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Spain and Argentina brace for World Cup final

The historic first 48-team FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is set to reach its thrilling climax this Sunday, with two global football powerhouses — Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Spain — set to clash in the hotly anticipated final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. For Argentina, Sunday’s match carries a unique chance to make football history: the South American side is vying to become the first men’s national team to win consecutive World Cup titles since Brazil’s legendary 1962 squad. Spain, meanwhile, enters the final hunting its second ever World Cup crown, 16 years after the nation claimed its maiden title in 2010.

Beyond the race for the trophy, the final is widely expected to mark the last World Cup appearance for Messi, the 39-year-old Argentine icon universally regarded as the greatest player to ever step onto a football pitch. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has urged fans traveling to the stadium to savor every moment of seeing the generational talent lead his nation out onto the pitch. “He has made history. He is a legend,” Scaloni said of the former Barcelona star, who steered Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar four years prior. Throughout the 2026 tournament, Argentina has earned a reputation for its relentless, never-say-die fighting spirit: the side pulled off a dramatic comeback from a 2-0 deficit late in its round of 16 match against Egypt, before notching another last-gasp victory over England in the semi-finals to secure its spot in the final.

In stark contrast to Argentina’s dramatic path to the final, Spain’s campaign has been near-perfect. La Roja has conceded just one single goal across seven matches heading into Sunday, and earned a dominant semi-final win over France to book its place in the title decider. Spanish captain Rodri has warned his side to prepare for a physically intense battle, saying the team is ready to adapt its style of play to whatever challenges the match brings. “It will be a more physical one, and we must be prepared,” the midfielder noted. “But I believe that if we are known for something in this national team, it is that we know how to play different games based on the moment.”

A day before the final, the tournament’s bronze medal match delivered its own blockbuster entertainment, with England edging out France 6-4 in a high-scoring thriller to claim third place — England’s best finish at the World Cup since the side won the tournament on home soil in 1966. The match also saw Kylian Mbappe of France claim the record for most all-time goals in World Cup history, notching his 22nd goal to move one ahead of Messi. Mbappe currently leads the 2026 tournament’s Golden Boot race with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi, who can retake both the all-time scoring record and the top scorer title with a strong performance on Sunday. Despite the personal milestone, Mbappe made clear he would have traded the record for a spot in the final: “I would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer and to be playing tomorrow’s match,” he said.

As the two finalists put the finishing touches on their preparations, an ongoing environmental disruption has made its presence felt across the eastern United States: thick, acrid smoke from rampant wildfires in Canada has drifted across the border, creating choking smog that has pushed air quality to dangerous levels across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. On Saturday, New York City briefly ranked as the most polluted major city on Earth, though meteorologists expect air quality conditions to improve significantly by the time the final kicks off.

Sunday’s final will draw a high-profile crowd of attendees, with US President Donald Trump set to be among the 80,000 fans packed into MetLife Stadium, marking his first match attendance of the entire tournament. He will be joined by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, meaning the leaders of all three co-hosting nations will be present for the historic occasion. The match will also feature a star-studded entertainment lineup unprecedented in World Cup history: Tom Cruise will feature in the pre-game closing ceremony, while global music superstars Madonna and Shakira will headline the first official halftime show in World Cup history.

In remarks ahead of the match, Trump hailed the 2026 tournament as an unprecedented success during a New York reception with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, calling it “the most successful sporting event, maybe in the history of the world.” Infantino echoed the praise, leaning into hyperbole to describe the expanded 48-team tournament, saying the event had “exceeded all expectations.” “This has not just been and is not just the greatest World Cup of all times,” Infantino said. “It is the greatest human, social, and cultural event that mankind has ever witnessed.”

18 7 月, 2026
US launches more airstrikes against Iran after announcing another death of a service member

In the early hours of Monday, the United States launched a fresh wave of airstrikes targeting Iran, marking nine straight nights of sustained bombardment, just one day after the Pentagon confirmed the death of a third American service member killed in recent regional attacks. The rapid escalation of hostilities comes as a previously brokered interim ceasefire deal, negotiated to lay the groundwork for a permanent end to conflict between the two nations, has completely collapsed, leaving the Middle East on the brink of a wider regional war that threatens to draw in neighboring Israel and key U.S. allies across the Gulf.

The latest American service member death was announced Saturday, after the service member was killed in Iraq while conducting a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone that had entered coalition-controlled territory. This fatality followed a deadly Iranian attack on U.S. troops stationed in Jordan that killed two service members; remains found during recovery operations for a missing service member from that strike were confirmed on Sunday, bringing the total number of U.S. service members killed since the outbreak of hostilities to 17.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, confirmed in an official statement that Monday’s strikes continued a campaign focused on degrading Iranian military capabilities that Tehran has used to target commercial shipping and civilian mariners moving through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical chokepoint for global energy supplies. Shortly after the new strikes began, the British military reported a large ship caught fire off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, a route Washington has encouraged commercial vessels to use to avoid Iranian interception. The cause of the blaze remains unconfirmed as of Monday morning.

