'Premier League will not be cut to 18 clubs'
Wales suffer heavy Australia defeat in final World Cup warm-up
Is winning all that matters or must Lions deliver more in final Test?
La nueva ronda de aranceles pone a prueba la resistencia de las Bolsas
England family took me under their wing - Agyemang
Goldman Sachs poised to buy into ice cream maker Froneri at $17 billion valuation, FT says - Reuters
El mapa de los aranceles de Trump
Civil service interns must be working class, government says
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to face trial in Bangladesh
Cooper leads first public poll since jumping in North Carolina Senate race
Global shares tumble after Trump tariff blitz - Reuters
Dollar forges higher as Trump releases new tariff barrage - Reuters
Amazon slides after cloud computing growth underwhelms investors - Reuters
Novo Nordisk shares extend losses, erasing nearly all gains since Wegovy launch - Reuters
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
Trump hits dozens more countries with steep tariffs - Reuters
Oil steadies as investors mull US tariff impacts - Reuters
Thailand returns some Cambodian soldiers ahead of key border talks - Reuters
Exclusive: Pakistan to buy first-ever US oil cargo in Cnergyico deal with Vitol - Reuters
RB Leipzig show interest in Hojlund - Friday's gossip
Germany to deliver two Patriot systems to Ukraine in deal with US - Reuters
El consejero extremeño Ignacio Higuero presenta su dimisión por haber falseado su currículum
Coe's record under threat as Burgin builds momentum
Yu, 12, becomes youngest medallist in Worlds history
Becky Zerlentes - the first female boxer to die in fight in US
Trump’s political operation has stockpiled a massive amount of cash ahead of the midterms
La economía mundial se adentra en la era de los aranceles de Trump
En las tripas de Servinabar: seis millones desde Acciona, sueldos para familiares de Cerdán y casi 700.000 euros hacia la cooperativa con Koldo
Un amor de verano de... Gabriel Rufián: ‘Orgullo y mercurio’
“Aquí solo el ministro se pone corbata”: guía para vestirse correctamente en la oficina en pleno verano
Buscador de restaurantes de carretera en España
Aitana cierra su gira en Madrid y revalida su estatus de estrella multigeneracional
Some Gaza and Ukraine posts blocked under new age checks
A Democrat in the middle of the Israel firestorm
Elon Musk gave Trump and the GOP $15M even as he was fighting with the president
Rees-Zammit leaves NFL for return to rugby union
Trump sube el arancel a Canadá hasta el 35% e impone gravámenes superiores al 10% a 70 países
Lib Dems call for cap on SEND school profits
Adams, Cuomo, Mamdani and Sliwa pay their respects
India enjoy late recovery as Woakes injury overshadows England's day
Title will come down to fewest mistakes - Norris
Small boats crossings hit 25,000 for the year
'Overcorrections': McBride on some Democrats' remarks on transgender people | The Conversation
Verstappen says he will race with Red Bull in 2026
Big firms could be fined for paying suppliers late
Minister says lawyers missing the point on Palestinian recognition
Senior Tories turn out for Norman Tebbit's funeral
Ofcom investigates 34 porn sites over age checks
Andrew Benson Q&A: Send us your questions
The shockingly shrunken footprint of a former president
How to follow Hungarian Grand Prix on the BBC
Trump says Canada’s Palestinian move is new trade deal stumbling block
Team principal Vasseur signs new Ferrari deal
Reform government would have to do unpopular things, says policy guru
Meta profits surge helps drive Zuckerberg’s AI ambitions
What screen time does to children's brains is more complicated than it seems
The Gulf bets big on AI as it seeks the 'new oil'
Mamdani returns, swipes away Defund the Police past
Reform declares war on county's net-zero projects
NSC-Kamerlid Joseph stapt per direct over naar BBB
Former Conservative MP defects to Reform
TikTok removes video by Huda Beauty boss over anti-Israel conspiracy theories
Peilingwijzer: CDA nu even groot als VVD, JA21 gestegen
Dating safety app Tea suspends messaging after hack
YouTube to be included in Australia's teen social media ban
Tech Life
Vluchtelingenwerk ziet miljoenenbezuiniging deels teruggedraaid
Tweede Kamer keert toch terug van reces voor debat over Gaza
Inspecties vragen opnieuw aandacht voor situatie van kinderen in noodopvang
Minister must apologise over Savile claim, says Farage

In the far reaches of the cosmos, amidst a storm of interstellar warfare, a cunning prince hatches a plan that could shift the tide of conflict in his favor. However, the cost of success could mean unthinkable sacrifice.

Prince Aelius gazed out at the star-studded expanse from the bridge of his command ship, the 'Apogee'. Around him, the flurry of activity was ceaseless, the urgency palpable. The war had raged for years, and the once mighty Arcturan Empire was on the brink of defeat. As the last hope of his people, Aelius was desperate enough to resort to the unthinkable.

He called for his closest advisor, Lord Vardis. The plan he proposed was audacious, dangerous, and came with a high price. It involved a weapon long forbidden by the interstellar community: the Starlight Spire. This superweapon, capable of harnessing the power of a star, could obliterate an entire enemy fleet.

But its use would result in the death of the star itself, and its surrounding planets. Vardis recoiled at the proposal. The star system Aelius intended to sacrifice was inhabited. Not by their own people, but by a neutral race, the Zephyrians, who had thus far managed to remain uninvolved in the war.

To Vardis, the price was too high. The prince, however, saw no other options. News of the prince's plan leaked, and unrest stirred within the Apogee. Many were appalled by the proposed sacrifice, yet some saw it as a necessary evil.

Aelius knew he was walking a fine line. His rule, his credibility as a leader, hung in the balance. But so did the fate of his empire. Against Vardis's advice, Aelius decided to go ahead with the plan.

He personally addressed his crew, explaining the desperate measures they had to resort to. They were at war, he reminded them, and war demanded sacrifices. The Zephyrians' sacrifice would not be in vain. As the preparations for the Starlight Spire's activation began, a sense of apprehension filled the Apogee.

Yet, a glimmer of hope sparked in the hearts of the Arcturan crew. This was a chance, however slim, to turn the tide of the war. Each of them carried the weight of that hope, mixed with the guilt of the impending sacrifice. The day of the activation came.

Aelius, with a heavy heart, gave the final command. The Spire fired, harnessing the energy of the star and unleashing it upon the enemy fleet. The ensuing explosion was blinding, consuming the enemy and the star system in a brilliant burst of light and energy. The enemy fleet was decimated, the war's tide turned.

The Arcturans celebrated, their joy tinged with guilt and sorrow. Aelius had won this battle, but at a terrible cost. His victory was a reminder of the cruel demands of war, and the sacrifices made in its name. In the quiet of his quarters, Aelius gazed at the spot where the star and its planets once existed.

Now, there was only darkness, a void in the star-studded expanse. His decision haunted him, yet he knew he would make the same choice again if it meant saving his people. In the grand chessboard of interstellar warfare, he had gambled and won. But was it victory or a defeat of the spirit?

Only the starless sky bore silent witness.