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Senator Mitch McConnell Smiling and Alert in Hospital Pic ... Says He Didn't Have Heart Attack Published July 12, 2026 2:34 PM PDT Mitch McConnell has shared the first photo of himself since he was
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Lindsey Graham Died From Tear in Aorta Caused By Heart Disease Published July 12, 2026 2:10 PM PDT Lindsey Graham's died from a tear in his aorta ... this according to his longtime spokesperson. Taylor
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Slaven Bilic speaks during a press conference after being appointed Croatia's head coach in Zagreb on July 13, 2026. Slaven Bilic will return as head coach of Croatia, the national football federation announced Monday, replacing Zlatko Dalic, who resigned after the country's World Cup exit.Dalic stepped down last week after a tenure that included a runner-up finish at the 2018 World Cup. Croatia failed to move into the last 16 of this year's World Cup, losing 2-1 to Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.Former Croatian international defender Bilic previously coached Croatia between 2006 and 2012.The 57-year-old, who also coached English clubs West Ham, West Bromwich Albion and Watford, was "unanimously appointed" as head coach, the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) said."It is not easy to succeed Zlatko, but we are convinced that Slaven is the right person for this role," HNS president Marijan Kustic said, praising Bilic's "extensive coaching and managerial experience".Bilic recorded a higher winning percentage than Dalic during his last tenure, with 42 wins, 15 draws and eight defeats in 65 matches.But his side's best result was reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 European Championships, which they lost on penalties to Turkey."I am extremely excited about this challenge, which I feel completely ready for as a more mature and experienced coach than I was in 2006, but with the same motivation and desire for Croatia to be strong, bold and successful," Bilic told a press conference.- Modric in spotlight -The Split-born Bilic said he took the post to "achieve a great result, above all at the European Championship" in 2028.Asked about whether veteran captain Luka Modric would retire from international football, Bilic said the decision was up to the former Ballon d'Or winner, who will turn 41 in September."He is much more to Croatia than just the best player. Modric has been asked whether he is retiring since 2018 ... I would like him to continue playing for the national team."With 44 caps for Croatia, Bilic's club career was mostly spent at Hajduk Split with stints in England at West Ham and Everton in the mid-1990s.Bilic's last coaching position was at Saudi Arabia's Al-Fateh, during the 2023-2024 season.Modric's Croatia lost the 2018 World Cup final to France in Russia.Dalic also guided the nation to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the last-16 at Euro 2020. Related Story
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Referee Joao Pinheiro shows a red card to Breel Embolo of Switzerland during the FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Argentina at Kansas City Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AFP) AFPAtlantaLionel Messi's brilliance has helped carry Argentina into a blockbuster World Cup semi-final with England in Atlanta on Wednesday.But the defending champions' journey to the last four has been engulfed by online conspiracy theories claiming - without evidence - that the playing field has been tilted in their favour.Social media is awash with AI-generated videos and memes which amplify this narrative, whether it's FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Messi sharing a loving embrace on the deck of the Titanic in the style of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, or simply Infantino's face being superimposed at the heart of the Sun of May at the center of Argentina's flag. From contentious refereeing decisions to claims of being handed a kind draw to the final, AFP breaks down the main incidents which have given rise to the conspiracy theories:Messi escapes redIn Argentina's group stage win over Algeria, with the South Americans leading 1-0, captain Lionel Messi raked his studs down the right calf and Achilles tendon of Algeria skipper Aissa Mandi in the 30th minute.Polish referee Szymon Marciniak gave Algeria a free-kick but Messi received no further sanction and would go on to score a hat-trick.Several pundits however were adamant that Messi had been guilty of serious foul play and under the letter of the law, should have been shown a red card that would have led to a suspension."It should have been a red card in my opinion," said ESPN pundit and former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha."Messi knew he did something that could have got him in trouble. I personally feel it is a red card."Former Bundesliga referee Patrick Ittrich agreed: "For me, that is a red card. We have various examples from the Bundesliga where that was punished with a red. By the letter