He said: “A lot has changed. The year of experience itself played a massive role – making your own experiences, understanding what is good and not good for you during the weekend and outside the weekend.

“The experience, being able to come back into the weekend and having done it the year before plays a massive difference. You know better the track evolution and so on and you are able to balance your energies in a better way so you feel better in the car in terms of energy.

“You become more aware of your potential and you know better the team, it’s all little things that play a massive role.”

Antonelli said that so far the pressure of competing for the championship had not affected him.

“I am not really worrying about it,” he said.

“Of course I know the opportunity that is on the table and of course I want to make the best out of it.

“But at the same time I don’t want to drive or race thinking about that.

“I want to really focus on the process and what I have to do and enjoy as much as possible the weekend and drive as fast as possible and then we will see where we end up at the end of the year.”

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who made his F1 debut more than five years before Antonelli was born, said the Italian was “an incredible talent”.

The Spaniard added: “Now he has a car that is dominating and he is adapting to that car and winning races without making mistakes and feeling the pressure of leading the championship and leading the race, which is a very good achievement.

“But this is F1 and you need to perform at the highest level always. He has the opportunity and if he is able to deal with the pressure and deliver the title, it is an incredible thing.”

Lord Liddle said: “I totally agree with my noble friend Lord Walker that that has to examine the challenge of the aging society and whether we can continue to support the pension triple lock and all the costs of NHS and social care, which if we’re not careful, are producing great generational inequality in Britain, and something has to be done to address that.”

Mark Pougatch fronts the coverage of the first of three opening ceremonies on ITV1. After the first ceremony in Mexico, the opening game takes place between Mexico and South Africa

The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway this evening with a spectacular opening ceremony taking place at Mexico City Stadium. A record 48 nations will battle it out in the biggest World Cup tournament ever staged.

Mark Pougatch fronts the coverage of the first of three opening ceremonies tonight on ITV1. After the first ceremony in Mexico, the opening game takes place between Mexico and South Africa.

Transmission starts at 6.15pm and runs until 7.50pm on ITV1 and ITVX. The opening ceremony will showcase performances from Colombian music star Shakira, as well as singer J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyla.

The programme will also include a preview of the competition. Particular attention will be given to the clash between Mexico and South Africa, which marks the first of 104 fixtures in a mammoth event.

This year will see three opening ceremonies across Mexico, Canada and the United States. This evening’s will be the first, preceding the 8pm kick-off between Mexico and South Africa.

Whether you’re a devoted football supporter or a casual observer tuning in for the major fixtures, it’s essential to know where you can access coverage of the 2026 World Cup.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the three opening ceremonies, including viewing times and performance details.

How to watch World Cup 2026 Mexico Opening Ceremony.

The FIFA World Cup 2026: Opening Ceremony airs tonight at 6.15pm until 7.50pm. It will be available to watch on ITV1 and ITVX.

Music icon Shakira is also set to deliver a live performance from Mexico, alongside Burna Boy, Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, Mana, and Tyla.

Opening match

The 2026 World Cup opener will take place on Thursday, June 11. Kick-off at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City is set for 8pm UK time.

Canada Opening Ceremony.

The second opening ceremony is scheduled to take place in Canada on Friday, 12 June. The bill features Canadian favourite Michael Bublé, alongside Alessia Cara and Alanis Morissette.

It will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer ahead of Canada vs Bosnia’s 8pm kick-off.

USA Opening Ceremony.

The third and final opening ceremony will be shown live from Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium prior to the USA’s opening fixture against Paraguay, which gets under way at 2am.

This will air at 12.30am on Saturday, 13 June on BBC One and iPlayer. Katy Perry and rapper Future are confirmed to perform, with further appearances from Tyla and Lisa from Blackpink.

Stephen Ogilvie’s parents told DUP Leader Gavin Robinson they do not want what happened to be “used as an excuse for intimidation or division within our society.”

The parents of Stephen Ogilvie have said they do not want the attack on their son to be “used as an excuse for intimidation or division within our society,” as his condition begins to improve.

DUP Leader Gavin Robinson said he has spoken with the parents of the victim of the stabbing in North Belfast on Thursday afternoon and that he currently remains in a coma in hospital but will hopefully be released from this within the next day or two.

Speaking at Stormont, the East Belfast MP said that Mr Ogilvie’s parents have spoken out against the recent violent disorder that has taken place and also called for an end “to the misinformation, the falsehoods and the lies” that have been circulating following the incident on Kinnaird Avenue on June 8.

