Mets trade deadline plans continue to make absolutely no sense after latest report originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.I still don't understand how the New York Mets could look at the season they've had over the last few months and think there's any decision other than moving on from multiple players. The Mets, now 34-43 and 14.0 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, are simply not in a position to do anything on either side of the baseball at the trade deadline. Unless the Mets go on some ridiculous run over the next month and a half, which they haven't shown us they have the ability to do, there's just absolutely no reason for this team to even consider buying. In fact, selling would be the only right thing to do, which is why the latest report doesn't make much sense.“Never in a million years did anyone, especially the New York Mets, think they’d be in a position to sell at the trade deadline. Alas, here they are at 34-42 and last place in the National League East, and it has to be a serious thought. Still, David Stearns and the Mets insist that selling isn’t a consideration right now. They want to win and get back into contention. But at 15 games out of the division, that’s an extremely tall task,” Robert Murray wrote.I understand having some optimism about potentially reaching a playoff spot, but I think it's rather crazy for the Mets to think they actually have a chance right now.More MLB news:Cubs update on Joe Ryan, Reid Detmers, and Sonny GrayPhillies would make worst move in franchise history if they trade for $151M dudDodgers’ Tarik Skubal noise continues to heat upLatest Tarik Skubal news will surprise big market teamsRafael Devers trade rumors will leave Red Sox fans screaming

Cubs update on Joe Ryan, Reid Detmers, and Sonny Gray should be of interest to Chicago fans originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.There aren't many more teams around Major League Baseball who will be more interesting to watch at this year's deadline than the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have an obvious need for starting pitching, but it's important to recognize that Jed Hoyer hasn't exactly been the best executive in baseball over the past few years at making the right and necessary moves. That's why when they're linked to some of the top players on the trade market, I start to question it.However, the Cubs' potential plans were recently examined by a reporter, with multiple names mentioned. Guys like Joe Ryan, Reid Detmers, and Sonny Gray were all considered potential options for Chicago.“The Cubs need pitching, pitching and more pitching. Oh yeah, did I mention pitching? Skubal is the obvious name and Robbie Ray will be available, but someone controllable would make more sense for Chicago. I expect Jed Hoyer and Co. to add at least one pitcher at the deadline after they added Edward Cabrera in the offseason. Sonny Gray is a name that makes sense here and so does Reid Detmers, but if Hoyer wants to swing big, he should look to make a splash with another team in the Midwest,” Robert Murray wrote.Out of this mix, I'd love Ryan, but I know he'd be the most expensive of the bunch. Detmers is a really interesting name, while Gray is probably somebody I'd pass on at the moment. Regardless, if the Cubs end up with any of these three guys, I think it would be a step in the right direction. The only one I wouldn't love is Gray, and it's mostly because of his age.More MLB news:Phillies would make worst move in franchise history if they trade for $151M dudDodgers’ Tarik Skubal noise continues to heat upLatest Tarik Skubal news will surprise big market teamsRafael Devers trade rumors will leave Red Sox fans screamingBraves and Phillies get trade information on trade target

Thomas Tuchel was inches from being two from two; two games, two substitutes scoring. Even when Nico O’Reilly’s header thumped against the bar, the rebound fell obligingly for Harry Kane. “Ninety-nine times out of 100,” Tuchel argued, Kane would score. And if so, the manager may have been seen as a catalyst with his changes. Instead, Kane skied his shot.As it is, England have one goal from a replacement this World Cup; a potentially significant one, too, with Marcus Rashford’s late clincher against Croatia. And yet, as Ghana shut England out, narrow as the margins were, it brought into question Tuchel’s strategy for providing bench strength.Jude Bellingham embraces Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers after being substituted (Getty)The German’s blueprint can be for more of the same, for like-for-like replacements. On the left wing, Anthony Gordon and Rashford share plenty of characteristics, and bringing on the Mancunian for the similarly speedy Merseysider worked well against Croatia. On the right, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke even share a club, the 2025 signing understudying Arsenal’s homegrown talent for Mikel Arteta and presumably doing so again on international duty when the brighter star is fit enough to start. Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are Midlanders and friends. The Aston Villa man may not have the talent of the Real Madrid player but Bellingham’s route back into the side, seemingly, was to emulate Rogers’ role as the No 10 in autumn.As for the back-up strikers, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney may not be Kane clones, but they are less likely to be seen anyway. “Does Argentina rely too heavily on [Lionel] Messi and France on [Kylian] Mbappe?” Tuchel asked rhetorically. “It is normal. They are world-class players and they do what they do.” Nico O'Reilly and Harry Kane of England react after a missed chance (Getty)But the flaw in the formula may come when England are not winning; when Plan A is not working, is Plan B to offer more of the same, merely with new faces and fresher legs? Tuchel took the choice to omit players with other skillsets. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer could be called the mavericks, or simply footballers whose poor seasons meant their form did not merit selection. Each is true – though Morgan Gibbs-White, with his 15 Premier League goals, is entitled to feel his recent efforts merited a spot – but Foden and Palmer remain two of English football’s greatest talents. The Chelsea man’s prowess as an impact substitute was displayed in Euro 2024, albeit after a glorious season at club level. But he came off the bench to score in the final and in itself, that offered a compelling reason to recall him.Tuchel did not want to pack his squad with No 10s; too many might have been a distraction, and certainly would have brought more questions about anyone who was marginalised. But the slot as the third potential No 10 that might have gone to Foden or Palmer instead went to Eberechi Eze; fine a player as he is, he is surely less of a difference-maker at elite level.Cole Palmer could have offered England a wildcard option off the bench (Getty)And the expansion to 26-man squads ought to leave room for a wild card; instead, the closest England came to having one was O’Reilly, the box-crashing converted midfielder who is a distinctly unorthodox left-back. Their issues were partly personnel, partly tactical. “I don’t think we become predictable with wide wingers,” insisted Tuchel, despite evidence to the contrary. But the thinking was to have someone chained to the touchline on either flank. It explains why Palmer, more of an inside-forward, is not his type of wide man. When Tuchel talked of England having “repetitive attacks”, that was part of the problem. They lacked the capacity to switch emphasis. They attacked too little in the middle; another central creator might have been able to unlock Ghana’s defiant defence.It is unclear if Eberechi Eze can be a difference maker at this level (Reuters)Tuchel opted to go without the closest thing to a pure playmaker from deep England have, in Adam Wharton, instead preferring Jordan Henderson and Kobbie Mainoo. He twice omitted – once in his initial squad, then when Tino Livramento pulled out – the most inventive right-back at his disposal, in Trent Alexander-Arnold, instead eventually going for Trevoh Chalobah. So he plumped for a group with a common purpose and shared strengths. It meant the second XI looks like the first, only worse.It was not the approach some of his peers took. England possess plenty of gifted attackers. So do France but, in Rayan Cherki and Jean-Philippe Mateta, Didier Deschamps seemed to deliberately bring in two who do not resemble the starters. In contrast, Tuchel seemed to want a diet of the same. And against Ghana, England perhaps could have benefited from a penetrative pass from Wharton, a devilish cross from Alexander-Arnold or, most obviously, a long shot from Palmer. When they looked to the bench, they needed some x-factor. But the men who might have supplied it had been excluded from the squad.

Phillies former No. 1 pick being floated as option to bring back after failed first stint originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Remember when the Philadelphia Phillies selected Mickey Moniak with the first pick of the first round in the 2016 MLB amateur draft? Well, I think all Phillies fans do, and it's not for any of the right reasons. Moniak, who was very highly regarded coming out of high school, was expected to be one of the better players in Major League Baseball when Philadelphia took a chance on him. Unfortunately, things obviously didn't work out in Philadelphia, though it's important to look at what he's done throughout his entire career, as it's not crazy to say that he's actually turned into a very good player at the big-league level. Of course, we could factor some of that into the equation when playing at Coors Field, but we still have to give him some credit for what he's been able to do over the past few years. That's why it was interesting to see his name being floated as an option for the Phillies to pursue.“The Phillies couldn't possibly trade for Moniak, could they? Selected in 2016 as the first overall pick, he never panned out with the Phillies, posting a -0.8 WAR in 47 games before he was traded to the Angels for Noah Syndergaard in 2022. He's carved out an everyday role in Colorado and is having a great season, slashing .280/.335/.607. He hits from the left side, which is something the Phillies are probably looking to avoid in this trade acquisition,” Evan Macy wrote.The only thing the Phillies might be cautious about when it comes to Moniak is the fact that he's a left-handed hitter, as Macy touched on here. However, if the focus is on adding better players all around, I don't think it's crazy to say that Moniak is a guy the Phillies should go after.More MLB news:Phillies and Blue Jays could make easy trade to solve two issuesHistory now says the Mets have a 0% chance to make MLB playoffsHistory suggests Red Sox don’t have a chance to make the postseasonRed Sox’s starters latest comments should be of interestMets trade deadline plans make absolutely no sense after latest report

📝 2026 World Cup, the overnight round-upAs every morning, OneFootball brings you the overnight World Cup recap!The must-see moment of the nightMichel Kuka Mboladinga, nicknamed “Lumumba,” the iconic Democratic Republic of the Congo supporter since the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, had missed the Leopards’ first match of the 2026 World Cup due to restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak affecting the country. After a period of quarantine, he was indeed there for Group K’s second match against Colombia last night!Unfortunately, DR Congo lost; but the real attraction of the night was him!📸 Luke Hales - 2026 Getty Images📸 David Ramos - 2026 Getty Images📸 ULISES RUIZ - AFP or licensorsOvernight resultsPanama 0-1 Croatia. Click here to read the match recap!Colombia 1-0 DR Congo. Click here to read the match recap!StandingsGroup K: 1) Colombia - 6 points (+3)2) Portugal - 4 points (+5)3) DR Congo - 1 point (-1)4) Uzbekistan - 0 points (-7)Group L: 1) England - 4 points (+2)2) Ghana - 4 points (+1)3) Croatia - 3 points (-1)4) Panama - 0 points (-2)The 3 players who stood outGoalkeepers are on fire in this edition, and Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, the Congolese keeper, proved it again last night! With eight saves against Colombia, the Le Havre player delivered a monstrous performance despite his team’s defeat.The only player who managed to beat him was Daniel Muñoz, the right-back, who scored his second goal in two matches for Colombia!Finally, earlier in the night, Luka Modrić put on a show in his 200th cap for Croatia against Panama.📸 ULISES RUIZ - AFP or licensorsToday’s schedule and the night ahead21:00: Switzerland vs Canada (Group B)21:00: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B)00:00: Brazil vs Scotland (Group C)00:00: Morocco vs Haiti (Group C)03:00: South Africa vs South Korea (Group A)03:00: Czechia vs Mexico (Group A)The player to watchNeymar Day at the World Cup!The Brazilian is expected to make his big return for the national team tonight against Scotland!📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensorsThis article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

Phillies and Blue Jays could make easy $150M trade to solve two issues originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.We all know that the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to add a right-handed-hitting outfielder at Major League Baseball's trade deadline. The only question is who the Phillies will pursue, as there aren't exactly a ton of perfect names available for them to consider. Among the options, one recently floated name would be very interesting to look at. It was none other than Toronto Blue Jays outfielder and World Series champion George Springer.“Springer has pedigree — he's won World Series MVP, has four All-Star nods and three Silver Sluggers,” Evan Macy wrote.“He's also about to come off the books from the struggling defending AL champs. But he's having his worst offensive season as a pro, hitting just .215 through 51 games. Perhaps he's a candidate for a change of scenery?”Springer, a four-time All-Star, World Series MVP, and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, isn't the same player he once was at 36 years old. However, he has Northeast ties after growing up in Connecticut, going to Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Connecticut, and the University of Connecticut. He could be interested in returning closer to home, and if you can get back to the Springer that everybody knows he can be, it would be a very intriguing move to make.More MLB news:History now says the Mets have a 0% chance to make MLB playoffsHistory suggests Red Sox don’t have a chance to make the postseasonRed Sox’s starters latest comments should be of interestMets trade deadline plans make absolutely no sense after latest reportCubs update on Joe Ryan, Reid Detmers, and Sonny Gray

Ex-Bulls HC Billy Donovan to Michigan noise continues to heat up during NBA Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is considered one of the better college basketball coaches we've seen in recent decades. Donovan, who won a whole lot during his time at the University of Florida, truly had a decorated college coaching career. He also did rather well for himself during his time in the NBA, as there's a reason why he was a head coach from 2015 to 2026, coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Bulls.Donovan, who reports indicate is still interested in coaching in the future, is only 61 years old and could be a fit for multiple college programs that are looking to either stay at the top or get over the top. According to the latest, he's now being viewed as a potential coaching option for the University of Michigan.“If the Wolverines are looking for a coach with experience defending a national championship, few candidates fit better in that regard than Billy Donovan. There are no questions regarding Donovan's college bona fides after he won back-to-back championships with Florida in 2007 and 2008 and he is currently unemployed after parting ways with the Chicago Bulls at the end of the NBA season,” Mike Phillips wrote.Dusty May's decision to become the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks definitely makes things interesting in the college basketball world. Michigan has already announced an interim head coach, so Donovan would have to be the guy the following year.It would be a very intriguing option for a Michigan program that's shown it's one of the best in the country.More NBA news:Why Knicks made 2 more trades to not even keep Sergio De LarreaThis is what a Timberwolves trade for Derrick White would look likeWarriors want Kawhi Leonard, but there's a problemHow Heat can unite Giannis with his brothersKnicks had a superstar opportunity but didn't go for it

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof's 24-game hitting streak came to a quick and painful end Tuesday night.Gelof flied out to right as the leadoff hitter in the Athletics’ 3-1 loss to San Francisco. In the second inning, the Giants’ Matt Chapman hit a liner off the left-field wall to bring home Willy Adames and give San Francisco a 2-0 lead.Chapman tried for a double, but the throw from Tyler Soderstrom in left field to Gelof was in time to nail Chapman. But Chapman inadvertently stepped on Gelof’s right hand as the second baseman was applying the tag with his glove hand.Gelof quickly left the field in obvious pain — ending his night and his streak. He was unavailable for comment after the game, but manager Mark Kotsay said X-rays were negative and Gelof did not need stitches.Gelof’s hitting streak matched the longest in the majors in the past two seasons, joining Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas. It’s also the seventh longest in Athletics franchise history and the second longest since the club moved to California in 1968. Jason Giambi had a 25-game hitting streak in 1997.Gelof also had his on-base streak of 27 games end, along with a streak of scoring in 13 consecutive games.The Athletics selected Gelof from the University of Virginia in the second round of the 2021 draft. He had a strong rookie season in 2023, batting .267 with 14 homers in 69 games. He struggled the next two seasons, hitting .211 with 188 strikeouts in 2024 and batting .174 last year, when injuries limited him to 30 games.Gelof is hitting .282 this season. Before Tuesday’s game, Kotsay said one reason for Gelof’s resurgence was a change in his bat-angle approach to the baseball.“We’re seeing a player that resembles the guy that came up and really excited us about (his) future,” Kotsay said. “The confidence that he has continues to grow and you see it out there on the baseball field.”Also on Tuesday, Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, ending a 22-game on-base streak. —AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi speaks during a news conference at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima pferfecture, Japan Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)2026-06-24T05:09:47Z TOKYO (AP) — The head of the U.N.'s nuclear agency signaled Wednesday that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors, a key component in the interim deal between the United States and Iran to reach an end to the war.The comment by International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi was the firmest yet from the United Nations agency, which is viewed as key in determining the status of Iran’s nuclear stockpile. Since Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran in 2025, the IAEA has been blocked by Tehran from visiting enrichment sites where the Islamic Republic is believed to store enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build as many as 10 nuclear weapons, should it choose to rush for the bomb. Iran long has maintained that its program is peaceful, though it is the only country in the world to have uranium enriched up to 60% purity without a weapons program. The U.S. and Iran offered contradictory remarks Tuesday about whether those sites would be inspected.“I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality, but the fundamental thing I would like to remind you and draw your attention to is that there has been a Memorandum of Understanding, signed by both presidents,” Grossi told journalists at a news conference at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The accord “explicitly states that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with the regards of the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA — in all letters,” he said. Read More Grossi added: “Obviously, to do that, we have to inspect. Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in ten days, it’s important, but not essential. This is going to happen.”Those inspections are key for the deal, which calls for Iran’s stockpile of uranium to be “downblended” from highly enriched levels. There was no immediate reaction from Iran. On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that U.N. inspectors were not scheduled to examine nuclear sites bombed by the U.S. last year, rejecting comments made a day before by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. The IAEA has been allowed to visit other nuclear sites in Iran since the 12-day war in 2025, such as the Bushehr nuclear power plant. But without accessing the enrichment sites, the IAEA says it is unable to verify the status of Iran’s stockpile or check the cascades of centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Both Iran and the IAEA say Tehran hasn’t been enriching uranium, but nonproliferation experts worry that the Islamic Republic may be moving its stockpile to undeclared areas. The U.S. and Iran agreed to a deal last week that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country while giving each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements.But the uneasy ceasefire already has been tested by Iran saying it closed the strait again over fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon. Violence again broke out in Lebanon on Tuesday, but it did not escalate.___This story has been corrected to reflect that Grossi spoke at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, not in Tokyo.___Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. MARI YAMAGUCHI Yamaguchi is based in Tokyo and covers Japanese politics, security, nuclear energy and social issues for The Associated Press. twitter mailto JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

“Hey, kids, remember you wanted to go to Disneyland? Instead, we’re going to go see the world’s largest kombucha!” Johnson said of the pool renovation as a tourist stop.

