Month: June 2026

A couple who booked a trip to Barcelona shared their ‘expectations’ of the city, but soon discovered the ‘reality’ was vastly different from what they’d imagined

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia in northeastern parts of Spain, is a popular for Brits looking for a weekend break or a summer escape, thanks to its mix of buzzing city life, Mediterranean coastline, and world-famous architecture. And it’s not only Brits who are drawn to the Spanish city, as it welcomed around 16 million tourists last year alone, a 2.9 per cent rise from 2024.

But officials in the city have warned that tourism levels have resulted in residents being priced out due to the number of homes being converted into holiday lets. In a bid to tackle the problem, the city ramped up its tourism tax in April 2026, with a charge of up to £10.91 (€12.50) per night for holiday rentals, up from £5.45 (€6.25) previously.

Yet this doesn’t appear to have deterred visitors, as countless holidaymakers regularly flock to social media platforms like TikTok to share their experiences in Barcelona.

But many have discovered it’s worlds apart from what they might have imagined. Among them are Lara and Laurens, a Dutch couple who chronicle their travels on TikTok.

In a recent clip, they revealed how their dream vision of Barcelona had been ‘ruined’ because of the sheer amount of roadworks under way during their stay.

The pair kicked off by outlining their ‘expectations’ for the trip. This included soaking up the stunning architecture across the city, enjoying sangrias, and people-watching while strolling along the lively streets.

And Lara went on to reveal the ‘reality’ of a trip to Barcelona, which featured an abundance of roadworks, building sites, and makeshift pedestrian routes flanked by wire fencing, all making way for construction projects taking place on the pavements and roads.

“Would you still visit Barcelona right now?” Lara and Laurens asked viewers in the caption of the video.

Lara wasn’t alone in her observations either, as viewers quickly descended on the comments section to share their own experiences of visiting the beloved Spanish city. “This! And every single water fountain was turned off when we went,” one person shared.

A second viewer chimed in: “Yep! I was there recently and tons of construction going on!” Another added: “Pffff no nice. I hope you can enjoy your travel.”

Not everyone agreed, however, with one person pointing out: “That’s ONE street.” Another echoed the sentiment, writing: “It’s just one street by the market! Everything else is great!”

“I’m here right now. It’s a beautiful city. All cities have construction here and there,” one further commenter remarked.

“How dare cities upgrade their infrastructure while you’re on vacation!” someone else wrote.

Lara was quick to respond, saying: “Haha no it’s great that they’re doing it. It was just a lot on the same time. Still love Barcelona.”

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — President Trump said Wednesday that he was delaying federal prosecutor Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the U.S. intelligence community in a bid to force Congress to act on a voter ID bill that currently lacks enough support for passage.

The Republican president said in a social media post just hours before Clayton’s scheduled confirmation hearing that he will keep Bill Pulte, a top U.S. housing official, as acting director of national intelligence. Democratic and Republican lawmakers had opposed Trump’s selection of Pulte, citing his lack of known experience in intelligence and his use of his current administration perch to target perceived adversaries of the president — resistance that last week forced Trump to turn to Clayton.

The abrupt announcement creates instant uncertainty over the long-term leadership of the 18-agency intelligence community and dashes hopes for a swift renewal of a crucial surveillance program that expired in Congress last week due to bipartisan anger over Trump’s pick of Pulte.

That tool, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, permits spy agencies to collect without a warrant the communications of targeted foreigners located outside the United States. National security officials across both major political parties have for years described Section 702 as vital for gathering intelligence that can disrupt terror attacks and espionage operations, though some lawmakers and civil liberties advocates have raised concerns over the government’s use of information about Americans that is incidentally collected through the program.

Clayton had been set to appear on Wednesday for a Senate confirmation hearing that was fast-tracked because of the program’s lapse. Democrats had said they would not renew the expired surveillance programs until Trump withdrew the selection of Pulte.

Trump’s post suggests that debate to revive Section 702 could be indefinitely postponed. Lawmakers have sounded the alarm about the government operating without congressional authorization of the powerful spy tool.

A court order from last March certified that the program could continue for another 12 months, though it’s possible that communications companies could challenge the government’s authority to force them to cooperate and share data.

In his social media post, Trump accused Democrats of breaking a deal to renew the program after he nominated Clayton. Trump also said he does not want to remove Clayton from his current position as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York before his replacement, James McDonald, is approved. McDonald was named to the Justice Department post on Saturday.

And Trump added another condition: linking his approval of the surveillance program to the passage of a bill requiring people to show ID to vote.

“Therefore, to add a slight bit of intrigue but, for the Good of the Nation, and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it,” Trump said, using the acronym for the surveillance program and his name for the voter ID bill.

The Republican-controlled Congress has not acted on the voting bill because it does not have enough support in either chamber, particularly from Democrats.

Trump made the announcement in Evian-les-Bains, France, where he was participating in the final day of the Group of Seven summit of leading industrial economies.

The intelligence director position became available after Tulsi Gabbard, who had held the job, announced last month that she was resigning to spend time with her husband as he fights cancer.

Clayton, a chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term, has spent the last 14 months as the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, one of the Justice Department’s premier posts.

His office during that time facilitated the unsealing of thousands of pages of court records from the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, documents that were made public as part of the Justice Department’s release of records related to the late sex offender and his longtime confidant.

Clayton has also overseen the prosecution of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking charges.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein but insists she’s innocent. Maduro and his wife have protested their capture and said they’re not guilty.

Madhani, Superville, Tucker and Jalonick write for the Associated Press. Superville reported from Geneva. Tucker and Jalonick reported from Washington.

A sunny island with beautiful beaches, cosy pubs and an easy drive from the UK ticked all of the boxes for a recent family holiday

I bet you – like me – have often dreamt of that perfect holiday destination that has it all within easy reach.

Good weather, a beach, great eating spots, cosy pubs, picturesque streets to potter around plus a hefty dose of history to keep the grey matter ticking over.

Sounds impossible. But I think I’ve found it and it’s St Peter Port on the tiny Channel Island of Guernsey.

With a population of nearly 20,000, St Peter Port could hardly describe itself as a city but it is the biggest town and main centre of Guernsey.

Thanks to generous tax allowances for residents, some quarters of the harbour town have a Canary Wharf vibe (plus seaside finance bros) but cast your gaze away from that and you will be met with nothing but bunting, cute cobbled shopping streets and harbour-front eating and drinking spots.

Guernsey has that hugely familiar British feel, with an ever so slightly French twist. There’s an M&S Food Hall but you can’t use your Sparks card (‘different franchise’ I am told) and even a Sports Direct. But beyond that you can feast every night on fresh crab, lobster and fish and you simply must find an excuse to indulge in some of the dairy produce the famous Guernsey cows produce.

Visiting St Peter Port as a family of four we were overwhelmed with options. Being history buffs we were in our element.

OPINION

Guernsey was occupied by Nazi Germany for most of the Second World War, from June 1940 to May 1945. Across the island, and in St Peter Port in particular, there is a huge amount to see and learn relating to that time.

If you spend a day on foot in St Peter Port, you can start with a ride on the Petit Train, which departs at regular intervals from the Albert Pier and gives you a chance to get your bearings around the steep and winding streets.

From the pier it’s around a 20 minute walk to the top of town where you must visit the German Naval Signals HQ. This is the top-rated attraction in the town and my kids – 10 and 14 – were unanimous it was their top sight for the week we spent in Guernsey. Entry is just £13 for a family.

Invisible from the street and air, this perfectly-preserved underground bunker was the centre for all German naval signals during WWII.

Restored using many of the original fittings and based on advice from the former Naval Signals Officer himself, a visit here was undoubtedly brought to life for us by the extremely knowledgeable member of staff – or private tour guide as he became.

You can see where signals were received, where officers slept and even where they went to the toilet. Then before you know it, it’s out back onto the street and you can barely find where you just were.

Walking back into town, the Guernsey Museum at Candie is worth a look to give you the fascinating history of life in times gone by on the island. Surrounded by the lush Candie Gardens, a picnic here is ideal, overlooking the scenic harbour.

Back down at the harbour the world is your oyster. A trip to the beach might be on the cards (but watch out for the high and very quick tides!) or if you’re into your sea swimming, you can take a dip in one of the uber stylish La Valette seawater bathing pools.

We didn’t try them ourselves on this trip, but there are four pools to swim in, each with a changing area and a cafe and toilets by the ladies’ and children’s pool (anyone can swim in any of the pools).

Our reason to pass by the pools was for our next historical stop-off – the La Valette Underground Military Museum. We visited during the May heatwave and the cool cave of this treasure trove was extremely welcome.

The tunnels were originally built as a fuel storage facility for German U-boats during the occupation and are fascinating in themselves as an architectural phenomenon. They are now used to house a vast range of exhibits from Guernsey’s military history, including a truck used in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Family entry costs under £30 and opened our eyes to precisely what the Guernseymen and women went through during the difficult period of Occupation in WWII. All of this is probably more than enough for one day but there is much more to see.

