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A New York Times analysis details the July 20 crackdown on unarmed protesters in New Delhi that has provoked public outrage and accusations of excessive force.

The inhabitants of the Chagos Islands were expelled by the British 60 years ago. Refugees were anxious to return this year, but their hopes have been caught in a morass of geopolitics.

Ukrainian drones have increasingly targeted warehouses belonging to Wildberries, which many Russians rely on as the country’s largest e-commerce business.

A federal appeals court panel backed a lower court’s ruling, and made it likely that the Supreme Court will decide the case. But the decision does not mean construction will halt immediately.

The Los Angeles Dodgers found their way out of a hole on Friday, then fell right back in.Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz allowed a walk-off homer to Arizona Diamondbacks No. 9 hitter Ryan Waldschmidt to extend the club’s losing streak to a season-high seven games. They are now 69-47.It was Waldschmidt’s second career home run.RYAN WALDSCHMIDT WALK-OFF HOMER! pic.twitter.com/awJyS4RYda— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2026This article will be updated with more information.

Aug 7, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) follows through on a pitch against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect With Tyler Mahle making his Atlanta debut and New York’s Max Fried facing his former team for the first time, it’s safe to say Friday night’s series opener between the Braves and Yankees was among the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season.Both of them more than delivered on the high expectations.Each starter tossed six-plus scoreless innings, pushing the game into being decided by the respective bullpens.But all of that will be forgotten after the Braves built and then subsequently blew a two-run lead in the final two innings of regulation, falling 3-2 in 10 innings and having their eight-game winning streak snapped.After Austin Riley and Matt Olson delivered solo homers in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, Braves closer Raisel Iglesias took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth. An Iglesias throwing error on an infield chopper followed by RBI doubles from Austin Wells and Ben Rice leveled the score, as Iglesias blow just his third save in 27 opportunities this season.Dylan Dodd entered with the bases loaded after a HBP and got a groundout to second to send the game to extras. But after the Braves were held off the board in the top of the 10th when Luis Garcia Jr. ran down a blooper to shallow right, the Yankees loaded the bases with one out on an intentional walk followed by an unintentional walk off Tyler Kinley (6-5) before a sacrifice fly to right from Ryan McMahon brought home the winning run.The collapse ruined a special debut for Mahle. A solid trade-deadline acquisition who many were frustrated was the only starting pitcher the Braves added, the right-hander delivered one of his best starts of the season in his Braves debut. He tossed six scoreless innings on 92 pitches, scattering three hits and two walks and tying his season high with nine strikeouts, the most in six-plus scoreless innings by a Braves pitcher making his debut in franchise history. The fastball touched 96 mph, and the splitter got some nasty swings as it plummeted below the strike zone.He was only moderately in danger twice, navigating those jams exceptionally well. After giving up a leadoff double to recent teammate Heliot Ramos in the bottom of the fourth, Mahle retired the next two batters on popouts and then got a leaping catch at the wall from Dubón to escape the threat unscathed.Ryan McMahon doubled with one out in the fifth for New York, but Mahle retired the next two to again not let a runner reach third, which never happened in his six innings of work.In other positive news, Riley’s homer was his fifth in 21 games since the All-Star break, while Olson’s was his second in as many nights, fifth in the last seven games and his 33rd of the season, moving him just two behind major league leader Yordan Alvarez.The way the game played out made a ghastly first-inning baserunning error from Ozzie Albies that much worse.After a one-out Drake Baldwin single followed by an Albies walk, Mauricio Dubón grounded a single into left-center. Baldwin would have scored with ease, were it not for Albies attempting to go first to third and getting easily tagged out mere milliseconds before Baldwin’s foot touched home plate. A one-run inning with a chance for more went wasting. After an erratic beginning to Fried’s outing, he settled in well, retiring the final 12 batters he faced. The former Braves standout finished by working around three hits and two walks for 6 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out seven.Cruz retired the first two batters he faced to run the consecutive batters retired streak to 14 before Riley led off the Braves eighth with his solo homer.The Braves nearly tacked on more later in the inning as Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin delivered consecutive two-out singles to put runners on the corners. But Albies struck out to strand them there.

BEREA, Ohio — In the perfect world that none of us live in, Todd Monken would give Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders a whole season each with the Cleveland Browns' starters.He’d have given it to them, already, actually.And he’d have seen them in high-stakes situational work with live defenses and under-pressure decision making — the same situations and defenses and pressure, of course — so that the Browns’ first-year head coach could know, rather than project, which quarterback gives his team the best chance to win.But as Monken stood in the Browns’ fieldhouse on Friday rooted firmly in the reality that he does not live in that perfect world, he acknowledged the degree of projection — albeit rooted in deep process and an as-large-as-the-CBA-allows sample size — that must go into deciding who will play the most important position in football when the Browns visit the Jacksonville Jaguars for their season opener.Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!“It’s not actually that simple with the variables,” Monken told Yahoo Sports. “A number of players, when it’s that close, you don’t know for sure. You think you know. But you know what? At some point, you put Lamar Jackson in the first time. They didn’t know, and at first, they probably thought he couldn't do what he's done.“And then he developed at it, and he got better.”Monken was not suggesting that either Watson or Sanders, who are competing for the Browns’ starting job, has the résumé of two-time MVP Jackson. But after spending the last three years as Jackson’s offensive coordinator in Baltimore, Monken understands what Jackson could do and how powerfully he has accentuated his strengths and minimized his weaknesses.And still, Jackson did not start the first nine games of his rookie season just like three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes did not start until the no-playoff-stakes finale of his rookie year and just like four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers waited behind Brett Favre for three seasons.The point: Quarterback evaluation is a famously inexact science. So while the Browns have a plan to integrate both science and art into their anointment decision, Monken knows he cannot know everything. He’ll structure his quarterbacks’ toolbox accordingly. And then he’ll adapt.Head coach Todd Monken instructs Deshaun Watson at Browns training camp on Aug. 3. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)Nick Cammett via Getty Images“You have to fall back on what [a player’s] elite trait is and then you try to build on other things that they do well,” Monken said. “And you still don’t know.”What can the Browns know, and how are they chasing that information?Let’s break it down.How Browns are structuring workload for Watson, Sanders Watson and Sanders have received first-team snaps in 11-on-11 drills during alternating days of training camp so far. By late this week, whoever was taking second-team 11-on-11 snaps was receiving some first-team 7-on-7 snaps that day to increase their opportunities with the presumed starting weapons even if they were working with the second team during full-team drills.Alternating days with the starter is one, but not the only, way to structure a quarterback competition. Consider the Minnesota Vikings right now are shuffling first-team snaps between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy within practices during this training camp.Monken’s reasoning for alternating days?“We felt like we wanted to let them get a little bit of a rhythm for the day with who they’re playing with,” he said. “But I could see doing [the Vikings’ way]. I don’t think either is right or wrong.”Beyond the surrounding cast lies the work of the day. Coaches and executives watching film are not looking for the same benchmarks from each practice or period. Through Thursday of this week, the Browns were installing their offense, which sometimes meant running offensive principles against their attack-front defense that would not be called against such a defensive front in game days. Evaluations of those periods focused less on results and more on whether quarterbacks were identifying their looks correctly and going through the right progressions. Evaluations of third- and fourth-down days factor in whether the quarterback applied the right situational reasoning on how aggressive to be, while evaluations of four-minute drills permitted more patience for short sacks and check downs.With installs complete, Todd Monken believes Browns practices will begin showing more helpful data points in QB battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. pic.twitter.com/d11eqn3tvr— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 7, 2026Relative grading bases unfold. “It’s not always apples to apples,” Monken said. “You can’t.”The quarterback working with the first team is assessed, in part, by his chemistry with the weapons he’d presumably be matched with if they won the job. The quarterback with the second-team (and due to injuries, at time third-string players) face a different challenge but also a different chance to prove themselves when rhythmic play eludes.“Nothing's more frustrating than not being able to get in a rhythm,” Monken said. “Guard misses a block. Third-team receiver doesn’t run the right route, right? Yeah. So how do you pull your big-boy pants up? And part of that is what you want to see.”With ‘greatest strides’ but less experience, will Sanders catch Watson?The body of information that will decide the Browns’ quarterback competition predates the July start of training camp and it predates the Browns hiring Monken on Jan. 28.Sure, as the saying goes, the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately?” league. But it’s also about what each quarterback, so far in their career, has done.Watson has the advantage in experience, the 12th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft starting 72 career games to Sanders’ seven.Watson’s career-long athletic and performance ceilings surpass Sanders, from his 66.2% completion rate to Sanders’ 56.6%; Watson’s 98.8 passer rating to Sanders’ 68.1; and Watson’s 2020 distinction as the league’s leader in passing yards with 4,823.But what has Watson done lately for the Browns? Less than Sanders.While Watson sat out all last year rehabilitating an Achilles tear that, paired with a shoulder injury, have limited his Browns tenure, Sanders quarterbacked the Browns to three wins in seven games (a defense featuring sack record-holder Myles Garrett may have helped). Sanders threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions during that stretch. The Browns rave about Sanders’ growth since.“Shedeur, he’s probably made the greatest strides in that room,” general manager Andrew Berry told Yahoo Sports on Friday. “Everything from his pocket management to his processing to his understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish.”Shedeur Sanders to (airborne!) Browns rookie WR KC Concepcion in red zone pic.twitter.com/b3utLyWRC5— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 6, 2026That understanding is where Watson still has an advantage: in addition to more NFL experience generally, Watson has more specific pro experience working with the degree of quarterback freedom and responsibility that Monken believes in giving. Sanders, the Browns say, is less experienced in processing that information on what cues could change the play at the line of scrimmage and leading 10 offensive teammates accordingly.The next question: Which Watson will the Browns get? The three-time Pro Bowler from his Texans days before sexual assault allegations, a trade request and injuries flipped his arrow upside down? Or the quarterback whose completion percentage dropped from 67.8% in Houston to 61.2% in 19 Cleveland games across three years; from 269.2 yards per game in Houston to 177.1.Watson’s production and efficiency declined in every category after his Browns arrival. Can he rebound?“Number one, Deshaun's healthy,” Berry said. “I think that's incredibly important, from his shoulder to his Achilles. He’s moving around well. He’s really taken to the offense from an operational standpoint, knows what Todd and the staff want to accomplish.“Like all of our guys, he’s still a work in progress as we install the offense, but physically, he’s in a really good place.”Hello from Browns practice, where Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are taking snaps. QB battle continues… pic.twitter.com/VllA3zWtSW— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 6, 2026Berry acknowledged that Watson’s health "is not something we’re going to be able to predict perfectly.” But they feel his current conditioning and the rehabilitation from his injuries gives them confidence on what’s within their control.Expect the practices that now succeed the installation phase of training camp to help discern some nuances between Watson and Sanders’ value, while the Browns’ initial preseason action at the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15 offers a chance to discern others.Publicly, the Browns have said the latest they can take this decision is into game-planning the week of their season opener.But it strains credulity to think that, like their historical counterparts evaluating quarterbacks before them, they would not want to make a decision sooner once they feel the data is pointing in one direction.Then their starting offensive line (also undergoing competition) can accustom itself to the quarterback’s cadence and their starting weapons can receive more time on task to build chemistry with the quarterback the Browns hope will set the tone for Monken’s initial year.The Browns’ game plan, then, will narrow.“You have to be wide enough at the beginning to where, OK, once you find out who you have, now you know you may go down this road or this road and kind of branch out from there,” offensive coordinator Travis Switzer told Yahoo Sports. “But if it’s built [broadly] from the beginning, it gives you that flexibility. And then it’s just, hey, who do we have? What do they do well?“And how can we do more of those things?”

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 07: Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at T-Mobile Park on August 07, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images Rays 2, Mariners 1Anagrams: Julio Rodríguez and Eduard Bazardo, +.03 WPABananagrams: Taylor Ward, -.17 WPA but let’s be clear, every single member of the offense could be in this category tonight, as not a single one aside from Julio had a positive WPA. They, to put it gently, stink.Game thread comment of the day:One must imagine The King happy

Leagues Cup bracket, schedule, results for 2026 competition between MLS and Liga MX originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.As North American soccer returns to action following the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil, league action pauses briefly as clubs from host nations United States, Canada, and Mexico all come together for a month-long clash.The Leagues Cup gets under way for a sixth edition in 2026 — and fourth since the big rebrand in 2023 — as 36 clubs from across the three countries in Major League Soccer and Liga MX match up.So far, MLS clubs have won each of the last three editions since the competition brought the two leagues together in the hopes of pushing out the U.S. Open Cup as the premier cup competition in the United States. Last time around, the Seattle Sounders triumphed to earn a place in the CONCACAF Champions Cup the following season.The Sporting News brings you a look at the 2026 tournament bracket, league phase matchups, and results.Leagues Cup format for 2026 tournamentFor the 2026 competition, the Leagues Cup format will reflect something similar to that of the UEFA Champions League, having also adopted the Swiss Model by instituting a league phase and a knockout stage.First, the teams will play three games in the league phase. The matchups were determined by a draw which used an eastern and western breakdown to minimize travel, and was seeded by overall combined table finish by putting the two league tables together.Six-team regional groupings were made by selecting one team from each league (MLS and Liga MX) from each of the three tiers. From these regional groupings, each of the three Liga MX teams played each of the three MLS teams.From there, they will be sorted by league (MLS and Liga MX) to ensure that an equal number of teams from each league advance to the knockout stage.The top four in each table will advance to the quarterfinals. To begin the knockout phase, the four quarterfinal games will each feature one MLS team and one Liga MX team. The first-place MLS finisher will play the fourth-place Liga MX finisher, and so-on.For continental qualification purposes, both finalists will earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16, while the third-place finisher will secure a position in the CONCACAF Champions Cup first round.Leagues Cup dates, roundsRoundMatchesDatesLeague Phase, Matchweek 118Aug. 4-6League Phase, Matchweek 218Aug. 7-9League Phase, Matchweek 318Aug. 11-13Quarterfinals4Aug. 25-27Semifinals2Sep. 1-2Final & third place match2Sep. 6Leagues Cup schedule, resultsLeague phaseMatchweek 1DateTime (ET)MatchLocationAug. 47:45 p.m.Columbus Crew 3-1 AtlasScottsMiracle-Gro Field (Columbus, OH)Aug. 47:45 p.m.FC Cincinnati 3-1 PachucaTQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)Aug. 48 p.m.Charlotte FC 3-0 PumasBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)Aug. 48:30 p.m.Minnesota United 1-2 FC JuarezAllianz Field (St. Paul, MN)Aug. 410 p.m.Tigres 1-1 Real Salt LakeTigres won 6-5 on pensAmerica First Field (Sandy, UT)Aug. 410:30 p.m.Vancouver Whitecaps 0-1 AtlanteBC Place (Vancouver, Canada)Aug. 57:30 p.m.Inter Miami 4-2 Atletico San LuisNu Stadium (Miami, FL)Aug. 57:30 p.m.Monterrey 1-2 Orlando CityInter.co Stadium (Orlando, FL)Aug. 58:30 p.m.Nashville SC 0-1 Club LeonGEODIS Park (Nashville, TN)Aug. 58:30 p.m.FC Dallas 2-0 QueretaroTexas Health Stadium (Mansfield, TX)Aug. 510 p.m.Toluca 3-0 Seattle SoundersEstadio Nemesio Diez (Toluca, Mexico)Aug. 510:30 p.m.LAFC 1-1 Chivas GuadalajaraLAFC won 5-4 on pensBMO Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)Aug. 67:30 p.m.NYCFC 2-0 Santos LagunaSports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, NJ)Aug. 68 p.m.Cruz Azul 1-0 Philadelphia UnionSubaru Park (Chester, PA)Aug. 68:30 p.m.Chicago Fire 2-0 NecaxaSeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, IL)Aug. 69 p.m.Austin FC 2-0 TijuanaQ2 Stadium (Austin, TX)Aug. 610 p.m.Club America 3-1 San Diego FCEstadio Banorte (Mexico City, Mexico)Aug. 610:30 p.m.Portland Timbers 5-2 PueblaProvidence Park (Portland, OR)Matchweek 2DateTime (ET)MatchLocationAug. 77:30 p.m.Charlotte FC 2-0 AtlasBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)Aug. 77:30 p.m.Columbus Crew 2-1 PachucaScottsMiracle-Gro Field (Columbus, OH)Aug. 78 p.m.FC Cincinnati 2-0 PumasTQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)Aug. 79 p.m.Tigres 0-0 Minnesota UnitedTigres won 4-2 on pensAllianz Field (St. Paul, MN)Aug. 710:30 p.m.Vancouver Whitecaps vs. JuarezBC Place (Vancouver, Canada)Aug. 86:30 p.m.Orlando City vs. Club LeonInter.co Stadium (Orlando, FL)Aug. 88 p.m.Inter Miami vs. MonterreyNu Stadium (Miami, FL)Aug. 89 p.m.Chivas Guadalajara vs. FC DallasPayPal Park (San Jose, CA)Aug. 810 p.m.Real Salt Lake vs. AtlanteAmerica First Field (Sandy, UT)Aug. 811:10 p.m.Toluca vs. LAFCBMO Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)Aug. 93:30 p.m.Seattle Sounders vs. QueretaroLumen Field (Seattle, WA)Aug. 97:30 p.m.Cruz Azul vs. NYCFCSports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, NJ)Aug. 97:30 p.m.Philadelphia Union vs. NecaxaSubaru Park (Chester, PA)Aug. 98 p.m.Chicago Fire vs. Santos LagunaSeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, IL)Aug. 98 p.m.Nashville SC vs. Atletico San LuisGEODIS Park (Nashville, TN)Aug. 99 p.m.Austin FC vs. PueblaQ2 Stadium (Austin, TX)Aug. 910 p.m.San Diego FC vs. TijuanaSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego, CA)Aug. 910:15 p.m.Club America vs. Portland TimbersProvidence Park (Portland, OR)Matchweek 3DateTime (ET)MatchLocationAug. 117:30 p.m.Columbus Crew vs. PumasScottsMiracle-Gro Field (Columbus, OH)Aug. 117:30 p.m.Charlotte FC vs. PachucaBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)Aug. 118 p.m.FC Cincinnati vs. AtlasTQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)Aug. 118:30 p.m.Minnesota United vs. AtlanteAllianz Field (St. Paul, MN)Aug. 119:30 p.m.Real Salt Lake vs. JuarezAmerica First Field (Sandy, UT)Aug. 1110 p.m.Tigres vs. Vancouver WhitecapsEstadio Universitario (Nuevo Leon, Mexico)Aug. 127:30 p.m.Orlando City vs. Atletico San LuisInter.co Stadium (Orlando, FL)Aug. 127:30 p.m.Inter Miami vs. Club LeonNu Stadium (Miami, FL)Aug. 128 p.m.Monterrey vs. Nashville SCGEODIS Park (Nashville, TN)Aug. 1210 p.m.Toluca vs. FC DallasEstadio Nemesio Diaz (Toluca, Mexico)Aug. 1210:15 p.m.San Diego FC vs. PueblaSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego, CA)Aug. 1210:30 p.m.LAFC vs. QueretaroBMO Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)Aug. 1210:30 p.m.Seattle Sounders vs. Chivas GuadalajaraLumen Field (Seattle, WA)Aug. 137 p.m.Philadelphia Union vs. Santos LagunaSubaru Park (Chester, PA)Aug. 137:30 p.m.NYCFC vs. NecaxaSports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, NJ)Aug. 138:30 p.m.Club America vs. Austin FCQ2 Stadium (Austin, TX)Aug. 139 p.m.Cruz Azul vs. Chicago FireSeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, IL)Aug. 1310:30 p.m.Portland Timbers vs. TijuanaProvidence Park (Portland, OR)Knockout stageQuarterfinalsDateTime (ET)MatchLocationAug. 25-27TBDMLS #1 vs. Liga MX #4TBDAug. 25-27TBDMLS #2 vs. Liga MX #3TBDAug. 25-27TBDLiga MX #2 vs. MLS #3TBDAug. 25-27TBDLiga MX #1 vs. MLS #4TBDSemifinalsDateTime (ET)MatchLocationSep. 1-2TBDTBD vs. TBDTBDSep. 1-2TBDTBD vs. TBDTBDThird place playoffDateTime (ET)MatchLocationSep. 6TBDSemifinal loser vs. Semifinal loserTBDFinalDateTime (ET)MatchLocationSep. 6TBDSemifinal winner vs. Semifinal winnerTBD

