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  • After spending billions, Saudi Arabia gets a World Cup wake-up call against Spain

    After spending billions, Saudi Arabia gets a World Cup wake-up call against Spain

    ATLANTA – The weight of a lopsided defeat hung heavy over Saudi Arabia’s national men’s football team early in the second half of their 2024 World Cup group stage match against Spain, as striker Saleh Al-Shehri sat hunched on the substitutes’ bench, head buried in his hands, after La Roja stretched their advantage to four unanswered goals.

    Coming into the fixture at Atlanta’s stadium, the Green Falcons were universally ranked as heavy underdogs against the reigning European champions, yet faint hopes of a shocking upset lingered among fans and players alike. Just two years prior at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history when they defeated eventual champions Argentina, and just six days before this clash with Spain, debutant side Cape Verd had held the Spanish to a goalless draw on the very same pitch.

    But Sunday’s encounter was nowhere near the close contest many had speculated. Spain controlled possession and tempo from the opening kickoff, outshooting Saudi Arabia by a staggering 22 to three en route to a comprehensive 4-0 victory.

    While the lopsided loss does not eliminate Saudi Arabia from knockout stage contention, a victory in their upcoming final group fixture against Cape Verde this Friday remains the only path for the side to advance. Even so, the defeat carries heavy psychological and symbolic weight for a kingdom that has poured billions of dollars into elite football over the past decade, as part of a broader push to legitimize its growing domestic top flight and build a competitive national squad ahead of its turn hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

    Nearly every player on Saudi Arabia’s current national roster competes domestically in the Saudi Pro League, a competition that has attracted high-profile aging global superstars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané in recent big-money transfers. While the Saudi government and football federation have begun scaling back extravagant spending on marquee international signings, Green Falcons head coach Georgios Donis insists the presence of these veteran talents has lifted the overall competitive standard of the league and accelerated the development of domestic players. Still, he acknowledged that turning those domestic improvements into tangible results on the global stage remains an ongoing, unmet challenge.

    “The more competitive the competition, the better our players will be,” Donis told reporters after the match.

    Despite the multi-billion dollar investment, one persistent challenge facing the national program is securing consistent first-team minutes for homegrown Saudi talent at the club level. Even starting national team goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais moved to a second-tier Saudi club last year solely to guarantee himself more regular playing time.

    Instability at the highest coaching level has also created additional disruption: the national team has cycled through three different head coaches over the past two years, with Donis appointed to the role less than two months before the squad kicked off their 2024 World Cup campaign.

    The tournament started on a far more promising note for Saudi Arabia, which earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Uruguay after holding a lead until the 80th minute last week. Against Spain, however, the side never managed to mount a consistent attacking threat, conceding three goals within the opening 25 minutes of play. Donis framed the result as an off day against elite opposition, calling the outcome a “bad result” against “one of the best teams in the tournament.”

    Spanish head coach Luis de la Fuente praised Saudi Arabia’s cohesive attacking combinations in his post-match comments, but added that his side’s quality ultimately proved too much for the Green Falcons to handle, calling his team “very powerful” on the day.

    Looking forward to the must-win matchup with Cape Verde, Donis expressed confidence that his squad could bounce back from the demoralizing loss and rediscover their competitive form. “We will come back to the level … where we’ll be very competitive,” he said.

  • Boy dies after being hit by a car in County Mayo

    Boy dies after being hit by a car in County Mayo

    A fatal road traffic incident has claimed the life of a young boy after he was hit by a car in County Mayo, located in the Republic of Ireland, local law enforcement has confirmed.

    The tragic collision unfolded shortly before midday on Sunday morning along the N59 route at Eskeragh, a district within Crossmolina close to the town of Ballina. Members of An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police service, confirmed they received an emergency alert reporting the incident at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time.

    Responding officers arrived at the scene quickly, but the boy was pronounced dead on site due to the severity of his injuries. Following standard procedure for fatal road collisions, the victim’s remains have been transferred to the mortuary at Mayo University Hospital, and Ireland’s coroner service has been formally notified of the death.

    In a public appeal issued after the incident, Gardaí are calling on any members of the public who witnessed the collision, or who were driving along the N59 in the Eskeragh area around the time of the incident and may have dashcam footage relevant to the investigation, to contact them. Investigators are working to establish the full circumstances of what led to the collision, and any information from witnesses will help build a complete picture of the incident.