of the law, that is a red. If I had seen it like that on the pitch, I would have shown red."Algeria's football federation subsequently filed an official complaint to FIFA over "refereeing injustice" in the game.Egypt cry foulArgentina produced one of the all-time great comebacks to keep their World Cup campaign alive in the last 16 against Egypt, recovering from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 and reach the quarter-finals.But Egypt's players and coaching staff were outraged by several decisions by French referee Francois Letexier that went in Argentina's favour at key moments.The biggest post-game talking point surrounded a goal scored by Egypt in the second half which was disallowed after an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), who had spotted a foul on an Argentina player several phases before Egypt's Mostafa Zico put the ball in the net, at the other end of the pitch.Several analysts questioned whether VAR had overstepped its reach."VAR was looking at something too deeply and looking for something that has happened in the game to try to cancel the Egypt goal," former FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg said.Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan also claimed that Egypt should have been awarded a penalty in the build-up to Enzo Fernandez's late winner for Argentina."There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome," Hassan said."Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition?" he told BeIn Sports."Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running? In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects."FIFA referees' chief Pierluigi Collina rejected the Egyptian allegations as "unfounded".Pivotal VAR callAnother pivotal VAR call helped shape the outcome of Argentina's 3-1 extra-time quarter-final win over Switzerland on in Kansas City on Saturday.In the 70th minute, referee Joao Pinheiro gave Argentina's Leandro Paredes a yellow card for a foul on Breel Embolo, shortly after Switzerland had equalised at 1-1 and were dominating the weary world champions.However a VAR intervention using FIFA's new mistaken identity rule determined that Embolo had initiated the foul in an act of simulation and the call was overturned. Yet because Embolo had already received a yellow card, he was shown a red and sent off -- leaving Switzerland down to 10-men and halting their momentum. Argentina would on to secure victory in extra-time."We were punished because of a rule that, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable," Swiss coach Murat Yakin said afterwards.Many commentators though point out that Embolo was rightly punished for a clear dive."If you want to argue FIFA is rigging the World Cup for Lionel Messi and Argentina, and some of you are hellbent on doing just that, you're going to have to do better than this," wrote USA Today columnist Nancy Armour.A kind draw?Critics of Argentina's run to the semi-finals cite the ranking of their opponents as evidence of favouritism by FIFA.So far Argentina has not had to face a team ranked higher than 19th in the world heading into their clash with England on Wednesday. After topping a group that included Algeria, Jordan and Austria, Argentina's knockout round opponents were Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland.But this is due in in large part to FIFA's decision to seed the top four teams in the world in such a way that would keep them apart until the semi-finals.England have not faced a team ranked in the top 10 so far while France did have to play seventh-ranked Morocco in the quarter-finals.Spain have had the hardest route to the semi-finals, needing to beat fifth-ranked Portugal and Belgium (ninth) on their way to the last four. Related
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Lionel Scaloni, Head Coach of Argentina, gestures during the World Cup quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AFP) Lionel Scaloni barely registered among the coaching royalty gathered in Bilbao.Brazil’s Tite drew the crowds to the International Football Summit. Fabio Capello, Unai Emery and Ernesto Valverde commanded attention. Scaloni, only months into one of world football’s most unforgiving jobs, looked like an afterthought.Then lunch was served. Initially quiet at the table, the former Argentina fullback gradually relaxed into easy conversation, thawing the room with warmth and easy humour and drawing laughs from even the famously stern Capello. Six years later, the understated coach from the small town of Pujato takes Argentina into a World Cup semi-final against England, one victory from a second successive final and a chance to lead Argentina to become the first team since 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles.Back in February 2020 at the Bilbao summit, Scaloni was still best known as a former hardworking player who had built his career in Spain playing for Deportivo La Coruna and Racing Santander, with less memorable spells in England and Italy, before drifting into Argentina's national set-up after serving as Jorge Sampaoli's assistant at the chaotic 2018 World Cup.Argentina's Round of 16 exit in Russia had pushed Lionel Messi away from the national team, exhausted by the old accusation that he could not reproduce his Barcelona brilliance in blue and white. Scaloni was handed Argentina in no small part due to the fact that Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone and others had declined the AFA's poisoned chalice. Few then imagined Scaloni would go on to become one of the most successful figures in the country's football history.Aided throughout by former players Pablo Aimar and Walter Samuel, Scaloni first coaxed Messi back. