BBC Sport quiz: Who am I? Guess World Cup star footballer #18
Welcome to our Who am I? game.
The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.
After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. Guess the answer after as few clues as possible to score more points.
Three is a good score; four or five is exceptional.
So take part and return for more tomorrow.
Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Adam Millington.
After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.
Migrants left to endure deadly Paris heat with little shelter or aid | Health News
Hundreds of migrants in Paris are left exposed as a heatwave sweeps Europe. Some have taken to unsafe swimming to cope with the record-breaking temperatures.
Published On 25 Jun 2026
Wimbledon and BBC Sport extend partnership to 2033
BBC Sport will continue to broadcast Wimbledon until 2033 after signing a new deal with the All England Club.
The agreement means the Grand Slam tournament will remain free to air for audiences in the UK across BBC television, radio and digital platforms.
Next year’s tournament will mark 100 years since the BBC first broadcast Wimbledon in 1927.
Under the new deal, audiences will continue to enjoy comprehensive live coverage of the Championships across BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app, as well as across BBC Sport’s extensive social channels.
The 2026 tournament gets under way on Monday with champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek defending their singles titles.
This year’s Wimbledon coverage will usher in a fresh new editorial and creative approach from BBC Sport, featuring new voices and personalities, deeper storytelling, enhanced analysis, and technology across TV, radio, online and social platforms – all designed to bring audiences closer to the Championships than ever before.
The announcement follows record-breaking digital audiences for Wimbledon on BBC platforms last summer.
In 2025, the tournament generated 69.3 million online requests across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app – the highest digital engagement for the Championships ever recorded.
That figure surpassed the previous record of 54.3 million set in 2023 and marked a significant increase on the 50.1 million online requests recorded in 2024.
Kylie Jenner sued: Chef claims grueling shifts led to miscarriage
Less than two months after being sued by two former housekeepers, Kylie Jenner has been hit with a third workplace lawsuit. The beauty mogul’s former private chef alleges a grueling workload led to her miscarriage.
Filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the complaint alleges the woman routinely worked 11- to 12-hour shifts, five days a week, and was assigned physically demanding tasks despite alerting supervisors to her high-risk pregnancy.
A representative for Jenner did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
According to the filing, reviewed by The Times, the woman was told she was selected to work as Jenner’s private chef around Thanksgiving 2024. In early December 2024, the woman claims she informed her supervisors, also named as defendants, that she was three months pregnant and “required reasonable accommodations to protect her health and pregnancy.”
On New Year’s Eve in 2024, supervisors who had allegedly been hostile with the former chef directed her to “lift and transport heavy food items across the street and uphill without assistance,” the documents say.
As a result of the physical exertion, the former chef claims that she “became dizzy, began choking and gasping for air, and required assistance from security personnel, who intervened by providing water and aid.”
Around Feb. 1, 2025, the then-chef, five months’ pregnant at the time, was assigned to work Jenner’s child’s birthday event in Palm Springs, where she wasn’t provided “adequate support” despite the scale and demands of the party, according to the lawsuit. The former chef claims that when she asked for help and expressed concern over the workload, she was ignored by supervisors.
“Due to exhaustion and overwhelming physical strain, [she] broke down emotionally in the bathroom during the event,” reads the suit. “That evening, [she] experienced extreme physical exhaustion and heaviness throughout her body as a result of the prolonged and intense workload.”
The next morning, while the former chef was still in Palm Springs, the filing states that she awoke experiencing severe hemorrhaging and drove herself to the emergency room. “At the hospital, [she] was informed that there was no detectable heartbeat and that she had lost her unborn child.”
According to the former chef, she informed her supervisors of the miscarriage and medical emergency and, in the following days, was “falsely accused of leaving the kitchen and refrigerator in disarray following the Palm Springs event,” the lawsuit states.
The court documents claim that the former chef suffered severe hemorrhaging again on Feb. 8 and collapsed in her bathroom. The filing states that after the miscarriage she suffered severe depression and emotional distress, and claims that a supervisor reprimanded her, saying, “Stop it, just stop it. You are upsetting Kylie. You are making her depressed.”
“Celebrity status does not exempt anyone from California’s employment laws. We look forward to presenting the evidence in court and allowing the facts to speak for themselves,” attorney Della Shaker told The Times.
The former chef is seeking an unspecified amount of damages and claims that in addition to suffering accommodation failures, pregnancy discrimination and harassment, she was misclassified as an independent contractor, did not get paid on time or for the appropriate hours she worked, and was wrongfully terminated.
