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Ekaterina Alexandrov took down four-time Grand Slam singles champion Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set marathon in Toronto.

World number one ‌Aryna Sabalenka suffered a setback in her US Open ⁠build-up after ⁠she was beaten 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open ⁠in Toronto on Saturday.

The 16th-seeded Alexandrova fought a hard battle, lasting nearly two and a half hours, to secure her quarterfinal berth.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open winner, recovered from a set down to force a decider but was unable to halt Alexandrova’s aggressive shot-making in the final set.

The Belarusian ‌broke early in the opening set before Alexandrova rallied to force a tiebreak, which the Russian won to move ahead.

Sabalenka responded by seizing control of the second set with a break for a 4-3 lead before serving out to level the match.

Alexandrova held her nerve in the decider as ⁠Sabalenka’s error count rose. Serving to stay ⁠in the match at 4-5, the top seed saved two match points, but a double fault on the third handed victory to the Russian.

“I just tried to ⁠play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you ⁠don’t [get] a lot of chances during ⁠the match,” Alexandrova said in her on-court interview.

“Honestly, I was trying not to think about the score or anything. Just hit the ball, and that’s it.

“I’m super ‌happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought (the chance) was already past me.”

Alexandrova will face Ukraine’s Elina ‌Svitolina, ‌who defeated American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 for a place in the semifinals.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has claimed that Russia’s army suffered 42,800 casualties in July, which, if accurate, would be the highest rate of losses so far this year estimated by Kyiv.

At the same time, Russia has responded to its poor battlefield performance and domestic energy crises by doubling down on the two weapons Ukraine has not found an adequate defence to – glide bombs and ballistic missiles.

Russia unleashed 8,300 glide bombs in July, more than in any other month of the war, said Ukraine’s defence ministry.

Ukraine’s kill rate is rising to meet what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes will be a call-up of up to half a million Russian reservists in October.

Al Jazeera is unable to independently verify either side’s claims of casualties in the war, now raging on in its fifth year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far refrained from using regular army conscripts and reservists in what he calls his Special Military Operation in Ukraine, fearing a political backlash. Should Ukraine force him to do so, it could mark a political inflexion point in Putin’s popularity at home.

As for Ukraine’s casualties, Zelenskyy recently told Fox News they amounted to 450,000, of whom 50,000 are fatalities.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has recently estimated that “the Russia-Ukraine casualty rate has likely risen to nearly 8:1 in the first half of 2026, up from between 2:1 and 3:1 for much of the war, in large part due to Ukraine’s use of drones”.

Drones were responsible for 30,272 of Russia’s casualties in July, said Zelenskyy.

Russia in retreat

Russia’s rising casualty rate is accompanied by a falling rate of performance on the battlefield.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank that assesses territorial control using geolocated open-source material, estimates that Russia occupied a total of 37.85sq km (15sq miles) of Ukraine in July, compared with 455,000sq km (176,000sq miles) in July of 2025.

That is demonstrative of Russia’s poor showing this year.

The ISW estimates that on balance, Russia has lost 183.5sq km (70sq miles) of Ukrainian territory this year, compared with the 2,198sq km (848sq miles) it seized during the first seven months of 2025.

Moscow has succeeded in infiltrating areas of Ukraine – a tactic of sending individual troops to pre-position themselves and await reinforcements, thus placing Ukrainian control of territory in dispute, if not firmly controlling it.

Russia infiltrated 121.6sq km (47sq miles) in July, according to the ISW, bringing total infiltrated territory for the year to 379.9sq km (147sq miles).

Many of these infiltrations have been reversed by the Ukrainian military, but they may yet prove effective in Kostiantynivka, the southernmost of Ukraine’s fortress cities, where Ukrainian defenders have recently expressed doubt about their ability to hold the city for more than a few more months.

Strike campaign renewed

Ukraine has also been holding its own in the air.

Zelenskyy declared a 40-day air strike campaign a success and renewed it on August 4.

The three-tiered campaign aimed to hit military production and oil refining inside Russia, energy and weapons flows in occupied territories close to the front line, and front-line positions.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it had struck 14 refineries, dozens of oil depots and loading terminals, 14 aircraft and four airfields over 40 days.

Many of those strikes took place in the past week, when Ukraine set fire to a Lukoil refinery in Volgograd, three refineries in the city of Ufa, 1,600km (994 miles) from Ukraine, the Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery in Yaroslavl, the Engels 2 and Saratov airfields, and a factory in Izhevsk manufacturing Shahed drones.

Unlike the larger Shahed factory in Alabuga, which relies on Chinese parts, this one uses almost exclusively Russian parts, said military technology expert Serhii Beskrestnov.

Ukraine has destroyed about a third of Russia’s actual refining capacity, a recent Financial Times analysis of satellite photographs found.

Ukraine has been launching close to 10,000 long-range drones a month to achieve these results.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 6,225 Ukrainian drones flew towards Moscow in July, representing approximately two-thirds of all Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian soil.

When Ukraine launched its drone campaign at the end of 2023, its goal was to manufacture 11,000 long-range drones in all of 2024. It has since contracted agreements with nine allies to manufacture drones on their soil, sending 50 percent of production to Ukraine, and says 15 more agreements are pending.

The results of the 40-day campaign have been most dramatic in occupied Crimea, where Ukraine has struck 201 electricity substations.

“The Crimean Peninsula’s power grid faced an unprecedented load and operated in critical mode. Rolling blackouts occurred in all Crimean districts,” said the Kremlin’s ambassador-at-large, Rodion Miroshnik.

Things were not much better in the adjacent occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhia, where he said “large-scale power outages … were recorded throughout the week in all regions”.

Ukraine said it has also sunk or disabled 206 Russian tankers and ferries carting oil and war materiel to Crimea across the Black and Azov seas. The head of its unmanned systems forces said it had run out of targets.

The energy crisis has forced the Kremlin to spend billions of roubles subsidising the peninsula, including placing a 100 rouble ($1.20) price cap on petrol in the past week.

Meanwhile Ukrainian strikes have continued, levelling a 60,000-tonne petroleum products tank farm in Taman, on the Russian side of the Kerch Strait, used to supply Crimea, and causing a catastrophic fire on July 31. Ukraine followed up by striking aircraft hangars in Yevpatoria, a naval boat yard in Chornomorske and an artillery brigade’s supply base, all in Crimea.

Russia’s response

Russia’s glide bombs are inertial ordnance fitted with fins giving them extra range and accuracy, so they can be dropped at safe distances of 20 to 30km (12 to19 miles) from the front lines.

Some carry three tonnes of explosives. They fly too fast to be intercepted by drones and cannot be disoriented by scrambling.

