The World Cup began with Mexico vs South Africa, and South Korea vs the Czech Republic, but it was the latter where FIFA may be feeling worried about the tournament
07:05, 12 Jun 2026Updated 07:07, 12 Jun 2026
The FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday with a sight it had desperately wanted to avoid. Noticeable patches of empty seats materialised in stadiums on the opening day of competition.
It appears the ramifications of the governing body’s contentious World Cup ticketing approach became instantly visible to a worldwide television audience. Earlier in the day, greedy FOX breached a FIFA regulation in the tournament’s opening game.
The second fixture of the tournament, South Korea versus Czechia at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, provided the starkest early indication of the issue. Vacant sections were plainly visible throughout the match, particularly in the VIP zones and sections opposite the primary camera.
It followed controversy that erupted in the very first game. It was an image that FIFA had devoted months and millions attempting to avoid.
As recently as early June, the governing body discreetly reduced prices across all 104 matches and released 70 per cent of its bulk-reserved hotel rooms in what seemed to be an eleventh-hour attempt to fill seats, reports the Mirror US.
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It proved insufficient. As of the eve of the tournament, roughly 180,000 tickets remained listed across FIFA’s official resale platforms. Around 15,000 group-stage tickets were still obtainable directly through FIFA’s website.
For the United States‘ opening fixture against Paraguay on 12 June, one of the tournament’s most eagerly awaited matches, more than 4,400 seats remained unsold through official channels. The cheapest tickets still commanding $1,120 directly from FIFA and the median resale price sitting above $800 even following a 20 per cent drop in prices over the previous month.
The roots of the crisis lie firmly with FIFA’s decision to adopt variable pricing, a model it has distinguished from “dynamic pricing” largely as a matter of semantics, for the first time at a World Cup. Prices for 90 of the 104 matches climbed by an average of 34 per cent between October 2025 and April 2026. The cheapest standard ticket to the final reached $5,785.
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The priciest seats hit $10,990 before later tripling once more. Final tickets on the resale market were at one stage listed at close to $33,000. When the United States, Canada and Mexico submitted their original hosting bid, a seat at the final was pledged at a maximum of $1,550.
The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey launched a formal investigation into the pricing practices, issuing subpoenas to FIFA. Congressional figures called for Gianni Infantino to appear before Congress. A day before the tournament got underway, Infantino defended the pricing by arguing cheaper tickets would have been resold on the black market.
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The empty seats on day one are the most damning response yet to that claim. FIFA boasted in January that its ticketing website had received more than 500 million booking requests. Yet judging by Thursday’s opening matches, demand at the prices FIFA had set was markedly lower.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Of course, Soho first comes to mind. Not just a hub for queer life, but also once a destination within the nightlife industry. Every single day of the week was jam-packed with people and excitement. Funny thing is maybe only 20-odd years ago, it wasn’t a desirable residential area. It was debauched. It was where you went to let off some steam, whether on the dancefloor, at the bar or… a number of other activities that I dare not mention here.
In a statement, the South African government commended Bafana Bafana for their “spirited performance”, adding that while the final score was not what the nation had hoped for, the team “represented South Africa with unity, determination, and a sense of pride on the world’s biggest stage”.
Hockney, who was one of the UK’s most important and influential artists, passed away peacefully in his home yesterday.
Following the announcement, there was an outpouring of grief from friends and fans alike.
However, the BBC has been criticised for making a huge mistake while reporting the artist’s death.
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During the 1 pm news bulletin, a graphic was displayed on screen which read ‘David Hockney resigns’.
The mistake was almost immediately noticed by viewers who questioned how the news organisation had allowed such a silly error to be broadcast.
‘The BBC seemed confused at lunchtime,’ wrote @trashingdays on X. ‘They put up a caption “David Hockney Resigns”.’
@Elms_1905 added: ‘Well done the #bbc apparently David Hockney has resigned from life, otherwise known as died. Who is in charge of this?’
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Meanwhile, @Beverle48452933 was the most excoriating, writing: ‘I hope they apologise (Sic) to his family. Why is the @BBCBreaking @BBC so useless??’
@Toddyspace had a theory as to why the mistake had been made, and it seems it might be Keir Starmer’s fault.