After being let go, the former chef claims that she sent a formal written complaint to co-defendant Tri Star detailing the alleged discrimination, harassment and wage theft. The lawsuit states that on May 22, 2025, the management team sent her an email offering a settlement and release agreement (essentially offering her money to sign away her right to sue).
The legal filing follows two lawsuits brought by former housekeepers of the embattled reality star. Less than two weeks after one woman on Jenner’s cleaning staff sued her, claiming her co-workers harassed and discriminated against her, another housekeeper came forward with allegations claiming the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star didn’t intervene while she suffered abuse from fellow staff, despite the housekeeper slipping the reality star a letter pleading for help.
Shaker also represents Angelica Hernandez Vasquez, who filed the suit against Jenner on April 17, and Juana Delgado Soto, who filed her lawsuit on April 29.
TUI confirms 72-hour compensation rule as passenger claims they’re ‘not entitled’
A passenger demanded answers after she claimed she was told she was not entitled to compensation for a flight delay
TUI has explained a strict 72-hour rule after a customer took to Facebook to complain that she had been turned down for compensation despite facing a lengthy delay. The passenger, named Elaine, said they had been due to travel to Newcastle from Tunisia last week only for the flight to be cancelled.
Posting on TUI UK Official Customer Service – Help & Advice, she said: “Just been informed from Tui that we are not entitled to compensation! TOM869 leaving Tunisia to Newcastle, all day spent at the airport 19th June flight finally cancelled, and overnight accommodation finally organised.
“WE returned to the airport on the 20th to experience a 5 hour delay! Disgusting always highly regarded Tui disgraceful experience and treatment.”
According to another poster they had been due to be on the same flight but there were several issues which led to the delays. Angela said: “I was on this flight, or rather i wasnt haha, but the reason given was the plane needed a deep clean and there was no one in Tunisia to do it, then the plane they were sending for us on Saturday had a fuel leak so they then had to get another plane sent from Gatwick.”
Many other TUI passengers defended the travel firm with many singing its praises. Peter said: “We were delayed coming home on Friday a couple of years ago, we had the claim form by Monday and the compensation in our bank by the end of the week.”
Christine said: “Had a delay outbound a couple of years ago. On arrival we received an email from TUI apologising, and a link to be able to claim compensation. We claimed as instructed and the money was credited to our bank well before the return flight. Can’t get better than that.”
Teresa added: “Why are you blaming Tui? Delays are the last thing airlines want as it costs them lots of money. Usually mechanical or logistical/,operational reasons for delays. We were delayed in LAX for 26 hours 3 years ago. Got a voucher for a coffee and an overnight stay in a hotel but not entitled to anything else.”
And in reply, Dannii from TUI, explained the rules telling her she had not been turned down but had claimed too soon. Dannii said: “I have taken a look and you haven’t been denied, you have put the claim in too early, you need to wait at least 72hours after the flight has landed before a claim can be made.
“So please try again after 72 hours has been since you landed. This was mentioned in the email sent, and will work once you are within the time frame.”
The TUI website also sets out the 72-hour rule which is in place for all flights with TUI. It advised: “Please note, if you’ve been impacted by a flight cancellation, you’ll need to wait 72 hours before you submit your claim. Unfortunately, any claims submitted within 72 hours cannot be processed.”
World Cup 2026: ‘Mixed emotions’ as Canada qualify from group but lose home advantage
Losing their final group game to Switzerland on Wednesday means co-hosts Canada will play no further matches in their home country at this year’s World Cup.
Had Canada avoided defeat to finish top of Group B, they would have stayed in Vancouver for their last-32 tie and potentially a last-16 fixture.
However, a 2-1 loss at BC Place meant Canada finished second behind Switzerland and so Jesse Marsch’s side will travel to Los Angeles to play South Africa on Sunday (20:00 BST).
The former Leeds boss, who has guided Canada out of the group stage at a World Cup for the first time, said: “We wanted to be here in Vancouver, but we still have a massive opportunity ahead of us to find a way to push for the next match and find a way to still electrify the nation, even though it’ll be from Los Angeles.
“We came up a little short and that’s unfortunate. But we’re in the knockout round and we’re going to make sure that we’re up for it better.”
After drawing their opening game against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto, Canada thrashed Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver, where they ended the group stage with a first loss of the tournament.
Striker Jonathan David told Sports Illustrated:, external “It was nice to have a pro-Canada crowd that pushed us on every game.
“We’re a bit disappointed and it’s mixed emotions. Obviously, we wanted to stay in Vancouver, so not getting that is a blow for everyone, but we’ll talk about it and get ready for the next one.”
