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A prison vehicle that the police officers say is carrying Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammed, also known as Adem Karadag, arrives at the South Bangkok Criminal Court ahead of a Thai criminal court's verdict, in
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France's President Emmanuel Macron chairs a videoconference meeting dubbed "Global Convergence for Growth Summit" with officials and heads of state from China and G7 member states, at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France, Thursday.
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Seattle, Washington, USA downtown skyline at twilight with Mount Rainier. As many as 10mn visitors will head to 11 US cities this summer, helping turn the FIFA World Cup 2026 into the largest sporting event in history. While US host cities like Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco are world-famous, lesser-known US cities are primed to host soccer fans. In Kansas City, Missouri, for instance, Café Corazón owner Dulcinea Herrera says that people underestimate the Midwestern city of 500,000. Herrera and other local business owners are preparing for 650,000 visitors for FIFA World Cup 2026. White House World Cup Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani calls it “a tremendous privilege” to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 during the year the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, and says the federal government is working with host cities to ensure a safe and welcoming tournament. “Hosting the world during this historic year ... gives us a chance to show the very best of America — our hospitality and our innovation — while also showcasing the America spirit of which we’re so proud of,” Giuliani said. Atlanta, famous for peaches, pecans and Southern hospitality, the Georgia state capital is a cultural and economic hub of the South. It boasts the country’s busiest airport and was home to famed Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta is home to numerous industries, including aerospace and financial technologies, as well as soft drink giant Coca-Cola. The Midwestern city called Kansas City straddles parts of two US states — Kansas and Missouri — and is known as the “City of Fountains,” as it has more in use than any other US city. Its famed Power & Light District boasts eight blocks of restaurants where visitors can sample the famous barbecue. New York, famous for skyscrapers, Broadway theatre and the lights of Times Square will host the FIFA World Cup 2026 finals at a stadium in neighbouring New Jersey. New York offers museums, libraries, walks in Central Park and the iconic Statue of Liberty. Known for the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is a city of steep hills, scaled by streetcars and packed with colorful row houses. It’s the northern hub of California’s Silicon Valley, a centre of technological innovation. San Francisco will be ready to host six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. Qatar will play their inaugural match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, and their base training centre is located in Santa Barbara. Known for a drizzly climate, a pedestrian-friendly downtown and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit, Seattle will offer international visitors the chance to sample seafood at Pike’s Place Market and take in a view of the entire city from the Space Needle. Seattle’s pioneering companies include airplane manufacturer Boeing, software developer Microsoft, and Starbucks, which operates in 85 countries. The city, where the US National Team will make an early-round appearance, plans nine “fan zones” for the FIFA World Cup 2026, each offering big screens, food and live entertainment. Qatar will play their final group stage match at Lumen Field in Seattle. Related Story
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President Donald Trump said yesterday that the US military secretly helped 100mn barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran largely closed in response to US and Israeli attacks.“Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, claiming the US “controls” the waterway. “Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market,” he said, adding that more than 200 commercial shipshad gone through. The United States began a military operation — dubbed Project Freedom — to escort ships through the strait in early May, but scrapped it after just a day in what Trump described as a bid to end the Middle East war, which Washington and Israel launched on February 28.
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the United States was readying a second day of attacks on Iran, citing President Trump’s pledge earlier to “hit them hard again today.”The strikes, Hegseth said, are intended to get Tehran to make peace on terms agreeable to Trump, who said earlier in the day that Iran was taking “too long to negotiate.” “If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs,” Hegseth told reporters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. “And we’re very good at it. Nobody better in the world.”Earlier President Donald Trump threatened further escalation following one of the most significant exchanges of hostilities in two months. “We’re going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard,” Trump told reporters at the White House, saying the strikes were coming. The US and Iran have traded fire several times since a tentative ceasefire took hold in early April, even as negotiators have sought an end to the three-month-old war. Trump has repeatedly said a deal is close, though there has been no sign of a breakthrough. In the latest such incident, the US military targeted air defenses and radar sites around the Strait of Hormuz after a US attack helicopter was downed near the strategic waterway. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. A US official said there was no significant damage. Iran said the US had violated international law by striking reservoirs that supplied drinking water to 10 villages. “This is not collateral damage — it is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghei said.Trump, who has threatened before to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure, did not say whether the coming strikes would target power plants and bridges. The head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, warned in response that the “war won’t be limited to the region.”Despite the belligerent language from both sides, there were signs of continuing diplomatic efforts. A delegation from Qatar, which has been mediating between the US and Iran, landed in Tehran yesterday to hold talks on the latest developments, Iranian media reported.The war has killed thousands and disrupted roughly one-fifth of the world’s supply of oil and natural gas, sending prices sharply higher. Iran has blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US has maintained its own blockade on Iranian ports. Oil prices rose nearly $3 following Trump’s threat of escalation, to $94 per barrel. Trump said vessels carrying 100mn barrels of oil have defied Iran to travel through the strait as part of a secret military mission. He said oil prices would be much higher without the effort. Separately, the US military said it disabled an oil tanker transporting Iranian crude in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday for a second consecutive day. Fighting in a parallel war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon has continued. Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people yesterday, Lebanese security sources said, whileHezbollah claimed fresh attacks against Israeli forces. Tehran’s demands include an end to Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, the lifting of sanctions on Iran, the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets, and recognition of its control of the strait. Trump says Iran must end its restrictions on shipping through Hormuz. He also says any peace deal must ensure Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon.Iran denies any such ambition. The UN nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors passed a US-backed resolution yesterday telling Iran to declare its remaining enriched uranium stocks and let inspectors verify them. Iran branded the resolution as “political”.
