Why is Israel arming illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank? As settler attacks reach record levels, the government has distributed more than 100,000 assault rifles to Israelis. Al Jazeera’s Leila Warah reports on what that means for Palestinians on the ground.

The manager for British singer Boy George has pulled him from the West End revival of “Jesus Christ Superstar” days after the singer released a pro-Israel reggae song online.

Last weekend, the pop star posted on X a reggae song that includes the lyrics, “You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked that’s what the army’s for” and “Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fuelled by the Internet feels so weak.” The post was met with swift blowback.

On Thursday, the artist’s manager announced on Instagram that he was pulling Boy George from the West End revival, suggesting the pro-Isreal song might take “the focus” away from the production. He had been slated to play King Herod in a London Palladium production from Aug. 3-15.

“After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George’s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium,” wrote Paul Kemsley. “The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company. We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production.”

On Friday, the singer posted on X that he was receiving calls with the advice to “pipe down,” but he said, “It’s not an option.”

Since the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas and the military response by Israeli forces, several celebrities have spoken out on the bloodshed in Gaza, including musicians Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, and the Weekend along with actors Pedro Pascal, Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo, among others.

Kemsley continued that he has “always respected” Boy George for standing by his “personal convictions” but that, as his manager, he feels the responsibility to make decisions “that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others.”

“In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”

A representative for the producers of “Jesus Christ Superstar” did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Republican leader of the Indiana Senate announced Friday that he would give up his position after six GOP incumbents who opposed President Trump on his congressional redistricting push in the state lost their primaries.

Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray drew the ire of Trump in December when he voted against the redistricting plan after saying for weeks that it didn’t have enough support to pass. The rejection came after intense lobbying from Trump, Vice President JD Vance, national conservative groups and others.

Bray, who has held his leadership position since 2018, said in a statement Friday that he would not seek reelection to the post when Senate Republicans choose their leaders in November. His current Senate term runs through 2028 and he will remain in office, albeit not as the Republican Senate leader.

Trump reacted to the news in a social media post by saying Bray had “foolishly led” the state Senate, noting the May primary defeats of those who defied him on the redistricting plan.

Bray did not mention Trump or the redistricting fight in his statement announcing his position to step down from the leadership position. Bray said holding the job “has been among the most significant honors of my life, but it’s time for the Senate to choose another leader.”

GENEVA — Pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his divisive plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity grew Friday as his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it.

An expanding crisis for soccer’s governing body reached into Infantino’s longtime inner circle when his pick to represent FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup walked away calling the Joshua Kushner-backed $20 billion commercial subsidiary plan “a bad deal for football.”

Carlos Cordeiro is a former Goldman Sachs banker and officially is Infantino’s senior adviser yet revealed he said he was not involved in the secretive investment plan that has rocked the sport since media reports revealed it Tuesday.

“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement formally resigning, just hours after FIFA insisted in a statement: “Nobody is selling football.”

Cordeiro’s exit — and call for other senior staff to speak out — intensified scrutiny on Infantino one day after European soccer body UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA games and events until the plan is dropped. North America’s CONCACAF also rejected Infantino’s offer of one-off $20 million payments to each member federation by a mid-September deadline.

Cordeiro often joined Infantino on working visits to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in recent years, and took part in meetings of the administration’s World Cup task force led by Andrew Guiliani.

“Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” said Cordeiro, the former U.S. Soccer Federation president.

Asia joins Europe and North America

On another seismic day in soccer politics, Asia’s soccer body that has been a key ally in Infantino’s 11-year presidency opposed the investor plan and said FIFA must urgently review its management style

The Asian Football Confederation said it “stands in solidarity” with UEFA and CONCACAF, the first two continental bodies to oppose Infantino whose combined 90 FIFA member countries near a majority of the 211 global total.

“Football should never have been placed in such a position,” said the Asian soccer body, which counts 46 of FIFA’s 211 members

Infantino has proposed spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses — including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women — into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors.

The “anchor investor,” described by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“[T]he proposed [FIFA Forward Enterprise] cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward” and must be reconsidered, the AFC said.

The statement did not name Infantino yet criticized FIFA for problems beyond the content of the private equity plan plus failing to consult about the secretive proposal.

“Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed,” said the AFC, whose longtime president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa narrowly lost the FIFA presidential election to Infantino in 2016.

“Accordingly, the AFC calls upon FIFA to undertake an urgent review of its governance and decision-making framework,” said the organization based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Infantino’s job at risk?

Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, N.J. — to have a clear path to being reelected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.

FIFA had briefed during the tournament that Infantino had letters of support from about 200 members, despite a furor over letting U.S. forward Folarin Balogun play against Belgium even though he received a red card in his previous game. Trump acknowledged asking Infantino to review Balogun’s mandatory one-game ban.

FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.

The Asian statement came hours after FIFA blamed the media and doubled down on pursuing the project which now seems to have a majority of the 211 in opposition.

“Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports,” FIFA said in a statement early Friday. “We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each [member] has the ability to express its vote based on facts.”

The next FIFA event that would be targeted by the threatened European boycott is within weeks — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5. The four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.

Dunbar writes for the Associated Press.

South Korea, the United States, Japan and eight other countries on Friday issued a joint alert about North Korean information technology (IT) workers accused of generating revenue to help fund Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction programs.

The relevant authorities of the 11 countries released the alert, urging all countries, companies and other entities to deepen their understanding of North Korean IT worker schemes, implement measures to deal with them and strengthen countermeasures, such as enhancing identity verification procedures.

“North Korea relies upon a network of skilled Information Technology workers, deployed within and outside of North Korea, to obtain false identities and remotely earn income to fund North Korea’s unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs,” they said in the alert released by the U.S. State Department.

They pointed out that North Korean IT workers impersonate nationals of other countries to obtain work and income through online platforms operated by private companies for employment, procurement and contracting of services.

“These workers seek out contracts with the intent of remitting their salaries to their parent North Korean agencies. They also pose an insider threat to companies and are involved in data exfiltration, cryptocurrency theft, and theft of sensitive information,” they said.

