WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has long been looking for this weekend to be a big one for his presidency.

The World Cup returns to the U.S. on Friday for the first time in 32 years after Trump threw himself into winning the bid to co-host the soccer tourney during his first term. He’ll be feted Sunday, his 80th birthday, during a UFC fight night that’s expected to draw thousands to the White House grounds. Hours after the final bout, he’s scheduled to jet off to the G7 summit in the French Alps for talks with several world leaders he’s been beefing with over war and tariffs.

But Trump set expectations even higher for the coming days when he announced Thursday that the U.S. and Iran could come to terms this weekend on an agreement that would set the pathway to end the three-month-old war that’s been broadly unpopular with Americans and has rattled global oil markets. He said he plans to dispatch Vice President JD Vance to the signing of the agreement.

Trump has said on several occasions in recent weeks that he’s on the cusp of a deal without anything coming to fruition. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry told state television following Trump’s comments that mediators were active but nothing had been finalized to end the conflict.

Still, Trump is claiming this time might be different.

The breakthrough comes after he threatened to escalate the conflict with more intense bombardment of Iran and by seizing control of Iran’s oil industry, including capturing Iran’s vital Kharg Island oil facility. The president’s threats followed back-and-forth strikes this week that had rendered a temporary ceasefire agreed to in early April all but meaningless.

“They’ve taken a pounding like very few people could take,” Trump said in an Oval Office exchange with reporters as he explained why he was confident that, this time, a deal would come through. “And they want to make the deal a lot more than I do.”

Trump offered scant details about the settlement he says is taking shape, but told reporters that he believed the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to have been wounded on the first day of the war and has not been seen in public since, is ready to sign off on the deal.

Trump is billing the deal as “very strong,” though he says it remains “a little conceptual,” and says it would ensure Iran is blocked from ever developing a nuclear weapon.

Trump’s heightened threats are aimed at creating an off-ramp

With the conflict intensifying over the past week, Trump’s threat to escalate U.S. military action seemed in part aimed at demonstrating to the hawkish flank of his political base that he was willing to play “hardball” with the Iranians if they didn’t come to a deal soon, said Ali Vaez, Iran director at the International Crisis Group.

Trump in March warned he would target Iran’s infrastructure and put American troops on Kharg Island before he ultimately backed down, and the two countries agreed to the temporary ceasefire.

Almost immediately after raising the idea again on social media Thursday, Trump appeared to back away. He called into a morning show on Fox News Channel and questioned whether Americans had the “stomach” for an option that would require putting U.S. troops in harm’s way.

Hours later, Trump announced he had decided to cancel orders for “very hard” strikes on Iran and said a deal was close.

Vaez said even as Trump was posting on social media Thursday about escalating strikes, mediators from Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar had been making progress in their talks with Iran.

At the same time, Iran also may have reset the equation for Trump with its decision last weekend to attack Israel directly for the first time since the ceasefire after Israeli forces carried out military strikes on Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

With the move, Iran signaled that Israel could no longer bomb Lebanon without facing a meaningful reaction and in the process also raised the cost for the U.S. to follow through on its commitment to help safeguard Israel.

“It really does appear to me that Trump wants to bring this to an end, but his real challenge is that he’s looking for a victory lap and an exit ramp and those two things are not necessarily compatible,” Vaez said.

Trump expresses frustration with war narrative

Trump has been boasting since the early weeks of the conflict that he’d already won the war — much of the Islamic Republic’s leadership has been killed in the bombings and the Iranian navy and air force have been severely degraded.

But Iran continues to effectively keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, choking a waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passed before the war, and has yet to agree to restart negotiations with the U.S. over its concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, the main reason Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave to justify launching the war.

But the real problem, Trump grumbled Thursday, was largely a public relations issue.