Trump says UK’s likely next leader Andy Burnham is ‘extremely liberal’ | Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has made his first comment on the UK’s likely next leader describing Andy Burnham as ‘extremely liberal’. He also declared that Britain is ‘dying’ and urged greater oil drilling in the North Sea. The comments came after Keir Starmer announced plans to step down, with Burnham the only candidate to succeed him.
Published On 25 Jun 2026
Three sisters with combined age of 316 discuss the secrets to life | Science and Technology News
Three Brazilians with a combined age of 316 have been recognised as the world’s longest-living trio of sisters. Researchers are studying their DNA to better understand the genetic factors behind healthy aging and exceptional genetic longevity.
Published On 25 Jun 2026
Kim Kardashian’s key role in Chris Appleton joining Strictly as she gets set to join audience
Chris Appleton could be about to count on the support of pal Kim Kardashian from the Strictly stands as he gets ready to take on the BBC dance competition
Kim Kardashian could be set for a part in Strictly Come Dancing after playing a key role in Chris Appleton’s sign-up, according to reports. The reality TV star is said to have been a big player in making the celebrity stylist join the current roster of celebs hitting the dance floor.
The hairstylist was the fourth star announced for the upcoming series after Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer and Delta Goodrem. And he is set to get the support from some of his high profile clients, which have included Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Sofía Vergara, Ariana Grande, and Katy Perry.
And it’s the Kardashians star who is said to have helped him bag the gig in the first place. A source said: “Kim’s most important advice to him was simple: before you launch a brand or product, make people feel like they know you, are invested in your life, in you.”
It comes as Chris reportedly wants a little more in life, namely, his own brand of hair products. And Kim sees the reality contest as the perfect way to introduce him to the British public.
The source went on to tell The Sun: “It was Kim who pushed him toward Strictly – he’s had a lot of reality TV show invites in the US.
“He was initially very hesitant to put himself out there as a ‘star’ but Kim argued that a successful run on the show would do more for his brand than a year of PR campaigns and huge ad budgets.”
They added: “Being in the Strictly spotlight makes him a household name in the UK, gets him into every room and red carpet event that matters in London, and builds the kind of public warmth that no advertising budget can manufacture – and that’s exactly the diving board you want to launch a brand from.”
And it’s claimed if Chris ventures into the later stages of the competition then Kim could come to the UK to support him from the crowd. The source said Kim has given Chris “free rein” to discuss their friendship too.
After he was announced as a Strictly contestant, Chris said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new.
“I may know my way around a salon floor, but the dance floor is a whole different story – and I can’t wait to get started.”
Chris grew up in Leicester, but he now lives in Los Angeles. But it’s said the UK will always be home to the star and he will be using the contest to be closer to home.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.
Mexico celebrates magical World Cup victory over Czechia
MEXICO CITY — The Mexican national team overcame a lackluster first half to rout the Czechia thanks to a dream second half that allowed it to finish the group stage undefeated on a night that will be remembered as one of the greatest in Mexican World Cup history.
The celebration of Mexico’s 3-0 win Wednesday at Azteca Stadium turned into a tribute to legendary goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who entered the game in the final minutes to receive a standing ovation unlike any other Mexican player has ever received in the history of the tournament.
With the loss, the Czechia was eliminated after failing to earn more than one point in the tournament. In the other group match, South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 in Monterrey and advanced in second place. South Korea will have to wait to find out if it advances as one of the eight best third-place teams or it was eliminated.
Czechia put up a strong performance during the first 45 minutes, during which Mexico showed little offensive clarity, mainly due to a lack of control in midfield.
Everything changed in a matter of six minutes during the second half, when El Tri figured out Czechia and secured its best victory in the group stage.
Mateo Chávez, 22, opened the scoring in the 55th minute with the help of Mexico’s lethal counterattack. Luis Romo set up the goal by shaking off three Czechia players at midfield and pushing forward, passing to Chávez, who beat Czechia’s Michal Sadilek and buried a shot to the left side of goal.
Forward Julián Quiñones extended the lead in the 61st minute, exploiting Czechia’s defensive confusion in the penalty area.
Álvaro Fidalgo, who was a second-half substitute, capped the win with a stoppage time goal. The run on the final goal was set up by a booming Ochoa kick and triggered a raucous celebration by the goalkeeper and his teammates.
The match encapsulated both the present and the future of the Mexican national team.
Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old midfielder from Tijuana and the team’s youngest player at the World Cup, was instrumental in the second half, setting up several of the plays that decided the outcome. With a 2-0 lead, one of the greatest moments for a goalkeeper in World Cup history unfolded. Ochoa replaced starting goalkeeper Raúl Rangel and was greeted with a standing ovation from a large portion of the 80,824 fans at Azteca Stadium.