“North Korean IT workers employ increasingly sophisticated methods, including the integration of AI, to obfuscate their identities and expand their activities globally.”

All U.N. member states must repatriate to North Korea all North Korean nationals earning income in that member state’s jurisdiction, subject to limited exceptions, they stressed, citing a U.N. Security Council resolution on the reclusive regime.

“Additionally, contracting with North Korean IT workers and paying them for services rendered may also violate the domestic laws of many countries, including Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea, and may result in legal consequences or financial penalties,” they said.

The countries that issued the joint alert included Britain, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

Officials declare the outbreak the fastest spreading ever, warning the world to ‘pay much more attention’.

More than 3,500 people have been infected with the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), making it the world’s second largest outbreak on record.

Confirmed cases have reached 3,532, the DRC Ministry of Communication and Media said in a statement on Friday. The data show that the current outbreak has surpassed the country’s 10th on record, which ran from August 2018 to June 2020 and saw roughly 3,470 cases recorded.

“It’s the fastest spreading Ebola epidemic that we have ever seen,” Carl Skau, acting head of the United Nations World Food Programme, told the Reuters news agency. “The world needs to pay much more attention.”

A total of 1,556 people have died from the virus, bringing the case fatality rate to 44.1 percent, data compiled by the Ministry of Public Health showed.

A reported 807 patients remain in isolation or hospital while 626 have recovered.

Less than three months since the outbreak began, the disease has killed five times as many people as previous outbreaks had by the same stage, according to Africa’s top public health agency, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

The latest figures indicated that only the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was bigger with 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths recorded across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The DRC outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Medical personnel are also battling a lack of security and attacks on health facilities across the eastern DRC, where dozens of armed groups operate, while contending with significant foreign aid cuts that have stretched resources.

A lack of trust in authorities and education among the population is also creating hurdles to bringing the outbreak under control.

Angele Gapio, head of emergencies for the Caritas charity in the northeastern city of Bunia, said awareness campaigns were failing and front-line responders were exhausted.

“The disease has now settled in the community,” she told the Reuters news agency. “People continue to seek treatment from traditional healers, and the chain of transmission continues.”

The WHO said this month that the true scale of the outbreak could be up to four times higher than official figures suggest.

The Africa CDC said in June that it would require $1.4bn to contain the outbreak, three times its earlier estimate.

The virus has affected five provinces across the DRC: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo.

POPSTAR Boy George has broken his silence after pulling out of the West End musical production of Jesus Christ Superstar just days before he was due on stage.

He was pulled from the show by his manager amid fears a backlash from his song We Will Dance Again would overshadow the performance.

The track voices support for Israel’s military action in Palestine in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack at the Nova Music Festival, which saw more than 1,200 innocent men, women, and children killed.

The Culture Club legend, 65, insists he was simply trying to call for peace.

George said: “Sometimes, I realise that being an air sign I expect the world to understand me without having to explain myself.

“The suggestion that I feel no compassion for Palestinian’s is both untrue and absurd.

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“I am devastated for the loss of the innocent lives on both sides of this war and I call for peace.

“I have read members of the press calling me a ‘genocide denier’ yet those who deny the suffering of Israelis are given a free pass.”

In a long statement, the former The Voice mentor said: “My song is pro peace and about the emotions I felt after visiting the Nova Exhibition and talking to Michael and Lisa Marlowe who had their son Jake taken from them. Murdered trying help others.

“I also spent time talking to May Hayat who survived while her best friend was murdered. We took a picture standing in front all the people who were killed that day.

Everyone knows what happened to innocent women, kids, babies, sons and fathers on that day, innocent people who were at a festival celebrating life.

“The Nova Festival is a mirror of my world as a DJ and I have played many such festivals, including in Israel so it resonated with me and I felt compelled to write something. I could have been there and we know that there were people from more than 40 countries who were. I felt these deep emotions and is wrote this song for them.

“My personal opinion is that this is sadly a war , but not an attempt to wipe out Palestine. But I respect that everyone has their own opinions and believe we should all be allowed to have that right.

“Look around and tell me one musician speaking out for the Jewish community, but you can absolutely guarantee they have made their living from working with a Jewish team member.

“I understand that is uncomfortable to defend your friends when a war like this is raging but the woman who sells me bagels is not to blame, neither is my doctor or publicist, manager, ex boyfriend or my thousands of Jewish friends. This song is for them.

“I come from a place of peace. I am a jew loving, trans hugging queer hippy and my mother would be proud of me.”

George was set to take on the role of King Herod in the London theatre show, beginning August 3rd, but in a statement on Thursday night, his manager announced he will ‘no longer appear’.

Taking to social media, George’s manager Paul Kemsley wrote: “After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George’s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium.

“The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company. We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production.”

George’s PR apologised to fans who purchased tickets in the hopes of seeing George perform, admitting the decision would be a “disappointment” for some.

He added: “George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that. Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others.

“In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”

Ospreys finished 11th in the URC last season and were knocked out in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.

Mark Jones’ side were impacted by uncertainty, with fans protesting against the WRU and Y11 at fixtures in Bridgend.

The unsettling situation was a factor in Wales captains Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan opting to join Gloucester for the coming season.

Signing the Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) with the governing body offers some level of security until 2028, but the latest development will provide more challenges for both Scarlets and Ospreys.

“Is it really a surprise? We just had a little bit of a break from the debacle,” said former Ospreys and Wales wing Shane Williams on Radio Wales Breakfast.

“The conversation has always been that everyone believes there will be a region cut, that players’ welfare and jobs will be put on the line again.

“It’s no real shock to me, we just have to start the conversation again and the uncertainty hits us again.”

There is the prospect of a tender process to be the western club, or the possibility of reviving the merger that almost happened in 2019.

“It’s easier said than done,” said Williams, who is from Carmarthenshire. “There is huge rivalry and the Ospreys are in the process of rebuilding St Helen’s and there is Parc y Scarlets, which is barely used by anyone else.

“For the fans, there has been a huge rivalry and it would take some job to get those two sets of supporters together to support one entity.”

July 31 (UPI) — Some 6.5 million cruise passengers visited Mexico during the first half of 2026, a 17.1% increase from the same period a year earlier, government figures show.

