The defendants in the ‘golden passports’ case requested a trial within a trial on Tuesday, arguing that a great deal of the evidence to be presented by state prosecutors was irregularly obtained by police during investigations.

On trial at Nicosia criminal court are ten defendants: former transport minister Marios Demetriades, Andreas Demetriades, Demetris Demetriades, Giorgos Demetriades, Eleni Simillidi, Jing Wang, Josef Friedrich Santin, Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin, and Andreas Demetriades & Co LLC and Delsk Business Services Ltd.

The charges involve corruption, bribery, conspiracy to defraud and money laundering related to the naturalisation of 19 Asian investors, in the context of the now-defunct citizenship-by-investment scheme.

All defendants deny the charges.

In court on Tuesday, defence attorney Elias Stefanou requested a trial within a trial due to objections over the manner in which evidence was obtained against the accused.

He was referring to three warrants issued to search the premises of the Demetriades family law firm. According to Stefanou, the issues at stake are violations of attorney-client privilege, violation of the privacy of communications, exceeding the scope of the warrants, and relevance of the material seized.

The seized material includes electronic communications, a hard disk, computer towers, storage devices, mobile phones and paper files.

Stefanou said the defence had asked prosecutors to specify the material they intend to present in court.

A trial within a trial would determine which evidence would be admissible for the trial proper.

Countering, lead prosecutor Charis Karaolidou said they had already informed the defence of the evidentiary items they would not be presenting in court.

She said the defence needs to spell out precisely which material it objects to.

Hearing both sides, the court granted the defence time until November 16 – the next scheduled hearing – to present its objections in detail.

Tuesday’s proceedings also saw the first prosecution witness – a CID officer – continue testifying. The officer is the case evidence custodian.

To date, 105 items of evidence have been submitted in court – documents pertaining to naturalisations granted to individuals from Cambodia and China.

Former minister Demetriades is specifically charged with intervening in citizenship applications handled by his father’s and brothers’ law firm. The second charge involves “accepting gifts as a public official” related to a Chinese investor’s naturalisation. The third charge alleges bribery of a public official, citing Demetriades’ active participation in cabinet decisions.

Meanwhile defendants Josef Friedrich Santin, Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin, and Delsk Ltd face charges of influence peddling.

This is one of four court cases filed in relation to the ‘golden passports’ scheme.

The most prominent one, involving former House president Demetris Syllouris and former Akel MP Christakis Giovani, resulted in acquittals in February this year.

• Taylor Swift is supporting her husband, Travis Kelce, during the Chiefs' 2026 football season.
• She's been photographed at 26 football games since they began dating in 2023.
• Swift tends to wear Kansas City Chiefs gear and dress up in the team's red-forward color palette.

Already known as a gifted songwriter, chart-topping singer, and billionaire businesswoman, Taylor Swift has added WAG to her list of identifiers — an acronym used to describe the supportive wives and girlfriends of high-profile athletes.

Since Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in the summer of 2023, she has been spotted cheering for the team at 25 games, including Super Bowl LVIII.

Swift's presence has been wholeheartedly embraced by the NFL, whose commissioner, Roger Goodell, has credited Swift with an increase in interest among female fans.

"I'm just there to support Travis," Swift previously told Time. "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads."

The megastar is now back in action for her third consecutive NFL season, supporting Kelce and the Chiefs during the 2026 season — their first since Swift and Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the best photos of Swift from each appearance so far.

Swift attended her first game at Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023.

Swift's enthusiasm at her first Chiefs game seemed to confirm her then-rumored romance with Kelce.

Swift later said they were already an official couple before she watched the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears.

"This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell," she told Time. "We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for, because we got to get to know each other."

"By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple," Swift continued. "I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."

For her second appearance, she brought her longtime pal Blake Lively.

Swift and Lively watched the Chiefs defeat the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — where Swift had performed three sold-out concerts just a few months prior.

The October game drew the highest viewership for a Sunday TV show since the Super Bowl, NBC Sports reported.

Indeed, Swift's newfound interest in football has been credited with bumping merch sales and enticing more female viewers.