Tehran has responded to the ongoing U.S. bombardment with retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. allied states across the Middle East, drawing Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and other Gulf nations directly into the escalating conflict. Early Monday, Iran fired a barrage of missiles toward Jordanian territory, prompting Jordan’s military, which hosts major U.S. military bases and relies on American air defense support, to shoot down multiple incoming projectiles. Jordanian officials confirmed no casualties or damage from the strike, and later summoned Iran’s top diplomatic representative in Amman to issue a formal protest.

The missile strike toward Jordan prompted Israeli security officials to issue a rare warning, noting that falling debris from intercepted missiles could cross into Israeli territory, marking the first time Israeli civilians have faced air raid warnings in weeks. Two Israeli air defense interceptors were launched on the outskirts of Eilat, the Israeli coastal city adjacent to Jordan’s port of Aqaba, the target of the Iranian strike, to neutralize any rogue debris.

Across the Gulf, Bahrain activated its air defense systems early Monday and the U.S. embassy in Manama issued an emergency security warning alerting American personnel to potential Iranian targeting of unspecified sites in the capital. Kuwait also confirmed that one of its key power and water desalination plants, a critical piece of civilian infrastructure that supplies nearly 90% of the country’s drinking water, was attacked for the second time in 48 hours, causing significant fires but leaving the national power grid stable.

In a revelation that adds new urgency to global nuclear non-proliferation concerns, Iran’s state-run television reported Sunday that U.S. strikes hit the construction site of the planned Darkhovin nuclear power plant in southwestern Iran. Satellite imagery captured by Planet Labs PBC on July 9 shows the site remains in early stages of development, with only preliminary earth clearing completed. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, confirmed that during its most recent inspection, the site contained no nuclear material. Iran had not previously reported any strike on the facility to international observers.

Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, secretary-general of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, has publicly condemned Iran for targeting critical civilian infrastructure, accusing Tehran of committing war crimes. Under international humanitarian law, civilian sites including power plants, water facilities and bridges are generally protected from deliberate attack, though they lose that protection if repurposed for military use. Even in those cases, attacking forces are required to minimize civilian harm and ensure strikes are proportionate to the military objective. The U.S. has similarly targeted Iranian bridges and electrical facilities as part of its nine-day bombing campaign, drawing criticism from humanitarian groups for the risk to Iranian civilians.

The fight for control over the Strait of Hormuz remains at the core of the ongoing conflict. Before the outbreak of war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s global oil supplies transited the narrow waterway each day, making any disruption to shipping a major threat to global energy markets. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly threatened to target Iran’s critical civilian infrastructure including power stations and bridges to force Tehran to back off its claims to control the strait, and recent U.S. targeting indicates the administration is following through on that threat. Over the past week, the U.S. Navy has reimposed a full naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt all Iranian crude oil exports, with military officials reporting Saturday that six tankers have been redirected and one Iranian vessel disabled since the blockade began.

A maritime safety body overseen by the U.S. Navy issued an updated advisory Sunday warning that the threat to commercial mariners transiting the region remains severe, with deliberate hostile action against shipping considered highly likely. Shipping activity through the strait has fallen to a fraction of pre-war levels: just eight ships completed transits on Saturday, and only three did so on Friday, compared to a pre-war daily average of nearly 140. The near-standstill in traffic has already sent ripple effects through global energy markets, pushing fuel prices higher and hurting some of the world’s most vulnerable economies that rely on affordable energy imports.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a stern warning to the U.S. in a public statement Saturday, saying that continued attacks on the Islamic Republic will result in “unforgettable lessons” for Washington. An Iranian nuclear negotiator also confirmed that Tehran is suspending all its commitments under the previously agreed interim ceasefire deal, accusing the U.S. of being the first to violate the agreement. The 60-day window set out by the interim deal to negotiate a permanent end to hostilities and resolve outstanding disputes over Iran’s nuclear program is now past its halfway point, with no signs of renewed diplomatic progress.

Iranian authorities reported Sunday that at least 50 Iranian civilians and personnel have been killed in the latest round of U.S. airstrikes, with another 517 people wounded. Tehran has not yet released any official figures on overall material losses from the nearly two weeks of sustained exchange of fire.

