This may be the only World Cup where Palestinian flags have so noticeably outnumbered Italian ones. At the first global tournament after Oct. 7, 2023, symbols of Palestinian solidarity have been widespread despite the fact that Palestine has never competed in a World Cup.
After being adopted by teams and fans across the tournament, the Palestinian cause may have seen its last hurrah at this World Cup with yesterday’s elimination of Morocco.
The tournament that began with a record eight Arab nations, twice the previous high for any World Cup, now has none left to represent the region. The war in Gaza has woven Palestinian solidarity inextricably into many of their fanbases.
Celebrating his team’s historic Round of 32 win over Australia last Friday, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan raised a Palestinian flag as supporters chanted “Free Palestine” at Dallas Stadium.
“To our Palestinian brothers and sisters, may God protect them,” Hassan said at a post-match press conference. “This victory is for the Egyptian people, for the Palestinian people and for the Arab people.” On streets in Gaza, Palestinians mirrored Hassan’s gesture, hoisting Egyptian flags, setting off fireworks and celebrating the victory as their own.
At this World Cup, emblems of support been impossible to miss or conflate with just any other team. Supporters and players of many nations — including Jordan, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina — are among the many who have made their support for Palestine through flags and keffiyehs unmistakable. But with Morocco out, Palestine may have to find its champions beyond the Muslim and Arab worlds.
This European royal looks onto the field before his country plays in the Round of 16.
That’s Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway with Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The royal siblings attended Norway’s match against Brazil on July 5, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
A Chinook salmon, also known as king salmon. (Photo by Michael Humling/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
The intense marine heat wave conditions that began roiling the Bering Sea in about 2016 resulted in the lowest winter sea ice extent measured in 150 years, widespread bird and marine mammal die-offs, a drastic shift in fish populations and a crash of snow crab stocks.
Now new research is tying the marine heat wave to the recent collapse of Yukon River Chinook salmon.
A study published in April, written by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center and University of Alaska Fairbanks, showed the correlation between the extreme heat wave conditions and the nosedive in Yukon River Chinook stocks. The heat wave was accompanied by a dramatic increase in deaths of older juvenile and adult Chinook that, had they survived, would have returned from the ocean to freshwater spawning grounds, the study found.
The study was published in the journal Ecological Applications.
The Yukon River’s runs of Chinook, also called king salmon, have been in a long-term decline since their past heyday, when they numbered in the hundreds of thousands and the river was one of the biggest sources of that salmon species.
The sharp downturn in recent years resulted in a 2022 return that was the lowest on record. Widespread fishery closures have been in effect for years along the Yukon River system in both Alaska and Canada.
The study evaluated four general reasons for the sharp decline: poor juvenile “recruitment” into the ocean, which refers to the successful migration of surviving juvenile fish from freshwater; deaths of fish in the marine environment at the start of their migration back to freshwater; harvests that target the salmon; and bycatch, the unintentional harvest of salmon by commercial fishing vessels targeting other species, such as pollock.
Poor juvenile recruitment emerged as an important factor, which was to be expected, the study said.
Mortality of post-juvenile Yukon River Chinook salmon increased dramatically as Bering Sea temperatures did. Panel A shows the number of days characterized by marine heat wave conditions for the Northern and Southeastern Bering Sea and the annual average sea surface temperature from 2003 to 2023. Panel B shows estimates of post-juvenile natural mortality with dashed vertical red lines marking the 2016-2020 heat wave period. (Graph provided by NOAA Fisheries)
“Not surprisingly, we found evidence to suggest that impacts operating in the early life stages have likely contributed to declines in run sizes over the past two decades, which is consistent with previous research,” NOAA Fisheries researcher Lukas DeFilippo, the lead author, said in a statement.
But the information about spiking mortality among adults and older juveniles was new, the NOAA scientists said. That new trend represents “an apparent shift in the critical life history stages and processes” for Yukon River Chinook, and a potential bottleneck limiting population recovery, the study said.
Exactly how the heat wave conditions caused deaths of salmon at sea is yet to be determined, the study said. It listed several factors that could have worked in combination, including lack of suitable prey, infections by the parasite Ichthyophonus and other diseases, as well as increased energy demands brought on by warmer temperatures.
Harvests, either intentional or as bycatch, did not emerge as important factors in the recent Yukon Chinook declines, the study found.
The study contained some warnings.
Even though the marine heat wave conditions have eased, the abundance of prey that salmon need in the ocean has not returned to normal, it noted. And mortality rates in those later life stages continue to be higher than they were prior to the latest heat wave.
And the heat problems for older salmon are likely to become more common in years to come, the study said.
“Given that marine heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and severe with continued warming . . . similar rises in mortality—and concomitant limitation of productivity and recovery potential—as described here could become increasingly common in the future,” the study said.
An earlier study by NOAA Fisheries and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game tied successive heatwaves in both the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska to sharp declines in chum salmon stocks. That 2023 study also pointed to higher mortality out in the ocean.
UPDATE: Reps for Margaret Qualley just released a statement denying that there was infidelity in the marriage:
“The narratives running in the press about Margaret and Jack are categorically untrue. There are no trust issues. There was no infidelity or anything outside of respect and partnership in this relationship,” Qualley’s rep said in the statement obtained by People.
The statement continued: “They have deep love and care for one another. There are only two people in this marriage, and the sources who are talking to the press and commenting on their relationship are not people who know them. Please respect their privacy.”
