Professor Bader Al-Saif at Kuwait University has given his condolences for Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and explains what the late leader meant to Gulf countries.

BUSTY Kylie Jenner showed off her jaw-dropping figure in a string of bikinis as she got wet and wild with a pal in her steamiest shoot yet.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 28, looked incredible as she posed up a storm to promote her brand KHY’s latest collaboration.

Kylie, who founded KHY back in 2023, has recently joined forces with designer swimwear brand Frankie’s Bikinis.

The reality star took to her social media to show off some of the stunning two pieces by sharing snaps of herself modelling the looks.

She also wowed in a baby pink set alongside owner Francesca Aiello as they stood in front of a water fountain, and also climbed over each other on the grass in front.

In another snap, Kylie smized at the camera as she showed off her cleavage in a busty leopard print bikini.

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She also laid on the floor in a black leather two piece with a pair of silver stilettos.

Kylie captioned the post: “So fun getting to step into @francescaaiello world again.

“There’s nothing better than creating with your friends and watching each other do what we love.

“So excited for @khy x @frankiesbikinis round two. Launching 07.14 khy.com.”

Many rushed to the comments section to share how incredible she looked.

One wrote: “Icon.”

Another added: “Hotness overload.”

A third chimed in: “Great. A professional woman, what elegance. Always brilliant. Giving everything. Blessings!!!”

“Obsessed with u,” a fourth said.

A fifth commented: “Queen.”

A sixth simply said: “Beautiful.”

LAS VEGAS — The door opened for Arthur Kaluma to show his worth for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League on Saturday night.

He did so in a big way.

Kaluma had 34 points and five rebounds during the Lakers’ 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center.

He was 11 for 16 from the field and six for 10 from three-point range.

With Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr unable to play because of a right thumb contusion, Kaluma took over the scoring role. Carr, the 24th pick in the NBA draft, is averaging 17 points per game.

“Cam doesn’t play tonight, so he gets a little bit more minutes, gets a couple more touches,” said Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott about Kaluma. “But he’s done a really good job of making the most of it when he doesn’t have actions run for him. So the way that he’s been able to stay ready, find windows for himself has kept him in a rhythm. So, on a night like tonight, when we can run some actions for him, he knocks them down and just plays out of his mind. It was great.”

Kaluma said he was “a little nervous” but his three-point shooting said otherwise.

“When [teammate] Jon Elmore came down and he pitched it back to me for a three … I just knew when it came off my hand it was cash,” Kaluma said. “So I said, ‘Yeah, I’m hot.’ It went on from there.”

Late in the fourth quarter, Kaluma lined up a three-pointer, setting his feet and scoring from 29 feet out. He flashed three fingers and smiled. His teammates on the bench stood and cheered, as did the fans.

“We have such a great group of guys this year at Summer League and going through this it’s hard to get that camaraderie with a group,” Kaluma said. “But I feel like everybody wants to see everybody succeed and I felt that tonight. I’m not going to lie to you. They tell me to shoot the ball. I passed up a couple of shots and they were mad at me the other day.”

Kaluma played for the South Bay Lakers in the G League last season. He averaged 14.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and shot 55% from the field, 37% from three-point range.

“The G can get grimey, you know what I’m saying? It’s a time where everybody is trying to fight for a position and there is a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G,” Kaluma said. “And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform.”

Kaluma wasn’t alone in helping the Lakers improve to 2-0 in Summer League play.

Adou Thiero ran the court, took a lob pass from Chris Mañon and threw down a two-handed dunk. He had another solid outing with 15 points and four rebounds. He shot just four for 12 from the field, but was a plus-15.

But the night belonged to Kaluma.

“I pride myself on the defensive end,” he said. “I know I got hot offensively, but the shot was just falling today, you know what I’m saying? My game is three-and-D. I lock-up on defense and I know I can hit open shots. I just got hot today and I’m not going to try to let it get to my head.”

Former UK Ambassador to Qatar Sir Graham Boyce remembers the late Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani as a compassionate and humble leader with a sharp sense of humour. Boyce shared personal anecdotes with Al Jazeera reflecting the Emir’s generosity and warmth over more than three decades of friendship.

Since a US-brokered truce in October, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,098 Palestinians in Gaza.

An Israeli drone attack and gunfire in Gaza have killed at least five people, including a nine-year-old girl, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Tala Abu Matar died when Israeli gunfire targeted an encampment on the eastern side of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, medics said.

Also on Sunday, a drone attack on a blacksmith’s shop in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed at least four Palestinians and wounded another, according to officials at al-Shifa hospital where the casualties were taken.

The Israeli military acknowledged striking the area, saying without elaborating that it targeted “terrorist infrastructure”.

Following shooting on Friday, a Palestinian man died of wounds sustained from Israeli fire near Al-Bureij camp, said a health official. Another Palestinian succumbed to injuries from an Israeli drone strike east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The continued attacks in Gaza are in violation of the ceasefire agreed last October by Israel and Hamas. While fighting on the ground has mostly stopped since then, Israel has continued carrying out air strikes in Gaza, killing at least 1,098 Palestinians and wounding 3,535 during the so-called ceasefire, health ministry data shows.

Since October, Israel has expanded its control over the enclave beyond the so-called “Yellow Line”, which demarcates territory occupied by Israel from the rest of Gaza under the ceasefire agreement. Last week, Gaza’s Government Media Office said Israeli forces now control about 80 percent of Gaza.

The latest ⁠violence comes as Hamas leaders visited Cairo for further talks on implementing the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

The discussions include Hamas disarmament ⁠and Israeli army withdrawals, according to sources close to the talks, who said no breakthrough has been achieved.

Since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the health ministry said at least 73,118 Palestinians have been killed.

The Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank will serve as broadcast headquarters during the Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympic Games in two years.

LA28 and Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday jointly announced that the 30-acre Hollywood Way campus would play a pivotal role in the Games. Constructing an efficient TV nerve center — the operational hub where feeds from events are produced, then distributed to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world — has long been a crucial component to staging such an ambitious television extravaganza.

