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Fox is under fire for missing on-field action during the first match of the World Cup last week. .

Many sports fans were irate when the network aired a full-screen ad when play resumed after a water break during last Thursday’s Mexico–South Africa match.

In the second half, the referee called for the newly instated hydration break, but the call came during a replay, which led to a miscommunication over when the three-minute break actually started.

Fox ran its full-screen ad late, and because the break didn’t last the full three minutes, players were reportedly left stalling on the field — and many Fox viewers missed the restart entirely.

“The reason that I keep coming back to these games as a fan is for 45 solid minutes of entertainment. Anything that interrupts that, whether it’s [these hydration breaks] or anything else, is not great for the game,” Garrett Denney, an avid World Cup fan and frequent user of the World Cup Reddit page, said. “What we want to see is that kind of rhythm and tempo, the intensity for a full half of soccer.”

Fox declined to comment.

The hydration break is new to the World Cup. FIFA announced it in December as a way to protect players’ health in the summer heat. In every match, the referee is to call for a break around the 22-minute mark of both halves, regardless of weather.

A FIFA spoesperson declined to comment, but pointed to a previous press release describing the breaks as a “focused attempt to ensure the best possible conditions for players, drawing upon the experiences of previous tournaments.”

The extra minutes also created something else — a new advertising window, and broadcasters are taking advantage.

Networks are supposed to leave the on-field action 20 seconds after the referee signals the break and return 30 seconds before play resumes, allowing for ads of up to two minutes and 10 seconds in total. They can air any full-screen ad they’d like, or run a split-screen ad — though a split-screen has to feature a FIFA partner, like Coca-Cola or Adidas.

The stakes are especially high for Fox, which is also leaning on the tournament to promote Fox One, its streaming service that lets subscribers watch its programming without a traditional pay-TV subscription. The World Cup broadcast has been a major plus for the platform, which costs $19.99 a month.

For some soccer fans, though, the commercial breaks are an intrusions.

“The FIFA hydration break is pure capitalism,” comedian Kevin Fredericks wrote on X.

Musician Lloyd Cole made a similar point about the new ad windows: “US tv finally got their 4 quarters. Fifa, corrupt? Fifa?”

After Fox’s stumble, many fans started questioning the intention behind the rule itself.

That frustration has pushed some viewers toward an alternative: Telemundo. The Spanish-language network, available through the Peacock streaming platform, opted for minimal hydration-break ads instead of full-screen takeovers.

During the same Mexico–South Africa match, while Fox aired its full-screen ad, Telemundo kept players on camera, let its commentators share their thoughts, and ran a Lays ad in the corner of the screen. The network has described it as a conscious decision to prioritize authenticity and keep viewers immersed.

“No ads on Telemundo and I’m learning Spanish at the same time!” one user quipped on the World Cup subreddit.

Denney, who’s rooting for Team USA, said his family prefers the Telemundo stream too — even with only part of the household fluent in Spanish.

“Part of our household is fully fluent in Spanish, part is not. And even despite the language barrier, we’ve really gravitated toward the quality of the Telemundo stream,” Denney said. “It’s really more of a rhythmic commentary. You can get deep into the game, you’re not pulled so far out of that experience and it feels almost like you’re at the stadium.”

It would be fitting if Ireland’s first win in the T20 World Cup came against the Scots given they denied the Irish a place in the tournament two years ago as they pulled off a shock victory to reach the tournament for the first time.

Lewis said there was “major heartbreak” in the Ireland camp after that sore defeat that forced the squad to have to watch the World Cup from home.

Ireland are in a better place now and come into the tournament off the back of a productive Tri-Nations series in Clontarf where they beat both Pakistan and the West Indies.

“The series was a great success, we’ve got the results behind us. Confidence is high and that’s exactly what you want going into a World Cup,” Lewis added.

Lloyd Tennant’s side are ranked ninth in the world but are in a tough Group B which also has hosts England, holders New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies alongside the Scots.

They will face all five sides with the top two in the group moving through to the semi-finals where they will face the top two from Group A.

Scotland won by 39 runs the last time the two sides met in Nepal in January and Lewis believes getting off to a good start in their first game is “massive” for Ireland in terms of momentum.

“There’s a big rivalry between us and them. They’ve probably got one up on us at the moment after beating us in Nepal. I think we’re looking good and we’re really excited for it.