Mexico’s Julian Quinones celebrates scoring his side’s second goal against Czechia during a World Cup match in Mexico City on Wednesday.
(Silvia Izquierdo / Associated Press)
The fans chanted Ochoa’s name every time the goalkeeper touched the ball, honoring a player who has competed in six World Cups for Mexico.
Coach Javier Aguirre said that finishing first in the group was a “primary objective” for Mexico, which had already qualified for the next round. The team achieved a first for a Mexican national team by securing three consecutive wins without conceding a goal in the group stage of a World Cup. Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in the opening match and South Korea 1-0 in the second game.
The national team, which is co-hosting the tournament alongside Canada and the United States, will face its next opponent — one of the best third-place finishers — on Tuesday at Azteca Stadium.
The only sour note for Mexico came in the scoreless first half when the restless crowd unleashed a popular homophobic chant at least twice. FIFA has previously sanctioned the Mexican soccer federation in an effort to stop fans from saying the chant.
Mexico triumph 3-0 to eliminate Czechia and win all three World Cup matches | World Cup 2026
Mateo Chavez opened the scoring in the 55th minute, and Julian Quinones scored his second goal of the tournament in the 61st.
Published On 25 Jun 2026
Mateo Chavez and Julian Quinones scored goals in the span of six minutes early in the second half, and Mexico beat Czechia 3-0 to win all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the first time.
The 22-year-old Chavez, in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 55th minute, and Quinones scored his second goal of the tournament in the 61st. Alvaro Fidalgo added a goal in second-half stoppage time on Wednesday night.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Mexico’s previous best group-stage performance was two wins and one draw, achieved in 1986 and 2002, both featuring Javier Aguirre, the first as a midfielder and the second as El Tri’s coach.
Already the winner of Group A, Mexico will play again at Azteca Stadium on Tuesday in a round-of-32 match against an opponent to be determined.
Czechia were eliminated, finishing with one point in three games.
The match included nods to Mexico’s past and future. Gilberto Mora became the youngest Mexico player to start in a World Cup at age 17.
And 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa entered in the 77th minute, joining Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the only players to appear in six World Cups.

Homophobic chant returns in Azteca Stadium
Fans at the game chanted a slur that has previously led to fines and other sanctions against Mexico’s Football Federation.
The slur, which literally means “male prostitute” in Spanish, could be heard at the Azteca Stadium towards the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick, according to The Associated Press news agency.
The chant has cost Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines levied by FIFA. It rose to popularity roughly 25 years ago and is used to intimidate goalkeepers when they take goal kicks.
It went viral in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and was heard again in Russia during the 2018 World Cup, and then again four years later in Qatar. It has persisted despite attempts by the Mexican Football Federation to stop it.
Iranians mark first Ashura since Khamenei’s killing in the US-Iran war | Religion
Thousands gathered in Tehran on the eve of Ashura, the first since the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Mourners carried flags, banners and images of Khamenei as Iran prepared to commemorate one of the most significant events in the Shia calendar.
Published On 25 Jun 2026
Academy invites 529 new members in latest expansion effort
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 529 artists and executives to join its membership Wednesday, including actors Jenna Ortega, Teyana Taylor, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Josh O’Connor and filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie, as the organization continues to reshape the body that votes on the Oscars.
If all invitees accept, the academy’s voting membership will grow to 10,338 members, up from roughly 6,000 a decade ago, as the organization continues to expand its ranks and broaden its international reach. Overall membership, including emeritus members who no longer vote, will rise to 11,319.
The academy’s expansion accelerated after the 2015 #OscarsSoWhite controversy, which drew attention to the organization’s overwhelmingly white and male membership and prompted a sustained effort to recruit more women, people of color and international filmmakers. The academy met its initial post-#OscarsSoWhite diversity targets several years ago but has continued to expand and internationalize its membership.
The latest class includes 95 Oscar nominees, 21 Oscar winners and three recipients of Scientific and Technical Awards.
“We are delighted to invite this remarkable group of film artists and professionals from around the world to join the Academy,” academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement. “Through their commitment to filmmaking, this year’s exceptionally talented class has made significant contributions to our global movie industry.”
The academy said 42% of this year’s invitees are women, 56% are from underrepresented communities and 53% are from 60 countries and territories outside the United States. Last year’s class was 41% women, 45% from underrepresented ethnic or racial communities and 55% international.
Across the academy’s overall membership, 36% are women, 25% come from underrepresented communities and 22% are international, according to the organization.
Other notable invitees include actors Jon Bernthal, Julia Garner, Bill Skarsgård, Anthony Ramos, Jemaine Clement, Jenny Slate and Simu Liu; singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles; documentary filmmaker Andrew Jarecki (“Capturing the Friedmans”); and director Zach Cregger (“Weapons”).