The jewel in St Peter Port’s crown is Castle Cornet, which has sat on a spur guarding the harbour for 800 years.

Time your visit to catch the firing of the cannon by period uniformed soliders at midday, then explore the brick alleyways, high walls, four period gardens and four museums on site. That’s before I’ve even mentioned the stunning views out to the islands of Herm, Sark and Jethou.

Another fantastic way to get under the skin of St Peter Port and Guernsey is by taking a guided walk.

We were lucky enough to join Elizabeth Gardener-Wheeler of Guided Guernsey on a clifftop walk from the stunning Fermain Bay back to St Peter Port. What Elizabeth didn’t know about life on Guernsey probably isn’t worth mentioning but her stories really brought our trip to life. From the bomb found in bluebell woods, to the private steep bathing steps for the former Governor of Guernsey, you will discover some truly hidden gems.

Of course we all enjoyed noseying at the seaview, premium properties – many of them thatched – along our walk too.

For our evening meal, we dined slightly out of town (ok, a five minute drive…) at Nineteen Bar and Grill, situated on the St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort.

It’s ideal for a family trip because you can combine your meal with a quick round of Pirate Bay Adventure Golf – a notch above your usual crazy golf thanks to real-life rafts on pools of water…

The food here was excellent with a huge choice from fresh local produce like the Guernsey crab salad which I enjoyed, over to the classic burgers, pizzas and steaks. Everyone in the family was happy.

If you buy a museum Discovery pass, you can visit Castle Cornet, Guernsey Museum, Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum and the German Naval Signals Headquarters for just £24 per named adult with all accompanying children going free. The pass is valid for 12 months’ unlimited access.

We travelled to Guernsey with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth on their overnight service, staying in a cabin with breakfast on arrival.

While on the island, we stayed for the week at the wonderful, family run, La Bailloterie campsite. Sparkling clean showers and toilets, plus fresh pastries can be ordered for breakfast every day. If camping is not your thing, the site offers safari tents and wooden cabins too.

Book the holiday

Brittany Ferries offers Poole-Guernsey routes from £374 in July and £405 in August, based on two adults and two children travelling in a standard car on a Super Saver ticket. Find out more and book at brittany-ferries.co.uk.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s Christmas Day purchase of an exclusive Audemars Piguet watch has landed the billionaire boxer in court facing two felony charges alleging theft and intent to defraud, according to Clark County, Nev., court records.

Mayweather wrote a check for $200,000 to Las Vegas high-end consignment store Gold and Beyond for the timepiece on Dec. 25, 2024. Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint on April 27 of this year and the court ordered Mayweather to appear before a judge. His lawyer did so at a preliminary hearing Monday.

The charges are theft with a value of $100,000 or greater and passing a check of $1,200 or greater with intent to defraud. Mayweather did so “knowing that the check would not be paid when presented,” according to the complaint.

Mayweather, 49, could face a prison term of one to 20 years and $15,000 in fines if found guilty of felony theft. The fraud charge carries a sentence of one to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine plus restitution.

Audemars Piguet, which has operated in the quaint Swiss village of Le Brassus for 150 years, is considered a more luxurious and prestigious brand than Rolex, belonging to the “Holy Trinity” of Swiss watchmaking alongside Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.

Luxury watch expert Prestige Time explains why a watch enthusiast would become enamored by the brand: “Buy an Audemars Piguet if you enjoy complications, the kind you find in a really high-end mechanical watch. We’re talking about tourbillons, perpetual calendars, moon phase, retrograde, minute repeaters, chronographs, dual time zone/GMT’s, and more mechanical features that offer more function than just to tell you the time.”

Now the man nicknamed “Money” is on the clock to resolve a high-dollar dispute that could result in a criminal conviction. Mayweather’s next court appearance is Sept. 17. Meanwhile, lawyers representing both sides made their cases in court filings and to the judge.

Mayweather has had a longstanding business relationship with Gold and Beyond, his attorney Adrian Lobo told ESPN in a statement on Tuesday night. Lobo appeared perturbed that the shop’s owner brought the claim to the Clark County District Attorney instead of filing a civil suit.

“This matter does not belong in the criminal courts,” Lobo wrote in the statement. “And Mr. Mayweather looks forward to being vindicated through the court proceedings.”

Gold and Beyond attorney Marc Cook said his client exhibited patience with Mayweather, giving him ample time to pay for the watch. The complaint was filed with the Clark County District Attorney’s office in February.

“The reason for the delay is that my guy trusted Mayweather and was trying to give him every opportunity to make good on that,” Cook said in a statement to ESPN. “And it got to the point where he wasn’t getting responses and wasn’t getting money for a watch that Mayweather had for well over a year.”

Given Mayweather’s reported wealth, bouncing a check might seem perplexing. He is considered the richest boxer of all time, with roughly $1.1 billion in career earnings and an estimated net worth of $400 million.

He owns three of the top-five largest payouts in boxing history, making $275 million for an exhibition with UFC fighter Conor McGregor in 2017, $250 million for the “Fight of the Century” against Manny Pacquiao in 2025, and a then-record $80 million payout for a bout with Canelo Alvarez in 2013.

Mayweather, whose career record is 50-0, reportedly has increased his net worth since last fighting nine years ago. He represents some of the world’s top boxers through Mayweather Promotions and owns roughly 75 gyms around the country along with real estate holdings.

However, Mayweather is reportedly beset by financial woes as well. He filed a $340 million lawsuit against former broadcast partner Showtime, alleging the television network concealed and diverted his earnings. Also pending is a $175 million lawsuit against former associates, claiming they defrauded him and misappropriated his funds, jewelry, and private jet.

Mayweather is scheduled to face kickboxer Mike Zambidis in a full-contact exhibition June 27 in Athens, Greece, and a rematch with Pacquiao is set for September in Las Vegas. However, an exhibition against Mike Tyson scheduled for last April was canceled because Mayweather was notified by the IRS that it intended to revoke his passport over a delinquent tax debt of $7.3 million, according to Ring Magazine.

Israeli settlers have vandalised and burned a mosque in the occupied West Bank village of Jaljulia, north of Ramallah. Racist slogans were scrawled on the walls by the settlers.

Russian artist Robert Kuzakov, known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot dead in Poland just three days after a performance protest in Berlin near the Russian embassy. He was known for his caricatures of politicians including Vladimir Putin and Alexei Navalny.

There’s nothing better than heading to a pub garden during the balmy UK weather, and the top nine have been named – and they’re the purrfect spots for you and your beloved dog

The UK’s best dog-friendly pubs with beer gardens have been named, and it comes at the perfect time ahead of a period of intense rays.

The UK is set to bask in balmy weather this week, with temperatures reaching a blistering 30C in some regions as we edge closer to the official start of summer. Set to be a scorcher, sitting in a beautiful pub garden under shade with your pooch and a refreshing pint in hand might just be the perfect way to enjoy the sun-soaked weather.

In a bid to help Brits find that sought-after beer garden, CAMRA, the UK’s Campaign for Real Ale, has revealed the top nine dog-friendly pubs with beer gardens across the UK, all of which serve up that desirable cask beer. From their Pub of the Year winners and Good Beer Guide participants, these are undoubtedly some of the best pubs to visit during the summer months, and they’re dotted across the nation.

First on their list is Tamworth Tap in the market town of Tamworth, Staffordshire, just 30 minutes from Birmingham. It boasts an historic courtyard beer terrace with sweeping views of Tamworth Castle and additional seating at the front, so you’ll rarely be short of a seat.

It’s dog-friendly until 7pm on Friday and Saturday, providing more than enough time to enjoy it’s pictursque views over a pint from the Tamworth Brewing Company. It was named Pub of the Year in 2022, 2023 and 2025, and was also featured in the Good Beer Guide this year.

The Bailey Head in the market town of Oswestry in Shropshire, named after the nearby remains of Oswestry Castle, also featured among the top nine. It offers a pavement garden at the front of the pub, proving to be the perfect people-watching spot, and has ever-changing beers to suit every punter’s taste.

It was named Pub of the Year in 2024 and featured in the Good Beer Guide for 2026, earning well-deserved recognition and a reputation as a beloved public house in the area.

Nestled in the small village of Aldworth is the Bell Inn, and while it was named Pub of the Year back in 1990 and again in 2019, it has still earned a position on CAMRA’s list. In a Grade-II listed building, it has traditional pub interiors and a sprawling back garden with picnic benches and further seating situated at the front.

The Travellers Rest in the village of Skeeby is another pub worth noting during the summer months. Featured in the Good Beer Guide 2026 and Highly Commended in the Pub Saving Awards 2023, the pub was brought back to life after being closed for 15 years, and offers a serene garden room and spacious garden with a selection of local cask beers.

For those living in London, the Antwerp Arms in Tottenham might be your next best pub, thanks to its Georgian building and charming beer garden that is a favourite among locals. It’s another featured in the Good Beer Guide this year, and serves up local beers from Redemption Brewery.

But with nine charming pubs to choose from on CAMRA’s list, there are plenty of choices, whatever your preference, and of course, your furry friend can tag along too.