18 7 月, 2026
Rescuers in Indonesia find mother and son survivors from sunken passenger boat

Rescue teams working across the choppy waters off eastern Indonesia have pulled a mother and her son from the remote area where the KM Nurul Salsa passenger vessel sank earlier this week, extending a streak of small glimmers of hope amid a devastating maritime disaster. As of Sunday, search operations continue for 18 people still unaccounted for, following the vessel’s sinking off South Sulawesi Province.

Local emergency officials confirmed that the 46-year-old woman and 24-year-old son were discovered stranded on Balaloho Island, a small populated island part of the Selayar island chain, by local fishermen who were assisting in the search effort. The pair joins seven other survivors already pulled from the sea or surrounding coastlines, after five survivors including a 7-year-old child were recovered Saturday evening. That group was found clinging to an anchored fish trap after spending three days adrift following the sinking. At least one casualty has been confirmed so far.

In total, the stricken boat was carrying 78 passengers and crew members when it suffered catastrophic engine failure Wednesday. The sinking occurred roughly 43 nautical miles (79 kilometers) from the main port servicing the Selayar Islands. The massive search operation that followed has mobilized more than 200 professional rescuers across dozens of search vessels, with additional support from the Indonesian national military, local police forces, independent commercial fishermen, and volunteer residents from nearby island communities.

Andi Sultan, the lead coordinator for emergency response based in Makassar, told reporters that search crews have been pushed to their limits by brutal environmental conditions. Search teams have had to operate through consistent rough seas, with waves reaching heights of 2 to 3 meters paired with persistent strong gusting winds that have complicated detection efforts and slowed search progress.

Maritime passenger transport is an essential lifeline across Indonesia, a sprawling archipelagic nation made up of more than 17,000 separate islands that connect hundreds of distinct communities. Unfortunately, the sector is plagued by systemic safety gaps: lax enforcement of international and national safety standards, combined with frequent overloading of passenger and cargo capacity, makes frequent deadly accidents an ongoing public safety challenge across the country.

18 7 月, 2026
Kyiv struck after attack on Russian e-commerce giant

Escalating cross-border attacks have plunged the Russia-Ukraine war into a dangerous new phase, with Russian ballistic missiles striking multiple civilian targets across Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight in retaliation for a major Ukrainian drone assault on Russian logistics infrastructure. The July 19 bombardment, which comes as Ukraine grapples with rare domestic political upheaval in its fifth year of full-scale invasion, has left conflicting casualty figures and widespread damage across the capital.

Moments after Ukraine’s Air Force pushed an emergency alert to residents via the messaging platform Telegram warning of incoming ballistic threats, AFP correspondents on the ground in Kyiv heard multiple loud explosions. One blast was powerful enough to trigger car alarms across the city’s central district, witnesses confirmed. Initial casualty reports have been inconsistent: Kyiv’s military administration announced one fatality in a Telegram update, while Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported seven injuries with no confirmed deaths, and Ukraine’s state emergency service put the number of wounded at just two.

Local authorities confirmed that the overnight strikes ignited multiple fires and damaged structures across five of Kyiv’s districts. In the Solomianskyi district, an apartment building was directly hit, and a nearby supermarket caught fire. A residential home burned in the Sviatoshynsky district, while strikes were also confirmed at a shopping and entertainment complex in Dniprovsky district, a second apartment building in the central Shevchenkivsky district, and an unused non-residential structure. This latest wave of attacks is part of Russia’s nearly daily campaign of missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities that has continued uninterrupted since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The retaliatory Russian strike came one day after Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on e-commerce warehouses in Russia’s Moscow and Tambov regions. Ukrainian officials confirmed the attack, which killed eight people and sparked massive infernos across the two logistics hubs. In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the strike was a direct response to repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, adding that the targeted warehouses were being used to store sanctioned components for Russian drone manufacturing and navigation systems.

In simultaneous attacks across Ukraine on Saturday, Russian strikes killed five people and injured nearly 20 more in regions spanning the country’s southeastern frontline. Over recent months, Kyiv has stepped up long-range strikes on Russian territory, a campaign it frames as “long-range sanctions” intended to punish Moscow for its years of bombardment of Ukrainian civilian areas. The campaign has primarily targeted Russian oil infrastructure, contributing to widespread fuel shortages in one of the world’s largest oil-producing nations. Moscow has meanwhile reported a sharp rise in incoming drone attacks: Russian capital mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that more than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight in the recent attack, adding that nearly 1,900 incoming Ukrainian drones were intercepted in the week between July 11 and 18.

Beyond the escalating cross-border fighting, Ukraine is facing unprecedented domestic political unrest amid a sudden military leadership shakeup. For the third consecutive day on Saturday, thousands of protestors gathered in major Ukrainian cities to oppose Zelensky’s dismissal of popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The tech-focused minister, who had pushed aggressive reforms to digitize and modernize Ukraine’s war-weary military, was removed in a surprise cabinet reshuffle at a moment when Ukrainian forces had been gaining incremental momentum on the frontline, triggering a rare public backlash against Zelensky’s administration.