Nolubabalo Memese speaks during an interview while standing in the foyer of Women's Jail, a museum that stands near the Constitutional Court, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)2026-08-08T04:04:10Z JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa commemorates on Sunday 70 years since the Women’s March of 1956, when around 20,000 women of all races marched to the administrative capital, Pretoria, to protest apartheid laws forcing Black women to carry passes that restricted their movement. It was a powerful moment in the fight against white minority rule.But seven decades after risking arrest, torture and even death to challenge racist laws, many women say their fight for freedom in South Africa is unfinished as they continue to grapple with high rates of gender-based violence, poverty and inequality.A United Nations Women-supported study in 2024 found more than one in three South African women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. An octogenarian recalls the marchRamnie Dinat, 84, was just a teenager during the Aug. 9, 1956 march. She recalled helping her mother, Ama Naidoo, an anti-apartheid activist, organize women ahead of the rally. Black women, women of Indian heritage like Naidoo, and even some white women marched that day.“Black women were organizing, and Indian women couldn’t be silent,” Dinart told The Associated Press, adding that nobody at the time imagined that “history would remember that day.”“We were ordinary women who believed we could make a difference. We simply believed it was the right thing to do.” A jail that has turned into a museumPerched on a ridge overlooking central Johannesburg, the Women’s Jail was a cornerstone of South Africa’s apartheid prison system. Today, it’s a museum that stands near the Constitutional Court as a reminder of the country’s journey from oppression to democracy.Many of the march’s leaders and participants were later imprisoned in the Women’s Jail, where activists were held separately according to their race just as apartheid enforced segregation everywhere in South Africa. Read More “It was designed to break, humiliate, dehumanize,” said Nolubabalo Memese, Visitors Services Manager at Constitution Hill, the precinct that houses the former prison complex. She said Black women held at the prison weren’t allowed to wear underwear or have proper sanitary towels.Now, Memese says, the museum honors not only famous figures like Winnie Madikizela-Mandela — Nelson Mandela’s second wife — and Albertina Sisulu, who became icons of the anti-apartheid struggle, but also thousands of ordinary women whose names rarely appear in history books and whose sacrifices went unnoticed. “Our freedom is built on the shoulders of those kinds of women who were at this prison,” she said. 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. South African Paralympic wheelchair tennis champion Kgothatso Montjane echoes the sentiment.Montjane, 40, is one of the country’s most successful para-athletes; she won the 2024 Wimbledon wheelchair doubles title. She says the fight the women took on 70 years ago has “paved the way for us.”“Today I’m the first Black South African woman to compete in all four major tennis tournaments,” she told the AP. Violence against women remains widespread in South AfricaMemese said that while apartheid ended in 1994 and South African women are no longer restricted from moving, working or participating in society, gender violence can still deny them freedom.“There’s a different monster which precludes us from enjoying freedom of movement and economic participation. And that’s gender-based violence. That’s crime,” Memese said. “If you want to go jog at six o’clock and it’s a bit dark, you’d rather not,” she added.The U.N. has described the country’s high rates of violence against women and girls as a crisis and a “national wound.” Economic disparity hinders South African women Government data says women are more likely than men to be unemployed, shoulder unpaid care work and remain underrepresented in senior leadership.Montjane, the tennis star, said structural inequalities are also still evident in sport, where financial obstacles determine who gets access to elite competition, despite a select few reaching an elite level.“The barriers I had to overcome ... in a sport like tennis, it’s just a financial issue,” she said. “They don’t lie when they say tennis is a white sport, and you don’t really find people of color dominating in this sport.”Still, she believes the women of 1956 changed the course of history for her and generations to come. “The platform has been set,” she said.When South Africa broke down the old apartheid Women’s Jail, some of the same bricks were used to build the museum in its place, which resonates with Memese.“We are using the bricks of the past to build our future,” she said. “Once we forget the past, it’s very easy for us to make the same mistakes.”For Dinat, one of the few with living memories of the ’56 march, the lesson hasn’t changed in 70 years.“Every generation has its own struggles, and every generation has to decide whether it will stand up for what is right,” she said.___AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa MICHELLE GUMEDE Gumede is a Johannesburg-based text news reporter for The Associated Press. She covers a wide range of news topics, including health, climate change, and politics in South Africa. mailto

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez speaks during a rally to protect kids online on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)2026-08-08T04:04:01Z In a landmark ruling against Meta, a New Mexico judge likened the company’s social media platforms to factories. The psychological harm to children who use Facebook and Instagram, he said, can be seen as their pollution.Judge Bryan Biedscheid fined the company $567 million in his ruling Thursday, but he also prescribed steps to clean up what he described as its byproducts. He ordered new safety measures, including a time limit of 90 hours per month for users under 18, AI chatbot restrictions, and mandatory warnings on the platforms.How easily those features can be implemented, and how effective they could be at protecting young users from mental health harms, are unresolved questions. They also would apply only to children in New Mexico, Meta has no deadline to introduce them, and the company has said it will appeal the ruling.But the judge’s order showed a possible path forward for other court fights around the country as Meta faces mounting legal, regulatory and public pressure to do more to protect young people. The ruling came in the second phase of a trial in a lawsuit the state of New Mexico filed against the social media giant. The new financial penalty is in addition to the $375 million in civil penalties that jurors ordered against Meta in March after determining the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.Meta said in a statement Thursday that it works to keep people safe on its platforms and has been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content.“We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts,” the company said. Implementation of court-ordered measures poses challengesMany of the changes ordered by Biedscheid hinge on strong age-verification measures. The ruling says Meta must improve its age assurance models and tools in New Mexico and proactively request proof of age for users they know or estimate to be under 13. What that proof of age could look like, however, is unclear. Read More Age verification “can be done well in a privacy-protective way, but it is not easy,” said Peter Ormerod, an associate professor of law at Villanova University. Federal children’s privacy laws prevent Meta from applying age-verification tools to children under 13. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act means the court cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes.Identifying which users are in New Mexico, and subject to the court-ordered protections, could also pose a challenge. Ormerod said Meta could likely check if a user is accessing the platform from an IP address associated with New Mexico, a solution “that works reasonably well enough.” 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. Meta has several safety tools already in place. Instagram Teen Accounts, for one, have built-in protections to limit who can contact teens and what content they can see, and give parents the ability to set time limits.Brooke Istook, the president and chief strategy officer at the advocacy organization Heat Initiative, said she was glad to see the judge’s reforms will be court-supervised.“Now, we will have someone in an official capacity checking the homework of these companies,” she said. “The fact that we have the court now involved, they’re able to evaluate how they’re implemented, whether or not they’re effective and whether or not they are actually working to keep kids safe online.” Experts say the ruling leaves out some of the most harmful featuresMeta’s critics say some of the most recognizable and potentially harmful aspects of Instagram and Facebook’s designs are untouched by the ruling. Features like autoplay, infinite scroll and algorithmic content recommendations have been the prime targets of legal arguments that social media platforms are designed to be addictive. But Biedscheid wrote in his ruling that these features are used across the social media industry on other platforms, so restricting Meta’s features but not those of its competitors would harm the company. That was disappointing to see for Sophia Choukas-Bradley, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. “Those design features have played a very important role in what leads to problematic use of social media by adolescents and, in turn, mental health problems,” Choukas-Bradley said.Still, Choukas-Bradley said she was in favor of several safety measures in the ruling, especially one that orders the “like counts” on the apps be hidden by default on minors’ accounts, a setting that could only be overridden by a parent or guardian. She also supports a measure that would create a stronger separation between children and “unconnected” adults on the platforms. Meta would not be able to recommend a child’s account to an adult’s account, and adults who are not “friends” or followers of a minor’s account would be barred from messaging the child. “There are just too many documented cases of sextortion, sexploitation and sex trafficking that start in the online context for us to ignore this any longer,” Choukas-Bradley said. It is unclear which features on social media platforms are most harmful for children’s mental health, said Sonia Livingstone, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. There is ample evidence, however, that more vulnerable children are more susceptible to the companies’ design features, she said. “Tested one by one, the evidence for each design feature will be weaker, as it is the combination of features that really will make the difference for children’s outcomes,” said Livingstone, who leads the Digital Futures for Children research center.Some hope New Mexico’s actions lead to further regulationsBecause the measures in the judge’s order are specific to users in New Mexico, experts say piecemeal rulings and inconsistent legislation at the state level could create a new crop of issues. “It really needs to be uniform at the congressional level, it causes all sorts of problems,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. “It just doesn’t make sense in today’s era of technology.” Some advocates say they hope similar rulings in other states could stir action in Congress, and spur new efforts to pass federal legislation.For parents in New Mexico, the ruling could change the conversations with their teens about social media use. Heather Statum, an Albuquerque mother of a 13-year-old girl, says her daughter is constantly requesting access to various social media platforms. Statum has heard horror-stories about predators lurking on Instagram or Snapchat. She’s also aware that among her daughter’s peers, discussions of suicide and other mental health issues are prominent online and worries about her daughter being exposed to disturbing content. “The stuff (social media companies) have in place to protect them, I don’t think any of it actually works,” Statum said. “It does cause major problems between us because she thinks that I’m too strict.”Statum says the platform-level changes from the ruling could promote safe usage, but said it will be hard to balance safety with freedom. She believes educating kids on dangers is the best path forward. KAITLYN HUAMANI Huamani covers social media and internet culture for The Associated Press. mailto MIKELLA SCHUETTLER Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. twitter mailto

A woman waves an Iranian flag next to a billboard showing a graphic of a man wearing a shirt showing the face of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during a joint U.S. and Israeli strike on Feb. 28, with words calling upon the avengers of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most beloved historical saints, in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) CORRECTS: Amends wording for clarity.2026-08-08T04:03:44Z The Strait of Hormuz is, by some accounts, named for a Zoroastrian deity destined to emerge victorious after a 9,000-year standoff with an adversary.Iran’s leaders feel their own victory is at hand and won’t require the same epic patience.They are betting that military pressure will ultimately force the United States to accept their control over the crucial waterway for global energy — and that time is on their side.They know about the diminishing stockpiles of key U.S. weapons such as advanced missile interceptors. They know the war is deeply unpopular with Americans. They know that as long as the strait is largely closed, the price of gas and other goods will stay high ahead of U.S. congressional elections in November. They know that trying to open it by force would be costly and may require American ground troops. They know their Houthi allies in Yemen could widen the war and disrupt another major trade route. By that logic, U.S. President Donald Trump has no choice but to capitulate.But Iran’s strategy carries risks.Trump points to strikes that have decimated Iran’s top leadership, navy and air force. He alternates between threatening escalation and saying talks are going well. Iran’s own economy has been battered, in part because of a U.S. blockade. Iranians rose up in mass protests just months ago and could do so again. And Iran’s leaders need only look to how Trump’s “short-term excursion” to the Middle East has bogged down to be reminded that wars rarely turn out as expected. An evolving deal could give Iran a major winIran says it is close to reaching a deal with Oman to manage the strait, which runs between the two countries. But it would be conditioned on the U.S. lifting its blockade, so even if there are no direct negotiations — as Iran says — Trump would have to approve.It’s unclear whether the deal would allow Iran to charge fees. But it would formalize its control over what had been an open international waterway before the war, one that carried a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas. Read More Abdolreza Davari, an analyst who once advised former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Iran’s effective control of the strait has given it leverage with the U.S. and regional countries that can help guarantee its security.“More than revenue from the strait, Iran wants to confirm its management and sovereignty over the strait,” he said by phone from Tehran. Formal control over even part of the strait would be a clear win for Iran and a loss for the U.S., which has yet to accomplish some of its various and shifting goals in the war. 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. It would also deal a blow to global norms on freedom of navigation and set a precedent that much of the world would find disturbing — that nations can shut down trade choke points at will.China, which buys oil from Iran and has influence over it, said as recently as May that “normal and safe passage” through the strait should be restored.Iran feels time is on its sideTo borrow a phrase from Trump’s own theory of geopolitics, Iran believes it holds the cards.“They started the war, but its end was never with them. We always decide for ourselves when it ends,” Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran’s chief negotiator, posted on social media. “Iran is going after the enemy’s defeat — not an agreement.” He said a surprise Iranian attack on Jordan in July “compensated” for a drop in oil prices. That contributed to the collapse of an interim agreement reached in June that had offered significant concessions to Iran, including a U.S. waiver to sell oil internationally and the promise of broader sanctions relief.Iran has repeatedly said the Strait of Hormuz will not go back to being an open waterway, and that it will keep attacking ships trying to transit without its permission. Iran’s joint military command has called it an “unbreakable red line.”“For Iran, the Strait of Hormuz has become a strategic lever for deterrence, maintaining the regional balance of power, and reshaping the security rules in the Persian Gulf,” said Mostafa Najafi, a Tehran-based security analyst.That poses a major obstacle to ending the war, much less resolving the even more complex, long-standing dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.“The atomic issue, because of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, has been pushed to the side, and in reality, that is in Iran’s interests,” said Rahman Ghahremanpour, an Iran-based analyst. Control of the strait would give Iran leverage if the nuclear talks resume, he added. It’s still a risky gambleThe economic fallout from the war has spread worldwide but is particularly acute in Iran.U.S. and Israeli strikes have pummeled its industrial base. The U.S. blockade has choked off much of its oil exports. Iranians are grappling with triple-digit food inflation. Trump has repeatedly threatened major strikes on civilian infrastructure like water and electricity.In December, a currency crisis sparked some of the biggest anti-government protests in the 47-year history of the Islamic Republic. Authorities responded with a bloody crackdown in which thousands were killed and tens of thousands detained.Many in Iran, including those close to its moderate President Masoud Pezeshkian, fear it may go too far. Mohammad Javad Zarif, who as foreign minister helped negotiate the 2015 nuclear deal, wrote in a recent essay that Iran’s achievements in the war had opened “an exceptional window for diplomacy.” But he warned that if it doesn’t strike a deal soon, then “economic recovery will be difficult, and the possibility of internal unrest or renewed aggression, especially after the U.S. elections, cannot be ruled out.”The war has already been marked by surprises.After the first wave of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28 killed Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials, Trump suggested it would be over in a matter of weeks. Instead, the conflict has emboldened Iran’s leaders and mobilized their supporters. Tehran is using the strait “to show that it has not been defeated,” Ghahremanpour said. “It can increase its legitimacy at home.” But the strategy could also backfire. Iran’s resilience has limits and there are concerns that an economic crash could trigger unrest. “Iran cannot continue with this strategy forever, and at a certain point, in reality, it has to reach a deal with America,” he said.But Davari said that for now, Iran can withstand the pressure. “It’s unlikely, despite the difficulties of the economic situation, that Iran will retreat from its positions,” he said.___Associated Press reporter Hend Kortam in Cairo contributed.___Krauss has reported from across the Middle East for more than 20 years, including postings in Cairo, Baghdad and Jerusalem. Radjy is a Cairo-based journalist who has reported on Iran for over a decade. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump speaks before signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-08-08T04:01:52Z The Trump administration is once again trying to limit who can become an American, with a pair of executive orders issued this week that attempt to place restrictions on birthright citizenship and on foreigners who give birth in the U.S. A Supreme Court decision in June struck down a previous attempt at restricting birthright citizenship, but Thursday’s orders were made with “adjustments” keeping the decision in mind, President Donald Trump said. Still, some of the restrictions announced by the White House are expected to face legal challenges.The 14th Amendment, which makes a citizen of anyone born in the country, and two subsequent Supreme Court decisions interpreting it provide guidelines that already exclude certain births from receiving the citizenship benefit. Trump’s new attempt to restrict birthright citizenship even after the Supreme Court loss highlights the administration’s drive to limit who can become an American. New categories of restricted citizenship benefitsBirthright citizenship is guaranteed under current law for anyone who is born on U.S. soil, with a few exceptions.The executive order released Thursday was narrower in scope than the previous one shot down by the Supreme Court and appeared to focus on restricting automatic citizenship to specific categories of people, including children born to adults with connections to foreign embassies or organizations as well as anyone considered an “alien enemy” of the United States.U.S. immigration law says babies born to a “foreign diplomatic officer accredited to the United States” are not entitled to birthright citizenship under the Constitution, including ambassadors, ministers, chargés d’affaires, counselors, secretaries and attachés of embassies and legations, and members of the Delegation of the Commission of the European Communities. Trump’s orders Thursday would sharply expand those exemptions. Read More One order disqualifies babies who are products of “birth tourism.” The other applies to children of anyone working in a foreign embassy or representing a foreign government and employees of the United Nations or other international organizations. Children of parents tied to groups that are deemed terrorist organizations, like Antifa or Tren de Aragua, are also excluded.“How is the federal government going to decide that a child is born to a member of a designated terrorist organization?” said César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University. “These are not organizations that are sharing the membership lists if they even have them.” Citizenship through surrogacy has become a concern for Republican members of Congress, some of whom proposed a bill this year that would restrict citizenship for children of noncitizen parents born to surrogates in the U.S. García Hernández said he believes the new executive order addressing surrogacy could raise new legal questions. “Neither the 14th Amendment nor any of the Supreme Court’s decisions about how to interpret the 14th Amendment mentions or hints at surrogates,” the law professor said. 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. Questions over the scope of birth tourism Trump’s executive order defines birth tourism as someone who enters the United States on a “nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth on American soil.” Birth tourism is already considered fraud and grounds to restrict a visa if someone seeks one specifically to come to the U.S. and obtain citizenship for a child. Advocates said the executive order would give immigration officers discretion to deny entry to pregnant women suspected of wanting to give birth in the U.S. without providing clearly defined guidelines.The president did not offer data indicating the scope of the problem, but said Thursday: “I’ll tell you right now, hundreds of thousands, OK? Hundreds of thousands.” Although there’s no official estimate of how many births can be considered “birth tourism” cases, experts say Trump’s approximation is exaggerated. “The hundreds of thousands just seems like an overestimate based on the sort of limited data that we have available,” said Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in 2024 nearly 9,600 children were born to foreign mothers with an official address outside the country. Another estimate from the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates for lower immigration, estimated that 20,000 to 26,000 birth tourists come to the U.S. each year. Facilitators of birth tourism targetedThe order provides a sweeping indictment of “birth tourism operators” with no evidence of how widespread they are or how or why anyone accused of using their services would be exempt from constitutional protection.Those efforts are not new either. Previous administrations have also sought to prosecute so-called “birth tourism” schemes that helped women hide their pregnancies while traveling to the United States to give birth. “Birth tourism operators use deceptive advertisements and inducements to entice foreign nationals to travel to the United States for the purpose of giving birth on American soil,” the order says. “They promise citizenship; access to public benefits; and short-term stays in specialized facilities, hotels, or rentals, but often fail to deliver on these promises. These operators coach their clients to misrepresent the purpose and duration of their travel to consular and border officials to obtain visas authorizing entry into the United States.” The Republican Party has embraced the mission. In late July, the office of the attorney general in Texas announced a “sweeping investigation” into potentially unlawful birth tourism schemes after some south Texas hospitals advertised birthing services in Mexico. Legal challenges expectedAsked Thursday how his orders would survive Supreme Court scrutiny when his last attempt failed, Trump deferred to White House staff secretary Will Scharf, who, like his boss, sounded alarms about “birth tourism.” He emphasized consular discretion to grant visas.“What we’re doing is taking legally validated means that are clearly within our disposal and targeting them to this birth tourism industry. There’s absolutely nothing here that runs afoul of any of the Supreme Court rulings on the subject,” Sharf said.Advocates against the proposed changes said they believe the constitutional amendment and Supreme Court decisions will again stop the administration’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship. “The bottom line is that the Supreme Court already considered the Trump administration’s plea to rewrite the Constitution and rejected it,” said Cody Wofsy, deputy director at the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project. “Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, and no amount of executive orders is going to change that.”___Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin contributed.

