly study the lunar surface.

Unlike other recent lander missions aiming for the lunar south pole, SLIM is targeting a site near a small lunar impact crater called Shioli, in the vicinity of the Sea of Nectar, where it will investigate the composition of rocks that may help scientists uncover the origins of the moon. The landing site is just south of the Sea of Tranquility, where Apollo 11 landed near the moon’s equator in 1969.

Following the United States, the former Soviet Union and China, India became the fourth country to execute a controlled landing on the moon when its Chandrayaan-3 mission arrived Wednesday near the lunar south pole. Previously, Japanese company Ispace’s Hakuto-R lunar lander fell 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before crashing into the moon during a landing attempt in April.

The SLIM probe has vision-based navigation technology. Achieving precise landings on the moon is a key target for JAXA and other space agencies.

Resource-rich areas, such as the lunar south pole and its permanently shadowed regions filled with water ice, also present a number of hazards with craters and rocks. Future missions will need to be able to land within a narrow area to avoid these features.

SLIM also has a lightweight design that could be favorable as agencies plan more frequent missions and explore moons around other planets such as Mars. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

A manual laborer from India has successfully sued his employers in Singapore for negligence after he fell off the back of an overcrowded lorry, in a rare legal win for migrant workers that has renewed debate about their treatment in the wealthy city state.

Ramalingam Murugan, a 37-year-old father of three from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, had fractured his leg in 2021 while disembarking from an overcrowded truck, leaving him unable to work, court documents said.

“He injured himself coming down from a lorry which was overcrowded – a simple thing that turned out to be risky,” Ansarai said. “But it is not uncommon for companies, especially those involved in heavy construction, to take risk assessments for granted,” he added.

Singapore, one of the world’s richest and most developed countries, has benefited enormously from cheap foreign labor for decades.

Workers like Murugan and others from countries in the region like Bangladesh, China and Vietnam take on difficult and often dangerous jobs working in construction and the maritime industry, toiling outdoors for long hours sometimes in extreme weather, and without minimum wage.

To get to work sites from their dormitories which are located on the outskirts of the city state, they are transported on the back of lorries – often overcrowded and without passenger seats or seat belts – a common practice in the industry that has resulted in numerous road accidents and fatalities for workers over the years and which critics say is an examples of businesses prioritizing profits over lives.

On April 21, 2021, a lorry carrying 17 migrant workers to a work site collided with a tipper truck along an expressway, killing two men – Toffazal Hossain from Bangladesh and Sugunan Shudeeshmon from India. Both men were fathers and the sole breadwinners of their families.

In July, 26 men were taken to hospitals after three lorries, two ferrying migrant workers, collided on a major highway. Officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) used hydraulic rescue equipment to free two men who became trapped in the front seat of the vehicle.

A day later, another lorry, which was ferrying at least 10 workers, collided with a car on an expressway. All the workers were taken to hospital to treat their injuries, officials said.

Labor rights groups have called for a ban to the practice which has in the past been endorsed by several government agencies.

“We recognize that it isn’t ideal for workers to be transported on lorries but we also understand the genuine concerns from employers,” Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Transport Amy Khor said in responses to questions fielded in parliament on August 2. “Employers have stated that if the government imposes a ban, many companies, especially small and medium enterprises, will not be able to continue operating their businesses,” she continued.

“Our efforts will focus on improving safety for all road users,” Khor added.

“My ministry has been working closely with the relevant government agencies as well as industry associations to progressively implement a suite of additional measures to improve safety for our workers.”

Addressing the fatal accident in 2021, Khor previously said further regulations like banning the transportation of workers in lorries would “likely impact” various building projects for businesses looking to keep costs down in the country’s post pandemic recovery.

“From a road safety perspective, it would be ideal for lorries not to carry any passengers in their rear decks but there are very significant practical and operational issues on top of just cost considerations,” Khor said.

The case

Murugan’s accident occurred on January 3, 2021.

Murugan testified he had been pushed by another worker who was in a hurry to seek shelter from the rain, causing him to lose his balance and hit the ground with full impact.

He was taken to hospital when pain in his right knee failed to subside.

He underwent surgery for a leg fracture and was placed on medical leave for about five months. “The injury left him unable to work,” Ansarai said. “And even if he could, he would not have been able to fulfill basic duties required as his knee injury was causing him great pain.”

In 2022, he launched a lawsuit against Rigel Marine Services, seeking 100,000 Singapore dollars ($73,500) in damages.

He argued the company failed to institute or enforce a safe system of transport for himself and other workers and did not carry out risk assessments to identify potential hazards.

Representatives for Rigel Marine Services denied the claims and said Murugan’s accident was “caused by his own carelessness in failing to watch his footing before alighting from the lorry.” The company also counter-claimed for the medical expenses and medical leave wages that had been paid to and for Murugan.

But on August 17, District Judge Tan May Tee ruled in favor of Murugan, saying that there had clearly been “a breach of duty by the company.”

“Without proper supervision and the maintenance of some order or discipline in alighting, the plaintiff had been pushed by his coworkers, which resulted in him losing his balance and falling,” Tan said.

She added that she found no contributory negligence on Murugan’s part and said there had been no way for him to avoid the accident as the vehicle was “not meant to carry more than 22 persons at the time.”

“I therefore find that there was no proper and safe system in place for the safe access and or egress from the deck of the lorry at the material time,” Tan said.

Damages awarded to Murugan will be assessed at a later stage, the judge said.