Pacific destinations, in general, showed increases in visits, while the Mexican Caribbean maintained its position as the country’s main hub for maritime tourism, the Tourism Secretariat said.

Between January and June, 1,839 cruise ships called at Mexican ports, a 12.2% increase compared with the first half of 2025, according to the Secretariat of the Navy.

The Pacific Coast recorded the strongest growth. Puerto Chiapas, in the southern state of Chiapas, led during the first half by nearly doubling its number of passengers compared with the previous year.

According to the Mexican government, the port is the main maritime gateway to southern Mexico and the Soconusco region, where excursions depart for coffee plantations, the Izapa archaeological site and the mangroves along the Chiapas coast.

Mazatlán, one of the Mexican Pacific’s main cruise ports, also stood out, recording an increase of more than 60% in passenger traffic. The destination is known for connecting routes along the so-called Pacific nautical ladder and for its beaches, oceanfront promenade and historic downtown.

Cabo San Lucas, situated at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, also reported passenger growth of more than 60%. The port is one of the main stops on Mexican Pacific cruise itineraries and is known for natural attractions, such as El Arco, and for marine wildlife watching excursions, according to tour operator Civitatis.

Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said the results reflect the confidence that the world’s leading cruise lines have in Mexico and highlighted that each cruise ship creates economic opportunities for communities that depend on tourism activity at the country’s ports.

Although the Pacific was the fastest-growing region, the Mexican Caribbean continued to account for most of the activity.

The ports of Cozumel and Mahahual, in the state of Quintana Roo, jointly welcomed more than 4.2 million cruise passengers between January and July, equivalent to nearly 64% of the national total, according to data from the Quintana Roo Comprehensive Port Administration, or Apiqroo, published by Reportur.

Cozumel, considered Mexico’s leading cruise port, received 795 cruise ship calls through July 19, an 8% increase from the same period in 2025. Mahahual, meanwhile, saw more than 1.29 million passengers during the first half of the year, consolidating its position as the state’s second-largest cruise destination.

Apiqroo Director Vagner Elbiorn Vega attributed part of the growth to a season with favorable weather conditions, allowing cruise ships to maintain their itineraries without the storm-related diversions required last year, Reportur reported.

If the trend continues, Apiqroo expects Cozumel to end 2026 with about 1,377 cruise ship calls, which would make it one of the port’s busiest years on record.

Sources close to Mudryk say he is confident of returning to his best form, citing the work he has put in to maintain his fitness during 20 months on the sidelines.

They also point to the support Chelsea have provided throughout the process, while adhering to the restrictions imposed by his suspension and respecting the legal proceedings.

The Ukrainian received backing from the club from afar, while also being given the space to navigate what those close to him describe as an extremely difficult period.

Under the terms of the suspension, Mudryk was unable to access Chelsea‘s training ground or work with club staff. His only known public interaction with members of the first-team squad came at the Conference League final celebrations in May 2025.

To maintain his fitness, Mudryk paid for private coaching and hired goalkeepers for individual sessions while using a pitch at non-league club Uxbridge FC in London. He also organised a training camp in Austria, with videos from those sessions showing him scoring goals and taking part in attacking drills.

However, those close to Mudryk acknowledge there is no substitute for training and competing alongside elite players on a daily basis. Mudryk is understood to be realistic about the challenge ahead, but believes he can overcome it.

Chelsea are prepared to provide a pathway back into professional football. Whether that involves reintegration into the first team, a loan move – potentially involving sister club Strasbourg – or a permanent transfer remains to be seen.

Whatever the outcome, the resolution of the case represents a significant moment for Mudryk. He now has the opportunity to resume his career and determine what the next chapter looks like.

Having joined Chelsea in one of the most closely watched transfer sagas of 2023, his story at Stamford Bridge is not over yet.

The three part documentary has finally been released in the UK

True crime fans cannot stop talking about a brand new documentary that has been dubbed a “disturbing” watch.

Don’t Date Brandon has this week been released on Channel 4, with all three episodes airing last night (July 30) as it explores two chilling relationships.

Viewers are plunged into the moment that two women discover that they have dated the same man that they met online, but despite things seemingly appearing well, dark secrets are soon uncovered.

Amber Rasmussen and Athena Klingerman bravely open up on how they were manipulated by con man Brandon Johnson as the three part series exposes his elaborate web of lies and past abuse.

A Channel 4 synopsis reads: “True crime series. When Amber finds out that her husband’s a liar, she starts a podcast with his ex-wife. But as more women come forward, they discover that Brandon isn’t just a cheat; he’s dangerous.”

First airing on Paramount+ last year, Don’t Date Brandon has just been released on Channel 4, with all three episodes available to stream online for free. Despite its release in 2025, viewers are only just discovering the harrowing watch now as they say it is a must watch for everyone.

Taking to TikTok, one true crime fan said in a video: “I promise you definitely won’t want to miss this one because it is an absolutely wild ride.”

They went on to say: “As you’re watching this documentary it becomes more and more dark and more and more terrifying. What unfolds at the end of it is truly quite chilling and there are actually some very disturbing scenes in this so be aware of that.”

In another video, another viewer said: “It’s quite good.” One person commented: “Just finished Don’t Date Brandon. Started it last night – had horrible nightmares about my ex last night.”

Taking to their own video, one person admitted they were not “prepared for this documentary” as they captioned their post: “Craziest one in a while”.

Another stated they have been “waiting for the longest time” for the UK release, adding: “I cannot wait to watch this, I’ve heard great things from those of you who have already seen it.”

One person replied: “Don’t Date Brandon is amazing I watched it on YouTube crazy.”

When it was released in the USA last year, one viewer said it was one of the “most horrifying” documentaries they had watched, adding on TikTok: “Episode 3 is incredibly hard to watch.”

Don’t Date Brandon can be streamed for free on Channel 4

NAME a better spot to camp than right by the beach?

Well, at an award-winning holiday park, you can now pitch up your tent just a few metres from the sand, this summer.

Aber Bay Holiday Park near Aberystwyth in Wales will be launching beachside pitches from August 1, costing just £30 per night – which works out at £7.50 per person, per night.

