FIFA’s President Gianni Infantino gets the support of executive members at an emergency meeting in Morocco after his failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. But, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country co-hosted this year’s event, says he’s lost faith in Infantino.
Published On 6 Aug 20266 Aug 2026
Share
Fast-moving wildfires have scorched more than 250,000 acres across Washington state, forcing widespread evacuations around Spokane. Communities in neighbouring British Columbia, Canada are also under threat as the UN warns of worsening global heat.
Published On 2 Aug 20262 Aug 2026
Share
It’s hard to hate on Canada. It’s like cursing a cotton ball, or raging about tapioca.
The friendliest of neighbors, the country has fought alongside the U.S. in conflicts going back to World War I, purchased many trillions of dollars worth of American goods and blessed this country with, among other gifts, ice hockey, Drake, Joni Mitchell and Alex Trebek.
While you can question the nation’s culinary sensibility — the unofficial dish, poutine, is an abomination consisting of French fries, cheese curds and hot gravy — Canada is basically a very large, very pretty country filled with a lot of very nice, extremely polite people.
But for reasons only he can fathom, President Trump has declared economic war on our amiable northern neighbor.
After more than a year of trading tit-for-tat tariffs, Trump recently escalated the conflict by slapping a new 50% tax on a variety of Canadian exports, including cement, furniture, dairy products and, most iconically, hockey sticks. The added levy, which will further burden inflation-weary U.S. consumers, is set to take effect in mid-August.
The move makes little sense from an economic or foreign policy standpoint. It’s best to regard Trump’s trade moves as a wind gauge charts a blustery storm; his on-again, off-again tariffs are not the result of some carefully thought-out policy but, rather, a measure of the president’s shifting moods and pique toward certain foreign leaders.
And they carry a not-inconsiderable price tag — California’s struggling wine industry being just one example.
George Skelton and other analysts cover the insights, legislation, players and politics you need to know. In your inbox Monday and Thursday mornings.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
For decades, the industry has been a vital and growing part of California’s agricultural economy. Recent years, however, have seen a number of setbacks.
Costs are rising. Sales are falling, as younger generations favor hard seltzers, canned cocktails or premium beers over crushed grapes. At the same time, climate change and the growing incidence of wildfire threaten the viability of some of California’s premier wine-growing regions.
Then there’s the trade war with Canada, the industry’s largest export market and formerly a major customer of California wines. Until recently, the Canadian market accounted for more than a third of the state’s exports.
But last year, several provinces stopped purchasing U.S. alcohol in response to Trump’s tariffs and his threats — more slapstick than real — to annex the country and make Canada the 51st American state. While two provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta, soon lifted their bans, the two most populous, Ontario and Quebec, have not.
As a result of this “geopolitical friction,” to use the words of University of California researchers, California wine exports to Canada fell by nearly 80% in 2025 compared with the year before. Unsurprisingly, Canadian sales of homegrown wines have soared.
Stick that in your terroir!
In response to the dramatic drop in exports, more than a dozen California members of Congress wrote last month to Quebec’s premier, Christine Fréchette, urging her to lift the retaliatory ban on U.S. wine and spirits.
“Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Québecois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes,” the letter read.
Sen. Adam Schiff also wrote Fréchette asking her to resume the sale of California wine and U.S. spirits.
“The restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses, and producers who have no influence over national policies,” the California Democrat stated. “In fact, I have repeatedly voiced my opposition to and voted against the President’s harmful trade policies, including as they pertain to Canada.”
Fréchette’s response was, in a word: “Non!”
“In the context of the ongoing trade war, the premier continues to defend Quebec’s economic interests,” a spokesperson for Fréchette told CBC Radio. “This measure will remain in place as long as the United States maintains these unjustified tariffs. Our government will re-evaluate its position when the American administration reverses these measures.”
And that statement came before Trump upped the ante, along with the tariffs on Canada, which, presumably, doesn’t help matters.
Mike Thompson has seen the damage of Trump’s economic warfare firsthand. The St. Helena Democrat represents the heart of Wine Country and spearheaded, along with Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta of Carmel and Republican Rep. David Valadao of Hanford, the bipartisan overture to Quebec’s premier.
“I talked to a vintner today,” Thompson said during a drive this week through his sprawling Northern California district. “They went from an $11-million annual wine export to a $2-million annual wine export to Canada because of this.”
Thompson has introduced legislation, including a measure to reimburse wine producers for the money they’ve lost due to Trump’s tariffs, but the proposals have stalled in the House despite bipartisan support. His effort, Thompson dryly noted, “has not been warmly embraced by the administration.”
Meanwhile, the cross-border hostilities continue. Neither Trump nor Fréchette seems ready to budge, with California vintners still stuck in the middle.
So the question in Montreal and Toronto remains: What pairs best with poutine? Canadian white or red?
The must-read: Trump administration targeted California and other blue states for clean energy cuts
The deep dive: Justice Kennedy reflects on his time deciding the Constitution’s promise of liberty and equality
The L.A. Times Special: His nickname was ‘Satan.’ His political influence was immense
Until next time,
mzb
—
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
‘Here’s a more natural flowing version of that section…’
Canadian politician Bill Oliver has gone viral after he appeared to accidentally read AI-generated editing instructions aloud, not once, but twice, during a speech to lawmakers in early June.
Published On 28 Jul 202628 Jul 2026
Share
Police have previously suggested a link between anti-Jewish attacks in the city and shootings at the US consulate.
Published On 27 Jul 202627 Jul 2026
At least one shot has been fired outside the US Consulate General in Toronto, in the second such incident in just four months.
Nobody was injured in the attack, police said on Monday, adding that a shell casing was found and the building’s facade had been damaged.
list of 3 itemsend of list
A white sedan was seen fleeing the scene at about 5am local time (09:00 GMT), which police said they briefly pursued before giving up the chase over safety concerns due to its ultra-high speed.
