VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — Five news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers who thought they were gate crashers, according to local news reports.

The incident happened Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California. Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment.

In a statement to Noozhawk, a Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs spokesperson called the incident a breakdown in communication.

“Vandenberg Space Force Base is experiencing an increased number of unauthorized entry attempts,” the statement said. “Every potential unauthorized presence must be treated as a legitimate threat until proven otherwise. While we recognize this may have been unsettling, the security of the base and its personnel is our priority.”

The reporters and military members were part of a convoy being escorted onto the base by uniformed public affairs staff in a government minivan when they were suddenly ordered out of their vehicles with their hands up, according to news reports.

Officers pointed guns, sirens were sounded, and barricades went up at the gate entrance, KEYT reported.

The two military members assigned to the base — one enlisted and one a junior officer — were handcuffed and placed in base vehicles, while the civilians were ordered to sit on a curb, Noozhawk reported.

The reporters for outlets also including KSBY-TV and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record were held for more than 30 minutes, causing them to miss the event. All were let go without further incident.

“We respect the military’s need to provide security for the base,” Tom Bolton, Noozhawk’s editor in chief, said in a statement Wednesday. “But clearly what occurred was unfortunate and unnecessary, and potentially dangerous, as firearms were drawn.”

Bolton said he hopes to have a conversation with base leadership later this week to review what happened in the hopes of preventing a similar occurrence in the future.

A second Ukrainian suspect has been arrested over an attack on the Nord Stream pipelines that were built to carry gas from Russia to Europe, German prosecutors say.

The man, identified as Vladimir Z, was arrested in Pula, Croatia, by local police acting on a European arrest warrant.

Ukraine latest: Zelenskyy faces ‘most dangerous day’

Prosecutors said the suspect was a trained scuba diver and part of a group led by a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K – who in July became the first person charged over the 2022 underwater blasts.

Serhii K was charged with orchestrating the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines while acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities.

He has denied involvement, while authorities in Kyiv said they did not have enough information to respond in detail to the German allegations.

Explosive devices were planted on the gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022.

Serhii K and his accomplices allegedly set off from Rostock on Germany’s northeastern coast in a sailing yacht to carry out the attack.

The Croatian justice ministry said in a statement that it had not received official information on the latest arrest.

It added that under EU law, authorised bodies speak to each other about extradition matters – and in this case, a Pula court will decide if Vladimir Z is extradited to Germany, as Serhii K was last November.

Serhii K was detained in August 2025 after officers raided a bungalow in an Italian village where he was staying with his family. Police said he surrendered without resistance.

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August 2025: Man arrested over Nord Stream attacks

Russia and Western countries described the September 2022 explosions as sabotage.

The attacks, which came after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, damaged the Nord Stream 1 pipeline – a vital route for Russian gas exports to Europe – as well as the Nord Stream 2, which had yet to be used.

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German prosecutors have said the alleged attackers aimed to permanently halt gas deliveries through the pipelines – which would, in turn, stop Russia from using natural gas trade revenue to fund its war effort.

German courts have treated the case as falling within their jurisdiction because the damaged pipelines end in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the incident affected Germany’s energy security and internal safety.

Dilapidated barns on the farm where Tony Martin shot and killed a teenage burglar have been given permission to be converted into homes, a council has ruled.

West Norfolk Council has given permission for two buildings in Emneth Hungate to be remodelled into four properties.

These will consist of two four-bedroom homes, a three-bedroom property and a five-bedroom house.

Jacqueline Wadsley, 52 – named as the sole beneficiary of Mr Martin’s £2.5 million estate in February after she befriended him when he began drinking in a pub she ran – withdrew plans for another scheme in May.

That involved five run-down barns being renovated to created ten new houses but raised concerns about the damage to wildlife.

The council’s ecology officer, Claire Wiggs, reported that ‘no ecological information’ had been included in the proposal and called for ‘preliminary’ assessments on wildlife to be carried out.

‘It is possible that protected species are present on the site including breeding birds, reptiles and roosting bats and could be impacted by the proposals,’ she wrote.

‘There are known records of roosting pipistrelle within 1km and badgers within 2km of the site.’