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, the postponement of the Copa America and, eventually, the day in Rio de Janeiro that changed everything. At the Maracana in 2021, thanks to Angel Di Maria's 21st-minute goal, Argentina beat Brazil in the Copa America final, ending their 28-year trophy drought and giving Messi his first major senior title with his country. It was the spark for the golden era that conquered France in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.Yet Scaloni has never turned Messi or Argentina into a way of seeking vindication for his work. He conquered the world without appearing to believe he owned it. That restraint has become part of his power. In a football culture often caricatured as extravagant or arrogant, Scaloni has built a side around emotional force without making himself the show."I'm not a coach because I like the 4-3-3," he said at a press conference ahead of the game with Switzerland. "I like to be in a group with colleagues, drinking mate, eating asado (barbecue), playing cards ... if you only think of the game you end up burned out."He also represents an Argentine coaching school that has spread across South America and beyond. Eight of the 10 CONMEBOL teams in the most recent World Cup qualifiers were managed by Argentines, while six Argentine coaches worked at this World Cup.Brazil, by contrast, suffered their second-worst World Cup finish, ending 11th after a Round of 16 loss to Norway. For the first time, no Brazilian head coach was present at a World Cup, with Brazil themselves led by Italy's Carlo Ancelotti. Before Euro 2024, former Barcelona and Brazil fullback Sylvinho, then Albania coach, told Reuters that Argentine players often think earlier and more seriously about their long-term development.He pointed to Scaloni, once his rival in Galicia, recalling how the Argentine regularly travelled to Madrid with Sylvinho's Celta Vigo teammate Eduardo Coudet, now River Plate coach, to attend Spanish FA coaching courses while still playing. That discipline helps explain the boy from a small agricultural town in Santa Fe and his relationship with work, fame and responsibility even after becoming a World Cup winner.Scaloni has had every chance to become louder. Instead, he has kept stepping aside, allowing Messi and the players to remain the protagonists. His tears after Argentina's comeback against Egypt in the Round of 16, when they trailed 2-0 late in the second half, said plenty. They recalled the image of him after Gonzalo Montiel's decisive penalty against France in 2022: motionless, hands over his face, as if trying to confirm that reality had not played a trick on him.His greatest achievement, however, seems to be solving how to manage Messi without being consumed by Messi's figure and all the pressure that surrounds him.Under Scaloni, Argentina became more than a side built around Messi. Instead, players seem to feel inspired and driven by their icon to become pillars of the same mission, brilliantly described by midfielder Leandro Paredes: "We work so that Messi's last game never arrives." Scaloni, typically, reached for perspective after Saturday's victory over Switzerland. "This is nothing more than a football match," he said.Match by match, the former defender once seated among more celebrated coaches has grown larger than them all. Related Story
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Former Test coach of England Brendon McCullum apologises for poor results in the last two years. Brendon McCullum has apologised for the unsuccessful end of his reign as England's Test coach, saying "it's time for someone else to have a go".McCullum, who will remain in charge of England's limited-overs set-up, was axed from the red-ball role he had held since 2022 after overseeing seven defeats in the team's last nine Tests.The former New Zealand captain was said to have "stood down" in an England and Wales Cricket Board statement released Sunday but McCullum had no qualms in admitting Monday he had been dismissed."Yeah, I got a tap on the shoulder," he told reporters in Birmingham on the eve of the first one-day international against India at Edgbaston."I was disappointed but at the same time I fully respect the decision. We're in a results business and fundamentally our results weren't good enough. It's time for someone else to have a go."We didn't always get it right. For that, I put my hand up and say we weren't able to get there."England's recent 2-1 loss at home to McCullum's native New Zealand, which culminated with the