No suspects have been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing.
A US Department of State spokesperson said Washington was working closely with Canadian authorities following the incident.
Toronto police declined to speculate on a possible motive for this weekend’s shooting and whether it was linked to previous incidents.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he expected “all those responsible to be found, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law”.
This is the second time in four months that shots have been fired at the US Consulate in Toronto.
On March 10, several shots were fired at the same building, and one police officer was later killed in an operation to arrest those responsible.
Toronto police claimed in June that young people in the Toronto area were being recruited via encrypted messaging apps to shoot at various targets and record the shootings for payment.
The targets the police mentioned included synagogues, Jewish schools, a waste management company, and the US Consulate.
The police did not provide evidence, only mentioning that investigations were ongoing in cooperation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the US FBI.
Tariffs apply to Canadian wine, hockey sticks, cement, and other products, sparking fears of escalating trade tensions.
Published On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026
US President Donald Trump will impose new 50 percent tariffs on many Canadian goods, claiming “discriminatory treatment” by Ottawa against US alcohol, automobile and dairy products.
The tariffs, ordered by Trump on Monday, will take effect in 30 days and cover a range of items, including wine, hockey sticks, and cement, according to a White House fact sheet.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Trump, who saw many of his tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year, is using an untested legal provision for the new duties: Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
The latest duties will not apply to energy, potash, and goods already impacted by sector-specific tariffs, the White House said.
Crucially, however, they will hit products covered under the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA).
The tariff announcement quickly raised concerns of escalation among some businesses.
While Trump has slapped sweeping duties on US trading partners since returning to the presidency last year, the orders generally exempted goods entering his country under the North American free trade pact.
His latest actions threaten to further strain ties with the second-largest US trade partner and come just days after he threatened Canada with increased tariffs over a wave of wildfire smoke that descended on the US.
The White House, in announcing the new tariffs, said Canada was one of only two countries – along with China – to retaliate against Trump’s tariffs last year.
It also took aim at the fact that most Canadian provinces have stopped buying US alcohol, boycotting the products over Trump’s tariff threats and repeated calls for annexation of Canada as America’s “51st state”.
“Canada has taken US alcohol products off Canadian shelves, given better market access to dairy products from the European Union, and has put a cap on US vehicle exports to Canada from companies reshoring to the United States,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer charged in a statement.
The tariff announcement aims to “hold Canada accountable for its retaliation and discrimination”, he added.
Only two games remain at the FIFA World Cup, with France and England battling for third place before Sunday’s final.
France and England meet in the third-place playoff, while attention is also turning to Argentina against Spain, where Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are set for a generational showdown.
list of 4 itemsend of list
Here is what to know:
France and England have met three times at the FIFA World Cup. England won the first two encounters, beating France 2-0 in the 1966 group stage and 3-1 in the 1982 first group phase. France claimed the most recent meeting, defeating England 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
According to the Opta supercomputer, France are favourites to win the third-place playoff. After running 25,000 pre-match simulations, the model gave Les Bleus a 50.7 percent chance of winning in 90 minutes. England were assigned a 25.6 percent chance of victory, while 23.7 percent of the simulations ended in a draw after regulation.
Spain and Argentina will face off in the final on Sunday, July 19, at New York-New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, with kickoff scheduled for 19:00 GMT.
Spain are chasing a second World Cup crown, while defending champions Argentina are looking to secure a fourth title. Their most recent meeting came in a 2018 international friendly in Madrid, where Spain recorded a 6-1 victory.
US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the final and present the World Cup trophy to the winners.
The winners will also receive something new alongside the trophy and gold medals. For the first time, FIFA will award championship rings, a tradition borrowed from North American sports. Thirty customised rings will be produced for the winning squad, while another 1,996 collector’s editions will be sold to fans.
The rings will then be customised to reflect the identity of the winning team and individually fitted before being presented at a later date. One side will feature the World Cup trophy, while the other will carry details specific to the champions.
Organisers are also monitoring air quality after smoke from Canadian wildfires triggered health advisories across parts of the New York metropolitan area. So far, there is no indication Sunday’s final will be affected.
England’s World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina has triggered fierce criticism of Thomas Tuchel, with many accusing the German coach of repeating the mistakes that have haunted England for decades.
After England squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1, British media questioned Tuchel’s tactical decisions, particularly his defensive substitutions. Headlines described it as the “same old story”, while critics argued the coach “just shrank” in the biggest moment.
Former England captain Gary Lineker also questioned whether Tuchel is the right man to lead the team, saying he was hired specifically to deliver a major trophy after years of near misses under Gareth Southgate. Like his predecessor, Tuchel has been accused of becoming too cautious after taking the lead, with many arguing his changes invited pressure and ultimately cost England a place in the World Cup final.
Nearly two decades ago, photographer Joan Monfort thought little of a charity photo shoot showing a 20-year-old Lionel Messi bathing a baby in a plastic tub. Years later, that baby was revealed to be Lamine Yamal, creating one of football’s most remarkable coincidences.
The images, taken in 2007 for a charity calendar produced by Sport newspaper and UNICEF, have resurfaced ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final, where Messi’s Argentina will face Yamal’s Spain. In the photos, Messi gently washes the infant, whose family had been randomly selected through a raffle in the Catalan city of Mataro.
Monfort, who captured the pictures while working on assignment, said the coincidence still amazes him. “I never believed things were destined to happen, but I’m starting to have my doubts,” he told The Associated Press.
The story has become even more extraordinary given what followed. Messi went on to establish himself as one of the greatest players in football history before leaving Barcelona in 2021, while Yamal emerged as the club’s next superstar just two years later. Now, the pair meet on opposite sides in the World Cup final, completing a journey that began with a chance photo shoot nearly 20 years ago.