Top 10 dog-friendly pubs with beer gardens

1. Tamworth Tap, Tamworth
2. Bailey Head, Oswestry
3. Bell Inn, Aldworth
4. The Travellers Rest, Skeeby
5. Antwerp Arms, Tottenham
6. Miner’s Arms, Hundall
7. Village Inn, Arrochar
8. The Volunteer Arms (Staggs), Musselburgh
9. Rhos yr Hafod Inn, Cross Inn (Llanon)

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Diversity in last year’s streaming films followed the same downward trend as theatrical releases, a new study found, with the percentage of people of color directing, writing and leading films diminishing.

In past years, streaming was considered a more accessible outlet for early-career female or BIPOC filmmakers, which was reflected in data about gender and racial representation. According to Part 2 of UCLA’s 2026 Hollywood Diversity Report, which was released Wednesday and analyzed all of the original English-language films distributed on major streaming platforms in 2025, that trend reversed across every category studied.

The share of streaming films directed by women declined to just over 23%, the lowest it’s been since 2022, when the annual study began analyzing streaming and theatrical films separately. Among those female directors, an overwhelming majority (81%) were allotted budgets below $20 million, while more than a quarter of the films directed by white men exceeded $50 million.

Only about 31% of streaming films last year had BIPOC directors, down 10% since 2024, when the proportion more closely reflected U.S. demographics.

“This is an industry in flux — and in reverse, especially when it comes to diversification,” Darnell Hunt, UCLA’s executive vice chancellor and provost and the report’s co-founder, said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, as we’ve seen with theatrical films, we’re now seeing the impact of this current political climate in very meaningful and concrete ways,” he continued. “As budgets tighten, opportunities for filmmakers of underrepresented backgrounds are always the first to be squeezed out.”

Despite losing ground behind the scenes and in front of the camera, women and people of color continued to drive streaming viewership in 2025, the report found.

The year’s biggest streaming hit, “KPop Demon Hunters,” was also the most-watched original Netflix film of all time, and according to Neilsen ratings, it was most streamed by women in Latinx households, followed by women in Asian and Black households. The report acknowledged the film as a “bright spot” in a disappointing year for diversity.

Michael Tran, a sociologist who co-authored the report, noted that the film’s impact and earnings potential could have been even greater with a theatrical release.

“It was a missed opportunity for theaters,” Tran said. “We’ve tracked how diverse films tend to succeed at the box office, here and abroad. For ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ we could have been talking about record-breaking box office receipts in addition to topping the ratings.”

When “KPop Demon Hunters” did briefly screen in theaters — for two days last August, with over 1,750 locations domestically and more than 1,150 sold-out screenings — it was the No. 1 movie that weekend, earning about $18 million in ticket sales (though Netflix does not report exact box office figures).

Data from the report also indicated that streaming films with at least somewhat diverse casts tended to outperform in terms of audience and social media engagement.

However, overall cast diversity in streaming films declined in 2025. For the first time since 2022, films with a majority-BIPOC cast did not represent the plurality of streaming titles. Most notably, the percentage of lead actors of color dropped from a high of 51% in 2024 to 36% in 2025.

Report authors called it an “industry-wide chilling effect” reminiscent of a similar decline in diversity among theatrical films in 2024. That said, streaming films continued to star BIPOC leads more often than their theatrical counterparts, the study found.

The overall number of streaming films also declined. While the annual UCLA report typically examines the top 100 original, English-language movies across streaming platforms, this time, there were only 89 for researchers to analyze.

In addition to studying race and gender demographics in the film industry, the report also examined on-camera representations of disability. According to the study, while adults with a disability make up at least 26% of the U.S. population, actors with a known disability represented 6.5% of total streaming movie actors, which is in line with the previous year.

According to the study’s authors, streamers hoping to compete in a fast-paced, globalized market should increase their diversity efforts in light of these results.

“Kids under 18 are already majority BIPOC. There’s no going back if a studio wants to be profitable and relevant to Gen Z and Gen Alpha,” said report co-founder and co-author Ana-Christina Ramón. “Severing all brand loyalty now will only make it more difficult to regain long-term subscribers in the future.”

Unprecedented sports feats and historical firsts are usually joyous affairs. Something to celebrate, fun trivia to tuck away for later.

On Monday in Inglewood, the history was much more fraught, and not at all trivial.

Iran’s national soccer team played on American soil — this time on SoFi Stadium’s natural turf — for the first time in 26 years. And for the first time, a country hosted a World Cup participant with which it is mired in an on-again, off-again war.

There was, in the days and hours leading up to the match, protest and pushback from portions of the large, local Iranian diaspora who didn’t think it was possible to support the country’s football team without supporting the oppressive regime.

But inside SoFi Stadium, thousands of L.A.’s Iranian supporters gave the team its full-throated support. So did many new Mexican fans who’ve adopted Team Melli, which has been staying and training in Tijuana between matches as it was barred from the United States except for game days.

Most of the near-sellout crowd of 70,108 were there cheering Iran, helping propel this team under so much pressure to an entertaining 2-2 tie with New Zealand.

And there, among the thousands of enthusiastic Iran supporters swept up in the match, was my son’s favorite soccer coach, Narbé Mansourian, with his son, 13-year-old Daniel.

Narbé’s brother got his hands on a pair of nosebleed tickets and immediately handed them over to his soccer-loving relatives.

And Narbé — a fifth- and sixth-grade social studies teacher in Hollywood — had no qualms about backing these Iranian men. There were no second thoughts about separating the players from the politics in the country with the complicated geopolitical — and personal — history.

Now, know this: Mansourian is no fan of Iran’s Islamic regime. He was 7 in 1983 when his father, a political dissident, was executed in Evin Prison, nine months after he’d been apprehended.

Narbé remembers visiting his dad, Vazgen, at the notorious prison. He remembers the long drive to get there, the long wait to see him and the game he and his mom used to play: “Today you are 4 years old.”

Narbé Mansourian, right, and his son Daniel before Monday’s World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand at SoFi Stadium.

(Mirjam Swanson / Los Angeles Times)

What started as a way to avoid paying bus fares for 6-year-old Narbé became the way to fool guards at prison, where only the small children were allowed to physically touch their imprisoned loved ones.

He remembers being allowed behind the glass, where he’d wait for his dad to emerge, blind-folded.

When his dad was killed at 37, Narbé said his mother didn’t immediately find out. And when she did, she initially told Narbé that he’d been sick. There was no funeral and when they went to visit his father’s grave, they found a dirt field. There were no markers, Narbé recalls.

He has kept Vazgen’s Coke-bottle glasses, his watch and the still-intact little LEGO house they built together before his dad was taken to prison.

Narbé has held onto so many difficult memories, including the nighttime terrors associated with bombings during the Iran-Iraq war. But there are also happier recollections. Like the stories he would make up about good guys going against the greedy. And, yes, memories of going to soccer games with his dad.

So, “absolutely, I’m going to root for the Iranian national team,” Narbé said before Monday’s match, saying that, to him, equating the Iranian national team with the country’s regime is like rooting against the Knicks because you don’t like President Donald Trump, a native New Yorker.

“It’s not like a cartoon good guy, bad guy,” Narbé said. “There’s so much gray. Because they live there. My heart goes out to them. It can’t be easy, to kind of teeter-totter like that.”

A pre-revolutionary Iranian flag is displayed before the World Cup group stage match between Iran and New Zealand at SoFi Stadium.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

I should’ve expected this outstanding youth soccer coach would be most concerned with the players on the pitch.

Some fans got into SoFi on Monday with the Iranian Lion and Sun flag, a historic Iranian national and opposition flag that was banned from the stadium because FIFA desires to steer free of politics (unless it’s steering straight into them). It was a strange sight in Los Angeles, seeing stadium workers asking attendees to discard flags in an effort to censor the expression of people here.

Some of those fans turned their backs during the national anthem, which many in the stands jeered at its start. But then, once the game took hold, so did the support.

“There were many Iranians here,” Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said through an interpreter. “They believe in different political affiliations, different beliefs, but they all wholeheartedly encouraged us, and I think that’s a victory for all of us.”

Israeli air strikes have continued to target towns in southern Lebanon despite an agreement between the United States and Iran set to be formally signed on Friday to end the war on all fronts.

Israeli drones carried out three attacks in Tyre that resulted in injuries while a drone also targeted the Bint Jbeil district in Nabatieh, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said on Wednesday.

The fighting in Lebanon is considered one of the biggest threats to the framework agreement in the US-Israel war on Iran with Tehran warning that new Israeli strikes on Lebanon and continued occupation of its territory would be regarded as a violation of the deal.

Earlier on Wednesday, Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents on the ground reported that Israeli forces carried out an air strike on the outskirts of Kfar Tebnit, also in the Nabatieh district. They also launched raids on the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and shelled the Ali al-Taher heights and the outskirts of the town.

Hezbollah fighters, meanwhile, launched at least 10 rockets towards Israeli forces near Kfar Tebnit.