Nine individuals, including filmmakers Benny Safdie (“The Smashing Machine”) and Josh Safdie (“Marty Supreme”), received invitations from multiple branches and must choose one upon accepting membership.
Membership in the academy is by sponsorship rather than application. Oscar nominees are automatically considered for membership in the year they are nominated, while branch executive committees review additional candidates before recommendations are approved by the academy’s Board of Governors.
The latest class is five names fewer than last year’s group of 534 invitees. The academy’s largest-ever class came in 2018, when it invited 928 new members as part of a broader effort to diversify its ranks.
The 99th Oscars will take place March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani wins duel vs. Twins’ Joe Ryan despite cross-up with Dalton Rushing
MINNEAPOLIS — The series finale between the Dodgers and Minnesota Twins featured a marquee pitching matchup between Shohei Ohtani and Joe Ryan. But the Dodgers’ 4-3 win on Wednesday wasn’t quite the pitcher’s duel it was advertised to be, in front of the Twins’ first sellout crowd of the season at Target Field.
The Dodgers offense had eight hits against Ryan, tied for the second-most he’s allowed in a start this season, and four runs in six innings. And Ohtani gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits.
Ryan won the first battle — the one against Ohtani the hitter to lead off the first inning.
Ohtani roped a first-pitch fastball to right field, clocking an exit velocity of 110.7-mph, into the glove of Twins outfielder Kody Clemens. That was part of a three-up, three-down first inning for Ryan. Ohtani countered with a hitless first inning of his own on the mound, but with a walk.
In the top of the second, Mookie Betts’ solo homer gave the Dodgers (52-29) an early lead. The 300th home run of Betts’ career was part of a three-hit day for the shortstop, a triple shy of the cycle.
The Twins’ offense responded.
Their first run was the result of a passed ball. Ohtani gave up singles to three of the first four batters he faced in the second inning, to load the bases. Then, Ohtani threw a first-pitch fastball inside to Ryan Kreidler. It got past catcher Dalton Rushing, who seemed to expect a different pitch, and the ball rolled out of play to tie the score.
Rushing, in his first game back in the lineup after being removed Monday to rule out a concussion, huddled with Ohtani and pitching coach Mark Prior on the mound to debrief.
Ohtani then gave up a two-run single to Kreidler before striking out Trevor Larnach to end the inning.
It was a good thing Ohtani, who went 2-for-5 on Wednesday, had lobbied to hit and pitch. Dodgers No. 9 hitter Alex Freeland led off the third with a double. Then Ohtani sent a ground ball up the middle to give himself some run support.
That started a three-run rally for the Dodgers. Max Muncy later drove in Ohtani, and Alex Call contributed a sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers a lead again.
Twins left-hander Anthony Banda, who received his World Series ring Monday from a gaggle of his former teammates, took over for Ryan in the seventh.
Ohtani was the first hitter he faced. And Banda struck him out on a fastball that barely clipped the outside corner — and was initially called a ball, before a successful ABS challenge by Twins catcher Victor Caratini.
Banda then hit Andy Pages with a pitch and gave up a single to Freeman. But he escaped unscathed, stranding them at the corners.
The Twins threatened in the seventh and eighth, but Dodgers right-hander Kyle Hurt overcame a pair of walks, and left-hander Alex Vesia navigated a pair of singles to hold the score. Closer Tanner Scott secured the save.
Strong back-to-back earthquakes hit Venezuela capital region

Back-to-back major earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 rocked Venezuela on Wednesday evening. The quakes are likely to cause widespread damage and mass casualties, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Image courtesy of UPI
June 24 (UPI) — Two major earthquakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 — hit near the Venezuela capital of Caracas on Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings and bringing people flooding into the streets.
The first quake hit at 6:04 p.m. local time, BBC News reported, with the second less than a minute later. June 24 is a holiday in Venezuela, and more people than usual were at home instead of on an evening commute.
The earthquakes’ center was about 17 miles northwest of Montalbán, home to some of the country’s largest refineries, CNN said.
The U.S. Geological Survey has reported that high casualties and widespread damage are likely, saying that there is a 44% chance that fatalities will exceed 10,000 and a 30% chance that they will exceed 100,000. The USGS said aftershocks may still occur.
Venezuela’s interior minister has asked people to leave their homes, citing damaged buildings and concerns about gas leaks. Companies cut gas lines to some areas as a precaution, Minister Diosdado Cabello said, BBC News reported.
The Ministry of Communication and Information in Venezuela said security forces have been deployed around the country because of the risk of building collapses.