Shaka Smith, a vegan influencer who's politically an independent, poses for a portrait at his fast-food restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)2026-08-08T04:00:59Z SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Weeks before voting ended in California’s primary for governor, Los Angeles-based influencer Shaka Smith took to Instagram to tell his more than 700,000 followers whom he was voting for and why.“Healthcare shouldn’t bankrupt you, housing should not feel impossible, polluters shouldn’t pass their bill to us and artists should not be replaced by AI,” Smith said. “That’s why I’m supporting Tom Steyer for governor.”But Smith started the video with a disclaimer: “This is an ad, and honestly, I wish more political content said that first.” His caption specified that he was paid by Steyer’s campaign.California is one of two states, along with Texas, that have passed policies requiring content creators to say if they’ve been paid by a political campaign to post, and the Golden State is considering cracking down by fining people who don’t.Campaigns have long worked with celebrities and major influencers to win over voters, but now they are teaming up with smaller creators — sometimes with fewer than 100,000 followers — to reach more tailored audiences. That has sparked debates about whether disclosure rules for political advertisements should apply to content creators, who are expected to play prominent roles in the upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election. “If you’re running for president and you are not currently trying to court some of these people or lining up your own people to act as surrogates for you, you’re already behind,” said Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist who worked for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Campaigns tap creators to spread their messageQuestions about transparency have been fueled by high-profile instances of influencers making content intended to change minds or votes without disclosing they were paid for it.In 2022, the campaign of then-Senate candidate John Fetterman paid Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of “Jersey Shore” to record a video teasing his GOP rival for leaving New Jersey before announcing his run in Pennsylvania. In 2023, content creators were paid by an influencer marketing agency with conservative ties to defend Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, after he was impeached for alleged bribery and other accusations of misconduct, according to the Texas Tribune. The payments weren’t clearly disclosed in either case.Steyer, a Democratic billionaire who spent more than $215 million of his own money in his unsuccessful bid for governor, took fire from rivals for paying content creators. He wasn’t the only hopeful in the race paying influencers, but he faced much of the blowback since he’d already been accused of trying to buy the election. Many of the creators who worked with Steyer’s campaign disclosed that they were paid, but the state’s campaign finance watchdog is investigating several other instances in which creators allegedly didn’t. There are no federal disclosure rulesCalifornia Sen. Adam Schiff introduced federal legislation last month, but it hasn’t received a vote yet. Some outside groups are urging the Federal Election Commission to pass its own rule.California’s law requiring disclosure, passed in 2023, is difficult to enforce. The state’s campaign watchdog can seek a court order compelling an influencer to disclose that they were paid, but that can take months. Read More That prompted Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman to write a new bill to penalize content creators and political committees if the creator fails to state they were compensated. The bill would give the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission the power to fine influencers and committees if they are found to have violated the law, allowing the commission to bypass the court process. They could face fines of up to $5,000 per violation, according to the commission.“Voters should have a right to know whether or not campaigns are paying for the messaging that they’re seeing,” Berman said.Texas’ campaign watchdog passed a rule in 2024 requiring content creators to include disclaimers when they are paid for political advertisements, and the New York Legislature is considering a similar requirement. Other disclosure bills failed in recent years in Utah and Georgia. Influencer says his ad had an impactSmith, the L.A. influencer, hadn’t committed to a candidate for governor when a trusted friend told him to look into Steyer. That friend had been paid to post about Steyer.Smith liked Steyer’s promise to increase taxes on billionaires and his refusal to accept donations from corporate political action committees. 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. He ended up doing two paid ads, both of which included compensation disclaimers that the Steyer campaign told him were a requirement. Smith wouldn’t say exactly how much the campaign paid him, but he said it was in the thousands of dollars. He thinks the posts had an impact on his followers, with only a few detractors pushing back.“They kind of trust my voice,” he said of his audience. “They knew that if I’m saying it, it’s at least something they should look into.” Creators respond to proposed policy changesDustin Torreverde, a content creator in Southern California who hasn’t been paid by a political campaign for social media posts, said it’s important for influencers to be transparent with their audiences. But the bill could pose an unfair burden on creators who are just trying to make a living, he said. “A lot of us are very small creators,” he said. “So if we were to get penalized and we have to get lawyers, stuff like that, it’s going to be very difficult for us.”Adina Flores, a libertarian content creator in Northern California who votes for both parties, said influencers should have to disclose if they are paid and she generally supports penalties. She worries that some people may take money to post political content without doing a “deep dive into the candidate to make sure that’s somebody they should support.”Saurav Ghosh, a lawyer with the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit focused on protecting U.S. democracy, hopes disclosure requirements passed by states will lead to federal rules.“Transparency is one of the most important pillars of our election system,” he said. SOPHIE AUSTIN Austin covers California state government and politics for the Associated Press. She reports on environmental, education and reparations policies. twitter mailto

2026-08-08T04:05:40Z PHOENIX (AP) — Skye Blakely’s return to the all-around competition at the elite level got off to a fabulous start. The 21-year-old posted a total of 55.600 to tie Claire Pease atop the leaderboard during the opening night of the U.S. women’s gymnastics championships on Friday.Blakely, competing in the all-around at the elite level for the first time since rupturing her right Achilles during training at the 2024 Olympic Trials, had the second-highest score on both balance beam and uneven bars and capped the night with a dynamic performance on vault that put a national title within reach.It won’t be easy. Pease, who won the 2025 U.S. Classic last summer, is even with Blakely after four solid and occasionally spectacular rotations.Blakely and Pease are followed closely by Charleigh Bullock, who dazzled in her senior debut. The 16-year-old Bullock, from Spotsylvania, Virginia, will begin Sunday’s final round just two-tenths behind at 54.400. Hezly Rivera, the defending national champion and a 2024 Olympic gold medalist, is fourth. The 18-year-old fell during a release on uneven bars but bounced back with a graceful and confident performance on balance beam, her 14.3 the highest score of the night on any apparatus.Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey, competing in her hometown while beginning her bid for a third Olympics in two years in Los Angeles, is fifth. ___AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

New York Yankees' Ryan McMahon, center, celebrates with Heliot Ramos, right, Ben Rice, second from left, and Luis García Jr. after a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)2026-08-08T04:42:33Z NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Rice ripped a tying single off the right-field fence with two outs in the ninth inning and Ryan McMahon hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th as the New York Yankees rallied past the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Friday night in a rain-delayed game that ended after midnight.Yankees left-hander Max Fried pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his first outing against his former team, but Tyler Mahle matched him with six shutout innings in his Atlanta debut.Austin Riley homered in the eighth and Matt Olson went deep in the ninth to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. With the Yankees down to their final out, slumping Austin Wells doubled home a run off All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias.Amed Rosario walked before Rice singled on a 1-0 changeup. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ryan Waldschmidt celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run walk off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a baseball game, Friday, Aug 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)2026-08-08T04:40:10Z PHOENIX (AP) — Rookie Ryan Waldschmidt hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off closer Edwin Diaz to give the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 victory over Los Angeles on Friday night, sending the Dodgers to their season-high seventh straight loss.Waldschmidt connected on a slider, hitting a shot to left center that barely cleared the wall. Diaz walked Max Kepler to start the ninth before striking out Tim Tawa, but Waldschmidt followed with the biggest hit of his young career.Diaz — a three-time All-Star — has given up 11 earned runs in nine innings this season.The Dodgers trailed 2-0 early in the game but rallied. Andy Pages’ solo homer to lead off the eighth gave them a 3-2 lead.D-backs right-hander Merrill Kelly took a no-hitter into the sixth before Tommy Edman led off with an infield single. Freddie Freeman brought home a run later in the inning on a fielder’s choice, cutting Arizona’s lead to 2-1, and Kelly had to leave the game with cramping in his right leg. The Dodgers tied it at 2 in the seventh on Edman’s RBI single and had the bases loaded before Shohei Ohtani grounded into an inning-ending double play.Roki Sasaki gave up two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five. Nolan Arenado gave the D-backs a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo homer that barely cleared the left field fence and the glove of Teoscar Hernandez. It was Arenado’s 17th homer of the season.In the third, Corbin Carroll robbed Edman of a ying homer, leaping high above the right field fence to make the grab.Up nextThe Diamondbacks were set to start RHP Brandon Pfaadt (6-1, 3.66 ERA) vs. Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-7, 2.76) on Saturday.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb DAVID BRANDT Brandt is an Associated Press sports writer based in Phoenix. He covers a wide variety of sports including the NBA, NFL and MLB. twitter mailto

How to Watch Adam Vinatieri Hall of Fame Induction: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Ceremony originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The gold standard for clutch kicking, Adam Vinatieri was an instrumental piece of four Super Bowl-winning teams. The former Patriot will be recognized for his consistent excellence during Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.Signed as an undrafted free agent, Vinatieri played for the Patriots from 1996 to 2005 before kicking for the Colts from 2006 to 2019. He captured three Super Bowl rings with New England (2001, 2003, 2004) and another championship with Indianapolis (2006).Vinatieri retired as the NFL's all-time leader in points scored (2,673), points scored in the playoffs (238), field goals made (599) and field goals made in the playoffs (56). He began his career as an undrafted free agent, and his football story will conclude with a triumphant moment in Canton, Ohio.Here is everything you need to know about the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, including TV and streaming options for the event.How to watch Adam Vinatieri Hall of Fame induction ceremony: TV channel, live streamTV channel: ESPN, NFL NetworkLive stream: fubo, ESPN appThe Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air nationally on ESPN and NFL Network. The event will also be available to stream on fubo and the ESPN app.Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100-plus top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)Pro Football Hall of Fame 2026 induction ceremony date, start timeDate: Saturday, Aug. 8Time: Noon ETThe Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to start at noon ET on Saturday, Aug. 8. The event will be held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.Pro Football Hall of Fame 2026 inducteesDrew Brees, QB, 2001-2020Roger Craig, RB, 1983-1993Larry Fitzgerald, WR, 2004-2020Luke Kuechly, LB, 2012-2019Adam Vinatieri, K, 1996-2019More PatriotsLatest Patriots newsTom Brady's Patriots legacy: How legendary QB set new standardComplete history of Patriots championships

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that sharp criticism from Sanjay Manjrekar early in his career left him deeply hurt, but eventually became one of the biggest turning points in his journey as an international cricketer.Ashwin admitted that he was upset after Manjrekar questioned his fitness following his first tour of Australia, suggesting that it was affecting both his bowling and fielding. The remarks angered him at the time and even led him to distance himself from the former India batter for several years.However, instead of dwelling on the criticism, Ashwin used it as motivation to transform his game.Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Cheeky Singles', the veteran off-spinner recalled how the episode changed his outlook."I had messaged Sanjay Manjrekar once. After my first Australia tour, he had written a long article, and I read it completely while returning. After reading I got angry, getting angry is one thing, but I felt very bad. I let it go. I used to not talk a lot to him either. The next four years, I worked a lot, as I was not a gifted athlete. Then in 2015, he wrote another article saying he was bowling very well. Then I asked for his number and messaged him that your article back then changed my life. I always look at whether there is something to learn from criticism," Ashwin said.Ashwin explained that Manjrekar's criticism prompted him to work relentlessly on his fitness and overall game, eventually helping him become one of the world's leading spinners. Their relationship also improved after Manjrekar acknowledged the changes in his performances in a later article in 2015.Ashwin retired from international cricket as one of India's most decorated cricketers. Across 287 international matches, he claimed 765 wickets, including 537 in Tests, 156 in ODIs and 72 in T20Is. He finished as India's second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket, behind only Anil Kumble.Widely regarded as one of India's greatest all-rounders, Ashwin also made significant contributions with the bat, scoring six Test centuries while playing a key role in India's success in the longest format for more than a decade.Although he has retired from international and IPL cricket, Ashwin continues to feature in franchise T20 leagues around the world. He signed for the Big Bash League last season but missed the tournament due to injury before returning to action in Major League Cricket.