Swift cheered with Kelce's mom, Donna Kelce, during a home game against the Denver Broncos.

Shortly before her third game-day appearance, Kelce accused the NFL of "overdoing it" with its wall-to-wall coverage of Swift.

"I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game. I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching," Kelce said during an episode of his "New Heights" podcast.

"But at the same time, I think they're overdoing it a little bit," Kelce continued. "For sure, especially for my situation. I think they're just trying to have fun with it."

Swift has struck up a friendship with Brittany Mahomes, who's married to Kelce's teammate.

Just a few days before the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)," Swift watched the Chiefs take down the Los Angeles Chargers.

She spent the home game cheering with Mahomes and showing off their secret handshake.

Swift wore a black turtleneck and a red teddy coat in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Swift spent most of November 2023 on the road for the South American leg of the Eras Tour. Kelce even flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to watch Swift perform — and received an onstage shout-out in return.

She returned to Kelce's side in early December when the Chiefs took on the Green Bay Packers. It was her first time watching Kelce's team lose.

She wore a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt for the team's next home game.

Swift purchased the '90s sweatshirt from Westside Storey, a secondhand clothing boutique in Kansas City.

The store's owner, Chris Harrington, told Business Insider he originally thought Swift's order — which totaled $1,200 for curated vintage pieces — could be fraudulent.

Instead, she wore one of those pieces at Arrowhead Stadium in December, causing a surge of traffic to Westside Storey's website.

"We've had hundreds of orders over the last 48 hours," Harrington told BI. "Sometimes our online store lights up after a Chiefs game when we win, but this is 100 times more than that, and we lost the game. It was the Taylor effect."

She brought her dad and friends to cheer for the Chiefs in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Swift hit the road to watch the Chiefs defeat the New England Patriots on the latter's home turf. She even convinced her father, Scott Swift, to swap his traditional Philadelphia Eagles gear for a Chiefs sweatshirt.

Several friends accompanied Swift, including Alana Haim, stylist Ashley Avignone, and backup singer Melanie Nyema.

Swift spent Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium.

Even though the Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on December 25, 2023, Kelce praised Swift and her family for making the day special.

The singer's brother, Austin Swift, dressed up as Santa Claus and gave Kelce a VHS copy of the 1994 film "Little Giants."

"He actually made me feel like a child because his gift to me was straight out of the bag," Kelce said on his podcast "New Heights.' "Whipped it out and handed me a VHS of my favorite football movie of all time."

She also spent New Year's Eve cheering for Kelce in Kansas City.

Swift wore a Chiefs varsity jacket for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which the home team won.

For her first game of 2024, Swift braved freezing temperatures to high-five fans.

The Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins during the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, per CNN.

That same day, the Chiefs owner praised Swift and Kelce's "purely organic" relationship.

"It's been a very interesting, very fun year having the two of them dating, the attention that's been focused on the Chiefs," Clark Hunt told CNBC. "Our female audience has grown leaps and bounds."

Kelce scored two touchdowns in Buffalo, New York, with Swift in the stands.

Swift joined Kelce's family to watch the Chiefs advance through the NFL playoffs — including his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, who lost his shirt in the frenzy.

She saw Kelce and his teammates become AFC champions.

Swift watched the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in Super Bowl LVIII. She even joined Kelce on the field to celebrate the win.

Swift flew from Tokyo to watch the Chiefs play in Super Bowl LVIII.

Swift was widely expected to attend the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas, despite having an Eras Tour stop scheduled in Tokyo the night before.

Sure enough, she made the trip in time to watch the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers, with friends like Lively, Lana Del Rey, and Ice Spice in tow.

The superstar geared up for her second NFL season in September 2024.

Swift was back in Kansas City on the evening of September 5, 2024, as the Chiefs took the field for their first game of the season against the Ravens.

She donned an all-denim getup and thigh-high red boots.

Swift wore a vintage Chiefs T-shirt for Kelce's second home game of the season.