The condition of the Belfast stabbing victim is “improving” and he could be released from a coma within the next 48 hours, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said.

The East Belfast MP said he met with the parents of Stephen Ogilvie on Thursday afternoon and that the family were “broken” after what had happened to their son.

Ogilvie lost his left eye in a stabbing attack on Monday night which preceded two nights of disorder in Northern Ireland.

“They have spoken very powerfully, in my view, that their desire is that what happened to their son on Monday evening is not used as an excuse for intimidation or division within our society,” Mr Robinson said at Stormont.

“They have asked me to share that whilst their son remains in a coma, his condition is improving.

“They hope, pray and trust that he will be released from that coma within the next 24 or 48 hours, at which point assessments will be made about his sight and other impacts from the atrocity that happened on Monday evening.

“They are grateful for support, but they particularly are calling for an end to the misinformation, the falsehoods and the lies that are only making a very difficult situation all the worse.”

Mr Robinson said the party had challenged immigration statistics issued by the UK Government during a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn at Stormont.

He said there was a “lack of confidence” in the protection of borders and enforcement of immigration rules.

“There are questions that still remain not only about the efficacy of the figures they have given – when they say 1,000 people have been removed from Northern Ireland, we don’t believe that that is 1,000 people removed from the United Kingdom, but simply detained in London,” he said.

“They certainly seem to be in stark contrast to the one deportation that there has been to the Republic of Ireland.”

He said it was “a farce” that someone could travel through three safe countries and then claim asylum in the UK.

“I’ve said very clearly today that this has to be about strengthening the CTA (the common travel area),” he said.

“It is not beyond the will of man, through co-operation and agreement, that if they need our co-operation to protect the borders of the common travel area, then our Government should do so and, more importantly, the Prime Minister said that he’s engaged in those conversations.”

For all the latest on this developing story follow our live blog here.

Utah is suffering from such dry conditions that a group of kids with matches and a squirrel managed to start separate brush fires within hours, according to local media reports.

The ongoing severe drought in Utah has created the perfect conditions for destructive fires, prompting officials to warn that this year’s fire season could be particularly severe. Those concerns were highlighted Tuesday after firefighters battled two separate blazes in northern Utah.

A squirrel tangled in a power line managed to spark a half-acre brush fire Tuesday morning in Layton, a suburb of Salt Lake City, according to local outlet FOX 13. Later that day, children playing with matches reportedly started a brush fire that burned an acre in Saratoga Springs, a city on the northwestern shore of Utah Lake.

Both fires were extinguished, and it appears no one was injured, according to FOX 13. The Independent has requested more information from fire officials in Layton and Saratoga Springs.

This comes as firefighters battle multiple major blazes throughout the state.

The South Mountain Fire in northwestern Utah has burned through more than 1,800 acres and was at 40 percent containment as of Wednesday morning. The Tower Fire, which is burning near the small town of Scipio in central Utah, is currently 34 percent contained after spreading to more than 1,300 acres.

Utah fire officials have warned the ongoing drought, combined with warmer temperatures and low snowfall earlier this year, led to lots of dry vegetation that could serve as fuel for destructive fires.

“This year’s conditions, even more than recent years, are raising concern,” Salt Lake City Fire Chief Karl Lieb said at a press conference last month.

“If we all take this seriously now, our agencies and the public together, we can reduce the number of fires, limit how fast they spread, and better protect the communities we all care about,” Unified Fire Chief Dominic Burchett added.

Officials are asking residents to take steps to prevent wildfires, such as refraining from starting campfires on windy days and exercising caution when shooting outdoors.

“We identify target shooting as one of the behaviors that contribute to human-caused wildfires in the state,” a spokesperson for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and Estate Lands told ABC 4 this week.

Last year, fires burned more than 165,000 acres in Utah, which cost the state more than $191 million, according to KSL News. Still, firefighters managed to keep 92 percent of those fires under 10 acres.

Iilia Belov claimed that one member of a group of girls uttered “disrespectful” remarks before the incident in August 2025.

A man has told a court he pushed a 12-year-old girl as he could see a knife under her T-shirt and thought she was going to attack his sister.

Ilia Belov, 22, is accused of assaulting the girl during an incident in the Lochee area of Dundee in August last year.

Giving evidence to Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday, Belov said he had been with his father on his way to buy cigarettes when he passed a group of young girls walking in the other direction.

