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Meta announced it is discontinuing an artificial intelligence feature launched earlier this week that allowed users to generate images using content from public Instagram accounts, after it drew widespread criticism over privacy concerns.”Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,” Meta said in a statement.The company acknowledged, however, that the feature “missed the mark” after receiving extensive feedback from users, privacy advocates and industry groups, prompting its withdrawal.Meta introduced the feature on Tuesday alongside Muse Image, its first image-generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs.Integrated into the Meta AI chatbot, the model can generate and edit images using photos as input, with users able to refine the results through sketches.The Instagram feature quickly sparked backlash because it relied on an opt-out system, meaning public content could be used unless users explicitly disabled the setting, raising concerns over privacy and user consent. Related Story Source link
Weekly badminton sessions organised by Pinoy Shuttle Smashers Qatar (PSSQ) continue to attract Filipino players of all skill levels, providing a platform for friendly competition, fitness, and community-building among expatriates in Qatar.Held every Thursday, the PSSQ Weekly Match brings together beginners and experienced players in an inclusive environment where participants can sharpen their skills while building friendships beyond the badminton court.PSSQ told Gulf Times that the weekly gathering has evolved into more than just a regular sporting activity, serving as a venue where members connect through their shared passion for badminton and foster a strong sense of camaraderie.The group said it remains committed to promoting sportsmanship and inclusiveness, encouraging players of all abilities to take part in the weekly sessions.Building on the momentum of its regular matches, PSSQ is preparing for a series of major events in the coming months, beginning with the third edition of the Kuys Ed Cup, followed by its third anniversary tournament, “PSSQ 2026: IBA KA”, scheduled for August.Organisers said the events will celebrate the group’s journey over the past three years while providing more opportunities for players to compete, strengthen friendships, and further expand Qatar’s Filipino badminton community.The weekly gatherings follow the success of “Match Series 8: Summer Smashaya”, which drew 194 players to Hamilton International School in May.The tournament featured men’s and women’s doubles competitions across several divisions and attracted participants from across Qatar’s badminton community. Organisers credited the event’s success to the combined efforts of players, volunteer umpires, sponsors, spectators, and a dedicated organising team. PSSQ said it hopes to build on that momentum through its regular Thursday matches and upcoming tournaments, continuing to promote badminton as a sport that brings people together while encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle.PSSQ said the group’s greatest achievement has been creating a welcoming community where members can enjoy the sport, forge lasting friendships, and feel at home while living and working in Qatar. Source link
China evacuates over one million as Typhoon Bavi nears : Reuters China evacuated more than 1.8 million people on Saturday as Typhoon Bavi churned toward thethe major eastern city of Wenzhou after pummelling Japan’s southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and violent winds and brushing past northern Taiwan.Even as Bavi continues to slow and weaken on its northwesterly path over cooler seas, the typhoon is still a potent risk due to the sheer volume of moisture it holds within its rain bands, about the size of France from end to end.Bavi had maximum sustained winds of 144 km per hour (90 mph), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale, and was about 200 km (124 miles)southeast of Wenling in the eastern province of Zhejiang as of 0808 GMT, according to the National Meteorological Center.Bavi is forecast to make landfall around Wenzhou, home to some 10 million people, early on Sunday.State media said more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated across Zhejiang province, where Wenzhou is located, and more than 100,000 in neighbouring Fujian province.”I’m a little worried, but I think it’ll be OK. We’ve been through typhoons before. We’ll get through it,” said Wenzhou resident Huang Xinghuan, 50, who was out buying groceries at a traditional wet market before it closed ahead of the typhoon.Huang said his family had stocked about two to three days’ worth of water. “I think supplies are well guaranteed now. There’s no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies,” he added.While Japan and Taiwan have not so far reported any deaths from the typhoon, 17 people died in the Philippines due to heavy rains brought by an enhanced southwest monsoon, worsened by Bavi’s impact.Taiwan’s fire department said 87 people