“They’ve got a new addition in Kirsty Gordon [a former England spinner] which is a boost for them.

“If we get the win, then you never know against England.”

IPSWICH isn’t the first destination that most of us think of when looking for a UK staycation or weekend break.

But it has recently been revealed to be one of the country’s most underrated towns, and it has an award-winning attraction owned by TV presenter Jimmy Doherty.

Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park started out as nothing but an abandoned barn and a big dream.

Now, it’s a multi-award-winning attraction and sees Brits travel all over the country to Ipswich to visit.

Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park was recently crowned ‘England’s Best Large Visitor Attraction’ by VisitEngland.

Not only that, but this year it won Visitor Attraction of the Year at the 2026 Suffolk and Norfolk Tourism Awards and a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.

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On Tripadvisor it has over 1,800 ‘excellent’ reviews.

Reviewers have described it as an ‘amazing day out’ with others calling it ‘magical’ for the whole family.

Jimmy first eyed up the space in Suffolk for the attraction back in 2002 when it was nothing but an empty barn.

Talking to Sun Travel, Jimmy said: “It was humble beginnings really, it’s been an incredible journey and it’s all about having a really great team with you.

“We’ve moved from being a rare-breed, free-range farm to being a farm park to now a fully-blown wildlife park with all sorts of animals.

“I would love to say this was a well-thought out plan, but it wasn’t at all.”

On the farm are more than 100 species and breeds, from classic farm animals all the way to lions and arctic wolves.

Talking about his favourite ones to see, Jimmy confessed: “I love our ring-tailed lemurs, most of those are rescues.

“They sometimes come and jump on you, and they’ve got youngsters at the moment.”

For those who want to visit the farm, it’s very easy to get there from London.

Just hop on the train from Stratford or London Liverpool Street to get into Ipswich in just over an hour.

The town of Ipswich itself was revealed one of the most ‘underrated’ in the UK by The Telegraph earlier this year.

Found in the south of the country of Suffolk, it was praised for its ‘traffic-free shopping streets lined with ancient buildings’ as well as its open parklands.

The waterfront is a popular spot for ‘trendy cafes, bars, restaurants and galleries’.

Talking about the town, Jimmy said: “Ipswich is a fantastic place, it’s interesting and vibrant, and there’s lots to do down on the waterfront.

“If you’re into football, Ipswich Town has just gone up into the premiership again.

“We’re less than hour from Stratford, and Ed Sheeran is a local – what’s not to love?”

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is regularly popping up in Ipswich and last week played a surprise gig near the town’s university.

Being a Suffolk resident Jimmy has lots of recommendations when it comes to other local spots to check out, alongside wider Suffolk which he calls the ‘gem of England’.

Jimmy said: “As a family, we love going to Easton Farm Park in Suffolk, it was one of the very first farm parks to open.

“Then, in Waldringfield, go to the Maybush Inn. It’s great on a sunny day and if you’ve got a paddleboard you can have a paddle in the water there.

“I love Sutton Hoo which is run by the National Trust, the history of it is incredible.

“Other spots are Bury St Edmunds which is brilliant for shopping and markets. Then there’s Woodbridge, which is fantastic for antique shops, and Snape is a great spot too.”

Jimmy is pals with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver having first met when they were kids growing up in Essex.

The pair are still in touch and regularly catch-up at their old stomping ground.

Jimmy said: “When we catch-up, it tends to be over a good dinner or lunch with a bottle of red wine.

“But when we were growing up we went to The Eight Bells in Saffron Walden which is still the same today.

“Growing up there, we used to call it Saffron ‘boredom’, but now it’s a mecca – it’s brilliant.”

If you fancy a trip to Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park this summer – it’s open seven days a week.

You can book tickets from £25 for adults and £20 for children – or buy them at the gate.

Jimmy has teased some new arrivals for the summer season too.

He told us: “We’ve got loads going on over the next few months, including some very exciting animals that I can’t tell you about now – but they are arriving at the end of this summer.

“We’ve also just rehomed two Asiatic lions called Rani and Kamal, and a beautiful called Kalinka tiger who are all retiring with us.”

Potential new arrivals could be five Moon Bears which Jimmy is currently trying to save from South Korea.