You’d be right by Clarach Bay Beach, which is a sheltered, sand and shingle cove that stretches a mile long.

The beach is a great spot for kids with rock pools to explore and there is also a walking trail that heads over the cliffs.

One recent visitor said: “The beach is located right at the front of the park, it’s a sandy/stone beach with a stream running through the middle ideal for the younger children to explore/build dams etc! Beach is beautiful and always very clean.”

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Another person added: “The bay itself has a beautiful gorgeous beach and facilities for children, the dogs loved it!”

A third person commented: “A lovely little beach front which is safe for children. The beach front also has a nice cafe which serves a good breakfast and tasty fish and chips.”

Guests also get to use all the facilities at the holiday park including an indoor heated pool, a games room, outdoor play area, restaurant, bar, shop and entertainment.

The park also recently opened a rooftop terrace which overlooks the coastline.

The holiday park was named the best in Wales last year by the Welsh Hospitality Awards, making it one of the best holiday parks in the UK.

If you didn’t fancy camping, you could stay in one of the park’s caravans, lodges or glamping pods with their own hot tubs, instead.

A four-night break in September costs as little as £215 in a caravan sleeping up to eight people – that’s £6.72 per person, per night.

One recent visitor said: “Absolutely lovely location,right on the beach and so peaceful, loved waking up to the noise of the sea and will definitely be coming back for another stay.”

Eddie Howe has stepped down as head coach of Newcastle United.

The 48-year-old has left after nearly five years in charge, following a disappointing season where the Magpies finished 12th in the Premier League.

Howe had helped the club earn Champions League qualification on two occasions, and win the League Cup in 2024-25.

“After a period of personal reflection, I have decided that now is the right time for me to step away from my role,” said Howe.

FIFA’s World Cup 2026 expansion was their first since 1998, but the 2030 edition could rise to 64 teams.

FIFA is studying whether to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 edition in a move that could reshape football’s showpiece tournament when it celebrates its centennial.

World football’s governing body wants to appoint an independent agency to assess the ambitious expansion plan, which would add another 16 nations to ⁠a tournament that had already grown from 32 to 48 teams in 2026.

“FIFA wishes to appoint an independent agency to determine whether and how expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 participating national teams, starting with the 2030 edition, would impact on the tournament proposition,” it said in a research brief seen by the news agency Reuters.

South American confederation CONMEBOL had officially proposed hosting the 2030 World ‌Cup with 64 teams last year, allowing more countries the opportunity to join in the celebrations for the tournament’s centennial edition.

The 2026 edition in the US, Canada and Mexico was the first since 1998 to move away from the 32-team format, adding four more groups and an extra knockout round in the process, resulting in 104 matches over more than five weeks.

The accelerated study comes on the heels of FIFA’s plan to create a $20bn subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events with external investors, a move that has attracted criticism and a ⁠UEFA decision to boycott FIFA events.

Al Jazeera has contacted FIFA for comment.

UEFA and FIFA could be on another World Cup collision course

UEFA President ⁠Aleksander Ceferin said last year that expanding the World Cup to 64 teams was not a good idea.

The European governing body’s position has not changed since then, while Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had also voiced opposition, questioning last year where further expansion ⁠might end.

FIFA’s proposed analysis is meant to assess whether the proposed expansion can strengthen the tournament or whether concerns such as competition dilution, calendar congestion, operational complexity and market saturation ⁠outweigh the potential benefits.

The study will examine the potential impact of expanding ⁠the tournament to 64 teams, including the effects on the competition, competitive balance, qualification, player welfare and the international calendar.

It will also estimate the revenues that could be generated from ticket sales, sponsorship and media rights under the proposed format.

“The final recommendation should demonstrate not only whether a 64-team tournament ‌can generate incremental value, but whether that value is sustainable,” the document added.

FIFA said a decision on selecting the agency would be made on August 14 and they would have only four weeks to deliver their analysis by September 11.

The ‌2030 ‌World Cup is being jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, while Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will host one match each to celebrate the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

FIFA is already facing a dispute with its confederations due to a plan to sell stakes in World Cups and other events to private investors.

EUROPE’S biggest pumpkin festival is returning this autumn for its most immersive experience ever.

The iconic pumpkin patch, loved by celebs, welcomes thousands of visitors every year and it’s set to make an epic return.

Tulleys Farm has become an annual tradition that’s a must-do around Halloween for many Brits.

The West Sussex attraction boasts Europe‘s largest pumpkin patch with 1.5million pumpkins in over 100 varieties available to pick and take home.

Set across more than 100 acres of sprawling Sussex countryside, Tulleys Farm is just a 45-minute drive from central Brighton.

Priding itself on offering “more than just pumpkin picking”, the farm has so much on offer and has levelled up for 2026, preparing to welcome guests for its “best season yet”.

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Opening its gates once again from September 19 until October 31, Tulleys new Pumpkin Festival will offer the ultimate autumnal experience.

Nestled in the newly created Pumpkin Valley, the festival will bring live entertainment, tasty seasonal food, unique shopping and roaming performers for families to enjoy.

The enchanting attraction promises some magical escapism, as guests “wander along winding paths, with wooden bridges leading across gentle streams and peaceful ponds”.

Speaking about the new experience, Tulleys Farm co-owner, Sam Beare, said: “We have always believed the Pumpkin Festival should evolve every year. We are excited to introduce the Pumpkin Valley for 2026.

“Our vision with Pumpkin Valley was to create something truly unique, an area that pushes the boundaries and immerses guests in an entirely new world,” he added.

“The Pumpkin Festival is so much more than just picking a pumpkin, it’s an experience for all generations and we look forward to welcoming our guests back for what we believe will be our best season yet.”

Guests can visit by night, too, for an even more marvellous experience.

The after-dark events, kicking off from September 26, offer illuminated woodland trails, spectacular photo opportunities, delicious cocktails and tasty treats, live music along with an unforgettable atmosphere.

Tulleys will no doubt be as popular as ever this year, so its advised to book in advance, with tickets available from £8.95 per person.

