Global Pulse

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  • Trossard, De Bruyne score and Belgium defeat New Zealand 5-1 to advance at the World Cup

    Trossard, De Bruyne score and Belgium defeat New Zealand 5-1 to advance at the World Cup

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia – After two underwhelming opening matches that left them on the brink of elimination, Belgium’s men’s national football team delivered a dominant second-half scoring explosion to book their spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout round, crushing New Zealand 5-1 on Friday night. Leandro Trossard led the charge with two clinical goals, while supporting strikes from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers sealed the lopsided win for the Belgian side.

    Heading into the final Group G matchday, Belgium faced an unexpected uphill battle. Opening draws of 1-1 against Egypt and 0-0 against Iran left the 2018 World Cup third-place finishers sitting third in the four-team group, a far cry from their pre-tournament expectations as one of the competition’s higher-ranked sides. The result echoes a disappointing turn four years prior, when Belgium crashed out of the Qatar World Cup in the group stage, an early exit that followed their historic 2018 run in Russia.

    Friday’s rout, however, flipped the group standings on their head. Belgium’s five-goal outburst pushed them to the top of Group G, earning them a spot in the knockout round, where they will face one of the third-placed group finishers next Wednesday in Seattle. The final group match was played simultaneously with the other Group G finale in Seattle between Egypt and Iran, which finished in a 1-1 draw – a result that worked in Belgium’s favor to open the door for their knockout progression.

    For New Zealand, who entered the match knowing only an outright win would keep their World Cup dream alive, the campaign comes to an early end. Elijah Just notched the All Whites’ only goal of the match, but the consolation strike was not enough to turn the tide. The side exits the tournament still chasing their first ever victory in World Cup finals history, heading home with no points to their name in group play.

    Fans can follow full coverage of the FIFA World Cup at AP News’ dedicated competition hub.

  • Bielsa takes responsibility for Uruguay’s debacle, says he left nothing good for Uruguayan soccer

    Bielsa takes responsibility for Uruguay’s debacle, says he left nothing good for Uruguayan soccer

    GUADALAJARA, Mexico – The weight of disappointment hung heavy on Marcelo Bielsa Friday evening, as the veteran head coach faced the media following Uruguay’s premature exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking sole, full responsibility for his side’s winless tournament run that ended their campaign long before the knockout stage.

    Uruguay closed out its Group H campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Spain, marking its third consecutive match without a win. The South American side had already played out two scoreless draws against Saudi Arabia and underdog newcomer Cape Verde, leaving it with just two points from three matches – far too few to advance. It was Cape Verde that secured the group’s second knockout spot behind Spain, becoming the smallest nation ever to progress to the World Cup’s round of 16 in a historic underdog run that came at Uruguay’s expense.

    Bielsa, an Argentine coaching veteran whose contract with the Uruguayan Football Association was only set to run through the conclusion of this World Cup, had already confirmed before the tournament that his tenure with the national side would end following the 2026 competition. In a post-match press conference marked by a somber, farewell tone, Bielsa questioned what lasting legacy he would leave for Uruguayan soccer, arguing that nothing he built during his three years in charge would hold value without positive tournament results.

    “What do I leave for Uruguayan soccer? Nothing,” Bielsa told reporters. “Any contribution that a coach might make to soccer in a country after three years of work never truly takes hold if results aren’t achieved. Fourth place in the qualifiers didn’t count for much, and a third-place finish in the Copa América didn’t, either. And there is obviously no need to spell it out after what happened now. A tenure that left nothing behind.”

    The 67-year-old coach doubled down on his acceptance of blame, noting that given the quality of the players at his disposal, he should have been able to extract stronger performances and results from the squad. Even so, he argued that his team outperformed their final points tally, suggesting bad luck played a small role in their early exit.

    “I think we deserved to win seven points from the three matches, but we leave with only two points,” he said.

    Currently ranked 19th in the official FIFA Men’s World Rankings, Uruguay stands as the highest-ranked team eliminated from the tournament in the group stage to date.

    This early group stage exit marks the second time Bielsa has led a national side to a first-round World Cup elimination. His first came during the 2002 tournament co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, when his Argentine squad failed to advance out of their group. Bielsa’s best World Cup performance to date remains his 2010 stint with Chile, where he guided the side to the tournament’s round of 16 in South Africa.

  • In Rwanda, a royal herd of cattle is treated to poetry and cultural reverence

    In Rwanda, a royal herd of cattle is treated to poetry and cultural reverence

    In the rolling grasslands of Nyanza, Rwanda, a gentle daily routine unfolds that reflects the country’s deep-rooted royal history: caretakers serenade sacred cows with traditional flute melodies and recite lyrical poetry honoring their grace. These are the Inyambo, a distinctive lineage of royal cattle that have evolved from symbols of monarchy power to treasured anchors of Rwandan national identity.