As well as glide bombs, Russia also unleashed its greatest monthly tally of missiles against Ukrainian cities – 376 in July, compared with a previous record of 288 in March. Of these, 120 were ballistic, and their density has depleted Ukraine’s stock of Patriot interceptors – the only missile that has proven effective against them.

During the past week, Ukraine stopped only one out of 51 Iskander-M ballistic missiles.

The Russian penetration rate translated directly into hits and civilian deaths – at least nine on August 1 and 17 on August 5 in Kyiv alone.

Russian production of Iskander-Ms is estimated at 70 a month, but North Korean ballistics may now be coming into play.

A missile fired at Radushne, Ukraine last month was of Korean manufacture, claimed Zelenskyy – only the second such missile to be used in the war.

Zelenskyy has pleaded for countries to send some of their stockpiles of an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 Patriot interceptors.

“The United States knows what we need. Europe knows what we need. Anti-ballistic missiles must protect people – not sit in stockpiles,” he said.

Ukraine’s vulnerability is clear from figures shared by its air force. It has intercepted 4,626 missiles of various types since the beginning of the war, but only 437 ballistic missiles.

Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open as he continues to recover from a wrist injury.

The world number two has not played since he pulled out of the Barcelona Open in April, missing Wimbledon and the chance to defend his French Open title.

After winning the event in 2025, Spain’s Alcaraz was due to return at the Cincinnati Open as part of preparations for his defence of the US Open, which begins on 30 August.

Instead, the organisers of the Ohio event – which starts on 11 August – said that “an ongoing wrist injury” will prevent the 23-year-old from taking part.

“We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible,” said tournament director Bob Moran.

“We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.”

Dory Funk Jr., a pro wrestling icon and one of three members of the Funk family to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, has died at age 85.

Marti Funk, Funk’s wife of 40 years, told Florida’s Ocala Gazette that her husband died Tuesday while in hospice care. No further details were given.

Born on Feb. 3, 1941, in Hammond, Ind., Funk was the oldest of Dory and Dorothy Funk’s two sons. Spending most of his childhood in Amarillo, Texas, Funk grew up admiring his father, a professional wrestler and promoter who once wrestled in Canada as a heel named the Outlaw who hailed from the fictitious location Double Cross Ranch. As wrestlers, Funk and his brother, Terry, often were billed as being from there as well.

“As a kid, I used to dream I could do all the things my father could do,” Funk said during a 2007 interview for World Wrestling Entertainment. “I wanted to be just like him.”

Funk played offensive and defensive line on the West Texas State University football team (now West Texas A&M) from 1959 to 1962 — he was inducted into the university’s athletics Hall of Fame in 1990 — and went straight into professional wrestling. His 50-plus years in the business included stints in a number of associations across the U.S. and Japan.

He was the National Wrestling Alliance heavyweight champion for more than four years uninterrupted (February 1969 to May 24, 1973). In 1986, Funk and his brother joined WWE (then known as WWF) as a team and defeated Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog at WrestleMania 2.

Funk’s involvement in wrestling also expanded into promotion. In addition, he and Marti owned and operated the Funking Conservatory, a wrestling school where he trained a number of future WWE superstars including Kurt Angle, Christian, Edge, the Hardy Boyz, Mark Henry and Mickie James.

“He was such a good guy,” Marti told the Ocala Gazette, “such a good guy!”

The Funk brothers were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Dory Funk Sr., who died in 1973 at age 54, was inducted posthumously to the hall’s Legacy Wing in 2025. Terry Funk died in 2023 at age 79.

WWE chief content officer Triple H announced Funk’s death Tuesday afternoon on social media.

“From the Double Cross Ranch to the @WWE Hall of Fame, Dory’s style inspired countless performers in our industry” Triple H wrote. “Whether it was at WrestleMania 2, WCW, ECW, or the dozens of NWA-affiliated promotions, his travels across North America and Asia were a part of the early blueprint that helped build this business into a global phenomena.

“A hard-nosed and fierce competitor, his rugged in-ring style was only eclipsed by the decades he spent training athletes to perform in the squared circle he loved so much. My thoughts and those of the entire @WWE Universe are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Madison Square Garden. Decades before the July 3 wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce catapulted the venue into a new category of global prominence, the Manhattan arena loomed large as a symbol of success.

For the select list of comedians who have sold out the place, filling the arena is considered a pinnacle of achievement. It’s a triumph so encompassing that it inspired the central plot of the final season of “Hacks,” as Jean Smart’s veteran stand-up Deborah Vance demonstrates she’ll do just about anything to sell out the Garden — including putting herself in a glass cube above the Las Vegas Strip and almost perishing up there. “She needs a legacy-defining win, something that’s going to be the inarguable lead to her obituary,” says Paul W. Downs during a Zoom call with his “Hacks” co-creators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky.

“With Deborah, she likes to go big and Madison Square Garden is big,” adds Statsky. “It’s a testament to what an iconic place it is because we were like, ‘There’s one option here and it’s MSG.’”

So what does it really take to sell out MSG? Back in the day, a comedian could go on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and become nationally known. Now, YouTube subscribers and TikTok followers are part of the equation, along with specials on Netflix, HBO and Hulu. The road to MSG is a long one, with few shortcuts. It usually begins with years of playing club dates, then theaters and larger arenas, creating demand. But the payoff is substantial: With 15,000 to 20,000 seats depending on the configuration, a single night can gross up to $3 million in ticket sales. Then, a streaming platform might fork over $5 million to $20 million for exclusive taped performance rights. Plus, there’s the unquantifiable: “Venues often come and go,” says Aniello, “but Madison Square Garden feels like forever. The name itself has remained protected as this kind of sacred thing.”

Only about 20 comedians have ever achieved the milestone, including the likes of Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Chris Rock and Amy Schumer — the only woman in this elite group. The Envelope spoke to six of them to understand what it takes and how it feels to reach comedy’s Promised Land.

Max Amini

(Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 1
Date: Feb. 15, 2026
Max Amini Tour

“No one sells out Madison Square Garden alone. Behind every artist is an audience that believed before the rest of the world caught on, a family that sacrificed, a team that worked tirelessly. I’m incredibly proud of my team because they believed in this vision long before Madison Square Garden was even a conversation. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that success is never built by one person. It’s built by people who trust one another, challenge one another, and refuse to let each other settle for less than excellence.”

Nate Bargatze

(Jason Kempin / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 3
Dates: Sept. 26 and 27 (two shows), 2025
Big Dumb Eyes World Tour

“I believed I could make a career out of stand-up comedy when I was in my 20s, even when it sounded like a crazy thing to do. I was just hoping somebody would come to the show. You spend so many years doing clubs it’s hard to picture anything bigger than that, until it happens. … Selling out Madison Square Garden, let alone selling it out three times, wasn’t something I ever expected, but it was the result of believing in stand-up, believing people still want to get out of the house and laugh together, and believing in hard work each and every day.”