had been injured, mostly falls from motorcycles or bicycles, as well as people falling over or being struck by objects.TAIWAN SPARED WORST OF BAVIIn Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people from mainly mountainous areas as the island shut down for the approach of Bavi to the north.While Bavi did not make landfall in Taiwan, the government took precautions to prevent loss of life, given forecasts for almost 1 metre (3 feet) of rain in some areas.Most of those evacuated were in areas in the north and east, with 920 international flights cancelled, effectively closing Taiwan’s main international airport at Taoyuan, outside the capital Taipei, as well as all 282 domestic flights.Almost all cities and counties across Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday for Saturday, closing any offices and schools that may have been open on the weekend, though in Taipei some restaurants and convenience stores remained open.The main north-south high-speed rail line also continued to operate, but with reduced service.In downtown Taipei some people were still out on the street in blustery wind and rain.”It’s OK, it’s not that serious,” said Yeh Mao-hsiung, 68, out for a morning walk with his dog. “It’s just a little bit more wind.”But in Taipei’s Beitou neighbourhood in the foothills of the mountains surrounding the city, gusts of around 100 kph knocked down trees and swelled rivers.In Wenzhou, Chen Qiuqin, in her 60s, walked through steady rain on her way to her parents’ home to help them prepare for the typhoon but said she was not too concerned given the government’s preparations.”I was worried about the flowerpots on my mother’s balcony, so I’m going to help move them inside. My parents are both elderly and they’re home alone, so I wasn’t at ease,” she said. Related Story Source link
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah discussed the latest regional developments during a telephone call on Saturday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the two sides underscored the importance of continuing coordination and consultations to promote security and stability across the region. Source link
Norway coach Stale Solbakken said the showdown between Erling Haaland and Harry Kane will go a long way to deciding his side's World Cup quarter-final against England on Saturday.Haaland has struck seven times in his first four appearances at a major tournament to fire Norway to the last eight for the first time on their return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence. Kane is just one goal behind the Manchester City striker for the tournament after taking his World Cup tally to 14 as he has helped England reach a third consecutive quarter-final. ‘I think it's Norway versus England but I don't think it is a secret that Kane is the match winner number one for England and Haaland is the match winner number one for us,’ Solbakken said at his pre-match press conference in Miami. Solbakken's counterpart Thomas Tuchel was recruited by the English Football Association to get a talented generation of players over the line after a series of narrow misses at major tournaments under his predecessor Gareth Southgate. By contrast, Norway are in their first major tournament of any kind for 26 years and have exceeded expectations, most notably in stunning 2-1 win against Brazil thanks to Haaland's late double in the last 16. ‘Every game has been the most important (in history) for Norwegian football, especially in the knockout rounds, so this is the third time it is the most important game,’ added Solbakken. ‘I feel the players are in a relaxed but competitive mood. ‘I think England has more pressure than us, but we also put pressure on our performance. When the game has started I don't think the players think so much about the pressure when it's eleven versus eleven.’ Norway's progress has caught the imagination at home and across the Atlantic in the United States. Their fans' Viking row celebration has become one of the iconic images of the tournament, while Haaland's status as a global star has soared thanks to his goalscoring prowess on the pitch and jovial personality off it. ‘I think the whole of Norway is looking forward to tomorrow. We've had some great nights in this World Cup before and it brings the country together,’ said Solbakken. ‘Maybe this will never come back to Norway because I think we will qualify more. Every time (now) we have a possibility to go through to a European Championship or a World Cup. But now it's 26 years since we had it last time.’ The match in south Florida could be impacted by brutal heat and humidity that is forecast around the 5:00 pm local time (2100 GMT) kick-off.Miami is currently under a heat advisory from the US National Weather Service with ‘feels like’ temperatures rising beyond 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). ‘We have trained very lightly. We haven't done much hard work. We are with the tactical sessions, but in a lower tempo and not trained for long periods. So it's all about being fresh tomorrow,’ said Solbakken, whose side have trained in Miami for the past three days.The two countries, he said, would have to get ‘used to the same conditions.’ Source link