    With iconic crescent-shaped horns and a rich deep brown coat long associated with nobility, Inyambo cows descend from the famous Ankole cattle of East Africa, a breed also found in neighboring Uganda and Burundi. For centuries, they occupied a unique place in Rwandan royal courts: unlike common cattle raised for milk or beef, Inyambo were kept exclusively as status symbols, representing immense wealth, prestige, and sovereign power for ruling monarchs. “They’re not for milk, they’re not for meat. They were just used as decorations around the palaces,” explains Bigira Junior, curator of the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza, where a herd of Inyambo grazes today.

    Though Rwanda’s monarchy was abolished decades ago, the reverence for Inyambo has endured and adapted to modern times. Even President Paul Kagame keeps Inyambo cows, and has continued the ancient tradition of gifting the cattle to foreign heads of state—a practice local outlet *The New Times* has dubbed “Inyambo diplomacy.” As Rwanda ramps up investment in cultural tourism to draw international visitors, the Inyambo herd at the King’s Palace Museum has become the site’s star attraction, drawing crowds eager to learn about the country’s pre-colonial history.

    The care given to these animals reflects their elevated cultural status. Before public presentations or traditional ceremonies, caretakers call each cow by name and sing verses celebrating their unique beauty, a practice believed to keep the animals calm. One traditional refrain goes: “You have beautiful horns. Move your head so that we can see your beautiful neck and body. You are the most beautiful cow among others.” After reciting poetry, caretakers gently brush each cow’s coat, a hands-on practice that reflects the community’s connection to the breed. “Remember, they are to be loved and cherished, and you can’t love something from afar. You have to get close to it,” Junior notes.

    Across much of East Africa, cattle have long carried profound social and economic weight: a larger herd, especially one with rare, distinctive breeds, signals greater respect and standing for its owner. This tradition extends across borders: in 2004, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa purchased a prized group of Ankole cattle from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, underscoring the breed’s cross-regional cultural significance. Today, Inyambo serve as shared cultural ambassadors for both Rwanda and Uganda, tying together shared regional heritage.

    In Rwandan traditional culture, the influence of Inyambo extends beyond the pasture. The iconic shape of their curved horns has inspired the country’s beloved traditional women’s dance, where performers extend their arms in graceful arcs to mimic the cows’ silhouette. “The dance is more or less a way to portray the beauty of the royal cows,” Junior explains.

    Formal conservation efforts for the Inyambo breed launched in the early 2010s, when the herd was reintroduced to grounds surrounding the King’s Palace Museum as part of a national heritage initiative. Today, the exact global population of Inyambo remains unknown, so caretakers run dedicated breeding programs to protect the breed’s most distinctive traits: their signature long crescent horns and the deep brown coat that has symbolized royalty, maturity, and stability for centuries.

    For younger Rwandan generations visiting the museum, encountering Inyambo is more than a tourist experience—it is an introduction to their country’s history and shared identity. Museum educators work to instill this appreciation in young visitors, tasking them with carrying the tradition forward. “We educate them to take this information to others and keep the culture alive,” Junior says. As Rwanda builds its future, the gentle, sacred Inyambo cows remain a living link to the royal traditions that shape the nation’s identity today.

  • People aren’t the only ones hit by heat. What to do if you see wildlife affected by hot temperatures

    People aren’t the only ones hit by heat. What to do if you see wildlife affected by hot temperatures

    As record-breaking extreme heat and suffocating humidity blanket much of Europe this summer, the harm of soaring temperatures extends far beyond human communities. Native birds and wild animals across the continent are facing unrelenting heat stress, with little opportunity to cool down and recover. Among at-risk wildlife, birds hold an outsize role in global ecosystem health: they facilitate plant pollination, naturally control invasive pest populations, spread native plant seeds across landscapes, and even act as early bioindicators of broader ecological disruption. Wildlife experts have outlined clear guidance for how members of the public can identify birds in heat distress, offer safe assistance, and interact responsibly with other heat-impacted wildlife during the ongoing heat event.

    To understand the risk birds face, it is first important to contextualize their natural heat adaptations. David Bird, emeritus professor of wildlife biology at McGill University, explains that birds are an extraordinarily diverse group, and many species have evolved specialized traits to cope with extended periods of warm weather. Unlike mammals, birds naturally maintain higher core body temperatures, typically resting around 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) or slightly higher. To regulate their internal heat, birds can adjust the positioning of their feathers to reflect sunlight and increase airflow through their complex network of respiratory air sacs, alongside making targeted behavioral changes to avoid overheating.