Shon Barnes steps down amid questions over authorities’ handling of the shooting at a popular food festival.

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes has resigned less than a week after a deadly shooting at one of the US city’s largest summer festivals as questions have mounted over the authorities’ handling of its aftermath.

Mayor Katie Wilson announced Barnes’s resignation on Thursday and named Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a police officer with more than two decades of law enforcement experience, as interim chief.

The move came after three people were killed and four injured, including a two-year-old boy, in a shootout on Sunday at the annual Bite of Seattle food festival.

Dozens of police officers were already providing security at the event, and court documents said at least one officer saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into the crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender. Police are still searching for at least one other suspect.

The shooting unfolded while Barnes was attending a law enforcement conference outside the city in the northwestern state of Washington.

While Wilson praised officers’ response at the scene, saying it likely saved lives, she said the city’s communication with the public in the hours that followed fell short.

Police posted about the shooting on social media shortly after it began but then went nearly five hours without providing another public update, leaving residents uncertain about whether there was an ongoing threat. The city also failed to send alerts through its emergency notification system while Wilson herself mistakenly announced that two suspects had been taken into custody before later retracting the statement.

“What I did not fully understand in that moment was how little information had reached the public or the press since the incident began,” Wilson said in a video statement on Thursday. “Had I known that, I would have pushed for an immediate briefing rather than waiting for a press conference to be organised.”

Barnes, in a statement released by the mayor’s office, described serving as Seattle’s police chief as “an honor” and said he hoped the transition would allow the department to refocus on “addressing youth gun violence and preventing more tragedies”.

The resignation followed hours of speculation over Barnes’s future with supporters saying he had resisted calls from Wilson to step down. Earlier in the day, Barnes told The Seattle Times that whether he remained chief was “up to the mayor”.

Several Black community organisations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, urged Wilson not to make Barnes, the city’s second Black police chief, “a scapegoat for the complex challenges of public safety”.

They credited him with improving relations between police and the community, reducing gun violence and strengthening the department’s operations. Several City Council members also backed Barnes, pointing out that Seattle has now had four police chiefs in less than three years.

Barnes was appointed in late 2024 by former Mayor Bruce Harrell after leading the Madison Police Department in the northern state of Wisconsin. When Wilson, a democratic socialist who had previously supported defunding the police, took office this year, she kept Barnes in the role, signalling she did not plan to dramatically change the city’s public safety strategy.

Barnes’s resignation was announced as Seattle prepares for another major weekend event with the annual Seafair festival set to begin on Friday.

Actress Diane Morgan takes on the role of a social humanoid robot called Linda in the new BBC comedy.

This month, BBC viewers have been treated to a brand-new comedy series.

Ann Droid features the likes of Diane Morgan and Sue Johnston as they play robot Linda and lonely widow Sue.

When Linda’s son Michael (Paul Ready) gets her an AI eldercare robot to help her, it’s clear she’s less than thrilled with the decision.

Although she initially wanted to return her new robot companion, Linda quickly changed her mind, and what follows is a hilarious, unlikely and unconventional relationship.

Appearing on The One Show, actress Diane Morgan spoke to Alex Jones and Vernon Kay about the lengths she went to accurately play the robot.

Diane commented: “It’s really hard! I got an ulcer, did I tell you I got an ulcer? Yeah, I didn’t blink.

“I made the stupid decision to not blink. What an idiot. I was wearing these really thick blue contact lenses.”

Vernon cut in to share her confusion as she highlighted that Diane already has blue eyes.

The BBC star replied: “I know! I got an ulcer, so I stopped wearing them. I said, ‘Oh, how are we going to film the rest of it?’

“They just said, ‘We’ll do it in post’. I was like, ‘Well, what’s the point of me wearing them?!’”

As her co-star shared that he thought it was worth it, Vernon added: “You suffered for your art.”

Since the series was released earlier this month, BBC viewers have had nothing but praise for the show, with many admitting to binge-watching it in one sitting.

One person online commented: “Love ANN DROID.” Another wrote: “This show was amazing!! Sad, happy, funny and emotional.”

Someone else commented: “Absolutely loved it and Diane is just fabulous.” While a fourth wrote: “Binge watched on iplayer… so so good!!!!”

Another added: “Excellent series – funny, poignant and current – congratulations.”

Ann Droid is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

IF you still want to book a family summer holiday there’s still time.

But if you want to take advantage of TUI‘s child-free place breaks, you need to act fast.

Families have just 10 days to get free child places on hundreds of summer holidays – there are some for under £2,000 for a family of four.

If you fancy having an August summer break, check out TUI free child place holidays here – and Sun Travel has picked out some good ones too.

HL Rio Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

In Lanzarote, the village-style bungalow is surrounded by palm trees.

It has two swimming pools, themed restaurants, bars and it’s close to the golden Playa Flamingo Beach.

PARK UP

Epic UK holiday parks with waterparks, theme parks & Spoons pubs from £3pp a night

HOL YES

Cheapest summer for holidays in YEARS – with August breaks still on sale for £188pp

There are lots of activities all day and into the evening, including an aerial adventure course for kids.

And the Aqualava Water Park which has water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool is next door.

A family of four can head here from August 20-27 with all-inclusive board and return flights to Glasgow from £1780 (including a free kid’s place).

Ponient Marinada & PortAventura Theme Park, Spain

The Ponient Marinada Hotel is in the heart of Salou and has everything to entertain the whole family.

There’s a games zone and a TUI KIDS’ CLUB, outdoor pools and a splash park – and in Salou, the hotel is within 10 minutes from multiple beaches, restaurants, bars and shops.

Kids will love all the rides and water fun at the PortAventura Park and Ferrari Land – you get a free day pass with the hotel and free daily shuttles.

A family of four can head here from August 18-25 with half board and return flights to Aberdeen from £1927 (including a free kid’s place).

Kefalos Beach Village, Cyprus

This spot in Paphos, Cyprus is described as more of a mini village than a hotel – and might be a tiny bit more expensive, but it’s worth it.

It has a swimming pool, kids pool, two bars, two restaurants with landscaped gardens.