Rutte attempts to ease Trump-NATO rift over Iran ahead of annual summit | US-Israel war on Iran
NATO chief Mark Rutte visited the White House to ease tensions with US President Trump ahead of next month’s NATO summit. Trump has said NATO isn’t doing enough, ordering a review of US forces in Europe after saying allies did not support the US war on Iran.
Published On 25 Jun 2026
Sony Pictures invests $100 million in virtual reality venue Cosm
Sony Pictures will invest $100 million and take a minority stake in virtual reality venue operator Cosm, as the studio continues to build a business in communal experiences.
As part of the investment, Sony Pictures Chief Executive Ravi Ahuja will also join Cosm’s board of directors, the studio said Wednesday. The size of Sony’s minority stake was not disclosed.
The El Segundo-based Cosm currently operates three venues — one at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, and the others in Dallas and Atlanta. The company plans to open additional venues in Detroit and Cleveland.
Cosm bills itself as a “shared reality venue,” and its facilities center around a massive, wraparound screen that is intended to envelop viewers with additional digital effects. The company has largely focused on sports, though it has also shown Cirque du Soleil shows and done several collaborations with Warner Bros., including recent screenings of 2001’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary.
“Cosm sits at the intersection of several trends shaping the future of entertainment,” Ahuja said in a statement. “We’ve followed Cosm since before launch and have been impressed with the quality of the experience and the enthusiasm it’s generating with audiences.”
The investment is Sony’s latest venture into experiential entertainment. In 2024, the Culver City-based studio acquired dine-in theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Fifa World Cup: Vinicius Jr stops fun and leaves Scotland down… but are they out?
From early on, we were looking at the game, yes, but also working out the mad significance of it all. We turned elsewhere to see what all of this meant in the grand scheme of things.
Before the games began on Wednesday, Scotland were sitting relatively pretty as second of the best third-placed teams in the tournament.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s win over Qatar dropped Scotland to third. Brazil’s dominance dropped them further. Down and down they went, their buffer all but removed, their obsession about results elsewhere in the coming days multiplying as they went.
Back to Charlotte, North Carolina they’ll go on Thursday; battered and dazed, uncertain of their future in this tournament, if they have one.
As it stands, the predictor has them playing Mexico on Tuesday – a shot at redemption or another trip to a torture chamber?
That might turn on its head, of course. Other teams in the coming days will have plenty to say about this yet.
Scotland are sweating on a place in the last 32. That’s the no-man’s land they’re living in now, frantically looking at the respective fates of Senegal and Ecuador, Curacao and Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and others.
There was a certain inevitably about it. Until Bolivia earlier this month, Scotland have never beaten South American opposition, never beaten Brazil in 10 attempts going back 50 years. They rallied and created moments but it was too little, too late.
Democrats accuse Trump of skirting Congress on Turkey arms deal

June 24 (UPI) — Democratic lawmakers accused the Trump administration Wednesday of seeking to push through a multimillion-dollar arms deal with Turkey by bypassing congressional review, the latest executive action critics say usurps the lawmakers’ authority.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was informed by the Trump administration late Tuesday that it would bypass congressional review of an arms sale to Turkey worth more than $700 million.
“The State Department did not even attempt to justify its decision,” Meeks said in a statement.
“It did not invoke any emergency authority, did not present a written rationale and for months refused to make a good-faith effort to brief me on implications of the sale for the U.S.-Turkey relationship, Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian S-400 system and other regional security concerns,” he continued.
“It simply informed my office that it would immediately proceed with a formal notification of the sale.”
Turkey is a U.S. ally and NATO member with a robust defense industry. However, it’s led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an increasingly authoritarian leader who has maintained ties with Russia and whose government uses the Kremlin’s S-400 Triumph missile defense system.
The United States and NATO opposed Turkey’s adoption of the S-200 system, and Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter program in 2019 during Trump’s first administration.
Meeks called the decision to bypass congressional review “yet another deeply troubling example of this administration’s open contempt for Congress’ oversight authority.
“There can be no pretense that this was urgent or unavoidable,” he said, stating the items will not be delivered to Turkey for years.
“This was a deliberate choice to shut Congress out and to treat legitimate oversight as an inconvenience to be brushed aside.”
Trump is scheduled to visit Turkey early next month. During a White House press conference alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday, he praised Erdogan as “a great friend.”
Erdogan is known to be seeking to acquire U.S.-made fighter jets, including the F-35. Asked if he was planning to announce a potential deal when he visits Ankara, Trump replied: “I’m going to probably do something that’s going to make him very happy.”
It was unclear if jets were part of the arms deal.