Just a few days after attending the MTV Video Music Awards in New York (and giving her then-boyfriend a shout-out onstage), Swift was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs defeat the Bengals.

She also watched the Chiefs beat the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium.

After skipping two of Kelce's games in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Swift returned to Kansas City in style — wearing over $50,000 worth of jewelry and designer clothing — to cheer for the Chiefs against the New Orleans Saints.

The home team won 26-13, their fifth consecutive win of the season.

Swift cheered when the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers with a touchdown drive in overtime.

One day after Swift wrapped the final US leg of the Eras Tour in Indianapolis, she was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite a touchdown from the Buccaneers in the final minute of regulation play, the Chiefs rallied in overtime to score a winning touchdown.

The singer was on duty again to watch the Chiefs defeat the Broncos.

Swift wore her typical black-and-red combo for another home game at Arrowhead Stadium, pairing a Victoria's Secret corset with a Versace tweed two-piece set. She was joined in the VIP box by her mother, Andrea Swift.

Swift saw the Chiefs beat the Raiders at home.

Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce's mom, Donna. The pair cheered as the Chiefs clinched a narrow defeat against the Raiders.

A few weeks later, she watched the Chiefs win again at Arrowhead Stadium.

Swift wore her boldest gameday outfit yet for the Chiefs vs. the Houston Texans, pairing a statement red coat with a faux-fur lining from Charlotte Simone and a vintage Chanel bucket hat.

Kelce and the Chiefs beat the Texans 19-27, adding another win to their dominant season.

Swift sat with Caitlin Clark during the divisional round of the playoffs.

Swift and WNBA star Caitlin Clark were spotted celebrating together when the Chiefs defeated the Texans again, 23-14, advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh straight season.

For the second year in a row, Swift celebrated on the field with Kelce and the Chiefs when they became AFC champions.

The Chiefs took down the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the 2025 AFC Championship Game, sending the league's top-seeded team to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Like she did the previous year, Swift joined Kelce, his mom, and his teammates on the field for their post-game celebration. Unlike the previous year, however, Swift wore a loud-luxury outfit covered with Louis Vuitton logos.

Swift traveled to New Orleans for a rare Chiefs loss at the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs faced the Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Serendipitously, Swift's trusted collaborator Kendrick Lamar headlined the halftime show.

As opposed to her usual Chiefs getup, Swift wore an agnostic white-and-denim outfit — perhaps to avoid rooting against her hometown team, who beat the Chiefs 40-22. (To date, the Chiefs have only lost four times with Swift in the stands.)

Swift skipped the Emmys to watch the Chiefs' first win of the 2026 season.

During the 2026 Emmys, Swift appeared in a prerecorded sketch with host Mariska Hargitay and the rest of the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" cast to explain her absence from the awards show. (Swift's latest Disney+ concert movie, which was filmed during her final performance of the Eras Tour, was nominated for outstanding variety special.)

As Hargitay's Olivia Benson pieces together, the Emmys overlapped with the Chiefs' first game of the 2026 season — playfully described in the scene as Swift's husband having a "work thing."

Indeed, Swift was spotted celebrating the Chiefs' win over the Broncos alongside her mom, Andrea; Kelce's mom, Donna; and Kelce's brother, Jason.

Swift celebrated Kelce's first touchdown of the 2026 season with a nod to their marriage.

The Chiefs won their second game of the 2026 season against the Indianapolis Colts.

When Kelce scored his first touchdown of the season, Swift was filmed cheering and pointing to her wedding ring, apparently yelling, "That's my husband!"

Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium after a special performance in LA.

On October 17, 2026, Swift took the stage at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' sixth annual gala in Los Angeles. She sang her "Toy Story 5" soundtrack hit, "I Knew It, I Knew You," and gave her debut performance of "The Fate of Ophelia."

The following day, Swift was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Chargers. The home team won 22-6, extending their undefeated streak this season.

A report claims that Jay-Z has picked Jay-Z to be the NFL's Super Bowl Halt Time Show's headline act set to be held in L.A. next year.