Spain’s preparations for the World Cup final have been affected by hazardous air quality caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires, with players training outdoors in northern New Jersey on Thursday under hazy skies.
Media were only allowed to watch the opening 15 minutes of the hour-long session, making it unclear how intense the workout was. Meanwhile, Argentina remained at its training base near Atlanta after Wednesday’s semifinal win over England, avoiding the worst of the smoke because of its more southerly location.
The smoke, driven south from wildfires in northern Ontario, has prompted air quality warnings across parts of the US Midwest and Northeast. Health officials urged people to stay indoors or wear masks outdoors as pollution levels reached unhealthy to hazardous levels.
Medical experts questioned the decision to hold outdoor training in such conditions. Dr Courtney Howard, an emergency physician and Global Climate and Health Alliance official, said elite athletes should avoid exercising outside when wildfire smoke reaches hazardous levels, recommending indoor, air-conditioned facilities instead.
The only thing you might have in common with a World Cup football player is posting on Instagram as soon as you’re back home from a social gathering. Or, in the case of Erling Haaland, while you’re still in the dressing room after a win.
Football’s biggest stars are giving an insider look into the World Cup, their training, and personal lives at the six-week tournament through social media, and for some of them, their following has grown by tens of millions. Their on-pitch heroics, popularity, and personal stories have led them to overnight social media stardom during the World Cup.
Of course, football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar have seen an exponential rise in their Instagram following as well. But the 2026 World Cup wasn’t the first rodeo for these veterans, who have an evergreen social media boom outside the tournament.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the biggest social media stars from this World Cup:
The goofy, witty and relatable six-foot-five-inch (195cm) Viking has been one of the World Cup’s most loveable personalities on the pitch and online.
The 25-year-old Norwegian striker, like many Gen Z social media users, seems to be chronically online when he’s not leading his country to new World Cup heights.
From candid Snapchat stories to Instagram posts right after winning to taking a taxidermied raccoon on the plane ride home, Haaland has become a social media phenomenon this World Cup.
It’s all thanks to his authentic posting style, compared with more carefully curated accounts that PR firms manage for similar high-profile personalities.
Of Haaland’s Instagram following of more than 70 million, 29 million were added in the past 30 days, according to analytics tool Social Blade. He is projected to reach 75 million after the World Cup final and nearly 322 million by the end of the year.
One of the best feel-good stories of the tournament belongs to Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper whose heroics kept some of the world’s best teams from scoring a single goal against the island nation — all of which his mother eventually saw in person after she finally received a US visa to attend the World Cup.
He leapt, dived and executed a string of saves in Cape Verde’s tournament opener against Spain to end the match in a shock 0-0 draw. By the time he opened his Instagram a few hours later, his following surged from 500,000 to nearly five million.
It currently sits at 29.3 million followers, and the initial hype around him still stands as his posts garner millions of likes and interactions.
The 40-year-old joked how most people couldn’t even point out Cape Verde on a map before the World Cup, but his team’s standout performance in the group stages and knockout match helped change that.
Good looks, loveable personality, Golden Boot contender — is there anything Jude Bellingham isn’t great at? And a massive 50 million Instagram following, of course.
The English midfielder’s World Cup journey may have ended in disappointment earlier this week, but there’s a lot to be said about a player whose fans sing “Hey Jude” for him after leading his team to victory at previous World Cup stages before the semifinal loss.
Bellingham, 23, has gained nearly nine million followers in the past 30 days, according to Social Blade, but his online popularity spiked by three million in October, when he opened up about his struggles with mental health.
The teen sensation has been on the up and up since bursting to stardom two summers ago with Spain’s UEFA 2024 win, and his social media reflects the cool, candid, level-headed personality he carries on and off the pitch.
The 19-year-old’s Instagram feed is a mix of post-match photos, brand partnerships, multiple trophy wins and pictures with family members with whom he shares a close relationship.
His younger brother, Keyne, has become something of a celebrity at the World Cup, too, with his endearing antics as Yamal shepherds the three-year-old around the stadium pitch or watches him try — and fail — at golf.
The Barcelona striker could see his popularity gain new heights — and more Instagram followers, which currently number 49.6 million — after this Sunday’s World Cup final as Spain take on Messi’s Argentina.
Social media has already been fawning over the full-circle moment that began with a now-viral photo of Messi and Yamal in 2007 for a UNICEF fundraising shoot.
Payne’s viral moment may have come before the World Cup, but it was touching nonetheless.
The New Zealand defender’s Instagram following exploded late in May after an Argentinian influencer decided he was the least-known player at the World Cup.
Valen Scarsini, known as “elscarso” on Instagram and TikTok, made a video encouraging his audience to give the Wellington Phoenix and All Whites defender’s account likes, comments and follows.
Payne’s Instagram following grew from fewer than 5,000 before the campaign to about 5.8 million, turning the 32-year-old into one of the tournament’s most unlikely viral stars.
He even addressed the outpouring of love in a video on Instagram, and eventually met up with Scarsini at the team’s hotel in Boca Raton, Florida, ahead of the World Cup.
July 17 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Friday told FIFA officials they should pick the United States to host another World Cup, so long as they don’t include Canada or Mexico.
“You should choose the United States of America again,” Trump said during a FIFA World Cup reception at Trump Tower in New York, Politico reported. “This time we will leave Canada and Mexico out.”
The next World Cup, in 2030, will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, followed by Saudi Arabia in 2034.
FIFA has not yet selected a host for the 2038 tournament.
Trump added FIFA should “pick somebody else for the next one and that will take some of the anger, hatred and steam out of everyone,” Politico reported.
Trump has close ties to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The president earlier this month said he spoke with Infantino to ask for a reversal of a red card suspension to U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun.