  • Oyarzabal leads Spain to victory with 2-goal, 1-assist outing after lackluster World Cup debut

    Oyarzabal leads Spain to victory with 2-goal, 1-assist outing after lackluster World Cup debut

    ATLANTA — Just six days after one of the most humbling opening-match performances in modern World Cup history, Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal delivered a career-defining turnaround at Atlanta Stadium on Sunday, etching his name into the tournament’s record books while powering La Roja to a lopsided 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.

    Oyarzabal’s World Cup introduction just one prior Monday had drawn widespread criticism: he became the first player in more than half a century, since 1966, to register zero touches on the ball across the opening 30 minutes of a World Cup group stage fixture. But the 29-year-old left that disappointing showing firmly in the rearview mirror, producing a breathtaking first-half display that saw him register two goals and one assist — making him only the second player in World Cup history to contribute to three goals in the opening 25 minutes of a match. No player has achieved that rare feat since Hungary’s László Fazekas pulled it off more than four decades ago in 1982.

    Spain’s head coach Luis De La Fuente heaped glowing praise on his forward’s redemptive performance after the final whistle, emphasizing Oyarzabal’s irreplaceable influence on the national squad. “The impact Mikel has on the team is massive, probably bigger than any other player could have in the world,” De La Fuente said. “I’m convinced that he’s a footballer that can really make history in Spanish football. His numbers are crazy, so I do celebrate his performance, and hopefully, we will be able to value him properly.”

    Oyarzabal set the tone for Spain’s dominant run early, playing a pinpoint deep cross to 18-year-old breakout star Lamine Yamal that handed La Roja a 10th-minute opening goal. He followed that game-setting assist with back-to-back strikes just three minutes apart, finding the back of the net in the 21st and 24th minutes to push Spain to a 3-0 lead going into halftime. By the time he was subbed off at the break, Oyarzabal had notched five total shots, three of which were on target, in just 45 minutes of play.

    For a player whose 2026 World Cup run had already been defined by sharp highs and crushing lows, Oyarzabal said he remains unphased by both the criticism of his debut and the acclaim for his historic rebound. “In the end, it’s an anecdote,” Oyarzabal told reporters after the match. “I don’t give any importance to it. It is what it is. I’m happy to have scored, to have helped the team. One way or another, I’m always trying to do what’s best for the team.”

    While the Eibar-born forward downplayed his new record-book distinction, he acknowledged that bouncing back from his underwhelming debut was a top priority for both him and the entire Spanish squad. “When you don’t do things well, when things don’t go your way, you criticize yourself, you look internally to try to improve. We knew we could do much better than the other day,” he explained. “We were looking forward to turning it around. It was very important to start with the right foot, and that’s what happened.”

    AP Sports Writers James Robson and Tales Azzoni contributed reporting to this article.

  • Ninety-two percent of Israelis think Iran has won war, new poll finds

    Ninety-two percent of Israelis think Iran has won war, new poll finds

    When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the US-backed Israeli military campaign against Iran in late February, the Israeli government laid out two unambiguous, ambitious goals: dismantle Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile development programs and bring about the collapse of the ruling Iranian government. Months later, after Washington and Tehran reached a preliminary agreement and ongoing negotiations continue in Switzerland, a newly released public opinion survey has found that an overwhelming 92 percent of Israeli citizens are convinced that Iran emerged as the winner of the conflict.

    Conducted jointly by the Agam Institute and Hebrew University of Jerusalem between June 17 and June 20, the poll surveyed 3,644 Israeli adults aged 17 and older, using a demographically weighted sample designed to accurately reflect the country’s overall population. Pollsters noted the survey carries a maximum margin of error of 2.2 percentage points at a 99 percent confidence level, lending significant statistical weight to its findings.

    The results reveal deep public dissatisfaction with the war and its negotiated outcome: 83 percent of respondents agree the campaign has eroded Israel’s long-term national security, while 86 percent hold an entirely negative view of the final deal. This widespread public sentiment aligns closely with the perspective of Israel’s top political and military leadership, many of whom frame the end of the Iran war as a pivotal shift that will diminish Israel’s strategic influence across the Middle East.

    Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed the campaign delivered significant strategic gains and eliminated a major existential threat to Israel, but three-quarters of Israelis – 72.5 percent – do not accept this assertion. The widespread skepticism has fueled growing political uncertainty around the prime minister’s hold on power. Overall, nearly 88 percent of respondents say Israel failed to achieve either of its core original war goals, or only met a small fraction of them. More than half – 56 percent – rate Netanyahu’s leadership and management of the Iran conflict as poor or an outright failure.