UPI has contacted the State Department for comment and to detail the contents of the sale.
Democrats and other critics of President Donald Trump have repeatedly accused his administration of bypassing Congress through executive orders and unilateral decisions, particularly in its use of the military.
The Trump administration has faced staunch criticism from opponents for launching a war against Iran in late February without congressional authorization. Democrats have frequently argued that the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war.
Democrats have also criticized the administration’s use of the military to attack suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Pacific and Caribbean without congressional authorization.
UK sees hottest June day on record as 36.1C recorded in Hampshire
The UK has experienced its hottest June day on record after temperatures soared to 36.1C (97F) in Gosport, Hampshire, on Wednesday afternoon.
Hundreds of schools shut across England and Wales and transport has also been disrupted, with train passengers advised to avoid all non-essential travel.
The heatwave is forecast to continue into Friday, with a further high of about 38C possible, the Met Office said.
A red extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office across parts of south and central England and south Wales remains in place until 23:59 BST on Thursday.
Wednesday’s high came between 15:00 and 16:00, breaking the previous June record of 35.6C recorded in Southampton in 1976 and Camden in 1957.
This new record is described as “provisional” by the Met Office, which now has to conduct checks to ensure the measurement is reliable.
The next highest temperatures of the day were all recorded in southern England, including Wisley, Surrey, on 36C, Wiggonholt, West Sussex, on 35.9C, and Charlwood, Surrey, on 35.7C. And Wales had its hottest day of the year so far, with a high of 33.3C at Cardiff Bute Park.
A searing European heatwave continues to cause deaths and disruption, with France recording its hottest day since records began in 1947, and the temperature in Paris and other areas above 40C.
‘Supergirl’ review: Let Milly Alcock party harder next time
Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) can swill an entire sorority’s supply of booze. As a Kryptonian, her hangovers are instantly cured by a yellow sun. And so director Craig Gillespie’s “Supergirl” follows a trail of empty beer bottles to find Superman’s lonely younger cousin marking her birthday on a solo interstellar bender, pounding shots alongside her dog, Krypto.
Unlike sweet-natured Kal-El (David Corenswet), a.k.a. Clark Kent, who escaped Krypton as a baby, this traumatized 20-something bore witness to their home planet’s long and painful extinction. Playing grief like the sandblasted absence of emotion, Alcock’s Supergirl isn’t in the mood for Metropolis do-gooding. She prefers slumming it at extraterrestrial honky-tonks with suitors who look like armadillo-plated slugs. She’s most visibly depressed when she tries to convince herself she’s having fun.
Who doesn’t want to go on a “Star Wars” cantina crawl? The opening stretch of “Supergirl” is great — Alcock even passes out on a toilet with aplomb. Briefly we hope that Gillespie and screenwriter Ana Nogueira are shaking up the superhero format like a bottle of gas-station champagne. I’d love to see Alcock’s heroine in a grotty, silly “Animal House”-style comedy, out-drinking a galaxy of alien squids. But the limits of Hollywood’s imagination squeeze Supergirl to stop partying and start doing some regular old rescuing. Sigh. Someone’s gotta save franchise movies from themselves.
As usual, there’s a tyke in trouble: 13-year-old Ruthye (Eve Ridley), a fellow orphan with a ramrod disposition and a tidy brunet braid that gives away that her character is modeled on Hailee Steinfeld’s vengeful teenager in “True Grit.” Ruthye wants to hunt and kill the creep who murdered her family. Unlike Supergirl, the child thinks it’s healthier to exorcise — not imbibe — one’s heartache. The duo visit an Epstein-island-like planet of kidnapped breeding women where, in one of the script’s subtler sick horrors, the locals imply that pubescent Ruthye is more valuable than aged 23-year-old Supergirl. (Although some of the caged extras appear to be as ancient as 30.) It’s yet another swiped idea, this one from “Mad Max: Fury Road,” for a minor story beat that’s unnecessary. Still, Alcock reacts with exactly the right note of disdain: “Cool,” she croaks. ‘Nuff said.
They’ve come to this cesspool to find the villainous Krem, an unrecognizably vile Matthias Schoenaerts with a mug that’s been pierced all over like he face-planted into a pile of thumbtacks. His biker-scumbag-times-infinity prosthetic design is fantastic, but what makes it genius is that the makeup team allowed a couple of metal studs to fall off Krem’s forehead before his first close-up. You know, for that lived-in barbarian sex trafficker look.