The reshuffle has also fuelled widespread media speculation that army chief General Oleksandr Syrsky could be next to be replaced, as Zelensky held two consecutive days of closed-door meetings with top military commanders over the weekend. During his six months in office, Fedorov repeatedly clashed with the 60-year-old Syrsky over his modernization and digitization agenda for the Ukrainian military, which has been strained by more than four and a half years of continuous high-intensity combat.

18 7 月, 2026
New EU border system tripling time at passport control, airport boss says

As peak summer travel season hits the European Union, the bloc’s newly rolled-out digital Entry Exit System (EES) has triggered widespread long queues and significant processing delays for non-EU travelers at major continental airports, drawing sharp criticism from airport operators and airline carriers alike.

Implemented in a phased rollout starting last October, EES mandates that all non-EU citizens entering the 29-nation Schengen Area must register biometric data — including fingerprints and a facial photograph — upon arrival, with the information cross-checked when travelers exit the bloc. Most processing is completed via standalone automated kiosks, though minors and other travelers with special requirements must complete the step in person with border agents. Even with incremental technical adjustments and process changes implemented in recent months, top officials at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Italy’s busiest international gateway, confirm wait times for UK travelers have nearly tripled compared to pre-EES protocols.

Fiumicino’s Chief Aviation Officer Ivan Bassato told the BBC that even after integrating EES processing into existing passport e-gates — a modification that followed a €12 million investment in standalone kiosks that proved unable to handle peak passenger volumes — average wait times for UK nationals have jumped from just 7 minutes pre-EES to 20 minutes currently. Some passengers arriving during peak windows have reported waiting one to two hours to clear border control, with several missing connecting transportation and even departing flights after long holds. Bassato, whose airport is widely regarded as one of the most technologically advanced in Europe, emphasized that current wait times are unacceptable, calling for urgent systemic fixes. He outlined two key adjustments: cutting redundant process steps that create unnecessary duplication, and expanding the use of the EU’s pre-registration app, which is currently only active in two member states: Sweden and Portugal.

While airport and airline leaders have urged the European Commission to allow member states to temporarily suspend EES during peak travel periods to ease congestion, a policy meeting held earlier this month failed to produce any changes to the current framework. Member states retain the right to suspend the system only under exceptional circumstances.

The issue is not isolated to Italy. At Portugal’s busy Faro Airport, a top destination for summer sun-seeking UK travelers, border police have also documented growing delays linked to EES, as well as recurring technical bugs. Superintendent Pedro Oliveira, head of border control at Faro, acknowledged that what previously would have been a 10-minute wait can now stretch to more than 30 minutes. He added that the system is vulnerable to cross-network outages: server issues originating in other parts of the EU can crash EES across all member states simultaneously, requiring a full system reboot that adds more downtime for passengers. Oliveira noted that these outages have become less frequent in recent months, and that extreme waits over an hour are rare at Faro, limited only to unexpected peaks when dozens of flights arrive within a narrow window. Portugal has responded to delays by recruiting additional border officers and adjusting rules to require all minors under 16 to process with staff rather than kiosks.

Budget carrier Ryanair, one of the largest operators of transnational flights into the EU, has been among the most vocal critics of the rollout, calling it a “failed implementation” that creates avoidable travel disruption. The airline has warned UK passengers traveling to Europe this summer to plan for extended waits and build extra time into their travel itineraries. Passengers interviewed across Rome, one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, shared widespread stories of frustrating delays: UK traveler Carl, who arrived in Rome from Yorkshire with young children, reported a two-hour wait from plane disembarkation to border clearance. “I knew it was going to be bad, but not that bad,” he said. US visitor David, traveling with his wife, waited an hour and missed his pre-booked private transfer. Other travelers arriving through Barcelona similarly reported 45 to 60 minute waits, with some noting their border queue time matched the length of their flight to Spain.

In response to the widespread reports of disruption, the European Commission stated that disruptions are limited at most EU airports, adding that it will continue providing full support to member states as they work through implementation challenges.

18 7 月, 2026
Influencer Andrew Tate and brother arrested in Miami

In a high-profile law enforcement development that has drawn global attention, controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were taken into custody by U.S. Marshals Service agents in Miami on Saturday. The arrest comes as British authorities move to extradite the pair to face a series of serious criminal charges, including rape, sexual trafficking and physical assault.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed the arrest of 39-year-old Andrew Tate — a self-identified misogynist with a massive global social media following — and his younger brother to Agence France-Presse, but declined to release additional details citing a sealed arrest warrant. U.S. celebrity news outlet TMZ released on-the-ground footage showing uniformed officers placing the brothers in handcuffs before leading them to unmarked law enforcement vehicles. The video, also shared to the social platform X, shows Tristan Tate ignoring a bystander’s request for comment as he is escorted away.

