Month: July 2026

Like a good striker, Folarin Balogun never loses sight of the goal. And the goal for the U.S. team in this summer’s World Cup hasn’t been just to win, which they’ve done, but to inspire.

And that’s how Balogun found himself on the field, shaking hands with Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, about 45 minutes after Claus gave him a controversial red card in Wednesday’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, a red card that will keep him out of Monday’s round-of-16 game with Belgium.

“Little kids are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it’s unjust,” Balogun said Friday.

“It’s not an excuse to be disrespectful, to not do the right thing. I’m aware that the World Cup might be the first time a lot of American viewers are tuning in. So it’s important, whether things happen to you good or bad, just to continue to be yourself.”

That doesn’t mean Balogun didn’t think the red card was unjust. He does. And he definitely thinks something bad happened to him and his team since Balogun, the Americans’ leading scorer with three goals in as many games, will have to sit out the team’s most important game in a generation.

It’s just means that Balogun, who celebrated his 25th birthday Friday, is also mature enough to understand a game — even a World Cup elimination game — is just a game.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” he said before the team’s training session at the University of Washington. “There’s been lots of different emotions. I’ve been upset, I’ve been happy. But for me, it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion.”

Balogun, who had given his team a 1-0 lead in the waning seconds of the first half, collided with Tarik Muharemovic 16 minutes into the second half, and when the Bosnian defender planted his right leg below Balogun’s right foot, the American inadvertently stomped on his right ankle, twisting it awkwardly.

U.S. forward Folarin Balogun steps on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic’s foot and received a red card.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Both players went down and Claus did not signal a foul or pull card. But after the video assistant referee urged him to watch a replay, Claus walked away from the monitor and flashed the red card. That left the U.S. to finish Wednesday’s game with just 10 men and disqualified Balogun for Monday’s game. U.S. Soccer said Friday FIFA’s disciplinary committee did not add any games to Balogun’s suspension.

“There’s the scenarios that you simply can’t avoid,” he said, “and it has to be taken into context when it’s being reviewed. I felt it wasn’t on this occasion. There’s nowhere else to put your leg. It’s going to be unavoidable.

“I think a yellow card would have been fair. [But] it’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward, and I have to accept it. The most important thing is just to focus on the bigger picture, which is Belgium.”

Replacing Balogun won’t be easy since he’s emerged as one of the team’s most effective and creative players, either scoring of setting up the go-ahead goal in all three of the U.S. wins.

“We’ve got guys that can fill in and have to be ready for the opportunity to step up,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “When you miss a player like Balo, obviously things change a little bit. But we’ve been flexible. Guys have shown that they’re ready to play.”

The most likely replacements are Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright. Pepi, who scored 16 goals for PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie this season, played 90 minutes in place of Balogun in the U.S. loss to Turkey in the final group-stage match. Wright, who had 17 goals for Coventry City in the English Championship, played in all four U.S. games in the 2022 World Cup, scoring once, but he has made just one appearance in this summer’s tournament.

“Balo is an important part of our team, and it’s a disappointing way for him to miss the next game,” said Wright, who grew up in Culver City and spent three years in the Galaxy academy. “But, I’ll always be ready and prepared for whatever comes.”

A victory over Belgium would send the U.S. to the quarterfinals of a World Cup for just the second time. It would also give it four wins in the tournament, double the number of victories in any previous World Cup and marking the first time the Americans have won twice in the knockout stages in the same tournament.

U.S. forward Ricardo Pepi pursues the ball during a World Cup match against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara , Calif., on Wednesday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

It’s a moment, Adams acknowledged Friday, many players have waited for their whole lives.

“You need to embrace the moment, that’s for sure,” he said. “To have the opportunity to play in a round-of-16 game — which, obviously, last World Cup we did, but it was the first knockout game, not the second — it’s exciting. It was nice to get a little bit of a taste of what it feels like to play with something a little bit more on the line in the last game. I think that’s good preparation.

“Advancing and taking this thing as far as we can is the most important thing. We have a good opportunity here to do so.”

July 3 (UPI) — South Korea’s Home Plus faces the risk of liquidation as the court halted the rehabilitation proceedings for the country’s troubled discount chain after overseeing the case for 16 months.

The court said Friday that it reached the decision because the restructuring plan of Home Plus lacks feasibility as the company’s business continued to deteriorate while it failed to find a new owner.

“In this climate, Home Plus requires at least $130 million in working capital to sustain its business and implement the proposed rehabilitation plan. But the necessary funding has yet to be secured,” the court said in a statement.

MBK Partners, one of the largest private equity firms in Asia, acquired Home Plus in a multi-billion-dollar deal in 2015. After years of mounting losses, however, the retailer entered a court-led restructuring program in early 2025.

Giving up its rights to more than $1.5 billion in common equity of Home Plus, MBK spent more than a year searching for a buyer but failed to strike a deal.

Amid the prolonged financial strain, Home Plus has steadily downsized its sales network. It ran more than 140 hypermarkets nationwide in the mid-2010s but now has just 67 stores.

Home Plus can appeal the ruling within two weeks. To avoid the worst-case scenario, the company has asked its largest creditor, Meritz Financial Group, to offer the funding needed to pursue the appeal.

“The court said that if Home Plus secures $130 million in working capital within two weeks and files an immediate appeal, it would be possible to reconsider the case and resume the rehabilitation proceedings, “Home Plus said in a statement.

“We earnestly ask Meritz Financial Group to provide a $130 million loan,” it added.

Home Plus is not publicly listed.

Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has evolved into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing millions, collapsing healthcare and public services, and triggering repeated warnings of famine and ethnic violence.