Full list of injuries suffered by India stars in 2026 as Shubman Gill raises alarm bells over Indian cricket's fitness originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Shubman Gill flags fitness crisis after India's England series marred by injuries.Several key players have faced fitness issues since the turn of the year.Gill himself has quietly battled a nagging neck problem, too.Shubman Gill sounds fitness alarm after England series defeatIndia captain Shubman Gill has raised serious concerns about his squad's physical conditioning after a string of injuries disrupted the team throughout their 2-1 ODI series defeat to England, admitting that players struggling to last even a three-match series point to a deeper problem within the setup.Hardik Pandya, still working his way back from a back issue, picked up a quadriceps strain during rehab at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, throwing selectors into early disarray.His replacement, Nitish Kumar Reddy, then suffered a quadriceps injury of his own, while Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar both battled hamstring issues at different stages of the tour.The most damaging setback arrived just before the Lord's decider, when Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to swelling in his left knee following an impact injury sustained in Cardiff. His unavailability hurt India badly, with the inexperienced pace attack unable to contain England's batting as they piled up 387.MORE: Explained: Why Bumrah missed the India vs England 3rd ODI at Lord'sSpeaking after the Lord's match, Gill highlighted that at least five players from India's original touring squad didn't even feature in the decider."If you look at the first squad that we announced, at least five of the players did not play today," Gill said."When one player gets injured, you have to play a different combination. If two are injured, you play a different combination. I think if a player is missing after every match (due to injury), somewhere we are missing a trick."If one morning you find out that a player has a niggle. And then it's almost like, 'do you want to take a chance?' Someone is 80 per cent fit, you're playing with five bowlers and if he bowls five overs and goes off the field, then who will you bowl? It is difficult. But somewhere as a group, we need to improve our fitness." BCCI/Creimas List: All Indian players who have been injured since 2026Virat KohliVirat Kohli's fitness troubles trace back to the IPL 2026 final in late May, where he suffered a hamstring injury that pushed him straight into rehabilitation. The issue kept him out of India's series against Afghanistan, and his eventual selection for the England tour hinged on clearing a late fitness assessment.Harshit RanaHarshit Rana's year has been particularly frustrating. He suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee earlier in 2026 that ruled him out of the IPL and the Afghanistan series.After working his way back into the side, he then suffered a fresh Grade 1 right hamstring strain during the third T20I against England in July. However, he has been recovering well, and the medical team remains focused on building strength, agility and injury resistance.Washington SundarSundar's issue emerged suddenly during the first innings of the second ODI against England in Cardiff on July 16, when he pulled up with a hamstring strain while fielding.He struggled while batting, and the BCCI medical team had little choice but to withdraw him from the squad. However, he has begun jogging and is currently conditioning at 17 kilometres per hour, with reported gains in strength, balance and overall body control. Intensity levels will rise gradually over the coming weeks, followed by agility and directional movement drills, alongside the introduction of skill-based training. No definitive return date has been set.Jasprit BumrahJasprit Bumrah's issue stemmed from an impact injury to his left knee sustained while fielding during the Cardiff ODI. Although he completed that match, the knee swelled up overnight. According to Dainik Jagran, he reported to the NCA on July 30 after being withdrawn from the third ODI against England, having developed fluid buildup in his left knee joint. Doctors drained the fluid and administered a lubricant injection into the joint on July 20, following which he rested before arriving at the academy for further assessment.During detailed testing, Bumrah reported discomfort while jogging, and single-leg movement tests revealed additional concerns, ultimately leading to his exclusion from the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. According to the NCA's findings, Bumrah will first need to steadily rebuild his overall strength and fitness base before skill-based training intensity can be increased, with no fixed timeline yet available for his return.Varun ChakravarthyVarun Chakravarthy's injury proved to be the most serious on this list, sustaining a hamstring tear during the third T20I against England. An MRI scan later confirmed it as a Grade 2 strain, more severe than Rana's.Chakravarthy has made encouraging progress since arriving on July 20. He is currently bowling up to six overs in spot bowling sessions. His next phase involves bowling eight overs against live batters. Conditioning sessions have also gone well, with upcoming weeks set to introduce faster running, sudden directional changes and progressively heavier strength training. His return to full bowling schedule depends on how his body responds.Hardik PandyaPandya's fitness saga turned out to be one of the most damaging of the year. His troubles began during IPL 2026, when chronic back spasms forced him out of the latter half of Mumbai Indians' campaign, causing him to miss four crucial league games even before international duty came into the picture.After checking into the BCCI Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation, disaster struck again, this time in the form of a fresh quadriceps strain picked up during intense bowling drills as he attempted to clear his final fitness checks.However, Pandya has shown encouraging signs across skill work, strength training and conditioning throughout his rehabilitation for a left thigh quadriceps injury. He had progressed to bowling at 80 to 90 per cent intensity, managing 12 to 15 overs weekly.However, he experienced fresh discomfort in his right shin. Nonetheless, medical evaluations ruled out anything serious, though his running and bowling were temporarily paused as a precaution. He has since responded well to a renewed workload. Pandya has resumed running, and the NCA plans to restart his bowling program from August 10 to gradually build intensity from there.Nitish Kumar ReddyNitish Kumar Reddy first felt discomfort in his left quad while bowling during the opening ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala.Though he was rested for the second match as a precaution, he returned for the third ODI in Chennai, only for the workload of bowling through that game to significantly worsen the problem. Post-match scans revealed considerable muscle fibre disruption, which is a far more serious diagnosis than initially feared.Reddy has reportedly moved into the 'return to skills' stage of his recovery. Last week, he bowled at 60 to 70 per cent intensity, totalling 16 overs, while also working on faster running speeds to prepare for higher-intensity bowling ahead.Shubman GillGill himself hasn't been entirely immune to physical troubles this year, quietly managing a nagging neck injury that has affected his movement and comfort at the crease.He missed the South Africa Test series in late December after hurting his neck in Kolkata, and since then, this issue has been niggling. Although he hasn't missed a fixture in 2026, he had to retire early when he was 80 off 75 balls during the first ODI at Birmingham.AakashdeepAakashdeep is recovering from a lower back stress fracture. He is responding positively to his rehabilitation program and is currently bowling at 70 to 80 per cent intensity. He has reached a weekly workload of 19 overs, which will increase in phases going forward. Fielding and batting activities will also be introduced gradually.Himanshu Singh Mumbai pacer Himanshu Singh has shown notable improvement in his right knee recovery. He began spot bowling at 50 to 60 per cent intensity from July 28 without experiencing discomfort. His bowling intensity and overall training will be scaled up if there's no fresh setback.Ashok SharmaAmong the more serious cases within this group, Ashok Sharma suffered sudden severe strain in his lower back following the third T20I against Zimbabwe on July 26. After reporting to the Centre of Excellence on July 31, MRI and CT scans of his spine were conducted and reviewed by New Zealand-based spine specialist Dr. Rowan. Results confirmed an acute stress fracture in the left L1 pars interarticularis alongside a fracture in his left 11th rib.He is currently in the early recovery stage. Sharma requires four weeks of complete rest before a phased strength and conditioning program can begin.Suyash SharmaSuyash Sharma reported to the Centre of Excellence on July 6 with persistent right knee pain, as he could not bowl since the previous IPL season. MRI scans revealed patellar insertional tendinopathy affecting both knees. After an initial rapid return-to-bowling approach failed to produce expected improvement, he received a PRP injection on July 28. He's now following a structured rehabilitation plan prioritising strength-building first, which will be followed by impact training. Yudhveer Singh Things are looking up for Yudhveer Singh's right shoulder, with the pain having eased. His current routine mixes full-body strength work with exercises specifically targeting the shoulder, all geared toward getting both strength and overall movement back to where they need to be. How hard he pushes in the weeks ahead will depend entirely on how the joint holds up under increasing load, and there's still no word on when he might get back to bowling or skill drills.Riyan ParagRiyan Parag's road back from right shoulder surgery keeps moving in the right direction, with both his range of motion and strength coming along nicely. One clear sign of that progress: he's ditched the sling entirely, a small but meaningful step forward in his recovery. With his shoulder responding well so far, he's now moved into a proper strength and conditioning routine, though there's still no firm word on when he'll be cleared to pick up a bat, ball, or start throwing again.PlayerInjury / ConditionMatches Missed / AvailabilityCurrent Status & DetailsVirat KohliHamstring injury3 ODIs (vs Afghanistan)Sustained injury during IPL 2026 final; cleared late fitness test for England tour.Hardik PandyaChronic back spasms, then left quadriceps strain & right shin discomfort11 internationals (3 ODIs vs AFG, 5 T20Is vs ENG, 3 ODIs vs ENG) + 4 IPL gamesResumed running at Centre of Excellence; scheduled to restart bowling program to rebuild intensity.Nitish Kumar ReddyLeft quadriceps injury with severe muscle fibre disruption8 internationals (1 ODI vs AFG, 2 T20Is vs IRE, 5 T20Is vs ENG)Replaced by Suryansh Shedge; moved to 'return to skills' phase, bowling at 60–70% intensity.Harshit RanaLateral meniscus tear (right knee), then Grade 1 right hamstring strain3 ODIs (vs ENG); missed IPL 2026 & AFG seriesRuled out of UK tour; undergoing strength, agility, and weight management at Centre of Excellence.Washington SundarRight hamstring strain1 ODI (Lord's decider vs ENG) & Sri Lanka Test seriesReplaced by Harsh Dubey for England ODI; currently in conditioning phase, jogging at 17 km/h.Jasprit BumrahLeft knee impact injury with fluid buildup & reactive swelling1 ODI (Lord's decider vs ENG) & Sri Lanka Test seriesUnderwent joint fluid drainage/lubricant injection; excluded from Sri Lanka Tests to rebuild base strength.Varun ChakaravarthyGrade 2 hamstring tear5 T20Is (vs Zimbabwe)Replaced by Ravi Bishnoi; currently spot bowling up to 6 overs before progressing to live batters.Shubman GillNagging neck injury, thumb injuryNone (played through, retired early in 1st ODI at Birmingham)Managing ongoing neck discomfort without missing fixtures.AakashdeepLower back stress fractureUnder rehabilitationResponding positively to rehab; currently bowling at 70–80% intensity (~19 overs weekly).Himanshu SinghRight knee injuryUnder rehabilitationSpot bowling at 50–60% intensity without discomfort; scaling up training load.Ashok SharmaAcute stress fracture (left L1 pars interarticularis) & left 11th rib fractureUnder recoveryAdvised 4 weeks of complete rest before beginning phased strength & conditioning.Suyash SharmaPatellar insertional tendinopathy (both knees)Missed post-IPL matchesReceived PRP injection in late July; undergoing structured rehab prioritizing strength-building.Yudhveer SinghRight shoulder injuryUnder rehabilitationUndergoing full-body strength training and shoulder rehab; discomfort levels reduced.Riyan ParagRight shoulder (post-surgery recovery)Under rehabilitationSling removed; progressing through structured strength and conditioning work. (getty) A wake-up call India cannot afford to ignoreThe numbers here should alarm Indian cricket far more than any single scoreline. Pandya alone missed 11 international matches this year, while Reddy, still finding his feet at this level, lost eight games and his maiden UK tour before he'd even settled in.These aren't freak, one-off incidents. There's a pattern of niggles turning into full-blown injuries, often because players return too soon or push through fitness tests that they clearly weren't ready to pass.When a team can't get through a three-match bilateral series without losing five originally picked players, and when a key all-rounder like Pandya spends nearly an entire international window in rehab rather than on the field, something is fundamentally broken in how workload and recovery are being managed.With the 2027 World Cup demanding a gruelling run of matches, India's medical and conditioning staff need to urgently rethink how players are being managed across an already packed calendar.For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 07: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 07, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners kicked off a three-game set in Seattle on Friday night and the pitching matchup that featured Drew Rasmussen and Logan Gilbert did not disappoint. The pair of aces delivered a throwback edition pitcher’s duel and luckily for the Rays, Drew Rasmussen emerged victorious. The righty turned in yet another scoreless outing and set the table for the offense to do just enough as the Rays pulled off their fourth consecutive road win. Rasmussen was nearly perfect across seven strong innings. He punched out eight and walked two, allowing just a pair of hits. Had it not been for an extended second inning where he had to work out of a bases loaded situation, he could have pitched into the eighth. The effort was good enough for his 11th win of the season as he dropped his ERA to 2.75. Opposite Drew, Logan Gilbert also put together a strong outing but made a pair of mistakes that proved costly. Over 6.2 innings of work, he punched out six, walked four, and allowed four hits. Of those four hits, two left the yard. In back-to-back innings, the Rays were able to get to Gilbert. In the second, Johnny DeLuca launched his eighth homer of the year to left center field and gave the Rays an early 1-0 lead. View LinkThen, in the following inning, Jonathan Aranda, laced a ball down the right field line to extend the Rays lead to 2-0. View LinkOn a night where Yandy, Caminero, Hicks, and Simpson went hitless, the Rays were able to find just enough offense to pull this one out. Cleavinger and Kelly combined to toss a scoreless eighth inning and Baker came on in the ninth looking for his 33rd save of the season. While he did surrender a solo shot to Julio Rodriguez that snapped the M’s scoreless streak, Baker eventually slammed the door. With the win, the Rays were able to hold serve in the division as both the Yankees (4.5 games back) and red-hot Red Sox (5 games back) won their respective games. They also improved to a season-high 23 games over .500. Only the Brewers and Braves have a better winning percentage in all of baseball. Tomorrow night, Griffin Jax will face off against George Kirby.

SAN FRANCISCO – They’ll have nights like these, games like these. In fact, they’ve had games like these, and they hadn't had so many of them in May, they wouldn’t sting so much here in August. Eleven hits ... two runs? That’s a ratio that’ll cost you, and it cost the Detroit Tigers on Friday, Aug. 7, at Oracle Park against the middling San Francisco Giants, in a 5-2 loss. Though "middling" might be kind. Even so, the Giants had won 48 games before this series and so if a team leaves 11 runners on base and leaves a 77-mph curve over the middle of the plate for the one truly dangerous hitter in the lineup? That’ll cost you, too. The Tigers outhit the Giants but couldn't outplay them, and in the end that's all that matters, not the records.They can’t afford many more losses like these, when one of their best young pitchers is on the mound and their offense gives itself chance after chance after chance. Keider Montero didn’t have his usual control and the bats, while semi-productive, weren’t timely. The Tigers fell to 56-60, and their chance to return home having finally climbed back to .500 is gone – this week, at least.At the plate: Hit parade, but where are the runs?The Tigers put two runners apiece on base four straight innings and got nothing to show for it. And it all began so promisingly. As they have so many times on this road trip, they jumped on the starting pitcher and immediately put up a run in the first. Dillon Dingler hit into a fielder’s choice to drive in Kevin McGonigle, and after giving up two runs in the bottom of the inning , the Tigers tied it in the second when Zack McKinstry hit a two-out single scoring Spencer Torkelson (who'd led off with a single as part of a three-hit night). It looked like the Tigers would keep scoring until Montero found his groove, but the runs remained just ... out ... of ... reach despite several scoring chances. McKinstry led off the fifth with a single. He took third when McGonigle followed with a single – his second of the game, and the Tigers quickly had runners at the corners with no outs. But then Gleyber Torres swung at a first-pitch slider and popped it up into foul territory down the right-field line. Dingler hit the ball to a similar spot; only his popup stayed a few feet fair. Riley Greene flied out to left. The Giants added a run in the bottom of the inning when former Tigers prospect Willy Adames (back when Dave Dombrowski was around to flip propects for vets, instead of the other way around) yanked it over the left-field fence to make it 5-2. In the sixth, the Tigers again put two runners on, and while McKinstry fouled off five straight pitches in an epic 11-pitch at-bat with two outs, he couldn’t best Houser, hitting a soft fly to left center. In the seventh, you guessed it, the Tigers put two runners on base – this time at second and third – though also with two outs. A.J. Hinch pinch hit Eduardo Valencia for DH Colt Keith to get the righty-lefty matchup. Valencia struck out looking. In the eighth, well, naturally, they put two runners on – again with two outs and, again, came up empty. On the mound: Keider Montero gets little supportMontero struggled to locate his fastball, his slider, his sinker, everything, really, as he fell behind in the count in the first few innings and nearly got out of trouble in the first until he hung a 77-mph curve middle-high on a 2-2 count to Rafael Devers with a runner on base. Devers blasted it over the center-field wall to give the Giants the lead. In the second inning, Montero walked the leadoff batter, Drew Gilbert, on five pitches, and then gave up a single to put runners at first and second. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up. Montero struck out Christian Koss and it looked like he might escape, even after he walked the bases full. But Jung Hoo Lee singled to center, driving in two. Montero settled down in the third inning and saved the bullpen by getting through six innings. Next up: The trial of JobeThe season debut of Jackson Jobe arrives Saturday (7:15 p.m. Fox), who will almost certainly be on a pitch count. If he gives the Tigers four good innings, that would be a solid return. Jobe is returning after a nearly 14-month absence after he Tommy John surgery. The 2021 MLB Draft pick – taken No. 3 overall by the Tigers – possesses triple-digit heat and showed relatively good command during his rehab starts. Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers strike early but get blasted by the Bay by Giants

The second half of the season is underway and we're witnessing Jacob Misiorowski and Yordan Alvarez continue to pull away from the competition, while Dylan Cease and Pete Crow-Armstrong are nibbling at the heels of Cam Schlittler and Shohei Ohtani. Let's take a look at the updated MVP and Cy Young rankings. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings.National League Cy Young Poll1. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers (-500)2026 Stats: 127.0 IP, 11-5, 1.63 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 195 K, 29 BB, .145 OBAIn my opinion, there is no way Jacob Misiorowski gets caught for the Cy Young lead. The "Miz" has 10 or more strikeouts in four of his last five games and two or fewer earned runs in 14 out of the previous 15 starts. Misiorowski leads the MLB in strikeouts (195), WHIP (0.73), OBA (.145), ERA (1.63), and tied ninth in wins (11).2. Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves (+700)2026 Stats: 117.0 IP, 12-6, 2.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 143 K, 26 BB, .215 OBAChris Sale is rolling. The veteran lefty posted a 2.00 ERA in July and finished the month with 34 strikeouts to four walks, plus a .186 OBA over 27.0 inning and five starts. Sale has surrendered two or fewer earned runs in six of the last eight starts and dropped his ERA to 2.08, which ranks second in all of baseball behind Misiorowski.3. Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies (+900)2026 Stats: 149.2 IP, 15-4, 2.65 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 174 K, 35 BB, .252 OBACristopher Sanchez is the sole leader in wins for the MLB after grabbing four straight victories over his last four starts. Sanchez has started August on the right track with a 1.64 ERA over two starts against Washington and Baltimore. Sanchez did walk seven batters, but struck out 17 with eight hits and two earned runs. He will face the Cardinals and Marlins in his next two starts, so there is a good chance the good times keep coming for Sanchez.Long Shot: Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds (+3500)2026 Stats: 118.2 IP, 13-1, 2.35 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 137 K, 43 BB, .202 OBAChase Burns continues to be the least talked about up-and-coming star pitcher in the game. Burns has collected four wins in his last five starts, including nine strikeouts and two hits in his previous outing against the Pirates. The Reds are 16-5 in Burns' 21 starts and won eight of the last nine contests. Burns has the fifth-best ERA in baseball (2.35) and ranks third in the NL, plus his .202 OBA is sixth overall and third in the NL.Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!American League Cy Young Poll1. Dylan Cease, Toronto Blue Jays (-115)2026 Stats: 119.1 IP, 7-5, 2.28 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 184 K, 52 BB, .179 OBAThere's a new betting favorite for AL Cy Young and he goes by the name of Dylan Cease. The Blue Jays' ace has been unbelievable in his past six starts. Cease posted a 1.00 ERA in July with four earned runs over five starts, then started August with a gem versus the Cubs, going 7.0 innings with two hits, one walk, zero earned runs, and 10 strikeouts. In his last three starts, opponents are hitting .085 and struck out 29 times versus seven walks and six hits.2. Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees (+105)2026 Stats: 139.2 IP, 10-6, 2.26 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 171 K, 31 BB, .199 OBAThe red flags are starting to show with Cam Schlittler. Over his last four starts, he failed to make it to the fifth inning in two of them and he's coming off his shortest outing of the season, only 3.0 innings against the Cardinals (4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 K). In that outing, the second-year pro also tied a career-high in walks (5). Schlittler's numbers have dipped a bit over his last five starts with a 3.25 ERA and that's opened the door for Cease to take the lead for Cy Young.3. Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays (+2500)2026 Stats: 117.1 IP, 10-5, 2.91 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 122 K, 20 BB, .205 OBADespite being a distant third, Drew Rasmussen has been dealing to start the second half of the season. The Rays have won three consecutive starts with Rasmussen on the mound as he's allowed two earned runs in that span. Rasmussen has 24 strikeouts to three walks over those three games and almost no-hit the Guardians (one hit over 7.0 IP).Long Shot: Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians (+4000)2026 Stats: 136.2 IP, 9-6, 2.57 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 136 K, 38 BB, .209 OBAOne of the biggest surprises of the season has been the rise of Parker Messick. In his second season, Messick is showing his true potential with his command and endurance. Messick had his 26-start streak of at least 5.0 innings pitched snapped in his last outing against Arizona as he finished in 4.1 innings, but only allowed one earned run on six hits to go along with six strikeouts and one walk. Cleveland has series with the White Sox, Tigers, Padres, Giants, Rockies, Angels, and Blue Jays to finish August — a beautiful schedule for Messick to rack up some more wins.⚾️ Baseball is back on NBC: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.American League MVP Poll1. Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros (-900)2026 Stats: .329 BA, 35 HR, 85 RBI, 78 R, .442 OBP, 1.083 OPSUnless an injury happens, Yordan Alvarez will win AL MVP. The Astros' star has been on a tear to start August. After ripping a ridiculous .360 batting average in July with nine home runs on 31 hits, 15 runs, and 17 RBI — Alvarez has kicked off August with a .421 batting average! Alvarez has a six-game hitting streak going and has reached base safely 22 consecutive games. He is two home runs short of his career-high 37 in 2022 and poised for his second 100 RBI season.2. Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays (+600)2026 Stats: .283 BA, 33 HR, 71 RBI, 70 R, .556 SLG, .931 OPSJunior Caminero is the only player capable of catching Alvarez and despite three home runs in the last three games and a .333 batting average to start August — odds continue to move against Caminero for MVP. The Rays are firmly in first place of the American League, which can be one of Caminero's points of emphasis on why to vote for him, especially if Houston misses the postseason. Caminero's 33 homers are second to Alvarez, plus the 23-year-old's SLG and OPS are top five in all of baseball.3. Ben Rice, New York Yankees (+2500) 2026 Stats: .260 BA, 31 HR, 74 RBI, 71 R, .546 SLG, .900 OPSBen Rice has now gone 11-straight games without a home run and is hitting .130 over his last 46 at-bats (span of 15 days). The race for AL MVP has been a two-man show for more than a month now, but Rice should collect a plethora of MVP votes for third, fourth, and fifth place this season. Long shot: Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox (+10000)2026 Stats: .284 BA, 23 HR, 67 RBI, 55 R, .392 OBP, .931 OPSWillson Contreras put together a solid July with a .323 batting average and did a little bit of everything. Contreras recorded 20 hits, 14 runs, 14 RBI, and 15 walks to 17 strikeouts. However, he has one home run in the last 14 games for the hottest team in all of baseball.Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.National League MVP Poll1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (+100)2026 Stats: .296 BA, 26 HR, 70 RBI, 73 R, 8-2 record, 1.79 ERA, .180 OBANot everyone will agree with me that Shohei Ohtani still holds the lead for NL MVP. Heck, even the oddsmakers have made Ohtani the runner-up to Pete Crow-Armstrong, but I've read this story before. The two had a memorable head-to-head recently with both players hitting two home runs in the same game and the Cubs edging the Dodgers. Despite the one-game example, Ohtani is off to a rampant start in August with a .421 batting average. The Dodgers are currently in the midst of a season-long seven-game losing streak, but once Los Angeles break that streak, Ohtani could be at the odds on favorite once again with a home run or two.2. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (-130)2026 Stats: .289 BA, 26 HR, 70 RBI, 82 R, 30 SB, .937 OPSLike Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong is on a heater to start the month. PCA is hitting .409 with nine hits and nine runs scored over six games. The Cubs star has turned heads with his speed lately, racking up 30 stolen bases and winning a game by stealing home on an errand throw to third. The 24-year-old is doing everything he can to catch the greatest player of my generation, and ranking second in runs (82), sixth in hits (127), third in stolen bases (30), ninth in homers (26), and top 25 in BA, SLG, OPS, and OBP isn't a bad place to start with less than two months remaining.3. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers (+20000)2026 Stats: 127.0 IP, 11-5, 1.63 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 195 K, 29 BB, .145 OBAWe all know the MVP will come down to Ohtani vs PCA, but are we being ignorant to the fact that Misirowski should probably be in the discussion? Since Ohtani isn't pitching anymore, you could make an argument that Misiorowski has been just as important as Ohtani over the last month, if not more. Milwaukee could finish with the best record in baseball, while Misirowski rewrites the history books. What more would he have to do to win MVP and Cy Young? Finish below a 2.00 ERA? Have 300 strikeouts and less than 50 walks? 20-plus wins? Less than 100 hits allowed with more than 200 innings? He's on pace to do all those things.Long Shot: CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals (+10000)2026 Stats: .287 BA, 28 HR, 88 RBI, 72 R, .548 SLG, .908 OPSWith James Wood out, CJ Abrams becomes the latest player to find himself top five in MVP voting. Abrams had a fantastic July with a .348 batting average, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and 17 runs scored. Since Wood has been out for four games in August, Abrams has racked up six hits and three runs scored. The Nationals will need Abrams offense if they want to continue their climb for a NL Wild Card spot.Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