For four days, from July 6 to 9, 2026, Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026–2027 returned to the French capital with fashion’s most exclusive language: hand-built garments, guarded atelier savoir-faire, private clients, international front rows and a form of luxury that continues to resist the speed of the global market.As often happens, much of the international coverage focused on Europe’s historic houses. Chanel, Dior, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Armani Privé dominated headlines, images and online conversation. Yet to look only in that direction is to miss a crucial part of the story.Season after season, Paris Haute Couture is speaking increasingly Arabic. This is no longer a marginal presence within a European narrative. Arab designers are now among the most recognisable interpreters of contemporary couture. They bring to Paris a vocabulary of embroidery, construction, theatricality, desire and cultural memory. They also speak to a clientele that understands haute couture intimately: women who wear it, commission it, preserve it and sustain its market away from the noise of mass visibility.This season, names such as Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Georges Hobeika, Georges Chakra, Tony Ward, Ziad Nakad, Saiid Kobeisy, Rami Al Ali and Dana AlMulla confirmed a reality that has become increasingly difficult to ignore.confirmed a reality that has become increasingly difficult to ignore: couture can no longer be told only through its French institutions. Paris remains the stage, but a decisive part of its creative energy comes from the Arab world. The case of Dana AlMulla is particularly significant for audiences in the Gulf. A Qatari designer, AlMulla represents a new generation of creatives able to engage with the international language of couture while remaining rooted in the region’s visual memory. With “Echoes of Timeless Art”, her collection translated Islamic architectural forms into a modern couture context: sculptural silhouettes, defined lines and curved volumes evoked domes and ceilings, while floral and ornamental elements softened the structure and introduced movement. The palette — beige, blush, deep blue and luminous yellow — worked with light and depth, transforming historical inheritance into contemporary form. The strength of AlMulla’s proposal lies in this quiet balance between structure and softness, precision and fluidity. For Doha, her presence in Paris is not only a personal achievement; it is a sign that Qatari couture can enter the global conversation without imitating external codes, instead translating its own heritage into a new visual language. If Dana AlMulla opens a Qatari perspective on couture, Beirut remains one of haute couture’s invisible capitals. For decades, Lebanon has produced couturiers able to transform instability, beauty and technical mastery into a recognisable language on the Paris runway. Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Georges Hobeika, Georges Chakra, Tony Ward, Ziad Nakad and Saiid Kobeisy belong to this creative geography: one defined not only by place, but by sensibility. black 1 pink 1 Elie Saab remains one of the most powerful names in this constellation. For Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026–2027, the Lebanese couturier presented “The Ball of Untamed Dreams”, a collection staged as a masked ball suspended between reality and fantasy. Sculptural masks, ornate headpieces, pearl-toned organza, wine-coloured velvet, embroidered corsetry and black column gowns with winged lines turned the runway into a theatre of metamorphosis.Saab’s fantasy is not fragile. It is a form of controlled spectacle: garments designed to appear, to enter a room, to leave a memory. Between pastel goddess gowns, sharply cut tuxedos, dramatic trains and a bridal finale in champagne, crystal and pale gold, Saab reaffirmed his ability to make excess elegant and dreams wearable. His couture continues to speak to a global audience because it combines two rare qualities: theatrical impact and discipline. The gown is never merely decorative; it is an emotional construction, conceived to transform the wearer into a presence. Zuhair Murad took a darker and more psychological path. With “Love and Dominion”, the Lebanese couturier imagined a woman who has refused to surrender: powerful, intact, protective and magnificent. She is a figure touched by fragility but never defeated by it, capable of loving without losing herself and of preserving part of her identity inside a secret garden.The collection moved through an imagined landscape of ice castles and legendary forests, where a billowing cape became a restrained storm and shimmering embroidery revealed an inner light. Murad worked through duality: temptation and control, devotion and independence, vulnerability and inaccessibility. Embroidery became the site of that tension, with night birds applied