The latest concern centres on Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. The city is strategically important because it links central Sudan with the western Darfur region and serves as a major logistical and commercial hub. Control of Al-Obeid would provide whichever side captures it with a crucial military corridor for moving troops and supplies across Sudan.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, civilians in the city have endured siege-like conditions for around 18 months, with dwindling food, water and medical supplies, while drone strikes and shelling have intensified.

Why it matters

The warning from UN High Commissioner Volker Türk suggests international concern that Al-Obeid could become another major atrocity site similar to previous battles in Darfur.

Several factors make the situation particularly alarming:

• Strategic military battle: Both the SAF and RSF view Al-Obeid as critical to controlling supply routes between central and western Sudan.
• Civilian catastrophe: Thousands of civilians remain trapped as fighting intensifies, with limited humanitarian access and worsening shortages of clean water, food and healthcare.
• Risk of mass atrocities: Britain requested the emergency UN debate amid fears that an RSF offensive could result in large-scale civilian killings similar to previous episodes documented elsewhere in Sudan.
• Humanitarian spillover: Further escalation would increase refugee flows into neighbouring countries already struggling to absorb displaced Sudanese populations.

Key stakeholders

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)

• Controls parts of central and eastern Sudan.
• Seeks to prevent RSF advances into North Kordofan and maintain control over key transport routes.

Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

• Attempting to expand territorial control after major campaigns elsewhere.
• Surrounding Al-Obeid could strengthen its position in western and central Sudan.

United Nations

• The OHCHR is documenting civilian casualties and warning of possible mass atrocities.
• UN agencies are pushing for humanitarian access before conditions deteriorate further.

United Kingdom

• Requested the urgent debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council, highlighting growing Western concern over another possible humanitarian disaster.

Humanitarian organisations

• Aid agencies face increasing difficulties reaching civilians due to insecurity and siege conditions.

Regional countries

• Neighbours including Chad, South Sudan and Egypt remain vulnerable to additional refugee inflows and regional instability.

Future outlook

The immediate outlook depends on whether the RSF launches a full-scale assault on Al-Obeid or negotiations produce humanitarian access.

Possible scenarios include:

• Escalation: A major offensive could trigger another urban battle marked by heavy civilian casualties, infrastructure destruction and further displacement.
• Prolonged siege: Even without a direct assault, continued encirclement could deepen shortages of water, food and medicine, increasing disease and starvation risks.
• International pressure: The UN and Western governments may increase diplomatic pressure for humanitarian corridors, though previous efforts have had limited success.
• Limited accountability: Despite mounting documentation of alleged abuses by both sides, meaningful international enforcement remains difficult given the fragmented nature of the conflict.

Volker Türk’s warning reflects growing concern that Sudan’s conflict is entering another dangerous phase rather than improving. Al-Obeid represents more than a humanitarian hotspot—it is a strategic military objective whose capture could reshape the balance of power between the SAF and RSF.

The battle also illustrates a recurring pattern throughout the war: military gains are increasingly achieved through sieges, attacks on civilian infrastructure and restrictions on humanitarian access. These tactics magnify civilian suffering even before major ground offensives begin.

For the international community, the warning underscores a familiar challenge. The UN can document abuses and raise alarms, but translating those warnings into protection for civilians has repeatedly proven difficult. Without stronger diplomatic leverage or sustained international engagement, there is a significant risk that Al-Obeid could become the latest symbol of Sudan’s worsening humanitarian crisis rather than the point at which the conflict’s trajectory changes.

With information from Reuters.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are finally married.

After 16 full-length albums, a batch of brutal breakups, and a record-breaking world tour, Taylor, 36, has officially locked down her prince charming.

Kelce, 36, and the pop icon said “I do” on Friday in an extravagant ceremony just 10 months after the couple announced their engagement in August 2025.

Huge purple screens reading “JUST&T MARRIED!” lit up outside of Madison Square Garden around 7:30pm on Friday, roughly an hour after Taylor’s SUV was spotted pulling into the venue.

Taylor’s bulletproof gray SUV was met with cheering fans as she arrived around the rumored start time of her wedding ceremony.

Dozens of Taylor and Travis’ A-list guests flocked to Madison Square Garden well in advance of the wedding.

read more on taylor’s wedding

HERE COMES THE BRIDE

Taylor Swift’s SUV pulls into MSG ahead of America’s ‘royal wedding’

OUT OF STYLE

Bridesmaids or double up? Taylor’s BFF & NFL star’s fiancee in same $800 dress

Some stars spotted include Ed Sheeran, Karlie Kloss, Dakota Johnson, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Kravitz, Erin Andrews, Matthew Stafford and Graham Norton.

Soon after the couple exchanged vows, Dior revealed that the bride and groom’s looks were created by Jonathan Anderson, Creative Director of Dior Women’s, Men’s and Haute Couture Collections in close collaboration with the bride and groom.

This was the designer’s first couture wedding dress for a world-renowned celebrity.

The newlyweds had custom shoes made by Christian Louboutin and Taylor wore Cartier jewelry.

The designer brand also confirmed that the couple did not have any bridesmaids or groomsmen.

Instead, Taylor’s brother Austin Swift served as her Man of Honor, and Travis’ brother, former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce, was his Best Man.

“The ceremony joined both families together and was officiated by friend Adam Sandler,” the press release read.

Fans had been speculating who might be Taylor’s bridesmaids, and considered some of her close friends like Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid as frontrunners.

Taylor’s childhood best friend, Abigail Anderson, and Laura Kruk, the soon-to-be wife of New York Giants wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, stepped out in the same $795 gown with a floral corset-style bodice and a contrasting brown satin skirt, leaving fans suspecting the bridesmaids dressed had been revealed.

But it now appears to be a moment of matching as Dior confirmed the popstar had no bridesmaids.

The skies of New York City opened up soon after it was announced the couple was officially married, with people outside of MSG running to get away from the pouring rain.

Rumors had been circulating in the days leading up to the big ceremony that the couple had already wed in a private ceremony.