The dual life of NFL hopeful Seattle Seahawks’ WR Montorie Foster Jr. originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Gregg Bell of The News Tribune shared insider details about the 25-year-old player who wants to continue contributing to the Seattle Seahawks championship team.Former Michigan State wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. has returned to join the training camp, he had been released by the Seahawks in August 2025 due to a hamstring injury. Foster Jr. was cut from the team, but before coming back, he had to work as a substitute teacher at a high school and also had a real estate license.Even though there was no sign of an NFL return for the next 18 weeks, he kept training in his life. He became a substitute teacher at St. Edward, where he had once attended, and he says, “It felt nostalgic, but also normal.”“I’d teach the lesson, then we’d just talk about life.”Montorie Foster Jr.’s 18-week journey back to pro footballTwo coaches from Michigan State, sitting in his family’s living room, offered him a scholarship when he joined the varsity football season at St. Edward for the first time in his senior year in 2019.In college, he played 54 games over 5 years, started in 28 of them, and led MSU in receptions. Foster Jr. entered the NFL in 2025 as an undrafted free agent, signed with the Seahawks, got sidelined due to an injury, but worked hard for 18 weeks in Cleveland and made his comeback.“I wasn’t losing sight of the goal. It was tough, but I was doing everything I could to get back on the field,” Foster Jr. said. “I’d watch the guys making catches and hitting the field hard, and I wanted them to know I had their backs.”On Dec. 30, before the postseason, the team called him back and added him to the practice squad. He finished the season as a Super Bowl champion with $13,000 in cash earnings.“The NFL is my dream, and I plan to make that 53-man roster next year,” he said. “I’m working hard and running reps against some of the absolute best in the league. Ring or no ring, the comeback has been greater than the setback.”He has just been signed as a reserve player in the offseason, where he'll get another chance to impress.“I’m just trying to take it all in—it’s incredible,” he said. “The best part is that my parents will be there with me. We get to experience this together. Family has always meant everything to me. I grew up watching the Super Bowl with them.”Foster Jr. will have to secure his spot and finish his story. His base salary for 2026 is set at $885,000, although his place in the final squad is still up for discussion since the Seahawks are already a championship team.MORE:Seahawks vs. Patriots tickets: Cheapest prices, seats, date for 2026 NFL game in Week 1Cody White and Ricky White III are also in the mix for the sixth receiver spot, which could challenge Foster Jr. He might not reach the level of a 17-game WR, even if he's just a role player.The Seahawks have had several undrafted rookie players who made their mark and got some opportunities during the season.Foster Jr.'s hard work and good hands on the football helped him find a place in the system. Now, it all depends on his training camp efforts to impress the coaching staff going forward.More Seattle Seahawks News:Where to watch Seahawks preseason games in 2026Seahawks and another Super Bowl? Why it's possibleKenneth Walker III question looms over Seattle Seahawks amid training camp

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received support from several leading South American football figures as he visited Colombia amid the crisis engulfing world football’s governing body.Infantino arrived early on Friday in the Colombian city of Cali to attend the inauguration ceremony of hard-right President Abelardo de la Espriella.Photos released by the Colombian Football Federation show a smiling Infantino standing alongside South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Alejandro Dominguez and the president of the Colombian federation, Ramon Jesurun.The visit to Colombia comes as the head of world football has been embroiled in a storm following a much-criticised and ultimately abandoned plan to open the World Cup to private investment.The 56-year-old Italian-Swiss lawyer, who has been in office since 2016, declined to answer a question from an AFP news agency journalist about whether he considered FIFA’s woes to be over.Later, while attending a children’s football festival at a sports complex in Cali, he spoke of his “happiness” at being at the event.“It is a joy to be here today,” the FIFA boss told dozens of children kitted out in football gear.“Football is joy, football is happiness, football is unity”, he said, adding that “so many champions” were born “in this part of the world, in this part of Colombia”.CONMEBOL throws backing behind InfantinoInfantino, who will seek a fourth and final term in the FIFA presidential election in Rabat next March, is facing criticism, notably from European body UEFA, which on Thursday maintained its threat to boycott the World Cup despite FIFA’s withdrawal of the private investment proposal.CONMEBOL, which has only 10 FIFA-affiliated members but includes iconic federations such as Argentina and Brazil, had on Thursday expressed its “concern regarding the repeated unilateral actions taken” by FIFA.However, when asked by a Colombian media outlet on Friday, the CONMEBOL president stated that “one cannot ignore the great work” done by Infantino.“We must continue working for football through dialogue; it is not necessary to always agree,” Dominguez said.After the powerful Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the Paraguayan federation pledged their backing on Thursday, Infantino also received support on Friday from two other South American federations – Venezuela’s and Ecuador’s.In line with their confederation’s statement, they welcomed the withdrawal of the controversial plan to create a commercial entity, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise, open to private investors.In a letter to the FIFA chief, Ecuadorian federation president Francisco Egas Larreategui added that he had confidence in Infantino, “as well as in those currently leading football to continue working for the good of our sport”.Close to figures on the right of politics, such as US President Donald Trump, Infantino attended de la Espriella’s presidential inauguration ceremony later on Friday.Colombia’s incoming leader has broken with tradition by choosing to hold the ceremony in Cali, considered the capital of salsa, rather than before Congress in Bogota.

D-backs, Yankees find 'Ryan' walk-off magic against NL leaders originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Within minutes, two 'Ryan' delivered walk-off magic for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees. On Friday, D-backs star Ryan Waldschmidt hit a walk-off two-run home run to sink the Dodgers 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Just minutes before, in the other part of the country, Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon walked it off with a sac-fly against the Atlanta Braves for a dramatic 3-2 win.It was a bizarre connection between two 'Ryan' unfolding just minutes apart.'Ryan' Waldschmidt stuns DodgersThe Dodgers were on course for a win in the series opener before the D-backs mounted a late rally. Facing closer Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth, Waldschmidt absolutely crushed the ball to left-center field for a two-run home run that sealed a 4-3 victory.Ryan Waldschmidt sends the Dodgers home with a walk-off homer, handing them their seventh straight loss and eighth in their last 10. 😬(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/j0euwtvn7W— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 8, 2026This was the Dodgers' seventh consecutive loss as Arizona seems to be making life difficult for the NL West leaders on the road.MORE:Yankees stage dramatic comeback against Braves to keep Red Sox at bay'Ryan' McMahon completes dramatic Yankees comebackThe Yankees were not able to score any runs in the first eight innings, while giving up home runs to the Braves in the eighth and ninth innings.Down 2-0, an error from the Braves off George Lombard Jr.'s infield hit proved to be a disaster minutes later, as Austin Wells was able to come up with an RBI double. Up next, Ben Rice tied the game 2-2 with his RBI single off the right-field wall.After David Bednar worked a scoreless top of the 10th, Ryan McMahon stepped up with a chance to finish the comeback. The third baseman hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to the right field, bringing Luis Garcia Jr. home and completing New York's 3-2 victory.Ryan McMahon wins it for the @Yankees in the 10th! pic.twitter.com/CFcR8iSJQ3— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2026Overall, MLB witnessed two incredible games that needed some 'Ryan' magic to get it done.More MLB news:Yankees insider makes bold Anthony Volpe claim after getting demotedDavid Stearns already outlined how he plans for Mets to improve in offseasonAnthony Volpe stat will prove all fans who wanted him gone rightBrian Cashman made the deadline excuse all New York fans were expecting

Ex-NBA Forward Joins Enes Kanter in Declaring for WNBA Draft to Send a Message Amid Sophie Cunningham Trans-Athlete DramaFor weeks, the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports has played out in front of the media as players, coaches, rallies outside arenas, and dueling reactions on social media fueled the fire.On Friday, it took a stranger turn.Two former NBA players, within hours of each other, publicly declared their intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, framing their eligibility in the league’s own language on self-identification and inclusion.Ex-NBA Players Mock WNBA By Declaring For 2027 DraftThe chain of events goes back to Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who told ESPN she wants to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”Her stance drew rallies in her support outside Fever road games, saw Seattle Storm co-owner suspended, and coaxed public responses from multiple opposing coaches, including Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve, who wore a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt during a nationally televised game. That backdrop is what set up Friday’s news.Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom said that he had reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility language and, based on the league’s own stated commitment to self-identification and inclusion, he qualifies for the 2027 WNBA Draft.Hours later, former NBA first-round pick and current Minnesota Republican Senate candidate Royce White told Fox News Digital he was making the same declaration.White claimed he’d actually beaten Kanter Freedom to the idea, pointing to a since-posted X message from four days earlier stating, “I’m transgender. I’m a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for the purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I’ll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well.”He followed it up with a fresh post making it clear he had no intention of backing down.White added that his preferred landing spot would be Minnesota, calling out Reeve directly. He then mentioned how he would explore legal action if he goes undrafted, calling it a potential case of discrimination.A public declaration alone, however, doesn’t place either player in next year’s draft pool; nor does it guarantee a roster spot or even formal draft eligibility.The WNBPA released a statement shortly after Kanter’s announcement, reading, “We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.” It went on to say that “hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm,” and made clear the union would “not be used as political pawns.”READ MORE:‘Protect Your Sport!’ — Legendary Coach Urges WNBA Players to Back Sophie Cunningham’s Trans Stance After Enes Kanter Declares for DraftThe statement didn’t name either player, didn’t take a position on eligibility either way, and didn’t clarify what the league’s existing rules would actually mean for a case like theirs.The WNBA, which is separate from the players’ union, has not issued any statement or clarified what criteria it would use to evaluate an applicant such as Kanter or White.As things stand, a controversy that began with one player’s comments about locker rooms has now pulled in two more athletes willing to test the league’s own rules to make their point.This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

Silverstone circuit's CEO Stuart Pringle said he was "delighted" by the new MotoGP contract [James Burridge/BBC]An extension to Silverstone's deal to continue hosting MotoGP is a boost to the local and national economy, the track's managing director has said.MotoGP and Silverstone announced the news to keep the highest class of motorbike racing at the Northamptonshire venue until 2028 earlier this week.The move came as the track prepares to host this year's British Grand Prix, with tens of thousands of fans expected to attend on Sunday."It's great news," said Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle. "MotoGP is enjoying a strong period at the moment and we hope to introduce more and more motorsport fans to see this spectacular racing."MotoGP has extended its partnership with Silverstone, which hosts the race, for at least two more seasons [Reuters]Pringle described the new MotoGP contract as "very important" for generating money both in the county and beyond. "There's a lot of money spent in the local economy... but there's an awful lot more generated for the UK economy... through the industry," he said.The managing director continued the extended deal supported jobs in the county, including seasonal weekend roles, while the number of the circuit's full-time staff had also increased."Having international motorsport events at the circuit has built the motor sport industry around Silverstone," said Pringle.He added ticket prices for MotoGP were "more accessible" than for the track's Formula 1 event."It's the friendliest atmosphere here - it is a genuinely collegiate and happy festival atmosphere all weekend," he said.Police patrolsAway from the track, Northamptonshire Police said people living near the circuit could expect to see increased community patrols by officers during the weekend.Neighbourhood policing Ch Insp Dave Wakeman said officers would provide a "visible and reassuring presence in local communities and at campsites where many fans will be staying"."We want everyone to enjoy the event for the right reasons, so please travel safely, use official parking and transport options, and be considerate of local residents and businesses," he said.Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story MotoGP extends British Grand Prix through to 2028Speed, shots and scoops – stories from SilverstoneBritish Grand Prix more than a race - circuit boss Related internet liinks Silverstone Circuit MotoGP results

Souza is expected to stay with Tottenham this season, De Zerbi is backing him to be a game-changerTottenham Hotspur defender Joao Victor de Souza Menezes was attracting interest in the transfer market as he seeks more playing time.However, according to Eduardo Burgos, the 20-year-old is poised to remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the season.Spurs received three offers for the youngster from FC Porto – two official bids and a loan offer. Benfica were also reportedly interested.It appears that Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi is backing him to be a game-changer for the North London club.Souza joined from Brazil in January but struggled for game time with Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence ahead of him in the pecking order.It was also a perilous time to throw in the youngster as the club battled to stave off relegation.This summer would have been perfect for him to leave for European experience as Tottenham signed Andy Robertson, further bolstering the full-back position.Keeping Souza makes no sense for TottenhamFor all his potential, keeping Souza around for another season could do more harm than good to his development.Lauded as ‘forward-thinking and technically very good‘ by former Spurs manager Thomas Frank, Souza has a bright future.But the teenager needs regular competitive football, not another year spent watching Udogie, Spence and now Robertson battle for minutes ahead of him.That is why Tottenham should reconsider their stance and allow him to go to Portugal on loan.The Portuguese giants have already shown serious interest, making them an ideal destination for Souza to test himself at a higher level while playing regularly.There is little value in keeping a prospect at the club if De Zerbi cannot guarantee him meaningful minutes.A season in Portugal could give Souza the experience, confidence and tactical education he needs before returning to North London ready to compete for a first-team place.Spurs should let him go, earn his stripes and come back stronger.

'They are legends': Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli backed to deliver 2027 World Cup glory for India by former teammate originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Shikhar Dhawan backs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to lead India's 2027 World Cup charge.He praises Rohit's Lord's century and Kohli's fitness and consistency.Rohit shut out retirement rumours after scoring the ton against England. Shikhar Dhawan backs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to help India win 2027 World CupFormer India opener Shikhar Dhawan has voiced his confidence in longtime teammates Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and backed the duo to play a decisive role in India's pursuit of the 2027 ODI World Cup title.Despite ongoing chatter around whether the two veterans can realistically feature in the tournament given their age, Dhawan believes that both remain irreplaceable assets for the national team, who are capable of steering India towards reclaiming the trophy.Kohli belted out two half-centuries against England, while Rohit answered doubters emphatically with a commanding hundred at Lord's.Speaking to ANI, Dhawan lavished praise on his former teammates and reflected on a friendship that dates back to when the trio were around 16 years old.“They are legends. They have performed for the country for so many years. Whether it’s Virat or Rohit, all of us have had a relationship since we were around 16 years old. They are two to three years younger than me, and it is a matter of great joy that they are preparing now,” Dhawan said.MORE: Full list of injuries suffered by India stars in 2026 as concerns of fitness raised BCCI/Creimas Rohit Sharma's Lord's century draws special praise from DhawanDhawan described Rohit's 138-run innings at Lord's as a wonderful showcase of Rohit's enduring class. The former opener insisted that the veteran has consistently found ways to respond to criticism through runs with his bat. “Rohit recently scored a hundred at Lord’s. It was a wonderful century and showed how his bat speaks. He has been doing that for so many years, and when a difficult phase came, he responded in the best possible way with his performances,” he added.Dhawan reserved equally high praise for Kohli, and highlighted his exceptional commitment to fitness and his ability to maintain top-level performance year after year.“As for Virat, no amount of praise is enough. The way he keeps himself so fit and continues to perform at the highest level is remarkable,” Dhawan said.MORE: ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2027: Full list of teams that have qualifiedRohit & Virat's experience will be invaluable during 2027 ODI World CupDhawan's endorsement reflects a broader truth often overlooked amid conversations about youth-driven squad building: experience carries weight in the extended format of a 50-over World Cup.Rohit and Kohli's recent performances against England suggest neither has lost the ability to perform under pressure, and dismissing them purely based on age risks undervaluing what they still bring tactically and technically.MORE: Hardik Pandya trade: Which team will sign MI captain?That said, India's team management will need to balance this experience with fitness demands and succession planning, since a World Cup campaign requires sustained peak performance across an extended tournament window. Dhawan's confidence isn't misplaced, but it also reflects the natural bias of someone who shared the dressing room with both players for years.The real test will be whether India's selectors can build a squad that maximises their experience without overburdening two players already managing the physical demands of extended careers.For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.

Aug 1, 2025; Montreal, QC, Canada; Belinda Bencic (SUI) reacts after losing a point against Karolina Muchova (CZE) in third round play at IGA Stadium. © David Kirouac-Imagn ImagesBelinda Bencic found herself locked in a closely contested battle with Taylor Townsend in the third round of the Canadian Open, narrowly avoiding an upset at the hands of the American.Bencic’s emotions came to the fore during the tense contest as she voiced her frustrations toward her coaching team in her player’s box, which included her husband and fitness coach, Martin Hromkovič.Belinda Bencic Survives a Scare Against Taylor Townsend in TorontoNo. 12 seed Bencic made a strong start to her campaign at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto by securing a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Sloane Stephens in her opening match, following a first-round bye.The 29-year-old faced a much tougher test in her third-round showdown with Taylor Townsend. Although Bencic fended off three set points in the opening set, Townsend edged her out in the tiebreak. Nevertheless, the Swiss fought back to clinch the second-set tiebreak and force a decider.Despite winning the set, Bencic appeared unimpressed with her coaching team’s demeanor in her player’s box, lashing out in an animated outburst during the changeover.“Can you man up and be loud? You! Yes,” she said. “Shut up.”However, Bencic regained her composure when she took the court for the third set and eventually sealed a 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-4 victory after a grueling three-hour, 26-minute marathon.On a personal level, Bencic not only has her husband by her side in Toronto but also their two-year-old daughter, Bella. During a press conference after her second-round win, the 29-year-old credited the Canadian Open for making their stay more convenient while traveling with a toddler.“She’s here with us, and the tournament is very nice. They said that they would provide an extra room paid for the moms that are traveling with the kids, so you have a bit more space for your team and all your luggage and everything. It’s really nice from the tournament,” Bencic said.“I, in general, think the tournaments are getting so much better at helping with this and that. Sometimes they have like a kids’ corner or like some toys or some area to play,” she added.MORE:Aryna Sabalenka Defends Her Bold US Open Outfit Amid Criticism – ‘You Cannot Impress Everyone’Up next, Belinda Bencic will square off against No. 25 seed Alexandra Eala in the fourth round of the Canadian Open. The winner of their highly anticipated encounter is set to face either No. 4 seed Coco Gauff or qualifier Alina Korneeva in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event.This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