Will Scotland midfielders John McGinn and Scott McTominay find a way to hurt Brazil? [Getty Images]In the beginning, it was Pele and Jairzinho, Gerson and Amarildo, the Brazilian boys of 1966, still champions of the world, if only for another month.These were the icons that Scotland faced the first time they played the Selecao, 60 years and 10 games ago. Stevie Chalmers, a Lisbon Lion in waiting, opened the scoring after a minute. It ended 1-1. What Steve Clarke would give for more of the same on Wednesday in the blistering humidity of Miami. Scotland's game of the century is nigh.There's been pain against Brazil. Too much. The forlorn look on Tom Boyd's face in the 73rd minute in Paris in 1998 as the ball ricochets off his right arm and into the back of his own net; the goal that settled it - 2-1 to the South Americans. The head-in-hands shock of the great Billy Bremner when he fails to score from a few yards out just after the hour mark in Frankfurt in 1974 - 0-0, undefeated Scotland going home on goal difference.The goal difference spectre looms large again now, more than a half a century later. Scotland know they don't need to win and don't even need to draw to get themselves into the knockout round for the first time in their history. Getting a point, or three, is the object of the exercise and their total focus, but a battling 1-0 loss, a rough 2-0 defeat, or even a desperate chasing and more goals conceded might still see them advance.Scotland have coping strategy for weather delaysWhy Scotland can't play for draw or narrow defeat against BrazilDoes it matter if Scotland lose and still make history?It's the essential weirdness of the situation they're in. Andy Robertson said on Tuesday that he didn't give a damn about permutations, but you can bet he knows all the detail that he needs to know. His obsession, naturally, is on getting the kind of result that powers Scotland into the next round. You don't get to his level if you're looking on defeat as some kind of victory, which, or course, it could be in the grand scheme of things. Hence, the barmy nature of the world they're living in right now.It's been 15 years since Scotland played Brazil and 28 years since they played them in a World Cup. If you're very, very lucky you get to face those yellow jerseys once in your career, so best make the most of it. Scotland cannot be gung-ho, but they have to be more threatening than they have been in their two games in America and in the six that went before in their last two European Championship campaigns.Against Morocco, they put in a committed second-half performance, they applied pressure and had moments. Against a team clearly good enough to counter on them with potentially devastating consequences, Scotland played with as much risk as was sensible but still didn't get shot on target. They've only had two in two games so far.Nobody in the Scotland camp is hiding from that. One by one, coaches and players have spoken about it this week - this need to fire shots, metaphorically and literally. Clarke has to find a hybrid game plan that keeps things tight against a dangerous, but not imperious, Brazil while at the same time asking questions at the other end, unsettling Brazil, shaking them out of a rhythm and picking away at their self-belief.What are Clarke's big calls for Brazil? And who would you pick?Tell us your stories of Scotland's World CupNeymar and Vinicius Junior are superstars of world football [Getty Images]Facing Brazil at a World Cup? Football doesn't get any sexier than this. In six decades, Scotland have faced so many of their immortals - Tostao and Rivellino, Brito and Clodoaldo, Zico and Falcao, Romario and Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu, Rivaldo and Neymar. They've never beaten them, not in four meetings at World Cups and not in six friendlies - that draw in 1966 and another in 1974 and that's been Scotland's lot.A nation that owes its football existence to the son - Charles Miller, the founding father of Brazilian football - of a man from Fairlie in North Ayrshire is targeting a sixth World Cup.Vinicius Junior is the one they look to now, the heir apparent, the winger most likely to propel them forward. And Brazil are in need of some propelling.It's been 24 years since they last won this tournament, a veritable eternity for them. In the years since - four losing quarter-finals and a losing semi-final against Germany; 7-1, the horror of Belo Horizonte.This vintage has not shown itself to be genuine contenders. Not yet. Their qualification was sloppy; played 18, won eight, drew four, lost six. Of their victories, they took until the 89th minute to beat Chile, the 90th minute to beat Peru and the 99th minute to beat Colombia. They lost to Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina (twice).This game could see the return of Neymar after an absence of two and a half years. The prodigal will play a part, it seems. Even a glancing look at the Brazilian media reveals their fascination with him, the microscopic detail about his calf injury, the almost hourly updates on what he's been doing in training and what role he might be deployed in - a false nine seems to be the consensus, maybe off the bench if things are going Brazil's way.Name the seven Scotland survivors from Clarke's first squadHow Ferguson became Scotland's most influential World Cup playerClarke has his own selection issues. The news of Aaron Hickey is not good, so who plays right-back against the speed and blood-curdling trickery of Vini Jr? Nathan Patterson, Anthony Ralston, or does Clarke go rogue and ask Kieran Tierney to do one of the least enviable jobs in football? There's sense in that. Tierney has vast experience. This is a day for nous.Who does Clarke play up front - and is there any prospect that whoever it is might have more than crumbs to feed on? Che Adams runs hard, but he's unconvincing. Lyndon Dykes is a battering ram, but Gabriel and Marquinhos have seen his sort before in their storied careers. Lawrence Shankland, Ross Stewart and George Hirst are the other contenders.There is logic in putting Scott McTominay into the role - a curveball for Brazil - but Steven Naismith, assistant manager, dismissed it the other day. McTominay is big and strong, incredibly energetic, a proper handful and a superb finisher. He has not been at his best in the two games, not even close to his best, but there's always the threat of him sparking to life.It's got to happen now. It's got to happen for John McGinn, too. It's got to happen for Ben Gannon-Doak, the potential difference-maker out wide. He was utilised off the bench against Morocco, Clarke hoping he'd have a bigger impact when the game was looser and the space was opening up. Ganon-Doak will start on Wednesday.Scotland's strength is their endeavour, their hard work, their passion, but those things only get you so far. There is some technical ability in there, but not masses of it. What was said before Haiti and Morocco is still relevant now - Scotland's big name players need to step it up. They need to be better, they need to create and be ruthless.So many things need to happen for Scotland to get a point, or three, from this game, but if they do then the joyous fortnight-long scenes in Boston, a city that adopted the Tartan Army as their own, will feel like a warm-up act.It's a racing certainty that the Scotland fans, in their revelling and in their bevvying, have extra gears in them. The great hope is that Clarke and his players, in their pursuit of history, have a whole lot more to show in what could be the game of their lives.World Cup fixtures and group standingsHow to watch the World Cup on the BBCEverything you need to know about the World Cup

One team standing out in potential trade for Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox after horrendous NBA Finals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Among all of the speculation that the San Antonio Spurs could look to move on from point guard De'Aaron Fox, there are certain teams around the NBA that make a lot more sense to trade for the former All-Star than others. While Fox had a rough playoff series, I think it's important that Spurs fans and the front office look at his whole body of work, which suggests that he's still an above-average player. The only thing I can agree with is that moving on from Fox would make sense because of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.Regardless, it would take two teams to make a trade if the Spurs decide to go that route, and according to a writer at The Athletic, a few teams could make sense. One of them he brought up was the Phoenix Suns, who recently re-signed Collin Gillespie, so a deal would make more sense around Jalen Green, Grayson Allen, or some pairing of Green, Allen, and Royce O'Neale."Here's the team that I think you can very easily make a case for doing this: Phoenix. Phoenix probably wants a point guard. I know that they could easily re-sign Colin Gillespie, but Colin Gillespie can be like an elite sixth man in the NBA," Sam Vecenie said. "You could pretty easily do something around like Jalen Green, Grayson Allen, or you could do Jalen Green and Royce O'Neale."I don't love the return here for the Spurs, which could make it better to just keep Fox on the roster for the short term. The thing with Fox is that his contract is going into effect next season, so it might be better to have players like O'Neale, Green, and Allen in the short term.More NBA news:The Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo for a Myles Garrett reasonWarriors trade proposal moves on from Jimmy Butler for recent Lakers championRockets and Timberwolves expected to be of interest for All-StarEx-Bulls HC Billy Donovan to Michigan noise continues to heat upWhy Knicks made 2 more trades to not even keep Sergio De Larrea

Subscribe to The Kevin O'Connor ShowApple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeKevin O'Connor, King McClure and Tom Haberstroh react to the results of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.Which teams are this year's biggest winners and which others find themselves in the loss column before the season starts? The trio shares their favorite picks, most fascinating teams, biggest steals and greatest surprises from the first round.(1:08) Reaction to first four picks(14:27) Best team-guard fits(18:26) The Michigan Mavericks(26:53) Warriors are biggest Draft losers(35:27) Biggest Draft winners(47:59) Most fascinating teams(51:44) Biggest steals of round 1NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with AJ Dybantsa after he is drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)Arturo Holmes🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channelCheck out all episodes of The Kevin O'Connor Show and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Warriors trade proposal moves on from Jimmy Butler for recent $175M Lakers champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.It didn't seem like the Golden State Warriors had much of an opportunity to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, an unfortunate reality for a team that stars typically want to play for. There isn't much the Warriors can do about it now, other than going out there and making the necessary moves to improve on both sides of the basketball. The Warriors, as a team, aren't getting any younger, and with some of the injuries they dealt with last year, mainly to Jimmy Butler, it might be a decent idea to move on from a player like Butler to improve elsewhere. One recent trade proposal would involve a former Los Angeles Lakers star and would give the Warriors a player who could come in and make an immediate impact and help win a championship.Warriors get: Anthony DavisWizards get: Jimmy Butler, 2027 top-11-protected first-round pick“The vibes in Washington don't seem great for Davis to have a long stay. He doesn't want to play for a rebuilding team, and the Wizards probably don't want to give him the massive contract extension he seeks. The question is, do the Warriors want to give him that extension?“On the one hand, the Dubs have almost no money on their books past the 2026-27 season, so they can certainly afford to pay Davis. On the other hand, he's an oft-injured 33-year-old who will want his extension to go into his late 30s,” Joey Akeley wrote.Davis is a really tough player to evaluate at this stage of his career. Not in the sense that he's not a great player, but more so because, as Akeley touched on, he wants to be paid handsomely, and his injury history is tough to ignore. The Warriors, however, are in a position where they might have to take a risk to get to where they need to be.More NBA news:Rockets and Timberwolves expected to be of interest for All-StarEx-Bulls HC Billy Donovan to Michigan noise continues to heat upWhy Knicks made 2 more trades to not even keep Sergio De LarreaThis is what a Timberwolves trade for Derrick White would look likeWarriors want Kawhi Leonard, but there's a problem

Only a few years ago, the professional sports scene in Washington, D.C. looked bleak. The Commanders were coming off a 4-13 season in 2023. The Wizards were on their way to a 15-67 season. The Nationals were in the middle of back-to-back 71-91 seasons. Only the Capitals gave the region something to be proud of and they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Then, the Commanders selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He would have the greatest rookie season in NFL history, leading the Commanders to 12 wins, an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, and sweeping all Rookie of the Year awards. Two years later, after many more losses between the region's sports teams, things are looking up. The Commanders reloaded this offseason, one year after going 5-12. They landed Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Wizards would land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, while the Nationals were competing for an MLB Wild-Card spot. On Tuesday night, the Wizards selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick. The Wizards' long rebuild appears to have paid off. Now, the DMV has a few young, marketable stars, like Daniels, Dybantsa, Styles, and James Wood.When Dybantsa was selected on Tuesday, he immediately heard from Daniels. AJ Dybantsa told me Jayden Daniels texted him after the lottery and said “Welcome to DC”— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 24, 2026Daniels also welcomed Dybantsa to the District on his Instagram page. Jayden Daniels welcomes @AJ_Dybantsa to DC on his Instagram.Those home-and-home appearances courtside and sideline are going to be epic next year. #DCFamilypic.twitter.com/dDWH99wG5l— George Carmi (@Gcarmi21) June 24, 2026Daniels wasn't the only Commander to welcome Dybantsa to DC. Styles was present at the NBA draft and even interviewed the No. 1 pick after his selection. AJ Dybantsa x Sonny StylesBoth will get gold jackets one day in their respective sport pic.twitter.com/poeoDYyFDR— brady (@burgermanders) June 24, 2026Dybantsa joked to Styles that he wanted to go pro in the NFL. Styles didn't bring up his basketball career, where he was a star at Pickerington Central High School in Ohio. After years of losing, it sure looks like Washington, D.C., now has several young superstars. Now, it's time to win. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels welcomes NBA No. 1 pick to DC

There were so many questions we needed a second part! We had some corkers for Andrew & Jonny to muse along with Chris! On today’s show…Why do kits take so long to release?!How much would O’Nien be worth?!What constitutes a SAFC legend?!We’re given a time machine!What picture sums up the last twelve months?!All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily show.Want to get in touch with us? You can drop us an email at HawayThePodcastSAFC@Gmail.com, or you can contact us via social media – we’re @RokerReport on almost every platform. For your daily SAFC fan-written content, head over to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RokerReport.SBNation.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠𝗛𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 🎙️✨ HAWAY THE Q&A PT2 ✨Slow kit releases, O’Nien’s £££ worth, what makes a Sunderland legend, time machines and photos 📸 …APPLE: https://t.co/cvxhSC7ltxSPOTIFY: https://t.co/obrOT9neqFhttps://t.co/MrScfojZL0 | #SAFC ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/EZvrBuAT7J— Roker Report (@RokerReport) June 24, 2026

NEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will be on hand to present the World Cup final trophy on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday.The global soccer boss has fostered an increasingly chummy relationship with the U.S. president and in December awarded him the inaugural edition of his invented FIFA Peace Prize, as Trump sought out sport’s mega-watt spotlight.“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together,” Infantino said on the “Fox and Friends” television programme.Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost.FIFA President Gianni Infantino: We're going to be together with @POTUS enjoying the World Cup Final and handing the trophy to the winner together. 👀 pic.twitter.com/hocUn7ihHE— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 23, 2026FIFA said it had no comment beyond Infantino’s televised remarks.Trump was met with boos and cheers when he handed the trophy to Club World Cup winners Chelsea last year and stood in the middle of the team during their trophy lift, to the confusion of some players, in the same East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium.Politics: 'Can't Make This **** Up': Trump's Weirdest Post Ever Mocked On Social MediaHe has since attended the U.S. Open men’s tennis final, the Ryder Cup golf and the NBA Finals in the greater New York metropolitan region that he once called home.The World Cup is underway across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with New York New Jersey set to host the final among its eight matches.Related...Dozens Of Drones Seized, Star’s Bone-Snapping Injury: 2026 FIFA World Cup Live UpdatesTrump's Eyebrow-Raising Nickname For Steven Cheung Revealed In New BookRachel Maddow Spots Silver Lining In Having A ‘Bad President’ Like TrumpRead the original on HuffPost