But, Rick, one of Taylor’s relatives, exclusively told The U.S. Sun outside the Ritz Carlton in NYC on Friday, “The ceremony is today.”

“All the rumors are nonsense. Taylor and Travis haven’t got married. They are taking their vows today.”

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end popped the question after two years of dating in a private, at-home proposal surrounded by hundreds of flowers.

Their wedding comes after months of speculation from fans as to when and where the Swift-Kelce wedding would be held.

The couple ultimately chose to tie the knot at Madison Square Garden with a rumored 1,000 guests in attendance.

An entertainment executive said the multi-day extravaganza would kick off with an intimate affair at MSG on July 2, according to a bombshell report from the New York Times.

The private event would then be followed by a much larger ceremony in the same venue on July 3.

Some of Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs Teammates were reported to have booked blocks of rooms at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square as well.

A permit had reportedly been filed to shut down the streets surrounding the Garden from July 2 through July 4 – a major holiday weekend – and there had been no public events booked at the venue from June 29 through July 6.

Amtrak police were also reportedly warned well in advance of the impending celebrity nuptials.

In the months leading up to their nuptials, it was reported that Swift had actually been planning to completely transform her $32 million mansion in Rhode Island for the fairytale wedding.

Fans also believed the seaside ceremony would be held on June 13 – a reference to the Out of the Woods singer’s lucky number 13.

A source close to Swift told The U.S. Sun that she had planned to create a new garden at her home as the couple reportedly planned to drop $1.2 million on flowers alone.

Swift apparently began planting her preferred flowers in the new garden “months in advance,” gravitating toward red roses, hydrangeas, orchids and peonies.

“She wants the entire celebration to feel like a wave of flowers, with arrangements of white, purple, and pink orchids, plus blue, white, and pink hydrangeas, and peonies in pink, white, and red tones,” the source claimed.

“Taylor dreams of being fully surrounded by flowers, with lush floral bushes everywhere, making her teenage dream of marrying in a sea of flowers come true.”

Florals aside, The U.S. Sun previously revealed that the couple was planning to drop $8 million alone on security for the event.

The insider told The U.S. Sun that Swift had planned to create a “multi-day celebration” from Friday to Sunday for her wedding weekend, making it a “unique, unforgettable memory they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.”

In terms of security, Madison Square Garden is ideal for the global superstar, as the venue features no windows, a large capacity and guaranteed privacy from rabid fans and paparazzi desperate for a glimpse at the high-profile couple.

Leading up to the wedding, neither Swift nor her NFL heartthrob had publicly discussed their wedding plans – leaving it all up to speculation.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun

One feared he might never return to top-level tennis. The other will now share the court with a player who, in his mind, is a celebrity.

After causing two of the biggest shocks of the first week at Wimbledon, qualifiers Roman Safiullin and Shintaro Mochizuki will now set their sights on toppling two of the favourites for the Wimbledon title.

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are the superstars standing in their way of going any deeper in the tournament, with the quarter-finals just a step away.

Russian Safiullin was in tears after a stunning 6-3 6-3 6-3 over talented Brazilian 24th seed Joao Fonseca, having struggled with an injury he feared he would never fully recover from six months ago.

The 28-year-old is a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist but is now at 132 in the world rankings and had not won an ATP Tour-level match this year before entering qualifying.

He ended his 2025 season after the US Open in August and did not return to action until February.

Safiullin is now on a six-match winning streak in SW19 – including three qualifying matches – as he goes into a fourth-round meeting with seven-time champion Djokovic on Sunday.

Struggling to speak through his tears, Safiullin was given a standing ovation by the crowd on Court Two following his victory over 19-year-old Fonseca.

“After the US Open, I had to stop to treat my injury. That time was super tough. Even half a year ago, I didn’t know whether I would be able to [come] back,” Safiullin said.

Safiullin again became emotional as he tried to explain the significance of his victory, telling the BBC: “It [the emotion] came from the hard times, I would say. It was not an easy period.”

Looking ahead to facing Djokovic, he added: “I played against him three times and only one time I was really close to getting a set against him.

“The other two times he destroyed me. Hopefully this time I will give him problems and make him suffer on the court.”

July 3 (UPI) — The Great American State Fair was temporarily shut down Friday due to extreme heat as temperatures in Washington, D.C., reached 100 degrees.

Freedom 250 announced Friday afternoon that the event on the National Mall was suspended until 5 p.m. Friday due to the heat, which reached 100 degrees at 2 p.m. Friday with a heat index of 111.

“The safety and well-being of our guests, volunteers, performers, vendors, and staff is our highest priority. Conditions are expected to improve later this afternoon, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back at 5:00 p.m. as preparations continue for this evening’s festivities,” Freedom 250 said on social media just before 1:30 p.m.

A follow-up post confirmed the gates would reopen at 5 p.m.

Friday evening’s events at the fair include performances by Hugo Castillo, Mickey Smith Jr. and Grace Moody Miller.

“Complimentary water distribution stations will be available throughout the fair site, with food and beverages available for purchase,” organizers wrote.

I hope all our American readers, have a great weekend enjoying the 250th birthday of the United States of America! Sit back, have a brew and a dog, smoke a cigar, enjoy the fireworks! And, above all else, watch tomorrow’s flyby!

Have a great weekend everyone and happy bday Lady Liberty!

This week’s caption reads:

A F-117 Stealth Fighter from the 49th Fighter Wing, based at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, shows off its paint job during a March 12 refueling mission flown by the Columbus-based 121st Air Refueling Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. (Photo/Senior Master Sgt. Kim Frey)

Prime Directives:

• If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you. 
• If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else.
• No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like. 
• Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.  
• So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on. 
• Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.

NEW YORK — Manhattan was sweltering at 100 degrees and preparing to mark 250 years since the United States declared independence from Great Britain.