‘There must be some embarrassment at BBC 1 news this afternoon,’ they wrote. ‘BBC headline caption said ‘David Hockney resigns’…resigns from life that is…the iconic artist has died at the age of 88. Perhaps their error was down to so many government resignations these past few weeks.’
Metro has approached the BBC for comment.
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Detective Chief Inspector Mike Sharples said: “Our investigation is progressing, and we now have a suspect in custody who is being questioned by our officers.
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“We will not accept incidents like this in our communities; we take this very seriously.
“Those found responsible will be brought to justice.
(Image: NQ)
“As our enquiries continue, we urge the public to please continue to submit information, CCTV, or dashcam footage to police.
“You can do this by calling 101 quoting log 3561 of 10/06/2026 or contact us via the LiveChat function at gmp.police.uk.
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“Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
No further details have yet been released about the circumstances leading up to the incident.
The family was left in shock and without sleep following the attack.
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The family has received support from MPs, councillors, organisations and many more in the neighbourhood.
Hassan Patel, the homeowner and local Imam, said: “We, as a family, are devastated by the serious and callous arson attack that targeted our home on 10.6.2026 at 9.15pm.
(Image: NQ)
“It was still daylight at that time. This was clearly a dangerous and deliberate act that put lives at risk.
“It has caused significant damage to our house and emotional distress to our family including our children.
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“The family as a whole and I as a professional individual have always maintained peace and harmony with all communities.
“I am an active citizen of Bolton and proactively engage with people all faiths and no faith. The family is horrified as to why we were targeted.
“We are grateful that no one was seriously injured, and we wish to thank the emergency services for their swift response in bringing the incident under control.”
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain (AP) — Pope Leo XIV warned people smugglers on Friday that they will face God’s wrath for exploiting the desperation of migrants, demanding they stop and repent during his final day in this epicenter of the African migration route to Europe.
For the second day in a row in the Canary Islands, the American pope insisted on the inherent dignity and rights of migrants and demanded they be welcomed and integrated into society, in some of his strongest comments on the politically divisive issue.
“Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage,” Leo said in a message to human traffickers that he delivered during a meeting with humanitarian aid organizations that help migrants on the island of Tenerife.
Leo wrapped up his weeklong trip to Spain in the Spanish archipelago, which is closer to Africa than the Iberian Peninsula and is a key point of entry for migrants who make the perilous Atlantic crossing from West Africa.
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He is fulfilling a wish of Pope Francis to visit the islands to commemorate the thousands of lives lost at sea. He is also drawing attention to the Catholic Church’s biblically-mandated mantra to “welcome the stranger,” amid anti-migrant sentiment in Europe and the Trump administration’s mass deportation program in his native United States.
Pope Leo XIV meets a migrant at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Pope Leo XIV meets a migrant at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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During the encounter with aid groups in Tenerife, Leo implored receiving communities to integrate people fleeing war, poverty and climate change and spare them from the “silent shipwreck” of abandonment when they are left on the streets with nothing after surviving perilous crossings.
“A human conscience, and even more so a Christian conscience, cannot remain indifferent in the face of these graveyards of the sea, to the victims of shipwrecks and the lack of aid,” Leo said. “Every life lost on these routes is a failure for the human family.”
A deadly passage and a warning to traffickers
The Canary Islands have long been a stepping stone for migrants trying to reach Europe from West Africa and Morocco.
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While people smugglers and human traffickers operate the Atlantic route, there are also many self-organized boats of migrants, including many former fishermen from Senegal who were left without income due to overfishing in recent years.
Migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands peaked in 2024 at nearly 47,000. They have fallen dramatically, with over 3,000 people landing there in the first five months of 2026.
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Migrants attend a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Migrants attend a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Because of the vastness of the ocean and scarcity of rescue ships or monitoring, some experts consider the Atlantic route more deadly than the more well-known central Mediterranean smuggling route from Libya and Tunisia to Italy. Since 2020, several West African boats have been found in the Caribbean and Latin America with only dead bodies on board after drifting across the Atlantic, pushed by trade winds and currents.
Leo directed his remarks Friday to the criminal organizations and individual smugglers who organize these “death routes” to Europe. Such smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
“Stop. Repent,” Leo said in his message to traffickers, emphasizing each word in Spanish and drawing a sustained applause from the crowd. “For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice.”