After Trump’s call, FIFA followed suit and allowed Balogun to play in the following match against Belgium.
“You made another great decision,” Trump told Infantino of the reversal on Friday. “You’ll never get credit for that.”
It made no difference: the U.S. soccer team was eliminated in a 4-1 loss to Belgium.
The World Cup comes to a close on Sunday. Trump said he would be present for the final match between Spain and Argentina.
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs against Canada, as a penalty for the wildfire smoke that has clouded cities across North America.
On Friday, Trump complained about the air quality on social media, as officials in Canada continue to battle 896 active blazes across the country.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Roughly 200 are burning in the province of Ontario, where Premier Doug Ford said 81 are still out of control. Trump, however, blamed the fires on Canadian governance.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush,” Trump wrote.
“The United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!”
He pledged to call Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing the Canadian leader’s government of negligence.
“The cost is incalculable,” Trump added, saying the expense would be added to existing tariffs against Canadian exports to the US.
The post is the latest example of the US president wielding the threat of heightened tariffs to impose a wide range of demands on foreign countries.
Since returning to the White House for a second term in January 2025, Trump has ratcheted up pressure against Canada, using tariffs as a means of pressuring the country to increase border security and change trade practices he considered unfair.
Trump has also pushed Canada to cede its sovereignty and become the “51st” US state.
Scientists have attributed the proliferation of wildfires across North America to a range of factors, including hot and dry conditions worsened by climate change.
But the right-wing Trump has repeatedly blamed left-leaning and centrist politicians for mismanagement when powerful wildfires erupt.
Trump, for example, repeatedly attacked California Governor Gavin Newsom when his state was fighting wildfires around the city of Los Angeles in 2025.
He blamed the fire destruction on the state’s approach to water management and its endangered species protections.
“I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this,” Trump wrote at the time, though experts say his accusations had little basis in fact.
During his first term, Trump also attacked California, saying that the state should have raked its forest floors to prevent wildfires.
“I said, you’ve got to clean your floors. You’ve got to clean your forests,” Trump told a rally in 2020.
Scientists say that multiple factors can contribute to large wildfires, including heightened heat, drought and overly repressive fire policies that prevent natural burns, resulting in overgrown landscapes.
The risk of damage is also heightened by the increasing number of people living in areas where the wildlands meet urban development.
In mid-July, Ontario saw its largest conflagration of the year so far, when several smaller fires merged in Wabakimi Provincial Park, destroying First Nations communities.
Ford, Ontario’s premier, said on Friday morning that 10 communities had been evacuated.
He thanked leaders across Canada, as well as in US states like Massachusetts and Minnesota, for providing support.
“Neighbours have each other’s backs, which is why Ontario has always been there for our American partners in their time of need,” he wrote on social media.
But Republicans, including Trump and US Representative Bill Huizenga of Michigan, have used the recent blazes to criticise Canada for its fire policy.
“Canada’s inability to mitigate, contain, and prevent its wildfires must be addressed,” Huizenga wrote on social media on Thursday. “These annual fires significantly harm not only our health and quality of life, but also our economic prosperity.”
On Friday, Trump reiterated his position that Canada’s fires could have been prevented through debris removal.
“Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,” Trump wrote.
“This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”
The wildfire smoke has prompted concerns about the viability of hosting the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey this weekend.
But the Trump administration itself has faced pushback over its wildfire preparedness.
The New York Times reported on Friday that the Trump administration had slashed funding for wildfire research, including laboratories that study the effects of wildfire smoke on human health.
Monitor ranks Toronto as having the worst air quality on earth, surpassing Kinshasa, DR Congo, and New Delhi, India.
Published On 16 Jul 202616 Jul 2026
Toronto’s air quality has ranked the worst among all major cities in the world as smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario blankets the skies and spreads into the northeastern United States, triggering multiple health warnings and evacuations.
Wildfires continued burning through sparsely populated areas hundreds of miles from Toronto, Canada’s largest city, on Wednesday, sending smoke over a wide area, although cities in the area are not being threatened.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Environment Canada reported an Air Quality Health Index reading of 10+, classified as “very high risk”, for Toronto. Forecasts suggested that hazardous conditions could persist through Thursday night.
IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, ranked Toronto as having the worst air quality across the globe, surpassing the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kinshasa and India’s New Delhi.
“The biggest contributor to Toronto’s spike in air pollution right now is wildfires, though the higher-than-average temperatures are also playing a role,” Armen Araradian of IQAir told the AFP news agency.
While this year’s wildfire season in Canada has been fairly muted compared with recent years, there are more than 800 active fires nationwide.
A video that went viral on social media showed a Canadian National train surrounded by fire near Armstrong, Ontario. Canadian National employees in the area and residents of Armstrong were evacuated on Monday night, the railroad operator said in a statement. It suspended rail operations near Armstrong as a precaution.
Smoke from the wildfires also worsened air quality across the border in the US, with the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire particularly affected.
Authorities in New York City have issued an alert over unhealthy air quality, urging residents to reduce strenuous outdoor activity and take extra breaks if they are outside on Wednesday and Thursday.
The National Weather Service said smoke could linger until the end of the week.
“We probably haven’t seen the worst of it yet for New York City. We probably haven’t seen the worst of it yet for the Great Lakes and upstate, and New England yet either,” Dan Westervelt, Lamont associate research professor at Columbia University, told the Reuters news agency.
More than 80,000 people are expected to attend the FIFA World Cup final at an open-air stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, with another 50,000 planning to watch the game from New York City’s Central Park, where skies appeared hazy.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged people, especially those with health conditions, to exercise caution.
The Canadian government has said that wildfire season began more slowly this year than in 2023 or 2025 – the two worst seasons for wildfires – but warned that fires were likely, due to warmer-than-usual temperatures across the country.