Further issues were raised by Norfolk County Council’s highways development management officer, Richard Smith, who described the single carriageway road leading to the farm as ‘inadequate’ as it featured no footway or dedicated cycle links and had poor visibility

He also suggested that ten homes on the site would produce 60 vehicle movements a day, which would be to ‘the detriment of highway safety’.

The plans should be scaled down to ‘no more than four homes’ to create a ‘more proportional development’, Mr Smith added.

The new, smaller scheme qualified for permitted development rights which allow the conversions to take place without going through the full planning process.

An ecological survey said it would have a negligible effect on wildlife, while the application stated adding four homes would not lead to an increase in traffic compared to those needed previously for agricultural purposes.

A total of 164 acres of land around the farm is already up for sale in two lots for £1.37 million.

Mr Martin was jailed for life in April 2000 after being convicted of murder and wounding but his sentence was reduced on appeal to five years for manslaughter

Jacqueline Wadsley, 52, was named as the sole beneficiary of Mr Martin’s £2.5 million estate in February after she befriended him when he began drinking in a pub she ran

The building conversions do not involve Bleak House, the now derelict farmhouse where Mr Martin used an unlicensed shotgun in 1999 to shoot dead intruder Fred Barras, 16, and injure accomplice Brendan Fearon, then aged 29.

The eccentric bachelor was jailed for life in April 2000 after being convicted of murder and wounding at Norwich Crown Court but his sentence was reduced on appeal to five years for manslaughter.

The case sparked a national debate about the rights of householders to protect themselves and their property from intruders.

Mr Martin never set foot again in Bleak House following his release from prison, instead often preferring to sleep in his car parked in one of his barns.

He became friends with Mrs Wadsley while drinking in the Hare and Hounds which she ran in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, following his release from Highpoint Prison, Suffolk, in 2003.

The pair were said to have formed a relationship akin to ‘a father and daughter’, with Mrs Wadsley often cooking him Sunday lunches, while he did odd jobs for her family to keep himself busy.

Fred Barras, 16, was shot dead by Mr Martin with an unlicensed shotgun

Brendan Fearon, aged 29 at the time of the raid, was injured

The farmer, who died aged 80 in February last year after a stroke, made her and her husband David, 45, executors of his will in 2013.

She reportedly had no idea before his death that he was leaving everything to her.

By ADAM S. LEVY, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 00:39 BST, 20 August 2026 | Updated: 00:51 BST, 20 August 2026

Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler is the latest star to pay tribute to the late Hayden Panettiere following her tragic passing at the age of 36 on Sunday.

‘She was a dear friend of mine, I loved her dearly and I feel bad for her mom – big love to her,’ Tyler, 78, told TMZ on Tuesday.

Tyler had worked with Panettiere on a September 2015 episode of her ABC series Nashville, as the pair sang a duet of the Patsy Cline song Crazy.

In the storyline of the season four opener, Panettiere’s character Juliette Barnes was playing Cline in a biopic, leading to the collaboration with the rock icon.

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The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Tyler for further comment on the story.

Tyler previously spoke about his working experience with Panettiere in a 2015 interview with Entertainment Weekly, praising her talents.

Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, 78, is the latest star to pay memorial to the late Hayden Panettiere following her tragic passing at the age of 36 on Sunday 

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Tyler had worked with Panettiere on a September 2015 episode of her ABC series Nashville, as the pair sang a duet of the Patsy Cline song Crazy 

‘Hayden is a peach,’ Tyler told the outlet. ‘She’s a seasoned pro, from her success on NBC’s Heroes.’

The Dream On vocalist said of Panettiere, who starred on the show for six seasons: ‘She’s a true professional both while filming, recording and off set as well.’

Asked about the song selection on their duet, Tyler said that ‘it only made sense that we would sing the most recognizable Patsy Cline song ever’ with the plot of the series in mind.

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Tyler said that Panettiere showed off her skills as a singer in the outing, when asked if the performance had been lip synced.

‘Why lip sync when you can sing live? And yes – she is that good!’ Tyler said. ‘We had to give the audience a performance.

‘My favorite thing about filming is that I can yell, “CUT!” and have a do-over if I want. There are no cuts in rock n’ roll.’

