News Desk

MOLLY-Mae Hague has revealed the unexpected inspiration behind baby Midas’s name – and fans will be stunned to learn he’s not named after the Greek king.

The Love Island star, 27, who welcomed her second child with Tommy Fury at the start of the month, has now opened up about the real meaning behind the tot’s name.

Tommy sensationally revealed their new baby’ name when he took on British retired strongman competitor Eddie Hall, and wore garments of clothing emblazoned with Midas’s name.

At first, it was speculated that the newborn’s name was inspired by the Greek king whom turned things to gold by simply touching them – but this is not the meaning behind Midas’s name.

Speaking in a new vlog, Molly-Mae has revealed that their son’s name was actually inspired by robot boxing film, Real Steel. 

The 2011 film, which stars Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly, is set in a near-future world.

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In the flick, high-tech robots replace human boxers in the ring, and one of the characters is called Midas, which is where Molly fell in love with the name.

Speaking about the inspiration behind Midas, Molly said: “We have named our son Midas. His middle name is Thomas and his surname is Fury.

“So he’s Midas Thomas Fury. We had this name for a boy for quite a few years.

“I saw a couple of comments when the name was being rumoured about how the name originates from Greek mythology because there was a king called King Midas, and he was the king.

“I believe the story is that everything he touches turns to gold, and I do absolutely just like love that saying,” she added.

Molly, who was speaking in the clip that was recorded before Midas’s name was revealed in the boxing ring, added: “When Tommy wears his kit tomorrow, inside the kit, when we were designing it, we put a little patch inside that says everything he touches turns into gold because I do just think it’s so special.

“But equally, he’s not necessarily named after the Greek King because I saw a few comments being like, ‘um, King Midas was a fool in Greek mythology. Like this is just so silly if she’s called her son this’.

“But the same way Bambi is not necessarily named after the Disney character Bambi, is the same way Midas is not named after the Greek King. This is the most random story.

“I actually found the name from watching a film called Real Steel, which is like the most random film. It’s basically like Transformers. 

“It’s the most not me film ever. And I showed my mum it the other week. 

“She was like, ‘This is so like random for you to like this film.’ And I was like, ‘I know, but it’s actually such a great film’.

“It’s got Hugh Jackman in it, and it’s a film about robots boxing.

“And one of the robots in the film that was boxing was called Midas.

“I heard the name, and I thought this was years ago. I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a really cool strong name’.

“Like Midas, I’ve never heard of that before. I just thought Midas Fury, I thought, ‘Wow, what a strong name’.

“Then I mentioned it to Tommy, and he just absolutely fell in love with I don’t even know what timeline we’re looking at here.

“This could have been like literally years ago, but that was always our boy name really that we stuck with.”

It was initially thought that Midas was picked for its Ancient Greek connotations.

Symbolising wealth and opulence, the term is often associated with the legendary figure King Midas, who possessed the mythical ability to turn everything he touched into gold.

Midas is a prominent character in Greek mythology, and according to legend, “King Midas ruled Phrygia in Anatolia and was granted the power to turn objects into gold by the god Dionysus”.

In more modern discussions, Midas is often used to describe individuals or entities that possess a special knack for generating wealth.

Salah led Egypt to their first victory in the country’s 92-year tournament history against New Zealand.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scored his first goal of the tournament as part of a second-half flurry to deliver Egypt their first-ever World Cup victory, 3-1, over New Zealand in Vancouver.

Both Salah and Mostafa Zico bagged a goal and an assist apiece as Egypt rallied from a 1-0 half-time deficit and took over first place in Group G on Sunday. Trezeguet scored Egypt’s third goal for late insurance.

Salah celebrated his 68th international goal by pumping his fist before he was mobbed by his teammates in the 67th minute to the delight of the red-clad Pharaohs fans in the sellout crowd at BC Place, Vancouver.

When Salah was substituted in the 85th minute, he was treated to a standing ovation.

The first three matches of Group G ended in draws, including Belgium and Iran posting a scoreless tie earlier on Sunday, leaving the group open for the taking. New Zealand (0-1-1, 1 point) thought they were on that path after Finn Surman’s headed goal off a 15th-minute set piece gave them a lead they held for nearly half the match.

Egypt will finish the group stage against Iran on Friday, all but assured of advancing to the knockouts no matter the result. New Zealand, still seeking their own first World Cup win, will take aim at Belgium on the same day in their hopes of advancing.

Mostafa Shoubir made four saves for Egypt, while Max Crocombe recorded four for New Zealand.

New Zealand earned their go-ahead corner kick when Elijah Just had a strong effort on target, and Shoubir sent it out of bounds.

Tim Payne’s ensuing corner found Surman in space. Surman’s jumping header went past a helpless Shoubir to give the All Whites the lead.

Egypt had a promising look in the 35th minute on a free kick from the edge of the box after Callum McCowatt picked up a yellow card for a poor tackle. A teammate laid the ball off for Salah, whose attempt on goal missed to the left.

Egypt had more control and more of the chances in the second half, starting immediately when Salah pressured Crocombe into a save less than 40 seconds in.

But the Pharaohs finally broke through in the 58th minute. Mohamed Hany landed a perfect cross for Zico, whose header near the 6-yard line struck Crocombe’s glove on its way in.

Salah’s turn came nine minutes later. Zico connected with Salah up the right side on a transition play. He dribbled around his man into the box and tapped a pass ahead to Zico, who back-heeled it into a pocket of space for Salah to finish with a left-footed shot to the bottom-left corner.

Trezeguet wrapped up the match in the 82nd minute on another header from a corner kick. Salah sent in a low offering, and Trezeguet was unmarked as his diving header bounded in. It was Trezeguet’s 24th career goal in an international competition and his first at a World Cup.

“In years to come, we will remember that this was one of the achievements in history,” Salah said.