Kyle Schwarber has hit 33 home runs this year, putting him in a four-way tie for second.Getty ImagesThe dog days of the summer have almost entirely eaten away at the profits for the MLB best home run bets this season. Sadly, Yordan Alvarez and Jac Caglianone didn’t homer on Wednesday, running the cold streak to 12 straight picks. The season’s record for home run bets now sits at 18-71, with three no-bets.Long-shot bets are a blast when cashing them, but they’re also prone to extended droughts, and the MLB best home run bets are mired in a nasty one. Anyone who has bet $100 on each of the suggested home run props at the listed odds has profited only $61, an unsatisfying number but still better than being in the red. Two left-handed slugging teammates in their homer-friendly ballpark today have a drool-inducing matchup. Both players have an excellent opportunity to reach the seats, making their home run bets the best on Saturday’s MLB slate.MLB Best Home Run BetsKyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies - OF)Over 0.5 Home Runs (+230) at FanDuel SportsbookKyle Schwarber is in the hunt for the 2026 MLB home run crown, sitting in a four-way tie in second place with 33 homers. The 33-year-old masher has hit 21 homers against right-handed pitching, 20 at home and 16 at home against right-handed pitching. The veteran slugger has high-quality batted-ball data. Among 250 qualified hitters in 2026, he is tied for 38th in barrels per plate appearance rate (8.4%), seventh in barrels per batted-ball event rate (17.1%), 15th in hard-hit rate (52.1%), tied for ninth in fly-ball and line-drive exit velocity (97.5 mph), tied for 48th in maximum exit velocity (113.2 mph), 22nd in launch-angle sweet-spot rate (40.0%) and ninth in steepest launch angle (21.5 degrees).Schwarber has the best matchup against a starting pitcher on today’s MLB slate to hit a home run. Max Scherzer’s 2.64 home runs allowed per nine innings (HR/9) in 2026 are the most among today’s probable starting pitchers. Toronto’s bullpen isn’t bulletproof, either, allowing 1.00 HR/9 this season.The park factors are also ideal for Schwarber. Citizens Bank Park’s 126 park factor for homers for left-handed batters since 2025 ranks second. Schwarber has a chalky +230 line to hit a home run, but it’s not as chalky as it should be, making it a compelling home run prop to end the dry spell. Bryce Harper can take advantage of a drool-inducing matchup and hit a home run today.Getty ImagesBryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies - OF)Over 0.5 Home Runs (+300) at FanDuel SportsbookBryce Harper has smashed 24 home runs this year, belting 20 against right-handed pitching, 12 at home and 10 at home against right-handed pitching. Like his aforementioned teammate, he has a dreamy matchup and excellent park factors to hit a home run today. I sandbagged some numbers on Scherzer. The 42-year-old righty has allowed nine homers in eight starts this season, permitting at least one in five turns and coughing up multiple home runs in three. In addition, Scherzer has allowed six of his nine home runs to left-handed batters this year. Harper has the power and the caliber of batted-ball data needed to take advantage of his matchup and park factors today. Among 250 qualified batters this year, Harper is tied for 58th in barrels per plate appearance rate (7.4%), tied for 63rd in barrels per batted-ball event rate (11.5%), 72nd in hard-hit rate (44.9%), tied for 66th in fly-ball and line-drive exit velocity (94.7 mph), 43rd in maximum exit velocity (113.5 mph), tied for 48th in launch-angle sweet-spot rate (37.5%) and has a 12.7-degree launch angle.Scherzer is homer-prone enough to cough up home runs to both Schwarber and Harper. Thus, Harper’s +300 odds to hit a home run are also appealing. Finally, the weather forecast is warm in Philadelphia, with the wind slightly blowing out to right field, further enhancing the chances of Schwarber and Harper hitting home runs.This article was originally published on Forbes.com

MEN journo: Michael Carrick poised to have £66m man in his ranks for season-opener vs Hull CityBenjamin Sesko is poised to return to full fitness in time for Manchester United’s season-opener away to Hull City.The Red Devils kick off their 2026/2027 on Saturday, August 22 in the 12.30pm kick-off and, according to Manchester Evening News’ Steven Railston, the Slovenian is in line to make the squad.Benjamin Sesko is still on track to be fit for the start of the season, so there’s no reason to panic. The striker has been stepping up his rehabilitation at Carrington #mufcWhat happened to Benjamin Sesko?Sesko has been ruled out of all of United’s pre-season friendlies thus far due to a shin injury that was re-aggravated when he was barged off the pitch by Ibrahima Konate in last term’s home win over Liverpool.The 23-year-old was hooked at the interval and replaced by Amad Diallo. Little did he – or fans – know that Sesko would not feature again in the remaining three matches.It meant he was unable to continue his scintillating run of form or add to his goal tally for his maiden campaign, so he ended 2025/2026 with 11 top-flight goals to his name in 30 appearances, which is still a hugely impressive feat for his first year in England.Sesko closing in on long-awaited returnThroughout the campaign, he was battling to secure a starting spot amid fierce competition from the likes of Amad, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.He still managed to pop up with some crucial contributions, though, and returned seven goals in just 595 minutes played during Michael Carrick’s reign.Sesko’s record under CarrickHis nation missing out on a World Cup spot did allow Sesko to spend the summer resting and not rushing to get fit or return prematurely, so there’s no doubt he’ll be chomping at the bit to get back out on the pitch in a competitive clash, having last featured on May 3.Remarkably, reports this week have suggested that Bayern Munich have identified Sesko as their ideal long-term successor to world-class frontman Harry Kane.ShareTweetShareShareEmailLeave a ReplyCancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment *Name *Email *Notify me of follow-up comments by email.Notify me of new posts by email.

Liverpool agree surprise deal to sign Barcelona defender Ronald AraujoLiverpool have agreed a loan deal for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, according to Fabrizio Romano.The Reds desperately needed a new centre-half as they are dangerously short-manned at the back following the departure of Ibrahima Konate.Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni last summer, but he picked up a long-term injury before he could even find his footing. He is still getting up to speed.The Merseyside outfit purchased Jeremy Jacquet in January, but soon after, he also picked up an injury that sidelined him for months.Joe Gomez has suffered an injury in pre-season, too, leaving Liverpool light in the rearguard ahead of the resumption of the Premier League.They have now responded by signing the Barca captain. Injuries have derailed his trajectory over the past few seasons, but on his day, he is still a formidable unit.The 27-year-old featured 24 times in La Liga (only 11 starts) last season. He still managed three goals and helped to keep two clean sheets,Araujo won 67 percent of his aerial and 57% of his ground duels. If he can stay fit, he is quite the pick-up for Andoni Iraola’s side.Liverpool must hope Araujo stays fitHowever, Liverpool will be holding their breath that Araujo can finally put his fitness problems behind him.The Uruguayan international (27 caps) has endured a frustrating couple of seasons, with injuries interrupting his rhythm and limiting his availability.That makes this loan a gamble for the Reds.There is little doubt about Araujo’s ability when he is fit. His physicality, aggression and experience could make a huge difference.Former Barca boss Luis Enrique lauded him as a ‘top player‘, but the biggest question is whether he can stay on the pitch.Araujo has started just 22 league games across the past two seasons, underlining just how unavailable he has been.If he breaks down again, Liverpool could quickly find themselves back at square one.

Gainsborough Trinity celebrating a goal in the FA Cup first round at their Northolme ground last season [PA Media]At one of the oldest football grounds in the country, staff are facing a very modern challenge ahead of the new season.Non-league Gainsborough Trinity have played at the Northolme since 1884, but the stadium lacks the modern irrigation enjoyed by teams higher up the football pyramid.It means their pitch has suffered from the heat and dry weather this summer. Head groundsman John Wood says when he started at the Lincolnshire club three decades ago, "it was just a hose out of the changing room"."Now, we have six in-pitch sprinklers and 17 around the edge which have been on constantly."We put around 20,000 litres of water on more or less every day."John Wood with apprentice Harry Bishop at the ground in 2025 [BBC]Pitch renovations began at the Northolme – which has a claim to being the oldest ground in use continuously by a single team – in May.But Wood says there has been very little rainfall since then and the Met Office recorded only 0.4mm (0.02in) in Lincolnshire in July.The county is not officially in drought, but has experienced "prolonged dry weather", according to the government.Anglian Water has imposed a hosepipe ban, but sports clubs can water pitches if they are actively being played on and would otherwise be dangerously hard.With the water in short supply, Wood adds: "If this is going to be the norm, we are going to have to think of smarter ways to store water."The upgrades to Sir Halley Stewart Playing Fields, Spalding, cost £1m [Owen Hardwick, BBC]Sixty miles (97km) to the south, fellow non-league club Spalding United have managed to sidestep the problem.In September last year, they completed a £1m upgrade to their stadium, the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, which included a "state-of-the-art" artificial pitch.Promotion to the National League North followed and, for chief executive Leigh Porter, the prolonged dry weather has reinforced just why the investment was worthwhile."Having an artificial pitch has made this summer a lot more painless than what we would have had with a grass pitch," he says."We have really got a lovely facility, I wish I could wave a magic wand and give every club in the area the same pitch."I do not think there is a thing to call a game off because your pitch is too hard, but I think that is the danger."Porter says the pitch can be used 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."It is right for our club and right for our community," he adds.The lack of rain in Skegness has made preparing the bowling greens particularly tough [Steve O'Dare]It is not just football clubs struggling with the dry weather.On the coast in Skegness, the North Parade Bowling Greens CIC are due to host the English Bowls Federation finals at the end of August.Steve O'Dare, the club's chairman, says preparations have been affected by the lack of rain. "We have had to use our main irrigation system far more than we would like to because it is very expensive."We have no real idea of how much it is going to cost us but we have just got to bite the bullet and get some water on the greens."He adds: "It is in the laps of whichever gods run this thing as to whether we get any water or not."If the bowling greens get dry, the surface is rougher and the bowls do not roll as they should do."It does not matter what forecast you look at, the rain is not coming. You have just got to keep fighting it."Listen to highlights fromLincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch thelatest episode of Look North.Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices More on this story Town rallies together to dream of FA Cup glorySatellite images show impact of heatwaves and drought on UK landscapeWill the UK's hottest place on record keep its title?Plea issued to landowner over 'fire-risk' grass

A black and white image within a mural at St Mary's Stadium depicts Charles Miller [BBC]The connection between Brazil and football is legendary. It is one defined by flair, passion and five FIFA World Cup titles.Not to mention Pele, Ronaldo and, for Southampton and Bournemouth fans, there are Leo Cienza, Evan Ilsen and Haiyan. Just how did the South American country, home to the world's largest carnival, become so good at the beautiful game? The answer may be much closer to home in Hampshire.Radio Solent's Tom Murray headed to St Mary's Stadium in Southampton to find out more.Either side of a railway footbridge, just before the ground itself, is a mural depicting famous players of Southampton's past, including Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier and Ricky Lambert. But look closer and in the middle of a red-painted "1885" - the year Southampton Football Club was founded - is a black and white image of a man, sporting a terrific moustache. It is a depiction of Charles Miller, considered to be the father of football in Brazil."It's quite an amazing story," said Andy Skinner, who has worked at Southampton museums for more than a decade."He was born in Sao Paulo to British parents and, like lots of expats at that time, they decided to send the young Charles back to England to be educated," he explained.Charles returned by ship to Southampton, where he attended a boarding school."Clearly his education that he gets here is pretty sports heavy," said Skinner. "He's introduced to football and, when he's in Southampton, he plays for St Mary's, which becomes Southampton, and there's another team as well called Corinthians."Rule bookThe young man was "really impressed" not only with the game itself but "the way in which these teams that he's encountering play it", he said.Miller spent about 10 years in Southampton before taking the step that would shape Brazilian football forever, according to Duncan Holley, historian at Southampton FC. Aged 19, Miller returned to the country he was born in, armed with "some footballs, a rule book, some Saints shirts and sort of officially introduced football to Brazil", said Holley. "The fact that he had the rule book was pretty handy, I should think, because not many people in Brazil would have known the rules of association football as they were then. "He came from a well-to-do family, so that obviously helped, but he lived in Sao Paulo and he didn't waste much time in setting up teams, getting up, going around the streets, getting boys together, men together, to form teams and then leagues."In 1904, 10 years after Miller's return, Southampton toured Argentina - the first English side to do so, said Holley."He went all the way down to meet the boat as it docked in Rio on their way to Argentina," he said. "He obviously saw their arrival as a way of promoting in Brazil the game of football and, in fact, he tried to get them to come and play a game in Brazil but they were already committed to Argentina so he had to wait another 44 years before Southampton toured Brazil in 1948."Miller's legacy lives on in Sao Paolo's football museum, in the city's Charles Miller Square, where the history, culture and legends of Brazilian football are celebrated.Marcel Tonini, a researcher at the museum, said he believes while there may have been others who also introduced the game to Brazil, there is a reason Miller remains at the forefront."He was a member of the high-level class in Brazil," he said. "So, when he came back from the UK after his studies, he understood that he needed to bring the official association of football. "When he came back to Brazil, he spread the modernity to the high-level society here."While Miller's story may not be as well known in his adopted Hampshire home city today, Holley said Southampton FC has certainly not forgotten."Thankfully, the club are responsible for that mural on the wall and they've appreciated it for quite some time now that they've actually got a connection with football and Brazil from the early days." More stories like this Why Messi's first club was named after a Kent teacher

PHOENIX — The season was supposed to be over, right?The World Series champion was crowned in August.All that remained for the Los Angeles Dodgers was planning that World Series parade route.Well, it has been a week since the Dodgers acquired two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.And they have yet to win a game.Really.They were walked off Friday night by the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Edwin Diaz blowing the save in their 4-3 loss.And just like that, the Dodgers have lost seven consecutive games for the first time this season, outscored 46-25.RYAN WALDSCHMIDT WALK-OFF HOMER! pic.twitter.com/awJyS4RYda— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2026It took nearly a month before the Dodgers lost their seventh game of the season, and now, they have lost seven games in eight days, suffering two sweeps and now trying to avoid a third one.Certainly, the Dodgers are in no real danger of blowing a 7½-game lead in the National League West over the Diamondbacks.They are sitting comfortably in first place, and have absolutely no worries they’ll win the division.But suddenly, instead of having the best record in baseball, they have only the third-best in the NL, trailing Milwaukee and Atlanta.If the season ended today, they’d be forced to play the wild-card round against the No. 6 seed, which would be the Philadelphia Phillies.“A loss is a loss,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said calmly, “but to get walked off never feels good. We didn’t play a clean game, a great game on either side of the baseball, but we did enough to put ourselves in position to win the game.“Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it.’’It was Diaz, their $69 million closer, who blew the game.He missed 85 games this year after undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery in April, has come back and pitched four times, and hardly looks like the same All-Star pitcher. He has pitched three innings and given up six hits, four runs with four strikeouts and two walks.And, yes, a blown save when he left a slider hanging over the plate to No. 9 hitter Ryan Waldschmidt, who smacked a 90-mph slider over the middle of the plate into the center-field seats.“I’m just trying to be perfect with that pitch,’’ Diaz said, “and I’m just missing right down the middle. I’ve got to be better than that. I’m a big-league pitcher, so I've got to make pitches. Next time when I come into the game, I’ve got to do better.’’Diaz, who signed a three-year, $69 million contract, the largest average salary for a reliever in baseball history, insists he feels healthy. He was still throwing his fastball 97 mph, and pretty much where he wanted. But it’s that bread-and-butter pitch, the slider, that’s betraying him.“I think that everything what I’ve been doing is good,’’ Diaz said, “but I don’t know when I get into the game, I’m missing my (slider) right in the middle. … I’ve got a good fastball, but my slider, that’s my strikeout pitch.“I got to keep working. I’m still positive. I’ve just got to do my job better.’’The Dodgers are trying to stay positive, too, but know that if Diaz doesn’t have his slider, he’s only an ordinary reliever. And if he’s only ordinary, the Dodgers have to find someone else who can close out games.“I just think he just hasn’t had the feel for that pitch,’’ Roberts said, “since he got back. … I think it obviously sucks to go through it, but he’s working hard to figure some things out. But it’s one of those things that it’s a little bit tougher when you’re trying to work through it and you’re at the back end of a game.“It doesn’t feel good, but I know the track record that he’s working hard. He’s not going to run from it. It’s one of those things that you’ve got to kind of throw him into it, knowing he’s healthy, and work himself out of it.’’The Dodgers are finding themselves in the same situation as a year ago. They acquired Diaz in the first place because Tanner Scott, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract the previous winter, couldn’t handle the closer’s role, blowing 10 saves. Now, they’ve got $141 million invested in closers and are still looking for the right guy.When Roberts was asked if he would consider removing Diaz from the closer’s role and using someone else, he was rather blunt.“I think honestly,’’ Roberts said, “you’ve got to look at the options, and see the way some of these guys are throwing. They’re not throwing great, either. We’ve got to keep guys in their roles that they’ve earned, and try to get them on a run the way we were a few weeks ago.“So, I just don’t think there’s a clear-cut alternative.’’The Dodgers wish that was their only problem these days. Their offense has been abysmal, too. They didn’t produce their first hit off D-backs starter Merrill Kelly until Tommy Edman’s infield single in the sixth inning. Their only extra-base hit was Andy Pages’ go-ahead homer in the eighth inning. Their star quintet of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker went 2-for-16.Tucker, who was supposed to be their solution in right field − they gave him a stagging four-year, $240 million contract − is hitting just .244 with 10 homers and a .719 OPS. He was summoned by Roberts into Roberts' office before the game just to make sure his confidence isn’t eroding.“I think he’s in a good spot, I really do,’’ Roberts said. “It hasn’t been what anyone had hoped for up to this point, but for me, there’s been some signs breaking. There’s still a lot of baseball left, important baseball to play. But I think he’s in a great headspace.’’Really, Roberts can say the same about his entire team. There’s no panic. They’ve got Skubal now, who will make his first start at Dodger Stadium in a Dodger uniform on Monday. Fellow two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who has pitched only three innings all season, is scheduled to start Tuesday. And Roki Sasaki turned in a strong outing Friday, giving up just four hits and two runs in six innings.The Dodgers have endured rough stretches plenty of times through this dynasty. They lost seven games in a row last July. In 2017, the year they reached the World Series for the first time since 1988, they went through a 1-16 stretch. And still won 104 games.“I remember,’’ Roberts said. “It felt like we would never win another game. Well, we did win another game.“And you know what? I know we’ll win another game now, too.’’Follow Nightengale on X: @BnightengaleThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Panic time for Dodgers? Losing streak hits 7 as Edwin Diaz blows save