Over the last few months, LA28 executives and the Olympic Broadcasting Services team narrowed their search to the Ranch. The facility, which recently underwent a $300 million transformation with new soundstages, has the capacity and technical requirements to support the international broadcast center.

The International Olympics Committee approved the selection at a recent meeting.

“The facilities are near-perfect for them, both in size and in access,” Simon Robinson, Warner Bros. Discovery’s president of global experiences and studio operations, said in an interview with The Times. “As we sat down and talked it through with them, we were able to reach what we think is a great deal for both of us.”

Warner Bros. and LA28 declined to provide financial details of the arrangement, which will span nearly two years.

For Warner Bros., the decision came down to whether the studio needed the space for its own TV and film productions or if it was advantageous to turn over the facility, which boasts 16 soundstages and a five-story creative office building, to LA28.

Work to prepare the campus for the Olympics will begin in January.

LA28 plans to use nearly all of the soundstages, which are equipped with dedicated set lighting power, high-capacity silent air conditioning, high-speed wired and wireless internet, and adjoining production suites. There’s also a mill — a 40,000-square foot workshop space — a cafe, plenty of parking and quick access to area freeways.

“We look forward to welcoming the global broadcast community to Los Angeles in 2028,” Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and games delivery officer, said in a statement.

No Warner Bros. production will be displaced, Robinson said. Three shows that currently use the complex — the HBO productions “Rooster” and “I Love LA,” and “I Suck at Girls” for Netflix, will be wrapped by the time LA28 moves in next year.

“Everything fell into place nicely,” Robinson said.

The Ranch outpost is rich in Hollywood history — a go-to site to shoot old westerns. Columbia Pictures owned the lot for years, before bringing in Warner Bros. as a partner in the 1970s.

It was later used for filming such classic TV series as “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie” and the movie “Lethal Weapon.” Opening credits of Warner Bros.’ 1990s sitcom “Friends,” featured the then 20-something cast members frolicking in a fountain near the center of the lot. (The fountain was moved to the main Warner Bros. lot, where it has become a featured part of the studio tour.)

In the final innings of her international career, Tammy Beaumont is bowled first ball by India’s Kranti Gaud at Lord’s on day three of the one-off Test, with England needing 457 to win.

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July 12 (UPI) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly on Saturday night, two days after his 71st birthday, his office announced.

Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he toured a drone factory and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, CBS News and The Washington Post reported.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement posted to X.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said.

Graham had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday morning, which instead featured an interview with President Donald Trump, who said that he’d spoken with the senator on Saturday after he’d returned from Ukraine.

“Other than being tired, he was fine,” Trump said.

Graham, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, had already won South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary and now will have to be replaced on the ticket.

The state is expected to hold a special primary in the next few weeks so that voters can choose a new candidate.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has died at the age of 71. He died on Saturday evening following a “brief and sudden illness”, according to his office.

Elected to the Senate in 2002, the South Carolina politician was one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.

Donald Trump said Graham was a “true American Patriot” who would be “greatly missed”.

Graham had just returned from Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. There were no known health concerns ahead of his trip.

Graham was a staunch supporter of arming Kyiv and applying sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky said in a post on X, external that he was “deeply saddened” by his death.

“America and the world have lost a determined leader,” he added.

Graham’s relationship with the US president had evolved since Trump first ran for office.

In a CNN interview during his campaign for the presidency in 2015, Graham called Trump “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot”. The next year, he said: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed… and we will deserve it.”

After the US Capitol riots in 2021, Graham gave a speech on the Senate floor in which he said: “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way.

“All I can say is a count me out. Enough is enough.”

The ‘beautiful’ BBC period drama is perfect for fans Jane Austen and is based on a literay classic.

Pride and Prejudice fans have been encouraged to rediscover a “brilliant” overlooked period drama.

The sweet romance on Prime Video, situated in the mid-19th century, has earned acclaim for its “beautiful” landscapes and “heartwarming” narrative.

Originally broadcast on the BBC in 2005, the production boasts a stellar ensemble headed by Miss Austen’s Keeley Hawes. Additional cast members include The Crown’s James Murray, Inside No. 9 actor Steve Pemberton and Lark Rise to Candleford star Ben Miles.

Now that the film has become available to stream, audiences have been revisiting the adaptation based on Thomas Hardy’s celebrated novel of the same name.

Under the Greenwood Tree marks the second published work by the English writer Thomas Hardy, initially released anonymously in 1872, reports the Express.

It chronicles the tale of a romance between schoolmistress Fancy Day (Hawes) and church musician Dick Dewey (Murray).

The official synopsis reads: “In this lighthearted romance from Victorian novelist Thomas Hardy, the beautiful new village school teacher is pursued by three suitors: a working-class man, a landowner, and the vicar.”

Helmed by Nicholas Laughland, the production carries a 6.9/10 rating on IMDb and appears not to have received extensive critical assessment at the time of its release.

Audiences have flocked to IMDb to express their admiration for the overlooked period drama, describing it as ‘brilliant’ and ‘perfect comfort viewing’.

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One viewer wrote: “In the tradition of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, there is the mix of position, miscommunication, and the delightfulness of authenticity of period. A treat to watch. The acting, script, and setting all played well together. If you adore period romances, then this should go on your list to watch.”

Another fan gushed: “Superb. This film, although made for TV, will be a classic, just like the 1995 Pride and Prejudice directed by Simon Langton. The sets seemed remarkably authentic, and all the cast were excellent […] I have watched it 3 times in two days.”

A third viewer reflected: “The scenery was stunning, the plot had depth and kept me and my family gripped throughout. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with a warm heart, as it certainly warmed mine.”

“Beautiful film in every way, from the classic Thomas Hardy novel,” another viewer said, while a further admirer agreed: “A thing of beauty and wonder.”

