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Southwest Airlines on Wednesday flagged softer August leisure bookings and joined two other US airlines in warning of higher fuel costs in the third quarter due to a jump in crude prices.

The largest US domestic carrier said August bookings were at the lower end of its expectations, in part due to seasonal trends, but maintained that overall leisure demand and yields remain healthy.

Shares of Southwest fell 4% premarket, before paring some losses to close down 2.6% at $29.97.

The forecast comes as early signs emerge of domestic travel demand weakening, with inflationary pressures hurting consumers even as carriers hand out costly contracts to retain workers.

United Airlines and Alaska Air Group also warned of higher fuel costs in the current quarter as crude oil prices rose for a third straight month in August, amid signs of tightening supply.

In a regulatory filing, United said jet fuel prices have climbed over 20% since mid-July.

The carrier also said it had no imminent plans to move its headquarters to Denver from Chicago after buying 113 acres of land there. Finance Chief Gerald Laderman at the TD Cowen Transportation Conference said the first order of business is the expansion of the flight training center in Denver.

Southwest said it continues to forecast a “solid (third-quarter) profit,” but trimmed its expectations for revenue per available seat mile – a proxy for pricing power – to a 5% to 7% fall, compared with a 3% to 7% fall forecast earlier.

Alaska Air expects a quarterly adjusted pre-tax margin of 10% to 12%, lower than its prior expectation of 14% to 16%.

US airlines do not generally hedge against fuel costs, making them vulnerable to price swings.

“The relatively quick up move in fuel has given the industry little time to respond through fares,” Citi Research analyst Stephen Trent said in a note.

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Science

A Nearby Planet May Have Formed the Moon Following a Collision With Early Earth: Study

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A new analysis of Apollo samples and Earth rocks suggests that a nearby rocky planet, not a distant object, collided with early Earth and formed the moon. The study argues that this lost planet, Theia, originated in the inner solar system and shared Earth’s early neighbourhood, offering fresh insight into one of the most important events in our planet’s history.

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Science

International Space Station Makes History As Eight Visiting Spacecraft Simultaneously Dock

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In December 2025, the ISS reached a historic milestone with eight visiting spacecraft docked simultaneously for the first time. The lineup included Soyuz crew vehicles, Progress cargo ships, Japan’s HTV-X1, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, and two SpaceX Dragons. The rare configuration highlighted intense crew rotation operations and the ISS’s role as a global hub for…

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‘Never-before-seen’ images of Jeffrey Epstein’s island released – showing ‘disturbing look into his world’

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'Never-before-seen' images of Jeffrey Epstein's island released - showing 'disturbing look into his world'

Images and video of Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island have been released by politicians in the US.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said on X that they were “a harrowing look behind Epstein’s closed doors”.

“We are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes,” said representative Robert Garcia.

“We won’t stop fighting until we deliver justice for the survivors.”

The images show empty courtyards, bedrooms and other rooms from his villa.

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Mr Garcia said: “It’s time for President Trump to release all the files, now.”

President Trump recently approved their release after US Congress voted overwhelmingly in favour.

More on Jeffrey Epstein

The US Department of Justice now has until mid-December to release thousands of files linked to civil and criminal cases involving Epstein.

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It could shed more light on the paedophile financier, who socialised with figures including Donald Trump, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson.

Their connections have already been revealed in more than 20,000 other files disclosed last month.

But much more is set to follow as the Epstein Files Transparency Act demands release of all files relating to Epstein, including investigations, prosecutions and custodial matters, as well as records connected to Ghislaine Maxwell.

Politicians have said the files’ release is critical to uncovering whether powerful figures have received special treatment or protection.

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