The post Report: Jay-Z Picks Himself for Super Bowl LXI Halftime in Los Angeles appeared first on Breitbart.

Pakistan’s search for magical all-rounder may have found exciting new contender as 21-year-old Arafat Minhas shows sensational performance to dismantle England and power the Men in Green to an emphatic 87-run victory in the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

He delivered statement performance with both bat and ball, smashing his maiden ODI half-century before ripping through England’s batting order with six wickets. His extraordinary contribution helped Pakistan bounce back from an early collapse, post 302-9, and bowl England out for 215 in 38.5 overs.

The convincing win marked Pakistan’s second triumph in the ongoing tri-nation tournament, but Minhas’s emergence as a match-winner was arguably the biggest takeaway for the home side. For a team that has often looked for consistent contributions from its spin-bowling all-rounders, Minhas delivered precisely the kind of performance Pakistan needed.

The young left-hander scored 59 off 58 deliveries, striking nine boundaries to rescue Pakistan alongside Hasan Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf. He then returned to produce a devastating spell, claiming six England wickets and breaking the backbone of their chase. His dismissal of England captain Harry Brook for just five proved particularly important, coming after Minhas had already removed dangerous opener Tom Banton for 57.

Minhas later tore through the lower order, taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries to dismiss Will Jacks and Adil Rashid. He finished the job by helping run out Sonny Baker, completing a remarkable all-round display.

At just 21, Minhas has given Pakistan another compelling option to consider as the team continues to search for greater balance and consistency in its ODI combination.

Pakistan’s innings began in disastrous fashion when Gus Atkinson dismissed Fakhar Zaman with the opening ball. Saim Ayub followed for eight, while Babar Azam managed 34 off 52 deliveries before Will Jacks removed him. Salman Ali Agha, fresh from scoring a century in the opening match, could contribute only 16 as Pakistan slipped to 59-3 and subsequently lost another wicket.

Hasan Nawaz and Saad Baig then steadied the innings with a valuable 51-run partnership. Saad scored a determined 35 off 54 balls before Atkinson claimed his second wicket. Nawaz responded by taking the attack to England, registering his second consecutive ODI half-century and building a crucial partnership with Minhas.

The right-handed batter struck five fours and four sixes during his impressive 79 off 74 balls, taking Pakistan beyond the 200-run mark before Jamie Overton bowled him.

Minhas continued the rebuilding effort and found another effective partner in Faheem Ashraf. Their 72-run stand pushed Pakistan towards a commanding total, with Faheem contributing a rapid 39 from just 25 deliveries.

Minhas eventually departed for 59, but his innings had given Pakistan the momentum they needed to finish strongly. Captain Shaheen Afridi added late runs with an unbeaten 10 as Pakistan closed on 302-9 in 50 overs.

England appeared well placed during the early stages of their chase, with Banton and Ben Duckett putting together a 91-run opening partnership. Duckett scored 45 off 46 balls before Haris Rauf broke through, leaving England needing fresh momentum from the middle order.

Banton continued the charge with 57 off 53 deliveries, including five fours and two sixes, but Minhas removed him to provide Pakistan with a crucial breakthrough. The young all-rounder then struck again to dismiss Brook for five, leaving England at 120-3 and shifting the pressure firmly onto the visitors.

Joe Root and Sam Curran attempted to rebuild, but Naseem Shah bowled Root for 33. Rauf subsequently dismissed Curran for 27, further weakening England’s chances. Minhas then took control of the contest, removing Jordan Cox for 18 and Jamie Overton for one before producing his decisive double strike against Jacks and Rashid.

England’s resistance crumbled as wickets continued to fall, and the visitors were eventually dismissed for 215 in 38.5 overs.

Rauf provided valuable support with multiple breakthroughs, while Naseem’s dismissal of Root helped Pakistan maintain their grip on the chase.

Sonny Baker finished as England’s leading wicket-taker with figures of 3-65, while Atkinson claimed two wickets. Will Jacks, Overton, Adil Rashid and Curran picked up one wicket each. However, it was Pakistan’s response after the early batting setbacks, followed by Minhas’s extraordinary contribution, that ultimately separated the two teams.