However, not everyone was won over by the film, with one critic labelling it a ‘big let down’ and another commenting: “I usually don’t like Hardy’s stuff… I guess that continues.”

Under the Greenwood Tree is streaming now on Prime Video.

It was never actually in doubt. Dearica Hamby was going to stay a member of the Sparks. That was just how she worked.

Even when Nneka Ogwumike came into the fold and the frontcourt became crowded, Hamby didn’t doubt her decision to return to the organization that traded for her four years ago.

Loyalty mattered more than anything else.

“That’s who I am,” she said. “I don’t run away from things. I wanted to stay here and help L.A. get back to where it was and is capable of being.”

In a loaded frontcourt, the 32-year-old Hamby has still found ways to shine. Hamby has led the Sparks in scoring four times and led or tied for rebounding 16 times this season after signing a three-year, $3.5-million contract.

She ranks in the top 20 in the league in rebounds and field-goal percentage (plus 25th in scoring) and is eighth in offensive rebounds in establishing herself as an essential piece to the Sparks’ “win now” attempt.

“I think it’s the challenge, because we are so good and we have so much talent,” said Hamby, who is averaging 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 52.8% from the field. “You’re forced to produce, but it’s also a blessing. I know it’s probably hard for coach to manage the three’s playing time and stuff like that, but it’s a beautiful problem.”

Hamby was in the headlines when the Aces traded her after she was pregnant. In September of that year, she filed a federal discrimination complaint against the team and league, claiming she was traded because she was pregnant. The two sides resolved matters before trial.

The new CBA this year created a new rule that requires a pregnant player’s consent to be traded.

“I feel like she’s such an anomaly,” said forward Rae Burrell. “I remember when she had her son, and it was crazy because everybody was saying she was coming back so early, I thought that was insane, but now being her teammate, I see it, she’s just kind of a freak of nature, like she’s so athletic, she can do all types of things on the court that you think looks unorthodox, but she makes it happen, but also just love being her teammate. She’s just good people.”

Since that trade, she has been a regular in the Sparks’ starting lineup while averaging double-digit scoring and around eight rebounds per game. She’s one of the most efficient scorers in the league, too.

But Hamby’s games have been all over the board. Against the Aces, she missed all seven of her shots. Against Dallas and Indiana, she made six of eight shots. She’s had eight games with a shooting percentage above 60% and four games under 40%.

Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, left, tries to steal the ball from Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner during a game in Phoenix.

(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

Having the three frontcourt players has been an adjustment for coach Lynne Roberts to find how to implement them all in the offense.

“I’m trying to implement the new offense, we’re plugging pieces into play, and things that I may have been able to do last year as freely I’m not as able to do this year,” Hamby said. “So just adjusting for sure, but I think that’s across the board for everybody.”

Before the season, Roberts said that Cameron Brink would come off the bench and Hamby would start. Brink, the only natural center on the team, averages just 17.5 minutes per game primarily because of her 3.7 fouls.

“She’s my vet,” Brink said of Hamby. “I think she’s just such a grounding force for us, and she’s someone that does everything, so I just really feel like I learn from her every day, and I’m just very thankful to be in her presence.”

Hamby averages 3.2 fouls per game and has expressed frustration about the new officiating norms this season, but has avoided true foul trouble. She and Ogwumike work as two fours instead of a team with a traditional five.

“She has a lot of energy,” Ogwumike said. “I think she does a really good job of just having a high motor and going out there and kind of like doing the dirty work. I feel like it’s beneficial to have a loaded frontcourt, to be able to have so many different types of players and a depth where anytime one of us is in, there’s no letdown.”

The Sparks have been the worst defensive team in the league this season and struggled to score when point guard Kelsey Plum was out of the lineup with an ankle injury. Ogwumike might be the other veteran leader, but Hamby has stayed with this Sparks team the past two seasons while Ogwumike was in Seattle.

Now her role has changed, even with that loyalty. She’s playing just over a minute less and they’re asking for better defense and efficiency.

Hamby chose to come back. Now she’s choosing to help build the Sparks up.

“I know my usage is a lot lower,” Hamby said. “A goal of mine the last two seasons was to have those numbers, so to have the same numbers just at a more efficient rate, and so I mean offensively, but with like two fewer shots a game, that’s pretty impressive.”

July 10 (Asia Today) — Qcells is accelerating its push into the North American renewable energy market as investment in power infrastructure grows rapidly amid the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers in the United States.

The Hanwha unit said Friday it will handle engineering, procurement and construction for Atlas Energy Park, one of the largest solar and energy storage complexes in the United States. The project will be built in La Paz County, Ariz.

Atlas Energy Park will include 2.8 gigawatts of solar generation capacity and 5.7 gigawatt-hours of energy storage capacity by 2028. The complex will consist of 14 solar and energy storage projects and cover an area about 22 times the size of Yeouido, Seoul’s main financial district.

Qcells will handle engineering, procurement and construction for all projects in the complex and supply all solar modules.

The company completed the sale in May of two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 357 megawatts after carrying out their early-stage development and construction. The deal is seen as evidence that Qcells has expanded beyond equipment supply into project development, construction and asset sales.

The company’s competitiveness is backed by its U.S. supply chain. Qcells operates Solar Hub, a solar manufacturing complex in Georgia, giving it module supply capacity. It has also built a supply chain for energy storage equipment.

Industry analysts say companies with U.S. production bases are gaining a stronger advantage as Washington expands policies favoring domestically made equipment.

Analysts also expect Qcells’ expansion in North America to help improve earnings. Hana Securities projected Hanwha Solutions’ second-quarter operating profit this year at 230.7 billion won, about $153 million, roughly 29% above market consensus.

“The oversupply of solar modules in the United States is easing, and prices are continuing to rise, while the expansion of local production capacity in the United States will drive earnings improvement,” said Yoon Jae-sung, an analyst at Hana Securities.

Analysts say AI will further accelerate growth in renewable energy demand.