But on Friday, the city seemed transfixed by what might be the closest the country gets to a royal wedding: The nuptials of pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Madison Square Garden and its surrounding streets — 31st and 33rd streets toward 6th and 8th avenues — were blocked off as guests arrived for the event. Fans craned their necks for any views they could get from the street.

The world-famous arena is reportedly set to transform into a “massive castle,” surrounded by a garden fit for pop culture’s royal couple, both 36. While the complete event details and guest list have been kept a secret, the Associated Press reportedly obtained a city permit showing Friday’s supposed wedding event is set to start at 5 p.m. Eastern time and could last until 4 a.m.

Secrecy surrounding the event is so tight that the reported venue has been cordoned off with privacy tents, tarps and barricades. But neither those measures nor Friday’s sizzling temperatures stopped fans from gathering in hopes of sneaking a peak at their longtime idol and sending Swift their well wishes.

“I heard we won’t be able to see her either way because the spot that they picked is going to be covered,” said Sarah Shrestha, 21, an Anaheim resident visiting friends in Manhattan.

Madison Square Garden was a good venue for the couple’s nuptials because “in interviews, [Swift] said she wanted to be able to invite everybody to the wedding so it’s still a good venue for that,” she added.

Ellie Kitschke, 13, and her mother, Mymy Nguyen, 38, were visiting New York City from Adelaide, Australia.

Ellie said she thought it was a weird choice for the venue.

“It’s like a stadium. I get that no one can come inside but I think it’s a bit much blocking up the roads,” added Ellie, who attended the Eras tour in Sydney with her mom.

The two said they also thought it was odd Swift didn’t choose a venue or date that included her lucky number, 13, saying it “didn’t add up.”

“If she does get married, we wish her well,” Nguyen said. “We’d love to see her.”

Emma Rasco, 19, was also surprised by the choice in wedding venue.

“When I heard it, I was like, that’s definitely a choice,” Rasco said. “It’s a little unconventional and very forward-facing.”

Swift and Kelce announced their engagement in August after two years of dating, to much fanfare. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” Swift wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

While the Swift camp didn’t release a guest list, various news organizations staked out local hotels and began counting bold-face names headed to the event. The New York Times obtained a schedule for the wedding, which included a cocktail hour followed by a 5 p.m. wedding and reception. The event was set to end at 2 a.m.

The couple were first linked in July 2023, when Kelce mentioned his desire to meet the pop superstar on his podcast, “New Heights,” and made their relationship public that September. Their coupling instantly captured the attention and hearts of fans around the world, and Swift’s presence at Chiefs games was even credited with bolstering female interest in NFL football.

Kelly, 36, is a longtime Swift fan who said she grew up listening to her music. She came from her apartment on the Upper West Side to 33rd Street to see if she could catch a glimpse of Swift entering the stadium.

“I feel like I was the same peer group growing up with her, and am just so happy that she had her happy ending,” she said. “I want to see what a Royal American wedding looks like.”

Kelly said she admires Swift and Kelce for donating to charity. The couple donated a combined $26 million to 20 local and national charities ahead of their presumed nuptials, Swift’s publicist told Business Insider.

“They really are a positive influence,” she added.

Kelly said Madison Square Garden made sense as a venue for the privacy and security of guests.

“It’s not an ideal wedding venue but they’re both creative and have their own stages in a way,” she added.

By mid-afteroon Friday, dozens of fans clustered near MSG as black SUVs and vans with tinted windows, presumably filled with wedding attendees, turned the corner toward the stadium.

New York Police Department sources told The Times that streets will be blocked off all Friday and should return to normal by Saturday morning.

Back in October, Swift told TV host Graham Norton that she was casting a wide net with the guest list, joking that she would invite “anyone I’ve ever talked to.”

“I shouldn’t have said any of that,” she added.

Pulling off an event of this magnitude — which many described as America’s “royal wedding” — required considerable preparation, with a particular emphasis on privacy. Guests were reportedly required to sign nondisclosure agreements before receiving any event details (although the NDAs were said not to have included any penalties for violating the terms).

While the Swift camp didn’t release a guest list, various news organizations staked out local hotels and Madison Square Garden and began counting bold-face names headed to the event. The New York Times obtained a schedule for the wedding, which included a cocktail hour followed by a 5 p.m. wedding and reception. The event was set to end at 2 a.m.

The couple were also linked to wedding planner Mark Seed, who previously orchestrated the 2023 wedding of Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley and the 2019 wedding of Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney. Seed is known for his elaborate event builds and notable discretion.

On the Tuesday before the event, workers were photographed installing a red carpet outside of MSG, which one individual allegedly said was for “a wedding,” according to Page Six. It was quickly removed that same day.

Lin reported from New York; Garcia and Eloise Rollins-Fife from Los Angeles.

Declan Rice is likely to be available to start England’s World Cup last-16 tie against Mexico on Sunday despite an ongoing injury issue.

The Arsenal midfielder has been playing with a neural problem that affects his hamstring and lower back and was substituted in injury time of the 2-1 win over DR Congo in the last 32.

Speaking after that game, manager Thomas Tuchel said: “I asked him. He said: ‘I can do it for the team but I am in terrible pain.’ When Declan tells you he is in terrible pain then you know he cannot take it any more.”

Though Rice is likely to be available to start against Mexico, there remain doubts about Reece James’ availability, with the Chelsea right-back having sat out two matches because of a hamstring injury.

It is understood James is yet to return to full training in the build-up to the game against Mexico, which is scheduled for 18:00 local time on Sunday (01:00 BST on Monday), though could move because of the weather.

Back-up right Jarell Quansah, who missed the win over DR Congo with an ankle issue, has stepped up his recovery but it is not known yet if he will be available.