While primarily known for her acting skills, Panettiere had also displayed her musical talents on Nashville as well as a number of Disney projects.

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They included 2004’s Tiger Cruise, 2005’s Ice Princess, and 2007’s Cinderella III: A Twist in Time.

Tyler had worked with Panettiere on a September 2015 episode of her ABC series Nashville, as the pair sang a duet of the Patsy Cline song Crazy 

The Dream On vocalist said of Panettiere, ‘She’s a true professional both while filming, recording and off set as well’

Tyler said that Panettiere showed off her skills as a singer in the outing

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Panettiere’s passing was announced Sunday by her father Skip Panettiere, who said in a statement: ‘It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

‘She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.’

Authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, subsequently said that officials responded to an apartment in the area after receiving a report of an ‘unresponsive female’ via a possible ‘drug overdose,’ subsequently determined to be Panettiere.

Officials, who attempted lifesaving measures prior to declaring the actress deceased, said that no signs of trauma or foul play were evident in their probe into Panettiere’s death, which remains ongoing.

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For most people, a Salmonella infection causes gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines that can mean several miserable days of diarrhoea, cramps, fever or vomiting. Most people recover within a week. But severe diarrhoea and dehydration can still be dangerous, even while the bacteria remain confined to the gut.

In a small minority of patients, however, Salmonella crosses the gut lining and enters the blood. In the current UK outbreak, seemingly caused by eggs imported from abroad,
two people have developed bloodstream infections and one death has been associated with the outbreak. How does a familiar cause of food poisoning escape the gut, and why does this only happen to some people?

By August 13 2026, the UK Health Security Agency had identified 207 confirmed cases of a closely related strain of Salmonella Enteritidis. Among patients for whom the relevant information was available, 38% had been admitted to hospital because of their symptoms.

Egg consumption is investigators’ strongest lead, although the source remains unconfirmed. Several affected people ate egg dishes at food businesses supplied by several sources, including importers. Investigators also identified possible opportunities for cross-contamination, in which bacteria are transferred between foods or surfaces, at two premises. They have found no link to UK-produced eggs or poultry.

Salmonella Enteritidis belongs to a broad group called non-typhoidal Salmonella, which is distinct from the bacteria that cause typhoid and paratyphoid fever. Doctors describe an infection as invasive when Salmonella reaches the blood or another part of the body that is normally free of bacteria. A bloodstream infection can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening reaction in which the immune system begins damaging the body’s organs and tissues.

How Salmonella escapes the gut

Genes, which are sections of DNA containing biological instructions, allow Salmonella to build tiny injection systems that work like molecular syringes. One injects proteins into cells lining the gut, causing them to engulf the bacterium. These injection systems are found in many Salmonella bacteria , so their presence cannot explain why one patient develops a bloodstream infection while another has relatively mild diarrhoea. In most people, several layers of immune defence contain the infection in the gut.

A second helps Salmonella alter the membrane-wrapped compartment that forms around it after an immune cell swallows it, allowing some bacteria to survive and multiply. Macrophages are immune cells that engulf and usually destroy microbes. Some Salmonella can survive inside them. This sheltered position is one way the bacteria may move into deeper tissues and the bloodstream, although other routes may contribute.

Why some people become more seriously ill

Scientists have identified more than 2,600 types of Salmonella, known as serovars, although fewer than 100 cause most human illness. A strain is a more closely related genetic branch within one of these types. Both types and strains vary in their tendency to spread.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella that can invade blood are known as invasive serovars and the most predominant serovars associated with blood infections are Typhimurium,Enteritidis, Choleraesuis and Dublin

Records from routine testing in England illustrate the difference. Among more than 116,000 bacterial samples collected between 2004 and 2015, about 2% of Enteritidis samples came from blood, compared with 35% of Salmonella Dublin samples. Testing patterns affect the figures, but the difference indicates that some types spread beyond the gut much more readily than others.

Strains within the same type can also behave differently. Laboratory experiments on two Enteritidis strains, conducted using mouse immune cells, identified genes that help the bacteria survive and multiply inside macrophages. Such experiments identify mechanisms for further study but cannot predict how ill a patient will become.

