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President Trump I Spoke To Lindsey Right Before He Died ... And He Was Just Fine!!! Published July 12, 2026 7:23 AM PDT Play video content President Trump says he spoke with Lindsey Graham a
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Israeli attacks killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including a 9-year-old girl, Palestinian health officials said.Medics said Israeli gunfire directed at a tent encampment on the eastern side of the
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* SoFi Stadium hosted eight World Cup matches, including the U.S. opener and two Iran games* Venue will host February's Super Bowl plus ceremonies and swimming at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics* Benedict said halftime surges by soccer fans tested concourses, concessions and restrooms After a month of World Cup crowds, a temporary grass pitch and heightened security around politically sensitive matches, SoFi Stadium is turning towards its next mega-events with greater confidence, a senior venue executive said.The $5 billion Inglewood stadium hosted eight World Cup games, including the United States' opening game and two involving Iran, without major incident.It was an experience that Otto Benedict, senior vice president of facility and campus operations at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, said validated years of planning."From a public safety perspective, I think that went very, very well," Benedict told Reuters in an interview."The number of matches, the size of our matches, having two matches with Iran ... all of our law enforcement partners, our federal assets and even our local assets worked collaboratively to create a very safe environment."The run served as a high-profile test for a venue that will host February's Super Bowl, as well as swimming and the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.Benedict said the stadium's systems for ticketing, crowd movement, food and beverage service and entering and exiting the arena held up well under repeated World Cup conditions, when many fans were visiting the venue for the first time."At no point as we walked around did we see areas where we thought, 'Hey, we're actually too tight here, there's not enough space here,'" he said. "We saw everything flowing very well." DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL PATTERN Benedict said soccer crowds created a different operational pattern than those at NFL games, with more fans leaving their seats at halftime and putting pressure on concourses, concessions and restrooms at the same time.The stadium handled those surges, he added, giving staff useful information for future events.The venue also drew praise for the temporary natural grass surface installed for the tournament.Benedict said the pitch exceeded expectations and was improving in vitality as the event went on, though he added that keeping grass permanently was not realistic for a stadium that hosts two NFL teams, concerts and other events."It just wouldn't be a feasible operation," he said, citing the stadium's depth below ground, canopy structure and year-round event schedule.While Benedict said SoFi definitely should have hosted a semi-final or final, he noted that the World Cup nevertheless proved the stadium was ready for another Super Bowl, after also hosting the NFL championship game in 2022, and LA28."It gives us the ability to say to anybody coming in, and even for our own operations, that what we're doing is the right consistency," he said. "Let's keep moving these items forward." Related Story
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England's head coach Brendon McCullum helps the players warm up on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval in London on June 17, 2026. (AFP) Brendon McCullum has left his role as England's Test head coach but will remain in charge of the national white-ball set-up, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Sunday.England have lost seven of their last nine Tests under the former New Zealand captain.This includes a woeful 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia in 2025/26 and last month's 2-1 loss at home to New Zealand, with both series overshadowed by allegations of a team drinking culture."I've absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together," said McCullum in an ECB statement, adding: "Of course I'm gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision."Former England captain Ben Stokes announced his international retirement midway through what turned out to a crushing defeat in the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge -- the final match of McCullum's red-ball reign.His time as Test boss started in remarkable fashion with especially aggressive batting in particular as Stokes led England to 3-0 series wins over New Zealand and in Pakistan, where 500 runs were scored in one day, before a thrilling 2-2 home Ashes in 2023.But a crushing 4-1 loss in India two years ago exposed the limits of England's 'one size fits all approach' when they could not simply smash their way out of trouble.And the writing was on the wall for McCullum when England lost the Ashes series in Australia in just 11 days' cricket.After a winning start to the New Zealand series, fresh off-field problems saw Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson omitted from the second Test after