He praised the large Egyptian contingent in the crowd, saying: “It feels like we are playing in Egypt. It’s a great win and great vibe.”

Blast at Ras Laffan Industrial City caused by ‘technical malfunction’, Ministry of Interior says.

An explosion at Qatar’s main liquefied natural gas processing facility has injured 54 people and left 18 others missing, authorities have said.

The Qatari International Search and Rescue Group were deployed to conduct search operations for those missing following the “internal explosion” at Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said on Monday.

The ministry did not provide information on the conditions of those injured in the incident, which it blamed on a “technical malfunction”.

Officials had said earlier that civil defence teams responding to the scene had not recorded any injuries.

The ministry said there was no leakage from the facility that would pose a danger to public safety.

QatarEnergy, which administers the industrial hub, said emergency response teams were immediately deployed after the explosion at the Barzan factory and brought a fire at the facility under control.

Ras Laffan Industrial City, located about 80km (50 miles) north of Doha, is home to the world’s largest LNG export facility, producing about one-fifth of global supply.

In March, the Qatari government announced that the industrial hub had sustained “significant damage” after being targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks.

QatarEnergy invoked the force majeure clause in some of its contracts to free itself from its supply obligations following the attacks, affecting customers ⁠in Italy, Belgium, South Korea ⁠and China.

JESY Nelson has shared her twin daughters’ spinal braces with an emotional message ahead of the upcoming Parliament debate.

The mum-of-two made a candid post explaining her daughters now have to wear them every day.

Jesy shared a snap of her twin daughters Ocean and Story’s spinal braces as she urged fans to attend the Parliament debate on SMA screening.

She captioned the image: “Just a reminder that future SMA babies’ lives don’t need to look like this!

“These are Ocean and Story’s spinal braces that [they] now have to wear every day.”

Jesy also shared a snap of the Parliament debate poster and wrote: “I hope to see as many of you there tomorrow. It’s going to be a big day.”

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It comes after Jesy spoke out about the unjust and “nsane” SMA “postcode lottery” – which “decides if children will be disabled or not.”

The loving mum appeared on social media in a candid video expressing her deep frustrations over ‘unfair’ Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) heel prick testing.

The X Factor star – who has racked up over 150k signatures – is calling for SMA to be tested for at birth regardless of where you live.

The debate is set to take place tomorrow, June 22, and, if granted, SMA screenings will be added for newborns.

The singer’s daughters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe were born prematurely in May last year and were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.

In the emotional video, the singer said: “I just wanted to come on here to basically chat about a few things that are just so incredibly important to me and I know so many other people.

“Some of you may be aware of the fact that I’ve been trying to get SMA as part of the heel prick test here in England, and thank God for you guys, the signatures got over 150,000 and because of that, it is now going to get debated in parliament this Monday coming up, which is just crazy to me to know that we did that and I just need you guys to know that this has never been debated in parliament before.

“There has been a whole community of people that have been screaming and shouting about this for years and years and years, and it’s never been able to get this far, because it’s been ignored every single time.

“But you guys did it, because you made enough noise and you supported this and you got it there and I cannot thank you guys enough…

“So many thoughts have been going through my mind over this week, because every time I think about it, I’m like, how am I going to Parliament on Monday to debate whether children, future children, are going to be disabled or not?

“That’s how deep it is, because if your child gets this treatment from birth with a simple heel prick test and they get this treatment, you would not even know that they have SMA. 

“That’s how deep it is, right? That is how life-changing this treatment is. You would not even know that your child has SMA, but if they don’t get this treatment and they don’t get the heel prick test, they will go on to be disabled…

“And not only be disabled, but they will go on to have breathing machines, coughing machines, constant operations. It never ever ends.

“And I still can’t believe that in this day and age, when we’ve had three life-changing treatments now for nearly six years, it’s still a thing. It’s still not here in England.

“It is being rolled out in October, but only in certain parts of England.

“How does that make sense? How are we playing postcode lottery with children’s lives? How is that okay? I cannot stress you how important this is.

“This is our future, future children we are deciding on. Mums now that are currently pregnant and maybe about to have a baby that could potentially have this disease. We’re basically going to decide whether they’re going to be disabled or not, like it blows my mind.

“And I just seem to stress this so much, because that’s how deep it is. We are playing with children’s lives and it is not okay.

“It’s not okay to be like, if you live in this area, your child won’t be disabled, but if you live in this area, yeah, they’ll be disabled.

“We’re not doing this anymore. We’ve made too much noise now for this to be ignored.

“Anyway, sorry for getting irate about this, but it makes me so sad to think that my children’s lives could look so different and not only my children’s lives, but so many other families and children are dealing with this across the whole of England.”

Alongside the tear-jerking post, she added: “We have had some amazing news that screening is due to start in October this year, which is a huge step forward!

“But there’s still a big problem… it will only cover 72% of England. That means some babies won’t be screened simply because of where they live.

“A postcode lottery like that just isn’t fair. Every baby deserves the same chance, everybaby’ss life matters!

“On Monday 22nd June, the petition will be debated by MPs in Parliament. I’ll be there alongside @gileslomax from SMA UK and we’re hoping this debate will help push for screening to be available for every newborn across England.

“We’ll be arriving at 5pm on Monday, and it would mean so much to see as many of you there as possible. We’d love to get a photo together outside Parliament before we head inside.

“Please if you can, tag your MP in the comments and ask them to attend the debate and support universal newborn screening for SMA.

“The areas currently missing out on screening are: Bristol, Cambridge, Portsmouth, Leeds, Liverpool, Oxford.

“No baby should miss out because of their postcode. Let’s keep fighting until every newborn has the same opportunity. Thank you for standing with us every step of the way!”