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“Repent while there is still time, for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice and conversion,” he said.
With his two-day visit to the Canary Islands, Leo has confirmed himself as the heir of Francis’ migration preaching, which was a priority of Francis’ 12-year pontificate and often caused friction with U.S. and European powers.
History’s first U.S.-born pope has not only echoed Francis’ message and gestures, he has expanded and amplified them during a deeply symbolic visit. Upon arrival on Thursday, Leo threw a bouquet of flowers into the sea from a port nicknamed the “Dock of Shame” in 2020, when migrants were forced to live in squalor during a spike in their arrivals.
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Pope Leo XIV hug a child during a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Pope Leo XIV hug a child during a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Leo’s gesture mimicked the one Francis made in 2013 when he visited Lampedusa, Sicily, another flashpoint in Europe’s migration drama, and denounced the “globalization of indifference” that the world showed asylum seekers.
But in a sign Leo is making the papacy his own, the 70-year-old pope has added a new gesture to his repertoire: After a onetime migrant offered his testimony during Leo’s encounter Friday, the pope did the viral “6-7” hand gesture that’s popular with young people as he joked alongside him. That earned the pope cheers and applause from the crowd.
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Leo meets with migrants at reception center
In the Canary Islands and in remarks on the Spanish mainland, Leo reaffirmed the right of migrants to flee but also to stay home, demanding their countries of origin provide the necessary economic and security conditions. He shamed European countries that turn their back on migrants’ plights, and said Christian cannot remain indifferent.
On Friday, he noted that for the Catholic Church, the process of integrating migrants into a community can become a chance at spreading the faith, “without imposing” it and in respect of the migrants’ own beliefs.
Leo opened the final day of his trip by visiting the Las Raíces migrant camp. Leo drew a round of applause when he went off-script to tell migrants that he would speak in French and English, the language spoken by many of the people living in the camp.
One woman told him of the desperation that drove her to leave her homeland and family, the trauma of the crossings, and her gratitude at finding safety and a new life.
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“We aren’t asking for privileges. We aren’t asking for compassion. We just want respect, humanity and the chance to live with dignity,” said the woman, identified as Bousso Diouf.
Next month, on July 4, the American pope will spend U.S. Independence Day on the island of Lampedusa, where Francis in 2013 first denounced the “globalization of indifference” the world shows migrants.
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Pope Leo XIV attends a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Pope Leo XIV attends a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Mercedes driver George Russell set the pace from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in first practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Russell was 0.203 seconds quicker than Piastri, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The session was marked by six junior drivers replacing the regulars as part of the mandatory requirement for teams to use at least two practice sessions a year for up and coming drivers.
McLaren’s Leonardo Fornaroli was the fastest, in fifth place, ahead of Estonian Paul Aron in an Audi, on loan from his regular role as Alpine reserve driver.
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Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson was seventh, separated from team-mate Arvid Lindblad by Dino Beganovic, driving Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari.
Louise Cameron, a mum from Billingham, has been convicted of murdering her eight-year-old autistic son Rhys after spiking his blackcurrant juice with methadone and giving him morphine. She left a chilling note saying she was “not dying without him”.
Laura Hill and Esther Halligan
13:32, 12 Jun 2026
A mother from Billingham has been found guilty of murdering her young son. Louise Cameron administered morphine to eight-year-old Rhys and laced his blackcurrant juice with methadone.
Cameron left a note for her family, over the weekend of September 13 and 14 , stating she was “not dying without him”. Teesside Crown Court was told that Cameron’s sister grew worried after failing to reach her that weekend, prompting her to visit the house on Monday, September 15, ahead of a planned call from Cameron’s social worker.
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Upon arrival, she discovered her sister lying in bed alongside Rhys, who was already dead. The jury heard that Cameron appeared “out of it” and may have attempted to take a fatal overdose herself.
A family member told police that Cameron had been under considerable strain during a pub meal the previous Friday, when Rhys, who was autistic, “had a meltdown”. The relative revealed that Cameron had hoped to speak with her social worker during a visit that week, but claimed the professional had “left early” when Rhys was crying “because the television wasn’t working”.
At the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, Cameron reportedly told staff: “I’ve just murdered Rhys. I didn’t want to have to stab him or drown him or hurt him.”, reports Teesside Live.