    Notably, the public’s negative assessment of the Iran war outcome has not translated to broad support for an Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon, a longstanding sticking point in the US-Iran negotiations. Iran has consistently maintained that no permanent ceasefire can hold as long as Israeli forces carry out airstrikes across Lebanon and maintain a forward military presence several kilometers inside southern Lebanese territory.

    The poll found that 48 percent of Israelis back the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Lebanon, which the Israeli government frames as a targeted operation against Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned Lebanese political and military organization. Even among respondents who acknowledge the campaign could spark a direct clash with US President Donald Trump, majority support for the operation holds steady among this group.

    This independent reporting is part of Middle East Eye’s ongoing coverage of conflict and politics across the Middle East and North Africa region.

  • ‘Systemic discrimination’: Veiled women in France face mounting barriers to employment

    ‘Systemic discrimination’: Veiled women in France face mounting barriers to employment

    Across professional sectors in France, a pressing question lingers: do education, professional status and institutional integration shield veiled Muslim women from rising Islamophobia? For Paris Court of Appeal lawyer Slim Ben Achour, a leading expert in equality and anti-discrimination law, the answer is a firm no. Ben Achour, who has represented dozens of Muslim women targeted for workplace discrimination over their headscarves, argues that higher education and greater public visibility actually make educated, professional veiled women more vulnerable to racist targeting.

  • Parisians cool off in canal amid ‘red alert’ heatwave

    Parisians cool off in canal amid ‘red alert’ heatwave

    As record-breaking heat continues to grip much of Western Europe, France has rolled out its highest-level heat warning across nearly half of its administrative regions, marking one of the most severe early summer heat events the nation has faced in recent years. Meteorological agencies confirm that temperatures have already climbed to unprecedented levels for this time of year, with forecasts predicting no immediate relief for affected areas in the coming days.

    For residents in the French capital Paris, where temperatures have pushed well into the mid-30s degrees Celsius and stayed high even after sunset, escaping the oppressive heat has become a daily priority. With public cooling centers operating at capacity and indoor air conditioning not universally available across the city’s older residential buildings, thousands of Parisians have flocked to the city’s urban canals to wade, swim, and lower their body temperatures. Families set up makeshift shade along the banks, young people gather in the cool canal water, and many long-term residents say this level of sustained heat is unusual for the region.

    Public health officials have urged residents to stay hydrated, check on vulnerable neighbors including elderly and unhoused populations, and avoid strenuous outdoor activity during peak heat hours between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. The red alert level triggers additional emergency response measures across affected regions, including extended hours for cooling sites and increased staffing at local hospitals to handle heat-related illnesses. Climate researchers note that extreme heat events like this are becoming more frequent and more intense across Europe as a result of global climate change, prompting governments to update their heat response plans to protect public safety.

  • Brilliant Kapp leads South Africa past India

    Brilliant Kapp leads South Africa past India

    At the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Group 1 clash hosted at Old Trafford in Manchester, all-rounder Marizanne Kapp delivered a career-defining all-round performance to hand South Africa a dramatic six-wicket victory over India, reigniting the Proteas’ chances of reaching the tournament’s semi-finals. With just five deliveries remaining in their chase, South Africa crossed the finish line of a 159-run target, capping off a stunning comeback led by Kapp’s unbeaten 45-ball knock of 81, which included seven fours and four blistering sixes. This result leaves both sides level on four points in the group standings, setting up a decisive final stretch of group stage fixtures for both nations.

    India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, playing her milestone 200th T20 International match, won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision that got off to a promising start. Opening batter Shafali Verma got the side off to a flying start, notching 31 runs off just 15 deliveries with three boundaries and one six, lifting India to 59-2 by the end of the mandatory powerplay. But the innings stalled early: both opening batters were back in the pavilion before the powerplay ended, with Smriti Mandhana bowled while attempting a risky scoop shot and Verma edging a short delivery behind to the wicketkeeper. No subsequent Indian batter was able to match Verma’s aggressive start, and despite a late 29 runs from 21 balls from Deepti Sharma, India could only post a competitive total of 158-7 from their 20 overs. Kapp was India’s undoing with the ball as well, claiming two key wickets for just 27 runs, including the scalps of Mandhana and dangerous lower-order batter Richa Ghosh, while Shabnim Ismail backed her up with 2-28 to keep India’s total in check.

