SAT in the BBC studio chatting about the World Cup, Wayne Rooney looked like half the man he was just a few months ago.

And as the coverage continues, whispers of fat jabs being behind his transformation are growing louder by the day. Here, insiders reveal what’s really going on with the former footballer – and the part played by his wife Coleen.

The Sun understands that the 40-year-old’s new look was masterminded by Coleen ahead of his big punditry gig.

Our insider explained: “Coleen knew Wayne wasn’t happy with the way he looked and how important this gig was for him, so she put him on a diet and exercise regime before he flew out to the US. He’s 40 now, so it felt like now or never.

“She has been encouraging him to work out with her in their home gym. They also have a PT who has been round to help him.

“Then there has been facials and various other treatments to make sure he’s looking his best and, of course, they went on a big shopping spree to make sure he looked super smart.”

It’s paid off – World Cup viewers have been very distracted by his appearance, with many questioning what his secret is.

One person asked: “Has Wayne Rooney been on the jabs lol .” 

Another joked: “He’s on the jabs, he’s on the jabs, Wayne Rooney is shredding the fat!”

Someone else added: “Rooney suddenly looks like a 30 year old.”

It’s thought Wayne has in fact been following the macro diet, which involves tracking the intake of three essential macronutrients – proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

It’s certainly a stark contrast from the old Wayne, who famously had a McDonald’s before his Premier League debut for Everton and even took Ronaldo for a drive-thru when he arrived in Manchester.

He was also known for his love of his favourite Chinese – Wings in Manchester – which he has visited for decades. 

During his stint managing Plymouth Argyle we’re told he loved a local pasty. 

In 2013, Coleen – who was just 19 and new to Wag life – raised eyebrows when she insisted he had a healthy diet. 

“They all think Wayne’s a big fat person and eats burgers every day, which he’s not, and I don’t know where they get it from,” she said.

“It does my head in because people really believe that. His favourite food is lettuce. He loves salad.” 

It’s not just food that has changed for Wayne now though, he has cut down on booze.

Wayne has been very open about his struggles with alcohol in the past – at times drinking for two days straight.

He has said: “I’ve had many challenges, both on and off the pitch, and my escape was alcohol.”

He credits Coleen, his wife of 18 years, for saving him thanks to supporting him throughout it all.

“I honestly believe if she weren’t there I’d be dead,” he told the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. “I’ve made mistakes in the past which are well documented and whatever but I’m a little bit different at times and she keeps me on that path and she’s done it for 20-odd years. 

“I wanted to go out and enjoy my time with my friends and have a night out. It got to a point where I went too far – that was a moment in my life where I was struggling massively with alcohol. I didn’t think I could turn to anyone. I didn’t really want to because I didn’t want to put that burden on anyone. 

“I just drank for two days straight. Come training and at the weekend I’d score two goals and then I’d go back and go and drink for two days straight again. She’s helped me control that massively. She’s managed me because I needed managing.” 

Coleen has definitely put a shift in over the years with Wayne – aside from the troubling infidelity rumours, public booze battle and tumultuous career on the pitch, but we’re told the couple have actually never been happier.

Ever since I’m A Celebrity, Coleen has become the main breadwinner and the family have landed a 10-part Disney show – and it’s had a huge positive impact on Wayne. 

Our insider added: “Coleen can’t get enough of the new Wayne. She’s really proud of him and it’s reignited a flame. She fancies him more than ever.” 

Published on
14/07/2026 – 12:50 GMT+2

When Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal lead their sides out at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday evening, they will be doing more than chasing a place in Sunday’s final, they will be fronting the priciest collection of talent ever assembled for a men’s World Cup semi-final.

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Transfermarkt’s latest figures value France’s squad at roughly $1.78 billion (€1.56bn) and Spain’s at $1.43 billion (€1.25bn), a combined total of around $3.2 billion (€2.8bn), which outstrips any previous last-four meeting in the tournament’s history.

Much of that financial weight is concentrated in a handful of individuals.

Barcelona’s Yamal, who turned 19 the day before kick-off, is the most expensive player left in the competition at around $234 million (€205m), with Mbappé close behind at roughly $211 million (€185m).

Michael Olise and Pedri follow, both valued at around $176 million (€154m).

Between them, the quartet accounts for four of the five costliest footballers in the world, with the fifth being Norway’s Erling Haaland, whose side did not reach this stage after losing to England.

France’s edge is starkest in attack, where forwards including Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué push the unit’s combined worth to roughly $878 million (€770m), well ahead of Spain’s $489 million (€428m) attacking line, even with Yamal in its ranks.

France also lead in defence, valued at $473 million (€414m) to Spain’s $337 million (€295m), while Spain have the edge in goal, their goalkeepers are worth a combined $113 million (€99m), against France’s $67 million (€58m).

Market value has not dictated ticket demand

Market value has seemingly has not dictated demand for tickets at World Cup matches.

Resale prices for Wednesday’s second semi-final between England and Argentina in Atlanta have been running around $1,000 higher on average than for Tuesday’s tie, even though that fixture’s combined squad value, at roughly $2.5 billion (€2.2bn), trails France and Spain’s total.

Demand there is being driven largely by Lionel Messi’s possible farewell World Cup appearance.

As for the match itself, recent history offers Spain some reassurance against what the figures suggest.

La Roja have won six of the last 10 meetings between the sides, including victories at Euro 2024 and in last year’s Nations League, both by narrow margins.

Kick-off is at 2pm local time, 8pm in the UK and 9pm in Paris and Madrid, with the match falling, fittingly for the French camp, on Bastille Day.

They were Mexican immigrants, both named Lorenzo.

They came to this country without papers as teenagers. Lack of legal status didn’t stop them from building beautiful lives — a wife, a home, a loving dog. A blue-collar job that paid the bills, weekend carne asadas with friends and family, children who followed their father’s example of hard work.

The Lorenzos enjoyed the fruits of their labor in their adopted land, even as they battled to become American citizens while politicians demonized immigrants as invaders and worse.

Lorenzo Arellano arrived in the United States in 1968 and didn’t get his citizenship until nearly 30 years later. Back then, the path to naturalization was far easier.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo arrived in the early 1990s, when those opportunities were becoming severely limited.

Lorenzo Arellano is my father, a happily retired truck driver living in Anaheim.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, who ran his own construction crew, was on his way to a job with his brother and two other men when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot him dead on July 7 in Houston.

When I see a photo of Salgado Araujo beaming in front of a cake with the number 52 on it at the well-kept home he built with his own hands, I’m reminded that we’ll be celebrating my father’s 75th birthday next month. When I see video of Salgado Araujo’s feet twitching on the ground with two ICE agents next to him as he bleeds out and moans for help, I weep.

Only geography, age and Donald Trump separated the Lorenzos. Even their children — he had three boys, while my father had two boys and two girls — are similar. The Salgado Araujos, like the Arellanos, are college-educated. The eldest son, Ronaldo, is a teacher like my sisters. He wears glasses like me and is now telling the story of his father to the nation, as I have for decades.

I write about my Papi as the puckish personification of immigrant America.

Ronaldo is eulogizing his dad way too soon.

“He wanted nothing else in life but to provide for his wife and see his sons become great people,” Ronaldo said proudly at a news conference the day after his father’s death — words I’ve always said about my Papi. “He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of ‘Mexican man shot and killed by ICE’” — words I hope to never utter but can sadly see as a possibility given la migra’s unapologetic shoot-first approach and indiscriminate targeting of anyone brown.

Salgado Araujo’s killing came as part of the Trump administration’s newest deportation surge — the New York Times reported that the feds have arrested nearly 2,000 people a day since the end of June. The rate is higher than ICE’s campaign of terror last summer, yet it hasn’t drawn the same attention, fulfilling the promise of newish Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that la migra would operate far more quietly and efficiently than under his reckless predecessor, Kristi Noem.