July 3 (UPI) — A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence printed in 1776 has been found in London, making it the only known example of the so-called Exeter printing to exist outside the United States, the British National Archives announced Friday.

The document is one of only 11 known copies of the Declaration of Independence to be printed in Exeter, N.H., in the days after it was formally adopted July 4, 1776. It was printed between July 16 and 19, 1776, with the purpose of spreading the news of independence across the colonies.

Graham Moore, the curator of the National Archives’ Revolution 250 exhibit, said the document is so rare because it wasn’t printed to be preserved but to be distributed quickly and widely.

The document in question was seized among papers aboard the American ship Dalton by Britain’s navy on Christmas Eve in 1776, the National Archives said in a release.

The British navy’s HMS Raisonable pursued the Dalton for 7 hours off the coast of Portugal before it was captured and taken to Britain.

“Listed at the time simply as ‘another paper,’ it has now been identified as a contemporary printing of the Declaration,” the release said.

Workers at the National Archives made the discovery in May while working on cataloging documents from the American Revolution to mark the 250th anniversary.

“What makes this discovery even more exceptional is that, as the only known copy taken by military action, we know much more about it — thanks to the bureaucratic processes of war,” Moore said.

“Evidence taken from captured ships was preserved as part of Admiralty court proceedings, and we hold those records at The National Archives. So we can present an unusually rich backstory that most surviving declarations do not have.”

Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez, whose 180-day mandate ends Friday, dismissed criticism of the government’s earthquake response, saying rescue crews were deployed immediately with adequate equipment. Residents have said they were on their own for the first 48 hours.

One of the Celebrity Gogglebox stars had to take a minute after watching a terrifying scene

A Celebrity Gogglebox star walked off camera after viewing a creepy horror film that left everyone squealing.

The instalment of the Channel 4 show that aired on Friday (July 3) saw the celebrity armchair critics watching a range of programmes, from Countdown to Clarkson’s Farm. But many looked horrified as they tuned into horror film, Weapons.

The film is about 17 children from the same classroom who mysteriously disappear on the same night at the same time, and Jordan Banjo had to leave the sofa for a breather after watching scenes from the movie with fellow Diversity star Perri Kiely.

Many of the stars on the celebrity edition of the programme were seen looked terrified as they watched a scene where a creepy character called Aunt Gladys (played by Amy Madigan) visited a house and asked for a bowl instead of a glass of water.

Things took a nasty turn when she took a wooden stick she had been fiddling with and dragged it across her hand, cutting it open, which left Jordan gasping.

He held a cushion up to block the screen as a man in the film was then seen opening his mouth and vomiting streams of back liquid.

“I need a break, I need a break,” Jordan said, as Perri exclaimed: “No!”

But the dancer then stood up and moved away from the chair, explaining: “I need a drink. Do you want anything?”

However, he soon rushed back, explaining to Perri that he when he had got to the kitchen he had spotted a bowel of water on the side and it had given him a fright. “No!” he said, sitting back down without having poured the drinks.

Fans were tickled by the scenes, with one posting on X: “So funny.”

Someone else posted on the platform, which was formerly Twitter: “Who doesn’t just love a bit of Celebrity Gogglebox. Always such an entertaining way to spend the time.” “The perfect switch your brain off TV this time of night needs,” they added.

Someone else said that it was “brilliant stuff”.

Another viewer said the series was “top notch”.

Celebrity Gogglebox airs on Channel 4.

NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana’s attorney general has been indicted over accusations she threatened the jobs of New Orleans leaders who fought a Republican-led overhaul of local courts in the heavily Democratic city.

The 16-count indictment against Republican Liz Murrill, handed up Thursday by a New Orleans grand jury, charges Louisiana’s first female attorney general with intimidation and malfeasance.

At the center of the case are deepening rifts between state leaders in Louisiana, which is heavily Republican, and Democrats who control the state’s most prominent city.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry promised a swift pardon, saying Murrill would not have her reputation tarnished by an “Orleans kangaroo court.” Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat, was among those who had accused the state’s top law enforcement official in May of making threats against public officials.

Murrill called the case against her “retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional.” Late Thursday, Murrill said she had filed for an emergency stay with the Louisiana Supreme Court.

“I will not back down. I will continue enforcing the law, fighting corruption, and doing the job the people of Louisiana elected me to do,” she wrote on X.

For months, political tensions intensified between Louisiana Republicans and New Orleans officials over a new law that abolished a court clerk office won by an exoneree, Calvin Duncan, who spent nearly three decades in prison. The change consolidated that job with another clerk’s office, which Republican supporters said would make the local judicial system more efficient.

The change was staunchly opposed by New Orleans leaders, and in May, the City Council set a special election that would have given Duncan a chance to win the newly combined job. Murrill responded by warning local officials in letters that they could lose their offices for violating state “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder.

“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way,” special prosecutor Laurie White told reporters.

Bond for Murrill was set at $400,000 on Thursday, according to court records.

Landry said he was ordering state police to investigate what he called “alleged improprieties” of the grand jury and those who ran it.

“The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!” he wrote on X.

The Republican Attorneys General Assn. said that making statements to local officials — in writing — was simply “issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law” as part of her official duties. It called the indictment “as outrageous as it is dangerous.”

Moreno, who was elected in January and was defiant after Murrill sent the letters, on Thursday called it a “matter for the courts” and did not directly address the allegations.

“My focus, as always, remains on fulfilling the responsibilities the people of New Orleans elected me to carry out,” Moreno said.

Duncan has said he believes state officials were retaliating against him in eliminating the job he won with 68% of the vote. Murrill and Landry have long refused to acknowledge his innocence, though he’s listed on the National Registry of Exonerations.

Republicans have said the change was not personal and supporters have noted that the offices of criminal and civil clerks of courts are combined in other parishes.