The first round of US-Iran talks has ended with both sides agreeing on a roadmap towards a final deal to be reached ‘within 60 days’. Iran said the negotiations resulted in waivers for oil exports and the release of some frozen assets. The parties have also agreed to a ‘de-confliction cell’ to monitor the ceasefire in Lebanon.

ADELE is gearing up to shock the music world by making a comeback – and is already hard at work.

The elusive superstar singer vowed to take a “big break” two years ago.

Now The Sun can reveal she secretly flew into London earlier this month from her LA bolthole and has been writing and recording at Church Studios in North London over the past week.

In even more exciting news for fans, other famous musicians have been spotted there while she has been inside.

It all leads to hopes the 38-year-old may have collaborations on her next record, having never done so on the core work of her four albums.

American singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, better known as frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver, was photographed outside the studios last Wednesday.

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It is not known whether he is working with Adele, although in 2016 she tweeted: “Bon Iver’s music is one of the true loves of my life. Every. Single. Time.”

Gen Z heartbreak singer Gracie Abrams also appeared to be shooting a music video outside at the same time.

The studios are owned by producer Paul Epworth, who Adele has worked closely with throughout her career, and with whom she won an Oscar for James Bond theme song Skyfall.

Church Studios are also where she made parts of her 2015 album 25.

A source said: “Adele is spending at least a fortnight in London writing and recording music.

“She was in and out of sessions last week and will be back in there this week, but she is keeping a low profile while she is here.

“She feels safe at Church Studios and it’s where Paul is based, so it made sense to travel over for the ­sessions, rather than work somewhere else in LA.”

The studios were previously owned by Eurhythmics great Dave Stewart, and it was where the British band recorded their 1983 album Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This).

Industry insiders believe the move is an attempt to develop a more English-sounding album, after her most recent one, 30, was made in the States.

A second music source said: “Adele has been living in LA for a decade now and although she loves it, her roots in London are very important to her.

“People close to her have been encouraging her to reconnect with where she grew up for her new music, because they believe it will help inspire something different.

“Her last album was well received but it was very Hollywood.

“People loved Adele originally because she was down to earth and relatable, so she’s trying to bring that back by drawing on inspirations in her home town.

“Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Oasis, Mick Jagger, Florence + The Machine, Culture Club, The Streets, Tom Jones, and her close friend Jack Penate have all worked at Church Studios before, so she’s in good company.”

Adele was born in Tottenham, North London, and later moved to Brixton and West Norwood in South London.

On her third album 25, released in 2015 just before she relocated to the US, she had lyrics about the capital and a song called River Lea, about the waterway running through Tottenham.

But 2021’s 30 was written about her divorce from charity entrepreneur Simon Konecki, which happened in LA, and made no mention of the UK.

After releasing the record, she ­performed two sell-out shows in Hyde Park, followed by her two-year ­Weekends With Adele residency in Las Vegas and a ten-night residency at a purpose-built stadium in Munich.

Now it is clear the mum-of-one is trying to soak up some British ­culture while she is here.

Adele was photographed in London nine days ago arriving at the 36th birthday party of actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Then on Thursday night she attended Messy singer Lola Young’s concert at O2 Academy Brixton, and the youngster shared a selfie of them together.

Fans have also claimed Adele was in the audience at a production of Romeo & Juliet in London’s West End on Friday night.

In July 2024, Adele revealed she planned to take a break after her run of Sin City shows.

She said: “I don’t have any plans for new music at all.

“I want a big break after all this and I think I want to do other ­creative things just for a little while.”

But in February, she flew to Rome for her acting debut in Tom Ford’s upcoming historical drama Cry To Heaven, based on Anne Rice’s 1982 novel of the same name.

She spent several weeks there and will appear opposite Hollywood heavyweights including Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult and Thandiwe Newton.

Two months later, The Sun revealed she was being courted to record a single for the soundtrack.

But although work has brought her back to the UK, it looks unlikely that a move is on the cards.

The Rolling In The Deep singer paid £47million in 2022 for Sylvester Stallone’s former Californian home with her sports agent partner Rich Paul.

The following year Adele talked about how she would find it tough to move back to the UK.

The singer, who now only occasionally returns to London, explained: “I get really bad seasonal depression, so the weather is good for me here.

“It is strange sometimes, because I’m very British. Because it’s a bit harder for me to go out nowadays, what I love the most about LA is everyone goes to each other’s houses. I like that.

“And I actually have made a lot of really great core friends. I didn’t think I’d ever have a real friend group here. I don’t want a bunch of celebrities being my friends — well, only celebrities.

“And my friends are actually from LA, Before I moved here, I’d never met one person who was from LA.

“They’re not famous and they’re great. And having a kid at school, I’ve got great mum friends. I do like it.”

The same year, she had an ­emotional exchange with British actor and presenter James Corden on his final Carpool Karaoke ­segment on The Late Late Show, before he moved back to the UK.

James said: “It’s been a brilliant adventure but I’m just so certain it’s time for us as a family, with people getting older, people that we miss, to go home.”

A teary Adele responded: “I know. I’m just not ready to come back yet, otherwise I would come back with you.”

She also said she likes being left alone in LA, adding: “For anyone that has never been to LA, you assume it would be the opposite. But there are so many famous ­people here that they don’t waste their time,” she said.

“I really miss London, but I miss the London from before all of this happened in my life.”

Since releasing her debut album 19 in 2008, Adele has become one of the 21st century’s best-selling artists, and won 16 Grammys.

Her second album 21 racked up sales of 57million, while 30 sold 261,000 copies in its first week to become the fastest-selling album in four years.

Now the pressure is on for Adele to continue her streak of success.

Having named her first four albums after the ages she was when she wrote them — 19, 21, 25 and 30 — it remains to be seen whether her next record will be called 38, her age now.

When 25 came out, Adele said: “I think this will be my last age one.