“Power demand is structurally increasing because of AI data centers, electrification and manufacturing reshoring, making solar power and energy storage key pillars of global power infrastructure,” said Han Byung-hwa, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities. “In particular, rising power consumption by AI data centers will continue to increase demand for large-scale projects combining solar power and energy storage.”

Qcells has completed or is pursuing more than 11 gigawatts of solar and more than 6 gigawatt-hours of energy storage projects in North America, expanding its local business base.

“Atlas Energy Park is a symbolic project that once again demonstrates Qcells’ EPC capability, U.S. supply chain and comprehensive business capacity from development to construction and asset sales,” said Chris Hodrick, head of Qcells’ EPC business division.

“We will lead the growth of the North American renewable energy market by increasing customer value and business competitiveness through integrated solutions that combine solar power and energy storage,” Hodrick said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260710010003926

A pilot’s wife has shared some handy airport security tips for anyone asked to remove their shoes – and it’s all about being prepared with a few simple travel essentials

Being asked to remove your shoes at the airport is a fairly routine occurrence. The extra checks largely stem from an incident in 2001, when a passenger attempted to conceal explosives in his shoes while boarding a flight.

While it remains an important safety measure – making it far easier for airport security to check footwear for items that could be smuggled through – it can be rather tiresome for those of us simply heading off on a well-earned holiday.

There’s no denying it feels a bit awkward padding through security in just your socks or bare feet. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can also leave your feet dirty, given the sheer number of people passing through the area.

Fortunately, a pilot’s wife named Laurie has some handy advice to share. The travel expert, based in Houston in the US, regularly posts useful content on her popular Instagram page.

She has put forward two top tips for when you find yourself faced with this security request. So here’s what you need to do to prepare yourself:

1. Clean your feet with an antibacterial wipe

Most travellers don’t have access to showers at the airport – and trying to use a sink might attract some rather odd looks from fellow passengers.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t freshen up. Packing antibacterial wipes in your hand luggage could prove to be a real game-changer.

You can swiftly clean your feet if you’re required to walk through security barefoot, taking just a matter of seconds without holding up your journey.

Even better, antibacterial wipes serve other purposes too. Many passengers like to wipe down surfaces on the plane to avoid picking up any unwanted germs.

We recommend giving aeroplane windows a swift wipe if you’re planning to rest against them.

Other commonly touched surfaces – such as TV screens, remote controls or tray tables – may also require a quick clean. So don’t forget to pack those wipes!

2. Pack an extra pair of socks

Even when wearing socks, the thought of treading over a grimy floor can be quite unpleasant. It’s also less than ideal if you’re going to be travelling in the same socks all day, meaning they’ll stay dirty throughout.

Travel expert Laurie shares two tips for handling this situation effectively. She recommends: “Wear a pair of ratty old socks through the [security] line and toss them when done.”

If chucking them isn’t possible, Laurie suggests bringing along a spare pair with a small plastic bag. You can then change into clean socks, pop the dirty ones into the bag, and wash them once you’ve reached your destination.

Laurie’s advice has proved popular online, racking up over 1,100 likes since being posted, with many voicing their gratitude.

One user commented: “Always the best tips!”. Meanwhile, another agreed: “Very good tips.”

I BET you’ve heard of Istanbul – but did you know a short boat ride from the city there is a hidden gem island?

Meaning ‘Big Island’ in Turkish, Büyükada is the largest of the three Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara, which is near Istanbul.

Despite being the largest, the island itself only spans two-square-miles.

And from Istanbul, you can hop on a ferry (there are two different companies that head there) with tickets ranging from £2.50 to £3.20 per way and taking between 45 minutes and an hour and a half to get there.

Tie in your visit to Buyukada, with the other two islands – Heybeliada and Burgazada – before heading back to Istanbul.

As for what to see and do on Buyukada, until recently the only public transport on the island were horse-drawn carriages.

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But now, thanks to the island becoming more popular with tourists, you can hop on a number of electric buses – with no cars allowed on the island.

At the north end of the island, you can expect to see streets lined with 19th century, wooden villas.

Famous ones in particular include the Con Paşa Mansion, which was built by a Venetian merchant and Mizzi Mansion, which boasts a red brick tower.

Make sure to stop by the Nizam neighbourhood too, where you’ll find more Ottoman era villas including white buildings draped in vibrant, purple flowers.

The area isn’t too big, but do make sure you head down Cankaya Caddesi which is often named the most beautiful street in Turkey.

History fanatics should also drop by Trotsky House, which is where Leon Trotsky lived in exile between 1929 and 1933.

On the other hand, the southern end of the island is mostly home to great walking and hiking routes, thanks to being home to the Büyükada Ecotourism Area.

You’ll find Mediterranean pine forests and the island’s highest peaks to explore.

You’ll also find Prinkipo Greek Orphanage, which is the largest wooden building in Europe and the second largest in the world.

The island is home to some beautiful beaches as well, including Aya Nicola Beach.

For around £6.40, you can hire a lounge chair with an umbrella and also access showers and changing rooms, making it the ideal spot for a beach day.

Alternatively, you could head to Viranbağ Plajı, which also boasts a restaurant.

While you do have to pay an entry fee to the beach (which usually is a few quid), it is often less crowded than other spots on the island.

A popular way to explore the entire island is by hiring a bike – and thanks to its size, it only takes a couple of hours to cycle around.

The best way to get to the island is by flying to Istanbul and then taking a short and scenic ferry ride across to the island itself.

Flights to Istanbul cost from £108 per way in July.

And if you want to extend your time on the island, you can stay in one of the hotels or guesthouses.

For example, there’s Hillora Hotel Buyukada, which has views, a sauna, a sun terrace and a garden.

Plus it is just a six-minute walk from the beach.

The hotel costs from £149 per night.

For something more historical but also cheaper, head to Büyükada Anastasia Meziki History Mansion, which has its own restaurant, bar, terrace, patio and mountain views.

The hotel even has a hot tub to relax in.

Rooms at the hotel cost from £86 per night.

