To quote Rio Ferdinand, “Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or!”.

Although Ferdinand’s most infamously unilluminating piece of punditry was actually about Vinicius Junior, who didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, as Rodri instead did.

Two years and one cruciate ligament injury later, Rodri’s return to the level that made him the Ballon d’Or winner with a difference could be crowned with a new status: World Cup-winning captain. If not him, it will, once again, be Lionel Messi.

And if the Spaniard will have part of the responsibility for shutting down the Argentine, their duel in New York can seem part of a wider clash of philosophies. In the United States, with its culture of individualism, this World Cup has seemed about individuals: Messi, Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, even Vinicius. The battle for the Golden Boot has been dominated by football’s rich and famous.

Then there is Rodri, whose tournament has produced no goals and no assists, whose role is altogether more unglamorous, but who is serving as the reminder it is actually a team game. So far, Spain have been the best team and Rodri has been their most influential player.

That more indirect impact is reflected in other ways. Rodri has made the most passes in this World Cup. So, in Spain’s victorious campaign of 2010, did Xavi. The former Barcelona player completed 93 per cent of his passes then, just as the current Manchester City man has done now.

The more direct comparison is with Sergio Busquets, the midfield fulcrum from 16 years ago. Indeed, when Busquets and Rodri played together in the 2022 World Cup, it was with the younger man at centre-back; on a day when Spanish possession football felt at its most pointless, he attempted 223 passes in their last-16 exit to Morocco. But when Busquets’ international career ended, Rodri could then anchor the midfield.

And arguably the inheritor of Xavi’s mantle was Pedri, the Catalan passer who has lost his place to Fabian Ruiz. But if this Spain side, while sharing a similar ethos, as not quite as possession obsessed as the class of 2010, the first part of the defensive midfielder’s job title is instructive.

Spain have been much the best defensive side, conceding only one goal, to Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere. That Unai Simon has only made 14 saves, an average of two per game, is an indication of how well he has been protected. An expected goals against figure of just 0.3 per 90 minutes is remarkable: still more so that, against France’s feared attack, Spain replicated their mean tournament display, conceding two shots on target and allowing 0.3 xG.

Rodri kept Michael Olise quiet then, which in turn limited the supply to Mbappe. And if the nature of the job means he cannot do it alone, a towering presence can operate at the heart of a unit that works, either by keeping the ball or by denying opponents chances. One way or another, they exerted control. Rodri, with his authority, can be the king of control.

The Rodri formula may be working again. When City won the Champions League in 2023 they conceded three goals in seven knockout games. When Spain, given a fearsomely tough route, won Euro 2024, it was by conceding just four times in seven matches.

Rodri got the ultimate glory in 2023, scoring City’s Champions League final goal. He did not as much in 2024, forced off at half-time in the final, replaced by Martin Zubimendi. That was a sign of Spain’s strength in depth; another is that Zubimendi is yet to play a minute in this World Cup. Rodri has played all bar three.

Nico Williams came on for him for the closing stages of the draw with Cape Verde. That represented a false start to Spain’s World Cup. Rodri was criticised. So it is worth revisiting manager Luis de la Fuente’s words then. “Rodri is the best player in the world,” he said. “Even at 50 per cent, he is better than most other midfielders in the world. He brings clarity, vision, balance. Rodri is an inspiration for us.”

They ring truer now, even if it is safe to say Rodri has been operating at rather more than half of his capabilities in Spain’s subsequent six matches. There are times in the last 14 months, however, when he has been nearer 50 per cent of the player he was, when the thought has occurred that he would never be the same again after a knee injury of such severity.

There have been glimpses of his best: when City beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool in the FA Cup and Chelsea in the Premier League in three consecutive games in March and April, he was terrific. Yet City only saw that Rodri fitfully during the season.

Spain have seen it more consistently in the World Cup. Given Fifa’s fondness for more eye-catching contributions, perhaps it is unsurprising he has only won one man-of-the-match award, for the last-16 win over Portugal. And yet if he can keep Messi quiet and Spain can overcome Argentina, he may be the real player of the tournament.

Jihadi militants and a separatist group ambushed a Malian army convoy in the country’s hard-hit north on Saturday, resulting in the killing or capture of scores of soldiers, the rebels said.

The Malian army confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that armed groups ambushed the convoy of Malian soldiers and their partners in a remote part of the northern Gao region. It did not give further details, only saying that “a counterattack is underway.”

Both the regional al-Qaida affiliate JNIM and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, separately claimed responsibility for the attack as a joint operation in statements that spoke about “great human losses” and “serious material damage” on the side of the Malian army.

The groups said the convoy was made up of both the Malian army and Russia’s Africa Corps, whose forces have been supporting Mali’s military on the ground.

It is the latest such partnership between the two groups that observers say poses great risks to Mali’s stability and its ruling junta.