Duncan was a jailhouse lawyer who later graduated from law school. He founded a nonprofit dedicated to expanding incarcerated people’s access to the court system and was the driving force behind a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended nonunanimous jury convictions.

Duncan spent more than 28 years in prison over a fatal shooting during a robbery in 1981.

The night before a 2011 hearing to consider new evidence, prosecutors offered to reduce Duncan’s sentence to the time he’d already served in prison if he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery. Duncan took the deal and was freed but didn’t give up on clearing his name.

In 2021, a judge agreed that Duncan had been unjustly convicted and vacated his sentence altogether. Landry and Murrill have pointed to the 2011 plea deal in objecting to Duncan calling himself exonerated.

Riddle and Hanna write for the Associated Press. Associated Press reporter Jack Brook in New Orleans contributed.

NEW YORK — More than half of the WNBA ‘s 180 players didn’t submit their ballots for All-Star starters ahead of this month’s game in Chicago, a person familiar with the balloting told the Associated Press on Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the voting. It’s unclear why so many players didn’t cast their votes. However, the Sparks were one of the teams that didn’t have all of its players vote due to some operational errors.

“Players were sent ballots via email,” the Sparks said in a statement. “Some players indicated that they didn’t receive the email or weren’t aware of it until after the voting period had closed. That’s something we take responsibility for as an organization, and we’ll have a more robust process going forward.”

Fan vote accounts for 50% of the overall vote while players and a media panel each are 25%. It’s been that way since 2017.

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said her team has never had an issue getting players to submit their ballots.

“We always vote. But I do think especially if they’re weighed as much as they are, like teams should be making sure that their players are voting like it is important. There should never just be a team that like, doesn’t get the ballot. …That’s something that every player should be getting the opportunity. And if the player doesn’t want to vote, then that’s on them.”

The league announced the All-Star starters on Thursday.

ESPN was the first to report the lack of ballots.

Like the media, each player is given a link to a voting site as well as an individual username and password. Those are supplied by the league to the teams who distribute them to the players.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum was lower in the player balloting than she was from the media and fans. She is second in the WNBA in scoring, but has only played in a dozen games because of injuries. She was 12th among players votes after ranking sixth by the fans and fifth by media.

She finished seventh in the voting overall for the guards. Even if the Sparks had all voted, it wouldn’t have been a guarantee that Plum moved up to the top four spots. In the past, players have said that they have either voted for their entire team on the ballot or for friends or college teammates, which has led to some skewed results. Some do take it seriously and pick who they think are the best players.

Fever star Caitlin Clark finished 11th in player balloting. She was named an All-Star starter because she placed second in the fan vote and third in the media rankings.

Feinberg writes for the Associated Press.

Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez, whose 180-day mandate ends Friday, dismissed criticism of the government’s earthquake response, saying rescue crews were deployed immediately with adequate equipment. Residents have said they were on their own for the first 48 hours.

A three-armed spacecraft rockets into orbit to rescue a NASA telescope that’s in danger of crashing back to Earth.

NASA has launched a robotic mission to try to prevent one of its ageing telescopes from burning up in the atmosphere in a complicated operation expected to last several months.

Northrop Grumman launched the Link spacecraft – built by United States-based Katalyst Space Technologies – from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

A Pegasus rocket blasted off from the belly of a modified aircraft putting Link on course to reach and capture NASA’s Swift Observatory in about a month.

Initially scheduled for Tuesday, the robot’s launch was postponed due to weather, then technical issues. Blast-off happened on Friday at 0836 GMT from an atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

The unprecedented $30m effort involves sending a robot to rescue the Swift space telescope that is falling towards Earth. If successful, the mission could pave the way for giving other satellites a second life.

Launched in 2004, Swift is sinking faster than ever because of recent solar storms. The $250m telescope studies gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe.

Once it reaches an orbit close to Swift’s, the robot will deploy its solar panels and perform a series of checks.

It will then have to locate the Swift telescope in the vastness of space, circle around it and dock using three robotic arms – manoeuvres expected to take several weeks.

Finally, it will attempt to propel the satellite approximately 300km (186 miles) higher above the Earth, roughly to its initial orbital position. That operation is expected to last at least a month.

“This is a lot of firsts stacked on top of each other,” Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m just deeply thankful that we’re even giving this a go.”

Comedy saved Teruko Nakajima’s life.

In 2016, Nakajima received psychiatric care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, diagnosed with depression, PTSD and suicidal ideation. Her doctors searched for ways to manage her stress by exposing her to various activities, including video games, serene Icelandic landscapes and an aerial silks performance. The last brought her anxiety down, revealing that the arts were the answer. Her doctor prescribed the arts, comedy specifically, so she went to the Upright Citizens Brigade for class.

She found a calling and a safe space in comedy.

“I didn’t know I was born a comedian,” Nakajima said. “Finally, I really felt I was accepted as a comedian, validated for who I am.”

Nakajima shares her healing journey to the stage in “Made in America,” which just had an encore performance at UCB on Tuesday after its award-winning run in 2022 (it is also available for streaming on UCB’s website through Tuesday). The one-woman show arrives in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary on Saturday, documenting Nakajima’s search for the American dream as a first-generation Japanese American woman. “Made in America” premiered in 2022 at the Hollywood Fringe Festival during Joe Biden’s presidency and following the Jan. 6 United States Capitol attack. In 2026, its musings on identity and belonging pierce through today’s political landscape shaped by Donald Trump’s second presidency.

“I wanted to let people know this is an American story,” she said.

“Made in America” is about Nakajima’s life. It begins in her mother’s womb. She felt so safe there, she yearned to return. Growing up, she experienced an emotionally and physically abusive life at home, recalling her father breaking furniture and her mother’s alcohol-induced belittling comments. But her name, Teruko, translates to a “shining child.” Thus, she proclaims in the show, “I’m a superstar!”