Hasan Nawaz continued his impressive run with the bat, Faheem Ashraf supplied valuable late acceleration, and Minhas delivered a performance that combined composure under pressure with match-winning aggression.

Pakistan will take considerable confidence from the 87-run victory as the tri-series progresses. For Minhas, the match could prove an important step towards establishing himself as a serious contender for a regular place in the national ODI setup.

The post Pakistan thump England by 87 runs as Arafat Minhas takes 6 Wickets after Maiden ODI-Fifty appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

Hello and welcome to another edition of Free Agent! Be careful when you're behind the wheel this week.

College football is great! Surely you want even more of it, right? We'll get into the problems with a 24-team College Football Playoff (CFP), then talk about the NBA's new betting restrictions, and close with thoughts about President Donald Trump's new government golf course plans. And just in case you don't make it to the end, here's a shortcut to our survey on who you're rooting for in the World Series.

But first, many congratulations to "Gary's 1st Entry" on outlasting everyone else in our NFL Survivor group. There's no prize other than this shoutout, so be sure to print out today's newsletter, highlight this paragraph, and frame it in gold. Perhaps Gary can keep going and challenge Primetime Paulie Rothrock's 13-game winning streak from last season.

Locker Room Links

• Both teams in the WNBA Finals left the court for the National Anthem—unclear if this was a protest or just part of the pregame routine. WNBA policy doesn't require teams to be on the court for the anthem, but does require a "dignified posture" if they are.
• "Inside ESPN's tangled ties to the Protect College Sports Act"
  
• Bars around Dodger Stadium used a big bet against the Dodgers on Kalshi to hedge the revenue lost because of the Dodgers' playoff exit.
• American cities that want to host matches for the 2031 Women's World Cup have learned from this summer's hosting experience and are negotiating with FIFA to limit taxpayer obligations.
• In the thick of a playoff race, three Zambian women's soccer players are separated from their National Women's Soccer League teams because they played in Uganda, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a three-week restriction on reentry due to Ebola. (There are zero active Ebola cases in Uganda and Zambia.)
• Elsewhere in Reason: "Be Prepared for Elizabeth Warren's Reign of Economic Error"
• This is the kind of excessively nerdy fantasy football content I live for. (Yahoo remains the best fantasy sports system. ESPN's is trash, relying on name recognition to get by.)
  

  I figured out how ESPN calculates fantasy football win percentage, it's bad!

  ESPN made a stats 101 error when calculating their win percentage which leads to horribly miscalibrated numbers. ( thread) pic.twitter.com/bDypgjelKj

  — Will (@will_j_5) October 18, 2026

Watering Down College Football Is a Mistake

Saturday was one of the best days of college football ever—or perhaps it could have been, if we thought any of the five top-10 teams who took a loss were now certainly out of playoff contention. Instead, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama, and Texas are all still very much alive in the championship hunt.

Today was one of the craziest days in college football history:

- First time ever five teams ranked in the top 7 lose in a single week
- First time the No. 1-ranked team loses to an unranked team in consecutive weeks since 1990
- First time Texas, Alabama, and Georgia all lose… pic.twitter.com/psVRoM5s5b

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 18, 2026

With two losses, Alabama and Texas are at least on the edge of the playoff bubble with perhaps no more room for error. But that's only true under this year's CFP format. Next year, the playoff is almost officially set to balloon to 24 teams, making the chaos of a day like Saturday matter even less.

Fans will always celebrate a huge upset or major rivalry win, of course—Tennessee fans don't need playoff stakes as an excuse to get drunk when they beat Alabama. But the joy of a rivalry win in the past was always bigger because of the off-field stakes, too—the first loss for your rival meant they probably wouldn't be national champions, the second meant they'd be out of the Rose Bowl, a third meant you could be proud your team sent them packing for the Alamo Bowl. Winning is great; ruining your rival's season is even better.