#KLUpod | World Cup Special Episode 4: Mexico 0-1 Recap & South Africa Preview(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)In this episode of the K League United Podcast, the fourth in our series of World Cup specials, Paul, Matt, and Nathan look back at South Korea's 1-0 loss to Mexico and run the rule over where it went wrong and what it all means for the Taeguk Warriors.Attention then turns to South Africa. What changes should Hong Myung-bo make? Should he drop Son Heung-min?We also hear from African football expert and journalist Ali Howorth to get the lowdown on Bafana Bafana.Plus, the Back Post looks at the media reaction and coverage of the loss to Mexico, and there's good news in TNT FC Corner!Where to ListenListen to the KLU Pod wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to leave us a review!⚽👕 Get 10% off at Classic Football Shirts by clicking this link and using discount code KLU10

Warriors earn outstanding grade for Yaxel Lendeborg selection following Brayden Burries miss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Entering the 2026 NBA Draft, there were a few different realistic approaches the Golden State Warriors were rumored to explore with their No. 11 overall pick.If the seven-time NBA champions wanted to give Stephen Curry another dynamic backcourt running mate, they could have drafted former Arizona standout guard Brayden Burries. If the Dubs were interested in adding a versatile forward or center, they could turn their attention to former Michigan teammates Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara. With the Milwaukee Bucks selecting Burries with the No. 10 overall pick, Golden State quickly pivoted to Lendeborg, and Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor believes the franchise made the right move on Tuesday night.“Golden State has been desperately searching for a young star to extend Curry's championship window, and bridge into whatever comes next,” O’Connor wrote. “It will be harder to do that here after not getting lucky in the lottery. But maybe the Warriors will find a star: Lendeborg has a compelling story. Poor grades kept him off his high school varsity team.”“He went to a JUCO. Then UAB. Then he entered the draft, went through the combine, pulled his name back, and came back for one more year at Michigan and won a national championship. He just kept getting better every single time the competition got harder. He fills the stat sheet, he can play multiple positions, and he has a 7-foot-4 wingspan at 240 pounds with a genuine handle.”“He'll be 24 as a rookie, but that aspect could be appealing to Steve Kerr, who re-signed for a two-year deal. Yaxel comes in ready. Whether his story ends with NBA stardom is still up for debate.”Lendeborg's senior season at Michigan was one for the ages, as he was the driving force behind a dominant Wolverines squad that finished the year with a near-unblemished 37-3 record and NCAA title. The consensus first-team All-American demonstrated his captivating half-court playmaking, fluid transition finishing, promising catch-and-shoot production, high-level rebounding, and advantageous defensive switchability all year long.Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 40 contests, shooting 51.5% from the field and 37.2% from deep. The Warriors should expect to receive the best of both worlds with Lendeborg in the Bay. The Big Ten Player of the Year's advanced age/maturity for a rookie are likely to make him an instant-impact contributor. At the same time, his unlimited potential has a good chance of helping him solidify himself as a valuable long-term piece.More NBA news:Spurs predicted to cut ties with $229 million nightmare, acquire ex-Knicks All-Rookie guardSpurs predicted to outbid Warriors for $101 million Lakers star, four-time NBA championLuka Doncic sends clear message to Lakers on roster they can't afford to ignore

Neymar is set to play some part as Brazil aim to beat Scotland to book a last-32 berth at the World Cup (Mauro PIMENTEL)Brazil will seek to book their place in the last 32 of the World Cup on Wednesday when they face Scotland as the tournament shifts to a breathless six games a day.Five-time World Cup winners Brazil will expect to go through but they come up against a Scotland side in Miami determined to qualify for the knockout round for the first time in their history.Morocco, who held Brazil to a 1-1 draw in an early highlight of the tournament, will favor their chances against already-eliminated Haiti and would top Group C if the Brazilians fail to beat the Scots.Such an outcome would complicate the path of Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil later in the competition.Ancelotti said on Tuesday that Neymar had recovered from injury and the 34-year-old could make his first appearance of the tournament against the Scots."He can play, he's doing well, he trained very well. I'm very happy with him," said the Italian coach, adding that the forward "brings experience, understanding of the game, and helps the younger players." Neymar's inclusion in the matchday squad will help make up for the absence of winger Raphinha, who is out injured for around two weeks.- Non-stop action -On a dizzying day of action when the final game in each group will be played simultaneously, co-hosts Mexico know they are already guaranteed of playing in the knockout round.The Mexicans won Group A after two victories and will play the Czech Republic, who need a victory to stand any chance of going through to the last 32.South Africa improved dramatically in their last game to draw with the Czechs after a pitiful perfomance in the tournament curtainraiser against Mexico when they had two men sent off and lost 2-0.They need to beat Son Heung-min's South Korea, who themselves are targeting the knockout phase.The finale to Group C sees already-qualified Canada take on Switzerland in Vancouver. The task for the Swiss is simple -- win and they are guaranteed of playing in the knockout round.Anything less than that and the Swiss require any one of three scenarios to go through.Bosnia-Herzegovina and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar -- who were thumped 6-0 by Canada in their last outing -- meet in the group's other game, and both have an outside chance of qualifying.The action on Wednesday is the first of four days of six games, the result of a tournament expanded for the first time to 48 teams.On Tuesday, Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo silenced his critics as he became the first man to score in six different World Cups Ronaldo, 41, admitted he had spent a "dark week" fielding criticism after a lacklustre display in Portugal's opening 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.But the veteran striker roared back to life with two goals as Portugal kickstarted their campaign with a 5-0 drubbing of Group K rivals Uzbekistan in Houston."I can say it was a very tough week, a difficult week, a week in which public opinion was very harsh on us, on all the players, especially on the coach," Ronaldo said of Roberto Martinez.England meanwhile were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw with Ghana that meant their bid to reach the last 32 comes down to their final group game against Panama, who were eliminated by a 1-0 loss to Croatia.Colombia booked their ticket for the last 32 with a 1-0 win against the Democratic Republic of Congo.gj/rcw

Adrian Boafo, a Maryland state delegate and candidate for U.S. Congress walks into the crowd after being introduced by Congressman Steny Hoyer, left, at the "AmeriPac Bull Roast" Friday, June 12, 2026, in Mitchellville, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)2026-06-24T04:56:56Z BOWIE, Md. (AP) — U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer and Jerrold Nadler, two of the top Democrats in Congress, are retiring when their terms expire in January, but they will continue to make their imprints on Washington.The pair passed the torch Tuesday night to former aides who won the Democratic primaries to replace them on Capitol Hill, and because both districts are overwhelmingly blue, they are all but certain to win in November and get sworn in to replace their former bosses. Hoyer and Nadler are the latest lawmakers to successfully anoint their successors after spending decades in Congress. Among 68 members of Congress not seeking reelection this year, at least five have endorsed former staffers to replace them and more than a dozen others have, to varying degrees, worked to smooth the path to Capitol Hill for their favored replacements. The practice can be controversial, particularly when lawmakers try to strategically time their announcement to give favored insiders the upper hand.But even at a time when voters give Congress a dismal approval rating, they’re often receptive to the recommendation of their own representative. That was the case for Natasha Greensword, 45, who backed Adrian Boafo in Maryland’s Democratic primary on Tuesday in part because he was endorsed by Hoyer, who has represented the area since 1981. “It was a plus,” Greensword said. There was also a racial component that resonated for Greensword, a Jamaican immigrant. “It did help him to have a white man endorsing a Black candidate and saying he’s got our backs,” she said. Read More Support from a well-known member of Congress can lift a candidate’s stature, which is particularly helpful if they’re not well known and need to stand out in a crowded field. But it can also backfire, particularly in the anti-incumbent environment that influenced so many prominent Democrats’ decision to step aside. Norma James, 64, said she skipped over Boafo in Maryland’s primary in part because of Hoyer’s endorsement.“If Steny was endorsing him, he’s not the one you want,” James said. Retiring legislators can tip the scales Many departing lawmakers prefer to keep their preferences to themselves when it comes time to hang it up. Others go to great lengths to arrange things how they want. Most infamously, Democratic Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois earned a formal reprimand from a bipartisan majority of the House for a particularly aggressive strategy to keep his seat in friendly hands. Garcia announced his retirement plans just after the deadline to file paperwork to run for the seat. By then, his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, was the only candidate who had submitted the needed paperwork. She went on to win the primary for the Chicago-area district with 100% of the vote. The maneuvering by Chuy Garcia and Patty Garcia, who aren’t related, drove a wedge between House Democrats. Chuy Garcia dismissed allegations he was being deceptive, saying he made a last-minute decision not to run because of health and family considerations. But Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., said Garcia’s actions amounted to “election subversion” and introduced the resolution to reprimand him. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Steve Daines pulled a similar move in Montana. He quietly coordinated with former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who filed paperwork to run for the office nearly simultaneously with Daines withdrawing from the race. It all went down minutes before the filing deadline. Alme faced no serious opposition for the party’s nomination and won the primary with 76% of the vote. Daines coordinated his surprise handoff with the White House, and President Donald Trump immediately backed Alme. The last-minute shuffle avoided a potentially damaging Republican primary and caught Democrats flat-footed. Some lawmakers prefer more subtle endorsementsOther lawmakers have taken a lighter touch to try and sway the direction of their district after they’re gone, and not always successfully. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., made clear that state Rep. La Shawn Ford was his preferred successor after nearly three decades in Congress, but that wasn’t enough to clear the field for him. Ford eked out a narrow win in a crowded primary in March. In California, Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley made a quick endorsement of Assembly member Jacqui Irwin. She still had a contested primary, but she comfortably won a spot in the general election.Republican Rep. Ralph Norman had better luck in South Carolina. Nobody challenged his chosen successor, state Sen. Wes Climer, who ran unopposed for the party’s nomination. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t recruit a preferred replacement as San Francisco’s representative in Congress, and she declined to weigh in on the contentious battle to replace her until the last minute. Days before the primary, she endorsed county Supervisor Connie Chan, helping her make it to the general election in November. Hoyer and Nadler back former aidesHoyer, 87, was the longtime No. 2 Democrat in House leadership. Nadler, 79, was the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and is the dean of New York’s congressional delegation after 34 years in Congress. Both decided not to run for reelection this year in the face of a Democratic base hungry to push aside their party’s aging leaders in Washington. Hoyer backed his former campaign manager, Boafo, who is now a Maryland state delegate, in a crowded field of 24 candidates. “Y’all, I gotta give a special thanks to my mentor, to my friend, Steny Hamilton Hoyer,” Boafo said after winning the Democratic primary Tuesday night.“Tonight, the Democratic voters of the 5th Congressional District decided that it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders,” he said. “And it’s with great humility that I accept that responsibility.”Nadler endorsed state Assemblyman Micah Lasher, a longtime aide to New York Democrats including Nadler, in a feisty primary for the Manhattan House seat. Lasher hailed his ex-boss in a victory speech, saying Nadler has been a political presence throughout his life.“When I was born, I was already Assemblyman Nadler’s constituent,” Lasher said, adding that he later “watched as Congressman Nadler led fights long before they were convenient.”At least three other retiring lawmakers backed former aides to succeed them, including Chuy Garcia. Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia endorsed his former chief of staff, Rob Adkerson, who lost the primary in a runoff. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., endorsed his district director, Aaron Flint, within hours of announcing his decision not to run for reelection. Flint won a four-person primary earlier this month.___Cooper reported from Phoenix. JONATHAN J. COOPER Cooper is a national politics reporter based in Phoenix. He previously covered news and politics in Arizona, California and Oregon. mailto