Those quiet times are over.

Ronaldo Salgado, son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, dries his tears while talking at a news conference on July 8 in Houston. His father was shot and killed by ICE agents the day before.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

Vigils are popping up across the country in Salgado Araujo’s name. Stories about his life and death have replaced those about Mexico’s World Cup run on my social media timelines. They are heartbreaking, infuriating and a baleful reminder for Mexican Americans that these last five weeks of soccer, as joyful as they were, didn’t change our precarious status in this country under President Trump.

“He deserved to live a quiet life as a husband, a father and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream,” Ronaldo said at the news conference through tears as his younger brother, Lorenzo Jr., comforted him. That their father never will — that the Department of Homeland Security is now smearing his name by claiming he “weaponized” his van by trying to run over an agent, even though video evidence proves no such thing — is the latest indictment against the Trump administration’s cruelty toward the undocumented.

Salgado Araujo wasn’t even the target of ICE’s operation. His family said he had applied for a work permit and was on his way toward finally obtaining legal status.

We should heed Ronaldo’s words about his father. As people protest and seek justice, we should also hail the life of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo the way we one day will hail the life of Lorenzo Arellano — as Mexicans who made it, challenges be damned. And we should continue to fight for immigrants who remain in legal limbo, afraid for their lives more than ever.

I called my father to ask how he felt about a tocayo — someone with the same first name — losing his life to la migra.

“I put myself in his place and lament that ese [that] Lorenzo couldn’t get the citizenship that I could,” Papi said in Spanish.

He remembered how immigration agents “did it with respect” when they caught him living in this country illegally in the 1970s and 1980s.

“They asked you for your papers, and if you didn’t have them, they put handcuffs on you, you got deported and that was that. None of these beatings or shootings that are happening now under Trump,” he said. The worst it ever got was when he said he was going to Los Angeles, and an agent snapped that he was going to L.A. but now had to return to Mexico.

Papi asked me what justification ICE has offered for killing Salgado Araujo.

“I hope they put those people who killed him in prison for many years,” he said with disgust. “Will they?”

I replied that probably wasn’t going to happen. ICE has shot and killed 11 people during Trump’s second term, both citizens and noncitizens, and scores more have died in immigration detention. No agents have faced charges for any of these deaths. The agents involved in Salgado Araujo’s killing didn’t even have dashboard cameras or body cameras, a convenient oversight that a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson blamed on “multiple government shutdowns.”

“Pues, Dios sabe que todo se paga en la vida,” my dad responded. Well, God knows you reap what you sow.

Ronaldo Salgado and Lorenzo Jr., sons of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, hold a photograph of their father during a news conference July 8 in Houston.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

Nothing can bring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo back to his loved ones. But I hope they find solace in his namesake, St. Lawrence. Tradition has it that Roman authorities roasted the Spanish deacon to death after Emperor Valerian demanded that he turn over the treasures of the Church. Instead, Lawrence presented the emperor with the city’s poor and maligned, insisting that he confront the oppression he had forced on them.

May we remember Lorenzo Salgado Araujo as a modern-day martyr, killed because our government refused to give him and so many others a chance at living in this country without fear.

May his name resonate through the ages as embodying the promise and tragedy of the American dream.

Wigan Warriors prop Mary Coleman has earned her first England call-up for the mid-season Test in France later this month.

The 28-year-old switched to rugby league four years ago, having previously played union for Preston Grasshoppers.

In the 15-a-side code, Coleman also played three times at Twickenham for Cambridge University in the Varsity match – in 2016, 2017 and 2018 – and has represented Kent, her home county, at both union and athletics.

She helped Wigan beat St Helens 54-6 at Wembley on 30 May to win the Women’s Challenge Cup.

England face France in a one-off Test at Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse on Saturday, 25 July (18:00 BST). The match will be staged as part of a double-header with Toulouse’s men’s Super League match against Catalan Dragons (21:00 BST).

Head coach Stuart Barrow has not selected any Australia-based players, as the NRLW is in the middle of its season.

The match will provide Barrow’s side with a warm-up before the Women’s World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea this October and November.

England – who will play all of their World Cup matches in Australia – begin their campaign against Wales in Perth on Saturday, 17 October.

Barrow said: “While our immediate focus is on delivering a strong performance in France, every training session and camp over the coming months will help shape where we need to be when the World Cup begins.”

England squad: Mia-Jayne Atherton (Wigan Warriors), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Ruby Bruce (Leeds Rhinos), Mary Coleman (Wigan Warriors), Evie Cousins (Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors), Ellise Derbyshire (Wigan Warriors), Ella Donnelly (Leeds Rhinos), Jenna Foubister (Wigan Warriors), Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth (St Helens), Eva Hunter (Wigan Warriors), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lucy Murray (Leeds Rhinos), Tamzin Renouf (York Valkyrie), Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens), Megan Williams (Wigan Warriors), Georgia Wilson (Wigan Warriors).

The South Korean government on Tuesday revised up its economic growth projection for 2026 to 3 percent, up 1 percentage point from its previous outlook, citing a semiconductor supercycle and easing uncertainties surrounding the Middle East.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy released its economic policy plan for the second half of 2026, presenting a forecast above the 2.6 percent estimates issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“This is the first year in which the Lee Jae Myung administration is taking full responsibility for the country’s economic management,” First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il said during a press conference held in the central city of Sejong.

“On the back of the government’s prompt response to the Middle East war and robust export performance, the economy is maintaining a stable growth trend,” the first vice finance minister said, adding that the revised 3 percent growth forecast reflects those developments.

Lee said the revised growth forecast, which is significantly higher than those presented by major international institutions, remains achievable because it reflects the latest data.

“I think the outlooks from other organizations were based on data from March and April,” Lee said. “We made our assessment based on the latest data, with the major changes including stronger exports driven by the semiconductor boom. Tensions in the Middle East have eased further since then.”

“We believe such developments will exert downward pressure on consumer prices and inflation, positively affecting both exports and consumption,” he added.

In the report, the finance ministry said the policy vision for the remainder of 2026 is to mark the first year of a major economic leap toward establishing an “irreplaceable Republic of Korea,” referring to South Korea’s official name.

Seoul also unveiled the so-called 3-4-5 vision, under which the country will seek to achieve a potential growth rate of 3 percent, become one of the world’s top four exporters, and raise gross national income (GNI) per capita to US$50,000. The GNI per capita came to US$36,850 in 2025.

The finance ministry said the growth momentum, which began to expand in the second half of 2025, is expected to further accelerate this year on the back of the continuing semiconductor boom, along with policy measures, including an extra budget aimed at shielding the country from the impact of the Middle East war.

The country will also seek to successfully implement three mega projects aimed at fostering the semiconductor, AI data center and physical AI industries, the report said.

South Korea will additionally focus on maintaining an unwavering supply chain based on lessons learned from the Middle East war, including offering tax benefits for the domestic production of strategically important items.

On exports, the finance ministry said South Korea’s outbound shipments are expected to jump a whopping 40 percent on-year in 2026 on the back of the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

Non-IT products, such as ships, biohealth and secondary batteries, are also expected to remain robust, it added.

South Korea’s monthly exports reached a record $102.25 billion in June, surpassing the $100 billion mark for the first time after jumping 70.9 percent on-year.

The current account for 2026 was expected to reach a $290 billion surplus, marking a record high, buoyed by the surge in overseas demand and an increase in the number of foreign tourists.

In 2027, however, the current account surplus was expected to narrow to $245 billion following a rise in imports on the back of increasing domestic consumption.

Facility investment for 2026 could expand 5 percent on-year due to the robust performance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, although growth will be limited by sluggish machinery and petrochemical sectors.