or sculpted in relief on black tulle, three-dimensional crystal roses, wrought-iron trompe-l’œil, feathers, velvet, crêpe, radzimir, duchesse satin and silk chiffon. The palette deepened the mystery of winter: profound black, fir green, warm wine tones and embroidered trails flowing across pale pink tulle. Each silhouette carried dramatic intensity without tipping into theatrical excess. Georges Hobeika followed a more contemplative route. With “The Visitor”, Georges and Jad Hobeika, father and son at the creative helm of the maison, drew inspiration from a poem by James McCrae that urges us never to grow accustomed to the beauty of the world. Created between the house’s ateliers in Beirut and Paris, the collection translated that idea into a wardrobe of light: fluid columns, sculpted and draped bustiers, intricately worked jackets, lace interlaced with satin, silk and organza. Blue dominated the palette in multiple shades, softened by beige, pink and greens ranging from mint to pine. Small elements of nature — a beetle, a snail, an orchid — became jewels, details and fragments of the living world worn close to the skin. In a week often dominated by spectacle, Georges and Jad Hobeika reminded audiences that couture can still be an exercise in attention: to the body, to material, and to what is too easily overlooked. Georges Chakra brought to Paris a collection built on desire, intrigue and seduction, but above all on construction. Corsetry became the starting point of every look: boned bodices, visible internal lines, beaded latticework and velvet cording transformed the hidden architecture of the garment into an aesthetic language.Black anchored the collection, worked in crêpe, velvet, Chantilly lace and gazar across column gowns, mermaid lines and 7/8 dresses. But this was not an austere black. It was alive and architectural, interrupted by embroidered red, cobalt layered over black tulle, fuchsia duchesse satin, panniers, balloon skirts and draping in liquid metallic gazar. Embroideries in raffia thread, Charleston fringe, fiberglass paillettes and feather flowers gave the collection a technical sensuality. Chakra turned shadow into structure, proving that darkness can be one of glamour’s most sophisticated forms. Tony Ward transformed the desert into couture architecture. With “Whispers of the Dunes”, presented at the Réfectoire des Cordeliers in Paris, the Lebanese designer built a collection around serenity and movement, stability and transformation. The scenography echoed the same language: an organic landscape of dunes, with undulating seating and models moving through the space with a fluid rhythm, almost like wind crossing sand.The collection opened with a suspended silence: soft draping, elongated lines and neutral, sun-faded silhouettes, like untouched horizons at dawn. It then became more protective and layered, with sculptural hoods, veils, wrapped constructions, crochet details and nomadic-inspired geometries. At its centre was an important craft development: a hand-braiding technique created specifically for the season, using individually dyed silk threads transformed into sculptural braids through manual workmanship and experimental crochet. Ward celebrated not only the desert as an emotional landscape, but also Lebanon’s living craft traditions, preserved and passed down through generations. For a Gulf audience, the resonance is immediate: the desert is not decorative scenery, but memory, movement and identity. Ziad Nakad chose flight. With “L’Envol”, the Lebanese designer presented a collection inspired by the bird in motion, a symbol of freedom, departure and return to nature. Shot in the mountains of Lebanon, the collection carried a message of roots and resilience: the mountain as a place of strength, stability and silence, far from the noise of the world.Its 34 pieces evoked movement through light layers, bird embroideries, mermaid silhouettes, velvet, crystals, touches of leather and Swarovski stones designed specifically for the season. The palette — navy, brown, burgundy and green — recalled earth, depth and landscape. Even the bridal finale chose a more measured grace: lightness, simplicity and discreet refinement, removed from excess but not from wonder. Saiid Kobeisy brought a more intimate and narrative collection to Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026–2027. With “Passage Privé”, the Lebanese designer built a journey through the elegance of the early twentieth century, an era marked by craftsmanship, cultural exchange and quiet sophistication. The collection moved like a path of transformation: each silhouette became a stage, each detail a fragment of memory.The palette — ecru, off-white, soft pink, pale green, bronze and soft blue — softened the construction, while velvet, the signature fabric of the season, was placed in dialogue with double satin, crêpe georgette, metallic French lace, fur and feathers. Passementerie, reinterpreted trench coats, kimono sleeves, Art Deco motifs and pixelated embroideries created a bridge between heritage and modernity. Kobeisy