A day earlier, Israeli attacks killed at least four people in Nabatieh, including in drone strikes on several vehicles.

There has been a reduction in violence since the US-Iran agreement was announced, but attacks have not stopped, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said, reporting from Beirut.

“Security sources believe that the Israeli army is trying to occupy more ground, especially strategic high ground around Nabatieh,” she said.

“Yes, families have started to return to their villages, but people are worried. They say they don’t trust that Israel will abide by the ceasefire.”

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the number of projectiles fired between Israeli forces and Lebanon fell to 174 on Sunday, compared with 705 the previous Sunday.

Of these, 169 were attributed to Israel and five to Hezbollah, he said.

Lebanon ‘most sensitive issue between the sides’

The situation in Lebanon is one of the main pillars of the US-Iran agreement, Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid said, reporting from Tehran.

“As we approach the signing of the deal, it is becoming the most sensitive issue between the sides,” Alruhaid said.

Iran said the Israeli military has violated the ceasefire in Lebanon 84 times in the past two days and warned that Israel should expect “a harsh response” if it does not stop its attacks, he reported.

This came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Lebanese territory is one of the core demands right now to move forward with the framework agreement Iran has with the US, Alruhaid said: “So the Iranians say the situation in Lebanon, in particular southern Lebanon, is an integral part of the memorandum of understanding.”

Lebanon was among the top priorities for the Iranians when they started negotiations with US President Donald Trump’s administration, according to Mohammad Eslami from Tehran University.

“Once the Iranians not only retaliated against the Israeli attacks on Dahiyeh and Beirut but also pre-emptively attacked Israeli territory, they showed right from the outset they are determined and very serious about supporting Lebanon, the Lebanese people, the Lebanese government and the resistance factions in Lebanon,” Eslami told Al Jazeera.

Israel’s invasion akin to ‘war crimes’

Meanwhile, the human rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday that the Israeli army’s mass forced displacement orders in Lebanon amount to war crimes under international law.

“In parts of southern Lebanon, the Israeli military’s forced displacement of civilians and prevention of their return amounts to unlawful transfer – which is a war crime,” Amnesty said in a statement.

The Israeli army has “radically expanded” its use of such orders, displacing hundreds of thousands of people across Lebanon, it said.

“Instead of forcibly uprooting communities and designating entire swathes of Lebanese land as ‘no-go zones’ for civilians, Israeli forces must immediately withdraw from Lebanese territory,” said Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

The Israeli military declared about 4.6 percent of Lebanon as a “no-go zone” on November 28, 2024, a day after a previous ceasefire took effect, Amnesty noted.

This year, just three days after an April 17 ceasefire announcement, the restricted area was expanded to about 6 percent of the country, and residents were ordered not to return to villages previously home to tens of thousands of civilians.

Lebanese officials said Israel, which has been carrying out a large-scale offensive in the country since March 2, has killed more than 3,800 people, wounded 11,850 and displaced more than one million.

US President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor Barack Obama of ‘bribing’ Iran to agree to the 2015 nuclear agreement, by referring to a $1.7B settlement of a decades-old lawsuit. He used profanity in his brief comments to the media alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

One of the most devastating moments in world history will be brought to life on Disney+ by a beloved star of The Night Manager and Marvel blockbusters

It’s shaping up to be one of the year’s most gripping docudramas.

BBC The Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston will be playing time detective in an immersive new historical series coming to National Geographic and Disney+ later this year.

Pompeii: Out of Time will reunite the iconic Marvel star with Loki executive producer Kevin R Wright for the three-part series that promises to lift the lid on the explosive historical moment.

The first-look trailer has given fans a glimpse of Hiddleston stepping into his new role as he makes the case that the eruption of Vesuvius wasn’t just a catastrophic day of death and destruction.

His latest series will feature an eye-opening investigation into those who may have survived the blast, brought to life with immersive and thrilling dramatisations.

Along for the journey is a team of ancient Rome experts, from archaeologists and historians to geologists and disaster experts, who will uncover remarkable real-life stories that challenge assumptions people have about the fateful day in 79 AD.

A teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman and a mysterious Praetorian Guard are all vital pieces of the puzzle as Hiddleston steps back in time to explore the hours before and during Vesuvius’ eruption in what is shaping up to be an essential watch for any history buff. A synopsis from Disney+ teases: “As the volcano awakens and the countdown to catastrophe begins, the evidence converges in a gripping race against time to uncover who survived, who perished, and what determined their fate.”

Hiddleston says in a statement: “The ancient world has compelled my imagination and curiosity for as long as I can remember: I’ve been fascinated by it all my life.

“Classical Antiquity is the foundation and cornerstone of Western and European culture. To visit Pompeii is to feel the distance of the 2,000 years between now and then compress. The past becomes the present; the past feels so close. Tangible, honest and real.

“Our relationship with the past is alive — studying who we were in order to understand who we are. Pompeii is a gateway for that conversation. It’s a privilege to host this visually immersive and dynamic series.”

He added: “Pompeii is often remembered for how its story ended. But by looking closer, we can uncover the details of people’s lives, the choices they made, and the moments that came before the city was buried.

“To revisit the final hours of those ordinary people, caught in an extraordinary moment, and to help bring these remarkable human stories back into the light, is a genuine honour.”

The upcoming series is already generating excitement amongst fans, with one user commenting below the trailer on YouTube: “Omg this seems so interesting.”

“This is absolutely fascinating — Pompeii is an incredible place, and this approach brings its story to life in a very powerful way,” someone else replied, adding they’re “really looking forward” to tuning in.

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“I want to see it NOW!” another fan exclaimed, and a final fan wrote: “For someone who’s survived Ragnarok, Tom Hiddleston couldn’t be better suited for this doc. Looking forward – or back – to it.”

Mark your calendars, as all three episodes will be available to stream in just over a month’s time.

Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston premieres Thursday, 23rd July on National Geographic and Disney+.

Fans of the classic cocktail, which has seen a huge resurgence in popularity in recent years, should head to this sunny city where you can enjoy a glass of the summery orange drink for just one Euro

Head to the Mediterranean during the summer months and you’ll often see tables laden with oversized glasses of Aperol Spritz. The iconic orange cocktail has become a holiday staple, whether it’s served at a pavement café in a cobblestoned old town, or a beachfront bar with plastic chairs.

But like many so aspects of holidays, the price has been steadily rising in popular resorts, turning it into a costly treat. However, there are still places where you can pick up an inexpensive cocktail, and one city has been named the cheapest spot to enjoy an ice cold Aperol.

Travel money provider eurochange has put together an Aperol Spritz index, tracking the top ten cheapest destinations in Europe where you can enjoy this summery cocktail without worrying about your bar bill, and luckily the least expensive spot is just a three-hour flight from the UK.

According to the research, Naples in Italy is the cheapest place to order your Aperol with the average cost coming in at €2 (approximately £1.73), but one bar is famous for serving these sunset cocktails for just one Euro (approximately 86p). Don’t expect a fancy cocktail bar if you visit Cammarota Spritz as it consists of tables crammed into an alleyway and drinks served in plastic cups, but the lively atmosphere has seen it receive a raft of positive reviews, with one saying it was: “Our favourite bar in Naples, no messing about with ‘drink-in’ or ‘takeaway’ prices, no service charges, just good cheap Spritz.”

And after a few Euro spritzes, you may find yourself craving another Napoli staple; the city is the birthplace of modern pizza, and you’ll find plenty of hole-in-the-wall places where you can pick up a slice. A popular late-night snack is pizza al portafoglio, also known as ‘wallet pizza’ as it comes folded and served in paper so you can devour it while walking back to your hotel.

Naples is ideal for as a spring or autumn city break, offering about 210 sunny days a year, so you can enjoy the winding historic streets and visit attractions such as Museo Cappella Sansevero, home of the stunning marble Veiled Christ statue.

Explore the city’s ancient sites at Napoli Sotterranea – underground Naples – taking you through an extensive network of streets and squares built under the surface by Romans and Greeks. Pass throw the narrow tunnels of the aqueduct, see old air raid shelters from World War 2, and climb through a hatch into the ancient Roman theatre of Neapolis.

Naples also has a variety of beaches, including some small stretches of sand on the outskirts of the city. These urban beaches can be small and busy during heatwaves, but they’re perfect for when you simply want a quick dip in the Med.

You can also take buses further down the coast for a day at a beach club or a public beach. Close to Naples you’ll find Gaiola Beach, famous for its islets that rise from the sea that can be crossed by bridge. Or the craggy coastline of Scoglione Marechiaro, famous for its turquoise waters.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

IT’S heating up this weekend with highs of 30C in the UK – perfect weather for a trip to the beach.

With help from Trainline, Sun Travel has found 12 of the best seaside towns and villages where local train stations are minutes from the coast.

Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire

Trainline has called Cleethorpes “one of the strongest fits for a beach-by-train escape.”

“Step off the train and you’re moments from Central Prom Beach fish and chips, arcades and all the ingredients of a classic British seaside day out.”

On the pier is the UK’s biggest fish and chip shop called Papa’s which has room for 500 diners.