Age and health also shape the outcome. In the English study, Salmonella was found in blood in 6.5% of samples from adults over 65, compared with 1.9% from adults aged 18 to 64. Newborn babies also had an elevated risk. Weakened immune systems and certain long-term health conditions can make an infection harder to contain.

The number of bacteria swallowed affects the likelihood of becoming ill. Outbreak-based models suggest that heavier contamination increases the risk, although researchers do not know how strongly the amount swallowed affects the likelihood of an infection reaching the blood.

What the current outbreak can tell us

The hospital admission figure deserves attention, but it does not establish that this strain has an unusual ability to cause severe disease. The 38% applies only to patients for whom information was available. Official counts also miss many people whose illness clears before testing, so those with more serious symptoms can be overrepresented. Scientists commenting on the outbreak have urged caution when interpreting the figure.

The UK Health Security Agency used whole-genome sequencing, which involves reading and comparing all or nearly all of the bacteria’s genetic code. Bacteria recovered from patients were very closely related and genetically linked to a 2025 outbreak associated with imported eggs. Sequencing can connect cases and help investigators trace their source. Genetic similarity alone cannot reveal how likely a strain is to cause severe illness.

The Food Standards Agency says pregnant women, babies, young children and older people should eat raw or runny hen eggs only if they carry the British Lion mark or come from the Laid in Britain scheme. These schemes require safety measures including vaccinating hens and additional testing.

Anyone who keeps being sick and cannot retain fluids, has bloody diarrhoea or continues to show signs of dehydration after using rehydration sachets should call NHS 111. The NHS provides further advice on when to seek urgent help.

Investigators will need to combine the bacteria’s genetic code with information about the patients’ health, what and where they ate, and laboratory evidence. Only then can they begin to explain why the infection spread beyond the gut in two patients while most cases caused gastrointestinal illness.

It highlights the UK music regulatory framework is “woefully lagging behind” that of the EU and US

Research from a Belfast university is shining a light on the role of AI and bots in the music industry, warning that consumers and musicians are being shortchanged due to technology that’s out of control.

Dr Katherine Pittalis at Queen’s University Belfast used her PhD to examine the fast-changing technology used in music-streaming platforms, online retail for concert tickets, and music-related content on social media. She is currently developing her thesis into a book in the hope it will act as a wake-up call to industry.

As music-lovers continue to enjoy a summer of outdoor festivals and concerts, Dr Pittalis argues that the UK music regulatory framework is “woefully lagging behind” that of the EU and US in terms transparency around malicious actors’ use of bot technologies.

Her research examines phenomena including ‘metric bots’, which can inflate ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ on social media, along with ‘Artificial Musicians’ – the combination of deepfake technology with bots to create an AI ‘influencer’. This has the effect of creating a ‘buzz’ and boosting algorithms around certain musicians.

The research highlights that the malicious use of technology is increasingly sophisticated, with bots ever-evolving to circumvent the rules laid down by the social-media, music streaming and primary ticketing platforms.

Scams are an obvious example of the increasing exploitation of technology, particularly on ‘secondary market platforms’, where tickets for high-demand concerts are sold on at hugely inflated prices. The research identified multiple instances where consumers handed over large sums of money only to find the tickets never existed.

The research also found that more informal ‘buy and sell’ groups, such as those individuals can set up on Facebook, are “highly unregulated” and even, on occasion, moderated by bots.

Elsewhere, it found instances of bots moderating ‘community notes’ sections on social media – despite the fact that community notes were established explicitly to combat misinformation and fake news.

“It’s quite a depressing picture,” Dr Pittalis said.

“Social-media platforms are incredibly secretive about the use of bots. One study I consulted even found that X (formerly Twitter) has more bots now than when Elon Musk took it over and promised to get rid of them.

“From my research, the bots I discovered look more authentic in how they behave and interact with organic users. Even with protocols and safety measures in place, bots are continuing to thrive in these online environments and distort organic users’ perception of what is real and what is misleading content that has the potential to cause harm.”