    Even with these adaptations, every bird species has an upper limit to the heat it can withstand, warns Aimee Van Tatenhove, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “This level differs by species, and as you can imagine, species that live closer to the poles are often much more susceptible to heat than species that live closer to the equator,” Van Tatenhove noted. “Prolonged intense heat like Europe is experiencing right now is likely pushing many species toward their maximum heat tolerances, putting them at risk of heat illness or death.”

    Unlike humans and many other mammal species, birds do not have sweat glands to cool their bodies through evaporative cooling. Instead, they rely on a set of alternative natural cooling mechanisms. Common backyard bird species often use gape: opening their beaks and panting to expel excess heat, a behavior nearly identical to how domestic dogs cool down on hot days. Other species use a strategy called gular fluttering, rapidly vibrating the thin pouch skin on their necks to increase heat exchange. Birds will also actively seek out shaded areas to avoid direct midday sun, and dip into shallow water sources like birdbaths, fountains and small ponds to bring down their core temperature.

    When it comes to helping birds survive extreme heat, experts say there are several simple, low-effort measures members of the public can take to support local populations, though full protection during a record heat wave remains difficult. In the short term, households can place shallow containers of clean water in shaded, predator-safe areas around yards and public green spaces. Experts emphasize the importance of regularly cleaning these water sources to prevent the spread of avian disease. Maintaining stocked bird feeders is another simple step: this provides easy access to food for birds that avoid expending energy foraging in sweltering heat, and helps offset losses of natural insect populations— a core food source for many bird species that have declined sharply due to long-term climate change and pollution. For longer-term support, households that have outdoor space can plant layered native vegetation, including low-growing shrubs and taller canopy trees, to create permanent shaded habitats for local bird communities.

    For heat-stressed birds that do not appear to be accessing the cooling and food resources people provide, experts advise against unnecessary intervention. “These birds know better than what we do about what is comfortable for them,” explained Jack Kottwitz, assistant professor at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Most birds will actively seek out cooler temperatures on their own, moving to lower shaded perches or even areas near moving air from fans or natural breezes.

    Guidance for other wild animals follows a similar core rule: avoid unnecessary intervention. Experts warn that offering unfamiliar food or water to non-avian wildlife, or attempting to bring wild animals into indoor spaces, can do more harm than good. Signs of extreme heat stress often overlap with symptoms of contagious diseases that wild animals can carry, so the only safe course of action when encountering a sick or injured heat-stressed animal is to contact a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator, who has the training and resources to provide appropriate care. “The best thing for wildlife is to let them be wild,” said Lisa Duke, sanctuary grounds manager at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, which is affiliated with Michigan State University. “They know what to do with their bodies.”

    This reporting was produced by Alexa St. John, an Associated Press climate reporter. AP’s climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations, with the AP retaining full editorial control over all content.

  • There’s a beef about beef at the World Cup, as Argentina fans pour into Texas

    There’s a beef about beef at the World Cup, as Argentina fans pour into Texas

    When thousands of diehard Argentina soccer fans descended on Dallas, Texas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a surprisingly heated debate emerged off the pitch — one that had nothing to do with starting lineups, tournament brackets, or Lionel Messi’s GOAT status. Instead, the crowd clashed over a question deeply rooted in the culinary and cultural identity of both regions: which part of the world produces the juiciest, most flavorful steak, and what’s the correct way to prepare it?

    This friendly rivalry over red meat comes as no surprise: both Texas and Argentina are globally renowned powerhouses in cattle ranching and beef production. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas holds the top spot for beef output across the United States, and the U.S. as a whole ranks second globally in beef production, behind only Brazil. Argentina lands sixth on the world ranking, and steak remains a central pillar of its national diet and cultural tradition.

    To many long-time Argentine chefs and transplants living in Texas, the answer is clear: Argentine beef cannot be matched. “Argentine beef is simply unbeatable. The savory texture, the style of the cut — there is no competing with it,” said Carlos Eduardo Barahona, a 64-year-old Argentine chef who has made Texas his home since 1998, after working in kitchens across Argentina, Uruguay and the U.S. Barahona argues that the quality gap holds across every price point: even the most affordable cut of Argentine beef transforms into a delicious asado, the traditional Argentine open-fire grilled meal, while high-end cuts from U.S. suppliers can often turn out tough or inconsistent depending on their source. The difference, he explains, stems from production practices: nearly all Argentine beef cattle are grass-fed on expansive open pastures, requiring a longer growing period before they reach market. This process produces leaner meat with a deep, rich, earthy flavor that can’t be replicated.