A solar power plant is seen at the car park of Two Rivers Complex in Nairobi, Kenya, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku, File)2026-08-08T06:12:07Z NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s largest economies are accelerating plans to build more domestic solar manufacturing capacity, a shift industry analysts say reflects both industrial ambition and growing unease over dependence on imports from China that dominate the global market. Ethiopia, South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria have been stepping up efforts to localize manufacturing of equipment for solar power, from module assembly to more advanced manufacturing, according to industry experts.However, they say China is likely to retain its dominant global role in making solar cells and other components. Its exports of such equipment have soared, partly due to a glut in supply back home. Chinese renewable energy investment and related construction projects in Africa reached $66 billion between 2010 and 2024, according to the think tank ODI Global. “Growing economies, coupled with recent energy shortages in countries like Zambia and the ongoing need to provide access to underserved populations, make it (Africa) a perfect market for China to channel its overcapacity in the sector,” said Olena Borodyna, a senior geopolitical risk advisor with the London-based think tank. Africa eyes solar productionAfrica’s largest economies are keen to build their own solar manufacturing capacity. South Africa’s utility, Eskom, plans to develop a 1-gigawatt solar manufacturing facility to capture more value from its fast-expanding solar market and respond to changing electricity demand.Production of solar panels in Nigeria, meanwhile, is expanding rapidly, with local assembly capacity rising from about 120 megawatts to roughly 300 megawatts in the last two years. Its annual solar imports, mostly from China, also put it near South Africa’s level.The homegrown manufacturing push is tied to structural shifts in Africa’s power markets. Rising adoption of rooftop and distributed solar systems in South Africa is reducing national grid demand, squeezing utilities’ revenues and prompting interest in diversification.South Africa is already the continent’s largest importer of solar equipment, bringing in more than 3 gigawatts annually, also largely from China. Industry analysts say this scale of demand makes it one of the continent’s strongest candidates for localized production. Read More African power markets shiftThe increased interest in solar power represents a significant shift, said Benjamin Clarke, policy director at the Africa Solar Industry Association, even if actual manufacturing capacity remains limited. He said nations pursuing solar manufacturing tend to already have industrial capacity and strong domestic demand. “Morocco has doubled production to around 1 gigawatt a year. South Africa maintains a similar capacity. Egypt has gigawatt-scale projects coming online,” he said.“A few years ago, local solar manufacturing was barely on the agenda anywhere in Africa,” Clarke said “It is now becoming a recognized pillar of industrial policy and green economic development.”The need for more solar or other renewable power has soared. The industry group GOGLA estimates that more than 10 million solar kits were sold across Africa in 2025, serving roughly 148 million people. This was a 10% increase compared to 2024, with much of that growth concentrated in East and West Africa.The solar build-out is within a highly concentrated global supply chain dominated by China. Africa has effectively no commercial-scale solar cell manufacturing, meaning emerging assembly plants still must rely on imported Chinese components.“Most new factories assemble imported Chinese components rather than produce the high-value solar cells and other upstream materials, leaving Africa dependent on foreign technology for the most sophisticated parts of the supply chain,” Clarke said. Technology transfer remains limitedChina’s investment is helping Africa build manufacturing capacity and technical skills. It’s a vital opportunity for technology transfer and job creation, ODI Global’s Borodyna said, “given China’s expertise in building out these technologies at scale.”“China will play a huge role in the build-out of manufacturing capacity across the continent, as well as continue solar exports to the continent,” she said. Experts say the continent has yet to receive the deeper sharing of knowhow needed to develop its own fully integrated solar industry. Reliance on China for solar supply is likely to remain high in regions including Africa, said Hannah Pitt, with the think tank Rhodium Group’s energy and climate practice.Trade restrictions in the U.S. and Europe have led Chinese companies to invest more in other regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia, according to Rhodium Group. Ethiopia is a favored destination, with more than half of the announced investments since 2018 coming from Chinese sources, alongside Japanese investments.Investments in South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco were mostly led by domestic companies or joint ventures with local participation, the think tank said. Saturated Chinese markets push solar manufacturing overseasExtensive state support and years of steady investments in green technology manufacturing have resulted in an oversupply of solar power equipment and falling prices in China, a key factor in its huge global market share, said Lauri Myllyvirta with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.With the market oversupplied, several major Chinese solar manufacturers, including Longi and Jinko, made losses in the first three months of 2026. For such companies, shifting overseas may be the only way to stay in business. Chinese firms pledged as much as $250 billion in overseas green manufacturing projects between 2011 and the first half of last year, according to an estimate by Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab’s “China’s Green Leap Outward” report.Chinese solar exports doubled in March reaching a new monthly record, as 50 countries set all-time records for Chinese solar imports in a single month, according to Ember, a think tank.“In terms of producing and manufacturing things — like solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles — really China is by far the lead in this race,” said Li Shuo, director of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s China Climate Hub. “I personally expect the dominance of China to be further cemented and not weakened over the coming years.”___Chan reported from Hong Kong. Associated Press journalist Anton L. Delgado contributed from Bangkok.___The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. 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

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)2026-08-08T06:05:17Z PHOENIX (AP) — The two-time defending World Series champions are in a rare funk.The Los Angeles Dodgers lost their season-high seventh game in a row in a stunning collapse on Friday night after the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for a 4-3 win when rookie Ryan Waldschmidt hit a two-run, walk-off homer against closer Edwin Diaz.“A loss is a loss but to get walked off never feels good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We didn’t play a clean game, a great game, on either side of the baseball, but we did enough to put ourselves in position to win a game. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish it.”It was another rough outing for Diaz, who has an 11.00 ERA over 11 outings this season. The 32-year-old is a three-time All-Star, but hasn’t been able to help the Dodgers much after signing a $69 million, three-year deal during the offseason.Waldschmidt connected on Diaz’s hanging slider, hitting it into the left-center field seats for his second career homer and first big league walk-off. “It’s the slider,” Diaz said. “The fastball was great today, but I missed the slider right in the middle. I think I was trying to be perfect with the pitch and I’m missing right in the middle — I’ve got to be better. I’m a big league pitcher so I’ve got to make pitches.”The Dodgers were swept by the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs coming into Friday night’s game. They still have a comfortable lead in the NL West — 7 1/2 games in front of the Diamondbacks — despite a 10-16 record since July 5. Roberts acknowledged that Diaz has been struggling since his return from the injured list on July 29, but the manager wasn’t necessarily ready to try a new closer. His reasoning was simple: there’s no clear-cut alternative. Read More “Honestly, you’ve got to look at the options,” Roberts said. “The way some of these guys are throwing, they’re not throwing great, either.”The Dodgers still look like a formidable team, particularly after adding ace left-hander Tarik Skubal in a trade-deadline deal with the Detroit Tigers last week. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is also slated to return on Tuesday after missing most of the season with injuries.And the lineup still has plenty of star power with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker. Roberts said before Friday’s game that the remedy for the recent troubles was simple.“We’ve just got to play better,” Roberts said. “I don’t think the standings — I mean they’re important, they matter — but I just feel like with the talent we have, we’ve just got to play good baseball and it’ll take care of itself. It always does.”___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb DAVID BRANDT Brandt is an Associated Press sports writer based in Phoenix. He covers a wide variety of sports including the NBA, NFL and MLB. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Why Colts owner is Adam Vinatieri's Hall of Fame presenter instead of Patriots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.On Saturday night, Adam Vinatieri will be one of five NFL personalities to receive Hall of Fame honors. While his career began with the New England Patriots in 1996, it will be Carlie Irsay-Gordon and the Indianapolis Colts who will give Vinatieri his honors.Irsay-Gordon is the daughter of Jim Irsay, who, in his career, served as the team's principal owner, chairman, CEO and general manager. After Irsay peacefully passed away in his sleep in May 2025, Irsay-Gordon took the reins as the franchise's co-owner and CEO.Here's why Carlie Irsay-Gordon will present Vinatieri's Hall of Fame honors ahead of tonight's game.MORE: LIVE updates from the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame gameWhy Colts owner is Adam Vinatieri's Hall of Fame presenter?In late July, Vinatieri met with Irsay-Gordon. The longtime Colts kicker was a member of the franchise while Irsay-Gordon's father, Jim Irsay, ran the team. During the meeting, Vinatieri asked the current CEO of the Colts to present him with the award.Here's the video of Vinatieri and Irsay-Gordon's conversation."I just wanted to come in and say thank you so much for everything that you and your family have done for me. It's been such a wonderful ride," Vinatieri said. "I can't even express to you how much you guys all have meant to me, and I'd be super, super honored if you would present me."Irsay-Gordon, of course, accepted Vinatieri's offer and will present him with Hall of Fame honors to immortalize the kicker among the NFL's legends."Adam Vinatieri is one of the most accomplished athletes football or any other sport has ever seen, and he is unequivocally the greatest kicker in NFL history," Irsay-Gordon said in February, per the Colts.Vinatieri spent 14 years in Indianapolis, compared to his 10-year career in New England, which could also explain why the kicker opted to be inducted as a Colt.MORE: What channel is the NFL Hall of Fame game on tonight?Adam Vinatieri relationship with Carlie Irsay-GordonVinatieri and the Colts' current owner and CEO have some ties that preclude Irsay-Gordon from introducing the kicker into the NFL Hall of Fame.Irsay-Gordon's father, Jim, was the owner and CEO of the Colts from January 1997 until his passing on May 21, 2025. Following his death, Irsay-Gordon emerged as the owner, CEO and principal owner of the team. As Irsay's successor, who Vinatieri played under for over 14 seasons, the kciker chose the daughter to honor both his longstanding connection to the organization and her new franchise leadership position.Irsay-Gordon previously praised Vinatieri as "unequivocally the greatest kicker in NFL history," who she watched play for her father's franchise for more than a decade.Adam Vinatieri Colts careerAfter his 10-season career in Foxborough, Vinatieri joined New England's division rival in Indianapolis as a free agent. In his debut season, his leg connected on 14 of 15 playoff field goal attempts to lift Peyton Manning and the Colts to a Super Bowl 41 championship.For a total of 14 seasons, "Automatic Adam" established himself as the NFL's all-time leading scorer, set a league record with 44 consecutive converted field goals, and even earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2014. He also became the only player in NFL history to score over 1,000 points with two different franchises.In 2019, two years before he announced his retirement, Vinatieri's accuracy inevitably declined due to age and injury. After spending 2020 on the sidelines recovering from a chronic left knee injury the season prior, Vinatieri officially announced his retirement in May 2021 on former teammate Pat McAfee's podcast, concluding a 14-year run in Indianapolis.MORE: Who are the highest-paid running backs in the NFL?Adam Vinatieri career statsSeasonsGamesFGMFGAFG%LNGXP%2436559971583.8%5797.3%

Barcelona forward set to visit Paris this week ahead of a potential move to PSGThis week is going to be a crucial one for Ferran Torres, as far as his future is concerned.The striker has been closely linked with a move to PSG this week, with his current Barcelona contract coming to an end next summer.Ferran’s stock has risen since his heroics at the FIFA World Cup and it appears PSG are now ready to snap him up.As per recent reports, Ferran has already agreed to a move to Parc des Princes.Ferran to travel to ParisFerran Torres wants to join PSG. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)Now, Gerard Romero has offered an update on the future of Ferran Torres, revealing that the Barcelona frontman is set to visit Paris this week.It is perhaps fair to guess that the forward might be going there to hold personal talks with PSG, though negotiations can only be handled by his agents. It must also be noted that Ferran is expected to report to training at Barcelona on August 12, meaning the player might find it ideal to complete the necessary formalities within this week. Long way left to goFerran Torres’ future hangs in the balance. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)That being said, Ferran’s visit to Paris alone doesn’t necessarily mean the deal is close to being done.It has been reported recently that PSG are yet to submit an offer for Ferran just yet and Barcelona, for their part, are not ready to offload the Spanish international on a cut price deal.Reports indicate that Catalans are looking for at least €50 million for Ferran Torres’ services, even though there is just one year left on his current contract.It remains to be seen whether PSG agree to those demands. But Ferran’s exit is likely to play a key role in Barcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez and indeed, Rodri.The Catalans’ opening offer for Rodri was rejected by Manchester City and the club have vowed to come back with an improved offer.It remains to be seen whether PSG agree to those demands, but the coming days will certainly be interesting for both the clubs.

Liverpool at front of queue for record-breaking African starLiverpool want to sign a record-breaking star and they're at the front of the queue to do so.Liverpool’s attack needs an injection of energy from the wing after a season in which they struggled badly to stretch teams. The Reds didn’t have the pace dynamism to attack from wide areas, nor were they good enough on the counter-attack, and it has them shopping for new talent this summer.Yan Diomande was the priority, of course, but he’s now signed for Real Madrid. Now it’s Bradley Barcola heading the shortlist - and the Reds are in talks with Paris Saint-Germain about a move.But that’s not all. Reports broke this week that Ibrahim Mbaye was wanted at Anfield and now it appears that they’ve gone straight to the front of the queue.L’Equipe reports that both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund are pushing hardest to sign Mbaye right now. The winger is fully expected to move somewhere this summer, especially after PSG completed a deal for Maghnes Akliouche from AS Monaco.Bet £10, Get £30 in Free BetsOpen an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater.18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org£30 FREECLAIM NOW18+Gambling can be addictive — please only bet what you can afford to lose. For free support visitBeGambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7). Self-exclude at GAMSTOP.co.uk. AnfieldWatch is not a licensed betting operator. Offers subject to change.Liverpool, who aren’t actually linked with any other right-wingers, will attempt to sign Mbaye and pair him with the remarkably similar Rio Ngumoha long-term. Ngumoha lit up the scene for the Reds last season, while the marginally-older Mbaye actually went even further.The winger became the youngest African goalscorer in World Cup history with his strike against France this summer. It makes him the fourth-youngest goalscorer of any nationality, and it’s plainly clear that he’s the future of Senegalese football.Liverpool, then, hope he can also be a part of the future at Anfield. They’ll continue to push hard on this one and fancy their chances of beating Dortmund if they can offer Mbaye proper minutes.That will likely be the deciding factor here. Mbaye wants out of PSG in order to get more minutes and guarantee development time - any club that signs him will need to offer him just that.So let’s see what Liverpool can do.

The EFL Cup has provided some of the highest-scoring games in English football history [Getty Images]The Carabao Cup is back.Some clubs use the early rounds to give experience to young players, shake off the last of their pre‑season rust and perhaps sneak an early season upset, but that can also result in some staggering scorelines.From 12‑goal thrillers to 10-0 humiliations and penalty shootouts that threaten to last almost as long as the match itself, the EFL Cup has had it all over the years.Here's a look at the some of the most wild games the competition has ever produced...Dagenham & Redbridge 6–6 Brentford (2-4 pens)Round one, 13 August 2014, Victoria RoadLet's start off with a bang and talk about the joint-highest scoring EFL Cup tie in history.The tie between Dagenham & Redbridge, then in League Two, and a Brentford side recently promoted to the Championship may not have looked the most interesting on paper, but it certainly delivered a gripping match.A remarkable match was level at 4-4 after 90 minutes and the goals kept coming in extra-time.The Daggers took the lead for the first time in the 113th minute and looked set to progress as they led 6-5 late on, before Brentford's Harlee Dean scored in the 117th minute to take the match to penalties.After Jack Connors and Ashley Chambers missed for Dagenham, skipper Kevin O'Connor stepped up to score the winning spot-kick for Brentford.Wycombe 3-8 Aston VillaWycombe threated to shock Aston Villa before the Premier League side scored seven second-half goals [Getty Images]Round two, 20 September 2005, Adams ParkAston Villa manager David O'Leary admitted his side were "on the verge" of being part of a cup shock when they faced Wycombe Wanderers in 2005.But having trailed the League Two side 3-1 at half-time, Villa responded with seven goals in the second half to secure the win.Some Villa fans reacted angrily when goals from Nathan Tyson, Roger Johnson and Tommy Mooney put Wycombe in a strong position at the halfway stage.But goals from Milan Baros and James Milner made it 3-3, before a Craig Easton own goal, two from Gareth Barry and further strikes from Milner and Steven Davis completed an emphatic turnaround.West Ham United 10-0 BurySecond round, second leg, 25 October 1983, Boleyn GroundWe're going back to the days when the early rounds had two legs, the tournament was called the Milk Cup, and the day West Ham United recorded their record win.There was little warning that an eye‑catching scoreline was coming, given John Lyall's Division One leaders had only edged the first‑leg tie 2-1 at Fourth Division Bury.But West Ham raced to a 5-0 half‑time lead, with Alvin Martin, Trevor Brooking and Tony Cottee tearing Bury apart. Cottee completed his hat‑trick before the break and the Hammers were just as ruthless in the second half.Cottee added his fourth, Alan Devonshire got another, Ray Stewart buried a penalty, and Brooking tapped in late on as West Ham reached double figures.Reading 5-7 ArsenalArsenal came back from 4-0 down to win 5-7 against Reading [Getty Images]Fourth round, 30 October 2012, Madejski StadiumAn incredible match, the joint-highest scoring EFL Cup tie in history, and it took extra-time to find a winner.Still without a win in their return to the Premier League, Reading threw away any joy their fans were feeling as they led Arsenal 4-0 by capitulating to lose 7-5.Arsenal found themselves four down after 35 minutes, but Theo Walcott's goal before half‑time sparked a comeback that dragged the match into extra-time. Marouane Chamakh put Arsenal in front for the first time on the night with a goal in the first period of extra-time, only for Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak to make it 5-5.But Walcott restored Arsenal's lead before Chamakh completed the scoring.A remarkable night was further added to by the faintly ridiculous moment when Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin threw their shirts into the crowd, thinking the match was over, only to have to awkwardly ask for them back once they realised extra‑time was still to come.Manchester City 9-0 Burton AlbionManchester City went on to win the competition in 2019 after sweeping Burton aside [Getty Images]Semi-final first leg, 9 January 2019, Etihad StadiumBurton Albion's first major semi‑final was somewhat ruined as they were roundly thrashed by Manchester City.The 3,000 Brewers fans had to battle some M6 chaos just to get there and some might have wished they'd stayed stuck in traffic.Nigel Clough's side had beaten a mixture of Premier League and Championship sides to get to the last four but were powerless to stop a rampant City side.Gabriel Jesus scored four, with Kevin de Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez also scoring against the beleaguered League One side.After Burton's fairy tale cup run finally ended, Clough said that Pep Guardiola invited him in for a glass of wine and quipped he hoped the Spaniard had "more than a glass."The second leg finished 1-0 at the Pirelli Stadium, sealing a 10–0 aggregate victory for City.Liverpool 10-0 FulhamIan Rush (centre) scored twice in Liverpool's double-digit victory [Getty Images]Second round first leg, 23 September 1986, AnfieldLeague champions Liverpool showed their class with a 10-goal demolition of Fulham.Steve McMahon scored four and missed a penalty as the Third Division side were swept aside at Anfield. Ian Rush and John Wark struck early, Ronnie Whelan added a third, and McMahon scored either side of Wark's second. He hit the bar from the spot before making it seven, with further goals from Rush, McMahon and Nicol sealing the club's biggest victory in domestic competition.Liverpool then won the second leg 3-2, advancing 13-2 on aggregate.Preston North End 1-1 Fulham (16-15 pens)Preston's penalty shootout win against Fulham is the longest-ever penalty shootout in League Cup history [Getty Images]Third round, 17 September 2024, DeepdaleYes, 1-1 isn't the most memorable scoreline, but the third-round tie between Preston North End and Fulham in 2024 makes it into the record books after producing the longest penalty shootout in the competition's history. A total of 34 spot kicks were taken – 31 of which were successfully converted – as Paul Heckingbottom's men booked their place in round four.Just when it seemed the shootout may never end, Fulham's Timothy Castagne blazed his spot-kick over the bar and Preston midfielder Ryan Ledson – who scored the game's opener in the 36th minute – fired in the decisive penalty.The shootout eclipsed the previous record set in 2016 when Derby County beat Carlisle United 14-13 on penalties. More on this story Why is the EFL Cup being played on a weekend?