As Ruthye, Ridley’s crisp British elocution is the cleanest thing in the movie, which is shot by Rob Hardy in shades of mustard smog and latrine brown. Neither Supergirl as a babysitter nor Gillespie as a storyteller let the kid carry her share of the action, but I suspect Ridley has the talent for it. She seizes her small opportunities to impress in the film’s second half. Spitting on a baddie, her righteous loogie stings like a moral disinfectant.
Meanwhile, Jason Momoa swaggers into the fray from the cover of an ’80s hard-rock album with Kiss’ makeup, Manowar’s muscles and Meatloaf’s motorcycle. His character, a blue-skinned bounty hunter, only tangentially slots into the plot. Really, Momoa’s massive presence is here to prove that James Gunn was serious when he announced he was hard-resetting DC Comics’ film canon up to 2023’s “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” Momoa as Aquaman is dead. Long live Momoa as Whoever This Guy Is.
Gillespie likes to champion difficult women, from Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” to the Dalmatian-skinning Disney villain of “Cruella.” Yet as his budgets have mounted, so has the pressure to make his problematic ladies popular with a mass audience. “Supergirl” feels anxious to entertain. The jokes all have the same sense of snarky humor, no matter what species is cracking them. One scene even has a comic slow clap that, in my theater, didn’t get a reaction. The camera and cutting pace refuse to relax. Major set-piece action shots are impossible to follow. You can’t squint past the distracting lens flares.
Alcock’s wildling Supergirl is the one reason to see the film. As in her too-brief role on the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” and her rollicking cameo at the end of 2025’s “Superman,” the Australian actor is a striking combination of grounded conviction and otherworldly essence, the ideal one-two for a character who plays anti-gravity fetch with her dog. Floating weightless in the stars, her hair unbrushed and bathrobe-like jacket shrugged on, she makes the impossible look casual. (Supergirl’s iconic red-and-blue minidress is so not her style.)
Alas, Krypto the pup is sidelined early on with a whimper, both from him and us. Maybe he’ll get more screen time when the digital animators figure out how to make him look more realistic. (Between the mutt’s anime eyes and that gawky-phony deer in “Disclosure Day,” are CGI creatures getting worse?)
Grief tethers Supergirl to Ruthye, even though they disagree on how to handle it, and it also seems to repel her from Corenswet’s dopey, innocent Clark Kent. There’s rich irony in the personality contrast between the cousins. Her Kryptonian parents raised her to help humanity; his parents intended their son to rule it. But due to twists of fate, she’s the miserable, maladjusted one. The movie has no time to mine the psychology underneath their clash, let alone summon a sniffle for the other pitiful characters who die during this escapade. Perhaps it’s holding that tension back for a sequel, but I’d rather invest in the characters now.
A flashback to Supergirl’s first touchdown on Earth has the awkwardness of a study-abroad student realizing she doesn’t like her host country at all. Despite our planet seeming to have enforced its monoculture on outer space — an extraterrestrial dive bar band even does “The Girl From Ipanema” — Supergirl appreciates little of it besides some product-placement dog treats and, in a forced touch, the pop music on her headphones as well as crammed into the soundtrack next to Claudia Sarne’s gravelly score. I’ll accept this degenerate Supergirl sporting a retro Blondie shirt, but not her willingly choosing to listen to mopey contemporary Earth jams like Rilo Kiley and a twee cover of Jimmy Eat World over, say, Kryptonian death metal.
Still, the production design has imaginatively askew takes on the mundane: gridded jail cells, plodding space buses, clumsy oxygen suits that shimmy on with a satisfying squeak. When Supergirl makes a pit stop at a celestial convenience store, she samples a snack that I’m forced to call poop-corn. If “Supergirl” sells enough of it, hopefully Alcock can rampage again in a more confident sequel that truly cuts loose.
‘Supergirl’
Rated: PG-13, for sequences of strong violence, action, language, and smoking
Running time: 1 hour, 48 minutes
Playing: Opens Friday, June 26 in wide release
Micron signals HBM TAM crossing $100B in 2027 as it lifts FY26 CapEx to around $27B (NASDAQ:MU)
Earnings Call Insights: Micron Technology (MU) Q3 fiscal 2026
Management View
- Mark Murphy (Executive VP & CFO) tied capital returns to cash durability, saying: “We’re really pleased with the financial trajectory of the business… we are delivering record cash flow numbers.” He added that after maintaining “appropriate excess
Seeking Alpha’s Disclaimer: This article was automatically generated by an AI tool based on content available on the Seeking Alpha website, and has not been curated or reviewed by humans. Due to inherent limitations in using AI-based tools, the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such articles cannot be guaranteed. This article is intended for informational purposes only. Seeking Alpha does not take account of your objectives or your financial situation and does not offer any personalized investment advice. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.



