The policy report also projected inflation of 2.6 percent in 2026, up from the previous 2.1 percent estimate, citing the lingering impact of the Middle East war, which led to higher petroleum prices.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is expected to remain at around 2 percent.

“In the second half of 2026, as tensions surrounding the Middle East war ease and global crude oil prices decline, consumer price growth is expected to slow,” the ministry said.

“However, uncertainties also linger amid the progress of Middle East war negotiations and weather conditions, which could lead to volatility in energy and agricultural product prices,” it added.

Looking ahead to 2027, the ministry projected annual inflation to reach 2.2 percent despite lower global crude oil prices due to demand-led inflationary pressure.

The government said it will continue to focus on rolling out a post-Middle East war strategy by pursuing stable macroeconomic policies while maintaining a stable supply chain.

“In response to the changing economic environment, we plan to establish a comprehensive response system to maintain market stability across the macroeconomy, financial markets, the foreign exchange market and the real estate market,” the first vice finance minister said. “Based on favorable tax revenue conditions, we will continue active fiscal management.”

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Alexander, who signed a two-way deal with the Jazz last week. was injured in game against Chicago Bulls.

Utah Jazz guard Trey Alexander was taken from the court on a stretcher after appearing to injure his side on a drive to the basket in an NBA Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls.

Alexander, who signed a two-way deal with Utah last week, made contact with the Bulls’ Caleb Wilson during Monday night’s match while driving towards the basket. After tossing the ball towards the hoop, he went behind the basket, clutching his side or abdomen. He then dropped to the ground, appearing to be in great pain.

The 23-year-old was taken from the Thomas & Mack Center court on a stretcher. The incident occurred with just more than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

There was no immediate word from the Jazz on Alexander’s injury.

Alexander played three seasons at Creighton University and skipped his final year of eligibility to turn pro. The rookie of the year in the G League, the NBA’s minor league, for the 2024-2025 season played 24 games for the Denver Nuggets that same season and nine games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season.

Under his current contract, Alexander is to play for the Jazz and its G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

BRIT comedian Alex Kealy and his wife Mhairi Beveridge have announced the arrival of their baby girl.

He took to Instagram to share the news with his fans as he unveiled the first pictures of the little bundle of joy.

In one video, she could be seen fast asleep as her little chest moved up and down slowly.

The stand-up star also shared pictures of himself and Mhairi posing with their baby daughter.

In one snap, Alex and the baby twinned in matching England tops as he tuned into a match.

Revealing her name, he captioned the post: “She’s here and she’s huge!

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“Our daughter Ada Robyn Kealy arrived last week weighing 9lb3oz. We love our pig.”

His fans flocked to the comments section to congratulate the pair as one gushed: “Congratulations she’s beautiful.”

Another person enthused: “She’s gorgeous!!! Look at her hair! A princess! Biggest congratulations to you both Alex!!!”

Somebody else commented: “What a cutie pie.”

Yet another penned: “She is gorgeous! Look at that hair!!!”

While a fifth added: “Congratulations mate! Very happy for you.”

Alex rose to prominence as a comedian after reaching the final of the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny? competition.

He debuted his first show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016.

Alex is a writer and regular contributor for BBC Two’s Mock The Week.

The performer and his wife Mhairi tied the knot in June 2024 as he revealed the news on Instagram a few weeks later.

He shared snaps of them from their big day as he told his fans: “Belated “I got married last month and it was the best day of my life”

“Post: snaps from ceremony and speeches (Mhairi’s was so good it led to panicked last minute rewrites from those who had to follow her).”

Alex has previously revealed that the pair met on on X, formerly known as Twitter.

During his Edinburgh Festival Fringe show The Fear in 2024, he joked that he now sees X as “a dating app where people should create an account, get a wife, and then leave.”

Oakland is a town often misunderstood. As someone who’s lived in the city and still spends a ton of time there, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly.

And yet, there’s no place like it.

People who know the real Oakland — the ones who’ve explored neighborhoods from Chinatown to Fruitvale to Temescal, who’ve caught sunsets over the entire Bay from the Oakland hills, who’ve admired art in downtown and watched films at the historic Grand Lake Theater — will tell you there’s so much more to “The Town” than it gets credit for. During her post-Olympics homecoming at Frank Ogawa Plaza, figure skating gold medalist Alysa Liu summed up Oakland with one word: “Soul.” Locals beamed. With her unapologetically funky style, zen-like confidence and YOLO mentality, this athlete had clearly been shaped by the city.

Located on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay, Oakland is a midsized city with an outsized reputation, having long served as a pressure cooker for grassroots activism. The Black Panther Party, the hyphy subgenre of hip-hop, official U.S. wildlife refuges — they all started in Oakland. Visit the city and you’ll find that it’s slower-paced than San Francisco but has all the cultural diversity. Its food scene is endlessly innovative — try the handcrafted zaru soba at Soba Ichi or some of the best Indigenous food on the West Coast at Wahpepah’s Kitchen. And for those wanting to explore the outdoors, there’s Lake Merritt in the center of town and redwood forests in the hills.

Oakland is far from perfect; while crime is reportedly down, it’s important to be street smart (or as locals say, to “keep your head on a swivel”). But I’ve seen many changes to the town over the years and have a renewed appreciation for its vibrancy. Here’s just a sampling of ways you can enjoy the cultural bounty from this city by the Bay.

The United States carried out attacks against Iran for a third consecutive night late on Monday.

Iran has continued to hit targets in the Gulf in several waves of retaliatory strikes on Tuesday, including UAE‑flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Here is a recap of what has happened on Monday night and Tuesday, and what each side has said.

Where did the US attack Iran?

US Central Command, the military’s regional command known as CENTCOM, said its latest strikes began at 4:45pm ET (20:45 GMT) on Monday and were aimed at degrading Iran’s capacity to attack “innocent civilians and commercial shipping” in the strait.

CENTCOM later announced the conclusion of its strikes and said the latest round of attacks on Iran lasted five hours. It added that US forces “successfully struck military targets across Iran including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas”.

Iranian state television and semi-official news agencies reported explosions throughout the night across the country’s southern coast, including the port city of Bandar Abbas, and on Kish and Qeshm islands, as well as the town of Jam in Bushehr province.

A projectile that struck western Bandar Abbas caused no casualties, the Fars news agency reported, citing the regional governor’s office.

What areas did Iran target?

For its part, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched a wider retaliatory campaign against US allies and interests across the Gulf.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian forces had struck several “violating” vessels in the strait, and that a US-made drone had been shot down near Bandar Abbas.

The UAE: The UAE said two of its oil tankers had been hit by Iranian cruise missiles in Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE added that one Indian national crew member had been killed on one of the tankers, and eight other people were wounded.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency said the IRGC hit two “offending” oil supertankers, citing an IRGC statement – apparently referring to the two UAE tankers.

Kuwait: The Iranian army said on Monday that it had carried out a drone attack on US military targets in Kuwait. In a statement posted by state broadcaster IRIB, the army said it launched drones at a US Patriot missile system, fuel tanks, a watchtower, an ammunition depot and communication systems.

Bahrain: The IRGC said it targeted “several weapons storage depots, a satellite communications centre, and a building housing US forces” at al-Juffair Base in Bahrain. It also said it had hit the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with missiles and drones.

Air sirens have been heard four times in Bahrain on Tuesday so far.

Jordan: Jordan’s army said it shot down four missiles in Jordanian airspace that were fired from Iran, according to the official Petra news agency. After this, the IRGC said it launched ballistic missiles at US forces and key facilities at an airbase in Jordan.