Read on for our initial coverage of this unexpected split:
Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff attend the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV)
According to a new report from People, the A-list actress and in-demand music producer Jack Antonoff have separated after less than three years of marriage. ‘
Multiple sources told the outlet that the couple has been going through a difficult stretch and is currently trying to figure out what’s next.
One insider described the relationship as “rocky,” while another said the pair is still “figuring things out.”
Neither Qualley nor Antonoff has publicly commented on the report, and representatives for both stars have yet to address the split.
Instead, the Bleachers frontman — who served as producer and co-songwriter on several of Taylor’s biggest hits — was accompanied by his sister, fashion designer Rachel Antonoff.
The situation prompted fans to wonder why Margaret was absent from one of the year’s biggest celebrity events.
The speculation only intensified after eagle-eyed followers noticed that Qualley had removed nearly all photos of Antonoff from her Instagram account, leaving behind just a single blurry image from earlier this year.
Qualley and Antonoff first sparked dating rumors in the summer of 2021 after they were spotted kissing in New York City.
Less than a year later, engagement rumors exploded when the actress debuted a diamond ring at the Cannes Film Festival. She later confirmed the engagement herself on Instagram.
The couple tied the knot in August 2023 during a star-studded ceremony in New Jersey attended by celebrity friends like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Zoe Kravitz.
Throughout their relationship, both spoke openly about how deeply they cared for one another.
Antonoff previously described meeting Qualley as life-changing, saying a “cynical” part of him disappeared after they fell in love.
Earlier this year, Qualley called her husband “my person” and said he made her feel safe and truly understood.
It might be a while before either party comments on the situation publicly, but for now, at least, it sounds like these two have put an end to their love story.
Bunnie XO says no one should be surprised by her kiss with Dylan Wolf over Fourth of July weekend. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Bunnie XO says no one should be surprised by her kiss with Dylan Wolf over Fourth of July weekend. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
BRUSSELS — President Donald Trump’s interference with FIFA’s disciplinary measures ahead of the U.S.-Belgium match had unintended consequences: He fired up the Belgians.
After limping through the group stage and first knockout round, Belgium cleaned the floor with the U.S. in the round of 16, after Trump intervened to help overturn a suspension for America’s key attacker, Folarin Balogun.
The Belgian squad wasted no time in trolling Trump after the match, as a viral clip from the team dressing room showed the players jiving like the U.S. president to his favorite campaign rally anthem: Y.M.C.A. by the Village People.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a notorious soccerphobe, was then asked about Trump and the suspension saga during a key NATO military summit in Ankara.
“We didn’t speak about football,” De Wever said. “Football is, as they say, the most important of the non-important subjects, but it is still non-important, so I didn’t raise it,” he added, paraphrasing a remark widely attributed to soccer nut Pope John Paul II.
The Belgian national soccer team social media crew was blunter in its victorious post-match summary: “Overturn this,” it noted pointedly.
The Guardian and other outlets have reported that police from the UK are preparing to travel to the United States to speak with members of Virginia Giuffre’s family as they continue investigating allegations connected to the former Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York leaves the headquarters of Crossrail at Canary Wharf on March 7, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Authorities reportedly plan to meet with Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife, Amanda Roberts, during the visit.
While neither family member is considered a direct witness, investigators believe they may be able to provide valuable context about Giuffre’s allegations and the years leading up to her death.
Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her while she was being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell when she was a teenager.
Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.
In 2022, however, he reached a multimillion-dollar civil settlement with Giuffre without admitting liability or wrongdoing.
Giuffre’s family has expressed support for investigators’ efforts and hopes the inquiry demonstrates that no one is above the law.
The planned meetings are expected to be informal conversations rather than official witness interviews because the relatives were not present during the alleged events.
The trip to the U.S. is just one part of a broader investigation that has expanded significantly in recent months.
Detectives are also reviewing historical case files, seeking additional evidence from U.S. authorities, and are expected to interview former royal protection officers as they continue examining allegations tied to Andrew’s relationship with Epstein and his conduct during his years as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy.
Officials have also reportedly received information from another woman who claims she was sent to the United Kingdom by Epstein in 2010, although she has not chosen to pursue legal action publicly.
Investigators are evaluating that information as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Police have emphasized that the investigation remains active, with authorities continuing to pursue new leads both in the U.K. and abroad.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Even the country’s flag carrier, Brussels Airlines, has gotten in on the act.
In a tongue-in-cheek gesture, Brussels Airlines is flying its Trident aircraft, painted in the colors and bearing the emblems of Belgium’s national football teams, to Spanish destinations including Madrid and Barcelona ahead of Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal between Belgium and Spain.
Asked about the move, Brussels Airlines declined to elaborate, saying via email: “We did not provide any comments, as we think the joke speaks for itself :).”
The specially designed aircraft features a trident in reference to the Red Devils, Belgium’s men’s national football team, alongside flames representing the women’s team, the Red Flames.
According to Brussels Airlines, the design was intended to highlight both teams because “it’s high time that the women’s team gets as much attention as the men’s team.”
Iberia, Spain’s national airline, also has a specially designed aircraft that flew the country’s national football team across the Atlantic. Instead of tridents and flames, it features an image of Spain’s squad alongside the slogan: “A team takes off. A country flies.”