In an official public statement, the U.K. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed the arrest aligned with its extradition request for the pair, who face multiple felony charges in British courts. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, outlined the scope of the new prosecution: “We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offences including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child.” McHaffie added that the updated charges were filed after investigators received new evidence from Bedfordshire Police, bringing the total number of alleged victims connected to the case to seven.

The latest legal action is not the first investigation into the Tate brothers. Earlier in 2025, Hertfordshire Police, based north of London, announced it was reopening an investigation into historical rape and sexual assault allegations against Andrew Tate stemming from incidents alleged to have occurred between 2014 and 2015. Separate allegations of rape and human trafficking, investigated by Bedfordshire Police — which covers the pair’s hometown of Luton, also north of London — have also been pending, and the brothers additionally face accusations of tax evasion and money laundering under British law.

Dual British-American citizens, the Tate brothers have long been vocal supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Back in March 2025, Florida state authorities launched a separate criminal investigation into the pair, though no updates on the status of that probe have been released publicly.

Andrew Tate is one of the most high-profile figures in the online “manosphere” — a loose network of online communities centered on traditional masculinity, anti-feminist rhetoric and gendered self-improvement. He has built an audience of millions across social platforms, including 10.8 million followers on X, by spreading polarizing content that leans heavily into alpha-male posturing and openly misogynistic viewpoints. For the past several years, the brothers have primarily resided in Romania, where they already face local charges of trafficking minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering.

Throughout all ongoing investigations, the Tate brothers have issued blanket denials of all accusations against them.

18 7 月, 2026
World Cup 2026: Palestinian flags become a target at US-based games

As the 2025 World Cup hosted in the United States heads into its highly anticipated final match at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, a simmering debate over the display of Palestinian flags has emerged as one of the tournament’s most contentious off-pitch stories, drawing new attention to inconsistent political policies within global football governance. What has become clear over the course of the competition is that the Palestinian flag has become both one of the most widely visible symbols of solidarity in stadium stands and one of the most frequently targeted by venue security personnel.

Multiple supporters who brought Palestinian flags to matches have told Middle East Eye that they were stopped by security officials during venue entry and ordered to remove the flags or face confiscation, a move that directly contradicts FIFA’s own public regulations that permit all national flags to be brought into World Cup stadiums. These confrontations have occurred amid a groundswell of grassroots solidarity from fans of Arab nations competing in the tournament, who have turned out in large numbers to display Palestinian flags throughout the stands, even though Palestine is not a participating team in this year’s competition.

For pro-Palestine activists and organizers, these repeated incidents are not isolated mistakes, but rather a reflection of what they frame as growing systemic scrutiny of Palestinian identity in public spaces across the U.S., even as popular global support for Palestinian statehood and an end to the war in Gaza has become increasingly visible. As the tournament prepares for its final showdown, two major questions remain unanswered: whether venue authorities will allow Palestinian flags to be displayed openly in the stands of MetLife Stadium, and whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who faces widespread accusations of war crimes for his government’s military campaign in Gaza – will attend the final as previously rumored.

Maisa Morrar, a Palestinian-American community organizer based in Oakland, argues that FIFA itself bears ultimate responsibility for the clashes between security guards and flag-bearing fans. She explains that conflicting pre-tournament messaging from the global football governing body over whether Palestinian flags would be allowed created unnecessary confusion, which in turn emboldened security staff to confront supporters displaying the symbol. “We were seeing reports that FIFA was allowing the Palestine flag in stadiums, and my first thought was, why was that even a question?” Morrar said in an interview. “People bring their national flags to World Cup matches all the time; it was bizarre that there was ever any question over whether Palestinians could fly their flag.”

For many attendees, those unclear policies quickly turned into on-the-ground conflict. Omar Dreidi, a Palestinian-American from Southern California and an NBA player agent with past connections to FIFA through the FIFA Masters program, was confronted by security while attending a match at California’s Levi’s Stadium. He told Middle East Eye that security approached him directly and said he was not permitted to display his Palestinian flag.

Dreidi, who is familiar with FIFA’s official rules and maintains connections within the organization, refused to comply. A viral video he posted to the social platform X immediately after the confrontation shows him draped in the Palestinian flag, challenging security: “If you’re going to make me take down my Palestinian flag, then make that person take off their keffiyeh,” he says in the footage, pointing to another supporter who had stepped in to defend him. After an extended back-and-forth, the security guard radioed his supervisors before returning to inform Dreidi he could keep the flag. “When he told me I could keep it, he said ‘you can chill now’ – and I told him, you were the one who came and harassed me,” Dreidi recounted.