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 07: (L-R) Mateusz Gamrot of Poland and Quillan Salkilld of Australia face off during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on August 07, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLCEvery fighter on Saturday's UFC card at the Apex weighed in successfully. That includes the lightweight main event between Mateusz Gamrot and the fast-rising Quillan Salkilld. Let's talk MMA.Key Facts at a GlanceUFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. SalkilldSaturday, August 8, 2026Meta APEX, Las Vegas, NevadaPrelims: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PTMain card: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PTStreaming exclusively on Paramount+Also known as UFC Fight Night 284 and UFC Vegas 12012 bouts, 24 fighters, all on weightMain event: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Quillan Salkilld, five rounds at lightweightNevada allows a one-pound allowance on non-title fights, which is why the 155.5 and 145.5 readings are all legal rather than misses. Gamrot enters ranked No. 8 at lightweight and Salkilld No. 12, in the Australian's first UFC main event. Alexia Thainara stepped in against Amanda Lemos after Denise Gomes fell out.READ MORE from the UFC beatUFC Belgrade Results, Bonuses, Highlights and ReactionsUFC Noche Full Card: Date, Time and LocationUFC 331 Has 10 Fights and It Looks a Lot Better Than UFC 330Official Weigh-In ResultsPer the UFC's official results, August 7.Main Card, 8 p.m. ETLightweight main event: Mateusz Gamrot (155.5) vs. Quillan Salkilld (155.5)Lightweight co-main event: Diego Ferreira (154.5) vs. Billy Quarantillo (155.5)Featherweight: Darren Elkins (145.5) vs. Yadier del Valle (145.5)Women's strawweight: Amanda Lemos (115.5) vs. Alexia Thainara (115.5)Welterweight: Billy Ray Goff (170.5) vs. Ty Miller (170.5)Preliminary Card, 5 p.m. ETHeavyweight: Steven Asplund (263.5) vs. Guilherme Pat (249.5)Light heavyweight: Diyar Nurgozhay (205) vs. Bruno Lopes (204.5)Heavyweight: Louie Sutherland (258) vs. José Montanha (258.5)Lightweight: Manoel Sousa (156) vs. Richie Miranda (155.5)Featherweight: Miles Johns (145.5) vs. Gianni Vasquez (143)Women's flyweight: Juliana Miller (125.5) vs. Ravena Oliveira Morais (125.5)Women's strawweight: Gigi Canuto (116) vs. Carol Foro (116)If you're looking for hidden gems on this card, take a look at the women's strawweight battle between Amanda Lemos and another rising star, Alexia Thainara. The latter is a very eccentric and memorable fighter who always brings tons of energy into the Octagon. She's also on a wild run up the rankings. A win over Lemos might push her close to a title shot.Miles Johns is getting what could be his final chance to make a mark in the UFC. He comes into his fight with Gianni Vasquez as a last-minute replacement. Johns should fight with purpose and desperation.Every UFC Event Over The Next 45 DaysAug. 15 — UFC 330: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry, Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Paramount+Aug. 22 — UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues, Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Paramount+Aug. 28 — Road to UFC Season 5: Semifinals, Shanghai Indoor Stadium, ShanghaiAug. 29 — UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song, Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai, Paramount+Sep. 5 — UFC Fight Night: Paris, Accor Arena, Paris, Paramount+Dana White's Contender Series also runs every Tuesday at the Meta APEX on Paramount+ through the fall.This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Tosin hails arrivals of Welbeck and Henderson as new ‘uncs’ in the Chelsea dressing roomTosin Adarabioyo has joked that it's nice not to be the only 'unc' in the Chelsea squad, following the arrivals of Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.Chelsea have secured the signings ofPremier League veterans Welbeck and Henderson this summer, who have been brought in to add experience to the dressing room.At 35 and 36, Welbeck and Henderson have amassed 864Premier League appearances between them, with each winning a wealth of major honours. The new recruits will offer leadership to a Chelsea squad that was the youngest in the Premier League last season.Despite being just 28, Tosin had earned the nickname 'unc' at Chelsea as the oldest member of an inexperienced squad. Abbreviated from uncle, it's an affectionate term used to reference older family members, friends or members of the community.Speaking about the new signings, Tosin joked that he's just glad to have been relieved of his status as the club's elder statesman."I know, thank God we've got Welbs now," he said tochelseafc.com during the club's pre-season tour of Asia."I've known Welbs for a minute now, known him for a long time, just growing up in Manchester, so it's nice to have him with us.‘"I think we've all seen that he scores goals. He's a good striker at the end of the day and he's here to help, and the way for him to help is by scoring goals. I'm sure he'll do that."They bring pure experience."At the same time, they're winners, so they're bringing that winning mentality to the club and hopefully we'll continue that winning."It's obviously nice, no longer being the oldest. We've obviously got some more older players and experienced players in the squad. They’re still uncs as well. They're still young in life, so it's fine."

5⃣ today's news: Araújo-Liverpool, Tagliafico opens up after finalTo kick off Saturday, here are the five stories you can’t miss to start the day.Ronald Araújo, on his way to Liverpool📸 Alex Caparros - 2026 Getty ImagesThe Uruguayan center-back is set to free up wage space at Barcelona with his move to Liverpool. A deal that has been approved by Deco and by the player. He will leave on loan with an option to buy.Manchester City reject the first offer for Rodri📸 OSCAR DEL POZO - AFP or licensorsThe Citizens have rejected the first offer for Rodri, worth 45 million euros. However, according to various sources, his move to Barcelona is not in danger. The midfielder, with the utmost respect, has told his club that he wants to join Barça.'Ferran-mania' in Valencia and FoiosThe Barcelona forward, for now, has been cheered in recent days both in Valencia and in Foios, his hometown, and has enjoyed a hero’s welcome.After his trip to the United States for advertising campaigns, the striker is savoring the fact that he scored the goal that won Spain the World Cup.Mourinho changes the rules and lays down his own📸 Christian Bruna - 2026 Getty ImagesWith his arrival at Real Madrid, José Mourinho has decided to change the nutrition plan, prioritize team bonding, impose more discipline, and demand closer monitoring of injured players.Tagliafico: "We reached the final exhausted"📸 Stacy Revere - 2026 Getty ImagesSeveral weeks after the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, Nicolás Tagliafico spoke in an interview in which he revealed: "We reached the final physically and mentally exhausted. We have to be proud of the World Cup we had; it’s not easy to reach two finals in a row and win two medals. You have to know how to lose, and this shows that you made it all the way, that you gave everything... that means a lot, for all the work that was put in. And don’t think this work is done in just one month — it’s three and a half years in the making."This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

It's been a year since a young Indian team came out of a grueling five-Test tour of England with a memorable 2-2 scoreline. "Our next four Test matches are going to be in India. And that's going to be a different challenge. We have enough talent. This series was very important for us. Every player would feel a lot mature after the end of the series and that would really help us in the long run in this WTC cycle," Shubman Gill, otherwise measured with his words during the tour, found an assertive tone to his speech after the dramatic win in the fifth Test at The Oval.Well, the subsequent home season ended up derailing India's World Test Championship campaign with South Africa steamrolling India in the two Test matches in Nov. If the heroics in England was deemed as India's Test redemption for the preceding forgettable tour of Australia, the consolidation post the English summer never arrived. Instead, an undeniably edgy Indian team has now arrived in Sri Lanka for a two-Test series with the desperation of staying alive in the WTC.Gill became the face of India's Test cricket in England. But the mind was undoubtedly head coach Gautam Gambhir's. Gill arrived in England understandably like deer in the headlights after being thrust to captaincy post the debacle in Australia which saw the retirements of three stalwarts in Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. Gambhir was his shepherd in the chaos. "Before the start of the series, Gauti bhai (Gambhir) said we are a young team but we want to be looked at as a gun team," Gill had revealed Gambhir's nerve-settling words.Gambhir did the heavy-lifting to ensure Gill the batter didn't succumb to the pressures of leading an inexperienced team in England. One can't write off Gambhir's overbearing influence in Test and T20 teams in the last one year. Perhaps, it's time Gill came out of Gambhir's shadow to resurrect India's reputation as a Test team.When he steps out for the toss in Galle on Aug 15, it will be his 10th Test as India captain which includes a Test against South Africa where he was ruled out due to a neck injury after playing three balls in the game. He has led in 12 ODIs. Technically, his captaincy career is still in its nascent stage. But current circumstances won't allow him much time before the swords are pulled out.It's unusual for Indian cricket to have a captain playing the second fiddle in the engine room. Every Indian team is eventually remembered by the captain it had. TOI understands that the power forces in the BCCI have been encouraging Gill to have a firmer say in planning. If the last two ODI series are anything to go by, one may say that Gill has been taking the initiative to drive his point across with the senior players in the team. He was assertive in his demand for bigger windows for preparing for crucial Test series.The team management, with Gambhir facing the heat for India's Test performances, would want to retain Gill batting with as little pressure as possible. Post the series against South Africa, Gambhir himself alluded to the fact that missing the regular captain had a detrimental effect on the undercooked batting order. Yet, India would want Gill absolutely in charge when he is leading the team on the field.In the first eight Tests that he captained, it was apparent that he had very little say in the XI that took the field. Be it the inexplicable reluctance to bowl Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy in a Test match or under-bowling Washington Sundar, Gill is yet to blossom into the undisputed decision-maker in the dressing room. One surely wouldn't want a captain walking out with a team with the thought of using just 10 players.However, people close to the team management claim that he has come a long way from being the clueless captain fielding at long-off in the Manchester Test where KL Rahul literally took charge of marshalling the players in the field as Ben Stokes cruised to a century. Sources say he has opened communication channels with players, even reaching out to them after selection meetings and discussing their roles in the team. It is learnt Gill has become more vocal and assertive about his choices while leading Gujarat Titans, a franchise that swears by the tactical acumen of head coach Ashish Nehra.Save the England tour, the torrid Test record during Gambhir's tenure has left him very little breathing space. With India's chances in the WTC hanging by a thread, chief selector Ajit Agarkar too will have to face the heat if the results don't go their way. Yet, Gill has to quickly emerge as the one who is firmly in charge if this team has to discover its true identity.

PARIS (AP) — Paris is staging its first high-diving competition in the Seine, with athletes launching themselves from a 20-meter platform in front of the Eiffel Tower — a spectacular new test of the city’s effort to reclaim its river for sport.The event on the Bir-Hakeim Bridge has also exposed the fragility of that ambition: Organizers suspended training Thursday when traces of hydrocarbons were detected upstream. By Friday, the French Swimming Federation said the affected area had been treated, allowing athletes to return to the water and the event to proceed as planned.High diving concludes Saturday with the final two rounds and medal events, while the broader European Aquatics Championships run through Aug. 16.“There are things that are within our control, and there are uncertainties that are inevitably linked to any outdoor activity,” said Maxime Sauvage, Paris deputy mayor in charge of sports, sports facilities and equal access to sport.Among the things within the city’s control, he said, are the massive investments made before the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to make the river safe for swimming, from work to prevent sewage from flowing directly into the Seine to improvements in stormwater management.“There is always a small risk, but that is also part of what makes outdoor events special,” Sauvage said. “When they work, it is magical.”Hundreds of people gathered along the riverbanks Friday to watch the divers. Some stopped during their lunch break, while others stumbled across the competition by chance.Among them was Rebecca Kapogiannis, a 45-year-old visitor from London, Ontario, who was visiting Paris with her daughter to celebrate her graduation. Her daughter had even packed a bathing suit in case she got the chance to swim in the Seine.“We just headed down to the (Eiffel) Tower today and thought we would walk along the Seine and stumbled upon this and thought it was a really cool activity to watch,” she told The Associated Press. “I was not expecting a competition to take place in the Seine, but I think it’s such a cool use of this water that runs right through the city.”For Cynthia Matz, who was visiting Paris with her husband, Sean, the setting itself was part of the draw. She said they probably would not have sought out the competition had it been held inside an aquatics center.“Anybody can go. I don’t have to know anything about diving. I can just say, ‘This is really cool to see,’” Matz said. “Having it out in public, people will just stop and go, ‘Huh, what’s going on?’ and stop and spend some time and enjoy it.”That ability to stumble across elite sport in the middle of the city reflects a broader transformation Paris officials have been pushing for years: turning the Seine from a river associated largely with commerce, transport and tourism into a place where people can also swim, play and compete.The 38th European Aquatics Championships, from July 31 to Aug. 16, mark the centenary of the inaugural championships, held in Budapest in 1926. For Paris, they are a return of another kind: The French capital last hosted the event in 1931.More than 1,000 athletes are competing across five disciplines: swimming, diving, artistic swimming, open-water swimming and high diving. The Seine is hosting both open-water swimming and high diving, placing the river back at the center of a major international sporting event two years after the Paris Olympics.Swimming in the Seine was officially banned in 1923 amid pollution and the dangers of river traffic. Public swimming returned only in 2025, after Paris and its partners mobilized 1.4 billion euros to make the river swimmable, an effort accelerated by the Olympics.For many French people, former President Jacques Chirac’s 1988 pledge, when he was mayor of Paris, to make the Seine clean enough for swimming again seemed like a distant dream.But since the 2024 Olympics, images of athletes competing — and now residents swimming — in the river have become almost familiar.Around 70,000 people used the city’s designated Seine swimming areas in July, according to Paris City Hall, compared with nearly 100,000 during the entire summer last year, suggesting growing public interest in reclaiming the river for recreation.Bringing sport into daily Parisian life has been an objective across successive city administrations. Under Emmanuel Grégoire, elected mayor in March, Sauvage said the mission is to “make the entire city increasingly favorable to physical activity and sport.”“For decades, the Seine was limited to economic purposes, tourism with sightseeing boats, and logistics with ships loading and unloading goods in Paris,” Sauvage said. “It was a river with high levels of pollution that also had a significant impact on its biodiversity.”Now, he says, the aim is to add another identity to the river without erasing the others.“Paris is not just a postcard image, it is also a magnificent sporting venue,” Sauvage said. “It is a city that people come to visit, but it is also a city to be experienced by bike, through running, through sport, through play and through swimming.”___Associated Press writer Thomas Adamson in Paris contributed

Who is Larry Fitzgerald's son? Meet the Notre Dame WR following in dad's footsteps originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.While many football fans have certainly heard of NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald, another Fitzgerald is on the rise as he heads into his first season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Fitzgerald's son, Devin.The Paradise Valley native is entering his freshman season with the Fighting Irish and is aiming to follow in his father's footsteps as a dominant receiver. During a playoff game against Chandler High School, the young phenom accumulated 14 receptions for 253 yards (a single-game school record) and a school-record-tying four touchdowns.While comparing him to his father may be a tough task, his career has certainly been fruitful thus far.Here's the rundown on who the son of an NFL Hall of Famer from the Class of 2026 is.MORE: Who made SN's college football Preseason All-America team?Who is Larry Fitzgerald's son?Devin Fitzgerald is a freshman receiver who committed to join the University of Notre Dame on July 5, 2025, according to his ESPN recruiting page. Heading into collegiate football, Fitzgerald committed as a three-star wide receiver from Brophy Prep in Phoenix, Ariz.Fitzgerald was the second-ranked recruit in the state and the 28th-ranked wide receiver overall by 247Sports Composite, per his Notre Dame athletics page. He currently holds the Brophy College Prep record for receiving yards in a game (253 yards), along with other mentions across the school's record books. In his high school career, Fitzgerald posted 149 catches for 2,125 yards and 26 touchdowns, which tied the Brophy school record for catches and ranked second for career yards and touchdowns. His senior campaign was capped with 82 passes for 1,230 yards (15.0 YPC) and 15 TD in 12 games.He is the oldest among his siblings and is the first of three children. Apollo and Milos also share the Fitzgerald name with the family's other two sons.MORE: Did Notre Dame make SN's preseason Top 10 rankings?Why did Devin Fitzgerald choose Notre Dame?Despite having a plethora of offers, including Clemson and UCLA, Fitzgerald chose the Fighting Irish, as he joins the crowded field of Notre Dame's Class of 2026 recruits.According to ESPN, Fitzgerald told them that the Irish were consistent in his recruitment since his freshman year. It did take a while for Notre Dame to offer a scholarship, but their offer was on the table since May 2025, two months before he made his decision. The Fighting Irish's wide receivers coach, Mike Brown, led the charge in recruiting the son of an NFL all-time great. Brown also played in the NFL from 2012 to 2015, and Fitzgerald is hoping to learn from Notre Dame's stellar program."I've developed into a better ballplayer, and they really think I'm going to turn into a great player," Fitzgerald told ESPN. "I've known Coach Brown since I was 5 years old. He's shown me that I can come in, step up and play early. That's their plan with me."MORE: Which players made SN's 2027 NFL Draft Big Board?Where did Larry Fitzgerald go to college?Fitzgerald attended the University of Pittsburgh and played two seasons of Big East football, the conference Pitt was a member of at the time. In the present day, the Panthers play in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).He was a thousand-yard receiver in both seasons he played, finishing with 12 or more touchdowns in each campaign.MORE: SN's way-too-early 2027 NFL mock draft projections

France's Madeleine Bayon competes during round 1 of the Women's 20m Platform as the Eiffel Tower is seen in the background at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)2026-08-08T07:11:19Z PARIS (AP) — Paris is staging its first high-diving competition in the Seine, with athletes launching themselves from a 20-meter platform in front of the Eiffel Tower — a spectacular new test of the city’s effort to reclaim its river for sport.The event on the Bir-Hakeim Bridge has also exposed the fragility of that ambition: Organizers suspended training Thursday when traces of hydrocarbons were detected upstream. By Friday, the French Swimming Federation said the affected area had been treated, allowing athletes to return to the water and the event to proceed as planned.High diving concludes Saturday with the final two rounds and medal events, while the broader European Aquatics Championships run through Aug. 16.“There are things that are within our control, and there are uncertainties that are inevitably linked to any outdoor activity,” said Maxime Sauvage, Paris deputy mayor in charge of sports, sports facilities and equal access to sport. Among the things within the city’s control, he said, are the massive investments made before the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to make the river safe for swimming, from work to prevent sewage from flowing directly into the Seine to improvements in stormwater management.“There is always a small risk, but that is also part of what makes outdoor events special,” Sauvage said. “When they work, it is magical.” Hundreds of people gathered along the riverbanks Friday to watch the divers. Some stopped during their lunch break, while others stumbled across the competition by chance.Among them was Rebecca Kapogiannis, a 45-year-old visitor from London, Ontario, who was visiting Paris with her daughter to celebrate her graduation. Her daughter had even packed a bathing suit in case she got the chance to swim in the Seine. Read More “We just headed down to the (Eiffel) Tower today and thought we would walk along the Seine and stumbled upon this and thought it was a really cool activity to watch,” she told The Associated Press. “I was not expecting a competition to take place in the Seine, but I think it’s such a cool use of this water that runs right through the city.” For Cynthia Matz, who was visiting Paris with her husband, Sean, the setting itself was part of the draw. She said they probably would not have sought out the competition had it been held inside an aquatics center.“Anybody can go. I don’t have to know anything about diving. I can just say, ‘This is really cool to see,’” Matz said. “Having it out in public, people will just stop and go, ‘Huh, what’s going on?’ and stop and spend some time and enjoy it.”That ability to stumble across elite sport in the middle of the city reflects a broader transformation Paris officials have been pushing for years: turning the Seine from a river associated largely with commerce, transport and tourism into a place where people can also swim, play and compete.The 38th European Aquatics Championships, from July 31 to Aug. 16, mark the centenary of the inaugural championships, held in Budapest in 1926. For Paris, they are a return of another kind: The French capital last hosted the event in 1931.More than 1,000 athletes are competing across five disciplines: swimming, diving, artistic swimming, open-water swimming and high diving. The Seine is hosting both open-water swimming and high diving, placing the river back at the center of a major international sporting event two years after the Paris Olympics.Swimming in the Seine was officially banned in 1923 amid pollution and the dangers of river traffic. Public swimming returned only in 2025, after Paris and its partners mobilized 1.4 billion euros to make the river swimmable, an effort accelerated by the Olympics.For many French people, former President Jacques Chirac’s 1988 pledge, when he was mayor of Paris, to make the Seine clean enough for swimming again seemed like a distant dream.But since the 2024 Olympics, images of athletes competing — and now residents swimming — in the river have become almost familiar.Around 70,000 people used the city’s designated Seine swimming areas in July, according to Paris City Hall, compared with nearly 100,000 during the entire summer last year, suggesting growing public interest in reclaiming the river for recreation.Bringing sport into daily Parisian life has been an objective across successive city administrations. Under Emmanuel Grégoire, elected mayor in March, Sauvage said the mission is to “make the entire city increasingly favorable to physical activity and sport.” “For decades, the Seine was limited to economic purposes, tourism with sightseeing boats, and logistics with ships loading and unloading goods in Paris,” Sauvage said. “It was a river with high levels of pollution that also had a significant impact on its biodiversity.”Now, he says, the aim is to add another identity to the river without erasing the others.“Paris is not just a postcard image, it is also a magnificent sporting venue,” Sauvage said. “It is a city that people come to visit, but it is also a city to be experienced by bike, through running, through sport, through play and through swimming.” ___Associated Press writer Thomas Adamson in Paris contributed