It’s close to the promenade which is lined with shops, bars and restaurants – and it’s a 10-minute walk from the Tombs of the Kings.

A family of four can head here from August 20-28 with bed & breakfast board and return flights to London Gatwick from £2293 (including a free kid’s place).

TUI Managing Director Neil Swanson said: “There are genuinely great last-minute deals still available and thousands of free kid’s places left this August, so this is an exciting time to book for anyone who hasn’t yet snapped up a summer getaway.”

“We’re seeing particularly good value across a range of popular European destinations, including Spain, Greece and Portugal. Travellers who can be flexible on their departure date, airport or destination are likely to find the biggest savings”.

The offer ends on August 11 for departures up until August 31.

Only one free kid’s place is available in each selected hotel room or selected apartment type or villa with a minimum of two full paying adults.

Dinorah Figuera was allowed to return from exile thanks to her participation in this initiative. The same happens with some members of the opposition delegation

On August 1, representatives of Venezuela’s two rival legislatures sit down together under Washington’s supervision in the most concrete attempt to negotiate again since the Barbados talks of 2023. 

The talks, framed by Washington as the start of a transition, are driven by the Department of State and pair two delegations of ten. On one side sits the current National Assembly controlled by chavismo, led by its president Jorge Rodríguez. On the other is the Comisión Delegada of the National Assembly elected in 2015 — the last legislature the US and many other countries recognized as democratically legitimate. 

According to Dinorah Figuera, president of the Delegate Commission, the primary objective is laying out the institutional groundwork for a political transition: renovating Venezuela’s key state bodies, establishing a new National Electoral Council (CNE) capable of holding elections with credible guarantees, and extending to the Supreme Tribunal’s electoral and constitutional chambers. Figuera has said she hopes to deliver a transition proposal by December 2026, conveniently timed for the Trump administration to show a foreign-policy success just after the US midterm legislative election in November.

Figuera and Jorge Rodríguez first met on June 18, along with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Barrett, hours after Figuera returned to Caracas after years in exile. Those contacts were interrupted by the June 24 earthquakes, seeming as though the political track would freeze indefinitely behind the humanitarian emergency, especially as Delcy Rodríguez said on July 13 that the government had “no head” to think about elections while managing the disaster. 

The roots of Dinorah Figuera, the opposition’s co-chair, lie on the left. She belonged to the labor party La Causa R in the 1990s (then an important force in the rising Venezuelan Left) and served as deputy secretary of the Libertador municipality in Caracas under Aristóbulo Istúriz, who later jumped onto the chavista wagon. She eventually joined Primero Justicia and was re-elected as a lawmaker in 2015 before being forced into exile in 2018. Shortly after she led protests denouncing the death of party colleague Fernando Albán under SEBIN custody —a PJ councilman, key aide to Julio Borges and the godfather of Figuera’s daughter— she was threatened by the intelligence services and took shelter in the French Embassy of Caracas for 10 days before fleeing to Spain and receiving political asylum. 

Sources close to Primero Justicia describe Figuera as a principled politician willing to serve without seeking personal or financial gain from her sacrifices. She maintained a very low profile in this role until the State Department elevated her visibility several weeks ago.

While exiled in Spain, and following the collapse of the interinato, Figuera succeeded Juan Guaidó as the figure managing Venezuela’s overseas assets in the US via the 2015 National Assembly’s Comisión Delegada (recognized by Washington as Venezuela’s sole democratically elected institution until this year). Sources close to Primero Justicia describe Figuera as a principled politician willing to serve without seeking personal or financial gain from her sacrifices. She maintained a very low profile in this role until the State Department elevated her visibility several weeks ago. Figuera and US representatives have been undertaking preparatory meetings in Madrid for over two weeks, coordinated by Mauricio Claver-Carone, Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s principal interlocutor on Venezuela.

Figuera has called herself “an instrument” of the reinstitutionalization process. She acknowledges Edmundo González Urrutia as president-elect and María Corina Machado as the opposition’s leader, yet notes she holds “a different vision.” She is, in the role the State Department has cast for her, what Edmundo González was to Machado in 2024: a figure admitted by chavista institutions because she isn’t a threat, and little enough ambition to follow guidelines from influential people in the opposition alliance.

Jorge Rodríguez, her counterpart, is chavismo’s veteran negotiator and the brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez. He led the government’s delegation in the Mexico talks of 2021–2022 and signed the 2023 Barbados Agreement on Maduro’s behalf. Before that, he was Chávez’s vice president, communications minister, and president of the CNE in 2005–2006. 

Up until yesterday, the opposition’s full roster was not yet public. The opposition’s ten were revealed in stages and through extraofficial communications. In June, El Pitazo confirmed six names: Dinorah Figuera, Juan Miguel Matheus, Ramón López, Jorge Millán, Marco Aurelio Quiñones and Sergio Vergara. The remaining four were disclosed on July 29th: Elimar Díaz, Julio César Moreno, Macario González and Desiré Barboza.

Six are from Primero Justicia: Figuera, constitutional lawyer Juan Miguel Matheus, engineer Ramón López, Caracas legislator Jorge Millán, and recent additions Elimar Díaz and Julio César Moreno. 

Four are from Voluntad Popular, Leopoldo López’s party: Marco Aurelio Quiñones; Táchira legislator Sergio Vergara; and late additions Macario González and Desiré Barboza. Nearly all have spent recent years in exile, or in González’ case, in detention. Several are returning only now, under the process’s complicit US security guarantee. 

For most of the last two years, Primero Justicia has effectively been two parties. After Henrique Capriles chose to participate in the 2025 regional and legislative elections, the party’s official leadership, aligned with Machado’s abstentionist line, expelled him, Tomás Guanipa, and others for legitimizing what it called a fraud. Both Tomás Guanipa and Capriles were elected members of the NA that Rodríguez presides over. What remained of Primero Justicia, keeping the party’s name and recognition, was the abstentionist wing, led by Juan Pablo Guanipa, with Julio Borges as coordinator and María Beatriz Martínez as president. 

The delegation Washington seated is drawn substantially from the faction of Primero Justicia most doctrinally opposed to negotiating an electoral path with chavismo. The party has tried to hold both positions: in its July 27 statement it backed the dialogue as a route toward free elections while, in the same breath, ratifying its support for Machado. 