The incident drew immediate solidarity from nearby spectators, with two Algerian fans stepping in to support Dreidi, and another attendee beginning to record the interaction. “It shows acts of solidarity and pride and love, and I was really grateful for those two guys,” Dreidi said. After he shared his experience online, Dreidi received dozens of messages from other fans across the tournament reporting identical confrontations, many of whom had their Palestinian flags confiscated by security. “I felt bad because I wish they knew their rights under FIFA rules,” he said. He has since urged all Palestinian supporters attending matches to familiarize themselves with tournament regulations, document all interactions with security if possible, and says he has connected with FIFA’s legal team to offer support to fans facing similar harassment.

Middle East Eye reached out to FIFA for official comment on the incidents ahead of publication, but did not receive a response before the article went to press.

The disputes over Palestinian flags are unfolding against a backdrop of broader criticism of the current World Cup and FIFA’s leadership on multiple human rights fronts. While FIFA markets the tournament as a global celebration of football and cross-national unity, campaigners and activists have accused the governing body of failing to uphold those stated principles when confronted with ongoing war, human rights abuses and political expression.

Critics have repeatedly highlighted what they call FIFA’s deeply inconsistent approach to global conflicts. In 2022, Russia was fully suspended from international football within days of launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Yet repeated calls from the Palestinian Football Association and dozens of global human rights organizations to suspend Israel over its ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians to date, the majority of them women and children, have not resulted in any similar action from FIFA.

FIFA has also faced new scrutiny over its increasingly close public alignment with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made multiple high-profile appearances at tournament events. Rights groups have raised alarm over FIFA’s willingness to align itself with a political leader accused of undermining international law and domestic civil liberties, particularly after FIFA awarded Trump its annual FIFA Presidential Award earlier in the tournament.

For many Palestinian supporters, these broader institutional controversies have framed the flag disputes as part of a larger pattern of institutional bias, rather than isolated errors by individual security staff.

For Dreidi, however, the tournament has also highlighted football’s unique power to unite diverse supporters across national and political divides. “We have many problems with FIFA – the peace prize for Trump, the way they allow Israel to play without any sanctions, we have a lot of problems – but put that aside for a second,” he said. “The World Cup is a really unique sporting event because it brings people together. I see the pride and the joy it brings in people.”

When asked what message he wants the global public to take from the widespread display of Palestinian flags at the tournament, Dreidi said it boils down to a simple demand for equality and inclusion. “I just want everybody to know that the Palestinian flag, like any other nation in the world, is allowed in stadiums,” he said. “We’re allowed to wear our jerseys, we’re allowed to fly our flag high, and be prideful. I knew that going in.”

For Morrar, attending the tournament was about far more than watching football. She said it felt critical to be present at a major U.S.-hosted global event at this historic moment, and to witness the widespread grassroots solidarity firsthand. “It felt really important for me to go and see the camaraderie and the solidarity, not just for the games but also for us as Palestinians,” she said. She added that fans from dozens of competing nations repeatedly approached her to express solidarity, ask to hold her Palestinian flag, and join chants in support of Palestinian liberation. “Everywhere we’ve gone, people have been so receptive to the flag, and I think a large part of that has to do with the genocide in Gaza,” Morrar said. “The message I’ve fully received and witnessed is that the people are really standing with Palestine, and that at the end of the day it’s always about people’s struggles and their liberation.”

18 7 月, 2026
Tate brothers arrested in US after more charges laid against them in UK

In a major development in the long-running legal case against controversial online influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, the pair have been taken into custody in the United States, just hours after British prosecuting authorities announced a new round of serious criminal charges against both men.

The UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed on Friday that Andrew Tate, 39, faces an additional seven counts of rape, alongside new charges connected to alleged sex trafficking and the possession of child pornography. For his part, 37-year-old Tristan Tate has been hit with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape, and three counts of arranging or facilitating human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

According to CPS Special Crime Division head Malcolm McHaffie, the latest charging decisions came after prosecutors received an expanded evidence file from investigators at Bedfordshire Police. This addition of new alleged offenses pushes the total number of identified victims in the case to seven. All of the newly alleged criminal activity is said to have occurred between June 2010 and August 2017, expanding the timeline of alleged offending beyond the previously charged acts which date from 2012 to 2016.

Both brothers have repeatedly and unequivocally denied all allegations of wrongdoing brought against them since the investigation first opened.