    South Africa’s chase got off to a rocky start, with Indian leg-spinner Sree Charani picking up three wickets for 24 runs, including two strikes in three balls that left the Proteas reeling at 25-2 by the final over of the powerplay. It was at this precarious juncture that Kapp joined Tazmin Brits at the crease to rebuild the innings. The pair started cautiously, reaching only 59 runs by the halfway point of the chase, before gradually shifting gears and building a match-winning partnership. When Brits fell for 40 runs off 36 balls, caught in the deep off Verma, the partnership was just three runs short of a century, leaving Kapp with the majority of the chase still ahead. Minutes later, Kapp survived a major scare when Indian spinner Radha Yadav dropped a straightforward catch at long-on, a missed opportunity that would prove costly for India.

    Kapp made India pay immediately for the error, hammering two consecutive sixes over the ropes off Deepti Sharma in the penultimate over of the chase, putting the Proteas within touching distance of victory. Chloe Tyron eventually sealed the win with a edge for four off Nandni Sharma in the 19th over, securing the six-wicket win with five balls to spare. Post-match, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt heaped praise on the match-winner, calling Kapp the most impactful big-match player she has ever shared a dressing room with. “Whenever something is on the line or we’re playing in a World Cup she finds a way,” Wolvaardt said. “She said she didn’t feel great today so I hope she doesn’t feel great every game! She just has that competitive nature and it brings out the best in her.” Analysis of the match also noted that India struggled to adjust their bowling plans when Kapp moved around the crease and targeted the area behind square on the leg side, allowing her to accumulate runs at will in the back half of the innings.

    For the group standings, the result puts South Africa level with India on four points, behind unbeaten group leaders Australia who sit top with six points from two matches. South Africa still has group fixtures against Bangladesh and the Netherlands to come, while India now faces a do-or-die clash against Australia at Lord’s on 28 June, a match that will likely decide which of the two sides advances to the semi-finals from Group 1. Having suffered a 65-run thrashing at the hands of Australia in their opening group fixture, this win was a must for South Africa to retain any realistic hope of claiming one of the two Group 1 semi-final spots, and Kapp’s historic knock has kept their campaign firmly on track.

  • Lamine Yamal scores 10 minutes into his first World Cup start and gives Spain liftoff

    Lamine Yamal scores 10 minutes into his first World Cup start and gives Spain liftoff

    ATLANTA — After an underwhelming opening draw left European champions Spain under intense pressure at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal delivered exactly the statement performance the side needed, kickstarting their tournament campaign with a dominant 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Yamal, the Barcelona winger widely tipped to become soccer’s next global superstar, etched his name into World Cup history just 10 minutes into his first ever start on the sport’s biggest international stage.

    Yamal rose to the occasion after Spain was held to a shock 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their tournament opener, a result that left fans and analysts questioning La Roja’s readiness after years of underperformance at the World Cup. The teenage forward slid onto a low cross from Mikel Oyarzabal at the far post to tap home the opening goal, making him the eighth-youngest goalscorer in the 96-year history of the men’s World Cup. Before finding the back of the net, he had already carved through Saudi Arabia’s defense multiple times, announcing his threat early in the contest.

    The result comes amid months of speculation around Yamal’s fitness: a hamstring injury forced him to miss the closing weeks of his club season with Barcelona, leaving doubt over how quickly he would be ready to lead Spain’s World Cup push. He only featured as a second-half substitute against Cape Verde, but coach Luis de la Fuente opted to name him in the starting XI against Saudi Arabia — a call that paid off instantly.

    For Yamal, the moment was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. “I’ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first match as a starter is a dream,” he told reporters after the match. “I watched the last World Cup from a classroom so being able to score here with my mum and my family in the stands is a dream come true.” The crowd of predominantly Spain supporters at Atlanta’s packed stadium erupted when Yamal took the pitch for pre-game warmups, and their cheers reached a fever pitch as he celebrated his historic goal: sliding to his knees, offering a prayer, and kissing the playing turf.

    Yamal’s opening goal unlocked a flood of first-half goals for Spain, which entered the tournament as one of the pre-tournament favorites. Oyarzabal, who faced heavy criticism after failing to touch the ball in the opening 30 minutes of the Cape Verde draw, bounced back in stunning fashion: he not only set up Yamal’s opener, but netted two more goals of his own with close-range finishes in the 21st and 24th minutes, putting Spain up 3-0 before halftime.