“I’m sure I’m wrong with this but I feel there’s been a massive change in me in the last couple of years.”

She later decided to name her fourth album after the age she was when she got divorced, and reflected on the future of her titles in an interview at the time.

Adele said: “I am just like everyone else in the world. I can change my mind. And I haven’t got to stay true to something that I’ve said — you know, I think the age thing is a bloody good idea. And so I want to keep going with (the titles). Or I might not.”

Our music insider added: “Adele feels the pressure with her music and won’t rush anything out if it’s not up to scratch with her back catalogue.

“She has been writing for a while now but she is taking her time with it.

“She knows there are always grand expectations and she is determined to only return when the music is the best it can be.”

Footage shows Colombian outsider Abelardo de la Espriella in an armoured vehicle next to his vice-presidential candidate, Jose Manuel Restrepo, celebrating a narrow lead in the preliminary election results.

“House of the Dragon” is unveiling the next chapter of its Targaryen family drama.

Premiering Sunday, Season 3 of HBO’s epic fantasy will pick up right after the events of the second season, which ended with Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), the displaced would-be ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, finally finding some momentum in her campaign to claim the Iron Throne.

The Targaryen civil war has been a bit of a slow burn so far, though both sides of the family have suffered major casualties. That’s likely to change in Season 3, now that both factions have added key reinforcements.

Why are the Targaryens fighting?

“House of the Dragon” is about the Targaryen war of succession known as the Dance of the Dragons. Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne stems from her father, King Viserys I, naming her his heir, despite women traditionally being overlooked in the line of succession.

But when King Viserys died, his eldest son Aegon was crowned king instead. King Aegon II is Rhaenyra’s younger half-brother who was born after she had already been announced as Viserys’ heir.

Rhaenyra’s supporters, known as the Blacks, include her uncle-turned-husband Daemon Targaryen and their children, as well as Corlys Velaryon.

Aegon’s faction, the Greens, includes his mother Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra’s childhood friend; and siblings Helaena (his wife), Aemond and Daeron.

Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) in “House of the Dragon” Season 3.

(Theo Whiteman / HBO)

What happened in Season 2?

Much of “House of the Dragon” Season 2 involved both sides assembling allies and establishing battle lines — but there was plenty of bloodshed along the way.

The season kicked off with Rhaenyra demanding vengeance against Aemond for killing her son Lucerys. Unfortunately, Daemon’s hired assassins killed Aegon’s young son Jaehaerys instead so any real possibility for a family reconciliation was lost.

The big battle of the season happened at Rook’s Rest, where Princess Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys were killed by Aemond and his dragon Vhagar while fighting Aegon and his dragon Sunfyre. Aegon was severely injured by Aemond and Vhagar in that battle.

Aemond was named Prince Regent in the aftermath, and seized control of the Iron Throne while Aegon recovered.

The Greens made a key alliance with the Triarchy to fortify its naval forces. The Blacks, meanwhile, essentially held open tryouts to find new dragonriders to add more aerial firepower. They also gained more ground troops thanks to Daemon’s efforts in the Riverlands.

How did the season end?

In the Season 2 finale, Alicent took a secret trip to Dragonstone to make a deal with Rhaenyra. She offered to essentially hand over the Iron Throne while Aemond was away if Rhaenyra promised to spare her and her family. When Rhaenyra insisted that Aegon had to die for her to properly claim victory, Alicent agreed.

Unfortunately for them, Aegon had snuck out of King’s Landing with the help of Larys Strong.

Meanwhile, various troops led by Criston Cole, Gwayne Hightower, Jason Lannister and others were on the move.

Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is on the move in “House of the Dragon” Season 3.

(Theo Whiteman / HBO)

Just how many dragons are at this dance?

The Greens have four dragons ridden by the Targaryen siblings, but not all are currently available for battle.

Aegon and his dragon Sunfyre are both injured. Helaena, whose dragon is Dreamfyre, told Aemond that she would not join him in battle. The oldest and largest is Aemond’s dragon Vhagar, who has already triumphed over a couple of Team Black’s dragonriders.

Their youngest brother Daeron rides Tessarion, but they have not yet joined the fray.

The Blacks, meanwhile, currently have seven dragons among them, including Rhaenyra‘s beast Syrax. Daemon, who has the most experience in battle, rides Caraxes. Their children Jacaerys and Baela’s dragons are Vermax and Moondancer, respectively.

Newly added to the mix are lowborn dragonriders of Valyrian descent, Addam of Hull (whose father is Corlys Velaryon), Hugh and Ulf. Their respective dragons are Seasmoke, Vermithor and Silverwing.

There are also some wild dragons in Westeros like the one Rhaena (Daemon’s daughter, Baela’s sister) encounters in the Vale called Sheepstealer.

Dragons will battle in “House of the Dragon” Season 3.

(HBO)

What can we expect from Season 3?

Season 3 will kick off with a massive clash on the sea known as the Battle of the Gullet. This will involve Corlys Velaryon and his fleet trying to fend off an attack by Tyland Lannister and the Triarchy. It’s also no secret that Rhaenyra will make her way back to the Red Keep to claim King’s Landing.

New characters such as Ormund Hightower (Alicent’s cousin) and Daeron Targaryen (Alicent’s youngest son) will officially join the action for the Greens in Season 3. The Blacks can expect reinforcements from the north in the form of the Winter Wolves.

Other loose ends from previous seasons include Rhaena’s quest to tame a wild dragon and the status of Rhaenyra’s youngest children who were sent away for their safety. There is also the mystery around the captivity of Otto Hightower, Alicent’s father.

June 21 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that work will begin “immediately” to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, blaming vandalism for problems at the newly renovated Washington, D.C. landmark.

Trump repeatedly claimed over the weekend on social media that there had been arrests in connection with vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, which has been plagued by issues since undergoing a $15 million restoration ordered by the president.