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks after a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)2026-06-24T04:02:12Z WASHINGTON (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will check in face-to-face with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, visiting the volatile U.S. leader two weeks before the annual summit of the military alliance at a time when the Pentagon is reviewing the size of the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump has long been critical of NATO, arguing the U.S. carries more than its fair share of military spending. But his grievances have been louder since the Iran war as he fumed over some member countries ignoring his call to help him restart oil trade through the shuttered Strait of Hormuz.Trump has renewed his threats to leave the 77-year-old military alliance, raising the stakes ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey next month. But Rutte, who has become known as a Trump whisperer for his ability to charm the president, is expected to use Wednesday’s White House meeting to try to appease him. The visit comes after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week lashed out at allies during a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels. He announced a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe. Hegseth echoed some of Trump’s critiques, faulting European allies for not letting the U.S. use bases in Europe to attack Iran. NATO allies were not consulted about the war before the U.S. launched it with Israel on Feb. 28, and some have been openly critical of Trump’s strategy. Read More Trump has claimed NATO allies were not there for the U.S. and suggested leaving the alliance, which was founded in 1949 to counter the Cold War threat posed to European security by the Soviet Union. At the heart of their treaty is a mutual defense agreement in which an attack on one is considered an attack on all. The only time it has been invoked was in 2001, to support the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The Pentagon’s warning that it will reduce its military presence in Europe to focus on threats elsewhere was the latest upheaval for the 32-member alliance since Trump returned to office.The Republican leader stunned European allies last year when he threatened to annex Greenland, a semiautonomous island that is part of ally Denmark. A chief part of Rutte’s mission these days is keeping the U.S. in NATO, and he’s proven himself deft in the past at subduing Trump’s frustrations.Rutte frequently flatters the president, crediting him with getting NATO members to increase their defense spending. Trump last year pressured leaders to agree to invest 5% of their GDP annually on defense by 2035.On Tuesday evening, Rutte appeared for an interview on Fox News Channel, of which Trump is known to be a dedicated viewer. Rutte repeatedly praised Trump, emphasizing he is the leader of the NATO alliance and said of his efforts in Iran: “I’m completely behind him on this.”He said that Trump’s frustrations over the use of bases in Europe involved a few “isolated cases.”The lengths to which Rutte is willing to praise Trump have at times raised eyebrows, such as when he referred to the president as “daddy” during the alliance’s summit last year. He then sent him a fawning text message that employed one of Trump’s favorite flourishes, capitalizing random words. “Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win,” Rutte said.Trump shared the private message on social media for the world to see.He did it again in January, blasting out another Rutte message that closed with: “Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark.”___Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price covers the White House. She previously covered the 2024 presidential campaign and politics, government and other news in New York, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. She is based in Washington. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, as he prepares for a meeting with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2026-06-24T04:03:32Z WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is headed to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet with Republican senators who have grown increasingly frustrated with his efforts to divert their agenda. Trump, who will attend a closed-door Senate GOP luncheon for the first time in more than a year, has pressured senators for months to focus on his proof-of-citizenship voting bill even though it doesn’t have the votes to pass. At the same time, he has blocked them from confirming one of his own nominees, asked them to fund parts of his White House ballroom project despite opposition and forced them to defend his Iran war even as they question the strategy and endgame. Trump has also helped whittle down his own support in the Senate after endorsing primary challengers to two GOP incumbents who were previously reliable votes for his agenda — Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy. Both men lost their primaries and have since become more critical of the president. Still, senators said ahead of the meeting that they hope to focus on unity, not disagreements. “If we’re going to win the midterm elections, we need to get on the same page,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Tuesday ahead of the meeting. “We’re not on the same page now, and that I think is dangerous.” It was uncertain, though, if Trump’s visit could smooth differences with the Republican majority — or if GOP senators who have been increasingly vocal about their frustration will voice their concerns directly. Read More Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said a lot of his complaints with the administration have already been communicated. He said he hopes this meeting will be “conciliatory.”“That would be a big win for us tomorrow,” Tillis said on Tuesday. Trump pushes Thune on SAVE America Act Adding to the tension is Trump’s increasingly distant relationship with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. While Thune remains popular in his conference and cordial with the president, he has spent much of his time lately telling Trump what he doesn’t want to hear.Thune said Tuesday that while Trump and some in their conference want to see the voting bill pass, “it’s just not realistic.” Trump has been pushing the Senate to eliminate the filibuster and pass the legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, which would create strict new requirements for voters to prove citizenship and show voter ID at the polls. He has also demanded that they add a ban on mail-in ballots to the bill as well as unrelated provisions to block sex reassignment surgeries on some minors and prevent people born as men from playing in women’s sports. “John is a leader and hopefully he can get the votes,” Trump said Tuesday on a trip to Pennsylvania, putting new pressure on Thune. Thune devoted weeks of floor time to the voting bill earlier this year and has said he supports it. But he has repeatedly said there aren’t enough votes to scrap the filibuster that triggers a 60-vote threshold to pass most bills in the 53-47 Senate. And Democrats are uniformly opposed to the bill. “Those are just hard realities,” Thune said. “And I think people at some point have to come to grips with that.“Thune said he hopes the meeting is about “sitting down as a family” and figuring out their agenda in the remaining time before the election. Some GOP senators back Trump on SAVE Act Thune said he found out Trump was coming to the luncheon from Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who had extended the invitation without telling him — an unusual move that could signal some frustration within the ranks. Scott, a close Trump ally, leads the Senate Republican lunch every Wednesday. Scott, who ran against Thune for leader two years ago, said Trump responded “on the spot” to his invitation and said he would come.“He’s going to be very positive,” Scott said. “There’s a lot that we can brag about that we’ve accomplished, and he wants to figure out how we can win November and continue to fulfill his agenda.”On Monday, Scott sent a letter to his Republican colleagues arguing that the Senate should be taking votes every week on some version of the SAVE America Act and other GOP priorities that Democrats oppose. “We need to show voters that we are listening to them and will fight for their priorities whether any Democrats vote with us or not,” Scott wrote. Also needling Thune on the bill is Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican who has amassed a large following on X with daily posts about how they should kill the filibuster and pass the bill. Several Republican senators, including Cornyn, confronted Lee at a closed-door lunch last week about his advocacy, which they said is dividing the party and creating unrealistic expectations. Lee has also echoed Trump’s claims that Republicans can’t win elections unless the bill passes, despite the party’s sweeping victories in 2024. Trump has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election he lost was stolen. “The push to pass the SAVE America Act is not a ‘fantasy,’” Lee posted over the weekend. “It’s a plan to avoid a nightmare — one that’s coming soon unless we act.” Thune said Tuesday that it’s Lee’s prerogative to post on social media, but “at the end of the day, I have a different reality. And sometimes the alternative universe that is X doesn’t reflect the facts on the ground.” Frustration over Iran, intelligence job could also be topics Trump could be faced with questions about his announcement on social media last week that he was delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination to become national intelligence director. Republican leaders had hoped to quickly confirm Clayton and circumvent Trump’s unpopular interim pick Bill Pulte, who has no known experience in the field. In the same social media post, Trump said he wouldn’t sign a renewal of a key surveillance law unless Senate Republicans attach the SAVE America Act. That hardline approach has some support in the House, where a group of 25 Republicans has vowed to oppose all legislation until the voting bill moves forward. Republicans could also use the luncheon to push Trump on the war in Iran and the agreement with Iran to end it. Most lawmakers still have not been briefed about the deal. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said there are a lot of questions about the Iran agreement, but added that Trump may not be able to talk publicly about the ongoing negotiations.“We’re there to listen” and to try and ensure that the rest of Trump’s term is successful, Rounds said. But that means “we’ve got to come out with a united team.”___Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)2026-06-24T05:02:27Z HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks were mixed on Wednesday following a sell-off in big technology stocks from Asia to Wall Street.U.S. stock futures were also trading mixed, as global investors monitor market movements in Japan and South Korea, which have seen big gains in recent months on the global AI boom but both fell sharply on Tuesday.South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index was up 0.5% to 8,241.23, recovering slightly from its 10% decline on Tuesday. Shares of memory chip maker SK Hynix, one of the country’s most valuable stocks, fell 3.6%. Samsung Electronics was up 3.7% after Tuesday’s 12.3% plummet.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.1% to 68,991.77 after falling 3.6% on Tuesday.Taiwan’s Taiex, which is also heavily influenced by tech shares, fell 2.5%.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.1% to 23,364.72. The Shanghai Composite index was down 0.3% to 4,096.14. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was trading 0.1% higher at 8,797.00. The declines in Asian markets, including Japan’s, followed Tuesday’s 1.4% drop for Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 2.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.1% lower. Big tech and semiconductor stocks fell in the U.S. On Tuesday, Micron Technology sank 13.2%, while Nvidia lost more than 4.1%.The big falls in tech shares were an “illustration of rising volatility” in these stocks, said James Reilly, senior markets economist at Capital Economics. “This is particularly true in Korea where domestic retail buyers are taking on an increasing role,” he said. Read More Oil prices fell early Wednesday, as more ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz while U.S.-Iran talks on a permanent end to the Iran war made progress.“Price movements suggest the market expects a fairly rapid recovery in Persian Gulf oil supplies,” ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey said in a commentary. Still, while vessel crossings in the strait increased in recent days, they remained well below pre-war levels, they noted.Brent crude, the international standard, fell 0.7% to $76.30 a barrel. It has been trading below $80 in recent days but is still elevated compared to the approximately $70 per barrel in late February before the war began. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Benchmark U.S. crude was down 0.7% to $72.70 a barrel.In the U.S., investors are awaiting a report due Thursday of May’s personal consumption expenditures price index, or PCE, which is the preferred inflation gauge by the Federal Reserve.Some economists predict the Fed may hold key interest rate this year but is unlikely to raise rates. Bond yields have remained higher, as inflation concerns grew amid global energy shocks.In other dealings, the U.S. dollar was unchanged at 161.55 Japanese yen. The euro was trading at $1.1364, down from $1.1382.___AP Business Writers Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga contributed to this report. CHAN HO-HIM Chan writes about business and economy in China for The Associated Press, reporting on key sectors of the world’s second-largest economy from trade and technology to autos. He is based in Hong Kong. mailto

U.S. Army General Christopher Donahue, left, commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division, and Polish General Wojciech Marchwica speak to journalists after unloading vehicles from a transport plane arriving from Fort Bragg at the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in southeastern Poland, on Feb. 6, 2022. (AP Photo, File)2026-06-24T03:29:39Z WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army’s commander of its forces in Europe and Africa — who was famously the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021 — is unexpectedly stepping down from his post after just 18 months in the job, the Army confirmed late Tuesday.Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command, will relinquish his command on July 2, according to an Army statement provided to The Associated Press. He is the latest in a line of nearly two dozen top military leaders to either retire or depart their jobs early under the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has undertaken an effort to thin the ranks of the military’s top brass with the mantra “less generals, more GIs.”Donahue’s deputy, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, will perform his duties in the meantime, the statement added. A West Point graduate and a career special operations commander, Donahue commanded Delta Force units in Iraq and Afghanistan before leading the 82nd Airborne division from July 2020 to March 2022.It was during that period that he oversaw the security at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country in 2021. On Aug. 30, 2021, Donahue became the last U.S. soldier to depart the country after nearly 20 years of war sparked by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The moment was documented in an iconic photo taken through night vision goggles that showed the general boarding the last C-17 cargo plane to depart the country. Hegseth and President Donald Trump had made the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan — an operation that was set in motion by a treaty negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration in its first term — a regular political punching bag and the subject of a new Pentagon review. Read More Last May, Hegseth ordered the new examination of the withdrawal despite there having already been multiple reviews of the operation by the Pentagon, U.S. Central Command, the State Department and Congress, which have involved hundreds of interviews and studies of videos, photographs and other footage and data. It’s unclear what specific new information the new review is seeking. Donahue’s leadership during the evacuation had nonetheless drawn bipartisan praise. Within the Army, he was widely seen as a top officer who could have led the service or been chosen to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.An Army official who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to talk about sensitive discussions told The Associated Press that Donahue’s departure comes as the Army is discussing downgrading U.S. Army Europe and Africa from four-star to a three-star command.This move would come amid ongoing criticism from Hegseth about European allies.Last week, Hegseth told NATO allies he would be conducting a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe that is “designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe.”“It’s a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colors,” he added.The Pentagon did not immediately comment on the news of Donahue’s departure, which was first reported by The Atlantic.

Barcelona gain major advantage in Julian Alvarez pursuit as Arsenal and PSG pushed asideBarcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez appears to be gathering momentum, with fresh reports suggesting the Argentine striker has already made his preference clear.The Atletico Madrid forward recently sparked headlines after publicly admitting that he wants a transfer to fulfil a personal dream. While he stopped short of naming his desired destination, a new report from Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona remain at the top of his list.Alvarez prioritising move to BarcelonaAccording to the Spanish outlet, Barcelona and Alvarez are aligned regarding a potential transfer, with both parties eager to find a way to make the operation happen.The biggest takeaway from the report is that Alvarez continues to prioritise a move to Barcelona above every other option available to him.After Argentina’s recent World Cup fixture, the Atletico Madrid striker publicly opened the door to a transfer when discussing his future.Alvarez wants to leave Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)“I’ve already spoken with the people at the club I needed to speak with. The best thing is a transfer because I want to fulfil my dream.”Although Barcelona were not mentioned directly, the outlet reports that the player’s dream is to wear the Blaugrana shirt and play at Spotify Camp Nou.That desire has remained unchanged despite strong interest from elsewhere. Alvarez not interested in moving abroadOn that note, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have both explored the possibility of signing the Argentine international in recent months, but the report claims neither club has been able to change the player’s mind.Instead, Alvarez is said to be fully focused on Barcelona, viewing the Catalan giants as the ideal next step in his career.Barcelona’s interest in the Argentine forward is far from recent. The club’s sporting department has been monitoring the striker for months, identifying him as one of the best forwards available on the market.Barcelona are Alvarez’s preferred destination. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)In fact, discussions have already taken place between Barcelona and the player’s representatives. Alvarez’s agent, Fernando Hidalgo, travelled to Barcelona and met sporting director Deco to discuss how a deal could potentially be structured.Atletico Madrid the biggest obstacleAnother detail highlighted in the report concerns a €100 million proposal sent for the player. Atletico Madrid have publicly denied receiving such an offer, but the report insists Barcelona’s interest has already gone beyond simple scouting and admiration.The Madrid side continue to insist that Alvarez is not for sale and have repeatedly pointed towards the striker’s long-term contract. Club executives have also made it clear they would rather avoid strengthening a direct La Liga rival.

Houston always felt like a Big 12 program, but it's only been in the league for the last three seasons.Former head coach Dana Holgorsen had the foresight to try gearing up for life in the bigger conference - coming from the American Conference - but it didn't work early on.The Cougars went 4-8 in his first year, Willie Fritz came in and went 4-8 in 2024, and then it all started to turn last season.Houston Is Ready to Compete for a Big 12 TitleDec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium.© Maria Lysaker-Imagn ImagesFritz needed a year to get Central Missouri going, and then he won big. He needed a year at Sam Houston, and then he played in two straight FCS National Championships.After being great in two years at Georgia Southern, he needed six years at Tulane, and then went 23-4.The 10-3 Houston season was what the program is supposed to do. This year, Fritz's team has the experience, talent, depth, and expectations to realistically be in the Big 12 title hunt.This year's team is good enough to be at least as good as last year's version. And Houston is good enough to earn back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time in the program's history.- 2026 Houston Schedule AnalysisHouston Quick HitsHead Coach: Willie Fritz (3rd year at Houston: 14-11; 30th year overall: 222-127)Best Case / Worst Case: Be in the Big 12 Championship chase late/Struggle to get bowl eligibleKey Player: Makhi Hughes, RB Sr.2025 Record: 10-3Biggest Question: Can the combination of experience and top transfers really put Houston in the Big 12 title hunt?Houston Key 2025 Stats3rd Quarter Scoring: Houston 92, Opponents 26Time of Possession: Houston 32:18, Opponents 27:42Fumbles: Opponents 22 (lost 6), Houston 15 (lost 4)OffenseThere were a few blown tires along the journey, but the offense was strong throughout last season. It put up 30 or more points eight times, was great at controlling the clock, and had a way of coming up big in several key moments.But it can do more, and it will.Offensive coordinator Slade Nagle welcomes back a loaded group of skill starters to go along with a line full of excellent transfers.What’s WorkingConner Weigman is still around. He would've been a later-round draft pick had he left early, and he would've been one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal if he was looking to leave.He's back after throwing for over 2,700 yards with 25 touchdowns and just nine picks, and he ran for 700 yards and 11 touchdowns.True freshman Keisean Henderson is a big-time prospect to work into the mix for the near future.The receiving corps is loaded. Leading receiver Tanner Koziol will be a key tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but UTSA transfer Patrick Overmyer is a veteran target with 58 catches over the last two seasons.Amare Thomas led the team with 966 yards and 12 scores, Oregon State transfer Trent Walker is coming off a 67-catch season, and Koby Young should have more of a role on the outside.A former Tulane star is joining the former Tulane head coach. Fritz gets a Green Wave star with the signing of Makhi Hughes, a tough back who got in a little work last year at Oregon, but ran for close to 2,800 yards with 22 touchdowns, and caught 30 passes, in two years with the Green Wave.DJ Butler is back after finishing last season as the team's No. 2 running back, and Re'Shaun Sanford II is a talented back who's coming off a knee injury.What Needs WorkThe offensive line has to come together fast. Alvin Ebosele is a veteran left tackle who started every game last year, and guard McKenzie Agnello is the lone holdover for the interior from last year, and he was a backup. Everyone else is a transfer.Toledo's Anthony Boswell was a tremendous center get, and Shadre Hurst from Tulane is slightly undersized, but ready right away at left guard. Drew Terrill from Maryland has to lock down the right tackle job to make all the pieces fit.Keep completing passes. The Cougars lost a wild shootout against West Virginia, but the passing game was just fine.The other two losses came to TCU and Texas Tech, and those were the two times Weigman and the passing attack failed to hit the 52% completion rate. This goes along with ...Third down conversions. Basically, keep the chains moving. The Cougars were solid at converting their third down chances, but they hit just one of 12 tries in the loss to Texas Tech and four of 17 in the loss to TCU.Player to WatchAmare Thomas, WR Sr.Terrific in his first two seasons at UAB, he was exactly what the Cougars needed as a big play target in the slot.He has good 6-0, 205-pound size, is tough with the ball in his hands, and he can take over games, with three touchdowns against West Virginia, two against Arizona, and two more in the bowl win over LSU.DefenseSix key starters are back, five other spots are filled in by high-end transfers, and there are fixable things to make this year's defense far stronger.The Cougar D wasn't a rock, but it held serve more often than not.It took massive offensive performances by Texas Tech and West Virginia to push past Houston, and this year it'll be even tougher to light up defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong's bunch.What’s WorkingThe safeties should be tremendous. Safeties Kentrell Webb and Jordan Allen are veterans who can hit. Webb was third on the team with 71 tackles, Allen will have a bigger role after a 48-tackle season, and Tulane's Javion White is coming off a 50-tackle campaign.The defensive line loaded up. Edge rusher Brandon Mack is back after a five-sack season, defensive tackle Khalil Laufau is back on the inside, and here comes the talent.Ashton Porter was a great pass rushing signing from Oregon, Ejiro Egodogbare is a big get for the inside from Yale, and De'Marion Thomas is a strong backup tackle from Oklahoma State.The linebacking corps is outstanding. Sione Fotu is back in the middle. He's not huge, but the 225-pound veteran is reliable. Jaden Yates made 120 tackles at Marshall a few years ago, and made 55 stops last season at Ole Miss. 240-pound Carmycah Glass brings more size inside.What Needs WorkThe corners could use more depth. Jalen Mayo was a wonderful signing from Stephen F. Austin, and Will James is coming off a 38-tackle season with a team-high three picks and eight broken up passes. Those two are tremendous, but that's about it for the experience.Where's the sure-thing pass rush? Houston was just okay at getting behind the line, and that was with leading pass rusher Eddie Walls. The defense came up with just three sacks over the final four games of the regular season.The run defense has to hold up. The Cougars allowed over 200 rushing yards twice - the losses against Texas Tech and West Virginia. The third-worst day was against Oregon State, and that took a massive late comeback to pull it off in overtime.Player to WatchJalen Mayo, CB Sr.It wasn't a big national signing, but landing the 6-1, 184-pound corner from Stephen F. Austin was huge for the Cougars. Physical enough to make 48 tackles last season, he also came up with four sacks and nine broken up passes.Keys to the SeasonUse all the experience on both sides of the ball to do even more.Get the transfers for the defensive line to crank up the pass rush right away.Better coverage teams and a more explosive return game.Player Who Needs To ShineEvan Noel, PK RFr.Former Cougar kicker Ethan Sanchez hit 21-of-26 field goals, including 10-of-14 from beyond 40 yards.He helped save the day against Oregon State, hit three field goals in the 30-27 win over UCF, nailed five field goals against Colorado, four against Oklahoma State, and ... missed two in the 17-14 loss to TCU.Noel is an untested kicker transferring in from Florida. Two years ago, he was among top kicking prospects in America. This year, he should be the difference - one way or another in at least three games.Biggest ConcernAgain, get more of a pass rushMore sacks would be nice, more pressures are needed, and the line has to generate more big plays. Generating more tackles for loss is vital.The 2022 Houston team lived in opposing backfields with 94 tackles for loss. The defense hasn't broken the 70 mark in any of the last three seasons, and came up with a mere 4.7 per game last year.Biggest Gameat Kansas State, October 10The Big 12 opener at Texas Tech is huge, the road game at Utah is big, and there are five conference road games in all.If Houston has any designs on playing for the Big 12 title, it has to win two of the three against the Red Raiders, Utes, and Kansas State. This will likely be the easiest of the three.Transfer PortalHouston handled the portal like it's ready to do some damage.Not only do the Cougars bring back a ton of talent, but they also added a slew of interesting transfers to boost the depth and patch a few holes.They sprayed to all fields, but most of the help was for the lines and the secondary.Best SigningMakhi Hughes, RB (Oregon)The offense will revolve around quarterback Conner Weigman, but Hughes should be a difference-maker for the running game to take the heat off of everyone else. There will be a rotation, but the coaching staff will get Hughes the ball in his hands in several ways.Biggest LossCorey Platt Jr., LB (Texas Tech)A good part of the linebacking corps rotation, he made 40 tackles and three sacks for the Cougars after three years at Tulane. Now the fifth-year veteran will be a factor in the Texas Tech linebacking corps.Other Names to KnowAshton Porter, DT (Oregon)Trent Walker, WR (Oregon State)Jalen Mayo, CB (Stephen F. Austin)CFN Season PredictionAfter a 9-3 season, Houston should be in for more of the same as long as it can win the games it's supposed to.Overall, it should be a better team, the offense is more talented, the defense is full of veterans, and it should be right up there with Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah among the true favorites to win the Big 12 title.But there's a big problem.CFN Prediction: 9-3At Texas Tech, at Utah, at Kansas State. Throw in late back-to-back road games at Colorado and West Virginia - all part of a run of six away dates in nine games - and it's a stress-test of a slate.Missing Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, and TCU - along with Iowa State and Kansas - is a huge help, and there's reason to be bullish on the upside, but there's no margin for error.Related: Big 12 Football Win Totals 2026: Spring Predictions for All 16 Teams