Cleethorpes is also home to the Signal Box which claimed to be the smallest pub on the planet – it has space for just three punters inside.

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Luckily there’s a big beer garden to make up for the small inside space.

It’s a five-minute walk from Cleethorpes Station to Central Prom Beach.

Margate, Kent

Kent has lots of beautiful seaside towns, and Margate has previously been voted as one of the best with the ‘coolest neighbourhoods’.

It has a sweeping sandy beach, plenty of ice cream parlours, chippies, cosy cafes and bars.

Make sure to check out Little Swift which serves up tasty iced cocktails.

Not to mention you can hop on the rides at Dreamland which is one of the UK’s oldest theme parks.

Best of all, the station at Margate is a six-minute walk to the beach.

St Ives, Cornwall

At the very tip of Cornwall is St Ives where you can be off the train and on the beach in under five minutes.

Porthminster Beach has golden sand and bright blue waters and views of St Ives Bay.

It’s ideal for families taking a paddle and building sandcastles in the sunshine.

On the sands there’s also an outdoor kitchen for takeaways, Gin & Cocktail Bar and a beach shop.

In the town of St Ives head to the likes of Fore Street, the High Street and Chapel Street for independent shops, bakeries, cafes and galleries.

St Ives station to Porthminster Beach is a 4-minute walk.

Barry Island, Wales

Barry Island might be known as the home of BBC‘s Gavin and Stacey, but it’s also an ideal spot for those looking for a weekend beach break.

Whitmore Bay is a crescent-shaped bay of golden sand where families can go swimming, paddling and rock pooling at low tide.

On the promenade, there are a range of bustling cafes, fish and chip shops and amusement arcades.

Visitors have to check out Barry Island Pleasure Park too which has a rollercoaster, log flume, dodgems and waltzers.

From Barry Island station, it’s a six-minute walk to the beach.

Torquay, Devon

If you fancy a trip to Devon without the hassle of driving and parking, you can take the train and be at Torre Abbey Sands in less than 15-minutes.

It’s Torquay’s main beach on the English Riviera with a sloping sandy beach with shallow waters – ideal for splashing about in on a hot day.

Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding who hails from Devon said: “Torquay Train Station might be small but it could not be in a better place to explore Torquay seafront, also known as the Queen of the English Riviera.

“The station is right next to The Grand Hotel, in case you want to make your stay in the area longer.

“Around two minutes from the station you’ll reach Torquay Beach and Torre Abbey Sands – a vast stretch of red-sand beach, ideal for swimming and kayaking.

“Right by the beach there are a number of restaurants, bars and fish and chip spots too that are great.

“My recommendation? Pier Point fish and chips, about five minutes walking from the beach – it has regularly been named one the best fish and chip shop in the UK.”

From Torquay Railway Station, it’s a 12-minute walk to Torre Abbey Sands.

Dawlish, Devon

Trainline suggests the seaside town of Dawlish as a ‘beach-by-train’ escape which started before you even get there as the railway runs right along the seafront.

It added: “Dawlish a brilliant choice for travellers who want the journey itself to feel part of the day out, with sea views before you’ve even left the train.”

The seaside town has a shingle beach located steps from the town centre so it makes for an ideal daytrip.

Dawlish Station is a two-minute walk to Dawlish Town Beach.

Whitby, Yorkshire

Whitby is known as one of the prettiest seaside towns in the UK thanks to its stacked fishing cottages and sweeping beach all split by the River Esk.

West Cliff Beach is where most families will go for classic bucket and spade fun, for those looking for a quieter escape, head to Tate Hill which is a quieter spot near the harbour

If you fancy the seaside staple fish and chips then head to Trenchers of Whitby.

This year it secured the Restaurant of the Year title at the National Fish and Chips Awards 2026.

You can get a takeaway cod and chips, haddock and chips or scampi and chips all for £13.50 each.

From Whitby Station to Whitby Beach is a 12-minute walk.

Normans Bay, East Sussex

If you want to try and avoid the crowds, Normans Bay could be it.

The quiet fishing village sits between Bexhill-on-Sea and Eastbourne with a dog-friendly shingle-and-sand beach and historical Martello towers.

Trainline said: “Normans Bay is one for travellers who like their beaches a little more under-the-radar and yet it has its own station.

“The station is just a couple of minutes from the shoreline, with expansive views across the Channel and a quieter, more traditional feel.

“Nestled between Eastbourne and Hastings, it’s close enough for a day trip from London but feels far removed from the busier resort towns nearby.”

From Normans Bay Station to Normans Bay Beach it’s a two-minute walk.

Tenby, Wales

Tenby is considered one of the prettiest seaside towns in the country with its multi-coloured houses and four sandy beaches.

The two main ones, North and South, are at either end of the town while Harbour and Castle Beach is the nearest to the town centre.

The closest to the train station is North Beach which is long sandy stretch with cliffs on one side and harbour on the other.

Head down the road to Harbour Beach to see St Julian’s Church an old fisherman’s chapel built in 1878.

From Tenby Station it’s a 10-minute walk to Tenby North Beach.

Weymouth, Dorset

You can’t go wrong with a trip to Weymouth in Dorset.

Trainline described it as a “classic bucket-and-spade destination, with a sweeping sandy beach, Georgian seafront and traditional harbour.”

And to make it even better, the station is only a few minutes from the promenade.

Last year, Weymouth Beach was named one of the ‘best in Europe’ thanks to its ‘shallow, safe waters’ and family-friendly activities like donkey rides and pedalo hire.

Walk along the prom to see the Jubilee Clock Tower or hop onboard the Land Train to see the sights.

From Weymouth Station to Weymouth Beach it’s a 4-minute walk.

Blackpool, Lancashire

Of course, we can’t forget Blackpool as a destination that can easily be reached by train – in fact it’s 100 yards from the station to the South Promenade.

Trainline said: “For a full-throttle seaside day out, Blackpool Pleasure Beach station puts visitors close to the action.

“The station is just yards from the Pleasure Beach entrance and close to South Promenade, making it a handy choice for rollercoasters, arcades, seafront strolls and classic Blackpool fun.”

From Blackpool Pleasure Beach Station it’s just a few minutes to the South Promenade.

Shoeburyness, Essex

You can’t forget about the Essex coastline when it comes to beaches as it has some lovely spots, like Shoeburyness.

Trainline said: “For travellers heading to Southend-on-Sea, Shoeburyness offers a quieter alternative to the main seafront.

“East Beach is only a short walk from the station and has a more relaxed, open feel, with grassy areas, beach huts and views across the Thames Estuary.”

The walk from Shoeburyness Station to East Beach takes 5-minutes.

OUR Spotlight On column takes an in-depth look at the best things to see and do in popular holiday destinations, as well as shining a light on some lesser-known spots.

This week we’re highlighting the best of the Sicilian coastal resort of Cefalu.

The Sun’s Head Of Travel, Lisa Minot said: “The seaside town of Cefalu is perfect for a weekend break.

“You can spend several happy hours wandering along the promenade by the wide, sandy beach and into the old town, passing the many shops and restaurants in the tiny alleyways.

“We couldn’t resist taking our obligatory Instagram shots at medieval sea gate Porta Pescara, before wandering past the quirky Lavatoio Medievale — an ancient wash house fed by a river that falls into the sea.

“The 12th-century cathedral with its soaring twin towers and elaborate Byzantine mosaics is well worth a visit, with a reviving drink in the square below it just as delightful.

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“The Porta Ossuna restaurant and pizzeria is perfect for a lunch on the seafront, we had a table right above the beach for us to enjoy the freshest of salads with burrata and prawns.”

MUST SEE/DO

While its broad, sandy beaches are an obvious draw, the winding cobbled streets of this medieval gem are a major part of its charm.

And all roads lead to the cathedral, the Duomo di Cefalu – a masterpiece of Arab-Norman architecture.

Don’t miss the 12th century Byzantine mosaics inside but for a real behind-the-scenes look, pre-book the Red Itinerary (£11.30) that includes the chance to climb the Norman towers for a fantastic view over the Piazza del Duomo.

Just off the Via Vittorio Emanuele is a quirky piece of history – a medieval laundry where local women washed clothes for centuries on stepped stones, fed by a natural spring.

HIDDEN GEM

The main beach can get crowded in summer but a little effort – and a 20minute walk east – and the Spiaggia di Kalura is a quieter pebble cove with crystal-clear water and dramatic rock formations, perfect for snorkelling.

For fabulous sunset views of Cefalu itself and its dramatic cliff-face backdrop head to the village of Sant’ Ambrogio which offers a snapshot of Sicilian village life without the crowds.

BEST VIEW

It takes a little effort and is best completed early in the day or later in the afternoon in the summer.

But it’s so worth the climb to the top of La Rocca – a huge limestone cliff that looms 268 metres over the town.

It’s a 45minute hike to the top where you’ll find the Temple of Diana, a megalithic structure from the 9th century BC as well as the ruins of a Norman castle.

It also offers fabulous views over the city and the sparkling Mediterranean beyond.