It said some 835 active fires were burning across the country on Wednesday, with 112 considered out of control, and most in the central provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
They have burned 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres) so far.
Greg Evans, a professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry at the University of Toronto, said the city had been simultaneously hit with severe heat and wildfire smoke.
“I expect that this will occur more frequently over the coming decades, so cities and residents need to prepare for this in the future,” he said.
WASHINGTON — The world has largely viewed the U.S. more favorably than China for years, but those opinions have flipped in Beijing’s favor this year, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center, a remarkable shift driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and U.S. allies.
More people have favorable views of China than the U.S. in 25 out of the 36 countries and territories that were surveyed, including Canada and Mexico. The poll was conducted from February to May, a period when the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.
In only six countries do people still see the U.S. more positively than China, according to the findings released Wednesday.
Views in 22 out of the 36 countries and territories also are more favorable of Chinese leader Xi Jinping than President Trump, including in Canada, Mexico and major European powers including France, Germany and the U.K. However, people in many of the countries have low confidence in both men.
It marks the first time in the roughly 20 years Pew has been tracking global opinions that China has been viewed more positively than the U.S., said Laura Silver, associate director of Pew’s Global Attitudes Research and one of the researchers on the study. Views of Beijing and Washington have been very similar at some points in the past but have not been significantly more favorable for China until now, she said.
The shift follows the COVID-19 pandemic becoming a distant issue and as global views of the U.S. have soured, Silver said.
“There was just an actual relationship between the outbreak of the war and the sense that the U.S. is just not contributing to peace and stability and that people have less confidence in Donald Trump,” she said.
Trump’s demands to control Greenland, the American military raid that captured Venezuela’s then-leader Nicolás Maduro, and the U.S. handling of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza also have led to low approval in many countries, Silver said.
“The U.S. has done a lot in terms of global engagement in recent months to years that is not being perceived positively internationally,” she said.
Aside from benefiting from the fading memory of the pandemic, China appears to have gained from comparison with the U.S., Silver said.
“By comparison, we know that China is seen to be a more reliable partner in many places. It’s more likely to be seen to contribute to global peace and stability,” the researcher said.
Notably, those in some U.S. allied countries have drastically shifted their views in recent years, such as Canada. In the new survey, only 33% of Canadians have positive views of the U.S., down from 57% in 2023. Over the same period, their favorable opinions of China rose from 14% to 44%.
Trump slapped a barrage of tariffs on Canadian goods last year, and even claimed that Canada could be the “the 51st state.”
Major European countries — including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy — all have switched their opinions toward the world’s two largest economies.
People in the U.K., where about 6 in 10 held positive views of the U.S. in 2023, now view China and the U.S. similarly. Three years ago, the spread was 32 percentage points in Washington’s favor.
Of the six countries where people have more favorable views of the U.S., Israel leads the way. About 8 in 10 Israelis view the U.S. positively, compared with 19% for China.
The other five countries are Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines and Poland. Still, even their views of the U.S. have dimmed over recent years.
The U.S. is still ahead of China when it comes to government respect for personal freedoms, though the gap is shrinking, the Pew report says.
While China’s standing has improved somewhat, the narrowed divide is “driven largely by the fact that people in nearly every country surveyed have become less likely to say the U.S. government respects its people’s personal freedoms” since 2021, when Pew last asked the question.
For the new study, Pew surveyed more than 42,000 people across 35 countries plus the West Bank and east Jerusalem, with margins of error ranging from 2.3 to 5.5 percentage points depending on the country.
Tang writes for the Associated Press. AP journalists Linley Sanders, Emily Swanson and Kevin S. Vineys contributed to this report.
Sky_Blue
The Shell-led (SHEL) LNG Canada venture said Tuesday it reached a deal for five First Nations to have an equity option to invest as much as C$1B (~US$710M) to acquire infrastructure in Canada’s biggest liquefied natural gas project as a major
July 10 (UPI) — Canada and the state of Michigan on Friday announced that a long-planned new bridge linking Ontario and Detroit will open at the end of July, 14 years after construction started.
The $4.4 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge between the two cities is set to open on July 27 and is set to offer improved transit on what leaders from Canada and Michigan called one of the busiest transportation corridors in North America.
The mile-and-a-half-long bridge includes new ports of entry on either side, with Canada and the United States establishing a 15-year economic development fund that has been tied to profits from crossing tolls.
President Donald Trump earlier this year threatened to prevent the bridge from opening over disagreements with previously existing trade agreements, his administration’s tariff regime and objections to Canada making trade deals with China.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge has always been a great deal for our state,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.
“Thousands of Michigan workers built this critical bridge, which will speed up auto production, lower costs, ease traffic, strengthen agriculture and give people on both sides of the border better-paying jobs and brighter futures,” she said. “This bridge is a testament to the enduring partnership between Michigan and Canada.”
The bridge project originated with the state’s then-Republican Gov. Rick Snyder agreeing to the six-line bridge because it would alleviate congestion accommodate future travel and create new transportation capabilities between U.S. and Canadian manufacturing regions.
Canada’s minister for housing and infrastructure, Gregor Robinson, hailed the completion and impending opening of the bridge as “strengthening one of the world’s most important trade corridors.”
“This nation-building project is a testament to what Canada can accomplish when we come together with a shared vision,” Robinson said in a statement.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge will create new opportunities, strengthen our economy and bring economic benefits on both sides of the boarder for generations,” he said.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals are set to begin Thursday when Kylian Mbappé and France take on an upset-minded Morocco team.
World Cup co-hosts U.S., Canada and Mexico will be watching from the sideline after being eliminated in the round of 16.
Here’s everything you need to know about the World Cup matches being played Thursday, Friday and Saturday across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).