Dane Cook

(Jesse Grant / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 3
Dates: Nov. 12, 2006 (two shows) and Nov. 9, 2009
Rough Around the Edges Tour, Isolated Incident Tour

“When I think of history and legendary artists selling out, it’s the greatest honor of my career. To get to experience that even once, it’s an achievement that forever changes how your career is viewed. I’m standing backstage in the hallway looking at all the photos, it’s like getting an energy massage, realizing the history of this incredible edifice. In my quiet moment pre-show, realizing I’m in rare air, I wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. It is a privilege. When I let the crowd know we got there together, I can still feel the energy in my chest.”

Jim Gaffigan

(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation)

Number of sellouts: 1
Date: Dec. 12, 2015
Contagious Tour

“I never thought selling out MSG was a possibility. When I started stand-up it was an unrealistic goal for any comedian. Having lived in NYC for three decades, MSG had exceeded its legendary status for me. MSG is where I brought my kids to see the Knicks and Rangers play. It’s where I saw Bruce Springsteen. Pulling off a sellout seemed like a gamble but worth it. There is something special about an audience seeing you at MSG. I think people coming to the show understand there is a special-event status to a show at MSG.”

Matt Rife

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

Number of sellouts: 2
Dates: July 18 and 19, 2025
Stay Golden World Tour

“MSG is the top of the mountain. It symbolizes the pinnacle of ticket-selling success as a comedian. If you can sell out the world’s most famous arena, in the toughest city in America … you’ve made it. For me it was beyond a dream come true. Growing up I always thought selling out comedy clubs was the ceiling for success for stand-up comedians. I never thought I’d be one of them. To not only sell it out twice, but to be the youngest comedian to ever sell it out … it’s still hard to comprehend. It feels like a literal dream, that I can’t remember if it actually happened or not.”

Andrew Schulz

(Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for Food Bank for NYC)

Number of sellouts: 2
Dates: May 3 and 4, 2024
The Life Tour

“I am born and raised in NYC. My dad had so much respect for MSG he would make me wear a collared shirt whenever we stepped in that building. This place had holy significance to me before I knew I wanted to be a comic. Once I decided to make comedy my life I had one goal. It was to sell out MSG … wearing a collared shirt of course. I thought about walking onto that stage every single day for 17 years straight. And then it happened. Dreams do come true.”

I was feeling good about UCLA football, until Bill Plaschke promised Bruin greatness. Hey, Uncle Bill, could you please retract your prediction, considering your track record? Maybe then, the Bruins will have a chance!

Jack Wolf
Los Angeles

Despite his middling record, Times columnist Bill Plaschke has once again entered the prediction business. Unrestrained as ever, he predicts greatness for UCLA football, courtesy of its new head coaching hire, Bob Chesney. However, Bill fails to quantify what he expects the team to achieve? Is it simply a winning record? A victory over crosstown rival USC? Or, dare I mention, a national championship? I guess we’ll all have to wait.

Rob Fleishman
Placentia

Bob Chesney has won before. Winning at UCLA is another matter. But when Bill Plaschke starts pumping sunshine, history warns against climbing aboard the Bruin bandwagon unless it comes with an extended warranty and roadside assistance. Until then: “Westwood Ho!”

Steve Ross
Carmel

In a sign of how high school football practices in Southern California have changed over the last 20 years, Crespi athletic director Brian Bilek was holding a beeping device on Monday to determine what modifications might be needed to practice in heat.

It was 100 degrees in Encino, but the reading from the wet-bulb device measuring heat and humidity gave out a number that allowed for practice to take place with precautionary measures.

Southern Section players were in shorts and wearing helmets around the Southland. City Section teams began five days of mandatory acclimation periods to get players into shape.

It’s an annual ritual that once had programs practicing twice or even three times a day. CIF rules that restrict tackling to two days per week and a maximum of 45 to 90 minutes a day were adopted in an effort to protect players from concussions and injuries.

By the weekend, when the shoulder pads come on, coaches will be breaking out in smiles watching their freshmen players trying to figure out the routine for the first time.

Crespi coach Brad Vonnahme grew up in the Central Valley and coached at Fresno State. He described the weather from those days as “toasty.” Monday’s environment, though, was probably the hottest opening day in his four seasons at Crespi.

It’s a big year for the Celts. They’ve improved each season after Vonnahme was put in charge of a rebuilding project following Crespi’s 0-10 season in 2022. The Celts have responded with records of 2-8 and 5-6 before their 10-1 mark last season.

This year, they’ve upgraded their schedule, adding rival Sherman Oaks Notre Dame for a season-opening nonleague game Aug. 21.

Asked if his team can continue to climb, Vonnahme said, “I think we can. But most importantly, we have to try. Everybody wants us to continue to elevate.”

Crespi’s Russell White carries the ball during a game against St. John Bosco on Nov. 7, 1986.

(John McCoy / Los Angeles Times)

This season marks 40 years since Crespi’s greatest team, led by running back Russell White, won the Division 1 championship over St. John Bosco in 1986. It remains the only San Fernando Valley team to win a Division 1 football title. Many of the players are expected to attend the Notre Dame game for a recognition ceremony.

Crespi returns a number of players who were standouts as sophomores, led by quarterback Chase Curren. They’ll need to be bigger, faster and stronger. If all goes well, they will play Salesian on Oct. 30 to decide the Del Rey League title.

A strong group of teams will be traveling to Hawaii next month, so they’ll be getting ready a little faster for football and surfing. Chaminade, Edison, Beaumont, San Clemente, San Juan Hills, Newport Harbor, El Camino Real and Villa Park are among the teams with Hawaii trips.

Athletic directors are back from vacation and will be busy trying to clear players who transferred. Making sure paperwork is correct is one of the most important tasks, because one mistake can lead to forfeits.

London, United Kingdom — On his fourth day as prime minister, Andy Burnham did not stay at Downing Street in London. Nor did he go to Manchester, the home of Number 10 North. He went to Glasgow.

Hours before King Charles and Queen Camilla opened the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Burnham held his first in-person meetings with Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and Wales’ First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth. The talks were meant to demonstrate, in Burnham’s own words, that growth is needed “in every postcode across the whole of the UK”. A meeting with Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers, Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly, is pencilled in for a wider UK tour in August.

Notably absent from the agenda, at Burnham’s insistence, was any discussion of a second Scottish independence referendum.