With 24 teams in the playoff, the joy is a bit diminished because it will take four or possibly five losses to knock a powerhouse program out of the CFP (Iowa, at 8–4, was ranked 23rd by the committee before last year's playoffs). It'll be a bit like a rivalry win in college basketball—we win, you suck, congrats on getting a slightly worse NCAA Tournament seed.

In the business of sports, more inventory for TV is king, and the powers that be think more teams playing more playoff games will make more money. At Free Agent, we don't begrudge institutions for trying to make more money—we all do the same every day. But it's not clear abandoning conference championship games will be the answer, especially when the Big Ten and SEC championships apparently outdraw many playoff games.

ESPN and the power conferences know fans aren't happy about it—just look at all the chatter online, and how the crowd at BYU reacted when College GameDay discussed expansion on Saturday (especially when BYU would probably benefit from expansion!). They're betting enough people will watch to make the expansion profitable anyway. The last hope is that fans get loud enough to bully them into abandoning expansion—which only occasionally works, sometimes on things small (putting the trophy logo on the court for the NBA Finals) and large (soccer's European Super League). If any powerhouse considers going independent, that might shock leaders into a rethink too.

Almost every sport I know is adding more: more teams, bigger playoffs, more for TV. As fans, we still eat it up, of course—much to the excitement of the TV executives who are selling commercial time to the people trying to reach us, the viewing public. (The only counterexample is the MLB proposal to cut eight games from the regular season—I'd love to see each sport I follow cut its season by about 25 percent to make regular season games matter more, so I'm interested to see how this goes.)

Perhaps I'm biased because my favorite team, Michigan State, is a dumpster fire—they could expand the playoff to 64 teams and the Spartans still wouldn't deserve a bid. I personally don't have a whole lot at stake in the playoff format now or anytime soon. But as a neutral, the chaos of Saturday might have been viewed with my full attention in the past—instead, this year I just had it on in the background while I played video games.

Sports Are Regulating Bets Without Politicians, Part 3

After last year's major betting scandal, the NBA asked sportsbooks late last week to stop offering certain types of potentially problematic bets. The sportsbooks, which the NBA says handle roughly 99 percent of the U.S. betting market, agreed. No politician or regulation was necessary to solve the problem.

No longer can bettors bet on unders for a bit player who likely won't get more than 12 minutes of playtime. Bettors also can't wager on the opening tip or on players to miss specific shots. Parlays that string together under bets on the same player's statistics are also out (this one seems a bit harsh—if you just want to bet on a certain major player to have an off night, you can bet on stats separately, but not in a big multiplier parlay). Bets on players who have two-way contracts between the NBA and G League were already banned.

This all comes on the heels of similar developments last year in the NFL and MLB. While some people want to ban prop bets altogether, the NFL asked sportsbooks to eliminate bets in four different categories. Sportsbooks largely agreed or weren't offering those bets anyway. MLB, in light of some pitching-related scandals, asked for a $200 limit on pitch-specific bets and to keep them out of parlays—sportsbooks agreed to that too.

As I wrote last year, "Ideally, this is how the regulation of the sports betting industry should go….These approaches are catching the nuances of what works for both the leagues and for sportsbooks without the heavy-handed approaches of politicians who would use an axe to ban all prop bets instead of a scalpel to limit problematic bets."

It's important to note leagues are able to do this because they have commercial partnerships with the sportsbooks. Otherwise, the leagues would have no direct leverage over a sportsbook offering a bet the league doesn't like. Keep that in mind the next time you see people bemoaning a league partnership with a sportsbook or a prediction market.

Trump's Golf Course Plans Have People Teed Off

President Donald Trump has new plans for the National Park Service golf course at East Potomac—again. Last time new plans were announced, the site plan still had its historic miniature golf course, a par-3 course, and the existing road still ringing the property for bicycling, running, etc. Much of the public didn't like that plan anyway—now, none of that remains in the latest plans, just 18 holes of golf and a driving range.

Trump announces plans for the redeveloped East Potomac Park golf course. pic.twitter.com/ZiGYgc99Uo

— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) October 18, 2026

What's really going on here seems quite clear to me: Like so many other things going on in the second Trump administration, this is a scheme to enrich the Trump family. The plan?