Speaking with the assistance of a Bulgarian interpreter, the father-of-two said as they approached, one of the girls uttered “disrespectful” remarks to him.

“They are coming and start making some cheeky remarks,” he said.

“They told me ‘son of a bastard’ and also ‘f****** migrant’.”

He said that after they passed each other on the street, the girls continued to “shout” remarks at him, so he turned round and went after them, leaving his father to continue to the shop.

“I went back to ask why they are disrespecting me,” he told the court.

“They have started to panic, saying I am following them.”

Asked why he had not just walked away, he said: “Because I am human.

“I deserve to ask them why I deserve so much disrespect. I didn’t do anything to them.”

He said more girls then turned up, at which point he said he phoned his sister as he was “worried”, and when she arrived a physical altercation broke out between her and one of the girls.

He said that during this, he saw another of the girls had a knife tucked under her T-shirt, and pushed her over in order to protect his sister.

“I pushed the other girl who was wearing the weapons because I saw the knife on her back,” he said, explaining he could see the handle under her T-shirt and he thought she was going to “do something” with it.

He added: “I pushed her away before anything happened.”

Belov told the court that after she got back up, the girl brandished the knife and axe she had concealed beneath her clothing, telling the court this was the first time he saw her holding them.

“She held the knife and axe and tried to get to us,” he said.

Cross-examining the witness, prosecutor Michael Robertson put it to him that as a grown man he had been the “adult” in the situation, and he could just have walked away or phoned the police.

Belov accepted this, but when asked whether staying in the area had been “wrong” he said he was “not sure”.

Belov also denied having directed sexual remarks at any of the girls, saying he had only wanted to ask why they were disrespecting him.

The prosecutor also disputed whether Belov had seen the knife before pushing the girl to the ground, suggesting he had only seen it after she had stood up.

He took the court through CCTV footage of the incident that he said showed the girl had been behind Belov immediately before he pushed her.

Belov denied this, saying during the incident the girl had been “acting aggressively” and he could “easily see what’s on her back”.

Giving evidence earlier in the trial, the girl said she had had the axe and knife in her waistband for five to 10 minutes before the incident, and she had brandished them after the physical altercation.

She said after revealing the weapons, she was “basically sat holding them”, saying she “knew” the man would “try to go for (the other girl) again”.

She also alleged Belov had kept saying to her: “Come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time,” and that his words made her feel “angry”.

Belov has denied all the charges against him.

The trial continues.

Get Daily Record Premium for just £1 per month in exclusive offer to celebrate the world cup. Click HERE.

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

Hassan Patel issued a statement after a masked person smashed a window and threw a lit firebomb into the family’s home on Eastgrove Avenue, Sharples, at around 9.15pm yesterday.

The attack caused significant damage to the property and left the family shaken.

Mr Patel said the incident had left his family feeling unsafe in their own home and searching for answers.

(Image: Public)

He said: “The family is horrified as to why we were targeted.”

“We, as a family, are devastated by the serious and callous arson attack that targeted our home on June 10 at 9.15pm.

“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.”

Emergency services attended the scene and no serious injuries were reported.

The family said they were grateful nobody was hurt and thanked emergency services for their response.

Mr Patel said his family had always sought to live peacefully within the community and were horrified by the attack.

He added: “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 of all faiths and no faith.”

While police have confirmed an investigation is ongoing, Mr Patel said the family wanted all possible motives to be fully explored.

The statement says the family understands the incident is not currently being treated as a hate crime, but believes no line of inquiry should be ruled out.

(Image: NQ)

Mr Patel added: “We understand an investigation is ongoing, and we are fully cooperating with the Police.

“At this stage, we understand that the incident is not being treated as a hate crime.

“However, given the circumstances and the impact this attack has had on us, we believe it is essential that all possible motives are thoroughly examined and that no line of inquiry is ruled out prematurely.”

The family has appealed for anyone with information to contact police.

Mr Patel said: “Our focus remains on supporting one another, rebuilding, and ensuring that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.”

(Image: UGC)

Greater Manchester Police has been approached for further comment.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Sharples has said: “Incidents like this are not acceptable in our community and no one should be made to feel threatened or intimidated. Thankfully, no one was injured, however, the consequences of this suspected arson attack could have been very different.

“We understand this incident may cause concern within the community; we are working to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We believe this was a targeted attack, and there is no risk to the wider public.”

Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage is asked to call 101 quoting log 3561 of June 10, 2026, contact police via LiveChat at gmp.police.uk, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The opening of a Canadian-U.S. bridge across the Detroit River that President Donald Trump previously threatened to block was delayed on Thursday due to “outstanding issues.”

In a statement released before a Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said that “Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues.”

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, jointly owned by Canada and Michigan, was expected to open to traffic later this month.

The bridge’s opening had remained in question for months after Trump, a Republican, in February demanded that Canada turn over at least half the ownership of the bridge to the U.S. federal government and agree to other unspecified demands in one of his many salvos over cross-border trade issues.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted Wednesday that the opening could be delayed, while downplaying any concerns.

“There is no big drama. If it takes a little longer it will take a little bit longer, but this will benefit Canadians, Americans, business, tourists, residents for decades and decades to come,” Carney said on his way into Parliament.

Invitations for the bridge’s opening went out this week following a conversation between Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

“This project is a powerful example of bipartisan and international cooperation, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony when it happens,” a statement from Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy said.

The bridge, which connects Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, would be a vital economic artery between Canada and the United States. It is named after the late Canadian hockey great, who spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.

The construction project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and paid for by Canada to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

The deepfakes, including one depicting a senior councillor handing out money to people in balaclavas, have featured in new research from the Social Market Foundation.

Cllr Pete Kilbane, the council’s Labour culture and economy spokesperson targeted in the video and other posts, said it sadly showed there was an avalanche of fake news online.

Jamie Gollings, co-author of the No News is Bad News study, said misinformation circulating locally had gone under the radar for too long and communities could not afford further inaction.

RECOMMENDED READING:

The study, published on Monday, June 8 with BBC backing, follows fake York Council adverts circulating on social media in January, in the run up to a by-election Heworth.

They purported to be from the council and falsely called for volunteers to remove flags attached to lampposts, to house asylum seekers and fill potholes.

Real phone numbers and emails featured in the posters which asked people to contact the council, though the initiatives depicted in them were not real.

But they later received coverage from right-wing internet personalities who produced videos presenting them as real, including one which had around 116,000 views.

Cllr Kilbane, who was the council’s deputy leader when St George’s and Union flags were attached to lampposts from summer 2025 onwards, was also personally targeted.

One of the fake City of York Council adverts which circulated online (Image: Supplied)

Posts with fake quotations claiming to be from Cllr Kilbane and an AI-generated video showing him handing out money to people in balaclavas to remove flags were circulated online.

They came after Cllr Kilbane had spoken out about the flag campaigns and clean-up costs and the study quoted council officials who said the posts deliberately aimed to mislead people.

Officials added social media accounts appeared to be bots shared much of the content and the timing of posts could suggest they were co-ordinated to undermine trust in local institutions.

Social Market Foundation research found the proportion of misinformation as a share of all social media posts grew to 26 per cent during local election periods.

The share could reach as high as 56 per cent in the run up to polling day compared to earlier in the year, findings based on national research showed.

A fifth of all fake news posts on social media were found to relate to local issues such as planning, transport, public services and council politics.

The study found 46 per cent of people in Britain seek out local news on social media, second only to TV and ahead of every other source.

Researchers said news sourced on social media came without the fact-checking or editorial guidelines done by the established press.

They added there was also a link between ‘news deserts’, places that had lost traditional news outlets, and an increase in fake news.

Research showed those areas had three times as many fake news posts online compared to the national average, 0.3 per cent of all content compared to 0.1 per cent respectively.

The Social Market Foundation has called for more resources to be given to local media and for the Government to invest in a public misinformation campaign.

They also said broadcasting watchdog Ofcom should monitor how well platforms tackle fake news and social media platforms should label trusted information sources and AI-generated content.

One of the fake City of York Council adverts which circulated online (Image: Supplied)

York Council Culture and Economy Executive Member Cllr Kilbane said fake news was worryingly being spread by people trying to undermine trust in each other and in democracy.

The executive member said: “Sadly this report confirms our experience in York is the same as the rest of the country, misinformation is rife on social media.

“With an avalanche of fake news out there, professional news gathering, scrutiny and reporting has never been more important.”

Social Market Foundation researcher Mr Gollings said the study had revealed the true scale of fake news on social media for the first time.

He said: “Local misinformation is the silent killer of trust in Britain.

“We cannot afford further erosion of local journalism, which is our best defence against local misinformation.”