Yulia Svyrydenko to step down as prime minister amid government shake-up aimed at prioritising foreign policy and security goals.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a government reshuffle, as well as proposing the replacement of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and the heads of some law enforcement agencies.

“Ukraine is changing its political strategy. Each priority foreign policy direction will be overseen by a specific individual with substantial experience who is capable of delivering on the agreements reached at the leaders’ level and fulfilling the expectations of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday in a lengthy post on social media.

“I discussed the details with Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko. We agreed that implementing these changes requires a renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers.”

Svyrydenko became prime minister a year ago, succeeding Denys Shmyhal. She previously served as first deputy prime minister and economy minister, roles that brought her into close contact with the administration of US President Donald Trump. She was widely credited with negotiating a critical minerals agreement between Washington and Kyiv last year that helped thaw what had initially been a frosty relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy.

“I am proud to have had the honour of leading the Government during one of the most difficult periods in Ukraine’s modern history. I thank every man and woman defending Ukrainian land. Our warriors are our strength and the foundation of our independence,” the 39-year-old wrote on X.

Zelenskyy also said there would be changes in the leadership of law enforcement agencies.

He said the new political strategy would focus on key foreign policy priorities, including agreements to manufacture Patriot air defence systems under licence, advancing Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership and deepening ties with the Gulf region, which he described as one of the world’s “most promising” areas for security and economic cooperation.

Zelenskyy thanked Svyrydenko for her offer to lead a “new significant direction in relations with a key partner”.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is moving at light speed toward its Sept. 22 opening, announced Thursday that it will give free annual passes to its South L.A. neighbors living in the 90037 ZIP Code. The 300,000-square-foot, $1-billion museum located in Exposition Park will also host a special community preview day on Sept. 13, more than a week before the general public gets to step inside.

The 90037 ZIP Code has a population of more than 65,000 and is bordered roughly by the 110 Freeway to the west, Slauson Avenue to the south, Central Avenue to the east and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the north. Residents can register for passes at lucasmuseum.org/lm37 and will be alerted in August when the program launches. Pass holders can reserve tickets for themselves and one guest.

Tickets for non-pass holders go on sale July 21. They cost $25 for adults and $21 for seniors. Kids 17 and under are free.

“Storytelling has the power to bring people together and create a sense of community,” said Lucas Museum Chief Executive Tracey Bates in a news release about the program. “Through LM37, we are inviting our South Los Angeles neighbors to make the museum part of their lives and take their own path of discovery through the art, programs and experiences that will help shape this new cultural hub for Los Angeles.”

The community preview day is designed to give local business owners, community partners, civic leaders and registered LM37 pass holders a sneak peak of the 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as the expansive gardens with 11 acres of park space.

The opening programming, curated by co-founder George Lucas, features 20 inaugural exhibitions across more than 30 galleries, including one titled “Star Wars in Motion,” containing vehicle designs, high-speed racers, flying vessels, props, costumes and illustrations from the first six films in the beloved franchise.

More than 1,200 objects will be on display from Lucas’ personal collection of narrative art. Highlights include work by Norman Rockwell and Dorothea Lange, as well as a variety of manga, children’s book illustrations and comics.

Designed by British architect Norman Foster, it features clever engineering secrets to keep drivers safe

When we consider enormous infrastructure projects, we typically picture major superpower economies like China and America, which are home to some of the planet’s largest factories, tallest skyscrapers, and sprawling cities. Yet, when it comes to bridges, it isn’t China or America that holds the crown. Rather, France claims the title of the world’s tallest bridge.

The Millau Bridge, located in the Aveyron district, forms part of the motorway linking Paris to the Mediterranean. Designed by British architect Norman Foster, it opened in the early-2000s to widespread acclaim.

Standing at 1,104ft high, it remains the world’s undisputed tallest bridge with a roadway positioned so high that a skyscraper could fit beneath it.

Beyond building and bridge comparisons, there is more to the Millau Bridge than initially apparent. According to Enjoy Travel, it features several design secrets to ensure driver safety, reports the Express.

One of these is the fact that the bridge is neither straight nor flat, with a 3% incline and a gentle curve incorporated into its design.

Enjoy Travel explained: “It has two lanes in each direction and interestingly, the bridge is not straight as this could induce a sensation of floating for drivers.

“To remedy this, the architects designed the bridge to have a slight curve, which is 20km in range. Another design feature that improves safety, is the road’s slight incline of 3%, which improves visibility and reassures the driver.

“The bridge is exposed to high winds of up to 151km/h. So, the designers placed side screens on the bridge that reduce the effects of the wind by 50%.”

Thanks to its striking design, the bridge has become an essential destination for motoring enthusiasts and tourists from across the globe.

On TripAdvisor, numerous visitors have marvelled at the bridge’s construction and appearance. Simon N said: “An amazing piece of engineering and architecture spanning an even more beautiful gorge. If you’re an engineering/architecture enthusiast, this is a must-see, but you don’t have to be one to be blown away by this marvel of a bridge.”

Bluebellplasnewydd added: “This bridge is spectacular and you should plan your car journey to go over it. There are observation posts and a visitor centre but it doesn’t matter if you miss these. The experience is in the approach and transit across.”

Fellow user boruthedog exclaimed: “It is a beautiful and extraordinary piece of engineering, and the visitors centre (accessible also from the south) has an exhibition, a good cafeteria and a viewing platform from which you can get an idea of the enormity of the project. After this, get back in the car and drive over it.

“The bridge is cleverly curved so that you get a good feel for its length and can clearly see its pylons and supporting cables.”

Croatia’s World Cup was seconds away from being over and Portugal was seconds away from the round of 16 when Ivan Perisic sent a long, desperate cross into the penalty area. The ball bounced off bodies like a pinball before magically, unbelievably, caroming into the net.

Gooooooallllllll!!!!

Fate had given Croatia a reprieve.