Step 1: Cancel a lease that was signed during the first Trump administration with a nonprofit group operating the golf course and working, in the long term, on major capital improvements and renovations.

Step 2: Use taxpayer dollars to pay for renovation of the course into, allegedly, a championship-level course capable of hosting major golf tournaments (no matter that the area has next to zero parking, is a mile from the nearest Metro station, and only accessible by narrow roads not meant to handle tens of thousands of spectators). 

Step 3: Have the federal government sign a sweetheart deal with, who else, the golf division of the Trump Organization to operate the course on extremely favorable and profitable terms.

If you're wondering why the Trump administration is doing something, corruption is usually a good guess.

The arguments for the course don't make much sense. There are plenty of adequate, competitively priced golf courses in the broader Washington, D.C., area. Several of them are already capable of hosting professional golf tournaments. Between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, there were three tournaments at three different courses in the last couple years. The 2030 PGA Championship and 2037 Ryder Cup will happen just over the D.C. line in Bethesda, Maryland.

East Potomac is not the nicest course around, no thanks to the legal limbo it's been in for the past year. But if the National Park Service is going to, for some reason, be in the business of running a golf course, it should be a course that emphasizes and teaches its history instead of the pipe dream of a corrupt madman.

Who Ya Got? 2026 World Series Edition

For the first time in 46 years, we've got a World Series contested by two teams that have never won it before. Brewers against Rays is also a rare instance of the top seeds from each league outlasting the randomness of the MLB playoffs to make the World Series. And before you trot out the tired line that "TV executives must be seething about the small market teams" remember that they care much more about getting a playoff series that goes seven games with close results in each game (What did I say above? Inventory rules all!).

In any case, I want to know who you're rooting for. At first glance, neither team seems super objectionable to me. Come back next week for my thoughts. But make sure you sound off and take 10 seconds to respond to our World Series poll here.

Replay of the Week

Kick-six alert! (Honorable mention to the blocked extra point returned for two the other way.)

"A kick-six type opportunity."

Chris Lewis was all over this one on the CBS Sports Network call of Nevada-North Dakota State. pic.twitter.com/eRt42xcYIt

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 18, 2026

That's all for this week. Enjoy watching the real game of the weekend: MSU men's hockey (No. 2 in the nation!) against New Hampshire.

The post Fans Don't Want a 24-Team College Football Playoff. The NCAA Thinks You'll Watch Anyway. appeared first on Reason Magazine.

RAWALPINDI – Pakistan staged decent recovery against England in second match of tri-nation ODI series, overcoming disastrous start to post 302 for nine in 50 overs and set a target of 303 runs, powered by fighting knocks from Hassan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas.

England won the toss and opted to field, Pakistan’s top order crumbled under early pressure, raising concerns about the team’s ability to put up a competitive total. However, Hassan Nawaz’s attacking 79, Arafat Minhas’s composed 59 and Faheem Ashraf’s late fireworks transformed the innings and gave Pakistan a fighting chance.

Hassan scored 79 off 74 balls, striking five fours and four sixes, while Arafat contributed 59 runs. Faheem provided the late acceleration with an explosive 39 off just 26 deliveries, helping Pakistan cross the 300-run mark despite losing nine wickets.

Green Shirts’ innings got off to nightmare start when Fakhar Zaman was dismissed by Gus Atkinson off the very first delivery. Saim Ayub also failed to make an impact, scoring just eight runs before falling to Sonny Baker’s short-pitched delivery.

Babar Azam attempted to stabilise the innings with a measured knock of 34 off 52 balls, including four boundaries. He built a useful partnership with wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, but his resistance ended when Will Jacks bowled him. Salman Agha’s dismissal added to Pakistan’s troubles as he departed for 16 off 19 balls, caught off Adil Rashid’s bowling.

Pakistan had slumped to 81 for four in 18.4 overs, with England firmly in control and the hosts facing the prospect of a below-par total.