In a message addressed directly to Jordanians, the IRGC insisted that the operation was aimed at the US military presence in the country rather than at Jordan or its citizens. “You know that we hold no animosity toward your country. On the contrary, we deeply love you, the noble people. You understand the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people better than any other nation, and you are aware of the crimes of the Zionist regime in the massacre of 70,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children in Gaza, carried out with the direct involvement of the United States,” it said.

What have the US and Iran said?

US President Donald Trump formally notified Congress on July 10 that fighting with Iran had resumed on July 7, invoking his authority to keep US forces in combat for another 60 days without lawmakers’ approval.

At a news conference on Monday, Trump said Iran’s offensive capabilities were being dismantled, but he still thinks a “deal is possible” despite the return to open fighting.

Trump also repeated an earlier demand that Gulf nations help cover the cost of protecting shipping, saying Washington was “protecting a very rich portion of the world” and expected to be paid for it.

On Monday, Trump also threatened to “take out” Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, also known as Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected nuclear site near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran.

Meanwhile, the US blockade on Iran, confirmed by the US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC), is due to begin at 20:00 GMT on Tuesday.

The US’s blockade covers Iran’s ports and terminals along the entire southern coastline, according to JMIC.

Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, has warned that Iran remains steadfast in defending its red lines, following the formal introduction of a bill to manage the Strait of Hormuz.

In an X post on Tuesday, Azizi wrote: “Last night, coinciding with the downing of US drones, the ‘Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf’ bill was formally introduced in Iran’s Parliament. We remain steadfast in defending our red lines, particularly regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz.”

What is happening to shipping in Hormuz?

Oil prices rose more than 9 percent on Monday, with Brent crude climbing to about $81 a barrel, its highest level since mid-June.

Kpler, the ship-tracking firm, said crossings through the strait fell by about 52 percent between July 10 and July 12, compared with the previous week.

The U.S. Army has announced that its future fleet of ME-11B High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) aircraft will be based at Fort Hood in Texas. The service says it will also establish a first-of-its-kind operational drone battalion at this base as part of a larger consolidation of aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets. This all follows the Army’s retirement of the last of its turboprop ISR planes last year.

The Army shared the ME-11B basing plans in the context of the relocation of the 116th Military Intelligence Brigade, headquartered at Fort Gordon in Georgia, to Fort Hood. That process is now underway. The most recent iteration of the 116th has been serving as the Army’s main aerial ISR formation since 2014. Over the past 12 years, the brigade has also overseen units at several other bases across the country, including ones already at Fort Hood.

The Army is currently expecting to take delivery of the first ME-11B prototype before the end of the year. The service is also in the process of acquiring two additional prototypes. The Army plans to buy at least six production examples, but this number could grow in the future. The HADES jets are being converted from Bombardier Global 6500 business jets.

“The move, authorized on March 3, 2026, by then-Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George, positions the brigade to lead the deployment of the Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) marking a pivotal step in the modernization of the nation’s global aerial intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (AISR) capabilities,” according to an Army release today. “This relocation consolidates and redesigns the Army’s only fixed-wing AISR brigade to better support multi-domain and large-scale combat operations globally.”

Fort Hood is one of the largest Army facilities anywhere globally. It has its own airstrip, Robert Gray Army Airfield, which is collocated with Killeen Regional Airport. Signs that the ME-11Bs would be based there had already emerged last month with a contracting notice regarding planned work on hangars at this airfield, specifically to accommodate the new jets.

The Army sees HADES as a critical part of a broader paradigm shift in how it will provide aerial ISR support going forward. The ME-11Bs fly higher, faster, and farther, than any of the now-retired turboprop types the Army previously operated. As such, the HADES aircraft will be able to get to and from operating areas faster, and stay on station longer. Compared to their predecessors, the jets’ onboard sensors and datalinks will have better lines of sight from their perches, too. That higher operating ceiling allows the aircraft to use a slant angle to peer deeper into denied areas while still flying in international airspace and further away from potential threats. 

The concepts of operations for HADES, as the Army has described them publicly so far, also envision the planes launching extremely long-range drones. With ranges of around 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) or more, the idea is that the drones will dramatically extend the sensor reach of their launch platforms, and keep them further away from hostile air defenses. The service says the air-launched drone capability will offer a way to provide a penetrating intelligence-gathering capacity able to support future high-end operations without the need for a very stealthy or otherwise extremely costly platform.

“In 70 or 80 years, there would be 0.1% of the time when you wouldn’t be able to fly ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions] because you would be afraid of the threat, potentially, or the threat would be too high to fly,” Andrew Evans, Director of Strategy and Transformation with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, or G-2, explained to TWZ and other outlets at the Army Aviation Association of America’s (AAAA) 2026 Warfighting Summit in April. “That means that 99.9% of the time of a life of the system, it is a useful system for deterrence, for building pattern of life, target development, and so on and so forth. So we’re building a system that can be used for 99.9% of the useful life of the system.”

“There will be nothing in the world that we can’t touch with a combined range of HADES and what we can launch off of this thing,” Evans added. “I don’t think anybody’s safe in the future from a sensing perspective.”

Evans offered additional details about plans for HADES, and hinted at additional advanced capabilities planned for the jets down the line. Each jet will have two hardpoints under each wing for external stores, which could include pods with additional sensors or other systems. You can read more about all of this here.

Significant questions about the Army’s HADES plans do still exist, including when it comes to filling capacity gaps left by the retirement of dozens of turboprop ISR aircraft. As noted, the service currently plans to acquire just six production HADES jets on top of the three prototypes. This is down from the original expected fleet size, which was still just a dozen aircraft.

The Army does envision a future aerial ISR ecosystem that includes other assets, including high-altitude balloons. Those lighter-than-air platforms could take on other missions, as well, and even be able to deploy swarms of uncrewed aerial systems. The service has also been at least been experimenting with high-altitude, extreme-endurance drones. Space-based ISR assets are set to play an ever-more-important role across the U.S. military, too.

The potential for new drone developments brings us back to the Army’s additional plan to stand up what it is currently calling simply the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Battalion at Fort Hood.

“The companies merging to form the UAS Battalion are currently engaged in global operations, and their consolidation will enhance the brigade’s agility, deployability, and lethality,” the Army’s release today says. “The 116th MIB (AI) remains the Army’s sole unit deploying small, tailored forward elements to launch UAS remotely operated from home station, significantly reducing sustainment and mobility costs.”

The 224th Military Intelligence Battalion, currently based at Hunter Army Airfield, which is part of Fort Stewart in Georgia, will at least form the core of the new drone formation.

“Following the divestment of its manned fleet, the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion strategically pivoted to focus entirely on unmanned aerial intelligence. This transition aligns with the U.S. Army’s new force structure, under which the 224th is designated to become the first unmanned aerial system battalion in the Army,” according to the unit’s official website at the time of writing. “This new chapter includes a change of station from Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, to Fort Hood, Texas, scheduled for completion by 2027. The move will consolidate the entire 116th Military Intelligence Brigade in a single location, enhancing its operational capabilities.”

“The newly formed battalion will consist of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, two [MQ-1C] Gray Eagle companies, and one processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) company,” the 224th’s official page adds. “These strategic initiatives position the 224th at the forefront of the future of Army aerial intelligence.”

However, it is unclear from the details in the Army’s release today whether personnel or assets from other existing units might be part of the “merging” that forms the new UAS Battalion. The formation could grow further in the future. The service says the overall consolidation of the 116th Intelligence Brigade is set to bring 1,228 additional personnel to Fort Hood from Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart, and Fort Bliss (also in Texas), between now and Fiscal Year 2028.

The Army also has other MQ-1C companies assigned to combat aviation brigades at bases across the country. There are additional Gray Eagle units within the service’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, as well.