But as pandemonium broke out in the stands and on the pitch, Norwegian referee Espen Eskas stood in the middle of the celebration in Toronto, hand to his ear, listening to a voice half a continent away in Dallas.

The voice recommended a review, via the video assistant referee, or VAR.

So Eskas trotted over to a TV monitor, watched a video replay over and over again, and more than 2½ minutes after the goal was recorded, he took it off the board. Perisic’s cross had brushed the hair of teammate Igor Matanovic, leaving Mario Pasalic in an offside position when the ball reached him near the far post. The contact was imperceptible to the naked eye, but a space-age sensor in the ball had confirmed it.

A VAR review led a referee to overturn a Croatia goal during its 2-1 World Cup loss to Portugal in Toronto, eliminating Croatia from the tournament.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

Croatia’s World Cup was over, another victim of VAR, which has had an outsized influence on this summer’s tournament.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When VAR was introduced to soccer nine years ago, its mission was clear: to alert the head referee to potential clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents. At least that’s what Major League Soccer, one of the first leagues to use the system, wrote in the news release introducing it.

“It was really to stop the headlines,” said Mark Geiger, who helped implement VAR as an MLS referee. “These super-egregious errors in a game that impact the outcome. The mantra for VAR was always minimum interference but maximum benefit.”

Under the VAR system, officials sitting before a bank of monitors in a centralized control room review match footage in real time and advise the on-field referee of potential errors. If the video assistant referees believe a mistake has been made, they communicate that through an earpiece the match referee is wearing. If the match official agrees, they will stop play, signal a review by motioning their hands in the shape of a rectangular TV screen, then watch the play themselves on a pitch-side monitor before either confirming or reversing the original decision.

It is comparable to the Automated Ball-Strike review added this year in Major League Baseball, tennis’ Hawk-Eye line-calling system and long-standing centralized instant replay review in the National Football League and National Basketball Assn., systems that have both corrected errors and stoked debate.

But VAR has morphed into something far greater. In this World Cup, there have been more than 100 VAR interventions, encompassing both confirmed on-field calls and overturned decisions, through the end of the round of 16, according to Antonio Vuksanovic, a publication relations and communications professional at Sofascore, a Croatian technology company and sports statistics website.

“When it comes to actual overturned decisions, we’re looking at roughly 0.5 per match, which is higher than the last World Cup and higher than what we saw across the most recently completed club season,” Vuksanovic said.

Even though the officials have gotten most of those calls right, many of the infractions reviewed have been so imperceptible yet so consequential, it has raised a question: if human error on the part of players and coaches is part of the sport, is allowing a game to be decided by electronic evidence of a touch detectable only through NASA-level technology violating the spirit of the game?

Iran’s Shoja Khalilzadeh shoots past Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir, but the goal was overturned after VAR review during a World Cup match in Seattle on June 26.

(Maddy Grassy / Associated Press)

Christina Unkel, a former FIFA referee, state referee administrator in Florida and a rules of the game analyst for multiple TV networks, believes it does.

“Football is an art. And that’s why we love it,” she said. “It truly isn’t the referee’s fault. We’re not the ones seeking more advanced technology. We don’t want to look like robots out there. But the stakeholders are like ‘more, more, more.’

“When you do pursue black and white — objectivity is what they’re trying to get to, and I get it; they want to eliminate as much subjectivity as possible — what everyone is hating is this perfection thing.”

FIFA, the major stakeholder in the World Cup, declined multiple requests to answer questions about the officiating, but it has clearly doubled down on the technology for this tournament, introducing the semi-automated offside system which uses player-tracking cameras, computer-generated offside lines and, in some cases, data from a measuring instrument inside the match ball, to identify everyone’s position on the pitch when the ball is played.

“The whole genesis of VAR was not to fix every mistake or to make the referees perfect,” said Geiger, the first American to officiate a World Cup knockout game and now general manager of the Professional Referees Organization (PRO), which oversees referees for MLS and the NWSL. “Is the referee correct? That’s not the right question. They should be asking themselves, ‘is the referee clearly and obviously wrong?’”

Geiger, however, remains a huge proponent of the system and was careful not to criticize how it’s been used in this World Cup.

Belgium’s Youri Tielemans on a penalty kick that sails by Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw during a World Cup round of 32 match in Seattle on July 1. The game-deciding penalty kick was awarded after VAR review.

(Manu Fernandez / Associated Press)

Still, the frequent use of VAR and other technologies has clearly robbed the World Cup of much as its drama, with spontaneous celebrations of game-winning goals turning to grief moments later when the referee steps away from the monitor and takes away a score.

Reviews not only ended Croatia’s tournament, but they showed Shoja Khalilzadeh was a toe offside when he scored the goal that would have sent Iran to the knockout stages, one of three goals Iran had disallowed by VAR in the tournament; it gave Belgium a late penalty, based on light contact, that Youri Tielemans converted to end Senegal’s World Cup; and it cost Egypt a goal for a perceived foul that took place nearly 100 yards away from the ball in its 3-2 loss to Argentina.

“What happened to us wasn’t fair,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said.

Unkel agreed with that sentiment too.

“Everyone hates it,” she said. “According to VAR, that’s correct to take that goal away. That’s not the spirit of the game. But it’s the correct decision by law.”

What Unkel would prefer — and she believes a majority of officials are on her side — is for referees to have discretion to ignore or even overrule VAR if common sense and their understanding of the game suggest they should, just as judges have discretion to use common sense in applying the law.

“A lot of our game, the majority of it, is very subjective,” she said. “When we’re all sitting there saying, ‘No, that doesn’t gain an unfair advantage,’ then that’s when we have to start reconsidering things back to the spirit of the law. That’s the catchall loophole for saying, ‘Do we want this to be part of our game?’

“And I think everyone’s universally saying there a lot of different kinds of decisions we do not want part of our game. Toenail offsides, hair follicle arguments.”

Without the use of video replays, its unlikely any of those calls would have been made and the World Cup quarterfinals would probably look quite different.