breaking a midnight team curfew in a London bar.England are now looking for a new Test coach and captain ahead of next month's series at home to Pakistan.'EXCITING PERIOD'"Brendon breathed new life into England men's Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories and we're grateful for all he has given to the role," said ECB chief executive Richard Gould."We now believe that the time is right to make a change for the Test team as we target victory in the Ashes (in England) next summer (2027).Only England managing director Rob Key, heavily criticised for England's lack of preparation ahead of the Ashes, now remains from a Test leadership trio that once included Stokes and McCullum.But the former England batsman said McCullum, who 25 of his 44 Tests in charge, had left the red-ball team "well-set and poised to achieve great things".Sunday's announcement came the day after England's white-ball side thrashed India by 56 runs in Southampton to complete a 4-0 series sweep of the T20 world champions under McCullum."My focus now is on giving everything I've got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward," said McCullum, 44, who took on the role of England white-ball coach in 2024."I wish the Test team nothing but success. There's a hell of a lot of talent in that dressing room and they're a special bunch of lads."Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been touted as a possible England coach, while there have been calls for Andy Flower to have a second stint in charge.The Zimbabwe cricket great was England's coach from 2009-2014 and oversaw three successful Ashes campaigns, including their last away success in 2010/11.Ageas Related Story
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India's Abhishek Sharma walks after losing his wicket, caught by England's Jos Buttler, off the bowling of Jofra Archer during the fifth T20 International at Utilita Bowl, Southampton, Britain, on Saturday. (AFP) Pundits and former players highlighted India's struggles with the bat on Saturday after the Twenty20 World Cup champions suffered back-to-back series defeats by England and Ireland.England beat India by 56 runs in the fifth and final T20I at Southampton, the hosts sealing a 4-0 series win after the opener ended in a no result due to rain. That series defeat came after Ireland had completed a 2-0 T20 whitewash last month.Player-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik said India's batting unit had looked out of rhythm throughout the tour."I think India have a problem adapting to a little bit of extra bounce," he told cricket news site Cricbuzz."The middle order looks wobbly, not confident, and it is definitely not the Indian team that we saw during the World Cup or before it in bilateral series, where they took down opponents and actually imposed a lot of fear. Where has that gone?"India captain Shreyas Iyer said their failure to adapt to different conditions had cost them in the series."We kept on going from one venue to another, and we kept on facing challenges, especially in terms of the dimensions, the grounds, the conditions, just to adapt to it as quickly as we could have anticipated. That didn't happen," Iyer, who was appointed T20I captain in June, told reporters. GAVASKAR HIGHLIGHTS BATTING CONCERNSIndia great Sunil Gavaskar said the team's batting had been having concerns throughout the series."I do believe that the batting has to really come to the party, because the batting is the strongest part of this Indian team, and if the strongest part is you know not doing well, then no wonder it has an effect on your bowling as well as your catching," he added.Commentator Harsha Bhogle said the defeat could be a wake up-call for India."Essentially England have beaten India playing a style that India thought was theirs," he said. "If India is willing to look at this result as something that has shone light on their cracks, a lot of good can come out of it."India next play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against England starting on Tuesday. Related Story
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Ducati Lenovo Team's Spanish rider Marc Marquez celebrates with an inflatable crown after winning the race of the German Grand Prix, in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz, eastern Germany on July 12, 2026. (AFP) Seven-times MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez completed a Sachsenring double with a commanding victory in Sunday’s German Grand Prix, adding to his sprint race win and strengthening his position in the championship battle.The factory Ducati rider converted pole position into victory but was made to work early on by his younger brother Alex Marquez. The Gresini Racing rider stayed close to Marc in the opening stages before crashing out on lap 10, ending his challenge.With Alex out of contention, Marquez controlled the race from the front, keeping Trackhouse Racing's Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura at bay to secure a record 10th premier-class victory at one of his favourite circuits. Ogura passed Fernandez late in the race to finish second and become the first Japanese rider since 2002 to secure three successive premier-class podiums, with Fernandez taking third.Championship leader Jorge Martin finished fifth for Aprilia after crossing the line behind KTM's Pedro Acosta, who took fourth place. VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio, regarded as Marquez's biggest challenger after qualifying third and finishing on the sprint podium, crashed out early and missed the opportunity to move to the top of the standings.Former championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was ruled out after fracturing his left collarbone in a heavy qualifying crash, with Aprilia saying on Sunday that the Italian had undergone successful surgery but faced an uncertain recovery timeline. Related Story