    With the contest all but decided, de la Fuente pulled both Yamal and Oyarzabal off at the break to rest his key players for upcoming matches. Spain extended their lead four minutes into the second half, when Marc Cucurella’s shot bounced off Saudi defender Hassan Altambakti for an own goal that sealed the 4-0 rout.

    Spain entered this World Cup looking to end a disappointing decades-long drought at the tournament: since lifting the World Cup trophy in 2010, La Roja have failed to advance past the round of 16 in every edition, winning just three matches across that stretch. Sunday’s dominant win has reignited hopes that this year could be different, with Yamal emerging as the breakout star of the tournament so far, joining global superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in getting off to a flying start in this year’s competition. “The first game wasn’t really us, it was different, but now we’ve arrived and we’re going for more,” Yamal said.

  • Thousands of Czechs rally against a government plan to overhaul the funding of public broadcasters

    Thousands of Czechs rally against a government plan to overhaul the funding of public broadcasters

    PRAGUE — Tens of thousands of Czech citizens filled the streets of the capital Sunday, turning out in a show of mass opposition to a controversial policy proposal from populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s ruling coalition that critics warn would fatally undermine the independence of the country’s public broadcasting sector. The demonstration assembled directly outside the headquarters of Czech public television, building on a wave of similar protest actions that have already swept through regional capitals and Prague in recent weeks. The gathering comes 24 hours before public media employees are set to stage a nationwide warning strike to push back against the restructuring plan.

  • West Indies get past Sri Lanka to set up unbeaten T20 World Cup clash with England

    West Indies get past Sri Lanka to set up unbeaten T20 World Cup clash with England

    BRISTOL, England — The ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup is gearing up for one of its most anticipated group stage matches after the West Indies secured a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Sunday. The win keeps the Caribbean side’s perfect record intact, setting up a high-stakes showdown with fellow unbeaten team England at Lord’s this coming Wednesday.

    The game got off to a dominant start for West Indies after captain Hayley Matthews won the pre-match toss and opted to bowl first on a turn-friendly pitch ideal for spin bowlers. Matthews made the decision pay off almost immediately, claiming the wickets of both Sri Lankan openers and top-order batter Harshitha Samarawickrama in just her opening two overs. By the end of the mandatory powerplay, Sri Lanka was in deep trouble at 23 runs for the loss of four wickets, with Matthews finishing her spell with impressive figures of 3 wickets for just 15 runs. In total, six different West Indies bowlers registered wickets throughout the innings, showcasing the depth of the side’s bowling attack.

    Nilakshika Silva put up a valiant resistance for Sri Lanka, top-scoring for her team with 30 runs. But once Silva departed, the Sri Lankan lower order collapsed: the team went six consecutive overs without hitting a single boundary, and added three more wickets to the scoreboard via two run outs and a stumping. Sri Lanka was eventually bowled out all out for just 98 runs, a total that quickly looked under par even early in the West Indies chase.

    Despite the solid start with the ball, West Indies made the chase far harder than necessary, stumbling through the middle overs to put their undefeated record at risk. In the very first over of West Indies’ innings, a misfield let batter Deandra Dottin survive when she should have been run out. Captain Matthews was eventually run out for 17, and Dottin followed shortly after for 12, leaving the Caribbean side at 36 runs for 2 wickets at the end of the powerplay. By the 12th over, West Indies had slipped further to 70 runs for 5 wickets, leaving the door open for a major Sri Lankan upset.

    That upset never materialized, thanks to a steady, match-winning innings from experienced all-rounder Stafanie Taylor. Taylor remained unbeaten on 27 runs to guide the West Indies across the finish line in the 17th over, with the winning run coming after Sri Lanka spilled a catch at midwicket.

    Sri Lanka’s unforced errors ultimately cost the side any chance of an upset. Costly mistakes including wayward bowling that delivered 23 extra runs, multiple dropped catches, sloppy wicket-keeping and inaccurate in-field relays, left the team with far too many concessions. The 23 extras ended up as the second-highest individual score on the West Indies team scorecard, a statistic that underscores just how much Sri Lanka’s errors undermined their own performance.

    With the win, both West Indies and England advance to Wednesday’s clash at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground holding a perfect 3-win, 0-loss record in group play. In the final match of Sunday’s World Cup slate, South Africa and India faced off in a late game at Manchester, with the result still pending as of this update.

    Reporting by the Associated Press.