    Texan beef advocates have their own strong case to make, rooted in different production traditions. Most beef raised in Texas and across the U.S. is grain-fed, a practice that creates higher levels of intramuscular marbling — the thin streaks of fat that baste the meat from within as it cooks, resulting in a reliably juicy, tender cut with a naturally sweeter flavor profile. “There’s no better beef than U.S. beef, particularly Texas beef,” said Sid Miller, Texas’ Agriculture Commissioner. That said, Miller was quick to acknowledge that Argentine beef has improved dramatically in recent decades — and he credits Texas for that progress. More than 10 years ago, Miller’s agency opened a marketing office that connects Texas cattle raisers with South American ranchers, primarily in Argentina. “I don’t want to disparage our friends in Argentina, but we have helped them improve,” Miller explained. “Their genetics were lacking. We do have them up to pretty high quality. We sold them a lot of semen, embryos, and breeding stock. Their herds have American genetics in them, so they should be good.”

    For many fans caught in the middle of the debate, the verdict comes down to personal preference, not regional supremacy. After watching Messi lead Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria in Dallas, Argentine fan Gonzalo Herrera browsed the meat aisle at a local Walmart in Arlington, picking up four T-bone steaks for a post-match cookout. He shrugged off the rivalry, saying “Honestly, I don’t see a massive difference. The key is knowing exactly which cuts to buy and finding the equivalent of what we eat in Argentina.” Herrera did note one clear difference between the two regions: steak prices are significantly higher in Texas than back home.

    Much of the disagreement also boils down to preparation tradition, rather than the quality of the meat itself. Preparations, seasoning choices, and cut preferences vary drastically between the two cultures. At Corrientes 348, a popular Argentinian steakhouse in Dallas, assistant manager Emmanuel Tobon explained that authentic Argentine steaks are seasoned only with salt and grilled over mesquite charcoal, to let the natural flavor of the beef take center stage. By contrast, Tobon noted, most Texan preparations rely on heavy pepper, butter, and barbecue sauce to add flavor. With Argentina set to play at least one more group stage match in Dallas on Saturday, the restaurant has been packed with Albiceleste fans craving a small taste of home amid the World Cup excitement. Tobon says fans have embraced the local culture too, noting “They have been enjoying the Texas culture. But it has been a great pleasure to have all of them, to make them feel like home.”

    Many fans agree that while preparation traditions differ, both regions produce high-quality beef. Fernando Garcia Morillo, an Argentine transplant from Buenos Aires now living near Miami, says he loves U.S. steak, but still misses the traditional preparation methods of home. “I order just salt, no pepper, just plain,” he said of ordering steak in the U.S. “Sometimes they use a lot of sauce.” Morillo dismissed the idea of any real hard feelings between the two beef cultures, noting the only real South American beef rivalry is between Argentina and its neighbor Brazil, adding “I love the U.S. meat.”

  • Older buildings and substandard construction left Venezuela vulnerable to earthquakes

    Older buildings and substandard construction left Venezuela vulnerable to earthquakes

    When two back-to-back intense earthquakes struck Venezuela this week, the scale of destruction laid bare long-documented vulnerabilities in the country’s built environment, rooted in outdated construction, lax enforcement of safety standards and unforgiving geography. Experts confirm the doublet quakes, among the strongest to hit the South American nation in over 100 years, have left at least 910 people dead, a death toll that is projected to climb as rescue teams continue to access hard-hit regions.

    Visual analysis from The Associated Press, which reviewed on-the-ground video and high-resolution satellite imagery of affected areas, confirms that dozens of multi-story residential and commercial buildings have crumpled completely. To formalize this damage assessment, Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab applied specialized machine learning damage mapping models to satellite data of Catia La Mar, a Caribbean coastal city in La Guaira state that bore the brunt of the disaster. The AI analysis found that roughly one-third of the city’s nearly 30,000 structures suffered partial or total damage.

    Structural engineers and geoscience experts have outlined a cascade of overlapping risk factors that turned the powerful seismic event into a catastrophic disaster. One key issue is the legacy of hurried construction during Venezuela’s recent oil booms, when developers rushed to erect large housing complexes without following modern seismic risk mitigation best practices, experts said.

    Many older residential buildings, constructed across the 1950s and 1960s before Venezuela adopted modern earthquake safety codes, were never retrofitted to withstand violent ground shaking. Compounding this structural weakness, a large share of urban development in high-seismic-risk northern Venezuela was built on loose, soft soil that amplifies seismic vibration, raising the likelihood of collapse. According to David Cocke, a California-based structural engineer and former president of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, this combination of soft foundation soil, mid-rise construction and outdated concrete framing created ideal conditions for “pancake collapse,” where floors crumple sequentially on top of one another.