From algae blooms to blue coating peeling off its bottom, the Reflecting Pool has been a target of criticism of the Trump administration, which has defended the restoration as necessary while blaming vandals for at least some of the damage.

In a social media statement on Sunday, Trump said he inspected the Reflecting Pool and was in disbelief at what he saw.

“I just inspected it, and could only say to myself, and those gathered around me, WOW, who would do such a thing? SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!” he said.

It was unclear exactly what damage Trump was attributing to vandalism.

In a Saturday post, Trump referenced the need to drain the pool in order to conduct vandalism-related repairs, which was in addition to alleged vandalism to landscaping.

“They took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence and money to build and complete,” he said.

“They also poured corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool.”

Trump first commented on the pool Saturday evening, saying in a statement that U.S. Park Police had arrested “multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Pool.”

He then said hours later that “many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool.”

UPI has asked U.S. Park Police for confirmation of arrests and damage to the pool caused by vandalism.

Trump first announced plans to restore the pool in November. Atlantic Industrial Coatings Limited was awarded $6.89 million in April to paint the bottom of the pool. The broader restoration has since been reported to cost about $15 million.

He announced June 6 that work on the pool was complete ahead of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States to be held alongside Trump’s 80th birthday.

But within days of the completion, the pool began experiencing issues. Videos posted online show the pool’s surface green with algae, while others show individuals reaching into the pool to handle the peeling blue paint.

On Friday, three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn was arrested for allegedly damaging the pool. He has claimed in interviews with multiple news organizations that he only touched the edge of hardened paint that was peeling off the pool’s floor.

“I didn’t vandalize anything,” he said.

Diplomatic sparring between Ukraine and Belarus escalated sharply on 19 June, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Belarus dismantle communications infrastructure allegedly used by Russia to extend the range of its strike drones. Zelensky has offered a week for such removals to take place, reportedly saying, “I am giving a week for it to be withdrawn; otherwise, we will do it ourselves.” This marks a severe deterioration in relations since Belarus allowed Russian forces to cross Ukraine’s northern border using Belarusian territory in 2022. Following Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine’s northern regions, Belarus has not enabled further assaults from its own territory but has actively aided Russian efforts, in part, by allowing drones to operate over Belarusian territory to strike Ukrainian targets with less warning. These increased tensions follow recent statements from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko aimed at easing tensions, stating, “If Volodymyr Oleksandrovych was offended, I apologize to him for those words… Perhaps I shouldn’t have spoken so sharply about it. But, on the other hand, he should understand, as we often say: you get what you give.” As Zelensky applies pressure to Russia’s key European ally, Lukashenko’s response may determine whether his country will begin to withdraw support or play a larger part in this war.

Belarus’ Assistance in Putin’s Invasion

Belarus has played a vital role in Russia’s aggression since 2022, remaining one of Moscow’s most important enablers throughout the war. On the opening days of the conflict, 45,000 Russian soldiers crossed into the capital region of Kyiv. Since Russia’s withdrawal from northern Ukraine, Belarus has remained a tacit supporter of the invasion, finding auxiliary ways to support its key strategic ally’s actions in Ukraine without directly becoming involved itself. While weapons transfers and diplomatic support aid Moscow’s war effort, Belarus’ most valuable contributions come from two primary sources. First, Belarus’ expansive border with Ukraine. The two countries share a border that stretches over 1,000 kilometers. The existence of a Russian ally on Ukraine’s northern border introduces the risk of another attack from this direction, requiring the dedication of over 100,000 soldiers to the defense of a region that may not become active for the duration of the war. Second, neutral airspace was made available to long-range strike drones. Without this advantageous lane of attack, Russian drones, such as the Geran-2, must spend hours loitering over Ukrainian territory, where they are exposed to interception attempts while trying to reach their targets. Additionally, and central to Zelensky’s latest ultimatum, Belarus has reportedly allowed Russia to build a network of relays along Ukraine’s border to expand the range of its strike drones, allowing greater operational reach and improved resistance to electronic warfare.

Belarusian Capabilities

Threats made without the capability to enforce them are functionally pointless, suggesting that Zelensky believes Ukraine occupies a militarily advantageous position relative to Belarus. This warrants analysis of Belarus’ military capabilities to determine whether they pose a threat to Ukraine. As of 2022, Belarus reportedly maintained an active-duty army of approximately 48,000 soldiers, with inactive trained reserves and additional supporting personnel amounting to another 300,000 people. The country fields 1,200 main battle tanks and 3,400 other armored fighting vehicles, although it is unclear how many remain in active service. Many of these vehicles are of questionable utility, with Belarus operating mainly vintage Soviet equipment and few vehicles having been modernized to contemporary standards. The Belarusian Air Force fares slightly better, fielding 48 front-line fighter aircraft, of which 16 are new Su-30SM/SM2 airframes. The war and its rapidly changing dynamics have forced Belarus to invest in the modernization of its armed forces. However, in contrast to many Western modernization programs, which frequently involve high-value equipment deals, Belarusian efforts have focused more heavily on improving infantry capabilities. Belarus currently funds several programs for procuring modern armored vehicles and has recently made new equipment purchases from Russia, including the nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile known as Oreshnik. More transformative, however, are efforts to reform the country’s mobilization system and employment of experienced Wagner mercenaries to train Belarusian soldiers in drone-centric combat techniques. This could be interpreted either as an inability to afford more comprehensive reforms or as a deliberate shift away from traditional reliance on armored formations in favor of unmanned systems. Regardless of the motivation, these programs demonstrate substantive efforts to improve the military readiness of a vital ally to Russia.