“They could wave the white flag of surrender. They could say: ‘We surrender, we surrender, we’re finished, we’ve had it. The United States is the greatest power, praise be to Allah,’” Trump said on Fox News. “They could say it loud and clear. And the fake news would say it was a great victory for Iran.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, a former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trump has grown impatient with Iran and the renewed strikes and threats on Kharg Island and Iran’s energy sector were intended to get the negotiations back to the “right place.”

Polls show that the conflict is largely unpopular with Americans. McCaul said he believes the Iranians want to “try to drag this out as long as they can,” closer to the midterm elections in November, because they see that as being to their benefit.

War will be high on agenda at next week’s G7

Deal or no deal, the war will loom large during next week’s talks at the Group of Seven summit in bucolic Évian-les-Bains, France.

Trump has frequently criticized some of the group leaders — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — for resisting his calls to aid the U.S. and Israeli war effort.

The four leaders have also angered Trump by criticizing how he’s gone about executing the war and his lack of consultation with allies before jumping into a conflict that’s hurt the global economy as oil prices have surged.

But Trump said he is optimistic he could have an agreement before his talks with leaders in France.

“The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon — maybe over the weekend in Europe,” Trump said.

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.

Katie Price is looking at her past and thinks it explains her need to be in love and perhaps explains some of the bad romantic decisions she has made over the years.

Katie Price has “always needed a man” and her trouble with men stem from her childhood when her father wasn’t around.

The model, currently in a troubled marriage with Lee Andrews, speaks candidly about her relationship issues with men down the years in a new documentary about her life. Family members also give their side of the story’s including how Katie’s dad left the family home when she was a toddler.

Her stepdad Paul tells the new Sky documentary: “She can never be on her own. She’s always got to have a man, and this is when I was saying to myself, have I done something wrong? Is it the way she’s been brought up?

“I didn’t want to get that close. I didn’t want to feel like I’m taking over. I just wanted to be there if she needed me. I wanted her dad to be the dad, so I think that’s where she’s suffering.”

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Katie agrees and says: “Paul never ever ever has made me feel like I’m not his, never. But when I think of it now, I look for in men what was probably missing from my real dad.

“I’ve always needed a man, always been vulnerable and needy. So, as much as I’ve got this power image, even though it is me, they chip away at me, and then makes me smaller as a person,. When I think of it now, I look for in men what was probably missing from my real dad.

“And through the years there’s a habitual kind of abuse for men against me, taking advantage of me from a young age for their self benefit, and each time the traumas happened, I think it affected me,”

Growing up Katie also suffered a horrific incident where a man in a park tried to abuse her aged around seven with two other children. She still remembers what the man said to her, before another pair of children raised the alarm and police arrived.

The former glamour model says she hopes four-part series Katie Price : Nothing to Hide, will mark a new chapter in her life, trying to move on from her problems.

She said at the premiere at the Sheffield Documentary Festival: “I am definitely the best version I’ve ever been of myself. It’s like I’ve been in a washing machine and come out the other side with the experience and the knowledge, and I am at peace with myself. I feel like I’m starting my career again, and this is the start of my new career.”

Despite currently being married she did not rule out going down the aisle again, and encouraged Sky to make another film about her in another decade or two and added: “What am I going to be like in 20 years? I should certainly look different, my face will be up here. How many more marriages? I don’t know.”

Katie admitted at times she found re-living her life for the cameras so stressful that she had to stop interviewing sessions early as she got too emotional going over old relationships and problems. Her life has included multiple marriage break ups, abuse as a child and overdoses.

She explained: “I am an open book. They would say we’re going to film today ten until three, and I’m like okay.

“And then sometimes after two hours, I’m like, I just can’t do it anymore. There’s some moments where I’ve had therapy to get over some of the moments in my life, and I had to relive it again, and Paddy’s very good at taking me back there, and me having to have the same feelings and I found that difficult and I’m too overwhelmed but that’s what I think makes a good show.