U.S. law enforcement officials have confirmed the arrest details: U.S. Marshals Service took the pair into custody, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice clarified that the arrests were carried out as part of ongoing extradition proceedings. The CPS has publicly stated that UK prosecutors will formally request the extradition of both Tate brothers to the United Kingdom to face trial on all accumulated charges.

This latest action comes more than a year after May 2025, when UK prosecutors first confirmed an initial list of 21 charges that the pair would face in UK courts. This is an ongoing, developing breaking news story, with additional details expected to be released in the coming hours as extradition proceedings move forward.

18 7 月, 2026
FIFA toasts World Cup triumph as tournament draws to close

When the 2026 FIFA World Cup was awarded to the United States, Mexico and Canada, critics and observers braced for a tournament plagued by chaos. Pre-tournament warnings painted a grim picture: exorbitant ticket prices, simmering geopolitical tensions, the shadow of global conflict, and dangerous extreme summer heat across the three host nations. On top of that, FIFA’s landmark decision to expand the field from 32 to 48 teams sparked fierce debate, with many arguing the change would dilute the quality of play at football’s most prestigious global event.

Nearly a month later, as only the final between defending champion Argentina and Spain remains to be played, the verdict is clear: the largest and most logistically complex World Cup in history has defied every low expectation, emerging as an unexpected triumph for the sport. What fans will remember is not the pre-tournament doom-mongering, but a relentless stream of thrilling matches and a joyful, unifying atmosphere that swept across all three host nations.

Fears that adding 16 new teams — including several tiny, first-time qualifying nations — would produce lopsided, low-quality football have been thoroughly debunked. Instead, the expanded format delivered exactly the kind of high-drama, giant-killing upsets that make the World Cup a global cultural phenomenon. Cape Verde, a small Atlantic island nation, held eventual finalist Spain to a stunning goalless draw in their tournament opener, then pushed Lionel Messi’s Argentina to extra time in the Round of 16 before falling 3-2. Caribbean nation Curacao, with a total population of just 185,000, earned a credible 0-0 draw against South American powerhouse Ecuador. Egypt, which reached the knockout stage for the first time in its World Cup history, came within 11 minutes of a massive upset over Argentina, holding a 2-0 lead before Messi’s individual brilliance turned the game around for the defending champions.

These underdog success stories are part of a larger shift: a record nine African nations advanced to the knockout round, marking a clear signal of the continent’s growing prominence in global men’s football.

The tournament’s biggest established stars have also delivered career-defining performances, living up to the global spotlight. Messi, playing in a record sixth World Cup, kicked off Argentina’s campaign with a mesmerizing hat-trick against Algeria. Entering Sunday’s final, Messi has scored eight goals, just two behind tournament leader Kylian Mbappe of France, who has notched 10 goals. Mbappe’s total pushes his career World Cup goal tally to 22, making him the all-time leading scorer in tournament history. Norway’s Erling Haaland quickly became a global fan favorite, scoring seven times including two goals in a Round of 16 upset over Brazil. England’s Jude Bellingham also scored seven goals, with captain Harry Kane adding six, as the Three Lions secured a third-place finish. All three host nations — Canada, Mexico and the United States — advanced to the Round of 16 before exiting the tournament.

Through 103 matches, the 2026 tournament has produced 307 goals, for an average of 2.98 goals per game. That makes it the highest-scoring World Cup since the 1958 finals in Sweden, which averaged 3.6 goals per match.

Off the pitch, the event has drawn record crowds despite steep ticket prices. FIFA’s controversial “dynamic pricing” model, which adjusts prices based on demand, was condemned by fan groups as a “monumental betrayal” before the tournament even began. But even with some tickets costing thousands of dollars, fans turned out in record numbers. Before Saturday’s third-place match, FIFA released figures showing total attendance had reached 6,665,825 — more than the combined total attendance of the 2018 Russia World Cup and 2022 Qatar World Cup. Average attendance per match sits at 65,351, with stadiums hitting a 99.7% occupancy rate.

The celebration extended far beyond stadium walls. Host cities were transformed into global carnival grounds: Scotland’s famous Tartan Army packed Boston bars dry, while thousands of Norwegian fans performed their iconic collective “Viking row” in New York’s Times Square. With the majority of matches held across the United States, international visitors took to social media to gush about quintessentially American experiences, from oversized grocery stores to massive BBQ ribs and creamy ranch dressing. One U.S. commentator noted the surprising turnaround: “The 2026 World Cup has become a global love fest for the US — at a time when the rest of the world has plenty of reasons to dislike us.”