international retirement of red-ball captain Ben Stokes, marked the end of his reign as Test coach.But the writing was on the wall for the 44-year-old McCullum following a woeful 4-1 Ashes reverse in Australia concluded in January marred by allegations of a drinking culture among his players.That extended England's mediocre record in showpiece series against the other members of the so-called 'Big Three', losing away to Australia and India and drawing 2-2 against both countries on home soil."We just weren't quite able to win those big series, against India and Australia, the two marquee series," said McCullum. "We just weren't able to get the results and for that I guess I can only say sorry."I was the leader of that group. I was in charge of the team culturally, in charge of the team tactically, in charge of the team results-wise as well."McCullum added: "If you don't get the results, being a results business, fundamentally you get replaced."I'm not unaccustomed to that, I've been around this game for 20-odd years and I know if you aren't getting the results, someone else needs an opportunity."I put my hand up for that and accept it wasn't good enough." Related Story
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Andoni Iraola, the new manager for English Premier League side Liverpool, poses as he meets the media at the team's training ground in Kirkby in Liverpool on July 13, 2026. (AFP) Andoni Iraola said on Monday he wants to enjoy the "magic" linked with being the manager of Liverpool but is determined his Anfield appointment does not change him fundamentally.The former Bournemouth boss is well aware of the magnitude of the position he holds, with Liverpool's demand for success exemplified by the fact he arrived in Merseyside as a result of the six-time European champions sacking Arne Slot a year after the Dutchman led the club to the Premier League title."Until I go through certain experiences I will not fully know but I'm here to experience those situations, I'm ready for it," said the 44-year-old Iraola in his first press conference as Liverpool manager."I understand this is a massive club. Everything that I'm going to say now, it's going to get the biggest scrutiny. You have to be very aware of the mistakes but I wouldn't like to be too careful.""I would like to act quite normal: I'm not going live in my bubble - just training ground, home. I would like also to go to the city, experience the city - I know some places."But it's part also of the magic of being the Liverpool manager and I would like not to change too much," the Spaniard added.Liverpool finished a disappointing fifth in the Premier League table last season, losing 12 matches, and Iraola understands the need to refresh his squad following the recent departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson."Obviously we've signed two players already (centre-back Jeremy Jacquet and winger Victor Munoz) but we need more players, we know this."As a coach, selfishly, I want the players here from day one ready to train for pre-season but understand football doesn't work like this. I know the club is working hard for those signings and I'm trying to help also."Iraola, meanwhile, wants to restore trust with fans frustrated by the team's performances under Slot by providing the kind of attacking football not seen at Anfield since the end of Jurgen Klopp's reign in 2024."I would like to give them a team that they can feel proud of," he said. "I think football - and especially Liverpool - is about connecting: connecting with the people, connecting with our supporters."We have to be a team that works hard, intense, aggressive, vertical so everyone can be identified and everyone can feel comfortable supporting this team." Related Story
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This combination of photos show Spain's forward Lamine Yamal in Inglewood on July 10, 2026 (left); and France's forward Kylian Mbappe in East Rutherford on June 30, 2026. France and Spain will meet in a
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Stephen Fleming had been under fire in the last few years after CSK failed to qualify for the Playoffs in the last three seasons since it’s title-winning campaign in 2023. Former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming is leaving his IPL team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after 18 years as coach, the franchise said on Monday.Fleming, 53, joined Chennai as a player in the inaugural edition of the T20 tournament in 2008 and took charge as coach the following year.He forged a formidable partnership with long-time skipper M.S. Dhoni, with Chennai becoming one of the most successful IPL franchises with five titles."The Super Kings and Head Coach Stephen Fleming have mutually decided to part ways," the franchise said in a statement."Together, we shared one of the most successful and enduring partnerships in IPL history. The legacy you've built will continue to inspire us. With immense respect and gratitude, Thank you, Stephen."Under Fleming's leadership, Chennai entered the Indian Premier League play-offs a record 12 times, while