“Like I love watching documentaries but there’s so many people whose documentaries are so manufactured, they are in with the edits, so they look like a polished turd. I am not that, I am like so you have the footage, you do what you want, and I’ll be like everyone else and sit back and watch it. I haven’t had time to reflect on anything in my life, because it’s always the next thing.”

She added: “I’m a survivor. I’ve definitely got courage and the work ethic. Still hungry for it, still got the drive, and yeah, hopefully the younger generation will watch it and think it’s not easy and just putting up a picture(on social media). You’ve got to work for what you get.”

Katie Price: Nothing to Hide is launched on Sky on July 8.

If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

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A proposed ballot measure on voter ID, popular with Republican voters, could help drive turnout, he added. Hilton has said that he has not seen evidence of voter fraud in the state, but has called for electoral reform, including ending the practice of mailing ballots to California’s 23 million registered voters – a practise that largely causes the state’s slow ballot count.

Yorkshire Appetite Food Tours has introduced its Taste of Yorkshire Food Tour, taking visitors to five venues across the city serving classic dishes rooted in the county’s culinary heritage.

Founder Kay Atkinson said the idea came after years of feedback from visitors expecting a more traditional menu.

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Kay said: “When I have been on food tours elsewhere in the world, they mostly focus on foods particular to the destination.

“Over the years, we’ve had people come on our York Food Tour who are surprised that they’re tasting a diverse range of cuisines and not traditional Yorkshire dishes.

“Although we’re very clear on our website that our standard York Food Tours focus on York’s influences from around the world and not Yorkshire food, this did spring an idea.

“I felt there was a place for a food tour that focused on traditional and authentic Yorkshire dishes.”

The tour features five stops at well-known city venues – Love Cheese, The Royal Oak, Drake’s Fish and Chips, Thomas the Baker and York Cocoa Works.

New York food tour showcases traditional Yorkshire dishes – including Yorkshire puddings with beef and lashings of gravy at The Royal Oak. Photo: Submitted

Guests will sample a range of sweet and savoury specialities, including Yorkshire puddings, fish and chips cooked in beef dripping, traditional cake and locally made chocolate.

Kay added: “Yorkshire food is warm and welcoming, like our people. Our dishes are hearty and comforting. They’re like a hug in a dish.

“Our Taste of Yorkshire Food Tour focuses on popular Yorkshire dishes that the county is known for and the great produce our lush landscape produces.

“Yorkshire puddings make an appearance, of course, as well as the staple fish and chips, cooked the Yorkshire way in beef dripping.

“Guests will also try a traditional cake and locally made chocolate, which is a big part of York’s heritage.”

Fish and chips cooked the traditional Yorkshire way with beef dripping at Drake’s Fish and Chips. Photo: Submitted

The new four is fully guided, with visitors meeting outside York Minster before setting off on foot between the tasting locations. Along the way, guides share insight into Yorkshire’s food traditions and local history.

Kay said the tour is aimed particularly at international visitors keen to experience regional cuisine, although UK guests are also encouraged to take part.

Guests on the Taste of Yorkshire Food Tour in York. Photo: Submitted

She said: “Our new tour is generally aimed at international travellers who may not be familiar with the delicious food that our wonderful county produces. We want to give them a Taste of Yorkshire.

“Guests from the UK are, of course, very welcome to join us as well, whether they’re from the south or elsewhere in the country and want to try our local fare, or if they’re from Yorkshire and the north and want a taste of home.”

The Taste of Yorkshire Food Tour runs on selected Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year. The three-and-a-half-hour experience includes five tasting stops and costs £75 per person.

For more information or to book, visit the Yorkshire Appetite Food Tours website.

Perhaps the most unexpected recommendation was micellar water, usually associated with removing make-up rather than upholstery mishaps.

From tomato sauce to baked beans and ketchup, reader Lindy Lou has tried Garnier Micellar Water on some of the toughest food stains.

She discovered this hack when she was in hospital: “So much more food fell into the ‘drop zone’.”