It should be noted here that the Army’s present leadership has been vocal in its desire to move on from the MQ-1C, a design with its roots in the Global War on Terror. The service has openly questioned the design’s survivability and general relevance in future conflicts. It has also seen pushback from Congress. Gray Eagles have been actively engaged in operations against Iran this year, as have their MQ-9 Reaper cousins.

The U.S. Air Force has also previously sought to retire its MQ-9s after raising questions about their value outside of lower-intensity fights. More recently, the service has described them as star players in the conflict with Iran, despite substantial combat losses. This has all fueled a renewed debate about the Reaper’s future, as you can read more about in detail here. The Air Force has now also partnered with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) on a new MQ-9 replacement effort that puts major emphasis on modularity and lower costs.

The Army’s aerial ISR ecosystem is certainly in the midst of a major watershed moment, with HADES being just one part of the future equation. Fort Hood is also now set to be the focal point for those plans as they continue to evolve.

“The key to the future of Aerial ISR is the consolidation at Fort Hood of the mighty 116th!” Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Brown, head of the service’s Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), said in a statement per the release today.

Central to that consolidation effort, and the broader future of Army aerial ISR, will be the arrival of new HADES jets at the base in Texas.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Josh Grisetti, the Broadway actor who charmed audiences with roles in “Something Rotten!” and TV’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” has died, a family member confirmed to The Times on Monday. He was 44.

Grisetti died by suicide Friday, his “Something Rotten!” co-star Rob McClure first announced Sunday on Instagram, adding he is heartbroken and “not ready to even attempt to understand.” McClure also expressed his condolences to Grisetti’s wife and family. The Instagram post included photos of Grisetti and McClure over the years, including at Grisetti’s wedding. The actor married Mackenzie Perpich in 2020.

“Communities around the world will never be the same without him. We love you Josh,” McClure wrote in his caption. “Just a cataclysmic loss.”

On Broadway, Grisetti was best known for starring as Bottom brother Nigel alongside McClure’s Nick. The play follows the pair of brothers as they strive for success in the theatrical world amid William Shakespeare’s unstoppable rise. Grisetti portrayed Nigel Bottom from 2017 to 2018 for the show’s national tour. Grisetti also starred in musical comedies “It Shoulda Been You” and “Broadway Bound.” He appeared in award-winning off-Broadway productions including “Rent,” “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Enter Laughing,” among others.

Grisetti’s regional credits also include “Spamalot” in Las Vegas, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” at the Reprise Theatre, “Beauty & the Beast” and “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” in La Mirada.

“Thank you, Josh, for sharing your beautiful energy and immense talent with us,” the La Mirada Theatre said on Instagram.

The actor, in what would be his final Instagram post, announced he departed a production of “Legally Blonde” at the Trentino Music Festival for “personal reasons” before the show’s opening.

The festival also mourned Grisetti in an Instagram post Monday: “Josh was a loving and caring person who was deeply dedicated to his friends, his students, and his colleagues. He was beloved by all who knew him, and he will be deeply missed by our students, faculty, and staff.”

Grisetti, born in December 1981 in Roanoke, Va., acted throughout childhood and performed in a variety of productions, including a kindergarten production of “Peter Rabbit” and high school productions of “Anything Goes” and “Flowers for Algernon.” He officially earned his Actors’ Equity card in 2004 for a production of “Where’s Charley?” at the Goodspeed Opera House, he told Playbill in 2009.

He also pursued a career in TV and film, most notably appearing in the Emmy-winning series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” He appeared as comedy writer Ralph Emerson in the series’ fifth season. He also had roles in shows “The Knights of Prosperity,” “Nurse Jackie” and “The Good Fight.”

He appeared in the film adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake,” “The Immigrant,” “The Revolutionary Road” and “Men in Black 3,” among other movies, according to IMDb.

Grisetti, who also directed various musical productions, notably brought his talent and experience to Cal State Fullerton and Loyola Marymount University, teaching acting, musical theater and business. He also authored “God in My Head” in 2016, an “irreverent spiritual memoir” that details his accidental meeting with God through a “hallucinogenic journey.”

During his time on “Price of Broadway” in 2015, Grisetti reflected on luck and breaking into the industry. “Luck is required to kind of spark some things in this business a lot of the time, but then talent is what keeps you there,” he told Playbill.

“You start making your own luck, you start forging your own connections and making it happen.”

Budget airline Ryanair has shared an ‘important’ announcement on Facebook telling people to stop wearing jeans on flights – and passengers have plenty to say about it

Ryanair has issued an ‘important’ message to passengers who choose to wear jeans on their flights, having previously threatened to introduce a ‘denim fee’ for travellers not adhering to this guidance.

Staying warm and comfortable during a flight can prove more challenging than expected, especially when you’re confined to your seat with limited movement for hours at a time. Fortunately, selecting the appropriate travel attire could dramatically improve your comfort levels while in the air.

For many, this means tracksuit bottoms or leggings, while others continue to wear less comfortable garments, such as jeans, on their journeys.

But now, Irish budget airline Ryanair has posted an announcement on its Facebook page addressing all passengers regarding their clothing choices on flights.

“Important Travel Announcement,” the company posted, accompanied by three images of a Ryanair aircraft in the sky, zoomed in to reveal various details.

The first two images showed a Ryanair plane soaring through the air, with a brilliant blue sky visible in the background. However, the third image displayed a banner trailing from the rear of the aircraft.

The message was short and sweet. It read: “Stop travelling in jeans.”

This isn’t the first occasion the airline has criticised passengers wearing jeans on their flights, as they’ve previously advised travellers to avoid the popular clothing item when flying.

While there’s no real cause for concern here, the joke simply comes from most travellers preferring to dress comfortably on flights, as jeans are well known for being rather restrictive when sitting for extended periods of time.

But this didn’t deter passengers from joining in with the banter. Scores of people quickly headed to the comments section to share their views, with many insisting they had no intention of ditching their beloved denim on flights.

“I’m always flying in jeans because they are 200g heavier than sweats and you would just love to charge me for those 200g in my suitcase,” one person said. Another went on to say: “It’s how many layers we have under our jeans that you should be worrying about.”

“Noted. I’ll fly in pyjamas… unless that’s a €12 add-on too,” a third person said.

Someone else wondered: “What, should I just travel in a t-shirt and my pants to save weight?”

Another person went on to share the safety reasoning of flying in jeans, explaining: “Better jeans than shorts… much safer in case of an emergency evacuation (same applies to closed shoes vs flip flop by the way).”

The Major League Baseball draft is filled with unfamiliar names. Even the most knowledgeable fans have difficulty knowing much about the mostly anonymous high school and college players taken by the 30 teams through 20 rounds.

Every year, however, a handful of names ring a bell. This year’s draft, held the last two days in Philadelphia ahead of Tuesday’s All-Star Game, was no exception.

Bonds. Thome. Pettitte. Sabathia.

The accomplishments of the fathers or uncles of those draftees loom large. Other high picks hope to eclipse the accomplishments of relatives who had brief MLB or long minor league careers: No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky out of UCLA is a prime example.

And draft picks whose relatives have ties to the Dodgers or Angels draw interest: Salmon, Ebel, Gasparino, Willits and Bard qualify.

No player wants to be branded as a “nepo pick” — taken as a favor to a relative. But even those can turn out to be brilliant. The Dodgers took Mike Piazza in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft largely because his father, Vince Piazza, was a childhood friend of manager Tommy Lasorda. Piazza, of course, became a Hall of Fame catcher with the Dodgers and New York Mets.

A brisk walk through this year’s picks with intriguing bloodlines:

— Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA. First overall pick by the Chicago White Sox.
His father, Dan Cholowsky, was the 39th pick in 1991 by the St. Louis Cardinals and played eight minor league seasons. He’s now a scout for the Cincinnati Reds. To focus on baseball, Roch gave up a scholarship offer to play quarterback at Notre Dame. He is the Bruins’ first No. 1 pick since Gerrit Cole in 2011.

— Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (Fla.). No. 14 pick by the Miami Marlins
His father, George Lombard, played parts of six seasons with four MLB teams from 1998 to 2006 and is the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach. Jacob’s brother, George Lombard Jr., was the 26th pick in the 2023 draft. Jacob was one of 11 shortstops taken in the first 40 picks this year.

— Trey Ebel, SS, Corona High. No. 25 pick by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee made his brother, Brady, the No. 32 pick a year ago. Their father, Dino Ebel, has been the Dodgers’ third base coach since 2019 and spent the previous 13 years as a coach for the Angels. Strength and conditioning training with MW Athletix’s Keith Coury helped lift Trey into the first round.

Landon Thome, the 34th pick in the MLB draft, and his father, Hall of Famer Jim Thome.

(Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

— Landon Thome, 2B/3B, Nazareth Academy (Ill.). No. 34 pick by the White Sox.
His father, Jim Thome, ranks eighth on the career home run list with 612 and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2018. Like his dad, Landon is a left-handed hitter with a sweet swing. He also has something his dad lacked: speed. Landon stole 54 bases this spring.

— Gavin Grahovac, 1B, Texas A&M. No. 81 pick by the Angels.
His cousin Garrett Mitchell was the No. 20 pick out of UCLA in 2020 and is in his fifth MLB season with the Brewers. His father, Mike Grahovac, was a fourth-round pick in 1989 but topped out in class A. Scouts project Gavin as having the potential to hit 30 homers a year.

— Peyton Bonds, OF, Rutgers. No. 90 pick by the San Francisco Giants.
His uncle, Barry Bonds, is a seven-time MVP who holds the MLB record with 762 home runs. His grandfather Bobby Bonds hit 332 homers during a 14-year career that ended in 1981. And his father, Bobby Bonds Jr., played 11 seasons in the minor leagues. Peyton is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound center fielder with speed and improving power.

— Rylan Lujo, OF, Georgia. No. 109 pick by the Angels.
His grandfather is Rennie Stennett, a versatile player whose nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates were bracketed by World Series titles in his 1971 rookie season and 1979 finale. Lujo converted from the infield to center field at Georgia and has plus speed.

— Jaxon Willits, SS, Oklahoma. No. 141 pick by the Angels.
His brother Eli was the first pick in last year’s draft, going to the Washington Nationals. Their father, Reggie, played parts of six seasons with the Angels and is now a coach at Oklahoma. Jaxon, 21, is older than Eli, who was the youngest player to go No. 1 overall at 17 years 216 days. Both are switch-hitters.

— Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA and Harvard-Westlake High. No. 161 overall to the Phillies.
His father, Billy Gasparino, has been a Dodgers executive for 11 years. He is the vice president of baseball operations after being promoted in 2024 from vice president of amateur scouting. Will, a 6-6 right-handed power hitter, transferred from Texas to UCLA before the 2026 season.

— Luke Pettitte, RHP/DH, Dallas Baptist. No. 248 to the New York Yankees.
His father, Andy Pettitte, won five World Series pitching for the Yankees. While Andy remains on the Hall of Fame ballot the next two years, his son will be working through the minor leagues, perhaps as a two-way player. Luke had Tommy John surgery after two years pitching for Dallas Baptist, then batted .337 with 16 home runs as a designated hitter last spring.

— Jack Salmon, OF, Nevada Las Vegas and Corona del Mar High. No. 559 by the Angels.
His uncle Tim Salmon is an Angels legend, a key component of their 2002 World Series championship team who played his entire 14-year career in Anaheim. His father, Mike, had a short stint in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and played football at USC.

— Luke Bard, C, Houston Christian. No. 583 by the Dodgers.
His father, Josh Bard, spent 10 seasons in the majors with five teams and is the Dodgers’ bullpen coach. Luke batted .345 last season at Houston Christian.

— Carsten Sabathia III, 1B, Houston. No. 611 by the Brewers.
His father, CC Sabathia, was a first-ballot Hall of Famer last year who finished his 19-year career with 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. He spent one memorable half-season with the Brewers, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA to help them to the playoffs in 2008. Carsten played two years at Georgia Tech before transferring to Houston. He was the third-to-last pick in the draft.

Madrid, Spain – Badr Tmairi, 22, from Morocco, has spent six years living in Spain without legal status. He arrived at 16, alone, without his family. He held legal residency briefly after turning 18, but lost it when he failed to renew it in time.

“What I want is to get my papers back so I can work as a hairdresser and travel to visit my family in Morocco,” he said.

Tmairi is one of more than a million people who have now applied for regularisation under a new scheme that contrasts with a growing European trend against irregular immigration.

He has been homeless for the past year. Without documents, finding work and decent housing in Spain is difficult.

“It’s very encouraging to know that so many people submitted an application and are trying to regularise their situation, but that huge number is also proof that the state has failed in its duty to protect the most vulnerable,” Edith Espinola, president of the Active Domestic Workers’ Service Association (SEDOAC) and spokesperson for the Regularizacion Ya (Regularisation Now), told Al Jazeera.

Regularizacion Ya, a collective made up of migrants, has led the push for regularisation since 2020. The measure grew out of a broad social consensus and has been backed by civil society organisations, the Catholic Church, trade unions and business associations.

Living without legal status, Espinola said, condemns people to social exclusion, as it has for Tmairi. Without rights or protection from abuse, they are unaligned with most of the rest of the population.

The new initiative, Spain’s first regularisation process since 2005, began in April and closed on June 30. The government now has three months to resolve the vast majority of the applications submitted.

Of the 1,174,978 applications, according to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, only 11,000 have received a favourable resolution so far. About 608,000 have been accepted for processing, granting provisional residency and work permits until a final resolution.

‘All I want is to work’

Rocio Neciosupe, 54, is a Peruvian migrant who has spent two years without legal status in Spain. “Regularisation isn’t a handout; all I want is to work. To work without fear and with rights, so that if I fall and I’m sick, I don’t have to go to work that day and can still get paid, like anyone else,” she said.

Neciosupe, a cleaner in private homes, is busy across six different buildings around Madrid. But she is currently recovering from a back injury sustained in a fall at work. Without documents or a contract, she has no right to sick leave.

Unable to afford to lose her income while she recovers, her husband accompanies her to work each day and helps her with tasks she cannot manage alone.

Rocio, her husband and their two daughters, aged 22 and 17, have all had their regularisation applications accepted for processing and are now awaiting a favourable resolution.

“I want to support the country I live in, and if the country grows, we grow too,” Neciosupe added.

It is precisely in the contribution and growth potential of people like her that the Spanish government has framed its case for the measure.

“By 2050, Spain’s GDP would be 19 percent lower, 90,000 bars would close, 50,000 classrooms would shut and 220,000 farms would disappear,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said recently in a public address.

Gonzalo Fanjul, director of ISGlobal’s policy and development team and head of Research at the porCausa Foundation, said: “If you look at what’s happening in the United States, there are already estimates of the impact of the government’s violent, hostile anti-migration policies. Whole economic sectors are struggling to keep functioning.”

One of those sectors is care work. With an ageing population, Spain needs trained workers to fill positions in that sector, among others.

Josselyn Aguirre, 32, is one of those workers. A nursing assistant, she migrated from Ecuador to Spain in 2024. Her original plan had been to move to the United States, but her visa application was rejected.

“My goal is to stay and help older people. I really enjoy working with them,” she said.

“Here, in my country and in other countries around the world, this sector is collapsing due to a shortage of staff. That’s why I believe that being able to regularise your status and contribute as a professional benefits everyone,” she told Al Jazeera.