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The jury took less than an hour on Thursday morning to reach their verdict. Judge Heather Williams confirmed that Cameron will be sentenced on Thursday, September 18.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s last Trooping the Colour in 2019 saw the couple share what appeared to be an awkward exchange on the Buckingham Palace balcony
Harry and Meghan attend the Trooping of the Colour in 2019
The annual Trooping the Colour is due to get underway on Saturday, with members of the Royal Family and royal enthusiasts descending on the Mall to mark King Charles‘ birthday. Following the Horse Guards Parade and during the RAF flypast, the senior members of the Firm will gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony, which has famously served as the backdrop for numerous iconic moments.
From Prince William being reprimanded by the late Queen, to Prince Louis upstaging everyone with his mischievous behaviour, the balcony appearance is frequently the most eagerly awaited part of the day for fans to catch a glimpse of their favourite royals.
One particular instance dates back to the 2019 Trooping the Colour, which marked the last occasion Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the annual ceremony.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were accompanied on the balcony by numerous royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth, the then Prince Charles and Camilla, along with William, Kate and their three children amongst others.
As all the royals waved at devoted supporters lining the Mall and took in the RAF flypast, sharp-eyed observers believed they caught an uncomfortable moment between Harry and Meghan, creating a somewhat strained atmosphere on the balcony.
Footage circulated of the incident on X showed Harry glancing inside the room adjacent to the balcony before uttering a few words to someone beyond the camera’s view. Meghan turns her head slightly and mouths something, then faces her husband.
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The couple exchange a few words and Meghan faces forward. She then turns back once more towards Harry – and it’s at this moment it appears he tells her to “turn around” – which she promptly does. Harry maintains his serious expression while Meghan awkwardly attempts to compose herself before the camera, which prompted fans to wonder if they may have exchanged heated words.
Yet when the video is played with full audio, the context becomes apparent and reveals there was more happening during the uncomfortable moment than initially thought.
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With the sound enabled, the footage demonstrates the moment took place just a second or so before the National Anthem begins playing, suggesting there’s a strong possibility that Harry was simply alerting Meghan that the music was about to commence so she wouldn’t be caught facing the wrong direction.
Rather than standing uncomfortably after a presumed tense conversation, they are in fact simply listening to the opening part of God Save the Queen.
While the majority of senior working royals are anticipated to feature on the Palace balcony on Saturday for King Charles’ birthday celebrations, it’s hardly surprising that Harry and Meghan will not be in attendance. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended just two Trooping the Colour ceremonies before stepping back from royal duties in 2020, appearing in 2018 and 2019.
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At the time of the 2018 procession, Meghan and Harry had recently married at their stunning Windsor Castle wedding ceremony. When they emerged for the Trooping in 2019, their firstborn Archie had arrived only the month prior.
The yearly tradition of Trooping the Colour has served as the official birthday celebration of the reigning monarch for over 260 years. The ceremony features hundreds of horses and servicemen executing intricate battlefield drill movements to military music. More than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians unite for the spectacular showcase.
Throughout the parade, members of the Royal Family travel from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade in a grand procession – either mounted on horseback or riding in carriages. At Horse Guards, they observe the military spectacle before rejoining the procession returning to Buckingham Palace when it concludes.
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Following the parade, the royals assemble on the Palace balcony for a march-past and the RAF fly-past, featuring the Red Arrows, which brings the day’s festivities to a close.
There are “severe delays” on the M11 following two crashes on Friday. The M11 is being held in both directions between Junction 10 at Royston and Junction nine at Newmarket due to a serious crash involving three vehicles.
Cambridgeshire Police are at the scene of a crash near to the A505 at Duxford. The force has warned that the southbound carriageway will be closed for some time and for motorists to “avoid the area”.
Traffic was also stopped on the M11 south between Junction nine at Newmarket and Junction eight at Stansted Airport following a multi-vehicle crash. National Highways confirmed Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene.
Also joining were Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, who has written for Beyoncé, Rihanna and Katy Perry; Walter Afanasieff, known for his work with Mariah Carey; Terry Britten, whose songs include Tina Turner’s We Don’t Need Another Hero; and Graham Lyle, who was behind Turner’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?
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