A commentator working at the World Cup was fired after he made a forbidden reference

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A former World Cup commentator lost his job mid-match after uttering a forbidden name. Commentator Alper Bakircigil was suddenly fired at half-time during Morocco’s clash against Canada at World Cup 2022 after seemingly upsetting his bosses.

Turkish caller Bakircigil was overseeing the group-stage fixture at the last World Cup when Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring early on. And that encouraged Bakircigil to compare the strike with the all-time fastest World Cup strike converted by Hakan Sukur.

However, the comment didn’t go down well with state broadcaster TRT, whom he was working for when he made the remark. As a result, Bakircigil was informed of his sacking midway through Morocco’s 2-1 victory and sent packing that same day, leaving the public to draw the natural conclusion on those two incidents being linked.

The commentator’s social media accounts were subsequently taken down, though he was quoted in one post at the time setting out his account of events. It read: “I was cut off from the TRT institution, where I worked proudly for many years, after the event that took place today. Separation is included in love. Hope to see you again. Goodbye.”

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Sukur, 54, still holds the record for the fastest goal in World Cup history, having netted after just 11 seconds against co-hosts South Korea at the 2002 tournament. The Galatasaray legend also remains his nation’s all-time leading scorer with 51 international goals and was once regarded as a modern icon.

Yet the mere mention of his name has become a cause for unease in Turkey. That’s after the former politician’s alleged involvement in the failed 2016 coup attempt to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Sukur fled to the United States in 2015 and was subsequently charged with membership of the Gulen (or Hizmet) movement, which has been designated a terrorist organisation. The once-beloved football icon has worked as an Uber driver during his time in America, while also reportedly establishing a football school for boys.

After seven-and-a-half years living in California, Sukur announced in April 2023 that he and his family had been granted their green cards. This gives them the right to live and work in the country indefinitely, provided they abide by immigration laws.

The former Blackburn striker has also previously claimed that all of his assets and property in Turkey were seized by the government. He has consistently protested his innocence, previously telling German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag: “I have nothing left.

“[Turkey president Recep Tayyip] Erdogan took everything. My right to freedom, my right to freedom of speech and my right to work. I never did anything illegal. I am not a traitor or a terrorist.”

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Despite his defiance, Sukur’s name remains a divisive one in Turkey. Once celebrated as the standout star of his era, the five-time Turkish Footballer of the Year is now regarded as something of a forbidden topic in public discourse, particularly on state television.

The World Cup, meanwhile, is building towards its dramatic conclusion, with the final set to take place this Sunday at 8pm UK time.

The desperate final moments of Top Gun: Maverick James Handy before he was allegedly stabbed to death by his girlfriend’s son have been revealed in a coroner’s report.

Handy, 81, was stabbed in the torso and also suffered ‘neck compression’ when Michael Gledhill, 44, allegedly attacked him outside a Tarzana, Los Angeles home on June 3 at around 9.20am.

Per a Medical Examiner’s report obtained by The Daily Mail, Handy and Gledhill got into a verbal altercation outside the front porch of his girlfriend’s home, before Gledhill allegedly mounted Handy and dragged him to the side of the house.

Gledhill allegedly went back inside the home to retrieve what ‘appeared to be a knife’ before returning to Handy and stabbing him to death, per the report. 

It was alleged that while Handy lay dying on the ground with a stab wound to the torso, Gledhill called 911 and said, ‘I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.’

Authorities said Gledhill was arrested after telling police he was the person they were looking for. Handy was taken to hospital but pronounced dead at 10.48am.

This image made from video provided by KABC shows the scene at a home where authorities were investigating the fatal stabbing of Handy 

According to the Medical Examiner Investigator’s report ‘paramedics responded to the scene, initiated life-saving efforts, and transported [Handy] to the hospital, where, despite these efforts, death was pronounced.’

Handy suffered multiple traumatic injuries in the attack, including multiple rib fractures. 

Security footage from a house next door obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles showed Gledhill ambling down the sidewalk, as bloody clothes lay nearby.

A motive for the attack remains unclear, but neighbors claimed Michael and Handy had been arguing overnight. 

The Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman charged Gledhill with one count of murder with a special allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon, a knife.

Gledhill appeared before Judge Maria Cavalluzzi on Tuesday at the LA County Mental Health Court in Hollywood for a hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes.

Standing 6-foot-6-inches and wearing a bright yellow LA County jail garb, Gledhill walked into the courtroom and muttered under his breath as he was ordered by deputies to stand behind Deputy Public Defender Robert Krauss.

Krauss noted that Geldhill’s father and stepmother were also in the courtroom audience but Gledhill did not make eye contact with his parents.

The judge ordered Gledhill to be committed to the California Department of State Hospitals until his mental competence is restored.

State Hospitals officials will determine which facility he will be housed and treated, which will start by August 11. In the meantime, Gledhill will remain at LA County’s notorious Twin Towers before he is transferred.

Judge Cavalluzzi ordered for an involuntary medical order to remain effect and his maximum commitment date will extend to July 14, 2028.