RATED RESTAURANT

It’s hard to get a bad meal in Cefalu with hundreds to choose from in the winding alleys.

On the seafront, the Porta Ossuna restaurant serves up pizzas, pasta and delicious salads with a terrace directly on the beach.

Also ideal for dining by the sea, Lo Scoglio Ubriaco is perched over the sea and is a must for seafood pastas.

And for stand-out pasta dishes, try Pasta e Pasti, legendary for its handmade offerings – go for the Pasta alla Norma or anything made with local pistachios.

BEST BAR

For sunset sips, head to the Jureka Wine Bar on Via Giudecca. There’s a wide choice of tipples with cocktails starting from £9.50.

And for fabulous views over La Rocca and the whole the town, head to the rooftop bar Dokeio at the Hotel La Giara with its multiple roof terraces and late night music.

For day drinking by the Med waves, head to the Bordomari Sea Lounge Bar with great views and cocktails from £9.

HOTEL PICK

Beach babes will love the 4* Astro Suite Hotel, right on Cefalu’s sands and with panoramic sea views.

It’s just a short walk from the historic centre and features an elevated terrace with pool and loungers as well as rooms with balconies, sea views and kitchenettes.

Six nights’ B&B is from £934 including flights from Stansted. See tui.co.uk.

Dodgers defeat the Rays

From Maddie Lee: Whenever Shohei Ohtani is questioned, it seems, he does something spectacular.

On Tuesday, with discussion still swirling over whether his knee problem from the week before would influence his two-way availability when he took the mound Wednesday, Ohtani broke open a scoreless standoff with a sixth-inning solo home run.

It held as the winning run, as the Dodgers went on to beat the Rays 1-0.

“That’s just him,” Dodgers starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski said of Ohtani. “He’s obviously the best player of all time. I’m super lucky and blessed to be his teammate and watch him play. It’s been super cool.”

Up to that point, neither team’s starting pitcher had flinched.

Wrobleski had given up just three hits in six scoreless innings. And, along with five strikeouts, he hadn’t allowed more than one baserunner in any inning, squashing the scrappy Rays’ ability to manufacture a run.

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Shaikin: The Dodgers are ruining baseball! Stop them! But first let me vote for all their players

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels defeat the Diamondbacks

Mike Trout hit a two-run home run and an RBI double for the Angels in a 7-0 shutout of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

Trout’s 436-foot two-run shot to center came in the fifth inning and gave the Angels a 5-0 lead, and his sixth-inning double drove in Denzer Guzman.

Reid Detmers (3-5) worked seven innings for the Angels, giving up no runs and three hits while striking out three. He has given up three or fewer earned runs in each of his past five outings and nine of his last 10.

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Angels box score

MLB standings

From Kevin Baxter: Growing up the son of an NFL wide receiver, Alex Freeman said he felt a lot of pressure to play the American version of football, not the one the rest of the world plays.

“I always got asked if football was the path,” he said last summer. “But I always had a secret love for soccer.”

And he had to keep it a secret because he wasn’t sure his father Antonio, a Super Bowl winner with the Green Bay Packers, would understand.

But his stepfather did. Jake Hinkle introduced Alex to the sport and served as his first coach while his mother Rochelle urged him on.

Now his biological father, who last played in 2004, the year his son was born, has joined the cheering section as well.

“I was with him at the hotel,” Freeman said, “and he was just giving me those kinds of speeches that you hear from a dad. He’s just telling me to be myself. I think he knows that being myself has gotten me to this point. So why change that, right?”

He put a massive exclamation mark on what has been a breakout 13 months by setting up Gio Reyna for the final goal of a 4-1 win for the U.S. in its World Cup opener against Paraguay. The U.S. returns to group play Friday in Seattle where it will face Australia, with the winner of the match taking the inside track toward advancing to the knockout rounds as the group champion.

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Swanson: He lost his father to Iran’s regime. At the World Cup in L.A., he cheered for Team Melli

Click here for complete TV schedule, groups and players to watch

Tuesday’s World Cup results

Group I
France 3, Senegal 1
Norway 4, Iraq 1

Group J
Argentina 3, Algeria 0
Austria 3, Jordan 1

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
10 a.m. Portugal vs. DR Congo, Fox, Telemundo
1 p.m. England vs. Croatia, Fox, Telemundo
4 p.m., Ghana vs. Panama, FS1, Telemundo
7 p.m., Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, FS1, Telemundo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
Mexico, 1-0-0, +2, 3
South Korea, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Czechia, 0-0-1, -1, 0
South Africa, 0-0-1, -2, 0

Group B
Switzerland, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Canada, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Qatar, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0-1-0, 0, 1

Group C
Scotland, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Morocco, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Brazil, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Haiti, 0-0-1, -1, 0

Group D
United States, 1-0-0, +3, 3
Australia, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Turkiye, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Paraguay, 0-0-1, -3, 0

Group E
Germany, 1-0-0, +6, 3
Ivory Coast, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Ecuador, 0-0-1, -1, 0
Curacao, 0-0-1, -6, 0

Group F
Sweden, 1-0-0. +4, 3
Japan, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Netherlands, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Tunisia, 0-0-1, -4, 0

Group G
Belgium, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Egypt, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Iran, 0-1-0, 0, 1
New Zealand, 0-1-0, 0, 1

Group H
Spain, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Cape Verde, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Saudi Arabia, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Uruguay, 0-1-0, 0, 1

Group I
Norway, 1-0-0, +3, 3
France, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Senegal, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Iraq, 0-0-1, -3, 0

Group J
Argentina, 1-0-0, +3, 3
Austria, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Jordan, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Algeria, 0-0-1, -3, 0

No games played yet for the remaining groups

Group K
Portugal
Congo DR
Uzbekistan
Colombia

Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

Lawrence Tanter is no longer the voice of the Lakers

From Broderick Turner: The smooth and soothing voice that generations of Lakers fans grew so accustomed to when Lawrence Tanter was the longtime public address announcer has put down his microphone.

Tanter, known as the “Voice of the Lakers,” has retired from his game-day role, the team announced Tuesday, and he will become a special advisor for Lakers game presentation.

Tanter, 76, sat in his courtside seat as the public address announcer for 43 years at Lakers games, starting in 1982 when they played at the Forum and lasting until late March, when the team announced he would miss a game to attend to his health. Those with knowledge of the situation who are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said he had a stroke.

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This day in sports history

1954 — Rocky Marciano scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Ezzard Charles at New York to retain the world heavyweight title.

1961 — Gene Littler shoots a 68 in the final round to edge Doug Sanders and Bob Goalby in the U.S. Open.

1962 — Jack Nicklaus beats Arnold Palmer by three strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1962 — Brazil beats Czechoslovakia 3-1 in Santiago, Chile to win its second straight FIFA World Cup title. Czechoslovakia scored first on a goal by Josef Masopust at 15 minutes. Two minutes later Amarildo tied the score. In the second half, Zito and Vavá scored goals to give Brazil the victory.

1973 — Johnny Miller shoots a 63 in the final round to win the U.S. Open by one stroke over John Schlee at Oakmont, Pa. Miller’s 8-under 63 is the first ever carded in a major championship.

1976 — The 18-team NBA absorbs four of the six remaining ABA teams: the New York Nets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.

1979 — Hale Irwin wins the U.S. Open by two strokes over Gary Player and Jerry Pate.

1989 — The Quebec Nordiques select Swedish center Mats Sundin with the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft. He’s the first European player to be taken with the first pick.

1990 — Fifty-year-old Harry Gant becomes the oldest driver to win a NASCAR race as he posts a 2.4-second victory over Rusty Wallace in the Miller 500 at Pocono International Raceway.

1991 — Payne Stewart escapes with a two-stroke victory over Scott Simpson in the highest-scoring U.S. Open playoff in 64 years.

1992 — Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to Phoenix Suns.

1994 — O.J. Simpson doesn’t turn himself in on murder charges, LA police chase his Ford Bronco for 1½ hours before he eventually gives up (seen live on national TV).

1995 — Claude Lemieux snaps a tie at 3:17 of the third period as the New Jersey Devils open the Stanley Cup finals with a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The victory, the ninth on the road, breaks the NHL playoff record for road wins.

2007 — Angel Cabrera holds off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a stroke to capture the U.S. Open. Cabrera shoots a 1-under-par 69 in the final round at brutal Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.

2007 — Kate Ziegler breaks swimming’s oldest world record, shattering the 1,500-meter freestyle mark by 9 1/2 seconds at the TYR Meet of Champions Mission Viejo. Ziegler wins the 30-lap race in 15:42.54, easily erasing Janet Evans’ 1988 mark of 15:52.10 set in Orlando, Fla. At the time, Evans was the first woman to break 16 minutes.

2008 — The Boston Celtics win their 17th NBA title with a stunning 131-92 blowout over the Lakers in Game 6. Kevin Garnett scores 26 points with 14 rebounds, Ray Allen scores 26 and Paul Pierce, the finals MVP, adds 17.