Ukrainian-Belarusian Diplomatic Efforts

Zelensky’s demand follows months of escalating tensions between Belarus and Ukraine, contrasting Belarus’ traditionally ancillary role in Ukrainian foreign relations. Due to Belarus’ refusal to participate directly in combat operations, Kyiv had little incentive to press diplomatic issues and antagonize its northern neighbor. Until the recent flare-up, it was in Ukraine’s interest to keep Belarus on the sidelines while accepting the reality of Belarusian aid and weapons transfers that benefited Russia. Relations between the two countries followed a repeated cycle of saber-rattling, military posturing, de-escalation, and periods of calm. Lukashenko has repeatedly offered his services as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, although Kyiv has rejected these offers because of Belarus’ close ties to Moscow. Tellingly, despite Belarus aiding its aggressor, Ukraine has maintained diplomatic ties with Minsk throughout the conflict. Lukashenko further offered to open bilateral talks with Kyiv in late 2025 in an attempt to reduce rising tensions. These efforts failed to bear fruit as relations deteriorated to their lowest point since the beginning of the war in May 2026. Following the construction of additional drone launching facilities in Belarus and an increase in Russian drone strikes, Ukrainian diplomacy shifted towards the application of direct pressure. Kyiv’s announcement that it had identified more than 500 strategic Belarusian targets in the event of conflict culminated in Zelensky’s ultimatum to dismantle Russia’s drone relay network within a week. The ultimatum suggests that Ukraine is abandoning its previous strategy of managing tensions with Belarus in favor of direct pressure. It also followed the largest Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow to date. Viewed in that context, Zelensky appears to be leveraging Ukraine’s growing long-range strike capabilities while simultaneously attempting to disrupt a component of Russia’s own drone warfare infrastructure.

AMANDA Holden has slipped into a skin-tight gold catsuit for a very sexy Father’s Day date with her husband Chris Hughes.

Amanda, 55, took to Instagram to share snaps with her fans and captioned them: “The name’s Holden. Golden Holden. Licence to shimmer.”

She jokingly added: “Permission to be subtle: denied.”

Wearing a full‑body, metallic gold outfit, the BGT judge looked simply stunning as she posed for the cameras.

In the official shoot, Amanda is posed on all fours on a large, circular, cushioned platform.

In another, she was lying face‑down on a bed with her body angled slightly to one side.

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Amanda also wore matching gold high‑heeled shoes, which addded cinematic Bond vibes to the shoot as she stood beside her husband Chris.

The TV star also shared a video which showed her posing outdoors and having her make-up spritzed.

In full glam makeup and her blonde locks flowing loosely over her shoulders – Amanda also shimmied and danced in the clip.

Her followers flocked to comment and one wrote: “Straight out of a Bond movie.”

TV Presenter Lizzie Cundy wrote: “This is epic!” Towies Sam Faiers said: “The glam!”

Another fan wrote: “Love it! Channeling Shirley Eaton in Goldfinger.”

“Midas Touch,” wrote another.

While another said: “This is epic! Obsessed with your commitment to a theme.”

Ship tracking data shows sharp fall in transits as US and Iranian officials hold talks to save fragile peace framework.

Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged following Iran’s announcement that it has closed the waterway once again over Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, according to ship tracking data.

A total of 12 vessels crossed the strait on Sunday, down from 35 transits the previous day, an analysis by maritime intelligence company Windward showed on Sunday.

Five of eight vessels entering the strait had their Automatic Identification Systems turned off, according to Windward.

“The current traffic profile: dark, sanctioned, Iranian-linked, resembling the late-blockade baseline more than a functioning open strait,” Windward said in a post on X.

Maritime traffic in the strait had been showing signs of recovery since US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding on ending the US-Israel war on Iran.

Twenty-five vessels transited the strait on Thursday, the highest number since mid-April, according to data from maritime intelligence provider Kpler.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday declared the waterway shut, citing Israeli “crimes” in Lebanon and the failure of the US to maintain a ceasefire in the country.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday denied that Iran had closed the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and liquified natural gas supplies, saying that safe passage through the waterway remained “intact”, with 55 merchant ships transiting that day.

The cause of the discrepancy between the transit figures provided by CENTCOM and commercial ship tracking providers is unclear.

US and Iranian negotiators on Sunday held make-or-break talks in Switzerland as the conflict in Lebanon threatened to derail efforts to turn their 60-day ceasefire extension into a permanent peace deal.

In a briefing to Iranian media after the talks, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the sides had discussed the safe passage of ships through the strait, and “a mechanism was set up, which is important”.

Despite renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran and signs of slowing traffic in the strait, oil prices moved lower on Monday morning in Asia.

Brent crude, the primary international benchmark, was down about 0.9 percent as of 01:30 GMT, at just below $80 a barrel.

Asia’s major stock markets opened higher, with key indices in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan making substantial gains.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 and Seoul’s Kospi were up 1.8 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, while the Taiex in Taipei surged 2.6 percent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index bucked the rally, dipping 0.7 percent.

Members of Congress are again moving to block the U.S. Air Force from retiring all of its U-2S Dragon Lady spy planes. This time, legislators also want to compel the service to “fully restore” four of the iconic aircraft through heavy depot maintenance, which would bolster the fleet’s operational capacity. The Air Force continues to argue that the high-flying Cold War-era jets are too vulnerable to support future high-end fights and should be supplanted by a mix of space-based and other capabilities. This would presumably include a classified stealthy high-altitude drone, commonly (and unofficially) referred to as the RQ-180, or an evolution thereof, which first emerged publicly just earlier this year.

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee released a draft defense spending bill for the 2027 Fiscal Year. It includes a provision that would prevent the Air Force from retiring more than two U-2Ss in that fiscal cycle. The Air Force currently has 23 of these aircraft in inventory, including three two-seat TU-2S trainers.