As the brief hearing was ending, a frustrated Gledhill spoke to the judge and said, ‘I have an ongoing case. That is not my name. I have another court case.’

Judge Cavalluzi looked at the lanky Gledhill and responded, ‘It’s Ok Mr. Gledhill. We’re going to see you when you come back.’

Handy, 81, was stabbed in the torso and also suffered ‘neck compression’ when Michael Gledhill, 44, allegedly attacked him outside a Tarzana, Los Angeles home on June 3 around 9.20am – Handy seen in Top Gun: Maverick

Suspect Gledhill (pictured in 2000) was a top volleyball player at Taft high

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Gledhill was handcuffed and taken into police custody hours after he allegedly killed the beloved actor

After the hearing, a Daily Mail reporter tried to speak to Gledhill’s father and stepmother, but they refused and quickly walked out of the Hollywood courthouse

Handy had been dating his girlfriend and Gledhill’s mother Wendy for 31 years. 

Javier Trincado, Gledhill’s lawyer, said last month his client is ‘unable to assist’ in his defense and told the judge that the sheriff’s department did not bring Gledhill to the courtroom, but did not provide a reason.

Superior Court Judge John H. Reid had ordered that Gledhill be sent to mental health court and undergo psychological evaluations. 

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said Handy deserved to enjoy his later years with his loved ones and that the person who took his life should be held accountable.

‘This is not how anyone’s life should end, stabbed in the chest and left dying in the front yard of a home,’ he said in a statement.

Handy was a character actor in films and on TV for decades, including appearances in a variety of television crime procedurals.

Seen left as Charles Ross on CSI: NY with AJ Buckley, right 

Actor Brian Delate knew Handy for more than four decades after meeting him at a Vietnam veterans theater company in New York. Delate described him as someone with a great sense of humor who was always curious.

Delate told The Associated Press that a few times over the past couple of years, Handy mentioned in passing that his girlfriend’s son had mental health problems.

‘I didn’t think much of it, because he just kind of mentioned it casually,’ he said.

Handy’s girlfriend had fixed up the garage so her son could live there, Delate said. Handy had his own home.

Bail was set at $2 million for Gledhill, according to authorities. If convicted, Gledhill faces up to 26 years to life in prison, according to the district attorney’s office.

Born in New York, Handy appeared in films and TV shows for decades.

He was known for his role as an exterminator in the 1995 film ‘Jumanji’ and more recently as the bartender Jimmy in the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick, according to IMDB. 

He’s also appeared in some of the top TV crime dramas, including ‘NCIS: Los Angeles,’ ‘The Closer’ and ‘Cold Case.’

He was the doctor who treated Hugh Jackman’s character in 2017 movie Logan, played Milton Briggs in Arachnophobia, and had roles in The Rocketeer, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Verdict and K-9.

He has appeared in dozens of TV shows too, according to his IMDB page.

Sir Keir Starmer has become the first serving UK prime minister to be awarded France’s top honour, the Legion d’honneur.

He received the award at the end of a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing – the group of countries Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron helped set up to help Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of 2022.

In his tribute, Macron praised Sir Keir’s “decency” and expressed his gratitude for the “commitments for obviously your country, but the security of Europe, Ukraine, the bilateral relationship”.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was among those to pay tribute to the outgoing prime minister who is due to leave his post next week.

Presenting Sir Keir with the award, Macron said: “I wanted to reiterate my gratitude and the gratitude of the French people, obviously for your years as prime minister.

“I have to say, all the human qualities that we learn to appreciate, all those remain very important to all of us. We found with you a very reliable and friendly partner.”

In addition to Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also thanked Sir Keir at the event in the French presidential palace.

Every year, about 2,000 French people and 200 foreign nationals are awarded the Order of the Legion of Honour in recognition of “outstanding merits”.

Sir Winston Churchill is among those honoured – having received the highest rank of the order known as Grand Croix (Grand Cross), which is given to those who have continued to render “outstanding merit” over a period of time.

However, the award has been controversial since being established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

Apart from the likes of Nelson Mandela and former US President Dwight Eisenhower, and indeed, Zelensky himself, the honour has also gone to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi – and earlier to Benito Mussolini of wartime Italy and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

So far, only one foreign leader has been stripped of the honour, former Panamian President Manuel Norriega.

Under Macron, Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has also seen the decoration withdrawn after a series of accusations of sexual harassment and rape.

Global Vision International (GVI), based in Exeter, offered charitable travel programmes across the globe for 28 years, providing placements in conservation, education, and community development in countries such as Costa Rica and Fiji.

The company announced its closure at the start of July, leaving customers unable to travel.

Many of those affected are gap year students and recent graduates who had paid for placements intended to boost their education and career prospects.

UK travel company GVI enters liquidation

GVI offered programmes including nature and conservation trips, including locations such as Costa Rica, Fiji and more.

It was part of the “voluntourism” sector, combining voluntary work with adventure travel, and was popular with school leavers and gap year students.

The news of GVI entering liquidation was revealed suddenly.