“You need to use it soon after you drop something,” she says, and “it works as a pre-wash treatment” too.

You can find the best deals on Amazon and make sure to buy “the plain ordinary one, not the one with moisturiser”, she adds.

Many readers were perplexed about how to remove blood stains, but one reader, Monica Stansfeld, 73, insists that hydrogen peroxide works best, either on fresh or dried blood, however “it does have a bleaching action”, she warns, “so is best used on a white or light coloured cloth”.

If you have a look in your local pharmacy, you can “usually find a three per cent solution for cleaning dentures”, she explains.

Lots of cold water, still or running, can also “flush out fresh blood”, just as well, or if the stain is small, “your own saliva will remove it”.

Not everyone is against shop-bought cleaning products. For tougher stains and everyday mishaps, readers return to a handful of trusted brands that are praised for their reliability and ease of use.

Most readers agreed with one of Smallman’s recommendations – Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover – as the product they return to, including Catherine Francis, 64, from Conwy County Borough. She commended its ability to “tackle pet stains brilliantly, even on a light-coloured carpet”.

“I always have a bottle on standby,” Francis says, “it’s simple to use and removes odours as well as stains.”

Reader Mariette Hubert also favours the brand for dealing with stains left by her Irish Setter, Teddy, instead preferring its Pet Stain and Odour remover: “For doggie stains, it’s the uncontested star.”

The Abercorn House group admired the special scenery and even tried out a virtual reality simulator.

Residents from a Hamilton care home enjoyed a special holiday trip – with adventures ranging from scenic walks to trying out a virtual reality simulator.

The group from Abercorn House travelled to Drimsynie Estate holiday village in Lochgoilhead for a fun break which proved such a success that they are already planning their next group getaway.

It follows another recent road trip, when the Hamilton residents travelled to Worcester to see an art exhibition featuring their own creations.

The Argyll trip saw Abercorn’s residents enjoy the “breathtaking” scenery of lochs and Arrochar Alps, including relaxing lunches overlooking Loch Goil.

Fun activities at their holiday lodges included karaoke, basketball hoop games, an air hockey challenge and even a much-enjoyed ride on a virtual reality simulator.

Abercorn House activities co-ordinator Von Ryan Ong said: “This holiday gave our residents a wonderful opportunity to laugh, reminisce, and to experience the joy of going on a holiday, just like they did with their families.

“It was really special to see those moments of happiness, connection and excitement, creating memories they will treasure for a long time.”

“Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter was wonderful. We are so proud to be able to offer experiences like this, which support wellbeing and happiness.”

The Argyll trip followed the Abercorn group’s overnight in Worcester, where they were visiting an art exhibition to which they had contributed, showcasing the creativity of residents from across operator Sanctuary Care’s homes in both Scotland and England.

Abercorn House, on Low Waters Road, has 56 residents and recently received two top “very good” ratings in a Care Inspectorate assessment.

Manager Rowena Alferos said of the group’s successful away days: “Just because you move into a care home, it doesn’t mean you should stop enjoying the kinds of experiences you’ve always loved, like holidays.

“Events like this are so important and are yet another way in which we can truly enrich the lives of our residents.”

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The girl will appear in court later today

A 14-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of attempted murder in relation to a triple stabbing at a high school.

Police were called to the Co-op Academy Manchester on Plant Hill Road, Blackley in Manchester, on Tuesday, June 9, to reports of a stabbing.

Following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service, the teenager was charged on Thursday, June 11 with three counts of attempted murder and two charges of possessing a bladed article on school premises.

She is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday, June 12, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Det Chief Supt Jonathan Chadwick, head of counter terrorism policing north west, said: “These are extremely serious charges against a young girl and, working closely with Greater Manchester Police, we continue to support the victims and their families and offer support to the wider school community, who have been deeply affected by what happened.

“Although charges have now been secured, our investigation is still ongoing, and we continue to work with local policing colleagues in the Blackley area.”

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