“There were many soldiers killed, others captured alive. Army cars including armored cars were destroyed and others seized in good condition,” said FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane.

The military convoy was leaving the northern town of Anefis and headed to Gao city when it was ambushed in the Sahara desert. The nature of the convoy wasn’t immediately clear, although fuel tankers could be seen as part of it, suggesting it could be a Malian logistics convoy.

The rebels shared videos purportedly showing the soldiers lined up as they appear to be surrendering while surrounded by the militants and Malian military vehicles. In one of the videos, the rebels were seen opening fire on some soldiers lying on the ground. The soldiers were also seen being transported in vehicles belonging to the armed groups.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the videos.

It is the latest in a series of militant attacks against Malian security forces in recent months as armed groups compete for influence and territories in the Sahel region. Landlocked Mali is part of the Sahel, a vast strip of land south of the Sahara Desert that has become the epicenter of extremist violence in recent years.

In northern Mali, Tuareg-led separatist groups have been fighting for years to create an independent state named Azawad. In 2024, they merged into the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA.

Both the FLA and the JNIM have increasingly worked together in their attacks against Malian forces, including the largest coordinated attack in over a decade in the West African nation, which took place in April.

Wales were beaten 43-0 by South Africa, but Tandy says he’s getting close to finding out his best side

Wales head coach Steve Tandy says he’s getting closer to finding his best side after legends Sam Warburton and Dan Biggar both questioned if that’s the case.

Tandy’s side ended their summer campaign with a heavy defeat to the back-to-back world champion Springboks in Durban, shipping seven tries and being kept off the scoreboard. It was a brutal end to a gruelling summer, with Tandy having made six changes for the match.

Part of that was down to the travel demands on Wales, having gone from Cardiff to San Juan to Durban in the space of two weeks.

But it’s also an indication that Tandy still isn’t sure on his best side.

When asked afterwards whether he knows what his best XV is, the Wales coach said he was getting closer after a year in the job.

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“I think it’s getting closer,” he said after the 43-0 defeat in Durban. “We’ve got young men as well, in particular a lot of the backline, so we’re finding out lots.

“I thought we’ve had real positives with Eddie (James) and Joe (Hawkins) through the Six Nations. It’s a good opportunity for Ben (Thomas) and Max (Llewellyn), unfortunately Max was injured (and was replaced at half-time).

“We’re finding out. Ellis Mee has come through. Dan (Edwards) has had more test matches, Sam Costelow has come back.

So I think look I’m getting clearer but also there’s a balancing act of getting cohesion and also giving some boys opportunity to as we go.”

Both Biggar and Warburton were not so certain that Wales’ best side is obvious when speaking on ITV as pundits.

“This is Steve Tandy’s 13th game in charge of Wales,” said former fly-half Biggar. “I’m not sure that, if there was a World Cup quarter-final tomorrow, how much of his starting team does he know?

“Probably four or five positions. That’s the big thing.

“There’s only nine or 10 competitive games left, so they’re going to have to settle on something quickly and find something quickly. It’s a bit of a concern that they’re swapping so much.”

You could be going to bed richer beyond your wildest dreams on Saturday evening. The National Lottery Lotto and Thunderball draws take place tonight, each rewarding the lucky winner with life-changing sums of money.

Tonight’s Lotto jackpot is £9.5 million, meanwhile, the top prize in Thunderball is a cool £500,000. If you pick the five main numbers plus the Thunderball, you will take home the jackpot.

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The Pumas will be eager to make it a memorable double for Argentina this evening having bounced back from their opening weekend loss to Scotland by easing past Wales, though England should have some renewed confidence after running in 11 tries – including a hat-trick for Henry Pollock – during a 73-8 demolition of Fiji. That resounding victory in Liverpool snapped a damaging five-game losing streak that had seen the pressure mount considerably on Borthwick, with a historically bad Six Nations campaign followed by a thrashing in South Africa.

Beth Chadwick, 32, from Pocklington, who is just five months postpartum with her second child, was named Community Builder of the Year at the Creator Craft Awards.

The awards ceremony took place during CreatorFest in London earlier this week.

Ms Chadwick, known online as MoveFit Mama, won for her positive online platform supporting mums through dance fitness, body positivity and honest conversations about motherhood.

Her following has soared from 1,000 to more than 1.4 million in just six months.

The award recognises creators who foster genuine, supportive communities that improve lives beyond growing large audiences.

Ms Chadwick said: “Winning Community Builder of the Year is incredibly special because this award belongs to every single mum who has become part of our community.

The awards ceremony took place during CreatorFest in London (Image: MoveFit Mama)

“Over the past six months we’ve grown from a small group of around 1,000 people into a global community of more than 1.4 million.

“Every day I see mums from different countries encouraging each other, cheering each other on and reminding one another that movement doesn’t have to be about changing your body – it can simply be about feeling good.”