approached couture as movement, discovery and discreet elegance: not only a garment to be observed, but a story that continues beyond the final look. Alongside this Arab constellation, international houses such as Yanina Couture contributed to the broader landscape of the week, confirming that Haute Couture Week is now a global platform where aesthetics, markets and cultural sensibilities intersect. With “Provocation”, Yulia Yanina reread the history of costume as an art of contemporary femininity, transforming references to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, corsetry, historical lingerie and French literature into modern, sensual and sophisticated silhouettes. Masculine frock coats, echoes of Marie Antoinette, delicate wings, three-dimensional floral motifs and sculptural embroidery built a dialogue between past and present. Rami Al Ali adds a deeply pan-Arab dimension to this map. With “Threads of Light: A New Dawn”, the Syrian couturier reflects on the enduring ties that have shaped the cultural landscape of the Arab world for centuries: craftsmanship, architecture, trade, migration, poetry, music and collective memory. Rooted in a shared heritage that stretches across the Gulf, Syria and beyond, the collection is conceived as a tribute to resilience and continuity. It draws inspiration from the first moments of sunrise, when the desert horizon glows with warmth and the waters of the Gulf catch the earliest light of day.The silhouettes balance architectural precision with effortless fluidity: sculpted forms are softened by movement, while intricate couture embroidery traces delicate pathways across the body like fragments of stories passed from one generation to the next. The palette moves from soft sands and warm ivory tones to golden amber, sunlit champagne and subtle metallic reflections, evoking the changing colours of the horizon. In Al Ali’s vision, light becomes both motif and material — a language of hope, belonging and renewal. Yet from a Gulf perspective, the more significant point remains the growing centrality of Arab designers within this international system.Their importance is not only creative. It is also economic and cultural.Across Doha, Riyadh, Kuwait City, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, couture is not simply an image from a runway. It is part of a social calendar shaped by weddings, galas, private celebrations, family gatherings, diplomatic occasions and moments in which the garment becomes a cultural code. In many cases, couture is not purchased to appear before cameras, but to live in more private spaces, where luxury is recognised by those who truly understand its language.This is one reason Arab designers understand haute couture so well. They do not treat it merely as visual performance, but as a social language. They understand that a gown can be spectacular without being loud, sensual without being explicit, modern without breaking its relationship with tradition. Above all, they understand that in the Arab world, eveningwear and couture still carry a ritual function: they accompany transitions, celebrations, roles and belonging.Paris Couture Week remains a French institution. Its rules, calendars and aura belong to the history of European fashion. But its contemporary vitality increasingly depends on a global network of talents, ateliers, clients and imaginaries. Within that network, the Arab world is no longer only a spectator.It is a producer of beauty. A commissioner. A market. A language. A memory. A future.While European houses continue to occupy the symbolic centre of the week, Arab designers are reshaping a substantial part of its imagination. They do so with garments that speak of light, desert, embroidery, night, femininity, power and belonging. They do so from Beirut, Doha and Paris, and from a Middle East that is no longer only a destination for luxury, but one of its most influential creative sources.At the end of Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026–2027, one thing is clear: to understand haute couture today, it is no longer enough to look only at the historic salons of Paris. One must also look to the Arab world — to its ateliers, its women, its designers and its ability to transform luxury into cultural identity. Paris remains the stage. But haute couture, increasingly, speaks Arabic. Samantha De Reviziis VIP Guests and Front Row Moments by Vincenzo IngrassiaTo complete the report, the first gallery brings together a selection of VIP guests and front-row moments captured during Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026–2027 by Italian luxury destination wedding and fashion photographer Vincenzo Ingrassia. His images document not only the visibility of the week, but also the social and cultural ecosystem surrounding the shows: clients, tastemakers, editors, regional figures and international guests who continue to shape couture’s global relevance. Top Looks from the Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026–2027 RunwaysThe second gallery presents a curated selection of top looks from the collections, supplied by the maisons. Together, they offer a visual map of the season’s strongest codes: architectural corsetry, hand embroidery, sculptural draping, desert-inflected movement, floral appliqué, Art Deco references, luminous palettes and the unmistakable presence of Arab couture on the Paris runway. Related Story Dana AlMulla Georges Chakra Georges Hobeika Zuhair Murad Rami Al Ali Saiid Kobeisy …