For all its successes, the tournament has not been without controversy, much of it tied to U.S. government policies and former president Donald Trump. Somali referee Omar Artan was barred from entering the United States due to the Trump administration’s hardline immigration restrictions, with U.S. officials citing “vetting concerns” for the denial. Iran’s team was also forced to navigate crippling visa restrictions: after relocating their training camp from Arizona to Mexico, players and staff were required to leave the U.S. within hours of finishing each match. “I think we are the most oppressed team in the World Cup,” Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei said bitterly after his side’s opening match.

The biggest scandal erupted when news broke that Trump had personally intervened with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to delay a one-game suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun ahead of the team’s knockout round match against Belgium. The improper intervention sparked widespread outrage across the global football community, and neutral fans widely celebrated when Belgium defeated the U.S. 4-1.

While the controversy has been an embarrassment for Infantino, it is not expected to threaten his bid for re-election as FIFA president in 2027. The powerful confederations of Asia, Africa and South America have already pledged their support for his next term. And the overwhelming success of the 2026 expanded tournament is expected to give Infantino political capital to push for even further expansion, with a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams already set to be discussed in coming years.

18 7 月, 2026
‘It didn’t hurt’: Jaeman Salmon responds to Alex Twal incident as two Wests Tigers players face bans following ugly loss

The 2024 National Rugby League (NRL) season has delivered another devastating blow to the Wests Tigers, whose 13-year wait for a return to the finals now looks all but impossible after three of their first-grade players were hit with disciplinary charges following a lopsided 0-point loss to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Saturday. The result and subsequent disciplinary action have compounded a brutal five-game losing streak for the club, which has been reeling from off-field and on-field turbulence in recent weeks.

The most high-profile charges landed on young gun Latu Fainu and key playmaker Adam Doueihi, both of whom accepted early guilty plea offers that will see them sidelined for upcoming matches. Fainu received a Grade 3 dangerous contact charge stemming from a dangerous tackle that earned him a 10-minute sin bin during the clash, carrying an automatic two-match suspension if he takes the proposed deal. Doueihi, meanwhile, was handed a one-match ban for a high tackle on Bulldogs player Harry Hayes, and is set to miss the Tigers’ upcoming away fixture against Canberra. If either player chooses to challenge the charges at the NRL Judiciary and lose their appeal, they will face an additional one-week suspension on top of the proposed bans. With Doueihi out, five-eighth Jarome Luai — playing his first match for the Tigers since confirming his 2025 transfer to the Parramatta Eels — will be forced to carry a larger playmaking load for the depleted side.

The most shocking moment of the match came from veteran Tigers prop Alex Twal, a player widely known for his calm on-field demeanor, who lost his composure in two separate incidents. Twal was sent to the sin bin in the 69th minute for striking Bulldogs utility Jaeman Salmon in the face, with the Tigers already down to 12 men due to Fainu’s earlier sin binning. While he avoided a suspension, Twal will be required to pay a $1800 fine for contrary conduct if he accepts the early guilty plea. Just before full time, when Twal returned to the field, he clashed again with Bulldogs forward Josh Curran as the final siren sounded — an altercation that match officials opted not to penalize with a second sin bin.

Speaking to reporters in the Bulldogs’ changing rooms after the match, Salmon downplayed the incident, confirming the two shook hands post-game and noting that the physical exchange was nothing out of the ordinary for rugby league. “It didn’t hurt that much,” Salmon said. “It was a bit of theatrics with it I guess, but what happens on the field stays on the field and I’m sure Twal is a good fella. It was just a bit of push and shove. I might have got under his skin a bit, but it’s all good. It was rugby league.” Salmon also revealed he had played the entire match through significant pain, having undergone two finger surgeries in as many weeks after a tendon injury flared up. He had to get a local anaesthetic injection just to take the field, adding that he entered the match with a real chance of needing a third surgery if his stitches split again.

For the Bulldogs, the shutout win has kept their own 2024 finals hopes very much alive. Saturday’s result leaves Cameron Ciraldo’s side just two points outside the NRL’s top eight, with star captain Stephen Crichton expected to make his return from injury for their upcoming blockbuster against the in-form New Zealand Warriors. Ciraldo kept a long-held team tradition alive after the win, confirming the side will get free coffee at all team training sessions next week as a reward for holding the Tigers scoreless. Salmon said the shutout performance marked a return to the aggressive, disciplined identity the Bulldogs have been working to rebuild this season. “A couple of performances haven’t gone our way this year, but I can’t knock the way we’ve been training,” he said. “If we can put a couple more performances like that together, we’ll give ourselves a good shot to make the finals. We had to get back to our 2025 selves and I think tonight was a good step.”

The disciplinary announcements from the NRL also included charges for two other players across the league: Canberra Raiders forward Owen Pattie and South Sydney Rabbitohs veteran David Fifita, both of whom have been offered one-match bans for their own dangerous contact offences from Round X.

18 7 月, 2026