Bosnia vs Qatar – Match preview and team newsBosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar meet in Seattle tonight, knowing only a victory can salvage their World Cup campaigns.Both nations share identical records after collecting just a single point from their opening two fixtures. Sergej Barbarez saw his team compete bravely before collapsing to a heavy 4-1 defeat against Switzerland in their last outing.Meanwhile, Julen Lopetegui watched as co-host Canada completely dismantled his nine-man Qatar team. Claiming three points remains critical to stand any chance of reaching the coveted round of 32.Bosnia vs Qatar – Match preview and team newsDate: Wednesday, 24 June 2026Kick-off: 20:00 BSTVenue: Seattle Stadium ( Lumen Field, Seattle)Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela)Last Meeting: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1–1 Qatar (10 August 2010, International Friendly)Team newsBosnia-HerzegovinaTarik Muharemovic remains unavailable tonight after picking up a costly red card against the Swiss. In his absence, Dennis Hadzikadunic will step into central defence to partner Nikola Katic. Veteran forward Edin Dzeko will captain the side despite enduring a deeply frustrating tournament so far.QatarQatar face a massive selection crisis with Homam Ahmed and Assim Madibo both serving suspensions. Sultan Al Brake is the favourite to fill the vacancy left at left-back tonight. Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Karim Boudiaf should anchor the engine room after Madibo’s dismissal against Canada. Edmilson Junior will retain his attacking spot while searching for his first tournament goal.FormBosnia-HerzegovinaThe Dragons started their campaign by grinding out a hard-fought 1-1 draw against co-hosts Canada. However, tactical discipline broke down entirely in the second half of their subsequent defeat to Switzerland. Barbarez must address a severe lack of goals to secure a positive result this evening. The European outfit have failed to score more than once in their last seven outings.QatarIn contrast, Qatar endured an absolute catastrophe in their humiliating 6-0 defeat to Canada. Lopetegui watched his side concede a tournament-high 58 shots across their opening two games. They have also recorded the lowest possession and shot numbers at the finals so far. That said, a low-scoring win remains a distinct possibility given the high stakes involved.Predicted lineupsBosnia-Herzegovina possible starting XI: Vasilj; Dedic, Katic, Hadzikadunic, Kolasinac; Alajbegovic, Sunjic, Tahirovic, Memic; Dzeko, DemirovicQatar possible starting XI: Abunada; Al Oui, Khoukhi, Miguel, Al Brake; Laye, Gaber, Boudiaf; Edmilson, Abdurisag, AfifHow to watch Bosnia vs Qatar?The group match kicks off at 20:00 BST this evening. The fixture will be broadcast live on ITV4 for football fans across the United Kingdom.Read more – England player ratings vs Ghana: Three Lions held to drab Boston stalemateSee Also- Tuchel stumped as England miss glorious chance to beat GhanaFollow the Football Faithful on Social Media:Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok

George Wolkow blasted his 10th long ball of the season. | (George Wolkow/Instagram) Rochester Red Wings 10, Charlotte Knights 9The Knights (42-34) came up just short in a wild one despite outhitting the Red Wings 12-10. The bats snoozed through the early frames until Nolan Jones finally got things cooking in the fourth with his 10th bomb of the year. Korey Lee chipped in an RBI double in the sixth to make it 3-2, but then came the seventh. It was a full-on meltdown, with Rochester tagging Adisyn Coffey and Chase Plymell for seven runs, and the Knights were buried under a mountain of tallies.Charlotte refused to go away, though, answering with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Rikuu Nishida and Dustin Harris both with RBI knocks, and Jones lacing a two-run double to keep the corpse twitching at 10-6. In the ninth inning, it was one last gasp with the Knights putting up three more runs. Jones with a sac fly for his fourth RBI, Caden Connor slapping a two-run single to bring Charlotte within a run, but that was the end of the magic. On the hill, Duncan Davitt provided a bright spot for three hitless innings, and Jared Kelly closed up the last two frames, allowing two hits, a walk, and two punchouts.Who was the Knights MVP? Rikuu Nishida: 1-for-5, R, RBI, KDustin Harris: 3-for-4, 2 R RBI, BB, 2 SB, CSRyan Galanie: 1-for-4, KNolan Jones: 2-for-3, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, HR, SF, KKorey Lee: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2B, KCaden Connor: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, SB, KAndy Weber: 1-for-4, RJason Matthews: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BBDuncan Davitt: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 Jared Kelly: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K, WP pollcode.com free pollsWho was the Knights Cold Cat? Dru Baker: 0-for-3, KZach Franklin: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 5 K, LAdisyn Coffey: 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 KChase Plymell: 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, K pollcode.com free pollsKnoxville Smokies 5, Birmingham Barons 3Despite the loss, the Barons (26-44) did show some patience at the plate (eight walks!), but it was about the only thing worth applauding. Four hits, all night, and every run squeezed out in a single, frantic fourth inning. Anthony DePino and Samuel Zavala started things with back-to-back walks, Colby Shelton poked a single to jam the bases, and Jeral Perez broke through with a two-run double. Eddie Park walked to reload the bags, Dylan Campbell took a bases-loaded freebie, and that was it for the offense. Shelton doubled in the sixth, Alec Briley doubled in the ninth, but the Barons stranded nine, whiffed 11 times, and went a ghastly 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.On the mound, Jake Palisch took the loss, tagged for four runs on seven hits in five innings. The bullpen of Phil Fox, Nick Altermatt, and Jacob Heatherly each tossed a clean frame to keep things close, but the offense never got the clutch knock. No late heroics tonight, just a slow fade to a 5-3 defeat.Who was the Barons MVP? Alec Briley: 1-for-5, 2B, 3 KColby Shelton: 2-for-4, R, 2BJeral Perez: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, 2B, K, EPhil Fox: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, KNick Altermatt: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 RJacob Heatherly: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, BB, K, HBP pollcode.com free pollsWho was the Barons Cold Cat? Caleb Bonemer: 0-for-5, KAnthony DePino: 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 KSamuel Zavala: 0-for-3, R, BB, KGrant Magill: 0-for-4, 2 KEddie Park: 0-for-3, BB, KJake Palisch: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, K, LPierce George: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, K pollcode.com free pollsHub City Spartanburgers 5, Winston-Salem Dash 4The Dash (39-31) let a late lead slip away and got walked off the field in Hub City with a gut punch. There were some early fireworks from Winston-Salem. Ryan Burrowes hit a two-run bomb in the first, and George Wolkow smacked a solo shot in the third. Ely Brown laced a triple in the fourth, scored on an Alex Ungar single, and it was 4-2, Dash. For a while, it looked like cruise control. But the bats dried up just in time to leave the door wide open heading into the ninth.Garrett Wright, wild as a rodeo, handed out five free passes and watched the Spartanburgers cash them in. Jack Young came in to try to stem the bleeding, but Boston Smith had other ideas, leaking a passed ball that plated the winning run. All of this wiped out a perfectly decent start from Riley Eikhoff (five innings, two runs, five hits) and three solid frames from Frankeli Arias and Mathias LaCombe.Who was the Dash MVP?Ryan Burrowes: 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB, HR, 2 KGeorge Wolkow: 1-for-5, R, RBI, HR, 4 KBoston Smith: 1-for-2, 2 BB, PBEly Brown: 1-for-3, R, BB, 3BAlex Ungar: 1-for-4: RBI, K, CSRiley Eikhoff: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 2 K, HBPFrankeli Arias: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 K, HMathias LaCombe: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, H pollcode.com free pollsWho was the Dash Cold Cat?Kyle Lodise: 0-for-5, R, 3 KKaleb Freeman: 0-for-4, BB, K, POJames Taussig: 0-for-3, BB, 2 KArxy Hernández: 0-for-2, BB, KGarrett Wright: 1/3 IP: 0 H, 3 R (2 ER), 5 BB pollcode.com free pollsColumbia Fireflies 4, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3The Ballers (35-35) spent most of the night chasing after Jhosmmel Zue unloaded a grand slam in the second. Four runs, one swing. The Kanny bats were mostly silent, seven strikeouts and precious little traffic, but the pitching staff at least kept things from getting ugly. Gabe Tanner wore the loss, tagged for all four on that one mistake, but he hung in for five. Daniel Wright followed him with two scoreless frames while Jesus Mendez and Marco Barrios each tossed a clean inning to keep the deficit from ballooning.Finally, Kanny mounted a rally in the ninth. Matthew Boughton and Derek Cerda poked singles, Stiven Flores cracked an RBI double, and suddenly the Ballers were back in it. Adrian Gil’s double play drove in another run, and Nathan Archer laced a triple to drag Kannapolis within one. The tying run stood a whisper from home, but Jurdrick Profar rolled over, and the rally fizzled out.Who was the Ballers MVP? Matthew Boughton: 3-for-4, R, CSDerek Cerda: 1-for-4, RStiven Flores: 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB, 2BAdrian Gil: 2-for-4, K, 2BNathan Archer: 1-for-4, 3BEfren Teran: 2-for-3Daniel Wright: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 KJesus Mendez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, KMarco Barrios: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, K pollcode.com free pollsWho was the Ballers Cold Cat?Jaden Fauske: 0-for-4, KNick McLain: 0-for-3, BBJurdrick Profar: 0-for-4, 3 KGabe Tanner: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K pollcode.com free pollsACL Reds 8, ACL White Sox 1 (7 innings) The ACL White Sox (11-27), unfortunately, took another one on the chin. Four hits, 0-for-6 with RISP, and one lonely run. Their tally came in the sixth when Alejandro Cruz decided to make something out of nothing with a double, a swipe of third, then a mad dash home on a wild pitch. Otherwise, the bats were pretty silent with just singles from Jefrank Silva, Marcelo Ácala, and Steven Lancia. On the mound, Fabian Ysalla got roughed up for four runs in 3 2/3 innings, and the bullpen got tagged with four more.DSL Mariners 2, DSL White Sox 1 (7 innings)The DSL White Sox (5-12) dropped a tough one to the Mariners in a game that was all about the pitching. Ronald Kelly was outstanding in his start, holding Seattle hitless and scoreless across four innings while punching out seven. The righthander worked around three free passes and a hit batter. Jefferson Timaure kept it close with two solid frames, allowing just one run on two hits. The decisive tally came in the bottom of the seventh against Beinel Adon, who walked the leadoff guy, gave up a single, and after a fly out, a grounder and a shortstop miscue let the winning run in. Offensively, it was the Diego Natera show with a solo homer in the third, a double in the fifth, and that was two-thirds of the team’s hits. Not much else to write home about.ACL Mariners 14, ACL White Sox 3The ACL White Sox got steamrolled, 14-3, surrendering a couple of touchdowns. They went up early when Jordan Rich and Marcelo Ácala worked back-to-back walks, José Mendoza doubled them in, and it was 2-0 after the first. Then the offense vanished until Eduardo Herrera smacked a solo homer in the eighth, but by then it was a lost cause. Only six hits, 1-for-13 with RISP, 11 runners left on base. The pitching was a horror show, except for Jefrank Silva, who kept his line clean. Christian Oppor, Chicago’s No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is still wrestling with his command. He tossed 1 1/3 innings, gave up a run on one hit, walked four, hit a batter, and fired off a wild pitch, which allowed the tally to score.DSL Arizona Black 16, DSL White Sox 7 (7 innings)This one wasn’t even remotely close early, with Arizona up 10-1 after six and the Sox bats looking like they’d rather be anywhere else. Three hits, one run, and that only thanks to Sebastian Romero, who keeps finding ways to matter. His sixth bomb came with two outs in the first, and then it was pretty much tumbleweeds until the seventh. Suddenly, six runs — yes, six! — in the seventh, with Romero and Ronald Cardozo knocking RBI singles to make the box score look a bit less embarrassing. The pitching? Forget about it. The only guy who didn’t get lit up was Yordany Marte, who tossed three innings, allowing one run on four hits, two walks, and three punchouts.