    “These older structures lack the reinforced steel connection standards that are mandatory in modern earthquake-resistant building design today,” Cocke explained. Since the 1970s, global engineering standards have required concrete buildings to be reinforced with steel to reduce earthquake vulnerability, but enforcement of retrofitting mandates for older buildings has lagged severely in low- and middle-income countries that prioritize more immediate socioeconomic challenges. While wealthy, seismic-prone nations including Japan, New Zealand and the United States have rolled out mandatory upgrade or demolition programs for high-risk structures, many other countries have not implemented similar rules—a gap that puts millions at risk, Cocke added.

    Other experts point to two additional structural flaws that amplified collapse risk: the use of heavy non-structural brick walls, and the prevalence of “soft-story” construction, where ground floors are designed as open parking garages or commercial spaces with minimal load-bearing support. These open lower floors are far more likely to buckle during seismic shaking, triggering full building collapse. “Soft stories are a major global hazard,” noted Eduardo Miranda, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. “In Venezuela, they are extremely common, and when you combine that hazard with soft foundation soil, total collapse becomes far more likely.”

    Geophysicists also emphasize that the sequential nature of the two quakes—classified as a seismic doublet—worsened the destruction. Marcos Ferreira, a geophysicist and researcher at the Geological Survey of Brazil, compared the effect to overlapping sound waves: the first quake weakens structures, and the second shaking amplifies the damage, just as two overlapping screams create a louder, more powerful sound. A similar doublet quake event struck Turkey and Syria in 2023, killing nearly 60,000 people.

    Notably, even buildings constructed after Venezuela updated its building codes following a deadly 1967 earthquake collapsed in this week’s event, raising urgent questions about enforcement of existing standards. After catastrophic floods and landslides in 1999 that destroyed thousands of homes across coastal northern Venezuela, the Venezuelan government launched a massive rapid construction program to replace destroyed housing and resettle displaced people. Juan Carlos Vielma, a Venezuelan civil engineer who now heads academic affairs at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso’s civil engineering school in Chile, confirmed that many of these hastily built newer structures also collapsed this week.

    “What puzzles me most is that multiple collapsed buildings were designed and constructed recently under current building standards,” Vielma said. “We need to launch a comprehensive process that not only focuses on reconstruction, but also reviews our existing engineering standards and enforcement processes, because it is clear that failures exist within our current systems.”

    This reporting includes contributed work from AP writer Mauricio Savarese based in Sao Paulo.

  • Crucial window for rescuing survivors narrows as Venezuela enters third day after deadly twin quakes

    Crucial window for rescuing survivors narrows as Venezuela enters third day after deadly twin quakes

    Three days after back-to-back powerful 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela, the race against time to pull trapped survivors from the rubble of flattened homes and apartment blocks is growing exponentially more desperate. As hope for finding more people alive fades, the disaster has left a broken nation grappling with overwhelming human loss, limited government rescue capacity, and growing chaos in the hardest-hit zone centered on La Guaira, just north of the capital Caracas.

    By Friday evening, Venezuelan authorities announced a full access restriction to La Guaira, the epicenter of the destruction, after unregulated traffic and chaotic crowds began to obstruct ongoing search-and-rescue operations. Under the new order, all people seeking entry to the area must first obtain official permits, though government officials have released little to no detail on who will qualify for access.

    As of midday Friday, official counts placed the confirmed death toll from Wednesday’s twin quakes at more than 920, with over 3,300 people injured and 243 survivors pulled from rubble so far. Independent digital tracking databases list more than 51,000 people as unaccounted for, a figure that includes many displaced residents cut off from communication by collapsed cellphone infrastructure, as well as duplicate missing person reports. Officials have warned that the final death toll will almost certainly rise as search teams clear more debris.

    With rescue resources stretched thin across the devastated region, many Venezuelan families have launched their own search efforts for missing loved ones, reporting almost no presence of official state rescue teams in the most heavily damaged zones — a stark contrast to the government’s public claims of a robust, coordinated response. Aid organizations universally recognize the first 48 to 72 hours after a major seismic event as the most critical window for rescuing people alive, though survival can be extended for trapped people with access to clean water and food.

    “Each person saved is a miracle,” said Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly. “We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy.”

    In La Guaira, the scope of grief and urgency is impossible to miss. Nazareth Jimenez collapsed into the shoulder of a family member, sobbing as local neighbors used hand tools and borrowed power saws to cut through thick concrete slabs of what was once a multi-story apartment building, now reduced to a jagged mountain of rubble. Inside were her siblings, nieces, nephews, and close friends, and she waited in agony for any sign of life. “My God, how are we going to get them out of there?” she murmured. Desperate for heavy machinery to move collapsed concrete and steel, she made a public plea: “We’re making a call for help to the government and countries across the world. There are still people alive in there.”

    Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who took office in January after the United States supported the capture and removal of former President Nicolás Maduro, said the Venezuelan government was carrying out a full-scale response during these “critical hours for rescuing people alive.” Government forces have distributed basic food and water to displaced survivors in La Guaira, and Rodríguez confirmed the state has militarized the area, welcomed international rescue teams and humanitarian aid, and that additional support is en route. Still, many local residents say the aid and resources deployed so far are only a tiny fraction of what the devastated region needs.

    The massive disaster represents one of the most severe tests of Rodríguez’s acting administration, which already faces the headwinds of a decade-long national economic crisis and widespread public skepticism over the legitimacy of the ruling political movement.

    The International Organization for Migration estimates that up to 6.76 million people across the region have been affected by the quakes, with nearly 2 million of those in the capital Caracas alone. Seismology experts note the destruction was amplified by two key factors: the quakes’ shallow depth and their rapid succession, which left little time for survivors to evacuate unstable structures. Loyce Pace, regional director for the International Red Cross in the Americas, said “people are still terrified to reenter what were their homes,” and thousands of displaced residents have taken to sleeping on sidewalks and in open public spaces out of fear of aftershocks and further building collapses.

    For many families, the loss is unfathomable. Walking through the rubble that still holds the bodies of two of his children, Omar Reyes shared that around 20 members of his extended family were killed in the disaster. “I’ve been left alone in this life,” he said. In the nearby city of Maiquetia, residents lined up for hours outside the few operating stores and pharmacies, which were only letting customers enter one at a time to avoid overcrowding. At one point, a desperate woman threw herself on top of a package of diapers in the crowd, curling her body around it to protect the supply for her child.

    In Catia La Mar, adjacent to Venezuela’s main international airport, some desperate residents have been seen moving basic supplies including toilet paper and food from damaged or abandoned stores, and crowds once swarmed a civilian pickup truck distributing free bread and water before a soldier intervened to restore order. The parking lot of a local pharmacy has been converted into a makeshift displacement camp, with residents using tarps, hammocks, and donated tents for shelter.

    Twenty-eight-year-old Yuleidy Cadenas has stood across the street from a collapsed public housing building for days, holding out hope that her son, mother, and brother will be pulled out alive. She fled barefoot from another collapsing building on the day of the quakes, only to return and find her mother’s 12-story apartment tower had completely flattened. “I got on top of the rubble and told them to yell back, and nobody did, not my brother, nor my son or my mother,” Cadenas said.

    Disruptions from unregulated traffic and groups of motorcyclists have repeatedly hampered search efforts. Mexican rescue teams and volunteer first responders have repeatedly asked for silence to listen for faint signs of life under rubble, but civilian and uniformed bikers have continued honking horns and revving engines, leaving first responders frustrated.

    As the critical 72-hour window closes, international aid has begun arriving in the country. Venezuelan authorities confirmed Friday that 861 rescue volunteers from Mexico, the United States, El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia and other nations are already on the ground, with more teams en route from other countries. Acting President Rodríguez said she spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, and both reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to sending additional rescue teams and heavy aid equipment to support the response effort.

    AP correspondent Julia Janetsky reported from Mexico City, with additional contributions from AP journalists Clara Preve in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

  • How Cape Verde stunned World Cup to set up Argentina tie

    How Cape Verde stunned World Cup to set up Argentina tie

    Against all the odds stacked against it, the tiny Atlantic archipelago nation of Cape Verde has written its name into World Cup folklore, becoming the smallest country by population to ever advance to the tournament’s knockout round on its first ever appearance at the global showpiece.

    After securing a hard-fought goalless draw against Saudi Arabia in their final Group H fixture, the entire Cape Verde squad huddled around a mobile phone on the pitch, waiting anxiously for the full-time whistle of the concurrent Spain-Uruguay match. When Spain secured the win that confirmed Cape Verde’s place as group runners-up, celebrations erupted: tears of joy and pride flowed across the pitch, the stands, and across the entire island nation, in what commentators have already called the defining moment of the 2026 World Cup.

    This historic run is no accident. Cape Verde entered the tournament with draws in already under their belt: an incredible opening goalless stalemate against 2010 World Cup champions Spain, where 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Vozinha delivered a man-of-the-match masterclass, and a dramatic 2-2 draw against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay. For a country of just 525,000 inhabitants that beat five-time African champions Cameroon to qualify, this run has left the global football community stunned.