Jimmy told us: “We’re trying to bring back and give them the life they deserve.”

If successful, the bears could find themselves living out final years and being rehabilitated at the park.

If you want to find out more about the ‘Bears Behind Bars Mission’, click here.

Anti-immigration protesters have torched buildings and vehicles in the capital of Northern Ireland, a day after a knife attack was captured in a graphic video.

Hundreds of protesters, many of them masked, gathered at several locations across Belfast on Tuesday evening. A bus and several cars were set alight, while a building on the edge of the city centre caught fire and its residents had to be evacuated.

Police helicopters patrolled above the city, and shops closed early.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the initial knife attack, which took place in north Belfast late on Monday evening, as “sickening”.

The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions in the United Kingdom following the murder of a student who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds after his killer falsely alleged a racist attack.

It also follows repeated protests over immigration, with populist parties saying the UK’s asylum policy has allowed dangerous men into the country. There was anti-immigration rioting in Northern Ireland last year amid anger over an alleged sexual assault.

Immigration has become a highly charged political issue and has helped fuel the rise of the hard-right Reform UK and Restore Britain parties in opinion polls.

Northern Ireland’s political leaders and the region’s chief constable have urged people not to incite hate and fear or target particular communities.

A flight attendant has said she can’t stand it when passengers break one common phone rule, as it could actually be quite dangerous for the pilot and other passengers

When boarding a plane, there are several things passengers are required to do to ensure their own safety and that of fellow travellers. Once everyone has taken their seats, cabin crew will deliver safety information that must be listened to, and it’s frequently essential that you take their warnings seriously.

If you’re someone who flies regularly, you may believe you no longer need to absorb this safety information as you’ve encountered it numerous times before. But one cabin crew member on social media has insisted it’s always crucial that you remain attentive, as flouting the rules could result in injury, disruption to the aircraft, and possibly harm to your own possessions.

Yasmeen, a flight attendant working out of Los Angeles, posted a video on TikTok from a recent flight, revealing she was left stunned by what one passenger was doing while the aircraft was airborne.

The cabin crew member was travelling as a passenger on this occasion, but explained that her professional experience means she understands just how risky it can be to disregard the rule that the other traveller was so openly flouting.

In the footage, Yasmeen revealed that another passenger seated across the aisle had received a phone call mid-flight and proceeded to answer it with the phone on loudspeaker, allowing everyone within earshot to listen in on their conversation.

Not only is blaring your phone on speaker thoughtless when crammed into a confined space with dozens of other passengers, but you’re meant to switch your mobile to aeroplane mode upon boarding, which blocks all signal and prevents you from making or taking calls.

Yasmeen said: “As a flight attendant, I’m actually about to jump out of my skin.”

Viewers of her clip were split, though. Some insisted they’d never dream of leaving their phone on during a flight, while others claimed they’ve “taken full Zoom calls” on planes previously, suggesting it shouldn’t be a problem.

One person said: “I just don’t understand. With all this technology, and supposedly we went to the moon, but we can’t use our phones on the plane?”

Another added: “I don’t understand what some of y’all don’t understand. You are NOT supposed to be making phone calls while in the air!”

A third wrote: “I’ve taken full Zoom calls on the plane. It’s not against the rules to be on a call.”

Why do phones need to be on aeroplane mode when flying?

Phones, tablets, and other wireless-enabled devices should be switched to aeroplane mode as a safety measure. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), any device that emits radio waves has the potential to interfere with navigation and radar systems, as well as disrupt pilots’ headsets.

The extent to which mobile phones impact aviation technology hasn’t been thoroughly researched, but pilots have reported hearing background noise and interference from handsets while in the air, particularly during landing. This could prove distracting to pilots at a critical stage of the flight, so it’s advisable to simply keep your phone on aeroplane mode throughout.

Failing to switch your phone to aeroplane mode is unlikely to bring the plane down, but even if it doesn’t irritate your pilot, it could also result in unnecessary strain on your own device.

Ways not putting your phone on aeroplane mode can affect you include:

• Severe battery drain: Your phone will be working overtime to try and find a signal in the air by attempting to connect to towers on the ground, which can drain your battery.
• Costly roaming charges: On international flights, flying over multiple countries and having your phone connect to their towers could land you with hefty roaming fees that you weren’t prepared to pay.