New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich (13) dribbles the ball as Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) defends her during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.LAS VEGAS, NV – The New York Liberty defeated the Las Vegas Aces, 87-76, in a WNBA game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 23, 2026 and The Sporting Tribune's DJ Cabanlong was there to capture the following TST Images.Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) dribbles the ball up the court during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneLas Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) dribbles the ball up the court during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) dribbles the ball upcourt as New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich (13) follows her during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneLas Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) dribbles the ball upcourt as New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich (13) follows her during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) shoots the ball as New York Liberty players surround her during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneLas Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) shoots the ball as New York Liberty players surround her during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) goes for a lay-up during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneLas Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) goes for a lay-up during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) looks to shoot the ball during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneLas Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) looks to shoot the ball during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) dribbles the ball up the court during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneNew York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) dribbles the ball up the court during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) questions a referee call during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneNew York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) questions a referee call during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) receives the ball at the post while New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) defends her during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneLas Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) receives the ball at the post while New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) defends her during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.New York Liberty guard Marine Johannes (23) looks to shoot the ball during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneNew York Liberty guard Marine Johannes (23) looks to shoot the ball during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) looks to shoot the ball during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.DJ Cabanlong - The Sporting TribuneNew York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) looks to shoot the ball during a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, Tuesday June 23, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)2026-06-24T04:01:06Z PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Computer scientist Louis Castricato was in his eighth year studying large language models — the artificial intelligence technology behind chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude — when he started to feel like he was hitting a dead end.“We basically have passed the point of doing real fundamental LLM research,” Castricato said. “Now it’s just applications.”The researcher quit his studies at Brown University and started a new company, called Overworld. Its ambition is in its name: AI that can understand and navigate a world, not just words. There’s still plenty of money to be made from AI chatbots — investors are counting on it as they commit trillions of dollars to leading developers like Anthropic and OpenAI. But a growing number of AI entrepreneurs are dedicating themselves to what they see as the next frontier: “world models” that teach AI systems, and sometimes robots, how to react in a physical environment.They include some of the field’s most prominent scientists, such as “Godmother of AI” Fei-Fei Li, who describes the concept of a world model as “one of the most important and most overloaded terms in AI today.” Scientists are applying AI in new dimensions with ‘world models’At the heart of world model research is the idea that AI can’t be truly intelligent if it can only read a book. It also needs to read the room.“Where language models learn the statistical structure of text, world models learn the statistical structure of space and time: how light falls on a surface, how a garden looks from an angle no camera has captured, how objects respond to force and follow the laws of physics,” wrote Li, founder of the San Francisco startup World Labs, in an essay published this month. Another proponent is AI pioneer Yann LeCun, who quit his job as Meta’s chief AI scientist last year to start Paris-based Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs. Read More “World model is quickly becoming a buzzword,” LeCun said on a recent “Unsupervised Learning” podcast. He said he views it as something that enables an AI agent “to predict the consequences of its own actions.”There are multiple ways of defining world models, often based on the technologies someone hopes to build with it — be it robots or a more interactive video game. Robots can’t learn much from AI models trained on books Training on all of humanity’s books, news articles and visual media, as AI language models have done, has led to AI assistants that are changing the nature of office-based work and some creative fields. But some proponents see limitations in generative AI models that work by repeatedly predicting the next word or pixel to produce new dialogue, images or lines of code.Chatbots can’t pick up a coffee mug, notes Martin Hebert, dean of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University.“There’s all the geometry of the world, the dynamic of how I move my hand, the physical interaction of the contact with the cup,” Hebert said. “This is much more complex than just predicting the next word in a sentence.” Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. For scientists like Hebert, who has spent more than four decades researching robotics, the most useful application for world models is as a faster and cheaper path to “physical AI” — another tech industry buzzword. “Some people may have different definitions, but physical and embodied AI are kind of the evolution of what we used to call robotics,” Hebert said in an interview. Some of the AI advances that have made chatbots so useful can also be applied to building AI with a broad enough awareness of its environment to work like a robot’s brain, he said.“In your body and spinal cord you have a very general model of how to balance, how to walk around, and you can adapt to your knee hurting in the morning, so you now walk a little differently,” he said. “You don’t need to think about that. You have a general model somewhere in your nervous system and brain that allows your body to adapt very quickly.” Simulated worlds are drawing interest from investorsSmarter robots aren’t the only end game for world models. Castricato started Overworld last year and the tiny Rhode Island-based startup is now building video game worlds where a scene, say, of a spooky forest, can adapt as a virtual character moves through it and interacts with the objects in it. “There’s no other world model where you can just walk through doors or where you can interact with a detailed environment like this,” he said in an interview. “We optimize for interaction above anything else.”While the near-term applications aren’t as readily apparent as AI coding tools, world model makers are attracting interest from venture capitalists like Steve Jang, co-founder and managing partner at Kindred Ventures. The firm is investing in Overworld and other world model-focused companies, including Causal Labs, which is building AI models for weather prediction, and Extropic, which is building specialized computer chips suited to world models. “I think that the future is many different types of models with many different philosophies and architectures,” Jang said. “I don’t think that it’ll be one large, dense model to rule them all.” In her recent essay, Li sought to create a “taxonomy of world models” to help sort out the confusion about the competing visions.“A video model that produces gorgeous but physically impossible flames, a language model improvising a playable game, and a physics engine that faithfully simulates combustion all go by the same name,” she wrote. She divided world models into three categories. The most commercially viable today are “renderers” that prioritize the visual fidelity of the virtual worlds they create but can’t be trusted to teach robots much.Then, there are “simulators” that create virtual training grounds that faithfully represent the physical structure of a world; and “planners” that try to predict what an AI agent or robot should do in an unstructured world.“A robot that can plan is a robot that can work, and the entire industry is racing to be the one that gets there first,” she wrote. MATT O’BRIEN O’Brien covers the business of technology and artificial intelligence for The Associated Press. mailto

From left, Lolitta Costantine, Wadiaa Salloum, and Marie Salloum sit outside Costantine's home in the southern town of Jdeidat Marjayoun, Lebanon, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) CORRECTION: City corrected to Jdeidat Marjayoun, instead of Marjayoun.2026-06-24T05:12:03Z JDEIDAT MARJAYOUN, Lebanon (AP) — Looking out from a friend’s balcony, Milia el-Cheikh struggled to find her own home in the ruins of her now-deserted village, its entrances strung with barbed wire.Her village of Dibbine is one of several Shiite-majority communities across southern Lebanon destroyed by Israeli forces battling the Iran-backed Shiite Hezbollah. Israel has occupied vast areas and fighting has raged through declared ceasefires. The latest truce — part of the interim peace deal between the United States and Iran — appears to be holding.El-Cheikh, one of the few Christians from Dibbine, found shelter in another village but regularly visits Jdeidat Marjayoun, a mostly Christian village next to her hometown, to have coffee with a friend from church. Before the war, it was a comforting ritual. Now it takes place against a backdrop of loss and fear. “I don’t know anything about my house,” she said. “Nothing is more agonizing than not being able to get to your home.”Jdeidat Marjayoun is one of a string of towns and villages visited by The Associated Press on the blurry edge of the Israeli-occupied zone of southern Lebanon. The military has pushed out the mostly Shiite population, believing they harbor Hezbollah, and many towns have been demolished. Residents of neighboring Christian, Sunni and Druze communities have been allowed to stay, but the conflict has transformed their lives. Their homes have been struck, road closures have isolated them from the rest of Lebanon, and nighttime raids by Israeli troops have terrified residents.Israeli warnings against hosting Hezbollah fighters have effectively barred them from taking in displaced Shiites, driving a wedge between longtime neighbors and stoking political and sectarian tensions. Read More Lebanon is a linchpin for the Iran deal The latest conflict began when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel days after Israel and the U.S. launched their war on Iran on Feb. 28. Israel invaded Lebanon and has expanded its zone of control up to 12 kilometers (7 miles) deep in places.As troops advanced, Israel warned people to leave large areas of southern Lebanon, and in April published a list of 53 towns and villages — mostly Shiite — where residents are barred from returning. On Thursday, it added eight more predominantly Shiite villages.Israel says its troops will remain in southern Lebanon for self-defense. It says Hezbollah was deeply entrenched and has released videos purporting to show tunnels and other military infrastructure in residential areas.Iran says any wider truce must include Lebanon and that Israel must withdraw, while Hezbollah says it will resist occupation. Lebanon’s government has also called on Israel to withdraw. They live in the Israeli military’s shadowMixed villages and towns on the edge of the security zone, spread over hills and valleys among orchards and olive groves, stand within sight of their devastated neighbors. Residents have vowed to stay. The Shiite town of Khiam — now an empty white swath of flattened buildings controlled by Israel — can be seen from the Christian village of Qlayaa.Qlayaa’s residents are effectively barred from reaching their olive groves in the valley between. “Now another season is lost,” said Hanna Daher, Qlayaa’s mayor. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. A priest in Qlayaa was killed by shelling as he inspected an earlier strike, and a father and his two children were killed in a drone strike while driving to Qlayaa. Israel says it only targets militants. In Jdeidat Marjayoun, a house was bombed on suspicion that militants were using it. Rockets — believed to be from Hezbollah — damaged a church’s dome. In other places, solar panels, power transmitters and water stations have been hit.El-Cheikh fled Dibbine with her neighbors in early March after Israel warned people to leave. In late May, following weeks of fighting, Israeli forces raided Dibbine before withdrawing in early June.As the fighting raged, el-Cheikh’s friend, Lolitta Costantine, huddled with her husband in their home in Jdeidat Marjayoun, and at one point stayed with neighbors. Cracks caused by explosions run down the walls of her home. Windows were shattered and doors knocked loose. She keeps shrapnel as a reminder of the ordeal.“We didn’t know where the danger was coming from,” Costantine said. Tensions rise as the displaced are turned awayShiites seeking shelter from the fighting have been turned away by those who fear Israeli strikes or eviction, aggravating tensions that have been mostly dormant since Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war.When a Qlayaa resident hosted a friend from a Shiite village in his orchard, his house was bombed, said Daher, the mayor. Other residents have asked Shiites seeking refuge to leave.“We told them, we don’t want problems for you or for us,” Daher said.Israel has warned Jdeidat Marjayoun’s municipality not to allow in people displaced from neighboring villages, saying it could put the town at risk or force it to be evacuated, the municipality said on social media. “We were forced to ask some to leave the town,” said the parish priest, Father Philip Habib Okla. “It caused many disagreements and tension,” he added. “We are counting on faith to remain united.”The Israeli military said it has warned people in parts of southern Lebanon not to allow Hezbollah to use their villages. It said Hezbollah operates in civilian areas, endangering residents.During Israel’s 1982-2000 occupation of southern Lebanon, the area was a bastion of the South Lebanon Army, a mostly Christian militia working with the Israeli military. When Israel withdrew, some of them fled to Israel while others faced trial in Lebanon, where they were widely seen as collaborators.Some residents worry they will be unfairly painted with that brush for staying in their homes. Few are willing to speak of the tensions openly, fearing retaliation by Israel or Hezbollah.At a church visited by AP, a man shouted in exasperation that everyone had become suspicious of each other, even among Christians. He blamed Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into the war, saying it had made a serious mistake.‘It is like the West Bank here’Late one night in March, Israeli forces surrounded a building in the mostly Sunni village of Halta. They burst in and arrested Chadi Abdel-Al, who screamed “my heart” as he was being beaten and dragged into a van, according to his mother, Ayesha al-Qaderi, who lives in the same building.In the commotion, a 15-year-old relative, Mohammad Abdel-Al, ran through the dark in his pajamas toward the house, his grandfather, Hatem, said. The Israeli soldiers shot him dead. A neighbor, who was out on his balcony, was wounded.The Israeli military said it had detained the commander of a local militant group.In a separate incident, Israeli troops detained three farmers from Halta during a raid on a nearby village.They are among at least eight people detained by Israeli troops since March, according to Lebanese media. The Israeli military says they were suspected of involvement in militant activities and plots against its troops.“We still don’t know why they kidnapped them. Maybe to instill fear in the village and to send a message that they see everyone,” said Issa Abdel-Al, the community’s leader.“It has become like the West Bank here,” he added, referring to the occupied Palestinian territory.Al-Qaderi, who has heard nothing about her son since he was spirited away, said: “I just want to know his fate.” SARAH EL DEEB El Deeb is part of the AP’s Global Investigative team. She is based in the Middle East, a region she covered for two decades twitter mailto

The turbulence in Asia’s chip-dominated stock markets highlighted how heavily global equities have come to depend on enthusiasm for artificial intelligence.

Liverpool target set to sign for Premier League rivalsMarco Palestra Transfer Shows Chelsea’s Ruthless Market EdgeChelsea Move Fast for PalestraChelsea’s transfer strategy has rarely lacked aggression, and their move for Marco Palestra appears to be another example of that sharp, opportunistic approach. As reported by Nizaar Kinsella, the Atalanta defender is now set for Stamford Bridge in a deal worth around £43m.The key line is striking: “Chelsea are set to sign Atalanta defender Marco Palestra for a fee around £43m. The move is a hijack of Inter’s offer and green-lit by Xabi Alonso. Feeling is that he can play in both wing back and full back positions. Fits within the wage structure.”For Liverpool, who were linked with the player, this is another reminder of how quickly the market can move. Interest is one thing. Execution is another. Chelsea, for all the criticism that has followed their recruitment model in recent years, remain capable of identifying a target, moving decisively and bending the race in their favour.Palestra Profile Fits Modern DemandsPalestra’s appeal is not difficult to understand. Modern elite football asks defenders to do more than defend. Full backs are creators, recovery runners, auxiliary midfielders and sometimes even wide forwards. The line that he can play “in both wing back and full back positions” explains why clubs of Liverpool, Chelsea and Inter’s stature would all be interested.That versatility matters. Squads are being built for tactical flexibility as much as depth. A player who can operate in different systems gives a coach options without requiring a reshuffle every time injuries, form or opposition demands change the plan.At £43m, this is not a speculative punt. It is a serious investment in a player Chelsea clearly believe can grow into a major role.Liverpool Link Raises Familiar QuestionsLiverpool’s name appearing in the background of this story will frustrate some supporters. The club have often been admired for restraint and discipline in the market, yet there are moments when that patience can look like hesitation.If Liverpool genuinely saw Palestra as a target, losing ground to Chelsea will sting. The right-back and wing-back areas are increasingly important, especially with the demands of elite Premier League football and European competition.There is also the tactical angle. A defender with Palestra’s flexibility could have suited Liverpool’s need for athleticism, width and defensive recovery. That does not mean Liverpool should match every rival move, but it does underline how competitive this summer’s market is becoming.Chelsea’s Wage Structure Detail MattersThe final detail in Kinsella’s report should not be overlooked. Palestra “fits within the wage structure.” That line hints at a more measured Chelsea than the caricature of chaos often attached to them.A £43m fee is substantial, yet wage discipline can define whether a deal works long term. If Chelsea have secured a young, tactically adaptable defender without distorting their salary model, this could prove a smart piece of business.For Liverpool, the lesson is clear. The market rewards clarity. If a player is valued, timing matters. Sometimes the difference between admiration and acquisition is the speed of the final call.Our View – Anfield Index AnalysisFrom a Liverpool fan’s perspective, this one feels slightly irritating rather than devastating. Palestra may not have been the headline name on everyone’s lips, but he ticks a lot of boxes Liverpool supporters have been discussing for months.He is young, versatile, physically suited to modern football and comfortable across different defensive roles. That matters because Liverpool’s squad needs players who can survive tactical change. If the club are moving towards a more intense, flexible system, then full backs and wing backs become absolutely vital.The frustration is not simply that Chelsea are signing him. It is that they appear to have moved quickly while Liverpool were merely linked. Fans have seen this before. A player appears on the radar, the fit makes sense, then another club acts with more urgency.Of course, Liverpool may have walked away for good reasons. £43m is not loose change. They may prefer another target, better value, or a different profile. That is possible.Still, supporters will want evidence of a plan. If Palestra was never a priority, fine. If he was, Chelsea’s hijack becomes a warning. This summer cannot be about polite interest and delayed decisions. Liverpool need conviction, especially in positions where the squad clearly requires evolution.Word count: 650

Luciano Spalletti wants Stanislav Lobotka at JuventusAs reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luciano Spalletti wants to reunite with Stanislav Lobotka at Juventus.The 67-year-old has been asking for the veteran Slovak for a while now, hoping for him to become the linchpin of his midfield, which would in turn free up Manuel Locatelli to occupy positions further up the pitch and perform freer roles in the middle of the park.During his time at Napoli, which has included Serie A-winning campaigns under both Spalletti and Antonio Conte after him, the 31-year-old has established himself as one of the most reliable deep-lying midfielders in Europe, let alone Italy.His current Napoli contract, fetching him a gross salary of €3.59 million and set to expire next summer, has a €25m release clause, though that remains the case only for teams outside of Italy; Serie A sides will have to fork out another €5 million to bring Napoli to the negotiating table.A deal worth makingLobotka’s reputation speaks for itself and his capabilities in midfield. Be it €25 million or €30 million, he is available at a bargain price for any side looking to establish or strengthen a tactical strategy that relies on having solid on-the-ball principles to dictate proceedings.The idea of Lobotka being a regista and freeing up Locatelli, who does his best work as a No. 8, makes for an interesting prospect for Juve, and they need all the help they can get if they are to return to the top of Serie A as well as Champions League football, not to mention moving him away from the Stadio Maradona would weaken Napoli considerably.If a deal is possible here, then Juve chairman Giovanni Carnevali should make it happen.Anshuman Joshi | GIFN

Jude Bellingham was involved in a brief bust-up with Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz with England manager Thomas Tuchel denying that their Group L opponents “got under their skin” during the 0-0 draw in Boston. The incident came at half-time and shortly after Bellingham fouled Jerome Opoku near to Ghana’s technical area. Bellingham and Queiroz exchanged words and the England midfielder had to be pulled away by team-mate Morgan Rogers while several Ghana substitutes held back the veteran Queiroz. Carlos Queiroz, Head Coach of Ghana, has words with Jude Bellingham #10 of England (Getty)“He had a bad reaction with some bad names, that’s why the story started,” Queiroz later said. “My intention was to tell him to cool down with that tackle. It could be a second yellow card, a red card, because he went with his foot against my player.”Asked what Bellingham had said, Queiroz replied: “It was nothing special. It’s just that emotional moment, the moment he had one word that is not in the book of life. It could create a little bit of fire. But immediately as professionals we pulled up. Football is something for brave people – not for people dancing in tuxedos.”England assistant Anthony Barry followed Bellingham off the pitch at half-time and the Real Madrid midfielder was substituted during the second half and was replaced by Rogers, but England could not find a winner.“No one got under our skin,” Tuchel said. “I think it’s normal. It was an exchange of emotions and Jude stood up for himself and for us as a team. There’s no problem with it. (Getty)“We were very calm at half-time. We knew that emotions are part of our game, but we don’t want to get distracted and involved with stuff that doesn’t help us. That was clear, so we were calm at half-time.”Bellingham was later awarded the player of the match award, a decision the 22-year-old disagreed with. “It probably should have gone to one of their lads who defended so well,” Bellingham said of the award, which is decided by an online fan vote.“I had a couple of moments but it was hard to get into the game. I’m grateful for whoever voted, but it probably should have gone to one of their lads who defended so well.“Fair play to them. Like always, second game fever with England – win the first one and do well, draw the second. But it’s OK.“They played for a draw as it would have seen them through. Fair play to them.”