For her book, Dr Pittalis is also investigating the use of social bots to spread malicious information designed to damage a musician’s reputation, such as the spread of explicit deepfake images of the pop star Taylor Swift on social-media platforms in 2024.

As well as this, the book will look at music ticketing platforms’ use of dynamic pricing, fuelled by AI, when price fluctates according to demand, as with tickets for Oasis’ UK and Ireland tour last year.

The book also highlights the use of AI-generated music, with a growing demand for entire songs generated by AI to carry a transparency label.

Dr Pittalis’ PhD was carried out between the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EEECS) and the School of Law, both at Queen’s. Dr Pittalis has an undergraduate degree in Music and an MSc in Law and Technology, also from Queen’s.

The research was supervised by Professor Giancarlo Frosio from the School of Law and Professor Hans Vandierendonck from the School of EEECS at Queen’s.

Prof Frosio said: “This research makes an original and timely contribution to our understanding of how malicious automation is reshaping the music ecosystem.

“Its central insight is that this is neither simply a platform problem nor a state problem; effective regulation requires clearer legal duties and enforcement alongside much stronger platform-level detection, transparency and accountability.”

In her book, Dr Pittalis will be calling for the UK’s music industry, social media companies and policy makers to urgently tighten up cyber-security to ensure a better deal for consumers and artists.

“It’s not fair,” she concludes. “Consumers and authentic musicians are being squeezed out, marginalised by the very industry meant to support them.

“It might sound apocalyptic, but the truth is the bots are running amok – UK legislation has fallen behind. There’s no anticipation of future trends; instead, it’s reacting to what’s already happened.

“It needs to be future-proofed which includes more oversight into how social media and other online platforms control breaches and uphold user-safety from bots. The industry needs to take this seriously before it’s too late.”

The research was supported by a LINAS (Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Algorithmic Solutions) doctoral scholarship.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

A total of 151 fire safety actions were overdue as of March 31, 2026 including one classed as an urgent priority.

The urgent action has since been completed, while five short-term actions and 145 medium-term actions were being resolved, according to a report to Darlington’s Health and Housing Scrutiny Committee.

All 67 fire risk assessments due for blocks of flats during 2025-26 were completed within the required timescale, the council confirmed. 

Fire risk assessments cover 199 blocks of flats and operate on a three-year cycle.

Fire doors

The report also highlighted progress on a three-year programme to replace fire doors in communal areas.

A total of 842 doors require replacement, with 560 completed by the end of March 2026 – 66.5 per cent of the programme.

The council said the work was on track to be completed by 31 March 2027.

However, only 175 of 336 fire doors due for their annual inspection during 2025-26 had been checked – 52.1 per cent.

The report said staffing resources and problems accessing properties had affected performance. It added that compliance had since improved to 85 per cent, with the council expecting to achieve full compliance during 2026-27.

Awaab’s Law

The report also examined the council’s response to Awaab’s Law, which came into force on 27 October 2025.

Between October 2025 and March 2026, 2,714 emergency hazards were reported. Damp and mould accounted for 1.69 per cent of those cases, with most emergency hazards relating to heating and electrical problems.

By March 31, 86.79 per cent of emergency hazards had been resolved within 24 hours, while 81 cases were recorded as overdue. A further 856 significant hazards were reported, with 94.39% resolved within the required timescale.

The council said it had strengthened its processes and IT systems to ensure emergency hazards were identified, responded to and monitored appropriately.

Stock condition

The report said 4,138 council properties had undergone a stock condition survey within the previous five years, representing 77.8 per cent compliance.

There were 962 outstanding surveys that had been scheduled for completion during 2026-27.

The council said it had “well-established and robust processes” for monitoring health and safety compliance, with checks carried out quarterly and areas of non-compliance addressed as a priority.

​An extensive redevelopment of Scarborough Station’s public realm and drop-off areas – more than three years in the making – has been deferred by councillors who said they were “seriously concerned” by aspects of the scheme.

​The works, proposed by North Yorkshire Council, would have seen the Grade II-listed 19th-century station’s forecourt upgraded with new public seating, a taxi rank, drop-off areas, a pedestrian plaza and changes to accessible parking.