Migrants and refugees who applied for regularisation had already been living in Spain, working in the informal economy for years; 57 percent are men, most come from Latin American countries, and six out of 10 are below the age of 34.

So far, 159,097 additional people have registered with the Social Security system as a result of the regularisation process.

With this measure, “Spain has made a bet on growth. We’re going to be a country of 50 million people,” Fanjul said. “But it’s not enough.”

Amid a European political climate in which anti-migration rhetoric appears to be gaining ground, Spain’s approach shows another path is possible, though “regularisation is only the beginning”, Fanjul said.

“The system has been reset, but none of the underlying reasons that brought us to this point have been resolved.

“For the state to open up legal, safe and orderly channels for labour mobility is simply common sense,” he concluded.

Espinola is in no doubt.

Despite criticism from those opposed to the regularisation, she stressed, “We have come out stronger. The migrant community has once again shown its capacity for mutual support in difficult situations.”

The regularisation process is not yet over, she added: “We will remain vigilant to make sure the more than a million applications submitted are processed properly.”

EXPLAINER

Al Jazeera put nine leading AI models to the test to predict the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup champion.

As the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup enters its final stages, AJLabs asked nine leading AI models to predict the tournament’s final podium based on all available data for each team, including:

• Team strength
• Squad quality
• Coaching
• Historical performance
• Team’s performance during the current tournament

France emerged as the favourite to lift the trophy, receiving five (Gemini, Grock, DeepSeek, Le Chat and Qwen) of the nine champion votes.

Argentina, the defending world champions, received the remaining four votes (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Meta AI).

Predictions for the runner-up were more divided: France and Argentina each received three votes, followed by England with two and Spain with one.

Spain was the clear favourite to finish third, receiving six of the nine third-place predictions, while England and France each received fewer votes.

The predictions reflect a broad AI consensus around the four remaining contenders, France, Argentina, Spain and England, but also highlight differences in how leading language models weigh recent performances, squad depth and tournament momentum.

The AI predictions come as the tournament reaches the semifinals. France will face Spain on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, while England will meet Argentina on July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The third-place playoff will be played on July 18, before the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Champion predictions

• France: 5 models
• Argentina: 4 models

Runner-up predictions

• France: 3 models
• Argentina: 3 models
• England: 2 models
• Spain: 1 model

Third-place predictions

• Spain: 6 models
• England: 2 models
• France: 1 model

One of the two pilots onboard a commercial plane made a personal announcement over the tannoy ahead of a flight, which left people in tears and feeling overwhelmed with emotion

Passengers who had just boarded their flight were in tears after the pilot of the plane made an announcement over the tannoy before take off. Once passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight found their assigned seats and got comfortable ahead of an upcoming flight, two pilots came out of the cockpit of the plane to make an announcement to all the passengers and crew.

The pilot, Captain Svein, explained how he was “very excited” ahead of the upcoming flight as it was a “very special day” for him personally. He turned around and then explained how he had a brand new pilot on board with him who had “just finished training”.

In the video, which was posted on social media by Southwest Airlines, the pilot said: “I’m very excited today is a very special day for me personally and I would like to use this moment to introduce to you our latest addition to Southwest Airlines pilot group.

“She is right behind me, she just finished training and today is her very first day flying for Southwest Airlines.

“Just one more thing, she is my daughter.”

The video, which has been viewed over half a million times on social media, showed the entire plane started clapping and cheering after the dad made the announcement.

The dad continued: “I’m so glad you folks are coming with us today to enjoy this little party. Thank you so much for flying Southwest Airlines thank you folks thank you.”

Southwest Airlines a major U.S. low-cost carrier headquartered in Dallas that serves over 100 destinations across 10 countries.

People in the comments section of the video that appeared on Southwest Airline’s TikTok page were thrilled for the father-daughter duo on their first flight co-piloting together.

One person said: “The safest flight to be on, he has his most precious cargo at the helm with him.”

A second said: “Probably his proudest dad moment for him, no doubt about it.”

A third simply said: “You should not make us cry.”

A fourth added: “The father has passed his legacy wings to his daughter on her first flight. As a qualified aviator, she’ll make a fine captain of her own aircraft someday.”

Southwest Airlines said: “Like father, like daughter! Hanna recently joined Southwest as a First Officer, following in the footsteps of her dad, Captain Svein.

“He inspired her to start flying at the age of 15, and she was immediately hooked. She made it her mission to one day fly alongside him!.

“Just 8 years later, she accomplished that mission serving as her dad’s First Officer on her very first Southwest flight. Welcome to the Southwest Family, Hanna!”

Before Paul Mescal became a blockbuster star in films like Gladiator II and Aftersun, he played a supporting role in a gripping Irish psychological thriller now streaming on Channel 5

Fans of the Heartthrob Irish actor, best known for his break out role in Normal People, should turn to this lesser known thriller for the perfect binge-watch.

Actor Paul Mescal who has since appeared in the likes of Gladiator II, Hamnet and Aftersun plays a supporting role in this TV series, portraying the character of Sean McKeogh, a local builder in Ireland and volunteer firefighter.

He serves as Ophelia, the protagonists’ confidant and the person she turns to for support as she attempts to uncover the truth behind a devastating death.

The Deceived, released in 2020, follows her time as a university student who becomes romantically entangled with her married lecturer Michael Callaghan, at Cambridge University. Although, her Irish lecturer is from the fictional village of Knockdara in County Donegal, where most of the show is set.

Inevitably, their affair spirals into tragedy, leaving her ensnared in an ever-growing web of deceit and gaslighting, caught up in a dangerous power struggle with her secret lover, and now, a murder case.

Written by the same writer behind the award-winning Irish television series Derry Girls, this show offers something entirely distinct, yet is every bit as deserving of a binge-watch session.

The Deceived is a 2020 mini-series that unfolds a psychological thriller across four episodes. Since its release, the Irish-British production has largely slipped under the radar, despite having a popular actor.

A review of the programme on IMDb compares the story to that of Rebecca, claiming that the show clearly draws on it as inspiration. They wrote: “This is a spooky thriller with obvious references to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I loved it.

“I don’t get the negative reviews. It had good twists and turns. I thought the acting was very good. I looked forward to each episode.

“It was rather unsettling at times, best watched in the company of someone else, not by yourself. If you like Rebecca you’ll love this. Loved the ending.”

Another reads: “This was a truly excellent four part drama, The Deceived is a smart, creepy, sinister series, which will have you gripped until its conclusion. I would agree with the comments about this having more than a hint of Rebecca about it, very much so, and despite being set in modern day, the story has a wonderful vintage feel to it, it could have been written in 1946.

“Very nicely produced, well made, very well acted indeed, Emmett J Scanlan gives a very good, captivating performance throughout.”

Joining Mescal in the cast are Emmet J Canlan as the lecturer and Emily Reid as the student, alongside Eleanor Methven, Catherine Walker and Ciara Berkeley. While critical reception has largely celebrated the performances of those involved, the majority of complaints appear to be directed at weaknesses in the script and storyline.

A critic points out: “The script is very underwhelming as some conversations are awkward and cut way too short with unanswered questions. It’s very unnatural and makes everyone seem odd and disconnected from each other.”

As a series that flew largely under the radar following its ill-timed release during the pandemic, it seems the show is still waiting to reach the wider audience it deserves. If nothing else, devoted Paul Mescal fans would do well to seek it out and witness one of his lesser-known early roles, before he rose to become the Hollywood heavyweight he is today.

All four episodes of The Deceived are available to stream now for free on Channel 5.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Before it could rise in the World Cup, France first had to fall.

And the fall was spectacular.

In 2010, four years after reaching the final for the second time in three World Cups, the players revolted against coach Raymond Domenech during the tournament. In response, the managing director of the country’s soccer federation resigned in disgust, and the team left South Africa winless after scoring just once in three games.