The Blast | Melanie VanDerveerThe Las Vegas Aces hosted the New York Liberty at “The House” on Tuesday night after having one of their best defensive games of the season against the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday. This was the first matchup for the Aces and the Liberty this season, and they will meet again on the court in Brooklyn next week for the Commissioner’s Cup Championship. The Liberty Beat The Aces 87-76The Blast | Melanie VanDerveerThe Aces fought hard, but in the end, fell to the Liberty 87-76. A’ja Wilson had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Chelsea Gray finished the night with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Jackie Young had 19 points. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu got her first double-double of the season. She hasn’t played many games this season so far due to injury and finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 20 points.During the postgame press conference, Wilson said it was “just one of those nights.” She added that there “ain’t gonna be too many of these,” but her parents will likely give her a “hard time about it.” The two teams will face off once again next week in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship game. Freshly Traded NBA Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Was In ‘The House’The Blast | Melanie VanDerveerThere’s typically always someone notable sitting courtside at an Aces game, and Tuesday night was no different. NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, his wife Mariah, and their four young children were all sitting courtside next to the Aces bench. This was a particularly exciting time to see Antetokounmpo since he was traded from his longtime team the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat last night. There were jokes all around that he’s already supporting his new teammate, Bam Adebayo, by cheering on his girlfriend, A’ja Wilson. A’ja Wilson Is The Newest Champion On The Iconic Wheaties BoxWheatiesAces fans will notice a familiar face in the cereal aisle for a limited time. Wilson is the newest champion to grace the cover of the Wheaties box. As part of this milestone in her iconic journey, Wheaties will make a $5,000 donation to support Wilson’s community efforts through her A’ja Wilson Foundation. “Being on the cover of a Wheaties box is one of those things you grow up dreaming about,” Wilson said, according to a press release sent to The Blast. “For me, this is about showing every little girl what’s possible when you dream big. I’m proud of the work, proud of the journey, and proud to partner with a brand that celebrates champions who keep pushing the game forward.” Wheaties has been featuring prominent athletes on its cover for more than 100 years, recognizing the best in their sports and the ones who have broken barriers and made contributions to their communities. “A’ja is the definition of a Wheaties Champion – a generational talent whose leadership, resilience and commitment to empowering others has set a new standard,” said Emilie Knox, Vice President and Business Unit Director for Wheaties at General Mills. “She doesn’t just dominate the game; she creates space for more girls and women to see themselves in it. We’re proud to celebrate A’ja on the iconic orange box as she racks up wins on and off the court.” The limited edition A’ja Wilson Wheaties box will be available at major retailers this summer. To learn more about Wheaties, visit their website. The Las Vegas Aces Teamed Up With AREA15AREA15A new partnership is bringing the Aces together with the wildly popular immersive entertainment district, AREA15. According to a press release sent to The Blast, “The partnership will enable AREA15 to reach Aces fans through in-game digital signage and arena activations throughout the season, along with social media and email integrations designed to connect fans with unique experiences across both brands.” The collab also involves the Aces’ mascot, BUCKET$, at select AREA15 events. The Aces plan to hold a free community watch party at AREA15 to bring fans together for a live viewing experience. (No details have been released yet.)“The Aces represent the spirit of Las Vegas. Like AREA15, they’re a local success story that has earned global attention while staying deeply connected to the Las Vegas community,” said Winston Fisher, chief executive officer of AREA15. “We’re excited to celebrate our hometown, create memorable experiences and bring AREA15 and Aces fans together.” President of the Aces, Nikki Fargas, added, “AREA15 embodies the creative boundary-pushing that distinguishes Las Vegas from anywhere else in the world, and we’re excited to create new ways for Aces fans to connect with our team throughout the season and postseason.” What’s Next For The Aces?The Blast | Melanie VanDerveerOn Thursday, the Aces will face the Dallas Wings at home before hitting the road for two games. First up, the Aces will go up against the Chicago Sky in Chicago on Sunday, June 28. They will then head to New York for the Commissioner’s Cup Championship against the New York Liberty on Tuesday, June 30.The Aces will then be back at home for two games – Friday, July 3 against the Sky and Sunday, July 5 against the Indiana Fever. For more information about the Aces and the schedule, visit the website. The Las Vegas Aces Fall To New York Liberty As Giannis Antetokounmpo Watches Courtside first appeared on The Blast

Milan eyeing move for wantaway Spurs starlet Lucas BergvallAs reported by Calciomercato, Milan are interested in Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall, with the youngster also keen on leaving Tottenham Hotspur this summer.The 20-year-old has endured two trying campaigns ever since arriving in north London from Djurgården two summers ago. That said, he was part of the Spurs team who ended the club’s 17-year wait for silverware by lifting the Europe League trophy last year, while on an individual level he has garnered praise for showing maturity beyond his years and proving to be a versatile and more-than-reliable midfielder in the English top flight.Those exploits have brought Milan to the table, who are looking for fresh legs after a calamitous end to last season. Bergvall as five more years remaining on his £3.12m-per-year Spurs contract, though a deal in the region of €30 million could convince the Lilywhites to part ways with him.A clean slateBergvall has already demonstrated that he can perform under pressure and at a club coming apart at the seams; Milan could hardly ask for a player more ready to play for them under the current circumstances.New coach Ruben Amorim would relish the prospect of someone like Bergvall, from whom he could expect a total buy-in and the ability to perform multiple roles on the pitch, which is particularly crucial for the midfielders deployed in Amorim’s back-three shape.€30 million is a fair price for Bergvall given the current market and his age and contract length, though one could argue Milan ought to put more focus on finding solutions in the final third of the pitch before making tweaks in the middle of it.Nevertheless, amid the upheaval this summer, we can expect some midfielders to leave San Siro in the coming weeks. If money can be raised, bringing in Bergvall would become more prudent with every midfield exit.Anshuman Joshi | GIFN

Thousands of Scotland fans have travelled to Miami for the match [Reuters]Scotland fans say they feel like their team is on the "brink of history" as the national side prepares to meet Brazil in a vital World Cup clash.Tens of thousands of members of the Tartan Army have travelled to Miami for the match, which will help determine whether the men's team qualify for the next round of the competition.Supporters across Scotland will also be tuning in for the game, which is being shown on the BBC.If the team win or draw against five times world champions Brazil, they will all but secure their place in the knock-out stages of the tournament for the first time ever.At South Beach in Miami, Stevie Parker from Larbert told BBC Scotland News: "I think they will do it. It feels like we are on the brink of history."I think this is the year we might just scrape over the line."It'll be a historic day and the perfect end to a long arduous trip for the Tartan Army."Stevie Parker (centre) says it will be a "historic day" [BBC]While fans have been in party mode for the last few days and weeks, there is a sense that some are now starting to crunch the numbers."I've got my spreadsheets out everyday. We're not counting our chickens yet, but I feel like we should be ok," said Brian Guthrie from Inverness."I phoned in sick to be here, I'll be gutted not to go on. I'd love to go to Mexico City and the spreadsheet says it could happen."For Ewen MacDonald, from Machrihanish in Argyll and Bute, the match is also a chance to rewrite history.The 44-year-old celebrated his birthday in Miami on Tuesday, exactly 28 years after watching Scotland's 3-0 defeat to Morocco on his 16th birthday - a result that ended the nation's World Cup hopes in France 1998.Ewen MacDonald (right) is hoping for a special birthday present [BBC]That campaign also featured a defeat to Brazil, the side Scotland face later.The parallels have not been lost on Ewen.Scotland were beaten by Morocco on 23 June in 1998, and again last weekend. But with Brazil next up, Ewen hopes this Scotland side can succeed where their predecessors fell short and finally change the script."It could be one of the best days of my life. I just can't wait," he said."It's my birthday. On my 16th birthday, I watched Scotland lose 3-0 to Morocco and get put out. "I'd love to see Scotland win at a World Cup. It would make my birthday and all my dreams come true."The OVO Hydro in Glasgow has been showing Scotland's matches [PA Media]Back home, you will be able to watch the game live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Kick-off in Miami Stadium is at 23:00 BST.A number of large music venues, like the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, will be showing the game on large screens.Scores of smaller venues - like tennis and rugby clubs - are also set to host watch parties.Extensions to licensing rules have been approved by nearly all Scottish councils, allowing pubs and clubs to stay open to show the games beyond normal closing times.The Scottish Beer and Pub Association has estimated that Scotland's group games could generate an additional £7m for pubs and bars.Will Scotland qualify for the next round?Steve Clarke's team currently sit on three points after the first two group games.A win over Brazil would guarantee a place in the next round, while a draw would all but secure qualification for the first time in Scotland's history.A defeat would not end the team's chances, but they will then be reliant on results in the other group matches going their way.Fans will then be glued to the table showing the best third-placed teams, hoping that Scotland can remain among the top eight sides who will progress.They might have to wait until all the group games finish on 27 June to know if Scotland are through - before facing a scramble to get to Boston, New Jersey or Mexico City for a match in the last 32.From Boston to Miami: Tartan Army adjusts to World Cup culture shockWhat have we learned from Scotland's World Cup so far?How the Tartan Army captured the heart of Boston

🎥 From the fan who went viral to black magic... Tuesday's funniest 🤣The first phase of the World Cup is entering its final stretch. But the World Cup is still one of those moments when the party and the good times just keep on coming.The Scottish party continues in MiamiThe 'Tartan Army' is still taking over the streets of Miami. If yesterday they were the main attraction at the Marlins' MLB game, today they have brought the party to the beach. A parade and a festive atmosphere ahead of their clash with Brazil this Thursday.And Lumumba returnedOne of the moments we were hoping for at this World Cup. The most iconic fan of DR Congo has returned to the stands to cheer on his national team. Standing like a statue for the full 90 minutes and dressed in tribute to Patrice Lumumba. Black magic at the stadiumGhana had warned that they had a witch doctor to stop Kane from scoring... and yesterday it worked. And in the stadium was the same witch doctor who had been key to beating Panama in the opener. Be careful with these things... Is an iconic hairstyle coming back?Ronaldo's haircut in the 2002 final was truly iconic. Well, Jamie Leweling has promised that if Germany wins the World Cup, he will copy it. Is a hairstyle that defined an entire generation making a comeback?This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 22: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Austria at Dallas Stadium on June 22, 2026 in Dallas, United States. (Photo by Tullio Puglia - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) | FIFA via Getty Images MostMost goals scored in World Cup history:◉ 18 – Lionel Messi 🔺◎ 16 – Miroslav Klose◎ 15 – Ronaldo Nazário◎ 14 – Gerd Müller ◎ 14 – Kylian MbappéMessi goes two clear at the top. 👏 https://t.co/CTWF6ogoropic.twitter.com/B1q6wRE6gz— Squawka (@Squawka) June 22, 2026FirstCristiano Ronaldo is the first player to score in six different World Cups. pic.twitter.com/Bpi7zx7g3d— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) June 23, 2026HmmKylian Mbappé has now scored the same amount of World Cup goals as Miroslav Klose (16). Only Lionel Messi (18) has scored more. ⚽️ https://t.co/9buV2hPsaOpic.twitter.com/kkWGZM3QZZ— Squawka (@Squawka) June 23, 2026

Alpine is reportedly going to wait until the summer before they make a decision on the future of its second seat, which is currently occupied by Franco Colapinto. In the year, Colapinto has 16 points in seven races, finishing in the points four of those times. He has been quite bright over the recent run of races, looking to get a handle on the regulations. In comparison to his much more experienced teammate, Pierre Gasly, Colapinto is holding his own. Gasly has 41 points over those same seven races, with one DNF to his name. His ability to stay close to Gasly and deliver points on multiple occasions puts him in a better spot. May 23, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Alpine driver Franco Colapinto (43) during Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada sprint race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn ImagesHe has left a lasting impression on executive advisor Flavio Briatore“If Franco is performing like he’s performing now and the relationship between Franco and Pierre is like now… Why not?” Briatore said. “I know Franco very well now. We know Pierre very well. We are in the moment to technically build up the team [and achieve] consistency. We have plenty of races to go just to the end of August and, before the summer break, we decide.”When will Alpine make their decision?May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Alpine driver Franco Colapinto (43) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn ImagesReporter Lawrence Barretto said that the decision is expected to come down in the summer, with Colapinto indeed in the front seat at this point. “Alpine have made themselves a very attractive destination for drivers after their gamble paid off to abandon development on their 2025 car and put all their resources into this year’s machine that was built to sweeping new rules,” Barretto wrote in his story.“The other seat is up for grabs, though, with incumbent Franco Colapinto upping his game this year with scores in four of the last six Grand Prix weekends to put him in a very good position to retain his seat.“If he keeps up this form, he will have a strong case to keep his spot – with Alpine expected to make a call this summer.”Colapinto is a big draw for sponsorship money, along with his speed, making him a valuable resource for Alpine.

Barcelona ready to raise the stakes with massive €150 million offer for Julian Alvarez – reportBarcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, the Catalan club could soon make their biggest statement yet in the race for the Atletico Madrid striker.According to journalist Jose Alvarez Haya on El Chiringuito TV, Barcelona are already working on the structure of a new proposal for the Argentine, with the overall package potentially reaching €150 million through bonuses and variables.The development arrives at a crucial stage in the Alvarez transfer story. The Argentine international has openly expressed his desire to leave Atletico Madrid, while Barcelona continue to explore ways of completing one of the most ambitious operations of the summer transfer window.With Hansi Flick keen to strengthen his attacking options, the Barcelona board appear determined to test Atletico’s resistance once again.Barcelona ready to increase Alvarez offerAlvarez prioritises Barcelona switch. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Barcelona’s interest in Alvarez is no longer a secret. The club have spent months monitoring the Atletico Madrid forward and view him as one of the best long-term attacking solutions available in European football.Recent reports have suggested that the player has already reached a personal agreement with Barcelona over a five-year contract, making club-to-club negotiations the biggest hurdle remaining.According to Jose Alvarez Haya, Barcelona’s next offer could climb to €150 million, including add-ons, a figure that would instantly place the operation among the most expensive deals in football history.Such a proposal would represent a significant increase from previous figures linked to the Blaugrana. Reports in recent weeks claimed Barcelona had already submitted a €100 million proposal for the striker, despite Atletico Madrid publicly dismissing the existence of such an offer.Atletico Madrid have no interestBarcelona are planning new bid for Alvarez. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)While Barcelona continue to push forward, Atletico Madrid have shown no intention of making life easy for their La Liga rivals.The Argentine striker remains under contract until 2030, placing Atletico in a position of strength. Furthermore, the Madrid-based club have repeatedly pointed to the player’s €500 million release clause whenever questions about his future have surfaced.At the same time, club executives are also believed to be reluctant to strengthen a direct domestic rival.That leaves Barcelona facing a complicated negotiation even if the proposed package approaches €150 million, meaning any breakthrough is likely to require weeks of discussions rather than a quick agreement.