​However, councillors on the Scarborough and Whitby Area Planning Committee said the scheme represented a “substantial departure from the wider station gateway proposals previously presented” and that the revised scheme delivered “fewer benefits than originally envisaged”.

​At a meeting last week, committee members questioned whether the scheme would provide a “meaningful improvement to the existing station forecourt” and suggested that it remained “largely vehicle-dominated despite the environmental enhancements proposed”.

A major focus of the development has been to improve pedestrian accessibility and sustainable transport options around the station and to encourage investment in and around the station area.

​Speaking at the meeting, local resident John Crompton raised concerns about “pedestrian access from existing bus stops, particularly for passengers travelling from the south of Scarborough” and said that the bus stops should be closer to the station.

​He also queried how “the proposed pedestrian priority area provides a significant improvement for pedestrians given that taxis and blue badge vehicles would continue to have access to the forecourt area”.

Proposed 3 D View Of The Plaza As Part Of The Scarborough Station Gateway Plans. Align Property Services

Helen Jackson, head of regeneration at North Yorkshire Council, said the scheme would “deliver significant improvements to the station environment, enhance the experience of residents and visitors, and contribute to the wider regeneration of Scarborough”.

​She added that the scheme would create a “more attractive, accessible and coherent public space whilst retaining the key transport functions required by station users” and that the proposals complemented “recent and planned investment in the railway station and formed part of a wider ambition to improve the town centre and encourage inward investment”.

​Ms Jackson noted that the overall number of disabled parking spaces would remain unchanged and that taxi provision would be retained at the front of the station.

​However, councillors expressed “significant concern regarding the absence of any dedicated public drop-off provision at the front of the railway station and considered that this could create difficulties for passengers with luggage, pushchairs, mobility impairments and other accessibility needs”.

​Committee members also questioned where passengers, private hire vehicles and members of the public would be expected to drop off and collect rail users under the proposed arrangements.

​Additionally, concerns were raised that the proposals could lead to “unsafe pedestrian movements across Westborough and increase the potential for conflict between pedestrians, buses and other vehicles”.

​The planning committee voted unanimously to defer the plans and urged North Yorkshire Council to address the lack of drop-off facilities for the general public, as well as concerns about the safe interaction of pedestrians and vehicles on the station forecourt.

When a CNN reporter earlier this week asked Trump about Ossoff’s comments, the White House reacted angrily later on its official X account, saying the reporter, Kristen Holmes, had taken a “cheap shot” at a staff member.

“Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question,” another post directed to Holmes read. “They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive.”

Harp’s presence as a staffer is nearly constant in Trump’s second term.

Reporters at the White House frequently see her standing just feet away from Trump in the Oval Office or boarding Air Force One for many of his domestic and international trips.

“She’s always around,” one source close to the White House told the BBC. “Literally, always.”

Among White House insiders and members of the press, she is often referred to as the “human printer” because she is often spotted carrying a portable printer to provide Trump with hard copies of articles and social media posts, which he prefers.

In practice, this means that Harp has an outsized ability to control what information or updates Trump receives, according to another source familiar with White House operations.

Other anonymous sources have described her to US media outlets as a “gatekeeper” and “comfort blanket”.

Harp also serves as something of a social media scribe for Trump, posting to his Truth Social account on his behalf.

In one image that has been widely shared in the aftermath of Ossoff’s comments, Harp is shown typing a post – in the president’s own writing style – as he dictates to her while watching a speech of Kamala Harris in 2024.

Amid the recent focus on Harp, the White House has described her as a “trusted and valued” member of the team, although Trump has rarely spoken about her on camera.

Ossoff was one of many Trump critics who noted Harp was reportedly on the plane that the president boarded to leave Turkey after the US supposedly received information about a threat from Iran.

Reporter Haberman, who has also reported extensively on Trump’s presidencies, was asked during an appearance on the news network MSNOW why Trump took Harp with him on the secret plane: “Because she is sort of his binky, for lack of a better way of putting it, a comfort blanket.”

Haberman and Swan reported for the New York Times in 2024 that Harp had supposedly written in a letter to Trump: “You are all that matters to me.”

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 22:50 BST, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 23:42 BST, 19 August 2026