Who’s Who?

Juan Miguel Matheus (PJ, Carabobo) is a lawyer with a PhD in constitutional and parliamentary law behind the Estatuto que rige la Transición a la Democracia, the legal framework that underpinned Guaidó’s 2019 interim presidency. Elected for Carabobo in 2015, he was among the sharpest critics of the 2017 Constituent Assembly, calling it fraudulent. He is in exile in Austin and coordinates PJ’s board of directors. 

Ramón López (PJ, Distrito Capital) is an engineer and the former vice president of Venezuela’s Colegio de Ingenieros. López sat in the 2015 Assembly and the Parlasur, Mercosur’s parliament. Exiled in Spain after being threatened by Diosdado & Co., he became PJ’s international spokesperson. He flew back to Caracas alongside Figuera on June 18 for the meetings that launched the process..

Jorge Millán (PJ, Distrito Capital) is an industrial engineer and administrator. Millán is PJ’s Caracas coordinator and one of the opposition’s longtime specialists on the collapse of the national electric system. In 2019, the Constituent Assembly ordered his prosecution on charges including treason and instigation to insurrection. When Maduro issued him a pardon in 2020, Millán rejected it, arguing he had committed no crime and that Maduro had no legitimacy to pardon anyone. 

Elimar Díaz (PJ, Zulia) is the delegation’s youngest member. Díaz began in Manuel Rosales’s Un Nuevo Tiempo before moving to Primero Justicia, where she is now national political coordinator and PJ’s political vice-president in Zulia.

Julio César Moreno (PJ, Falcón) has the thinnest public record of the ten. Moreno was elected to the 2015 Assembly for Falcón and is counted among Primero Justicia’s delegates.

Marco Aurelio Quiñones (VP, Anzoátegui) was elected for Anzoátegui in 2015. In his early career, he was close to Capriles and Borges in Primero Justicia and then crossed to Voluntad Popular in late 2016, becoming a close ally of Guaidó. In December 2024 the exiled Assembly swore him in as second vice president, filling the seat left by Auristela Vásquez’s resignation and making him the highest-ranking officer of the 2015 legislature at the table after Figuera.

Sergio Vergara (VP, Táchira) is a founding member of Voluntad Popular alongside Leopoldo López and Daniel Ceballos. He was elected for Táchira in 2015 with nearly 76% of his circuit’s vote. He served as acting mayor of San Cristóbal after Ceballos was jailed in 2014, and has been in exile since 2019, when the SEBIN raided his home in connection with the Roberto Marrero case. He is also among the signatories of the document tied to the failed Jordan Goudreau incursion, asking for a military foreign intervention.

Macario González (VP, Lara) is a veteran Lara politician and former mayor of Barquisimeto’s Iribarren municipality. González was detained by the SEBIN in September 2025 as he left a university in Barquisimeto, held incommunicado, in what Voluntad Popular denounced as a forced disappearance for what he says was 68 days without charge, judicial hearing, or explanation. He was released near midnight on November 19, 2025, hours after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted him precautionary measures. He has publicly held Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello politically responsible for his detention.

Capriles, now sitting in the Rodríguez-controlled national assembly, cautioned that a negotiation excluding Machado “will be condemned to fail.” 

Desiré Barboza (VP, Zulia) was an alternate deputy for Zulia in the 2015 Assembly and is Voluntad Popular’s regional coordinator there. Like most of the delegation, she has built her recent political life in exile and within the structures of the 2015 legislature.

On the ‘chavista’ side, only Jorge Rodríguez has been named to the time of writing. While the opposition’s ten were leaked or rumored until confirmed, the radio silence from those representing the current national assembly clashes awkwardly with Diosdado Cabello’s boasts of chavista unity. Francisco Arias Cárdenas, 1992 coup veteran and former Zulia governor, urged Rodríguez’s delegation to consult the PSUV’s base and submit any agreement to the Venezuelan public, warning that dialogue must not become a matter of simply following Washington’s instructions. 

The positions around the table

Primero Justicia and Un Nuevo Tiempo have called August 1 a “historic opportunity,” with PJ setting conditions: free, fair elections and the restoration of popular sovereignty. Voluntad Popular was the first to back the US initiative outright. But Acción Democrática’s Henry Ramos Allup has warned against any process that sidelines the coalition and Machado. Capriles, now sitting in the Rodríguez-controlled national assembly, cautioned that a negotiation excluding Machado “will be condemned to fail.” 

Machado and González stated their own position on July 26, claiming they will neither participate in nor obstruct the process, having taken no part in its “design, construction and functioning,” and will judge it by concrete, verifiable results: institutional recovery, the release of political prisoners, guarantees without exclusions, a presidential electoral calendar, and respect for popular sovereignty. 

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Will the person in charge please stop turning up Earth’s thermostat. It’s warm enough now.

There’s a problem in the Dodgers’ offense. Yes, they are near the top in most offensive categories, but, well, let’s see if you can spot it.

Batting average/OB%/SLG% by lineup position

Batting first: .275/.378/.522
Second: .229/.305/.348
Third: .273/.364/.457
Fourth: .262/.340/.445
Fifth: .247/.333/.406
Sixth: .273/.339/.464
Seventh: .264/.344/.447
Eighth: .269/.341/.410
Ninth: .265/.326/.402

One of those lines is not like the other. The No. 2 spot in the lineup has been horrible. And it’s not just one person, it’s anyone they try there. A look at each player who has batted in the No. 2 spot this season:

Santiago Espinal, 1 for 1
Tommy Edman, 2 for 4
Andy Pages, .254/.336/.431, 238 plate appearances
Kyle Tucker, .238/.330/.333, 97
Freddie Freeman, .213/.276/.263, 87
Alex Call, 1 for 5
Miguel Rojas, 1 for 6
Mookie Betts, .149/.196/.234, 51
Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1
Will Smith, 0 for 8

Wow. Everyone who has spent any time in the No. 2 spot is hitting worse than their overall numbers.