Chelsea agree deal to sign Marco Palestra after hijacking Inter Milan moveChelsea have agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign right-back Marco Palestra, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.Inter Milan had been leading the race to sign Palestra before Chelsea swooped in to hijack the deal. The Blues are set to pay €55 million for the Italian defender, surpassing Inter’s €50m offer.Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is said to have played a key role in securing the deal, with Palestra now set to become the first signing under the him.Palestra enjoyed his breakthrough season on loan at Cagliari last term. He made 37 league appearances and registered five goal involvements, earning the Defender of the Year award.Speaking about his qualities, Italian football writer James Horncastle told The Athletic:“Palestra was a revelation on loan from Atalanta at Cagliari this season. He is tall and well-built, but what stands out most is his speed.”He made his senior international debut for Italy in the World Cup play-offs semi-final against Northern Ireland in March.Palestra’s signing shows Alonso’s plansPalestra’s imminent arrival suggests that Alonso plans to return to a three-man defence at Chelsea.The 44-year-old used the system to great success at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga title, although he opted for a back four at Real Madrid.Palestra primarily featured as a right-wing back for Cagliari last season, which further explains Chelsea’s decision to sign him. The Italian is expected to be the first-choice right-wing back.Captain Reece James’ injury history makes him unreliable for that role. The England international will likely feature as the right-sided centre-back.Palestra’s signing could affect Malo Gusto’s future at Chelsea. The France international has already been linked with Manchester City.Stats from transfermarkt.com

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stands on the cusp of history, with the 15-year-old set to make his senior India debut in the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast this week.The Bihar-born opener earned his maiden call-up on the back of a record-shattering IPL 2026 campaign and a dream run for India A.CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR BET WITH DAFABETThe BCCI presented Sooryavanshi with his first senior India jersey at the team hotel. The teenager admitted he could scarcely process the occasion, having dreamed of pulling on the India blue since he first picked up a bat as a child.Should he take the field at Stormont on June 26 or 28, Sooryavanshi will become the youngest men's international cricketer to represent India, breaking a record held by Sachin Tendulkar for over three decades.The anticipation around his debut has gripped Indian cricket like few prospects before him.Add The Sporting News as a preferred news sourceVaibhav Sooryavanshi's journey to the senior teamSooryavanshi first announced himself as the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket and a teenage Ranji Trophy debutant before exploding onto the global stage in IPL 2026.He amassed 776 runs in 16 matches for the Rajasthan Royals at a strike rate of 237.30, winning the Orange Cap, MVP, and Emerging Player awards.His record-breaking IPL haul included one century, five fifties, and a record 72 sixes in a single edition, surpassing Chris Gayle's previous mark. The left-hander then carried that form into India A duty, smashing 94 off 29 balls in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A.That innings featured the fastest fifty in List A history, reached in just 11 deliveries, and convinced the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to fast-track him into the senior squad for the tours of Ireland and England, plus the Asian Games.India vs Ireland: Match details and scheduleIndia plays two T20Is against Ireland at Stormont in Belfast on June 26 and June 28 before a five-match series against England from July 1 to 11.Lorcan Tucker leads a depleted Ireland side missing several first-choice players through injury.MatchDateVenueTime (IST)1st T20IJune 26Stormont, Belfast1:30 PM2nd T20IJune 28Stormont, Belfast1:30 PMVaibhav Sooryavanshi's jersey number revealedSooryavanshi will wear the No. 03 jersey for India, a number previously associated with the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina.In Indian cricket, newcomers may choose any vacant number that is neither held by an active player nor retired in honour of a legend.He received the shirt from throwdown specialist Raghu at the team hotel, and the BCCI shared the emotional video on social media. The board has also made a special provision to allow Sooryavanshi's parents to accompany him on the tours of Ireland and England, covering all expenses given his age."Ever since I first held a bat and walked onto a cricket field to practice, I dreamed of this moment. I cannot explain this feeling in words. The moment I saw that T-shirt, I couldn't stop smiling," Sooryavanshi said in the BCCI video.Ladies & GentlemenThe moment the nation has been waiting for has arrived!Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in #TeamIndia jersey. Witness this incredibly special moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sUUytFMPVw— BCCI (@BCCI) June 23, 2026Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scores in last 5 matchesSooryavanshi's recent form across India A's tri-series in Sri Lanka shows a player who took time to find his feet before exploding in the final, capping the run with his record-breaking 94.SeriesOppositionScoreIndia A Tri-series finalSri Lanka A94 (29)India A Tri-seriesAfghanistan A38 (28)India A Tri-seriesSri Lanka A14 (12)India A Tri-seriesAfghanistan A44 (22)India A Tri-seriesSri Lanka A14 (12)Youngest Indians to play for the national teamSooryavanshi, at 15 years and 87 days, has already become the youngest player ever selected for a senior India men's squad. A debut would see him break Tendulkar's long-standing record as India's youngest men's international cricketer across all formats.PlayerAge at debutFormatYearVaibhav Sooryavanshi*15y 87dT20I2026Sachin Tendulkar16y 205dTest1989Sachin Tendulkar16y 238dODI1989Washington Sundar18y 80dT20I2017Parthiv Patel17y 152dTest2002How to watch India vs Ireland 1st T20IIndian fans can watch the India vs Ireland 1st T20I live on the Sony Sports Network, with live streaming available on SonyLIV. The match starts at 1:30 PM IST on Friday, June 26.CountryTV channelLive streamIndiaSony Sports NetworkSonyLIVDafabetBEST ODDS AND OFFERSCLICK TO BET

Barcelona World Cup Spotlight: Anthony Gordon flatters to deceive for EnglandTwo rounds of games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup have come and gone, and there is a fair idea of which teams are playing well and which teams still have a long way to go.Last night, Portugal set the stage alight following a poor first game against Congo, putting five past Uzbekistan without reply.Cristiano Ronaldo became the latest star to join the party, scoring a brace following similar contributions from Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.England played next against Ghana and faced opponents who chose to sit back and defend, take the point and move on to the next game.The Three Lions tried their best to break down the African team’s defensive wall, but the game eventually ended 0-0.Croatia then went on to secure a narrow 1-0 win over Panama, while Colombia followed suit with the same scoreline against Congo.From a Barça perspective, both Joao Cancelo and Anthony Gordon featured for their nations, and let us see how they fared.Joao Cancelo vs UzbekistanCancelo had an assist in Portugal’s 5-0 win. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)Joao Cancelo started for Portugal in their 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. He assisted Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener inside six minutes.It was a very Cancelo moment: advanced on the right, bold enough to attack the byline and sharp enough to turn possession into a clear chance.Cancelo was taken off at half-time, but Portugal went on to dominate, finishing with 66 percent possession.This was the version of Cancelo that always feels tempting. He gives a team ideas from full-back, not just support.Even when he is not perfect defensively, his ability to create from unusual angles can change the flow of a game.Barça have still not wrapped up Cancelo’s signing, but performances like these only make the case for inclusion even stronger.Anthony Gordon vs GhanaGordon’s evening was much harder. England had 78.8 percent possession against Ghana, but still failed to score in a match that became a lesson in how sterile dominance can look without sharpness in the final third.Gordon did not have the desired impact. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)The winger was replaced by Bukayo Saka in the 65th minute after a performance that had effort but not enough impact.England’s wide supply faltered, with only one of 12 crosses completed before the break, despite Gordon and Noni Madueke producing brief flashes.Barça fans will have questions in their minds about Gordon. His pace and directness are useful, but Barcelona demand more than movement.Against a deep block, you need clean decisions, disguised passes and calm final actions.Overall, Cancelo gave Barcelona supporters something encouraging to take from the day. Gordon, meanwhile, still has to show he can be more than energetic when the spaces disappear.

Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Quiet day at the office for Real Madrid starsReal Madrid stars have generally been enjoying a great 2026 FIFA World Cup, but last night did not follow the script.Los Blancos players had a quiet day last night, but there was still some wonderful football on display, especially from Portugal.Roberto Martinez’s side secured a 5-0 win against Uzbekistan, with Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a brace and Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also ending up on the scoresheet.England played next, in a tepid affair against Ghana. The Three Lions had all the possession but lacked the inventiveness to break down the opposition’s block.The game ended 0-0. Both Colombia and Croatia then secured very narrow 1-0 wins against Panama and Congo.For Madrid, Jude Bellingham and Bernardo Silva played for their respective nations, and let us see how they fared.Bernardo Silva vs UzbekistanBernardo Silva was influential in Portugal’s victory. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images)Bernardo Silva was involved as Portugal bounced back from their opening draw with DR Congo, but he did not take centre stage. He came off the bench in the second half.That honour belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored twice and became the first player to score in six different World Cups.Portugal finished with 17 attempts and eight on target, a clear improvement from their first match.For Madrid fans, though, Bernardo’s performance still had value. This was the kind of game where his best work was about connection rather than spectacle.Portugal moved the ball quicker, made better decisions in the final third and finally looked like a team with control.The emotional image came after full-time, when Bernardo consoled Abdukodir Khusanov following Uzbekistan’s heavy defeat.It was a small moment, but one that said plenty about his character and maturity.Jude Bellingham vs GhanaBellingham had a more frustrating evening.Bellingham made his 50th appearance for England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)He was making his 50th England appearance, but Ghana’s compact defensive shape kept him from producing the cutting edge he showed against Croatia.There was also controversy. Bellingham was named Player of the Match through the tournament’s fan vote, but he admitted afterwards that he did not feel he deserved it, saying one of Ghana’s defenders should probably have won it instead.Bellingham is already a superstar, but nights like this test his leadership in a different way. Not every game can be won with a goal or a burst into the box. Honesty matters.Overall, Bernardo enjoyed the cleaner day in a dominant Portugal win, while Bellingham had to grind through an awkward England performance.

Tottenham’s search for a new sporting director has been paused.Spurs hired Fabio Paratici last October to work alongside Johan Lange in a dual sporting director structure, but the Italian left the Premier League club in February to return to Italy for personal reasons.The search will now continue at the end of the summer transfer window, according to minutes from a recent Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting.Another sporting director was set to be brought in this summer, but during a meeting with FAB on June 16, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham confirmed it was no longer a key priority.Lange, head coach Roberto De Zerbi and Rafi Moersen, who has joined as director of football operations, are leading the club’s recruitment this transfer window.Asked about the sporting director search, Venkatesham said in minutes from the FAB meeting: “The club has confidence in our people, but if we find someone who can complement our existing team and make it better, we will do that at the right time (and in a summer window is not that time).“No-one has been in a process and turned us down. Many names in the media linked with us, we have never even spoken to.”Roberto De Zerbi (PA)Several topics were discussed during a wide-ranging meeting. Non-executive chairman Peter Charrington and Venkatesham both labelled the 2025-26 campaign “unacceptable” after Spurs only narrowly avoided relegation with a final-day win over Everton.Charrington also said every decision made at Tottenham was “judged by the metric, ‘Does this make us a better football team?’”Venkatesham said in the meeting minutes that the season was “unacceptable and cannot happen again”, and that “the ambition is to compete for major trophies and play the style of football our supporters want to see”.Venkatesham also provided a strong defence of under-fire Lange, who has taken the brunt of criticism from fans after Tottenham finished 17th in each of the Dane’s two full seasons at the club.“Players are not bought or sold because ‘the club’ wants to or ‘Roberto’ wants to,” he said. “Johan and his team work hand in glove with Roberto to develop and deliver a joint plan.“Roberto joined because he believes in what we can do together as a team. He had no retention bonus, he has never asked for control over any decision-making, and he was completely committed to the club if we were relegated.“Johan played a critical role in his appointment. Roberto was always the number one choice and we are delighted with the impact he has made so far.”It was also revealed new director of football operations Moersen started on June 16 after a period of garden leave following his exit from City Football Group.Moersen said during FAB meeting: “(My) remit includes recruitment, player transactions, infrastructure, player care and responsibility for the women’s team.”Ex-Manchester City executive Moersen also emphasised “the importance of player welfare, relationship-building and improving football outcomes” during the meeting which occurred on his first day at Spurs.

Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty ImagesEngland played out their second group game of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, and things did not go to plan.After beating Croatia last time out, the Three Lions knew a win would send them into the Round of 32 with a group game still to play.However, unlike the USMNT, England failed to go two for two, with top scorer Harry Kane missing a huge chance right at the end of the game, which former NFL and WWE star Pat McAfee has now responded to.Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty ImagesPat McAfee reacts to Harry Kane’s miss vs GhanaEngland dominated the match, with Ghana often putting their entire eleven behind the ball to try and secure a point.It worked well, with the African side holding out for a 0-0 draw, which leaves them on four points ahead of their final group game with Croatia.As for Thomas Tuchel’s side, they showed they are not great when it comes to breaking down low blocks.They created very little across the 90 minutes, with their best chances of the game coming near the end.First, Nico O’Reilly guided his headed effort onto the woodwork. That header then bounced into the path of Harry Kane, who was not under a lot of pressure from the Ghana defenders.Despite this, Kane, who is arguably one of the best finishers in the world, smashed his shot well over.It was shocking to see such a bad miss from such a top attacker, prompting McAfee to take to X/Twitter to react.He simply wrote: “Oh no… Kane.”Meanwhile, Dave Portnoy has now reacted to the ‘curse’ put on Kane by a Ghanaian witch doctor prior to the match, suggesting that was the reason for the miss.Still, while it was a pretty dull game and a frustrating watch for England fans, they play Panama in their final group game, meaning they are essentially guaranteed another three points, which will see them qualify in first place.Read more:Dave Portnoy says ‘witch doctor’ curse on Harry Kane’s vs. Ghana ‘totally fair’Cristiano Ronaldo’s two-word response when asked about Lionel Messi at World Cup‘It’s not right’ – World Cup fans fume at car parking price for England vs Ghana

Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty ImagesDarryn Peterson has already made a huge promise to the Utah Jazz in the 2026 NBA Draft.Since ending the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert experiment, the Utah Jazz have been in search of their next franchise-altering star.Many believe that the Jazz have found just that in Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson, who they selected using the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty ImagesDarryn Peterson drops a huge promise to the Utah Jazz fansBefore draft night, many experts argued that Peterson had a legitimate case to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick over AJ Dybantsa.Peterson certainly believed that too, as when asked what he’d do to help the team that drafted him, the rookie showed nothing but confidence.“I’ma do everything I can to help y’all get a championship,” Peterson said, per ESPN.At the time, Peterson wasn’t guaranteed to be the top pick in the draft, and he ultimately ended up sliding to the second overall pick.Despite Peterson having no interest in being selected by the Jazz, the rookie’s aim to win an NBA Championship should send a wave of happiness to the franchise’s fanbase.Darryn Peterson refused to visit the Utah JazzThe class of 2026 is loaded with top-tier basketball talent that could one day dominate the NBA. Despite that, Dybantsa was viewed as the clear favorite for the top pick.However, Peterson certainly didn’t believe in that as the 19-year-old reportedly refused to meet with any team other than the Washington Wizards, who held the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.Even after learning that, the Jazz selected Peterson as he was the best talent left after the Wizards took Dybantsa off the shelf.Regardless of what Peterson thinks about the Jazz, the reality is that he’ll don the Utah jersey when the 2026-27 NBA season kicks off.Considering the Jazz were the worst team in the Western Conference with a terrible 22-60 record last season, fans will expect Peterson to help the team get back into the playoffs as the main goal during his rookie season.Read more:Bill Simmons said you ‘don’t see guards’ like potential 2026 NBA Draft No. 1 pick Darryn PetersonWhy Darryn Peterson had cramping issues during NCAA season, how it impacts his 2026 NBA Draft stockAJ Dybantsa’s spot as the likely No. 1 pick increasingly threatened leading into NBA Draft night