    The blueprint for Cape Verde’s success was crafted years ago, centered on a deliberate strategy by the country’s football federation (FCF) to leverage its large global diaspora. Centuries of colonial ties to Portugal, paired with 20th century droughts that drove mass emigration and deep-rooted maritime trading traditions, have left large communities of Cape Verdean descent across Europe, most notably in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam. Of the 26 players in Cape Verde’s 2026 World Cup squad, 14 were born outside the archipelago, with six hailing from Rotterdam. One of those diaspora players, forward Dailon Livramento, scored the game-winning goal that sealed Cape Verde’s qualifying victory over Cameroon in September 2025.

    This open approach to recruitment has produced some unlikely success stories: centre-back Roberto Lopes, born in Dublin, was first scouted and recruited via the professional networking platform LinkedIn back in 2019, while former Portugal under-21 winger Bebe – once of Manchester United – joined the squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). “There is an inner confidence in this team that we are good enough to mix with the best teams in the world,” Lopes explained. “It’s not something that’s just been fabricated out of nothing. Since I’ve been involved, and before that, there’s been an ongoing plan to get Cape Verde up at the big table with the big football nations of the world.”

    Much of the credit for the team’s cohesive, disciplined performance also goes to head coach Bubista, a former Cape Verde international who has led the side since January 2020. The stability of his long tenure has allowed the 56-year-old former defender to build a tight, well-organized unit: a solid defensive structure, technically gifted midfielders, and clinical forward play that carried Cape Verde to the Afcon 2023 quarter-finals – just a decade after the nation made its debut in the continental tournament.

    Bubista’s tactical discipline was on full display against Spain: while Vozinha’s seven saves earned the headlines, it was the team’s extraordinary discipline that set a modern record, conceding just one foul against the 2010 champions – the lowest number of fouls by any team in a World Cup match since 1966. When the team needed a fighting equalizer against Uruguay, they shifted to a more expansive attacking game and showed their resilience to get a result. That same resolve held against Saudi Arabia to secure the point they needed to advance.

    “It’s incredible what they are doing, it wasn’t just one game against Spain, it is three games at the highest level,” former Spanish World Cup winner Juan Mata commented of the side’s run. Bubista, who was named 2025 African Coach of the Year by the Confederation of African Football after securing qualification, has long held belief in his team’s potential. Back before the 2021 Afcon, where Cape Verde reached the last 16, he predicted the side would soon reach the World Cup – a prediction that has now come true. Today, he hopes his side’s run can inspire other underdog football nations across the globe. “I believe that football belongs to everyone, or is for everyone,” he said.

    Next up for the Blue Sharks is a showdown with defending champion Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, in the round of 32 this Friday in Miami. Midfielder Deroy Duarte, who earned man of the match honors against Saudi Arabia, summed up the mood in the camp: “Honestly, it’s mad. I feel like I’m in a dream. First, let’s celebrate. We’re so happy. Let’s hope all Cape Verdeans are happy too. From tomorrow, we’ll focus on the next match. It’s against Argentina, isn’t it? A tough match, but let’s believe. Anything is possible.”

    Global football figures have been quick to praise Cape Verde’s historic run, noting it captures the true spirit of the World Cup. “It’s just a great story for what the World Cup is all about,” said top manager Ange Postecoglou. “We often talk about how football touches every part of the globe and this is what it can do.” Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville added that the run could change minds about World Cup expansion: “I think those sceptics who thought expanding the World Cup wasn’t the right thing might be rethinking it watching these Cape Verde fans, because this is really special. A country of 500,000 people getting to the knockout phase. We’ve seen Uruguay, one of the biggest football nations, going out and then one of the smallest teams making it. What a moment for them.”

  • Billionaire Leon Black walks out of Epstein investigation hearing

    Billionaire Leon Black walks out of Epstein investigation hearing

    A high-stakes congressional investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein hit a dramatic standoff on Friday, as billionaire investor Leon Black exited a closed-door hearing after declining to respond to questions about non-disclosure agreements tied to his connections to Epstein, according to committee lawmakers.

    Black, whose ties to the disgraced financier have placed him under intense scrutiny in recently unsealed Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, had agreed to appear voluntarily before the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee. But he left the session abruptly when questioning turned to NDAs he may have executed in connection with his relationship with Epstein, committee chairman James Comer, a Republican, confirmed.

    The committee had already issued two formal subpoenas demanding Black turn over all NDA documents and participate in a sworn on-camera deposition. Black stepped down from Apollo Global Management, the private equity giant he co-founded, in 2021, when public scrutiny of his long-standing ties to Epstein first intensified. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to his association with the financier.