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England's head coach Brendon McCullum helps the players warm up on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval in London on June 17, 2026. (AFP) Brendon McCullum has left his role as England's Test head coach but will remain in charge of the national white-ball set-up, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Sunday.England have lost seven of their last nine Tests under the former New Zealand captain.This includes a woeful 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia in 2025/26 and last month's 2-1 loss at home to New Zealand, with both series overshadowed by allegations of a team drinking culture."I've absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together," said McCullum in an ECB statement, adding: "Of course I'm gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision."Former England captain Ben Stokes announced his international retirement midway through what turned out to a crushing defeat in the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge -- the final match of McCullum's red-ball reign. Related Story
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Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni gives instructions to Argentina's forward Lionel Messi during the last minutes of the 2026 World Cup quarter-final against Switzerland at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City on July 11,
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England and Argentina will meet on Wednesday in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final infused with decades of bitter rivalry after they battled past Norway and Switzerland respectively in the quarter-finals.The South Americans and their talisman Lionel Messi must defeat England in Atlanta to keep alive their hopes of becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.England and their key partnership of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane must win to have any hope of ending a 60-year wait for a major trophy.The winner of that game will take on the victor of France's semi-final with Spain -- they meet in Texas on Tuesday -- in the final on July 19.The Argentina v England match comes 40 years after a seismic encounter in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. CONTROVERSIAL MARADONA GOALArgentina secured a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Azteca with two goals from Diego Maradona -- one the infamous controversial goal when he punched the ball into the net and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the greatest goals ever to grace a World Cup.For Maradona's heir, Messi, it will be his 206th match in an Albiceleste shirt, but his first ever against England.The match will also take place against the backdrop of a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, known in Spanish as the Malvinas.Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded.After Argentina beat a dogged Swiss side 3-1 in Kansas City on Saturday thanks to extra-time goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, their coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to take the political heat out of the meeting with England."The message is this is a football game. That's what I can say," Scaloni said."It is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent coach and this is a football game and that's all."'VERY LUCKY'That coach, Thomas Tuchel, was angry with his England team after they needed extra-time on Saturday to end Norway's historic run in sweltering Miami.Two goals from Jude Bellingham gave England a nervy 2-1 victory to send them into the semi-finals for only the fourth time in history.Tuchel said his team would need to make a noticeable improvement if they were to have any chance of reaching the final.In energy-sapping Florida heat and humidity, England's shaky defence allowed Andreas Schjelderup to unleash a rasping shot from the left to put Norway ahead on 36 minutes.But England got a huge break in first-half stoppage time when Bellingham equalised after an attack that was initiated when a goal kick from Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland appeared to hit an overhead camera cable.Norway's players protested in vain and the goal stood. The Norwegians also had a goal controversially disallowed before Bellingham then poached the winner in extra-time."We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today," Tuchel said afterwards."The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but not happy with the performance... we were very lucky today." 'NO EVIDENCE'While football's world governing body FIFA later said there was "no evidence" the ball had hit the cable before England's first goal, Norway coach Stale Solbakken was adamant."That was unlucky for us," Solbakken said. "The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction. But we can't do anything about that."Erling Haaland, the marauding forward who scored seven goals as Norway reached uncharted waters at the tournament, said his team's performance had inspired a new generation."How we put Norway on the map is maybe one thing that touches me the most," said Haaland, who failed to score for the first time in 15 competitive games for his country."Hopefully now we can establish something when it comes to Euros, World Cups and everything because our generation is amazing and also all this gives motivation to young people back in Norway that it's possible to play a big stage in the world with a Norwegian shirt." Related Story