Her upbeat, accessible dance workouts have helped mums rediscover joy in movement without pressure or unrealistic goals.

She also shares free routines on YouTube, and her walkpad dance videos have reached millions worldwide.

Despite her growing audience, she continues to film and share content from her home in Pocklington.

Ms Chadwick added: “My goal has always been to help women find joy in movement again, and I’m so proud that we’ve created a safe, supportive space where mums genuinely lift each other up.”

The award marks a significant milestone in her journey and showcases the growing influence of Yorkshire creators on the global digital stage.

Kevin Hilton has joined York-based Ware & Kay Financial Services (WKFS), bringing expertise in pensions, investments, protection, and estate planning.

He will be based at the firm’s York office and will also meet clients in Malton and Wetherby.

Mr Hilton said: “I’m delighted to be joining Ware & Kay Financial Services and to be working alongside a team that shares my commitment to providing independent, client-focused financial advice.

“Having known and worked with Owen previously, it feels like a natural move, and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with familiar faces as well as meeting new clients.

Owen Thomas, director and chartered financial planner, added: “We are pleased to welcome Kevin to Ware & Kay Financial Services.

“Having worked with Kevin previously, I know first-hand the depth of experience and professionalism he brings to our team.”

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 18:32 BST, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 19:18 BST, 18 July 2026

Two US servicemembers have been killed in Jordan after their military base was struck by an Iranian attack, US Central Command announced. 

The attack, which came overnight Friday, saw Iran fire ballistic missiles and drones at a US military base, with at least one servicemember also missing in action. 

Four other American soldiers were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals in the attack, who have since been discharged, CENTCOM said in an X post.

‘Out of respect for the families, CENTCOM will withhold additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified,’ the agency said. 

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The deaths were the 15th and 16th among US servicemembers since the war with Iran began in February, with over 430 others wounded. 

The attacks from Iran came amid a fresh blitz across the Middle East in recent days, after negotiations with the Trump administration broke down and a ceasefire ended. 

Friday marked the seventh straight night of strikes launched by the US against Iran, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards retaliating with tit-for-tat attacks at US targets in Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Syria. 

Shortly before Friday’s attack on Jordan, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that the US strikes on Iran would lead to ‘unforgettable lessons’ for the US, accusing President Trump of ‘seeking to escalate the conflict.’

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Two US servicemembers have been killed in Jordan after their military base was struck by an Iranian attack on July 17. Pictured: A US strike from an American Navy cruiser launched on Friday 

Shortly before Friday’s attack on Jordan, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that the US strikes on Iran would lead to ‘unforgettable lessons’ for the US, accusing President Trump of ‘seeking to escalate the conflict’ 

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in February, issued the chilling threat through a spokesperson on state TV. 

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The Iranian leader said Trump’s signature is now ‘worthless and invalid’, after a tentative ceasefire agreement reached in April – and formally agreed upon last month – dramatically fell apart in recent days.

The remarks came hours after a negotiator said Tehran was suspending all of its commitments that were previously agreed upon with the US in June.

Khamenei also vowed to use Iran’s proxies in the Middle East, which he dubbed the ‘Axis of Resistance’, to combat Trump’s attacks.

The Supreme Leader’s remarks were read by a spokesman on Iranian state TV as Khamenei has still not been seen in public since the war began, with reports indicating he was severely injured in the strikes that killed his father. 

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Continuous strikes this week have seen the US and Iran exchange attacks on infrastructure and military targets. 

The attacks have intensified the conflict’s focus on the Strait of Hormuz, an essential waterway bordering Iran that previously carried over a fifth of the world’s crude oil. 

The struggle over the Strait has seen energy prices skyrocket worldwide, with the fresh round of strikes now threatening civilian infrastructure in Iran including desalination plants for drinking water. 

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said President Trump’s signature is now ‘worthless and invalid’, after a tentative ceasefire agreement reached in April – and formally agreed upon last month – dramatically fell apart in recent days

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The U.S. Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes hit ‘surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.’

The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal that was signed about a month ago and now Iran is ‘no longer implementing them,’ Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.

There was no new word on mediation efforts.

Three weeks after Venezuela was struck by twin earthquakes on June 24, the scale of the devastation is still growing. The death toll is approaching 5,000 people, with 18,000 homeless and 21,000 more in shelters.

The worst-hit state is La Guaira on the Caribbean coast – an area that had already been the site of one of Venezuela’s worst natural disasters. In December 1999, the state, then called Vargas, saw several days of torrential rain which flushed mud and rock down the slopes of the Ávila mountains.

Hillside houses were swept away, entire neighbourhoods were buried under landslides, and buildings collapsed near the shore. Tens of thousands of people were thought to have perished, though the precise number is still unknown.