2010 — The Lakers beat Boston for the first time in a Game 7 to repeat as NBA champions. The Lakers win their 16th NBA championship, dramatically rallying from a fourth-quarter 13-point deficit to beat the Celtics 83-79.

2011 — Rory McIlroy becomes the first player in the 111-year history of the U.S. Open to reach 13-under par, and despite a double bogey into the water on the final hole, his 5-under 66 is enough set the 36-hole scoring record at 131.

2012 — Webb Simpson wins the U.S. Open outlasting former U.S. Open champions Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.

2018 — Brooks Koepka wins a second consecutive U.S. Open, the first player to do so since Curtis Strange in 1989.

2024 — Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 to clinch the club’s record 18th NBA Championship. Boston forward Jaylen Brown voted Finals MVP.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1915 — George “Zip” Zabel of the Chicago Cubs was called into the game against the Brooklyn Dodgers with two out in the first inning. He won 4-3 in the 19th inning in the longest relief effort in the majors.

1943 — Player-manager Joe Cronin of the Boston Red Sox hit a three-run pinch homer in both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A’s. The Red Sox won the opener 5-4 and lost the second game 8-7.

1960 — Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox connected for his 500th home run off the Cleveland Indians. Williams, the fourth to accomplish the feat, hit a two-run homer off Wynn Hawkins in a 3-1 win.

1971 — Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs went 6-for-6, with five singles and a double, in a 7-6, 10-inning decision over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

1978 — Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees struck out 18 Angels to set an American League record for left-handers. Guidry, who struck out 15 in the first six innings, ended with a 4-0 four-hitter.

1993 — Baseball owners voted 26-2 in favor of expanding the playoffs for the first time in 25 years, doubling the teams that qualify to eight starting in 1994.

2007 — Brandon Watson extended his hitting streak to 43 games, breaking a 95-year-old International League record with a base hit in the Columbus Clippers’ 9-8 loss to the Ottawa Lynx. Jack Lelivelt set the IL record for the Rochester Hustlers in 1912.

2007 — Frank Thomas hit his record-breaking 244th homer as a designated hitter in Toronto’s 4-2 loss to Washington. The solo shot in the third inning moved Thomas past Edgar Martinez for the most homers by a DH in major league history.

2009 — Ivan Rodriguez catches the 2,227th game of his career, breaking Carlton Fisk’s record, in Houston’s 5 – 4, 10-inning loss to his former team, the Texas Rangers. For Texas, Omar Vizquel, the all-time leader for games played at shortstop, picks up his 2,677th hit, tying Luis Aparicio for most hits by a Venezuelan player.

2008 — Seattle’s Felix Hernandez struck out the side on nine pitches in the fourth inning of a 5-4 win over Florida, becoming the 13th pitcher in American League history to accomplish the feat.

2016 — Michaeal Saunders leads the Toronto Blue Jays to a 13-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles with three home runs and 8 RBIs.

2021 — The Arizona Diamondback set a new all-time mark with their 23rd consecutive road loss losing to the Giants 10-3.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Toronto, Canada – When Diana Gallego listened to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s widely touted speech at the World Economic Forum at the start of this year, she couldn’t help but feel a disconnect.

Carney had made an impassioned plea to the world’s “middle powers” to break with a United States-led international order that he said was no longer working, and his words found receptive audiences around the world.

But for Gallego, co-executive director of FCJ Refugee Centre, an organisation that supports refugees and asylum seekers in Canada’s largest city, the prime minister’s statements rang hollow amid his government’s hardening approach to immigration.

“We saw the [prime] minister going to Davos [with] this beautiful discourse, saying we should not copy our neighbours … But internally, the policies are telling us another story,” Gallego told Al Jazeera. “Canada is closing the doors now.”

Gallego is among more than a dozen experts – from lawyers to professors, rights advocates and former government officials – who told Al Jazeera that Canada is at a “troubling” crossroads in its policies towards migrants and refugees.

As Canadians have grappled with rising economic and social pressures in recent years, a decades-old consensus on the benefits of immigration has frayed.

Hostile rhetoric blaming newcomers for Canada’s ills has intensified, and Carney’s government has slashed temporary visas and restricted access to asylum. Experts say a “generational shift” is under way.

“The general rhetoric is, ‘We don’t want you here’,” said Gallego.

Influx in temporary migration

A settler-colonial state, Canada has encouraged successive waves of immigration throughout its history, from largely European settlement in the early to mid-1900s to specialised programmes that brought refugees and high- and low-skilled workers to Canadian shores.

For decades, that influx of newcomers was widely viewed as a positive thing: immigration was fuelling the country’s economy, staffing key job sectors and counteracting a rapidly ageing population.

But over the past few years, Canada has seen one of the most dramatic shifts in how the public views immigration – and the government has tapped into increasingly negative sentiment to cut programmes and pass new, restrictive laws.

The policy changes began under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose Liberal Party government had dramatically increased temporary immigration during the COVID-19 pandemic to fill labour market gaps.

The figures shot up rapidly and, by October 2024, there were nearly 3.15 million non-permanent residents in Canada, accounting for roughly 8 percent of the population, according to official figures.

At the same time, systemic issues – from a shortage of affordable housing to high grocery costs and long hospital wait times – were putting the squeeze on many Canadian households.

Public attitudes quickly hardened, and a 2024 poll (PDF) found a majority of Canadians saying for the first time in decades that there was “too much immigration”.

Since then, several incidents of xenophobic violence have been reported, including in some of Canada’s largest cities, where the influx of migrants has been among the most visible.

Under pressure as angry discourse soared, the Trudeau government promised in 2024 to get immigration back to “sustainable” levels, and the cuts began, including most notably to international student visas.

“The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada will be able to – just like not everyone who wants to stay in Canada will be able to,” Marc Miller, Canada’s former immigration minister, said in September that year.

‘Erroneous beliefs’

The numbers of arrivals dropped quickly as student and work visas were cancelled, forcing thousands of people to leave Canada or remain without legal status. By the start of this year, non-permanent residents totalled about 2.67 million, according to government figures, a 15 percent drop from the peak in October 2024.

“I don’t think you can blame the housing crisis in Canada on immigration, but there’s no doubt that the radically increased numbers under Justin Trudeau’s regime had a political effect,” Allan Rock, a former Canadian justice minister and Liberal lawmaker, told Al Jazeera.

The government, Rock explained, has been “reading the room and sensing that Canadians were connecting local economic and financial difficulties with migration”.

At the same time, right-wing politicians have seized on those public attitudes, with the opposition Conservative Party earlier this year pushing the governing Liberals to cut healthcare for people it described as “fake refugees”.

The Conservatives, also, have echoed US President Donald Trump in advocating for changes to “birthright citizenship”, claiming that the “outdated rule” that grants citizenship to anyone born in Canada “presents yet another strain on our immigration system that Canada can’t handle”.

“With over 7 per cent of Canada’s population here on temporary status – and arrivals massively outpacing the capacity of our housing, healthcare and jobs markets – something needs to change,” the party said.

Rights advocates have denounced that rhetoric while accusing policymakers of falsely linking migrants and refugees to social problems to absolve themselves of responsibility for a years-long failure to properly fund healthcare, education and other services.

On the housing issue, for instance, experts have found (PDF) that, while immigration increases demand for housing stock, its effect on prices is far less important than public discourse would have people believe.

“Leadership means not simply caving into public opinion when it’s based on erroneous beliefs,” Rock told Al Jazeera. “We’re buying into, and we’re supporting, a growing international trend to tighten borders and build walls and validate erroneous beliefs about refugees and migrants.”

“It’s a betrayal of values that this country has always stood for, and I find it troubling.”

Carney doubles down

Yet, since taking office in April 2025, Carney – the prime minister – has continued where his predecessor Trudeau left off on immigration.

In late March, Carney’s Liberal government passed a sweeping new law that grants Ottawa the power to cancel visas en masse, including for permanent residents, if it deems it in the “public interest” to do so.

The law, known as Bill C-12, also restricts access to Canada’s refugee status determination system in ways that lawyers told Al Jazeera are “arbitrary” and likely run counter to the country’s constitution, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The government has justified the measure – which is expected to face a constitutional challenge in court – as part of an effort to streamline a backlogged asylum system and prevent “fraud”.

At the end of last year, nearly 300,000 cases were pending at the independent tribunal that adjudicates refugee claims in the country, known as the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal immigration department, told Al Jazeera that it had introduced Bill C-12 “as global migration pressures intensify”.

The law introduces “measures to address challenges such as sudden increases in asylum claims and situations where existing processes may be used to circumvent regular immigration pathways”, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“This means we can provide faster protection for those in need,” they said, adding that Bill C-12 also respects Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Refugee Convention as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

But experts say the law will do little to address the backlog at the IRB. They have also accused lawmakers of failing to dispel – and even of playing into – xenophobic rhetoric rather than addressing the real concerns of Canadians or structural problems in the asylum system.

The government is “creating this sense in the public that people are scamming us, they’re taking advantage of the system [and] there’s something broken that needs to be fixed”, said Julia Sande, a lawyer at Amnesty International Canada.