A summary of the proposed legislation also says it includes “$81 million for U-2 programmed depot maintenance to fully restore four aircraft.” The current operational status of the aircraft in question is unclear. This is included under the umbrella of $335.3 billion in total funding for operation and maintenance (O&M) accounts across the services that the draft bill would appropriate for Fiscal Year 2027.

Programmed depot maintenance for any aircraft is an intensive process that essentially involves a full tear-down and detailed inspection. Paint and other coatings are typically stripped and reapplied. Upgrades and modifications are often worked into depot maintenance cycles given the extensive work already being done.

U-2 Dragon Lady Maintenance

The Air Force’s proposed budget for the 2027 Fiscal Year completely zeroes out the line for U-2 O&M, to include depot maintenance, reflecting the service’s desire to retire the fleet. An annual force structure report the Pentagon released in May concisely outlines the current argument for retiring the remaining U-2Ss.

“The Air Force will retire the entire 23-ship U-2 fleet, as the platform is no longer viable for future high-end conflicts,” the force structure report says. “Continued operation presents significant safety, logistical, and financial risks that outweigh the platform’s remaining utility in contested environments.”

“This decision allows for the strategic reallocation of fiscal resources to fund more critical, high-priority service requirements and accelerate modernization efforts in other key areas,” it adds. “Continuing to operate the U-2 fleet would require a significant investment to address systemic issues, including diminishing manufacturing capacity, material shortages, and safety risks inherent in the aging platform.”

Questions about the continued relevance of the U-2 in the face of an ever-expanding global air defense threat ecosystem are not new. Near-peer competitors like China and Russia, as well as lower-tier potential adversaries like Iran, continue to develop and field more capable air defense systems and expand their anti-access and area denial bubbles. This, in turn, has threatened to push the U-2 further and further from the areas where it would be tasked to collect.

On top of all this, the U-2s are aging and becoming more costly to operate and maintain. The U-2S models in service today were upgraded from earlier variants that began their service careers in the 1980s.

As noted, this is not the first time the Air Force has tried to retire its remaining U-2s, citing operational and sustainment-related factors. In response, Congress has repeatedly intervened in the past few years to at least block full divestment of the fleet over persistent concerns about the aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability and capacity gap that might result.

The Dragon Lady continues to offer a unique ISR platform that can fly higher than any other operational non-orbital platform, crewed or uncrewed, the U.S. military has, at least from what we know today. This, in turn, means that the aircraft can bring imaging, signals intelligence, communications payloads, and other sensors up to those altitudes, giving them particularly good fields of view. From this perch, aircraft can use a slant angle to peer deep into denied areas while still flying international airspace and further away from potential threats. The use of the U-2 to gather intelligence about a Chinese spy balloon that soared over parts of the United States and Canada in 2023, which involved flying above it, offered a particularly public demonstration of the value of the aircraft’s high-altitude capabilities.

Each Dragon Lady can also carry a wide array of different sensor systems simultaneously, as well as communications packages, further increasing its flexibility. The U-2Ss have the ability to be readily deployed to forward locations globally and conduct long-duration sorties, as well. The latter points have been especially relevant in comparison to known existing ISR satellite constellations that are constrained by their orbits and can only offer relatively short-term coverage over a specific area. We will come back to this in a moment.

It is worth noting here that the Air Force’s Dragon Lady fleet also has a long history now of providing valuable ISR support outside of traditional combat operations. Last year, the service confirmed U-2Ss were supporting the enhanced border security mission along the United States’ southern boundary with Mexico. The aircraft have been used to support counter-narcotics operations over the years, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. NASA also operates a pair of ER-2 aircraft, another version of the Dragon Lady, as high-flying scientific research platforms.

The Air Force has been hinting for years now at the existence of advanced aircraft in the classified realm that could help fill gaps left by the retirement of the U-2, and also be more survivable in very high-threat environments. This has now been further underscored by the emergence of the ‘RQ-180,’ or a related stealthy design, in Greece earlier this year, the likely capabilities and roles of which TWZ explored in a detailed feature in April. At the same time, we have raised still unanswered questions in the past about how many of any such drones might actually be in service and what kind of operational capacity those fleets might provide.

REALITY TV star Kim Kardashian showcases a dazzling new look — striking platinum hair.

She has covered her flowing black tresses with an edgier bob wig.

Kim, 45, was wearing huge sunglasses and a floor-length coat on a night out in Beverly Hills, California, as she debuted the blonde revamp.

It was a marked change from the US star’s last public outing — cheering on Brit boyfriend Sir Lewis Hamilton, 41, at the Monaco Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Kim has been hilariously mocked by F1 ace Kimi Antonelli after stealing his towel at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Whilst supporting her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton, who lost out to winner Kimi, at the race, the reality star picked up and used a towel reserved for the Mercedes driver following the race.

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This sparked fury online, with Kim seemingly unaware that the towel was for the driver as she used it to wipe her sunglasses while walking through the paddock.

But now, 19-year-old Kimi has made light of the misunderstanding in a hilarious TikTok video, which was shared to the official Mercedes page.

In the clip, Kimi is seen asking around for his towel, before washing his hands and having nowhere to dry them.

“Hey, have you seen my towel?” the sportsman asks the camera.

Fans in the comment section of the video couldn’t hold back their laughter, with one writing: “hmm I wonder if kim k knows anything?”

“She thought it said KIM not KIMI,” said another.

A third joked: “Keeping up with Kimi’s towel”.

Towel or not, Kimi bagged his fifth-consecutive race win at the coveted Grand Prix last week, beating out Kim’s Ferrari driver boyfriend, who was close behind in second.

June 21 (UPI) — An unruly passenger bit a fellow flyer and started throwing punches aboard an American Airlines flight on Sunday, according to audio of a pilot’s conversation with air traffic controllers.

A recording first obtained by CBS News and then posted online by aviation industry monitors shows the incident happened aboard American Airlines flight AA3046 from Charlotte, N.C., to Philadelphia.