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Asked whether visa-related controversies had made him regret selecting the US as one of the host nations, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he had no regrets. (Reuters) FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the way football's governing body had handled visa issues ahead of the World Cup, saying yesterday that it was working to find solutions but could not override government decisions. Speaking on the eve of the tournament opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, Infantino addressed concerns surrounding Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was barred from entering the US despite having a valid visa. "It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia," Infantino told a press conference. "We are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces. We are a sports organisation." The case has drawn attention to immigration challenges ahead of the June 11-July 19 tournament after US authorities said Artan was denied entry because of his links to "suspected members of terror organisations". Artan, voted Africa's top men's referee last year, insisted he had the correct visa to enter the United States but he was turned back at Miami International Airport and then put on a flight back to Turkey at the weekend. Artan would have been the first match official from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup finals. Infantino said FIFA was continuing to work behind the scenes to resolve outstanding issues but stressed that immigration decisions ultimately rested with national authorities. "We always try to find solutions," he said. "Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution." Infantino was asked by a BBC reporter if he felt FIFA had "lost control" of its own tournament because of the case of Artan and also Washington's decision to refuse visas for 15 members of the Iran team's support staff. "In 2035 I think, we hope, the women's World Cup will be in the UK. Would you find it normal that FIFA would dictate to the British government who to let into the country and who not to let in the country. I don't know, maybe you find it normal?" Infantino asked. Infantino called on the media to "chill and relax" – clarifying later that he did not mean to imply that FIFA was not doing anything about issues such as visas. "When I say chill, I do not mean chill and do nothing. I mean we are working," he said. "Our world is a very aggressive world, security rules above everything." Asked whether visa-related controversies had made him regret selecting the US as one of the host nations, Infantino said he had no regrets. "There are issues; it's normal for an event of this magnitude," he said. "Some come from the United States, some from Canada, some from Mexico. We deal with all of them." The FIFA president also pointed to Iran's participation in the tournament as evidence of his organisation's efforts to navigate complex political circumstances. "People were saying Iran couldn't come to the World Cup," Infantino said. "I promised them they will come." He said ensuring Iran's participation despite geopolitical tensions demonstrated football's ability to bring people together. The Swiss-Italian executive repeatedly returned to a message of unity, saying the World Cup could provide a welcome distraction at a time of global conflict and uncertainty. "When Iran plays, the stadium will be full and I hope there will be a positive atmosphere because this is football," he said. "We want to unite the world." Infantino also defended FIFA's ticket pricing after criticism from some supporters who argued that the cost of attending matches had become prohibitive. FIFA has sold more than six million tickets for the tournament, which now has 48 teams, and demand had exceeded expectations by "a factor of 10 or more", he said. "The starting price at $60 is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the playoff phases," Infantino said. "If you sell it at a lower price point, it would have gone on secondary markets at much higher prices. Every dollar that comes in goes back to the development of football." The World Cup kicks off today at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, which will become the first stadium to host matches at three men's World Cups, with Infantino predicting one of the most competitive tournaments in the events history. The FIFA president said factors including altitude, climate, travel and the expanded format would add further unpredictability before concluding: "Let the celebration begin." Related Story
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South Africa's coach Hugo Broos Forty years after playing for Belgium against hosts Mexico in the 1986 World Cup opener, Hugo Broos makes an emotional return to the Estadio Azteca today, this time as coach of South Africa.The clash between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City signals the start of the 2026 World Cup, the first of 104 matches that will end with the champions being crowned on July 19 in New Jersey."No-one in Hollywood could have scripted it better -- I played in a World Cup opener and now, four decades later, I will be one of the coaches in a World Cup opener," he said.The 2026 World Cup, which Mexico, the United States and Canada are jointly hosting, signals the end of a 56-year football career for the Belgian, as a defender and a coach. "I am dreaming of a beautiful ending where South Africa reach the knockout phase of a World Cup for the first time after three first-round exits," he said."When South Africa bow out of this tournament, I will say goodbye to football. I turned 74 this year and the time has come to be with my wife, two daughters, son and eight grandchildren."After Mexico, South Africa face the Czech Republic and South Korea in Group A. Group winners and runners-up advance automatically along with eight of the 12 third-placed nations. South Africa and Mexico also crossed paths in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup that South Africa hosted, in a game that finished 1-1.Broos, who took charge in 2021, said Mexico, and their fervent fans, would present a challenging start. "Mexico are a good, ambitious team which emphasises movement. Nothing other than our best level will suffice. We must know what to do when they have the ball, and when we have it," he said.The Belgian veteran said he believes three points will be enough to reach the knockout round. "Three points will take us through. The four (Group A) teams are not too different in terms of quality. That means there are three tough matches ahead for South Africa. Our mission is to create history by reaching the second round."He played down suggestions that the fierce domestic rivalry between Sundowns and Pirates could spill into the squad. "There are no Sundowns or Pirates players in the squad. Only South Africans. The camaraderie is fantastic. Choosing players with the right mentality is a key part of my job."Broos defended his selection of 36-year-old Themba Zwanem, who he said was "a good playmaker, who can help us for part of each match".He added: "He is fit after several injuries and can make a significant impact. He is intelligent and scores goals."Regardless of how the World Cup pans out, Broos said he was proud to have played a role in rejuvenating the South African team."We were once labelled a 'joke' and one friendly match attracted less than 200 spectators to a 93,000-seat stadium. Our last home warm-up match was a 50,000 sell-out..." Related Story
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An Iranian missile is launched, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks against a US base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes
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'Temptation Island' Grant Larsen Turns Up the Temptation On 'TMZ After Dark' Tour Published June 10, 2026 1:58 PM PDT Play video content A little temptation after dark can be a good thing ... which
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UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi, the youngest Emirati and Arab woman to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica.Fatima Al Awadhi is also