Israel said yesterday that the detention of a Gaza hospital director, who has been held since December 2024, was “lawful”, and rejected reports that he suffered a life-threatening condition.Hussam Abu Safiya “is lawfully detained by Israel based on concrete intelligence”, Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva said on X, accusing him of being a colonel in Hamas.”At no stage of his detention has he exhibited any indication of a life-threatening condition.”The statement came after a UN investigative team and several UN rights experts this week raised the alarm about the case.The paediatrician and director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital rose to prominence in 2024 by posting about the dire conditions in his besieged hospital in Beit Lahia during a major Israeli offensive.On December 27 that year, Israeli forces began an assault on the facility, labelling the only functioning hospital in northern Gaza at the time a Hamas “terrorist centre”, and arresting dozens of medical staff, including Abu Safiya.Four independent UN rights experts said in a statement on Tuesday that “Dr Abu Safiya’s ongoing arbitrary detention without charges or trial is a reflection of Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers”.The UN’s independent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on the rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories issued a separate statement on Wednesday voicing “grave concern at credible reports that Dr Hussam Abu Safiya… has been subjected to continued and severe abuse” during his detention.It called for his “immediate, unconditional and safe release” and urged Israeli authorities to provide him immediate independent medical care.The CoI, which has previously accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, maintained that the reported mistreatment of Abu Safiya fitted into that “broader pattern of violations”.The Israeli mission statement rejected that Abu Safiya had been arbitrarily detained and said he had managed the Kamal Adwan Hospital “as one of Hamas’s terror hubs”.The doctor, it added, “exploited his position at the hospital to divert humanitarian resources intended for civilian needs towards terrorist purposes”.”His lawful detention is subject to regular administrative review and judicial oversight,” it said, including by the Supreme Court last month.The Israeli statement also said that “no indications were found to support the claims raised regarding his condition”.Abu Safiya had been “examined by medical personnel upon his arrival at Nitzan Detention Centre on June 24, 2026, and several times thereafter”, it said.He “remains under continuous medical supervision and receives treatment in accordance with the professional determination of medical personnel”. Source link
Erling Haaland #9 of Norway attends a training session one day ahead of the Quarter Final match: AFP England captain Harry Kane labelled Erling Haaland “a machine” but said he and Norway’s “beast” of a number nine are completely different players as they prepare to face off in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final.Haaland has struck seven times in his first four matches ever at a major tournament, including a devastating double to eliminate Brazil, and his goals have carried Norway into the last eight for the first time.Kane is only one goal behind the Manchester City striker for the tournament and has taken his overall World Cup record to 14 goals.”I think we’re completely different players. I know we’re both strikers, but we’re in almost two different positions,” Kane told his pre-match press conference.”Erling is incredible, his goalscoring record, physically he’s a machine, he’s a beast. His finishing is at the highest level and his goalscoring record speaks for itself.”I see myself as a different player, although I score the same goals. I like to maybe touch the ball a little bit more, be involved with the play a little bit more, but also can play as maybe the out-and-out number nine.”I don’t think it’s one to compare ourselves. I respect him a lot as a player and as a professional. Obviously, I’m hoping he has a quiet day tomorrow, but I think his overall performance is very good. He’s a fantastic player.” Despite their phenomenal goalscoring record, Haaland and Kane trail Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who have both netted eight times in the 2026 tournament, in the battle for the Golden Boot. Kane won the prize for the World Cup’s top goalscorer in 2018 but England fell short of glory as they exited in the semi-finals to Croatia.Ending a 60-year wait for England to win a major tournament