The beauty in “Made in America” is Nakajima’s ability to find the humor in her trauma. When the show transitions to her life in America, she talks about her life as a dominatrix in New York City and her struggles with romance in Los Angeles. Her comedic jabs at the American economy and humorous reflections juxtapose somber moments of stillness in the midst of her struggles. This balance puts her life into perspective, revealing a positive personality beneath a dark saga.

Nakajima performs “Made in America” at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

(Nick Rasmussen)

“I look very happy-go-lucky and cheerful, but actually, I am a very dark person because I have a dark history,” she said. “I always wanted to leave my story behind. I wanted to leave my mark in this world before I died, so I needed to make something.”

The first class Nakajima took at UCB was John Flynn’s storytelling course. There, she started building pieces of the show without realizing it. As they added up, the idea for a show surfaced. After class one day, she asked Flynn to direct it. Flynn, who has been teaching at UCB in New York and L.A. for about 20 years, agreed.

“She disarms people,” Flynn said. “There’s something about her that is just so unique and so delightful that you won’t forget her.”

Flynn first met her at his storytelling open mic. She walked in with her emotional support dog Titi (also known as Tiny Teruko), wearing her signature red heart-framed glasses, without lenses. Soon, these glasses would make him double over in laughter when she performed and cried, dabbing her eyes with tissue through the frame.

“When you start to learn her story and the experiences she’s had, it is amazing that she is so positive,” he said. “She’s such a sort of undeniable positive energy that she just radiates all the time, which is so compelling and why people are so drawn to her.”

Revived at UCB amid Trump’s second term and the nation’s 250th birthday, Nakajima’s show doubles as a defiant immigrant love letter to America — and a refuge for audiences feeling alone.

(Nick Rasmussen)

Nakajima puts all of herself into the show. Aside from comedy, she has been a cheerleader in Japan, a salsa dancer in New York and a sculptor on the side — she loves sculpting MLB players’ butts; Derek Jeter is her favorite. In the show, she folds these aspects of her life into a single story, dancing from section to section. Comedy is more than just laughs; it’s storytelling.

“I am so good at cheering people up, since I was very little,” she said. “I had no competition with others because I’m the one and only. Nobody looks like me.”

Together, Flynn and Teruko parsed through her life stories to give the show an arc. For Flynn, it’s like carving away at what is already there to create something fun and cohesive, like a sculpture. “What’s fun about directing one-person shows like this is that it’s usually just two people in a room putting something together,” Flynn said.

Bringing the show back this year, the work gets sharper and tighter, but the biggest shift is in its conclusion. Once optimistic about the future of life in America, the show now has a stronger desire to make change. There was a sense of hope in 2022 for women like Nakajima, an immigrant who sought safety in a new country and struggled with abuse from her family and strange men. Today, as Trump’s immigration policies lean on deportation and discrimination, she simply wants to be seen.

“America, thank you for not giving up on me,” Nakajima said toward the end of the show. She is proud to be American, not just because she gets to have the same nationality as her dog Titi, but primarily because of the new life it offered her. America promised happiness. Whether it actually comes is another story, but in this one, the promise itself gave her a sense of purpose.

“After the show, people come to me in person and through messages,” she said. “A lot of people said, ‘I felt like I am not alone.’ That gives me so much hope and unity. I feel safe and like I have something to look forward to because I’m not the only one.”

Flynn realized how much he took for granted while working on the show with Nakajima. “I think, even though these are scary times and things seem to be going in directions that aren’t the best, there are still great people, and there’s something that is still there and is not dying and is still fighting,” Flynn said.

When she began her acting journey, Nakajima thought she’d turn to drama, but there’s something more unguarded in comedy.

Nakajima holding up her dog Titi during a performance of “Made in America.”

(Nick Rasmussen)

“I’m very authentic and invincible through comedy,” she said.

By the end of “Made in America,” Nakajima is no longer trying to find her way back to her mother’s womb. She is confident in her place in the world. She remembers that she is a star. She brings out her dog Titi, who was hidden on stage throughout the entire performance, and shares that UCB gave her a new outlook on life. Comedy breaks away her stresses and allows viewers to be vulnerable with her.

“I always wanted to feel safe,” she said. “I never had that. Finally, I found a safe space, and then I realized that I’m actually important. I’m actually worthy. I’m so happy right now to be able to express myself through comedy because it’s the truth.”

New Jersey is launching a new fee on companies whose workers have Medicaid health coverage instead of being covered by their employers. Other states are considering it, too.

Democratic lawmakers and governors see it as a way to help pay for the joint federal and state insurance program that covers low-income residents as federal policy changes are expected to make the program more expensive for states and may lead to a reduction in the number of people with coverage.

Proponents also say it’s about fairness because employers benefit from having some lower-income workers with taxpayer-funded health coverage.

Business groups object. So do some liberal policy organizations.

New Jersey is putting the fee in place

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a measure Tuesday night to charge employers that have at least 50 workers covered by Medicaid, and the state budget she approved earlier in the week counts on raising $145 million this year from the program.

Under the plan, companies will be billed for each employee and employees’ dependent receiving Medicaid, the joint state-federal insurance program.

The fees per person would start at $325 a year for companies with 50 to 249 Medicaid beneficiaries and top out at $725 annually for employers with at least 500 recipients.

A bill passed this week in California doesn’t impose a charge now, but it does direct the state administration to present lawmakers options for doing so next year.

Finishing the job would fall to the successor of Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is leaving office in January. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra has made an employer charge part of his election platform.

State Sen. John Laird, a Democrat who sponsored the California proposal, said the big tax and policy law President Trump signed a year ago was a major factor in the need for action because it could prompt the state to spend more on Medicaid to plug holes left by federal changes.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office expects more than 10 million people will be uninsured because of the law by 2034. It requires some beneficiaries to work, be in school or volunteer — and requires even more to document whether they meet the requirements.