Just days after being appointed prime minister, Burnham is testing a proposition that will define his premiership. He’s selling a vision that the office itself can be partly relocated out of London to Manchester, the city he governed as mayor from 2017 until his return to UK Parliament in the Makerfield by-election last month.

What Number 10 North actually is

Stripped of rhetoric, Number 10 North is a written ministerial statement. On July 21, Baroness Smith of Basildon, Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal, confirmed on the government’s behalf that devolution and local growth policy functions are moving out of the housing ministry and the Treasury and into a new Manchester-based operation. There, civil servants will work inside a restructured Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, led by Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo.

The interim headquarters is Heron House, in the New Islington area of Manchester, chosen partly for its proximity to a planned Manchester Digital Campus.

Caroline Simpson, the outgoing chief executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, has been named Burnham’s deputy chief of staff, and will be in charge of day-to-day office operations. Downing Street says Burnham himself expects to work from Manchester “at least one day a week”, though officials caution his diary may change, and insists the arrangement carries no additional cost to taxpayers.

Burnham calls it “the nerve centre of a rewired Britain” and rejects suggestions it is symbolic. “Not a gimmick,” he told his first Cabinet meeting about Number 10 North.

Plumbing, but no water

Number 10 North “establishes the plumbing, but the water isn’t flowing yet”, said Mirte Boot of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North. The institutional architecture is firming up, but fiscal devolution – ie, the transfer of money and tax-raising power – that would make such a policy meaningful doesn’t yet exist, she added.

Still, she calls it “a step in the right direction” after what she describes as “too much power condensed into one postcode”. Leaving Westminster isn’t enough; Number 10 North will need “strong political leadership aside from the prime minister”, she added.

The verdict that Number 10 North contains vision and ambition but currently lacks a detailed plan and delivery mechanism is a recurring response from independent voices.

Jonathan Carr-West of the Local Government Information Unit calls Burnham’s devolution agenda “the most ambitious statement … from a senior politician in a generation”, while warning that English councils are so financially hollowed out that the vision “requires a vehicle” it does not yet have.

Malcolm Morgan, a transport researcher at the University of Leeds, puts it more bluntly: genuine devolution means spending, taxation and regulatory power, not just relocated functions, and “devolution does not create more funding”.

That funding question sits unresolved alongside the national one. The 2026 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act expanded mayors’ control over transport, planning and housing, but left fiscal devolution to a separate Treasury “roadmap” due alongside the autumn budget. According to Centre for Cities, a UK urban policy think tank, the UK remains the most fiscally centralised country in the G7: some 95 percent of tax revenue flows straight to Whitehall.

Devolution, or recentralisation?

For Scotland’s SNP government, the Number 10 North framing is beside the point. First Minister Swinney responded that “rhetoric alone will not cut it” and argued that four consecutive Holyrood elections have handed his party a mandate for Scottish self-determination, something Westminster keeps ignoring, he said. In Glasgow, Burnham declined to engage with that argument directly.

Meanwhile, Wales’ Ap Iorwerth struck a more cooperative note but still said he expected “that Number 10 North would not become Whitehall with a different postcode”.

He also used the meeting with Burnham to press for a new Wales Bill granting policing and justice powers, and a replacement for the Barnett Formula funding mechanism, which Westminster uses to calculate annual changes to the block grants allocated to the UK’s devolved governments, so Wales would have funding parity with Scotland.

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, from the opposite political direction, warned that a Number 10 in the south and one in the north would simply “fight against each other”.

What it means in Manchester

In Bury, Greater Manchester, Scottish-born Debe Conway sells children’s books at markets and has lived in the area for 56 years, but remains unconvinced about the new prime minister.

Her biggest concern is immigration, which she called Burnham weak on. And as for Number 10 North, she wants to know how it’s being paid for, and asks how long it will last, considering that the UK has had seven prime ministers in the last 10 years.

Rich Carver, who has run pizza restaurants in Manchester for 15 years and is currently “soaking up the energy in the city”, says he cares more about what will happen in the next 10 years.

He’s also tired of the succession of governments and wants this one to last. He likes Burnham and is optimistic enough about the city’s trajectory that he is opening a new restaurant in the coming weeks, something he would not have done five years ago.

“We are all one country,” he says, hoping the rest of the UK (and the media) give the new prime minister time and the chance to implement his vision. Whether that time produces growth, or just relocated offices, is the question Number 10 North still has to answer.

Pat McAfee knows just what the world needs in 2026.

More Pat McAfee.

The former Indianapolis Colts punter and kicker already is seemingly everywhere — as the host of his own show every weekday on ESPN, as an analyst on “College GameDay” and guest on a number of other shows on the network, as a commentator/participant with WWE until earlier this year, as host of multiple podcasts, etc.

McAfee has not, however, released an album full of songs written and sung entirely by the two-time Pro Bowl selection himself.

That situation will be rectified in a matter of weeks.

McAfee announced Wednesday that he would be dropping his debut record, “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure,” on Aug. 14, a musical collaboration with country singer-songwriter Ernest.

“For as long as I can remember my mere existence has made people hate my guts,” McAfee wrote in an X post announcing the project. “I’ve been writing songs about it for 20yrs & it’s time to let them aht.. A LOT of headlines & narratives.. if I was to die, I’d like my kids to know exactly who their dad is.”

Although McAfee definitely has his detractors, it’s interesting that he’s putting out an album focusing on the haters, considering his current popularity is such that he is reportedly in talks for a contract extension with ESPN that would pay him more than $60 million a year.

Some online commenters have criticized McAfee for the timing of his announcement, which comes a day after a number of his ESPN colleagues were laid off by Walt Disney Co. McAfee reposted one such complaint on X and commented simply, “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure, August 14th, 2026.”

He said Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show”: “A lot of things are being said about me at this exact moment. [People] are going to hear my responses through these songs because these types of situations have been happening to me throughout my entire life. … Literally since elementary school I’ve had people that just don’t like me because I’m too loud and everything like that.”

In December, McAfee released a country-rock single called “Dookie,” also a musical collaboration with Ernest. A news release at the time stated that the single marked “a new partnership between McAfee and DeVille Records / Big Loud Records.”

Ernest told Whiskey Riff early this year that he and McAfee had recorded eight or nine songs together.

“Any EA Sports game should have a Pat McAfee song on it,” Ernest said in describing the former West Virginia standout’s musical style. “It’s locker room hype s—.”

Many athletes have attempted musical careers, with varying degrees of critical and commercial success. It would seem far fewer sports broadcasters have tried the same crossover, with John Tesh probably being the best-known example after his stint covering athletic events for CBS and NBC in the mid-1980s.