also being part of 10 IPL finals.Fleming also guided the team to two Champions League T20 trophies.Fleming had been under fire in the last few years after CSK failed to qualify for the Playoffs in the last three seasons since it’s title-winning campaign in 2023."Eighteen years is a lifetime in sport, and I leave with nothing but gratitude," Fleming was quoted as saying in the statement."My time with Chennai Super Kings has been the privilege of my coaching career. I am proud of everything we have achieved."Together, we celebrated unforgettable victories, overcame difficult moments, and built memories that will stay with me forever," he said.Fleming, a left-handed batter, scored 7,172 runs at an average of 40.06, including nine centuries, in 111 Tests for New Zealand between 1994 and 2008.He also played 280 one-day international and five T20 matches for the national team. Related Story
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India players celebrate with the trophy after winning the one-off Test match against England at the Lord’s Lord's Cricket Ground in London on July 13, 2026. Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma shared the last four wickets as India completed a 270-run thrashing of England to win the first women's Test at Lord's on Monday.England, set a record-breaking target of 457 for victory, were dismissed for 186 shortly before lunch on the final day of four.Rana took 4-42, removing Amy Jones for 54 and finishing the landmark match when she bowled Sophie Ecclestone for 50.Fellow spinner Sharma chipped in with the wickets of Issy Wong and Lauren Bell as England crumbled in front of a crowd that included India men's cricket great Sachin Tendulkar.India were dominant in all aspects of a game being played 142 years, and 150 matches, after Lord's staged its first men's Test and decades on from the first women's game of any kind at the London ground - a 1976 one-day international between England and Australia.Victory meant India finished their tour with joyous memories of Lord's, having been knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the group phase at the 'Home of Cricket' by eventual champions Australia.England, by contrast, struggled to adapt to the demands of the longer format in a match that started just days after their T20 World Cup final loss to Australia at Lord's on July 5.Their second-heaviest Test reverse, in terms of runs, and fourth defeat in five Tests was not the way England would have wanted to send off Tammy Beaumont and former captain Heather Knight in the veteran batters' final appearance before international retirement.The match was a personal triumph for India's Kranti Gaud and Yastika Bhatia, the first women to take five wickets and score a century respectively in a women's Test at Lord's.Gaud took a superb 5-37 in England's first-innings 170 and wicket-keeper Bhatia's 113 - her first century in any international format - was the cornerstone of India's imposing second-innings 341-7 declared.India captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her top order, with opener Smriti Mandhana hitting fifties in both innings"In this Test match, the way they batted was outstanding to watch," said Kaur at the presentation ceremony."Bhatia is a great batter. I had a really strong feeling for her - that's why we put her in the eleven - and I'm really happy with the way she played."Seam bowler Gaud was named player of the match after also taking 2-54 in the second innings."Growing up I never imagined something like this would happen but the moment the Test started I wanted to get my name on the honours board," said Gaud."I stuck to what the coaches told me. My strength is to hit the right length and the ball moved and did its bit."'Exceptional India'Defeat left England still searching for their first win in a home women's Test since 2005."I'm disappointed all round, really," England coach Charlotte Edwards told Sky Sports."You come into such a historic Test match and occasion, which has been absolutely amazing. To then not play anywhere near our best over the four days..."The former England captain added: "A lot of credit has to go to India. I thought they were exceptional. They were really disciplined with bat and ball."Nat Sciver-Brunt, the current England skipper lamented a lack of time between formats but said: "As cricketers we have to be prepared for that and recover as best we can before preparing for a Test match."England resumed in dire straits at 130-6.The highest successful fourth-innings chase in any women's Test is Australia's 198 against England in Sydney in 2011.England's slim hopes of success rested with wicket-keeper Jones, 52 not out after completing her second fifty of the match.Jones, however, had added just two runs to her overnight total when she pulled Rana to mid-wicket.The tourists, in rare blemishes, dropped a couple of catches but the end was not long in coming to the vocal delight of India fans basking in another sun-drenched day at Lord's.Although Monday's crowd was sparse, the overall attendance across the four days of 37,846 was a new record for a women's Test. Related Story