With Pakistan under mounting pressure, Saad Baig and Hassan Nawaz stepped up to rebuild the innings, combining patience with calculated aggression. Hassan accelerated the scoring rate with confident stroke play, while Saad concentrated on preserving his wicket and rotating the strike. Their partnership halted England’s momentum and provided Pakistan with much-needed stability.

Saad scored 35 off 54 balls, hitting five boundaries, before being dismissed in the 28th over. Attempting a pull shot against an Atkinson bouncer, he was caught by Sam Curran. Although Saad failed to reach a half-century, his contribution proved crucial in preventing Pakistan’s innings from collapsing further.

Arafat Minhas joined Hassan following Saad’s departure, and the pair continued Pakistan’s recovery through an important sixth-wicket partnership.

Hassan remained aggressive against England’s attack, taking on Adil Rashid, Atkinson and the other bowlers to keep the scoreboard moving. His 79-run innings ended in the 40th over when Jamie Overton produced a yorker that bowled him. Hassan’s knock was the backbone of Pakistan’s recovery, turning a precarious position into an opportunity to build a competitive total.

Arafat then carried the fight forward with a valuable 59, while Faheem Ashraf delivered a late surge by striking 39 runs from only 26 balls. Their contributions helped Pakistan finish with 302 runs for nine wickets in the allotted 50 overs.

Sonny Baker emerged as England’s most successful bowler, taking three wickets and playing a key role in exposing Pakistan’s top-order vulnerabilities. Gus Atkinson took two wickets, while Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, Jamie Overton and Sam Curran picked up one wicket each.

England’s bowlers initially dictated proceedings, reducing Pakistan to 81 for four before the middle and lower order mounted a strong recovery.

With 303 runs required for victory, England will need a strong batting performance to capitalise on conditions that have appeared favourable for stroke play. Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to its bowling attack to defend the total and turn the momentum generated by its late recovery into a victory.

The post Hassan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas-led Fightback helps Pakistan set England 303-Run Target appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

RAWALPINDI – Green Shirts found themselves in trouble against England in second ODI of the ongoing tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, losing five wickets for 134 runs after 29 overs as the visitors tightened their grip on the contest.

England made early inroads into Pakistan’s batting line-up, dismissing several key players and leaving the hosts struggling to build a competitive total. Pakistan’s innings suffered setback when Fakhar Zaman was dismissed without scoring, while Saim Ayub managed only eight runs.

Star batter Babar Azam made 34 before losing his wicket, while Salman Ali Agha departed after scoring 16. With half the side back in the pavilion, Pakistan’s hopes of a strong recovery rested on the remaining batters, including Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas. The team faced the difficult task of rebuilding the innings while increasing the scoring rate without risking further wickets.

Pakistan were scoring at approximately 4.7 runs per over at the time, leaving them under pressure to accelerate during the remaining overs. England’s live win predictor put their chances of victory at 79%, reflecting their advantage following Pakistan’s batting collapse.

Pakistan make changes after Sri Lanka Victory

Pakistan entered the match after defeating Sri Lanka in their opening fixture of the ODI tri-series. Shaheen Afridi captained the side, with Saad Baig named wicketkeeper as the hosts sought another win to strengthen their position in the tournament.

Pakistan

Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.

England, meanwhile, were aiming to open their campaign with a victory and capitalise on their recent success against Pakistan.

England

Ben Duckett, Tom Banton, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jordan Cox (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid and Sonny Baker.

England have enjoyed the upper hand in their ODI rivalry with Pakistan, winning 57 of their 92 meetings. Pakistan have registered 32 victories, while three matches ended without a result. English side have also won their last four ODI encounters against Pakistan, with victories in Cardiff, Lord’s, Birmingham and Kolkata between 2021 and 2023.

Pakistan were therefore looking to break their losing streak against England while maintaining the momentum gained from their opening victory over Sri Lanka.

England, who had won four of their previous five matches, were seeking to continue their strong run and make a winning start to their tri-series campaign.

The post 5 Down for 134: England put Pakistan under Pressure in second ODI appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.