If he wants advice from a peer, perhaps McAfee might seek it from Terry Bradshaw, the four-time Super Bowl champion and longtime NFL analyst who also has released a number of country/gospel albums and even had a top 10 country hit with a cover of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” in the 1970s.

McAfee said on his show that he “wrote this entire thing over the last 20 years or so in the notes section” of his phone.

“A lot of very personal stuff in here,” he said. “Finding my singing voice has been fun. That has been a blast. Then [to] all the incredible people in Nashville who have assisted and kind of helped me piece all this together, I’m so grateful and thankful.”

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Brits with holidays booked this year to Europe could risk facing issues entering Europe if they don’t check a number on their passport well in advance

Schools across the UK will close for the six-week summer holiday, and thousands of families will be taking the opportunity to spend time together abroad during the peak travel season. However, a travel insurance specialist has issued an alert urging people to check a specific number on their passports before they jet away to avoid risk of being refused entry to Europe.

Travellers with passports issued before 2018 are being warned that they could face issues entering Europe if they don’t check a specific number, thanks to a ’10-year passport rule’. New analysis from Saga Travel Insurance found that the EU and Schengen ’10-year passport rule’ was the most discussed passport concern among travellers on Reddit, with discussions amassing 35,417 upvotes across the platform.

The Schengen area is a group of 29 European countries where travellers can move between countries without routine passport checks. It includes popular holiday destinations such as France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal.

Michelle Cooper, Director of Saga Travel Insurance, said: “EU and Schengen countries require passports to be less than 10 years old on the day of entry. While all new passports last exactly ten years, passports issued before 2018 remain valid for 10 years and nine months.

“If you have an older passport, make sure you check both the issue date and expiry date before travelling to avoid problems at the border.” Michelle warns that passengers travelling with these 10-year and nine-month passports may face issues travelling in Europe if they’re in the final nine months of their passport.”

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The analysis also found that more than three-quarters (80%) of holidaymakers are unaware that different countries have different passport validity requirements, according to Saga Travel Insurance’s survey. Meanwhile, half (50%) believe that every country requires a passport to have six months remaining before travel.

Michelle said: “It’s important to check the specific rules of the country you’re travelling to so that you know how long you need to keep your passport. Some destinations require three months remaining on your passport, while others require six months.

“If you travel to a country without enough time left on your passport, there is a possibility you’ll be denied entry into the country. This could be by your airline, before flying, or by border security, once you reach your destination. If you’re denied boarding or refused entry because your passport doesn’t meet those rules, travel insurance is unlikely to cover costs such as cancelled accommodation, missed flights or return travel expenses.

“This is because the responsibility typically sits with the traveller to ensure their passport meets the entry requirements of the country they’re visiting. That’s why checking your passport carefully before travelling is one of the most important things you can do before a holiday.”

Frequent flyers could be turned away for not having enough blank passport pages

Some countries require travellers to have a minimum number of blank pages remaining in their passports for stamps and visas. Michelle says: “People can sometimes focus entirely on expiry dates and forget to check how many blank pages they have left, but some destinations can refuse entry if there isn’t enough room for official stamps or visa documentation.

“If you’re a frequent traveller, you should regularly check how many blank pages you have remaining in your passport before booking a trip. You might also benefit from purchasing a passport with additional blank pages.

“As travel systems evolve, including the gradual rollout of digital border systems such as the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), physical passport stamping may become less common. But for now, requirements can still vary depending on destination and border process.”

What should you do if you lose your passport?

One in 20 (5%) Brits have needed an emergency replacement passport before travelling, according to Saga Travel Insurance’s survey. And, one in 25 (4%) have cancelled a holiday because they couldn’t find their passport before departure.

Michelle says: “If you lose your passport before travelling, you can apply for a one-week fast-track application. This is an in-person application that requires an appointment, so it’s important to factor in booking availability – as well as the additional cost. It’s £76 more than a standard passport but means you should still be able to go on holiday.

“If you lose your passport while abroad, you should report this to the HM Passport Office as soon as possible. You will also need to apply for an emergency travel document online so that you can travel home. You’ll typically need a valid digital passport photo, your phone number, an email address, and a debit or credit card to make the £125 payment.

“If the loss of your passport means that you need to delay or rearrange your journey home, travel insurance may be able to help with some of the associated costs depending on your policy. Check your insurance documents and contact your insurer as soon as possible to understand your next steps.”

Brits warned over new ETIAS travel checks for Europe

From late 2026, British travellers visiting most European countries will need to apply for a new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) before travelling. The new system is similar to the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme and will apply to visa-exempt travellers visiting 30 European countries for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Michelle says: “Travellers may not realise that visiting Europe will soon involve an additional pre-travel authorisation step. From late 2026, British holidaymakers will need to apply for ETIAS approval before travelling to many popular European destinations. The authorisation will be linked directly to your passport, meaning travellers could be denied boarding if their ETIAS details don’t match their travel document or if the authorisation has expired.

“Most ETIAS applications are expected to be processed within minutes, but it could take longer if additional checks are required. Holidaymakers should apply well in advance of departure to avoid last-minute disruptions.”

She added: “Similar systems already exist elsewhere. For example, UK travellers visiting the United States must apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before departure. These systems are becoming more common globally, so it’s important to check requirements for each destination well ahead of travel.

“As with passport validity rules, people are responsible for making sure they have the correct travel authorisation before they leave the country. If someone is unable to travel because they failed to obtain valid ETIAS or ESTA approval, travel insurance is unlikely to cover costs associated with denied boarding or cancelled trips.”

Welcome to our Who am I? game.

The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. Guess the answer after as few clues as possible to score more points.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

So take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Huzaifah Khan.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

“The Pitt” has put “ER” veteran Noah Wyle back where he excels: a fictional emergency room. But this time, Wyle has assumed far more control over the Emmy chaos by producing and directing as well as acting.

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In 2025, Wyle won the lead drama actor Emmy for playing complicated miracle worker Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, plus a producing prize for drama series.

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Wyle was nominated five times (1995-1999) without winning for his supporting performance as Dr. John Carter on “ER,” his first hospital-set collaboration with producer John Wells.

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Nominations that “ER” actors Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Anthony Edwards, Sherry Stringfield, Eriq La Salle, George Clooney, Laura Innes, Gloria Reuben, CCH Pounder and Maura Tierney amassed in supporting and lead categories.

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Emmy wins that resulted from those nominations: Margulies’ supporting triumph in 1995.

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“The Pitt” doubled that haul in one season, with Wyle’s lead and Katherine LaNasa’s supporting wins. (And added a guest actor Emmy for Shawn Hatosy, who moves up to supporting in Season 2.)

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Wyle could grab three more nominations this time around, including for his “Pitt” directing debut (Season 2, Episode 6).