In it, the pilot of the Airbus A320 tells controllers to have emergency medics and law enforcement personnel ready meet the aircraft on arrival at Philadelphia International Airport due to a disturbance onboard allegedly created by a male passenger in his 70s.

“I don’t know… if he’s hallucinating or whatever, but he just bit a passenger and he’s trying to fight everybody,” the pilot is heard saying.

After getting confirmation from the control tower, the pilot adds, “What a day, huh?”

The controller responds, “Happy Father’s Day!”

American Airlines told CBS the passenger was experiencing a medical emergency and that he was “assisted” before the flight landed but did not confirm if police were present upon arrival.

Uruguay could need a win over Spain next weekend to avoid a second consecutive FIFA World Cup group-stage exit.

World Cup debutants Cape Verde scored a second-half equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw against Uruguay in Miami, backing up their shock opening stalemate with Spain.

Cape Verde took a surprise 21st-minute lead as Kevin Pina scored their first World Cup goal from a free-kick, only for Uruguay to strike twice shortly before half-time through Maxi Araujo and Agustin Canobbio.

But 40-year-old Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera’s mistake allowed Helio Varela to grab Cape Verde’s second just after the hour mark, and neither side could find a winner on Sunday.

Cape Verde boosted their hopes of reaching the knockout phase with their second point in Group H.

The African island nation face Saudi Arabia, thumped 4-0 by Spain earlier on Sunday, in their final group game next Saturday, knowing that victory would secure a last-32 berth.

Two-time world champions Uruguay’s hopes of progressing are in serious danger, though, after again being held by lower-ranked opposition following their 1-1 draw with the Saudis.

The South Americans may need to beat European champions Spain next weekend to avoid a second consecutive World Cup group-stage exit.

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa made two changes to the team, which were held by Saudi Arabia, with Al Hilal striker Darwin Nunez dropping to the bench.

Bubista opted for three alterations to his Cape Verde team, all in attacking positions.

Cape Verde started with more intent going forward than they were able to show against Spain, but it was still Uruguay who created the first real opening, when Federico Valverde drilled a left-footed shot wide.

But the tournament debutants forged ahead when Pina crashed a long-range free kick through a poor Uruguay wall and past Muslera.

Uruguay were in desperate need of their equaliser when it arrived in the 44th minute.

Cape Verde’s Sidny Lopes Cabral headed the ball against his own post under pressure from Rodrigo Bentancur, and Araujo stooped to nod in the rebound, with Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha stranded.

They completed the turnaround in the sixth minute of first-half added time, as Canobbio turned in Araujo’s header across goal on the volley.

Uruguay appeared in control early in the second half, until Muslera inexplicably raced out of his goal in the 61st minute and Cape Verde substitute Varela took full advantage to roll the ball into an empty net after an excellent first touch.

Vozinha, the hero of Cape Verde’s draw with Spain, fumbled to allow Araujo to tap in, but his blushes were spared by an offside flag.

Real Madrid midfielder Valverde blazed a late free kick over the bar from just outside the box, leaving Uruguay on the brink of a hugely disappointing exit.

The second series of The Celebrity Traitors will hit screens later this year – and there’s reportedly going to be a huge plot twist that even the producers didn’t see coming

The second series of Celebrity Traitors is set to feature a huge plot twist that has never been seen on the hit BBC show before – that has reportedly left producers “shocked”.

Already being billed as the “most treacherous series so far”, it’s claimed that a third of the contestants will end up as Traitors when the new season starts later this year.

Revealing how the latest celeb series will be different to anything viewers have seen before, a source told The Sun: “Those working on the programme were quite shocked by the approach adopted by the core Traitors. They went on a recruiting spree that has never been seen on either the celebrity or the ‘civilian’ version of the show in the UK.

“Last year, the original three Traitors secretly selected by Claudia remained as a trio throughout the competition — which turned out to be a winning approach. But on the follow-up series, all that changes. There’s a thrilling shift in the balance of power,” the source added.

“Even though the whole programme is based on skullduggery, nobody thought it would reach these levels.”

Filming in the famous Scottish castle is already believed to have wrapped, but fans will have to wait for the show to air to find out who the Traitors are – and which famous faces they will go on to recruit.

This year’s impressive line-up of has already been revealed and there will be 21 contestants on the celebrity version of the show that’s hosted by Claudia Winkleman.

Among those taking part this year is actor Richard E Grant, along with Mick Jagger’s ex Jerry Hall, former EastEnders star Ross Kemp, You’re Beautiful singer James Blunt and Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock.

Love Island host Maya Jama will also battle it out to win the 2026 series alongside comedians Miranda Hart, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett, James Acaster, Joe Lycett and Joanne McNally.

Actors Michael Sheen, Sharon Rooney, Bella Ramsey, Myha’la, Sebastian Croft and ex Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh have also signed up to the show. Journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, boxer and YouTube star King Kenny and mathematician Professor Hannah Fry complete the 2026 line-up.

In the 2025 series, comedian Alan Carr schemed his way to victory after being cast as a traitor. And rumours are already swirling over who this year’s traitors will be.

Perrie Edwards has already predicted that her bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock will likely be cast as a traitor because of her affinity for mischief.

Speaking on the Hanging Out with Ant & Dec podcast, she said: “Oh she is so annoying, I already know she is going to annoy me. You don’t understand how infuriating it is, she would lie about silly things so she would do pranks and we’d be like, ‘Leigh-Anne’s that’s…’ and she’d be like ‘it’s a prank’ and I’m like ‘that’s not a prank you’ve just lied, it’s just annoying’. And so I don’t know if I’ve got it in me to watch her do that for a full series.”

*Celebrity Traitors will return to BBC One and iPlayer later this year

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