Last season, the No. 2 position hit .259/.324/.418, which was mainly Betts.

Let’s break out the four players who have the most appearances in the No. 2 spot this season and see how well they hit in other positions:

Andy Pages
Batting second: .254/.336/.431, 238 plate appearances
Third: .167/.200/.167, 25
Fourth: .200/.292/.350, 24
Fifth: .222/.300/.500, 40
Sixth: .375/.394/.781, 33
Seventh: .271/.329/.414, 79
Eighth: .476/.500/.810, 22

Kyle Tucker
Batting second: .238/.330/.333, 97
First: .222/300/.556. 10
Third: .000/.111/.000, 9
Fourth: .263/.391/.395, 92
Fifth: .226/.329/.387, 73
Sixth: .225/.297/.326, 101
Seventh: .333/.412/.633, 34
Ninth: 0 for 1

So hit Pages sixth and Tucker seventh?

Freddie Freeman

Batting second: .213/.276/.263, 87
Third: .328/.421/.572, 273
Fourth: .288/.342/.452, 79
Fifth: .417/.417/.583, 12

So Freeman should bat third.

Mookie Betts

Batting second: .149/.196/.234, 51
First: .125/.125/.500, 8
Third: .179/.281/.429, 32
Fourth: .261/.326/.436, 181
Fifth: .250/.276/.464, 29

Betts at cleanup? Should the Dodgers lineup be:

Shohei Ohtani
Tommy Edman
Freddie Freeman
Mookie Betts
Max Muncy
Andy Pages
Kyle Tucker
Teoscar Hernández
Dalton Rushing

Of course, here we are talking about making changes to the team that is fourth in the majors in runs scored per game (5.15).

But why does everyone fall apart in the No. 2 spot? Do the pitchers relax a bit after facing Ohtani and pitch better because of it? Do they concentrate more? Is it just the randomness of baseball? We’ll never know. But right now, the No. 2 spot is a weakness.

Editor’s note: Of course, right after I write this, Pages goes five for eight with a double and a homer in the No. 2 spot. The randomness of baseball!

Where doesn’t it hurt?

We knew that Shohei Ohtani‘s left knee was still bothering him, but it turns out his right biceps is bothering him, too.

“My biceps is not 100%,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton while speaking to reporters. “Just [a] similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So, I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”

And the longer Ohtani sits, the more likely he will have to be built back up as a starter. Don’t expect him to come back and pitch seven innings right away.

“You know, he’s a starting pitcher, and then, when you start missing three, four, five weeks of that build-up,” Dave Roberts said, “then you’ve got to kind of start up again.”

Phil ‘The Vulture’ Regan dies

Phil Regan, who had one great and one good season as a relief pitcher with the Dodgers, died earlier this month at 89.

In 1966 with the Dodgers, Regan pitched in 65 games and went 14-1, with a 1.62 ERA and a league-leading 21 saves. It was that season where he earned his nickname, “The Vulture.”

On Aug. 1, 1966, Sandy Koufax was facing the Pittsburgh Pirates and left after seven innings with the score tied, 1-1. Regan relieved him, and the Dodgers scored four runs to win the game. Afterward, Koufax said to Regan, “You’re getting to be a real scavenger. A vulture, that’s what you are.”

Regan went 6-9 with a 2.99 ERA and six saves with the Dodgers in 1967. He pitched in five games for them in 1968, going 2-0 with 3.52 ERA, before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with Jim Hickman for Jim Ellis and Ted Savage.

Regan last pitched in the majors in 1972 with the Chicago White Sox, who released him in July. His career record was 96-81 with a 3.84 ERA and 92 saves.

He went on to become a longtime pitching coach for several teams and managed the Baltimore Orioles during the 1995 season.

He came out of retirement at 82 in 2019 to become interim pitching coach for the New York Mets, saying, “Well, I love the game and I love what I’m doing. I know I’m 82 years old now, but I still enjoy it. I feel good. I’m going to retire one of these days, or die, I dont know. One or the other.”

Scheduling note

The next newsletter will be delayed until after the trade deadline so we can discuss what happened, or what didn’t happen, and see what moves other postseason contenders made.

Up next

Friday: Boston (*Ranger Suarez, 4-3, 3.02 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Boston (*Payton Tolle, 6-6, 3.32 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-6, 2.72 ERA), 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Boston (*Jake Bennett, 6-4, 2.74 ERA) at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 4-7, 4.95 ERA), 4:20 p.m., NBC, Peacock, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman addresses Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury and trade deadline approach

Dodgers Debate: Trade deadline madness

‘Do we consider pushing this?’ Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound remains unclear

Shaikin: The Dodgers’ three-peat chance may never come again. Trade accordingly

Dusty Baker’s peers expect him to become the first Black manager in the Hall of Fame

And finally

Vin Scully calls Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

July 31 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department has apologized for using an incorrectly labeled map of Africa during a presentation at the global AIDS conference in Brazil.

The presentation that took place on Sunday had a map that included six incorrectly identified countries and misshapen borders.

The map detailed about $500 billion in potential U.S. funding to Africa.

The State Department said in a statement that it takes “full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners.”

The map included an AI watermark.

Nigeria, Mozambique and Ivory Coast are placed in the completely incorrect locations on the map. Malawi and Uganda are in the generally correct region but the borders are unrecognizable. Cameroon is named on the map but it does not have a line marking its location like the other countries and is in the wrong location..

Mozambique was marked in the eastern horn of Africa, rather than its correct position in the southern part of the continent.

Ivory Coast, or Côte d’Ivoire, a coastal nation as its name suggests, was landlocked in eastern Africa rather than its rightful place on the opposite side of the continent.

Cameroon was roughly where Ivory Coast belonged and just over half of its actual size.

Nigeria was in another incorrectly landlocked location, just north of its accurate placement on the western coast bordering Cameroon.

Uganda was the closest to its correct position, needing to be moved a few hundred miles to the west, but the border was completely wrong.

Malawi’s borders were also drawn incorrectly and it was too far to the south.

“What an embarrassment,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., wrote on social media. “This is what happens when [the State Department] fires career experts and tries to have AI conduct diplomacy.”