    Comer laid out the committee’s core line of inquiry Friday, saying: “We want to know, was Jeffrey Epstein involved in the NDAs? Was he involved in writing? Was he involved in awarding funds to the women for the NDAs? What was the reason for the NDA? We want to know everything about the NDAs.”

    Black’s legal team confirmed to the BBC that the billionaire left the hearing after the team completed its opening remarks. Per CBS News, the BBC’s media partner, Black hired Epstein as a personal wealth management advisor years ago, and the pair allegedly discussed sensitive personal matters, including extramarital affairs that resulted in non-disclosure agreements.

    During his short appearance Friday, Black told the committee that over the course of his decades-long professional relationship with Epstein, he paid the financier a total of $158 million (£120 million) for legitimate professional services. That large sum has already been the subject of a separate Senate probe, which examined claims that Black intentionally overpaid Epstein, masking undisclosed personal payments under the cover of financial consulting fees.

    Black’s attorneys have repeatedly pointed to an independent internal investigation conducted by international law firm Dechert on behalf of Apollo, which concluded all fees paid from Black to Epstein were tied to legitimate tax advisory work. Following the narrative shared by dozens of other wealthy and powerful figures tied to the Epstein investigation, Black told the committee he was deceived by the late financier.

    In his opening statement, a copy of which was shared with the BBC by his legal team, Black said: “I knew Jekyll. I didn’t know Hyde.” He added: “With the benefit of hindsight, I now know, as does the world, that Epstein was engaged in horrific, sordid activities. I feel terrible for Epstein’s victims. I want to state clearly that I did not know about this nefarious activity until Epstein was charged with trafficking in July 2019.”

    Black issued a sweeping denial of all allegations of misconduct, saying he never abused any woman, was never with an underage person, never participated in sex trafficking, never paid Epstein for access to women, and was never blackmailed by the financier.

    Black’s lead attorney, Susan Estrich, has denounced the congressional subpoenas as “a planned political stunt.” She emphasized that “Mr Epstein had no involvement with any NDAs, whether they exist or not,” and accused the committee of avoiding questions about the legitimate payments Black made to Epstein for tax and estate planning services.

    Court records show Black carried on a six-year extramarital affair with former Russian model Guzel Ganieva, which ended with Ganieva filing a lawsuit accusing Black of abuse. In that 2015 suit, which was ultimately dismissed, Ganieva alleged Black drafted an NDA to force her to stay silent about the affair. Unsealed Department of Justice documents show Epstein advised Black on the matter, including an email to Black’s assistant where Epstein suggested Black hire former law enforcement officials to approach Ganieva and deliver the NDA terms, writing: “Choose method of message delivery, my choice. – two highly respected former —- fill in the blank, immigration, scotland yard. sfo. . who may knock on her door and present the terms.”

    Estrich has dismissed Ganieva’s allegations as “demonstrably false”, and Black has previously said he was the victim of extortion over the affair. A judge ultimately dismissed Ganieva’s lawsuit, noting the NDA she had signed and the roughly $9 million she received in the years after entering the agreement.

    The House Oversight Committee’s top Democratic member, Robert Garcia, said in a post-hearing statement that Black “stormed out” of the transcribed interview when pressed about the NDAs. “Leon Black had a chance to do the right thing and help us bring justice to the survivors,” Garcia said. “Instead, he ran out of the room when he was pressed for information about his non-disclosure agreements with women and his relationship with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. Black will be held accountable if he doesn’t comply with our investigation.”

  • ‘The fairytale continues!’ Emotional scenes as Cape Verde qualify for last 32

    ‘The fairytale continues!’ Emotional scenes as Cape Verde qualify for last 32

    In a stunning underdog story that has sent shockwaves through the global football community, Cape Verde has sealed a spot in the final 32 of the World Cup, delivering one of the tournament’s most talked-about upsets in Houston. A hard-fought 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia proved enough for the minnows to claim their place in the next round, a result that has been hailed as nothing short of a football miracle by players, fans, and pundits alike.

    Moments after the final whistle blew, scenes of unbridled joy erupted across the stadium and in celebrations back home. Cape Verde’s players collapsed to the pitch in embraces, many openly crying tears of disbelief, while jubilant fans waving the nation’s blue flag chanted and cheered long after the match concluded. What was widely predicted to be a straightforward win for Saudi Arabia instead turned into a historic moment for the small West African nation, which has defied all pre-tournament odds to advance deeper into the World Cup than most analysts ever expected.

    The match, which was restricted to viewership exclusively for users based in the United Kingdom, was published by sports outlets just four hours ago, with fans around the world already sharing the story of the historic result across social media platforms. For Cape Verde, a nation with a relatively small footballing footprint on the global stage, this qualification cements their place in World Cup history as one of the competition’s most surprising success stories.