France’s Kylian Mbappé jogs on the field during a win over Iraq in the World Cup on June 22.
(Derik Hamilton / Associated Press)
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo | Streaming: Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: France, bidding to make its third consecutive World Cup final, needed a penalty kick from Kylian Mbappé to dispatch stubborn Paraguay, a third-place team, in the round of 16. France has scored 16 times — Mbappé has seven of them, giving him 19 career World Cup goals — while goalkeeper Mike Maignan has conceded just two goals in five matches. Morocco, a semifinalist four years ago, advanced with a 3-0 win over Canada that ran its unbeaten streak to 34 games. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice in that game and is one of three Moroccan players with multiple goals. Morocco, a former French colony, has almost as many French-born players on its roster, six, as it does native Moroccans, seven.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón catches the ball in front of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo during Spain’s round-of-16 win on July 6.
(Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Time: Noon
TV: Fox, Telemundo | Streaming: Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: Spain is the first team in World Cup history to record six consecutive shutouts and goalkeeper Unai Simón has gone 609 minutes without allowing a World Cup goal, a streak that dates to group play of the last tournament four years ago. Spain, however, has struggled to score consistently, collecting a goal or less in three of its five games, including a round-of-16 win over Portugal on Mikel Merino’s goal in stoppage time. Mikel Oyarzabal is Spain’s leading scorer with four goals. Belgium earned its place in the quarterfinals by thumping the U.S. 4-1 in Seattle in its most complete game of the tournament. Belgium outshot the Americans 15-7, putting seven on target. Charles De Ketelaere had a brace in the first half and Belgium never looked back. For an aging golden generation of Belgian players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois and Axel Witsel, this might be the final chance to grab a title.
England’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring during a win over Mexico on July 5.
(Eduardo Verdugo / Associated Press)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo | Streaming: Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: The forecast calls for temperatures in the high 80s, humidity at 77% and a chance of rain, challenging conditions for two teams from northern Europe. Norway, which knocked off Brazil to reach the quarterfinals for the first time, has scored 12 times in five games — Erling Haaland has seven of those, including both against Brazil — but has conceded nine, winning just once by more than a goal. Haaland’s 39% shot-conversation rate is the best in a World Cup since 1986. Unbeaten England had to gut out a tough win in the rare air of Mexico City with just 10 men to reach the quarterfinals for a third straight time. Captain Harry Kane is fourth in the Golden Boot race with six goals.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Egypt on July 7 at the World Cup.
(Associated Press)
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Time: 6 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo | Streaming: Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: Unbeaten Argentina needed three goals in 13 minutes to stay that way, barely escaping its round-of-16 game with Egypt on Enzo Fernández’s goal in stoppage time. Lionel Messi’s tying goal in the 83rd minute extended his World Cup scoring streak to nine games. He entered the quarterfinals leading the tournament with eight goals. Switzerland, also unbeaten, eliminated Colombia on penalties to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954. The Swiss have nine goals, three of those coming from 20-year-old Johan Manzambi, the youngest player on the team.
Lee Yong-cheol, chief of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, attends a ceremony at the Navy submarine command in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, 25 March 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 7 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s defense acquisition chief apologized Tuesday for failing to win Canada’s next-generation submarine project, saying alliance interoperability was the decisive factor in Ottawa’s decision.
Lee Yong-cheol, head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said South Korea’s submarine proposal was competitive on performance, delivery schedule and maintenance, but Canada placed greater weight on its long-standing NATO defense network.
“I am sorry that we were unable to achieve the expected result despite strong public interest and all-out support from the Industry Ministry, Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Navy and other government agencies,” Lee told reporters at the Defense Ministry press room. “The failure to secure the result was due to my lack of ability.”
Canada selected Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems as the preferred bidder for its Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, which aims to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s aging submarine fleet.
Lee said Canada appeared to consider several factors, including fuel cell-based air-independent propulsion technology, battery performance, Germany’s record of supplying submarines to more than one-third of NATO members, alliance interoperability, crew sharing, joint training, maintenance, parts supply and industrial benefits tied to jobs and maintenance facilities.
“In terms of submarine performance, early delivery and regional benefits such as maintenance, repair and overhaul, I do not believe there was a meaningful gap with our proposal,” Lee said. “In delivery schedule, even considering Norway’s production slot, we were faster.”
“The decisive difference appears to have been NATO interoperability and cooperation that allows crew sharing,” he said.
A defense acquisition official said South Korea’s submarines should not be seen as inferior in operational capability.
“Submarines, for which stealth is most important, do not operate by constantly exchanging wireless communications,” the official said. “We do not believe our submarine had weaker operational capability. Canada appears to have judged that sharing future operating systems and parts would be relatively easier with Germany.”
The official said Canada’s geography and Arctic security concerns likely shaped the decision.
“Canada stretches across both ends of the North American continent and must cover both the Atlantic and Pacific,” the official said. “Personally, I think the difference in Arctic security priorities also played a major role. For South Korea, the Arctic is more of a conceptual issue, but for Canada it is a real security concern.”
The official said Canada’s Indo-Pacific defense cooperation with South Korea is still developing, while its Atlantic alliance structure has been operating for more than 70 years.
“Training among those allies is routine, to the point where they can discuss sharing submarine crew members,” the official said. “South Korea has only recently begun joint exercises with Canada. Canada chose to strengthen an existing alliance framework, and I think that strategic choice should be respected.”
The agency said the failed bid still produced meaningful results for South Korea’s defense industry.
Lee cited South Korea’s previous loss in Norway’s K2 tank procurement, saying the tank passed performance testing in harsh winter conditions but narrowly failed to win the contract.
“Poland took close note of that performance and moved aggressively to sign a contract,” Lee said. “This challenge may also lead to another reversal.”