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Argentina's forward Lionel Messi shoots a corner kick during the 2026 World Cup quarter-final match against Switzerland at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City on July 11, 2026. (AFP) Argentina and England have met five times previously in the World Cup, matches that have provided some iconic moments.But they've never met as deep into the competition as they will Wednesday, when they'll spar in a semifinal matchup in Atlanta.Both teams advanced with extra-time victories Saturday.Argentina defeated 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in Kansas City, after England dispatched Belgium 2-1 earlier in the day in Miami Gardens, Florida.Julian Alvarez scored the tiebreaker in the 112th minute and Lautaro Martinez added an insurance goal in stoppage time as defending champion Argentina prevailed. Alexis Mac Allister also tallied in the 10th minute off an assist from Lionel Messi -- whose streak of goals in nine straight World Cup matches came to an end but who got his record 10th career assist in the competition."I'm very happy," said Alvarez, whose curling, right-footed strike from just outside the top of the penalty area on the left side found the upper far corner of the net, just eluding the reach of Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. 'WE TRIED UNTIL THE END'"We tried until the end, things got difficult even though we had a man extra for the whole of extra time," Alvarez continued, "but we knew if we kept going together, the goal would come."Dan Ndoye scored for Switzerland, which played short-handed from the 72nd minute on after Breel Embolo received a second yellow card and was ejected. The latter was for simulation after a video review by referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro."(Argentina) didn't have anything else in the first half, just a corner goal," Switzerland team captain Granit Xhaka said after the game, per The Athletic. "The second half was our game. We knew that step by step, we can take more risks."We took it, we scored on the pitch, we felt very good," Xhaka added. "We had more energy, we had more belief as well, and the red card changed everything. I think the red card changed our game plan, what we had from the beginning, which was very positive." FOUR SAVES EACHKobel and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez both made four saves. Switzerland got the tying goal in the 67th minute following a sustained push.Ndoye played a give-and-go with Ricardo Rodriguez near the top left corner of the penalty area. Ndoye got the ball back and dribbled to the edge of the 6-yard box before putting a low shot between Martinez's legs as the goalie started to go down."The truth is we suffered today. We knew they were a very physical team. I think they put us in a lot of difficulty," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. "We weren't able to get out of certain situations. The truth is that luck was on our side today, because they had a player sent off and, from there, the team went on the attack.""We have to be realistic, we have things to improve on, but winning is always better," Scaloni added. "That said, what this team achieved today is historic. Even though we could have played better, being in a semifinal again is historic." FIRST MEETING IN CHILE IN 1962Argentina and England first met in the group stage in 1962 in Chile, with the Three Lions coming away with a 3-1 victory.Host England defeated La Albiceleste 1-0 in the quarterfinals in 1966 on their way to their one and only World Cup title.Argentina got their first win over England in the 1986 quarterfinals in Mexico, a match known not only for Diego Maradona's controversial goal, but also his strike that FIFA later declared the goal of the century, in which he dribbled from his own half of the field with 11 touches in 11 seconds through much of the England squad before scoring.Argentina defeated 10-man England 4-3 on penalties in 1998 following a 2-2 round of 16 draw in France after David Beckham was issued a red card early in the second half.Beckham got redemption in 2002, scoring from the penalty spot in a 1-0 victory against Argentina in the group stage in Japan.Can the teams top those Wednesday in Atlanta?Argentina has struggled through its knockout-round victories, edging Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time on July 3 and rallying from a two-goal deficit in the final 12 minutes of regulation to defeat Egypt 3-2 on July 7 before another extra-time win Saturday.And yet, they're just two wins away from being the second team to win consecutive World Cups, with Brazil currently the only nation to have done so in 1958 and 1962."We'd prefer to win games earlier, but we know it's not easy," Alvarez said. "There are two more left, and we're going to go for them with everything." Related Story