In a statement released through his lawyer, Murugan said he was “looking forward to closure of this matter.

“I’m hopeful I get a reasonable compensation for my injuries which have caused me to suffer greatly,” he added.

He also expressed hope that other workers like himself would be inspired by his decision.

“There may be workers who get injured and don’t seek compensation because they are scared (and) sometimes told that seeking compensation will prevent them from returning to Singapore. I hope such workers come forward and seek help.”

“I also hope that companies pay more attention to the safety of workers as we are often told to take on very risky work and sometimes have no choice but to follow,” he added.

Singapore is home to about 1.4 million migrant workers, nearly a quarter of its population.

A collective statement signed by 47 organizations and members of the public said current safety measures for migrant workers were “inadequate” and called on the government to ban ferrying workers on lorries and mandate the use of buses.

“Recent tragic incidents have highlighted the continued grave risks posed by transporting migrant workers on lorries,” the statement read.

“We urgently call upon the Ministry of Transport to consider worker safety on roads and provide a time line to ban this unsafe practice in the future.”

“By communicating an intention to ban this unsafe practice… we can send a powerful message about our commitment to ensuring the well being of all workers in Singapore – regardless of their nationality or occupation.”

Responding to the petitions and media queries, Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) released a statement on August 2 that agreed with the “importance of safety” but said there were “mixed views” about a ban.

“Employers and industry associations have shared their concerns that if the government imposes a ban, many companies will not be able to continue operating their business,” MOT said.

“Beyond financial costs, there are also structural and operational challenges including the availability of alternative modes of transportation.”

The ministry added that chartered buses “may not be suitable for specialist trades” that needed to transport small crews “together with equipment or goods to several different locations within a single day.” The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of bus drivers in Singapore,” it said.

Still, victories for migrant workers are rare, said local civil rights activist Jolovan Wham and a worker taking on his powerful employer was almost unheard of.

“It shows the urgency for the Singapore government and its relevant agencies to act. Protection needs to be legislated and safer transport be made mandatory and the government has been dragging its feet on this issue for years.”

Murugan had been “relieved” when the verdict was delivered, his lawyer said. “He’s been waiting anxiously for two and a half years since it (the accident happened) and is back in India,” Ansarai said, adding that he’s “recovered to an extent but is still unable to work.”

“He has three daughters and a wife, as well as his parents, to support. It’s been a significant strain on him.”

Currently he has no plans to return to Singapore.

“He just can’t take on work like before,” Ansarai said.

In 2013, Usain Bolt had the world at his feet.

The Jamaican had been dominating athletics ever since he announced himself to the world at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. By the time the World Championships rolled round to Moscow in 2013, Bolt had achieved an almost mythical status on the track.

On a stormy evening in the Russian capital, with thunder and lightning crashing in the sky, he stormed to another impressive victory and the pictures from that night – of Bolt sprinting to gold with lightning in the backdrop – have become as iconic as the man himself, thanks partly to French photographer Olivier Morin.

Lightning Bolt

Morin, working for Agence France Presse (AFP), had covered Bolt at several big events and had long been trying to capture one specific image of the superstar athlete.

Morin speaks of the enormity of Bolt’s 6ft 5in frame and compared his trademark celebration to that of an albatross – his arms outstretched like the bird in full flight.

The 58-year-old said he thought he had missed the opportunity to capture his dream shot – but what was waiting for Morin when he looked back on what he had taken was even better.

“When I saw it directly on my laptop, just a few seconds before I sent it to my desk, I knew it was going to be a good photo. A good photo only,” he says.

Morin continued: “Bolt, bolt – I made the relation right away, of course. And I knew it was going to be a good photo for me. It was not a great photo because it was still in my mind to have his arms open.”

It is safe to say that Morin had underestimated the reception that his picture would receive.

Bolt’s approval

Days later Bolt began his quest to win gold in the 200 meters, and after qualification the 100m and 200m world record holder was handed a print of Morin’s famous photo.

“‘This photo is worth a thousand words.’ That’s what he [Bolt] said,” Morin says, smiling.

The pair reunited two years later during the World Championships in Beijing and discussed the image.

Morin remembers their reunion fondly and chuckles, adding that Bolt said: “‘You know, I still have your photo in my home.’ And I said, ‘I hope you still have it. I won’t be able to do it a second time.’”

Double satisfaction

Bolt’s legacy on the track will forever be in the record books. But he is also remembered as the supreme showman, the athlete who transcended his sport with his talent and personality.

“For me, he is exactly what a sportsman is supposed to be like,” explains Morin. “Relaxed, being serious [but] not taking himself seriously, very laid back, having fun with everyone, spending more time after the race in the stadium than before the race and smiling.

“It gave me double satisfaction that I was able to make this photo of the kind of athlete I love and I admire a lot,” he says.

Making your own luck

It is clear that sports photography is a combination of many different elements: skill, instincts, experience, and often the most important trait – luck.

“When we are lucky to be talented, it’s a good thing. But if you’re talented to be lucky, it’s even better,” he said, recalling words of wisdom a colleague once passed on.

The veteran photographer believes that some of the luck he has enjoyed throughout his career is a reward for the time and effort he has put into honing his craft.

“In sports photography, it’s like sportsmen themselves, they try many things sometimes to score a goal or to do something. I think I am like that. I try things until I get it,” Morin says.

The photographer firmly believes that “trying is always rewarded,” and it is safe to say that Morin’s years of hard work capturing Bolt were rewarded. Ten years on, it is still remembered.