Most employees at the bigger companies would not be at risk of losing Medicaid coverage as long as they’re working at least 20 hours a week.

Laird also said there’s an equity issue involved.

“If you’re a small business person in California, you are quite likely paying for health insurance for your employees. And through your taxes, you’re paying for health insurance for some of the biggest employers in California,” he said. “And that’s not fair.”

Legislation with similar intents passed one legislative chamber in both Colorado and Oregon this year, but neither made it to law. A measure was also introduced in Washington.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat who is seeking a third term in November’s election, has called for the same move there with the idea of making it a part of the state budget that would kick in two years from now.

Opposition comes from business and some liberal groups

It’s no surprise that business organizations have criticized the approach, which would add to their expenses.

“The fact remains that many job-creators are still going to be penalized for something they have no control over,” Christopher Emigholz, the chief government affairs officer at the New Jersey Business and Industry Assn., said in a statement. “If an employee declines an employer-provided health plan because they’d rather be on Medicaid, it is unfair to penalize the employer for that employee’s decision.”

Some left-leaning policy organizations also oppose the charges.

Gideon Lukens, who analyzes health policy at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said that while the idea may be well-intentioned, it could lead companies to employ fewer people from low-income household or single parents. He said companies could also consider the policy in decisions about whom to hire or lay off — and also on where to locate or how many workers to employ.

And, he said, it could make employees — or potential employees — less likely to enroll in Medicaid knowing it would make them less attractive to employers.

“Usually, when I see a tax on something it’s going to discourage whatever being taxed,” he said in an interview.

New Jersey’s legislation tries to address some of the concerns. It would exempt temporary, seasonal and part-time employees. It would also bar employment decisions based on a workers’ Medicaid status.

Charging companies whose workers are covered by Medicaid isn’t a new idea. At least two states have previously enacted it, and it’s been proposed in Congress.

Massachusetts lawmakers in 2017 adopted a charge on employers up to $750 per nondisabled worker who was covered through Medicaid or a state-subsidized health exchange plan. The program began in 2018 was not renewed when it expired the next year.

An even earlier policy in Maryland, in 2006, immediately affected only Walmart. An industry group challenged it in court and won, stopping the fees.

The latest generation of proposals may avoid that legal pitfall by not referencing those health plans in the legislation.

Mulvihill writes for the Associated Press.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers are prepared to pay Ducks center Leo Carlsson the highest annual salary at $18 million since the salary cap era began in 2005, now giving the Ducks seven days to match the offer.

The Flyers tendered the five-year, $90-million offer sheet to Carlsson on Friday, which would require four of the Flyers’ first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons as compensation.

The Ducks have seven days to exercise their right of first refusal on the player, per the NHL collective bargaining agreement.

The offer sheet comes 14 years after the Flyers, under previous management, offer-sheeting Nashville defenseman Shea Weber for $110 million over 14 years, which the Predators matched.

The 21-year-old Carlsson had 29 goals, 38 assists for 67 points in 70 games last season with the Ducks. He added 11 points in 12 playoff games to help lead the Ducks to the second round.

A native of Karlstad, Sweden, Carlsson has 141 points (61 goals, 80 assists) in 201 regular-season games with the Ducks. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound center was selected by the Ducks second overall in the 2023 draft.

The Minnesota Wild in September signed Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million extension, giving him the richest contract in NHL history.

Kaprizov will count $17 million against the salary cap beginning next season, through 2034. That’s the highest annual average salary of any player since the league’s cap era began in 2005, surpassing Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl at $112 million over eight years, a $14 million annual average. Alex Ovechkin’s 13-year, $124-million contract signed with Washington in 2008 was previously the highest total value.

Gelston writes for the Associated Press.

July 3 (UPI) — The Justice Department on Friday called on states to investigate whether businesses and individuals are artificially inflating gas prices amid complaints from President Donald Trump that costs are too high.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. along with Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to state attorneys general asking them to join federal investigators in probing potentially illegal practices.

“Recent volatility in crude oil prices does not suspend either the antitrust laws or state consumer protection laws, and it does not authorize companies to manipulate retail prices or collude with their competitors,” the letter read.

“We also encourage State Attorneys General to use all tools available under your state laws to investigate and prosecute any misconduct causing unjustified prices increases — particularly conduct that violates state antitrust and consumer protection statutes.”

Gas prices have been on the rise since late February when the United States and Israel began attacks on Iran. Tehran, in return, largely shut down the Strait of Hormuz to traffic, crippling the the transport of oil through the waterway. About one-fifth of the world’s gas supplies pass through the strait.

An agreement between the United States and Iran reopened the strait, but Trump took to Truth Social on June 23 to complain that gas prices had not dropped fast enough.

“The big Oil Companies are not dropping their price at the pump commensurate with the sharply lower prices they are paying for Oil,” he wrote. “Those prices are dropping like a rock! In other words, customers are being ‘gouged.’

“I have instructed the DOJ to immediately start looking into this. Gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I’m seeing!”

AAA reported Friday that the current national average gas price was $3.82 per gallon for regular gasoline, down from $4.26 a month prior. One year ago, it was $3.16 per gallon.

Beijing’s new ethnic unity law has taken effect. It strengthens Mandarin’s position as the primary language of education, official business and public spaces across China.

The government says the law’s provisions on social cohesion and preventing separatism benefit everyone.

But activists abroad say it will further erode the rights of groups such as Uighurs and Tibetans. They are also warning against a clause that states China can take action against those who violate the law outside of the country.

Taiwan has echoed this criticism. Its government warns the law could be used to target people there who are critical of Beijing.

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

• Einar Tangen – Senior fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation
• Zumretay Arkin – Vice president, World Uyghur Congress
• William Yang – Senior analyst for Northeast Asia, International Crisis Group