“People’s struggles are real. People are facing a housing crisis, inflation and unemployment, wage stagnation and widening inequality,” she told Al Jazeera.

“Then, instead of taking responsibility or making the changes needed to address these things, governments look for a group to blame – and who’s better to blame than people who don’t have the right to vote and can’t vote you out?”

Carney’s ‘honeymoon’ phase

Despite such concerns raised by rights advocates, Canada’s changing immigration policies do not appear to have drawn much attention – or pushback – from the wider public.

A wide-reaching effort by civil society groups earlier this year to get the government to make amendments to Bill C-12 failed to secure any meaningful changes.

In addition to that law, the Carney government also has rolled back a healthcare programme for refugees, extended a freeze on refugee resettlement applications, and announced significant funding cuts to several ministries, including the immigration department.

Planned cuts at the IRB – the board that adjudicates refugee claims – have also been reported, fuelling concerns that delays may get worse.

“The fact that there is no real plan in place to deal with this backlog [at the IRB] then contributes to negative opinion by the public about refugees,” said Maureen Silcoff, a refugee lawyer who previously served as a member of the tribunal.

“I think the government has a responsibility to proactively undo some of the myths that are circulating,” Silcoff told Al Jazeera. “This is especially important in times where we see in other countries that there’s a surge of anti-immigrant and anti-refugee rhetoric.”

Nevertheless, Carney continues to enjoy high approval ratings as he has justified government policies during his first year in office as part of an “elbows up” response to pressure from the Trump administration.

“The Carney government still seems to be [enjoying] a honeymoon of sorts,” said John Carlaw, an assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University who specialises in Canadian politics and immigration.

“We’re seeing a major withdrawal of social spending and then an investment in militarism and border enforcement,” Carlaw told Al Jazeera, describing it as a “troubling period” in Canada.

“I think C-12 really showed the government is not interested in hearing from communities that work with migrants and immigrants to make policies that are consistent with a human rights framework. They just don’t want to listen to dissent.”

‘Not immune’ to backsliding on human rights

Despite that, rights advocates say they will continue to push back against the direction Canada is heading on immigration.

“We can’t stop fighting,” Luisa Ortiz-Garza, a migrant rights organiser at Parkdale Community Legal Services, told a packed gymnasium at Trinity-St Paul’s United Church in downtown Toronto in late April.

Several dozen people joined the event, dubbed “No More Divide and Rule”, to denounce xenophobia and urge the government to grant legal immigration status for all migrants and refugees in Canada.

“What [the government is] doing is actually just putting people against each other,” Ortiz-Garza told Al Jazeera in an interview at her organisation’s office a few days before the gathering.

“It’s citizens against migrants [and] migrants against migrants because there is this idea that some migrants did things right and other migrants just jumped the queue or abused the system,” she said.

“We’re trying to have these conversations and bring people together: allies, citizens, migrants … so that we can actually talk about this and remind people about unity.”

That was echoed by Sande at Amnesty International, who warned that Canada is “not immune” to a backsliding on human rights. “Things will just continue to get worse until governments feel they’re held to account,” she said. “Yes, scapegoating may start with migrants, but it never ends there.”

China has announced it will send a round of humanitarian aid to Lebanon and Iran and play an active role in fostering regional peace. The foreign ministry spokesman described Beijing as ‘deeply saddened’ by the humanitarian disaster.

Emmerdale and Coronation Street are missing from the ITV schedules for two days this week, before returning to the channel amid the football coverage – while EastEnders is still on

Soap fans have found their Emmerdale and Coronation Street schedules all over the place this week.

With football taking over on ITV1 once more, the soaps are not airing in their usual time slots, or even on their normal days. EastEnders is also being hit by a schedule shake-up this week.

But EastEnders still airs on it’s normal days for this week, while Corrie is not on at all this Wednesday or Thursday. So when are the soaps on next?

For EastEnders fans, you will still get your soap fix on both Wednesday and Thursday. It’s a bit later than normal on BBC One though, airing for 30 minutes at 8:30PM, instead of 7:30PM.

As for Corrie and Emmerdale, fans will not get their next episodes until Friday 19 June. For once, both soaps will be in their usual time slots too.

So Emmerdale fans, your next episode will air on ITV1 at 8PM on Friday, followed by Coronation Street’s next episode at 8:30PM on the same channel. The episodes will also be dropping on ITVX that morning.

Of course with no episodes on Wednesday or Thursday, there will be no ITVX episode to stream on these days. But rest assured for this week, your next soap action is Friday.

Of course next week, it’s chaos again. Friday’s episode teases big moments ahead. On Corrie, Debbie Webster is trapped in a nightmare after the gun drama at the garage.

While she clashes with Tracy Barlow, an incident with a balloon leaves her terrified as she mistakes the noise of it bursting for a gunshot. Betsy Swain has some news for Lisa and Carla, which could tease an exit.

Sam Blakeman’s family rally around him, while he asks to see Roy Cropper. Maria Connor is suspicious of Gary Windass when he reveals he’s booked a holiday for the whole family.

She’s still assuming Gary and Sarah Platt are having an affair. Meanwhile, Kit admires the engagement ring he’s bought for Sarah.

As for Emmerdale, Lewis Barton gets kidnapped after preparing for a holiday with his love interest Vinny Dingle. As Lewis packs a suitcase and goes to make his way to the airport, a van suddenly pulls up near him.

Masked men jump out and Lewis is taken, and next week we find out who is holding him hostage. It’s all part of Kev Townsend’s return storyline, with more to be revealed.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Four years on from his last Test appearance, Matt Fisher returns to the England side in style with a wicket in just his third over as he removes Devon Conway for nine on the opening morning of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval.

FOLLOW LIVE: Second Test: England v New Zealand – Day One

Available to UK users only.

Islamabad, Pakistan – The scoreline read 4-1 to Norway. Iraq had been heavily beaten in their first World Cup match in 40 years. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored twice in his World Cup debut as Norway cruised to victory in Group I.

But for Pakistan, the result barely mattered.

When Zidane Iqbal crossed the touchline for Iraq at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in the 59th minute on Tuesday, history was made. He became the first player of Pakistani heritage to appear in a FIFA World Cup.

Pakistan’s national team has never qualified for the tournament. It sits 198th in FIFA’s rankings. For decades, more than 250 million Pakistanis have watched football’s biggest event from the outside.

That changed, in its own complicated way, through a 23-year-old born in Manchester, England.

Between three nations

Zidane Ammar Iqbal was born on April 27, 2003, to a Pakistani father and an Iraqi mother. His father, Aamar, is from the city of Sahiwal in Punjab while his mother, Ayat, was born in southern Iraq.

Growing up in Manchester, Iqbal was eligible to represent England, Pakistan or Iraq. The decision he eventually made was not a calculated one.

Iraq found him the way many things happen now: through social media.

A large Instagram page tracking Iraqis around the world contacted him to ask whether rumours about his heritage were true.

Word eventually reached the Iraq Football Association, which pursued him through a series of video calls with Iqbal and his parents.

Asked by the sports news outlet The Athletic why he chose Iraq, Iqbal said: “All the love and support from the fans in Iraq and across the world and how hard the FA tried to bring me. When someone shows so much love, it’s only right that you feel it.”

He had never visited Iraq before receiving an under-23 call-up in 2021.

The culture shock, he admitted, was real. But he kept returning. Gradually, a country that had once been only part of his heritage began to feel like home.

The road not taken

Iqbal joined Manchester United’s academy at the age of eight and spent 12 years at the club. In December 2021 at 18, he became the first British South Asian player in nearly two decades to appear for United in the UEFA Champions League.

But regular first-team football never followed. He eventually moved to FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie for about 1 million euros ($1.1m).

His performances during Iraq’s gruelling 21-match qualification campaign, including a winning goal against Indonesia, kept him central to the team’s plans throughout.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) had monitored his progress. But it was never truly a contest.

Ali Ahsan, editor of FootballPakistan.com, said the structural gap between the two football systems was simply too wide.

“We are struggling to attract players from bigger clubs, our ranking, the lack of a professional set-up. The PFF still has no technical director or dedicated national team recruitment staff,” Ahsan told Al Jazeera.

“For Zidane, he picked Iraq to be able to play major tournaments, which he probably wouldn’t have gotten with Pakistan,” Ahsan said.

“Had he chosen Pakistan, he could have had a big impact on raising Pakistani football’s profile internationally. He was still at United at the time. He could have started a serious conversation about how football needs to be improved, inspired kids to take it more seriously. Iraq is already a well-established team with a dedicated history, structure and fanbase.”

For Iqbal, the path led elsewhere. But for Pakistan, the moment still mattered.

“I hope there are children – whether Asian, Arab, whatever you are – who watch that and think they can do it,” Iqbal told The Athletic. “It’s definitely possible. And if I’ve done it, why can’t they?”

Iraq next face France on Monday before taking on Senegal in their final group match on June 26. Few expect them to advance. But few expected them to be there at all.

Against Norway, Iraq lost. For Pakistan, history was made anyway.