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260707010002453
The 2026 World Cup has a prize pool of $871 million, the biggest in football history. How much is every country getting and where does the money come from? Al Jazeera’s Yasmeen ElTahan explains.
Published On 7 Jul 20267 Jul 2026
Share
Teka77/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Prime Minister Carney said Monday that Canada selected Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TYEKF) (TKAMY) to build as many as 12 submarines, as the country boosts defense spending to meet NATO targets.
The planned purchase will be groundbreaking for Canada’s naval
A Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarine built by Hanwha Ocean. Photo courtesy of Hanwha Ocean
July 5 (Asia Today) — Canada is nearing a decision on a major submarine program that could open the North American defense market to South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean or strengthen Germany’s naval defense ties with Ottawa.
The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project is intended to replace Canada’s aging fleet of four Victoria-class submarines with as many as 12 new conventionally powered submarines. Industry estimates put the program at as much as 60 trillion won, or about $39.3 billion, when shipbuilding and long-term maintenance are included.
Canada is expected to select a preferred bidder soon, with the timing drawing attention because Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to attend the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, from Monday to Wednesday.
A decision near the summit could carry a political message about Canada’s defense cooperation with allies. Germany has been pressing its case through government-level support for TKMS, while Hanwha Ocean is emphasizing delivery speed, pricing and proven South Korean submarine technology.
German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil recently visited a TKMS site and said Berlin was making a broad push to support defense cooperation with Canada. He said Germany’s high production standards and submarine-building capacity put TKMS in a strong position.
TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard has also expressed confidence that the company can win the contract. The German company is stressing its more than 100 years of submarine experience and interoperability with NATO navies.
Hanwha Ocean is offering a model based on the KSS-III Batch-II submarine, a 3,000-ton-class hybrid diesel-electric submarine developed for the South Korean Navy. The submarine uses fuel-cell air-independent propulsion and lithium-ion batteries, allowing it to remain submerged for more than three weeks, according to the company.
The submarine has a range of more than 7,000 nautical miles, or about 8,055 miles.
Hanwha Ocean has proposed delivering the first submarine in 2032 if a contract is signed in 2026. The company has said it could deliver four submarines by 2035 and then supply one additional submarine each year.
Delivery timing is considered a key factor because Canada’s Victoria-class submarines are expected to retire in the mid-2030s.
Hanwha Ocean is also seeking to strengthen its bid through long-term maintenance, repair and overhaul plans, as well as industrial partnerships in Canada. The company has promoted cooperation in shipbuilding, steel, artificial intelligence, space and defense technology.
If Hanwha Ocean is selected as the preferred bidder, it would mark a major breakthrough for South Korea’s shipbuilding and defense industries in North America. It would also expand South Korea’s submarine exports beyond Asia and Europe.
But TKMS remains a strong competitor because Canada may value closer defense industrial cooperation with Germany and other NATO partners at a time of heightened security concerns in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Hanwha Ocean said no decision has been made.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260705010001602
The FIFA World Cup round of 16 on Sunday has two heavyweight ties as Brazil face Norway in New Jersey before cohosts Mexico take on England in Mexico City.
Here’s the full schedule, Opta’s predictions and the latest news from the tournament, including Morocco’s march into the quarterfinals and France’s fiery win over Paraguay.
Brazil will be hoping to end an unwanted trend when they face Norway in the round of 16.
The teams have met four times previously in all competitions, and Norway have yet to lose the fixture. The Scandinavians have won twice and drawn twice, including a memorable 2-1 victory over Brazil at the 1998 World Cup.
Despite those historical trends, the Opta supercomputer calculates Brazil as the clear favourites. After running 25,000 pre-match simulations, Brazil won in regulation time in 53.6 percent of the outcomes.
Norway claimed victory within 90 minutes in 22.4 percent of the simulations while 24 percent ended level after normal time, sending the tie to extra time and potentially penalties.
England and Mexico have crossed paths only once before at the World Cup, and that meeting dates back nearly 60 years.
The encounter came during the group stage of the 1966 tournament when tournament hosts England secured a 2-0 victory, thanks to goals from Bobby Charlton and Roger Hunt. The Three Lions went on to lift the trophy that summer, claiming the only World Cup title in their history.
England have also enjoyed the upper hand in the fixture outside the World Cup, winning each of their last four meetings with Mexico. Those victories all came in international friendlies played from 1986 to 2010.
Opta’s supercomputer predicted one of the closest contests of the round of 16 with neither side holding a decisive advantage.
England enter the tie with a favourable historical record against Mexico, but El Tri’s home support and familiarity with the conditions help narrow the gap.
Across 25,000 simulations, England won in normal time 40.6 percent of the time, while Mexico did so in 31.5 percent. A further 27.9 percent of simulations ended level after 90 minutes, meaning the match would require extra time and possibly a penalty shootout.
Morocco reached the World Cup quarterfinals for a second consecutive tournament after defeating cohosts Canada 3-0 on Saturday with Azzedine Ounahi scoring twice to end the North Americans’ historic run.
The final score did not reflect the balance of the game. Canada controlled much of the first half, creating several promising chances while keeping Morocco from registering their first shot until the 28th minute.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi was visibly frustrated on the touchline before the break as misplaced passes and sloppy errors disrupted his side’s rhythm, but the team responded with a much-improved display after half-time.
“It’s a World Cup match, and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives,” Ouahbi said. “We reacted very well in the second half, especially in the duels and in winning the second balls.
France captain Kylian Mbappe insisted his side were prepared to match Paraguay’s physical approach after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory on Saturday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.
Mbappe, who converted the decisive penalty in the 70th minute after Desire Doue was fouled in the area, dismissed the suggestion that France were unsettled by Paraguay’s aggressive tactics.
“They thought we’d come out in tuxedos, trying fancy tricks and one-twos,” Mbappe said. “But we know how to play dirty football too. If that’s what the game requires, we have no problem doing it.”