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He also no longer competes against his co-stars, as he did with La Salle, and as at least eight “Pitt” performers (LaNasa, Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Sepideh Moafi, Isa Briones, Patrick Ball, Gerran Howell and Hatosy) could this year.

A new South Korean action thriller has taken Netflix by storm with fans desperate to see more.

Netflix fans are eager to find out what happens next following Agent Kim Reactivated’s jaw-dropping premiere.

Netflix has just unveiled a new action thriller starring So Ji-sub in the titular role of Agent Kim, and it is already climbing the UK Top 10 chart.

Based on the webtoon Manager Kim, the series, which is one of many Netflix k-dramas, follows an ordinary, hardworking father who is forced to reveal his secret identity to rescue his missing daughter.

The series premiered on SBS TV on June 26 and the episodes are also streaming on Netflix, however, only two instalments have been released so far. The epic premiere introduced Kim Do-hyeon, a former North-South Korean covert operative who retired to fulfil his late wife’s wishes.

But when his daughter, Min-ji, is kidnapped, Kim jumps back into action and he quickly draws the attention of the National Special Missions Bureau. Here is all you need to know about how many episodes are in the series.

How many episodes in Agent Kim Reactivated?

As the series continues, Kim comes across two other fathers who are also former operatives: Seong Han-su (Choi Dae-hoon) and Park Jin-cheol (Yoon Kyung-ho). Together, they face opposition from various figures, including a construction executive and a North Korean agent.

Fans have already been left hooked after two episodes and they are keen to find out how many there are in total.

The entire series is made up of 10 episodes, with two episodes airing each week, on Fridays and Saturdays. The final two episodes are expected to drop on July 24 and 25.

Viewership figures have been released for the first two episodes, with 1.9million people watching episode one and 3.2million people watching episode two.

The huge jump in viewership is expected to continue as fans eagerly await the next two episodes on July 3 and July 4. The weekly release approach is unusual for Netflix as the streamer tends to drop all episodes at the same time for most shows.

Fans have taken to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts on the series so far, with one saying: “One of the most brutal k-dramas. Emotional as well.

“I have watch a lot of Action-thriller film and series from Korea, most of them were the same. Thrilling, yes, but not emotional in a way that makes my heartbeat escalated. Yet this k-drama gave me that feeling.”

Another said: “I think the first episode was already superbly done, it was so much fun to finally watch it, and I’m already looking forward to the next episodes of the series.”

A third shared: “Agent Kim Reactivated has already pulled me in completely. The story starts on a strong note, setting up an intriguing plot with excellent pacing, suspense, and enough mystery to keep you wanting the next episode immediately.”

Agent Kim Reactivated airs on Netflix with two episodes airing each week, on Fridays and Saturdays.

A New Zealand expat and his Spanish wife, who share travel guides about Spain on YouTube, have named one city as their top destination

Perched on a narrow strip of land encircled by the Atlantic Ocean lies Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, which one expat living in Spain is urging visitors to make time for. The capital of the Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, the city is over 3,000-years-old and dotted with remarkable ancient buildings gazing out over the breathtaking blue waters that surround it.

New Zealand expat James and his Spanish wife Yoly, who both reside in Spain, have made it their mission to help others experience Spain on a deeper level through the travel guides they share on their YouTube channel @spainrevealed. They spotlighted the magnificent city of Cádiz as their “number one place to visit” on any trip to Spain, reports the Express.

“You see this city deep in the southwest of Spain on this impossibly small spit of land is the most magical city in Spain according to me,” said James.

Indeed, the expat fell so deeply in love with the region that he has long dreamed of living there for a period. He even goes as far as suggesting it would be a “crime to visit Spain without seeing Cádiz”, a sentiment his wife Yoly wholeheartedly echoes, describing such an omission as “unforgivable”.

James places the city’s rich history at the very top of his list of favourite things about Cádiz, with traces of its remarkable past visible at virtually every corner.

“There’s almost a sense that Cádiz has so much history that it can’t keep up it can’t keep it in check and all of these historic buildings are being beaten by the weather that comes off the Atlantic so it’s a challenge to keep these buildings in a state of good repair,” he said.

“And for better or worse what that does mean is that these historic parts of Cádiz have this gritty authenticity to them.”

Centuries-old buildings and cobbled streets are dotted throughout the city’s various districts, known in Spain as barrios, including El Pópulo, La Viña, and Santa María. El Pópulo is the city’s most ancient quarter, situated at the gateway to the historical centre, nestled between the Town Hall and the Cathedral.

It is widely regarded as the true medieval heart of the city, with roots stretching back to the 13th century.

The promenade is another unmissable attraction, where visitors can stroll along and take in the city’s breathtaking scenery, including the shimmering golden dome of the cathedral.

The Cathedral itself ranks amongst the most iconic landmarks in Cádiz, blending baroque and neoclassical architectural styles. Visitors can even embark on tours to oft-overlooked sections of the cathedral, including its crypts.

Plaza de las Flores is a charming square flanked by an array of cafés serving up local delicacies such as churros and fried fish, while Mercado Central buzzes with stalls brimming with locally-sourced produce.

While the millennia-old heritage forms a significant part of the fabric of Cádiz, the city has also welcomed modernity, as evidenced by the contemporary Parador de Cádiz.

The hotel first opened its doors in 2013 and boasts a stunning outdoor swimming pool with Atlantic views as its backdrop.

Flights from London to Cádiz take around two hours and 45 minutes with the nearest airport to the city is Jerez. From there it takes 45 minutes to drive with flights starting from £67.

For more than four decades his voice was embraced by millions, a calming baritone in a sea of Lakers bedlam.

Yet in the most unfair of twists, on the night his career ended he was silent and alone.

Three months ago, Lawrence Tanter was walking through his bedroom when he suddenly collapsed while losing all strength in his arms and legs.

He fell and couldn’t get up. He lives alone, so he couldn’t cry out for help. He was able to secure his phone, but he says he was too stubborn to call 911.

“I wanted to get up by myself,” he said. “I knew I would eventually get up by myself.”

But this 6-foot-7 bear of a man was too weak to get up by himself. Listening to a Lakers road game on a bedside radio, he remained on the floor and eventually fell asleep until finally summoning his oldest friend the next morning.

Lakers star LeBron James salutes public address announcer Lawrence Tanter before the start of a game in 2024.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

“I got there and I’m like, why didn’t you call sooner?” Joe Williams said. “I told him, ‘I know you’re a warrior but, c’mon man, this is serious.’”

Serious enough to be diagnosed as a stroke. Serious enough to quietly end the most sonorous, soothing stretch in local sports history.