That matched France’s worst World Cup performance in 76 years. The team, outsiders agreed, had become impossible to coach.

Four years later France made the quarterfinals, beginning a streak in which it has reached the final eight in four consecutive World Cups for the first time. If France, ranked No. 1 in the world, beats Spain in the semifinals Tuesday — Bastille Day in France, a patriotic holiday that is the equivalent of the Fourth of July in the U.S. — it will advance to the final for a third straight time.

Only Brazil and Germany have done that.

France’s Kylian Mbappé (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Sweden.

(Yuki Iwamura / Associated Press)

The base for that success was laid a generation before the collapse in South Africa, when a series of poor performances led the French Football Federation to create a series of 16 government-subsidized academies known as Centres de Formation. The main training center opened in 1988 in Clairefontaine, about 30 miles southwest of Paris, and many players from the 1998 championship team — including Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires — passed through its doors.

“What is true about French football is that they started building academies very early and structuring them very early,” said Rudi Garcia, who played 10 seasons in France before becoming a coach of the Belgium national team. “A lot of the good work that’s being done by French football in general is due to the academies.”

But if Clairefontaine set the foundation, Didier Deschamps, the coach who took over the “uncoachable” team in 2012, built much of what went on top.

“It’s not luck,” Henry said on Fox. “This guy is a serial winner. I can also tell you how hard it is to have a lot of alphas and make sure that only one will be the alpha.”

Deschamps was a lunch-bucket player, a hard-working defensive midfielder who excelled at winning back possession in a 16-year career that included captaining France to both a World Cup and European Championship before he retired to become a coach, guiding Monaco to the Champions League final in his first stop. If he has a super power, both as a captain and coach, it’s his ability to manage big egos and get them to buy into the team concept. He did that first as captain of the star-studded 1998 squad and has been even better at it as the coach.

“The collective spirit,” Deschamps said, “is our strength.”

France coach Didier Deschamps celebrates with William Saliba after a World Cup quarterfinal win over Morocco.

(Lars Baron / Getty Images)

“He’s got credit in the bank,” added former World Cup goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, another Fox analyst. “Who can question him? His record speaks for itself as a player and as a coach.”

About that record: Deschamps heads into Tuesday’s semifinal with 20 wins and just two losses in 25 matches as a World Cup coach. He has won more World Cup games and more knockout-stage games, 11, than any other manager. And he was unbeaten in the tournament as a player, going 6-0-1.

Add those wins together and Deschamps, 57, has been on the field or in the technical area for 26 of France’s 48 World Cup victories. Before him, France never had won a World Cup.

By Sunday, the French could be lifting the trophy for the third time in 28 years. Only Brazil has won that many titles in a shorter span. And this team could be France’s best.

All that is thanks in large part to the FFF and government investment in the Centres de Formation. France is now the greatest developer of elite soccer talent in the world. Of the 1,248 players chosen to play for the 48 teams in this World Cup, 99 — nearly 8% — were developed in France, according to Opta. At least 13 teams in this tournament had at least one French-born player, among them Spain and Cape Verde. No other country comes close.

There are several reasons for that. The Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, is home to large communities of working-class immigrants from the country’s former colonies. Eleven of the 26 players on this French team came from these banlieues, as they are called, among them captain Kylian Mbappé, who has the most goals in the last two World Cups.

The talent pool there is so deep, France probably could have fielded a B team in this World Cup and made it to the quarterfinals. And because the competition to make the national team is great, it raises the level of play for everyone.

For those who fall short, their immigrant backgrounds allow them to play for other countries. For example Riyad Mahrez, a former African player of the year, was born in Clichy, France, but plays for Algeria, while Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye is from Trappes.

“It’s quite an incredible pool of talent in a relatively small area,” Hubert Fournier, technical director of the French Football Federation, told the New York Times. “There’s a high concentration of players with very well-structured clubs. And then everyone draws from this Ile-de-France pool because afterwards they go to other clubs; they don’t all stay in Ile-de-France.”

The energy and diversity of the banlieues also fuels the national team. Nine of the 11 starters in France’s win over Morocco either immigrated to France or are the children of immigrants from Madagascar, Lebanon, French Guiana and Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau and elsewhere.

And Deschamps, who grew up in modest circumstances in Basque country, is the one who has made all those disparate parts work together. If France wins its next two games, he’ll become the second man to coach two World Cup champions.

But when asked for the secret to his success after France’s quarterfinal win over Morocco, a team with six French natives, Deschamps praised the French team, one thought to be uncoachable when he took over.

“Having great, great players, excellent players. My credit goes to the players,” said Deschamps, whose team hasn’t given up a goal in its three knockout-stage wins. “But maybe I do my job well.

“The human aspect is of paramount importance. I am extremely happy on a personal level as well as seeing my players enjoy themselves.”

July 14 (UPI) — President Donald Trump has signed a pair of executive orders shrinking two southern Utah national monuments by more than a million acres each, sparking anger from environmentalists who say the moves will open the formerly protected lands to exploration.

The executive orders reduce the size of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from 1.87 million acres to about 181,500 acres and the Bears Ears National Monument from 1.36 million acres to 121,100 acres. Both are located in redrock country.

Trump signed the orders on Monday in the Oval Office while surrounded by Utah’s Republican leadership, including Gov. Spencer Cox, Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis and several GOP House representatives.

“This is a big day for Utah,” Cox said.

The executive orders mark the latest development in the nearly decade-long tug-of-war over the size of the monuments, though Republicans have opposed Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and its 1.7-million-acre boundary since President Bill Clinton designated it in 1996. The Bears Ears National Monument was designated by President Barack Obama in late 2016.

During his first term, Trump shrunk both monuments — Bears Ears by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by almost half — only for President Joe Biden to restore both of them to their previous boundaries in 2021.

Republicans, including Cox, argue that the monuments violate the Antiquities Act, which limits the designation to the smallest parcel of land necessary for the proper care and management of the objects to be protected. In a White House fact sheet on the executive orders, the Trump administration argues that the term “objects of historic or scientific interest” has been stretched to include landscapes and biodiversity.

“Now, we care. We definitely care about protecting these antiquities and will continue to do so. The problem is with these giant monument designations, there are resources that come with those,” Cox said at the White House press conference.

“We’re grateful that the president has made a determination that we need to rightsize these monuments.”

He added that this will not remove protections already in place, but will make “the monuments more manageable so that we have the resources necessary to continue to protect these antiquities.”

Trump criticized the size of the monuments, saying the designations prevented the public from using the land.

“You can’t go hunting. You can’t go fishing. You can’t do anything. You can virtually not even walk on it,” he said, though the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources states that people can hunt and fish in both monuments.

Environmental groups have been fighting to maintain the size of both monuments since Trump originally shrunk them, pointing to the fact that Grand Staircase-Escalante was designated due to its wide array of scientific and historic resources and Bears Ears was created following a proposal by five Tribal Nations.

Scott Braden, executive director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, said Monday’s executive orders make clear that Utah is the “epicenter of Republican efforts to dismantle and obliterate America’s system of public lands.”

“These two landscapes deserve to be protected for current and future generations of Utahns and Americans, not opened to exploitation,” Braden said in a statement, adding that the group would challenge the executive orders in court.

“We are confident that President Trump’s reckless and unlawful acts will be rejected and the monuments restored.”

According to the Center for Western Priorities, the executive orders may open the land formerly part of the monuments for sale or lease to oil, gas, mining and logging companies within 60 days.

“The people of Utah and the entire country have spoken with one voice: These lands belong to all of us, not Mike Lee, President Trump or the mining companies his kids are in business with,” CWP Executive Director Aaron Weiss said in a statement.