England players react as referee Alireza Faghani shows a red card to England’s Jarell Quansah during a World Cup match against Mexico on July 5.

(Natacha Pisarenko / Ap Photo/natacha Pisarenko)

England coach Thomas Tuchel, upset about a penalty call on captain Harry Kane and a red card given to defender Jarell Quansah, both following video reviews in his team’s round-of-16 win over Mexico, said rulings were being overturned in the tournament “in a very questionable way.”

“The referees can send any team out in any moment,” he added. “It’s just not good enough. It’s just erratic. It’s just unreliable.”

An apparent misuse of the technology also led to the most controversial incident in the tournament. In the second half of an elimination game between the U.S. and Bosnia-Herzegovina, American Folarin Balogun stomped on the ankle of Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic, something Brazilian referee Raphael Claus initially decided did not merit even a caution. But after VAR official Juan Soto of Venezuela urged him to watch a replay, Claus flashed a red card at Balogun, expelling him from the game and banning him from the next match in the round of 16.

Claus had watched the replay in slow motion, allowing him to see what wasn’t apparent at game speed. FIFA later intervened by lifting Balogun’s one-game suspension, igniting ever greater controversy because it was just the second time that has happened in a World Cup.

U.S. forward Folarin Balogun steps on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic’s foot and received a red card after VAR review during the World Cup.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The heavy use of VAR has also interrupted the flow of games by halting matches that weren’t meant to be halted, leaving everyone standing on the field while the referee goes off to watch TV, sometimes for minutes at a time.

“When calls are reviewed and when goals are reviewed, sometimes it could take away from the momentum,” U.S. defender Chris Richards said. “Look under anything with a microscope, you could probably find something. But ultimately it was meant to be helpful for the game.”

And it has been. Because if officials have become over-reliant on VAR to review decisions that were not, or could not, be seen in real time, at least they’re getting those decisions right.

“I wish we had it in the 2002 World Cup,” said Bruce Arena, who coached the U.S. in that tournament. “We might have made it to the semifinals.”

In the quarterfinals of that tournament, with Germany leading 1-0 in the 40th minute, an obvious handball by Germany’s Torsten Frings kept out a shot from American Gregg Berhalter. If VAR had been available, Scottish referee Hugh Dallas could have corrected the missed call, awarding a penalty and giving Frings a red card, expelling him for the final 40 minutes.

“Look at every sport now in the world,” said Arena, coach of the San José Earthquakes. “They have some version of VAR. Why not make decisions correct?”

“There are still plenty of opportunities for the referees to control the game and make mistakes and not make mistakes,” he continued in reference to the human element. “It’s not like every moment is evaluated. But key moments are.”

As for interrupting the flow of play, Arena says the three-minute hydration breaks FIFA has introduced each half — ostensibly for player welfare, but in practice to give the TV networks additional commercial breaks — have been more disruptive.

“You don’t want VAR to officiate the game completely,” Arena said. “You have to pick your spots. For the most part, I think VAR is good.”

The leader known as Qatar’s father emir was able to redefine his nation’s position on the political map of the Middle East.

From a tiny state struggling to survive to a country punching above its weight with soft power, wealth and influence felt in the region and beyond, Qatar and its success story were propelled by late Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Sheikh Hamad, who died on Sunday aged 74, was able to redefine Qatar’s position on the political map of the Middle East, moving it from the margins of the Gulf to regional prominence in the political, diplomatic, national and humanitarian fields, relying on his vision that transcended the country’s modest size and narrow borders.

Those who knew Sheikh Hamad said he was aware, even before assuming power in 1995, of his country’s lack of traditional elements of strength and understood the need to invest in soft power.

From the early days of his reign, he implemented enormous projects in education, health, scientific research and sports in addition to the vital energy sector, transforming his country’s wealth into international diplomatic weight and not merely a source of prosperity for his own people. The former emir also understood the power of media when he created Al Jazeera, one of the most successful news channels in the Arab world, which later transformed into a powerful media network.

Qatari diplomacy led fruitful mediations in complex disputes and conflicts across a vast geographic expanse from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Horn of Africa.

Doha brought together leaders in Lebanon in 2008, concluding a historic agreement that quelled the risk of another civil war. Qatar sponsored negotiations that lasted 30 months between the Sudanese parties over the Darfur crisis, culminating in 2011 in the signing of the Doha Document for Peace.

Qatar continued to sponsor dialogue between Hamas and Fatah, the two sides in the Palestinian divide, and settled disputes in Yemen and Somalia and between Eritrea and Djibouti in a rare diplomatic model.

During the Father Emir’s era, Qatar established the Al Udeid military base, which hosts the largest United States military force in the Middle East. Not far from it, Doha hosted the leadership of Hamas, a stance that prompted some residents to describe Sheikh Hamad as the “emir of the resistance” when he visited southern Lebanon in 2010 to inspect villages that had been rebuilt with Qatari funding after the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war.

He was the first Arab leader to visit the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Israeli war in 2012, announcing from there the launch of housing and reconstruction projects with a grant worth $400m.

Qatar’s mediation role remained shielded from affecting its political principles, especially the Palestinian cause, considering it had to maintain open communication channels with all parties to the conflicts, including Israel.

The Gulf state supported the “Arab Spring” revolutions, and it adopted policies that explicitly backed the right of the region’s peoples to freedom and dignified lives.

The Qatari project during the father emir’s era was not focused solely on economic modernisation but also built an independent political identity capable of regional and international influence.

Sheikh Hamad left his post in 2013 after his vision for Qatar became a reality, and during the era of his son and successor, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, he witnessed Qatar’s transformation into an energy and mediation power.

Four former champions have qualified for the FIFA World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1990. Argentina, England, France and Spain capitalised on the inexperience of lesser-pedigreed foes to reach the final four.

For the Albiceleste, it was an unwise Swiss dive.

For the Three Lions and La Roja, opposing goalkeepers spilled rebounds.