For 43 years as the Lakers’ iconic public address announcer, Tanter has been the coolest sound in the city, the measured, reassuring voice that decorated the team’s two hype-filled homes with gravitas and grace.

When the Lakers announced his retirement last week as he continues to battle effects from the March 17 stroke, the man known to everyone as simply “LT” closed his career with taciturn perfection, summing up a Lakers lifetime in eight words.

“It’s been a great run,” he intoned this week from a hospital bed, his pipes still the strongest part of him. “I’ve been blessed.”

It is Lakers fans who have been blessed, gifted with a voice that, whenever they attended a game, reminded them they were home.

“LT is in every way a part of Laker history,” said former Laker and current broadcaster Mychal Thompson. “He too is a Laker legend.”

Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter gets set up at the scorer’s table before a game in 2011.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

When the retirement news broke with the Lakers announcing they were moving LT into an advisory role — a classy good-bye — fans everywhere broke out their LT best.

“Toooo many steps.” … “James Woooorthy.” … ”LeBronnnn James.”

And, of course, everybody’s favorite…“Llllaker Girlsss.”

“I always imagine, if he could hear God’s voice, it would sound like LT’s,” Thompson said.

This was never more true than on a somber night in late January in 2020. LT put his giant arms around a grieving city with pregame introductions that will never be forgotten.

“At one guard, number 24, 6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kobeee Bryant.”

The player taking the court was Avery Bradley.

“At the other guard, number 24, 6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kobeee Bryant.”

Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter watches play from his spot at the scorer’s table during a game in 2012.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

The player taking the court was Danny Green.

And on it went, all five Lakers introduced as Kobe Bryant before their game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the ultimate tribute before the Lakers’ first game since Bryant’s death.

It might have been LT’s finest hour, and every second of it broke his heart.

“The hardest introductions ever,” he remembered.

LT handled it simply by being LT, a comforting bard who could elicit much emotion with a slight change in cadence or key.

“With his timing, his rhythm, he could get excitement going without raising his voice,” said Bob Steiner, the retired Lakers executive who hired LT in 1982. “Lawrence became a star in the same way Chick Hearn was.”

While working for the Lakers, LT also worked for several jazz and rhythm and blues radio stations in town, most notably KJLH, which gave him built-in credibility in the city.

“If you go around town, you will find that he was known almost as much for his radio work as his public address work,” Williams said.

In combining the rhythm of jazz with the tenor of basketball, LT was the coolest cat at the scorer’s table, a distinctive figure in a white goatee and a newsboy cap who raised the roof while never raising his voice.

“I never tried to be a cheerleader,” said LT, 76. “I just tried to be a public address announcer.”

While many of today’s public address announcers are screamers, LT was so subtle that his most repeated call involved not the action, but the in-game entertainment.

“Everywhere we go, somebody recognizes his voice and does an imitation,” Williams said. “But nothing gets repeated like ‘Llllaker Girlsss.’”

Those two words, uttered at the end of every routine by the iconic dance team, contain the essence of LT’s greatness. He knows what you’re watching doesn’t need any embellishment; he’s capturing the scene with the power of subtlety.

“You’re sitting in the stands and when the dancers finish dancing, you say to your friends out loud, ‘Llllaker Girlsss,’ and everybody laughs,” said Pete Arbogast, who was the master of ceremonies when LT was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster Hall of Fame last year.

LT’s speech that afternoon was dominated by individual thank-yous to his many friends who attended the ceremony, typical LT humility.

“From my nose to my toes, I say thank you,” he concluded.

Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter is given brownies by actress Dyan Cannon before the start of a game in 2011.

(Los Angeles Times)

Today it is the Lakers who are thanking him.

“Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise.”

His next stop should be the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, where he deserves to be enshrined as a contributor, becoming the first public address announcer to receive such an honor.

What other PA voice defined a franchise like LT? Who else missed just two games in 43 years? Name another PA announcer who accumulated nine championship rings yet refuses to wear any of them, ever, because it was never about him?

“It’s high time the Hall of Fame inducts him as a valuable and legendary contributor to the game,” Thompson said.

And if he is one day inducted, how would he introduce himself?

“At one forward, number 43, 6-foot-7, from Thornton Township High School, Llllawrence TAN-ter …”

LT laughed at the thought. He never actually would say that. But wouldn’t you like to hear it? Just once?

“Laker games,” Thompson said, “will never sound the same again.”

Jude Bellingham is set to start in England’s coveted number 10 role for their World Cup opener against Croatia.

There has been conjecture over who will play in the central attacking berth for England after the emergence of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers as a viable option in the position.

However, it is understood England manager Thomas Tuchel is likely to select Bellingham, 22, for Wednesday’s Group L encounter in Dallas (21:00 BST).

The Real Madrid star is expected to have Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest alongside him in midfield.

Elsewhere, Ezri Konsa is likely to get the nod at centre-half alongside John Stones – with Marc Guehi in line to start on the bench.

Reece James and Nico O’Reilly are set to start at full-back.

Harry Kane will captain the side and lead the attack. Anthony Gordon is expected to play on the left wing with Noni Madueke in line to play on the right in place of Bukayo Saka, who is working his way back to full fitness from Achilles tendinitis.

Predicted line-up: Pickford; James, Stones, Konsa, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

In 2024, Evans sacrificed the 500 ranking points he had won at the Washington Open the previous year to partner fellow Briton Andy Murray for his final tournament at the Paris Olympics.

The pair lost in the quarter-finals in what was the last match of Murray’s illustrious career.

“Representing Great Britain in both Davis Cup and the Olympics remains the greatest honour of my career and something I will cherish for the rest of my life,” added Evans, who played 28 Davis Cup ties for Great Britain.

Evans, who was suspended for a year after testing positive for cocaine in 2017, thanked his family for their “unwavering support through every high and low”.

“I’m looking forward to finishing on a high… and giving everything I have one last time,” he said.

Wimbledon starts on 29 June, although Evans would have to go through qualifying or receive a wildcard to play in the main draw.

He has failed to advance through qualifying at the past three Grand Slams, while he received a wildcard for last year’s Wimbledon.

The tournament’s wildcard committee will meet on Tuesday to decide which players they would like to invite into the main draw.

Claire Danes’ performance in Netflix’s “The Beast in Me” appears like a lock for an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a limited series or TV movie. In typical fashion, Danes left it on all the floor in portraying a reclusive author who suspects her developer neighbor (Matthew Rhys) of misdeeds.

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The Golden Globes rarely get it as right as they did in awarding Danes the drama series best actress award, at 15, for ABC’s “My So-Called Life.”

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The lifespan of the authentic teen drama that introduced viewers to Danes’ unique emotional translucence, counted in episodes.