Andrew Valentine, chief executive of GVI, issued a statement on its website, saying: “For nearly three decades, GVI has been far more than just an organisation.

“It has been a global family with a shared vision.

“It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I write to share that GVI is today closing its doors.

“This is a deeply sad conclusion to a remarkable journey, but as we navigate this final chapter, we look back with immense pride and gratitude for everything we achieved together.”

The statement continues: “Over the last 28 years, we successfully supported critical wildlife and marine conservation projects to safeguard endangered ecosystems, partnered with local communities through collaborative education and sustainable livelihood initiatives, and welcomed an incredible network of alumni who continue to advocate for our planet.

“GVI may be coming to an end, but the impact we have built together on the ground is too important to let go.

“Because of this, our hope is that the conservation and community initiatives continue.

“While the journey will look different in the future, our personal dedication to supporting our on-the-ground partners remains unchanged, and it is my sincere wish that our global community will continue to carry that flame forward.”

Mr Valentine also expressed regret for the impact on participants and assured that GVI staff would support those on placement.

All participants have been told that programmes are cancelled, and they should expect formal instructions about how to lodge claims with liquidators.

GVI offered trips to various places such as Costa Rica (pictured), FIji, and more (Image: Getty Images)

Students left out of pocket after UK travel company GVI closes

Amy Taylor, 21, from Manchester, had paid £4,000 for a conservation internship in South Africa.

“I was so happy within myself when I got accepted,” she told BBC Newsbeat.

“I was just so excited about the future that I might have.

“There’s essentially absolutely nothing I can do about it.”

Ms Taylor, who is studying wildlife conservation and zoo biology, said the experience was meant to help her stand out to employers and launch her career after graduation.

She said that she is relying on her bank to reclaim her money as her travel insurance was booked through GVI.

Amy said: “If I don’t get the money back, I can’t go anywhere else and I don’t really trust anyone at the moment to be able to go anywhere else.

“It didn’t seem like they were struggling – everything looked professional.”

Another customer, Anna, said she was set to fly to Cambodia in July with GVI for a four-week research fellowship.

The university student from Cheshire says her trip cost more than £2,500, and that she has so far only been able to claim back part of her flight.

Another student, Linus Rowland-Bell, 23, from Liverpool, paid £2,258 for a placement in the Amazon rainforest in Peru after discovering GVI at a university careers fair.

He said: “To save up that money I worked two days a week alongside my studies.”

Mr Rowland-Bell reported concerns after repeated delays and contradictory communication from the company.

He eventually received an email from the Peru centre on June 28 saying it could not accept new participants because GVI had not paid it for six months.

Two days later, customers were notified of GVI’s liquidation.

He said: “The thought of all that money, all that time that I’ve saved up, that excitement completely vanishing into the ether, it was terrifying.”

Mr Rowland-Bell managed to reclaim the full amount through his bank.

Newsquest has approached RG Insolvency, who are overseeing GVI’s liquidation, for comment.

Other UK travel companies that have closed in 2026

The closure of GVI follows several UK-based travel companies that have shut down so far this year.

Nine other UK travel companies which have ceased trading in 2026:

Recommended reading:

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation this year:

• Ascend Airways (liquidation)
• EcoJet Airlines (liquidation)
• Zenith Aviation Limited (administration)
• European Cargo (administration)

Have any of the above travel company closures affected you this year? Let us know in the comments.

Last night, far from the thunder of this escalation, its parliament quietly introduced a new bill to manage the strait called the Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

That news was posted on X by Ebrahim Azizi, head of the assembly’s national security commission, who told us in April that controlling the waterway was Iran’s “inalienable right”.

When asked when Iran would cede control, his reply was short and sharp – “never.”

He described it as an “asset to face the enemy”.

Iran’s zero trust in the US’ promises, fuelled by the repeated eruptions of war or threats during negotiations, have cemented its resolve.

Control over the strait is seen not just as a bargaining chip in this impasse, it also sees it as its new leverage, a new form of deterrence, as well as an economic lifeline – in case sanctions never get lifted, and its assets worldwide remain frozen.

But Tehran’s determination to rewrite the rules in the region is also causing tension with its neighbours including Qatar, one of the main mediators in this crisis, as well as Iran’s longstanding traditional ally Oman, which has played a role for decades behind the scenes.

Countries like the United Arab Emirates have made it crystal clear that Iran’s plans to play a controlling role, including charging some form of “service fees” is unacceptable and sets a dangerous precedent.

A source informed on the back and forth said Oman had objected to Iran’s inclusion of a specific mention in the agreement in that same contested fifth point – that Iran “will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services”.

Muscat now finds itself caught between the wishes of Washington, and Tehran wants to maintain, above all else, its longstanding reputation as the region’s discreet diplomatic middleman.

“Oman has been very patient with the Iranians trying to keep good neighbourly relations,” Omani analyst, Professor Abdullah Baabood, told the BBC’s Newshour programme.

“This particular episode has driven Oman to take quite a substantial stand…but we want this conflict to be resolved through dialogue.”

Some observers still see a small possibility of an eventual compromise.