As I recounted in my 2003 book, Venezuela: The Crossroads of Hugo Chávez, the armed forces were central to that disaster response. As part of Plan Bolívar 2000, a programme that deployed around 70,000 troops across Venezuela for civic tasks such as infrastructure and road building, the military was sent to Vargas in large numbers. Soldiers pulled many survivors from the mud and rubble in the first days.

But as the relief effort dragged on, it soured into a dispute over who was in charge. In one incident, the then-governor of Vargas, Alfredo Laya, ordered a unit of paratroopers to deliver food and water to stranded families. The officers replied that they had no such orders and, following an argument, Laya was arrested.

In other incidents, military and civilian leaders disagreed over where to evacuate affected families and whether to house them in military or civilian facilities. Pablo Medina, an ally of Venezuela’s president at the time, Hugo Chávez, accused the army of acting “as if an atomic bomb had been dropped”, instead of responding to a natural disaster.

That episode was an early indication of how embedded in Venezuelan public life the military would become in the following years.

First under Chávez and later his successor Nicolás Maduro, who was removed from power by a January 2026 US military operation, the Venezuelan armed forces expanded well beyond the barracks. Military figures took senior posts across government ministries and state companies, gaining a direct stake in the running of the country.

Twenty-seven years on, after the same coast was struck by earthquakes, the military’s role in the disaster response has again been surrounded by controversy.

As in 1999, the armed forces are deeply involved in the operation. Visiting La Guaira in late June 2026, human rights NGO Provea reported that the government appeared to be prioritising military and police control of the territory over basic relief.

Provea criticised the “excessive military presence” near camps for affected people, and flagged the presence of intelligence and counter-espionage bodies with no legal role in disaster management. It warned that saturating the zone with armed agents was slowing aid delivery and could constitute a mechanism of social control.

The Venezuelan government has told a different story. It claims the militarisation of the disaster zone is necessary to allow relief to move in and reach the affected families.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez – who spent much of the first two weeks after the earthquakes battling criticism that the state’s response had been too slow – said her government wanted to stop what she called media “labs” from spinning negative narratives.

As the relief effort turned into reconstruction, Rodríguez launched a rebuilding plan called Venezuela Renace (Venezuela Reborn). The government says that, under this plan, nearly 5,000 buildings across La Guaira and the capital, Caracas, have been inspected. The plan has also provided economic support to help the worst-affected families.

The rebuilding is being run through a mix of civilian and military bodies. On the coast, however, the works are coordinated by a single military figure, Major General Juan Ernesto Sulbarán Quintero, with army engineers taking on the rebuilding in several La Guaira neighbourhoods. More than 30,000 security personnel are still deployed in the worst-affected states.

The next phase

The military’s prominence in the recovery effort raises questions about what comes next. It also offers a glimpse into the future of civil-military relations in post-Maduro Venezuela.

Before the earthquakes, there were signs that Rodríguez was keen to reduce the visibility of the Venezuelan armed forces in politics, while bringing them more tightly under her control.

She replaced the long-serving defence minister, General Padrino López, with a more discreet and loyal insider called Gustavo González López.

Rodríguez also appointed a new general staff, regional commanders and heads for each of the five individual branches of the armed forces – the army, navy, air force, national guard and Bolivarian Militia.

At the same time, she has returned several government ministries from military to civilian hands, while relaunching welfare programmes aimed at troops. These changes suggested a move towards a less overt political role for the Venezuelan armed forces.

But despite this rebalancing, the military remains influential in Venezuela. The Rodríguez government still leans heavily on it for political support, as well as to contain the opposition and help secure oil and mining areas for private investors – a strategic US interest in Venezuela.

In some contexts, humanitarian response and civic action can provide a legitimate internal mission for a professional military – provided it is bound by clear prerogatives away from governance.

Given the military’s history in Venezuela, however, the recent disaster is more likely to reinforce its broad role in decision-making and influence over how the country is run.

The incident happened today, Saturday, July 18 and involved officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Motorcycle Unit.

The officers attempted to stop a motorbike in the Harwood and Breightmet areas this afternoon.

Police said the rider failed to stop, leading to a chase assisted by the National Police Air Service.

The motorbike was later recovered and found to have been stolen in 2025 from Leicester.

The seized bike (Image: GMP)

A 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested in connection with the incident and remain in custody for questioning.

A spokesperson for the police, via social media, said: “We believe this is one of a few motorbikes that have been reported driving dangerously around Astley Bridge, Bromley Cross, Hallith Wood, Tonge Moor, Harwood and Breightmet in recent weeks.

“We will continue to try and identify the other motorbikes using the roads dangerously and seize them.

“If you know who is riding bikes illegally, where bikes are being stored, or have information about riders causing anti-social behaviour, please report it to us. Even small pieces of information can help us build intelligence and take action.”

Enquiries remain ongoing and Greater Manchester Police urged the public to report any information to them online or by calling 101.