remains Kane’s primary aim, but he is hoping to score the goals to carry the Three Lions to glory.”I think it’s been an amazing World Cup on that front in terms of all the top strikers, all the top goalscorers scoring goals and affecting games. It’s not always the case at these major tournaments,” added the Bayern Munich striker.”It’s a great competition. It puts me in a mindset to be at my very best level as much as possible.”My main goal is to win the World Cup more than another golden boot, but I also know I’m a goalscorer, I’m the number nine, so if I’m scoring goals, it’s obviously going to help the team.”Kane has been the spearhead for a generation of England players that have come closer than ever before to ending the long wait since the 1966 World Cup to win a major tournament.Under Gareth Southgate they lost in both the last two finals of the European Championship and exited at the quarter-final and semi-final stage of the past two World Cups.Kane issued a rallying cry for a huge final effort to get over the line in what could be three games in eight days to make history.”Ultimately, until we win that trophy, there’s always going to be that talk around England and the team but we’re in a good position. We’re in a place that we wanted to be six weeks ago when we met up for prep camp,” he added. “We took a lot of good steps in the right direction. We’ve overcome a lot of difficult moments and difficult games.”Now we’re in the final eight days of the final push. We’re going to need everyone to be at the highest level to achieve our dreams.” Related Story Source link
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 9, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Daily tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz appeared to have slowed yesterday, after the US and Iran exchanged hostilities this week and renewed their arguments over who was in control of passage through the critical waterway.The attacks renewed concerns about the recovery of global oil supplies and shipping, and highlighted the fragility of an interim truce while the US and Iran hammer out a lasting agreement.Oil prices eased on yesterday but remained on track for weekly gains of 4-5% after the flare-up.The International Energy Agency said global oil supply rose by 4.1 mn bpd in June as shipping through the strait resumed, but remained 9.4 mn bpd below pre-war levels.It warned of tight diesel and gasoline supplies, and said refineries were slower to react to the reopening of the strait than crude prices.The Strait of Hormuz handled about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war. Tehran has since largely taken control of the waterway, forcing a stalemate in its confrontation with the world’s most powerful military.Under the interim deal, the US ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran agreed to ensure safe passage of commercial vessels.However, this week Washington accused Iranian forces of attacking three tankers in the area and struck military sites on Iran’s southern coast and eastern provinces in response. While Iran has not claimed responsibility for those attacks, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to gain leverage in negotiations.Iran then attacked US military sites in Gulf states on Thursday.The US said its action aimed to keep the strait open and that Iran did not control the waterway. Tehran warned however that the strait would only be reopened on its terms, and any US intervention would draw a “crushing response”.The attacks on the three Qatari and Saudi shipping vessels prompted US President Donald Trump to declare the truce “over,” but a US official later said Washington was still committed to finding a resolution with Iran and “technical talks continue”.The New York Times reported that Qatar had been in talks with Washington and Tehran to deescalate the crisis.Prior to this week’s attacks, daily tanker traffic had risen to its highest since the war began, averaging 40 ships transiting the strait. That was still far off the pre-conflict average of 125 to 140 daily sailings.Trump’s inability to end the war has frustrated the president, whose Republican Party faces midterm elections later this year amid high gas prices and voter discontent.US Central Command said on Wednesday its forces had struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets. Iranian state media said those attacks killed 14 people and injured 78.Iran’s army said it had launched attacks on US Patriot systems in Kuwait, an early-warning site in Qatar and a US Army fuel depot in Bahrain. The Revolutionary Guards later said Iran had fired 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Azraq military base, used by US forces. Source link
President Donald Trump said the United States would “completely decimate” Iran if it attempted or succeeded in assassinating the sitting president.”1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.”Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one-year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran,” he said. Related Story Source link