And Les Bleus benefited from an inexplicable, forward-less, Morocco lineup.

Here are the key takeaways from the quarterfinals:

France too good for Morocco in 2-0 route in Boston

What we learned: Nothing works against France, so far.

Morocco tried a unique approach to unsettling the French. Mohamed Ouahbi went with a striker-less lineup, which, predictably failed to threaten.

Post-match, France’s coach Didier Deschamps said what everyone else in the room was thinking: “I was quite surprised by the starting 11. I tried to understand why [Ouahbi] made these choices, no real forwards.”

Part of the reason would have been the absence of injured forward Ismael Saibari, who had a breakout tournament, though the Morocco roster included three other forwards, including Soufiane Rahimi, who entered in the 60th minute. That was just after Kylian Mbappe’s dipping right-footer inside the far post the opened the scoring for Les Bleus.

Ouahbi’s reasoning remains a mystery.

He might have been hoping for a France own goal, which was narrowly avoided as a Dayot Upamecano shank landed on top of the net. Or perhaps the game strategy was that goalkeeper Yassine Bounou would continue to bail out Morocco, as he did earlier in the quarterfinal tie when he saved Mbappe’s first-half penalty kick, following a two-minute-plus VAR review.

Spain snatch late winner to see off Belgium 2-1 in Los Angeles

What we learned: Pau Cubarsi is not in over his head.

A Barcelona teenager’s shot led to the deciding goal for Spain against Belgium – but no, it wasn’t wonderkid Lamine Yamal, who was held to a single score in the tournament.

With the score even, and superb Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on the bench injured, Cubarsi advanced and unexpectedly fired from close to 30 metres out.

Reserve keeper Senne Lammens could have been taken by surprise – this was Cubarsi’s first attempt since the first half of Spain’s opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde on June 15.

In any case, the shot handcuffed Lammens (actually, Lammens handcuffed himself), leaving the rebound for Mikel Merino, who converted from close range to score the game winner in the 88th minute.

So, no, Cubarsi is not there to generate offense. But the fact a 19-year-old is starting on the Spain back line is significant. Few successful World Cup teams have gone with youthful centre backs, an exception being Italy’s Giuseppe Bergomi, who was 18 when he played in 1982, as a substitute for injured Fulvio Collovati.

Cubarsi struggled at times against the Belgians, but was not troubled by imposing substitute forward Romelo Lukaku. Belgium became the first team to score against La Roja in the tournament but the key to Spain’s defending is much less battening it down, but rather Barcelona-style keep-away, and that’s where Cubarsi is most comfortable.

Meanwhile, substitute forward Merino is providing close to instant offense, scoring two minutes after entering against Belgium, and five minutes in against Portugal in their 1-0 last-16 victory.

What we, and France, also learned is that Jeremy Doku’s double-teaming easily shut down 18-year-old Yamal, which means expect more of the same from Desire Doue in the semifinals.

England defeats Norway 2-1 in Miami

What we learned: First off, Norway still has a lot to learn. Also, don’t believe your eyes when it comes to the World Cup “connected” ball, whose “heartbeat” insisted a Orjan Nyland goal kick did not strike a TV camera cable.

During the first round, Norway coach Stale Solbakken let everyone know that his nation was not some “naive country, playing for fun,” when he rested everyone before a 4-1 loss to France.

The idea was to keep stars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard in the tournament into the elimination stages. Solbakken’s strategy worked well, until the quarterfinals, when the Norwegians were exposed.

Sure, England’s Elliot Anderson went down as if he had taken a Zinedine Zidane circa 2006 head-butt. But, no, it was only a Haaland shove, leading to a Norway goal being disallowed, following a VAR replay. That would not be the only moment of Norwegian naivety.

Late in the first half, a 2-on-1 ended with Alexander Sorloth failing to square for Haaland, and unable to get past John Stones.

Then, instead of milking stoppage time to protect a 1-0 lead, Nyland sent a long goal kick that appeared to suddenly change trajectory and land at the feet of Anderson, triggering the TV cable-gate accusation from Solbakken to the match officials. Nothing to see here – that’s the FIFA version, anyway. Anderson quickly found Anthony Gordon, on to Jude Bellingham, and an England equaliser ensued before halftime.

It didn’t help Norway’s defending on the wings when Julian Ryerson went out injured. But it took until the third minute of extra time before Bukayo Saka earned a corner against Marcus Holmgren Pedersen. Nyland tipped away Harry Kane’s chip for another corner – and there was Bellingham, again, this time to convert the rebound of a Morgan Rogers shot.

Then, with Haaland on the bench, Norway had a final chance. At least, that is what lanky Norway defender Kristoffer Ajer thought, after England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and a defender collided, leaving an open goal. Not so, French referee Clement Turpin, who stopped play, and cautioned Ajer for dissent.

Thomas Tuchel said his team got “lucky.” But evidence, and experience, points to the Three Lions making their own luck.

Defending champions Argentina eliminate Switzerland 3-1 in Kansas City

What we learned: Don’t dive.

Switzerland appeared to have momentum against Argentina when Bree Embolo went down near the halfway line just before a drinks break.

Joao Pinheiro cautioned Leandro Paredes, then switched the call to an Embolo yellow card for simulation, following a VAR review. The official call was “mistaken identity,” for the first time VAR invoking a directive to intervene in case of a “potential” red card.

Whatever the justification, the result was Embolo – earlier cautioned for taking down Paredes – was ejected. Embolo’s flop seemed out of character – this was his first red card with the national team, second at the senior level, and first since a 2015-16 Europa League match with FC Basel.

We also learned Argentina doesn’t need Lionel Messi to score.

But it helps when Messi is taking corners – he pinpointed one for Alexis Mac Allister to head in for the opening goal on 10 minutes. The Albiceleste coaching staff celebrated by congratulating assistant Walter Samuel, who, possibly, figured out Mac Allister could find space in the midst of a Swiss team whose shortest player is four centimetres (an inch and a half) taller than him.