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Danes also received an Emmy nomination for the series — the first of eight for acting so far.

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She is the second-youngest Emmy nominee ever for lead actress in a drama series, between Melissa Sue Anderson (15, for “Little House on the Prairie”) and Kristy McNichol (17, for “Family”).

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Danes won an Emmy for playing the real-life animal science professor in the HBO movie “Temple Grandin,” and two for playing complex CIA officer Carrie Mathison on Showtime’s “Homeland.”

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Span of years between Danes’ first and 2026 nominations, if she receives one.

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Danes’ Emmy longevity may not equal the likes of Carol Burnett, nominated in 2024 for “Palm Royale” 62 years after her first, but it’s mighty impressive for someone Danes’ age.

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There’s even a contender in her category this year whose span between nominations would be longer than Danes’ lifetime: Sally Field, who appears in Netflix’s TV movie “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”

It’s Broadway’s time to shine Sunday when the 79th Tony Awards take New York City.

Broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall, the night promises plenty of onstage drama and hopefully some real-life intrigue. The number of new Broadway productions this year — 30 — shrunk from last year’s 42, but there are still some standout shows and performances to watch out for, from flashy revivals like “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” to Laurie Metcalf’s stunning turns in both “Death of a Salesman” and “Little Bear Ridge Road.”

Grammy Award winner Pink is hosting for the first time, and though the pop star lacks direct Broadway roots, her songs have been featured in the jukebox musicals “Moulin Rouge!” and “& Juliet.”

Here’s everything else you should know about this year’s ceremony, including how to tune in.

How can I watch?

The three-hour awards ceremony will air live on CBS on Sunday at 5 p.m. Paramount+ premium-level subscribers can also stream it on the app, while those with other membership tiers can watch the show on-demand after it airs.

The annual pre-show, “The Tony Awards: Act One,” will stream live on free service Pluto TV at 3:35 p.m. that same day. It is hosted by Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti and actor Tituss Burgess and includes the first round of Tony Award presentations.

Who is performing?

This year’s opening number, a show-stopping Tonys tradition, will feature more than 170 Broadway performers. It’s choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby and written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick.

As always, casts from the productions nominated for best musical — “The Lost Boys,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Titaníque” and “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” — and for best revival of a musical — “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” “Ragtime” and Richard O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Show” — will perform during the ceremony.

Rachel Zegler will pay tribute to “A Chorus Line” and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr. will perform “Without You” from “Rent” to honor the show’s 30th anniversary as well as those in the theater community who have died this year.

The “Chicago” revival will also celebrate its 30th anniversary on Broadway with a performance from stars including Queen Latifah, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Matron Mama Morton in the show’s 2002 film adaptation, and Tony Awards host Pink. The entire original cast of “The Book of Mormon,” including Tony Award nominees Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells and Rory O’Malley and Tony winner Nikki M. James, will also perform in celebration of the show’s 15th anniversary on Broadway.

Who is presenting?

Notable stars of stage, screen and music presenting awards include Grammy Award winner Megan Thee Stallion, who made her Broadway debut this year in “Moulin Rouge!”; Nicole Scherzinger, who won a Tony last year for her performance in the revival of “Sunset Boulevard”; and Academy Award winner Adrien Brody.

You can find the star-studded presenter lineup here.

What is nominated?

“Schmigadoon!” and “The Lost Boys,” both nominated for best musical, lead the pack with 12 nominations each going into Sunday’s awards ceremony. The “Ragtime” revival trails with 11 nominations, and lauded revivals “Death of a Salesman,” “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and “The Rocky Horror Show” are each nominated for nine awards.

Find a full list of nominees here.

WASHINGTON — Mired in a persistent cost of living crisis and an unpopular war with Iran, President Trump reached a perilous milestone last week, registering an approval rating of 34% in a top-tier poll — a record low less than halfway through his second term.

The results mark one of the sharpest polling collapses of any modern president. The data, from the Economist and YouGov, brings Trump back down to his political nadir, matching a number he hasn’t seen since the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack five years ago.

It follows on several other surveys published in recent days showing the president entering precarious political territory roughly six months ahead of the midterm elections, raising alarm bells in Republican campaign offices across the country over the party’s prospects in the fall.

It has also led pollsters to question long-standing assumptions about the president’s floor of support, wondering whether it is at risk of giving way.

“It’s harder to get lower, but it’s possible depending on what he does,” said Christopher Wlezien, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. “To get that number down, you are going to have to eat into his core.”

Trump’s base of support remains strong, reinforcing a long-standing theory among pollsters that partisanship now serves as a direct proxy for presidential approval. But softening Republican support on specific policy matters — including top voter priorities, such as the economy — have begun raising questions among experts whether further erosion is possible.

A New York Times poll found his approval at 38%, and a Politico poll recorded a similar erosion, driven by a majority of Americans — including 18% of Trump supporters — stating they are financially worse off than they were before he resumed office.

Roughly 2 out of 3 Americans oppose the war Trump started with Iran. And the coalition that swept him back into office — including a surge in support from Latino, independent and young voters — has effectively disappeared.

While the downward trend looks like a story of a presidency in perpetual trouble, political scientists see a more complicated picture.

“Polarization has raised the floor and lowered the ceiling for approval ratings,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston. “Dramatic swings are less common because approval ratings are now fixed to partisanship.”

The comparison to George W. Bush, whose numbers famously soared after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and cratered into the mid-20s after Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq war, is instructive of how polarization has changed in the Trump era.

Bush governed in a country capable of moving together, in favor or against a president, in response to major events. Americans are no longer swayed in that way when it comes to their views of the president, Rottinghaus argues.

“Approval ratings today are increasingly a measure of who the president is rather than what the president does,” he said.

Trump, in his own way, has seemed to nod at this dynamic. When challenged on his standing with the public, or when a Republican lawmaker breaks with him over a policy issue, he has made the argument that he and the MAGA movement are inseparable. In other words, that opposition to any decision he makes is opposition to the movement itself.

“MAGA is me. MAGA loves everything I do, and I love everything I do,” Trump said in a January interview with NBC News when asked if his base supports long-term military interventions abroad.

Rottinghaus compared the questions about presidential approval as the “same as asking whether you’re Republican or not.”

“So why ask it,” he said.

Gallup, the organization that had tracked presidential approval for eight decades, announced earlier this year that it would stop publishing approval ratings of individual political figures, a shift that underscores how the traditional measure of a politician’s popularity has evolved.

When asked about the change, a Gallup spokesperson told the Washington Post at the time that “the context around these measures has changed.”

“They are now widely produced, aggregated and interpreted, and no longer represent an area where Gallup can make its most distinctive contribution,” the spokesperson added.