The winning penalty was awarded only after a VAR review with France coach Didier Deschamps questioning referee Ilgiz Tantashev’s handling of the increasingly physical contest.
“We received three yellow cards while they kept fouling us throughout the game,” Deschamps said. “Every team is entitled to play in its own way, but I could have done without some of the insults from the opposition.”
Mexico will look to end a 40-year wait to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals when they face England on Sunday, backed by one of international football’s strongest home records.
The cohosts have lost only two official matches at Mexico City Stadium since it opened in 1966 with the last defeat coming against Honduras in a World Cup qualifier in 2013.
Former Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez believes the stadium could once again make the difference.
“The stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws and the few losses, which were just accidents. We approach this with optimism because we know it’s England, but if we play the way we did against Ecuador, we can beat them.”
Mexico’s World Cup record at the stadium reflects that dominance. Across the 1970, 1986 and 2026 tournaments, El Tri have played 10 World Cup matches there, winning eight and drawing two. In this year’s tournament, they have beaten South Africa, Czechia and Ecuador in Mexico City without conceding a goal while also defeating South Korea in Guadalajara.
SAN FRANCISCO — Jordin Canada is the only person in the world with a UCLA-inspired pair of Air Jordan 4028 PEs, and she was excited to use them to represent her Bruins when the Atlanta Dream came to California last week.
“That’s my alma mater,” she said with a smile. “Any chance I get to support them and rep them, I will.”
Canada, who was an All-American in four years at UCLA, was rocking the blue-and-yellow shoes in shootaround before her Dream took on the Golden State Valkyries. The Los Angeles native had a quiet first outing against the Valkyries but bounced back with a season-high 23 points in their next matchup, then had 10 assists against the Seattle Storm on Saturday.
She is averaging 11.5 points and a career-high 7.0 assists as the leader of the third-best offense in the WNBA. Her 30.5 minutes per game are a step up from last season.
That’s because she’s done so much to facilitate the Dream offense and run it through Atlanta’s bigs.
A weekly newsletter offering big game takeaways, recruiting buzz and everything you need to know about UCLA sports.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
“She’s made my job easy,” Dream star Angel Reese said. “I mean, when you have a point guard that can score and also facilitate to me… Her and I had a talk a little bit before the season started about how I can be better for her than pick and roll, but also like coming down on the rebound, I can get the ball and push and flip, flip it to her, and she can start the offense… So she’s made it a lot easier, really easy, and she’s just a great player, she’s a great leader for us offensively and defensively.”
Canada’s 3.6 rebounds per game also are a career high as teams lock in defending Reese and the other versatile Atlanta players such as Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard.
Shooting 46.7% from the field, Canada has capitalized on her minutes by being the most efficient possible this season and being enough of a threat that teams have to guard her, while she also can send the ball to one of Atlanta’s top scorers.
“Being aggressive on the offensive end and trying to be more efficient, talking to Cam [Brown], who’s my position coach, and [head coach Karl Smesko], just seeing ways I could be more effective and more efficient in my position,” Canada said. “So just watching a lot of film, watching the areas where I need to improve, and just trying to make sure that I do that consistently, day in and day out, every game, and skin to my spots, and making the right decisions.
Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada attempts a pass against the Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday in Seattle.
(Jack Compton / Getty Images)
The Dream are fourth in the WNBA standings behind their consistent starters. With that group, Canada has become one of the most dynamic point guards in the WNBA in her ninth season.
“Her speed is pretty level,” Valkyries coach and former UCLA player Natalie Nakase said. “At UCLA, she was fast. I think now she’s like, for some reason, she looks a lot stronger, I think, from her college years, and I think she really has bought into a system under Karl of what she is doing.”
Former UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau was selected by the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA draft.
(William Liang / Associated Press)
Former UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau was selected by the Brooklyn Nets in the second round of the NBA draft with the No. 43 overall pick.
Bilodeau, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Oregon State, averaged 15.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in 64 games at UCLA. The Kennewick, Wash., nativeled UCLA in scoring in his junior and senior seasons, averaging a team-best 17.6 points in 2025-26 and finishing second on the team in rebounding (5.6). Bilodeau earned third-team All-Big Ten Conference honors both seasons. He ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in three-point shooting as a senior, knocking down 46.4% of his attempts.
“We’re all so thrilled for Tyler to get drafted by Brooklyn,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said in a statement released by the athletic department. “He is a tremendous young man and a tireless worker who really excelled in our program. He’s come a long way since his days at Kamiakin High School, and it’s simply a testament to the work ethic that Tyler and his family have embodied. He’s a versatile player who really improved his three-point stroke during his two years in Westwood. I can’t wait to see him take that next step with Brooklyn. All of us at UCLA are so proud of him.”
Zoey Molomo, competing at the United States Gymnastics Olympic trials in 2024, placed second on vault and floor and third in the all-around and bars at the 2026 American Classic.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
Zoey Molomo, who is joining UCLA’s gymnastics program for the 2027 season, placed second on vault and floor and third in the all-around and on bars at the American Classic.
Molomo qualified for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships with an all-around total of 52.700.
UCLA alum Katelyn Ohashi, who returned to competitive gymnastics after a seven-year absence at age 29, tied for third on balance beam. In her first competition since the 2019 NCAA championships and her first elite competition since winning the 2013 American Cup, Ohashi scored 13.150 on balance beam to earn bronze.
Former viral UCLA star Katelyn Ohashi returns to gymnastics at age 29
Swanson: She broke baseball’s glass ceiling. Now Kim Ng is taking softball to the next level
UCLA Unlocked: Inside Bob Chesney’s football recruiting revival
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Live coverage and text updates as cohosts Canada play Morocco in the round of 16 knockout stage.
Source link