There have long been tensions, political, economic and cultural, between Poland and Ukraine. But that hasn’t prevented Poland from being the biggest supporter of its neighbour, taking in millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war, about 1 million of whom have remained.

And in 2023, Poland conferred its highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle, on Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky. At the time, then-president Andrzej Duda told the Ukrainian president: “It is difficult to hide the tears of emotion watching your service to your homeland.”

But on June 19, the current president, Karol Nawrocki, announced he was rescinding the order and stripping Zelensky of the honour. He did so after Zelensky awarded the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA” to an elite unit of Ukraine’s special forces. Zelensky said he had awarded the honour at the unit’s request. He said it was his duty as commander-in-chief, who “must provide them with everything they need to protect our people and our land”. He added: “And if they are motivated by our heroes … and if this is very important to them, I must do whatever they tell me.”

Political spats between the two countries over historical memory are nothing new. But this is the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to escalate to this degree. And the fact is that it has more to do with domestic Polish politics than any long-term rift between Poland and Ukraine.

First, some background. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was a Ukrainian nationalist formation that fought against the Soviets during the second world war. After harsh Soviet rule in Ukraine many in the UPA saw the German military invasion as liberating them from Soviet repression.

But it turned out that the Nazis were even worse than the Soviets. For the Poles, though, memories of the massacre of ethnic Poles in Volhynia, now Volyn, in Ukraine, by members of the UPA, remain raw.

As American historian Timothy Snyder has written: “Ukrainians think about the UPA mainly through … the struggle against the Red Army after 1945. Poles remember … 1943, when the UPA killed tens of thousands of Poles in Volhynia.”

These memories lead to different interpretations which are used to serve often divergent domestic political purposes in the two countries. Despite the UPA’s history, Ukraine continues to award UPA-related honours because the nationalist movement has become a symbol of resistance to Soviet and Russian rule, which fits with the broader post-2014 campaign to rid Ukraine of vestiges of its communist past.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinforced this trend, making such honours less about revisiting the past than about mobilising contemporary symbols of national resistance in Ukraine – even if they remain deeply controversial in Poland.

Nawrocki claims he revoked Zelensky’s award because “his countrymen’s pain threshold has been crossed”. It’s a strong reaction, which drastically contrasts with Nawrocki’s own previous position as head of the Institute of National Remembrance in 2023, when he stated that Ukraine was free to honour its own historical figures, including the UPA’s leaders.

The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, was more restrained, urging both countries to stop quarrelling about the past for the sake of the future. His deputy Radosław Sikorski, who is also Poland’s minister of foreign affairs, pointed out that while Zelensky’s decree was inappropriate, that Nawrocki’s reaction was disproportionate and had been welcomed in Moscow.

Jockeying for political advantage

This contrast between the responses of Nawrocki, a rightwing populist, and the centre-left government suggests that the dispute cannot be explained by history alone. It illustrates the friction between the right-leaning president and the left-leaning government. Nawrocki has unofficially started a campaign for next year’s parliamentary election and is rallying for his Law and Justice party (PiS) by playing up anti-Ukrainian sentiment.

Before being elected, Nawrocki promised to block Ukraine’s accession to Nato. He has also been against Ukraine’s membership of the EU. Zelensky has given him an opportunity to capitalise on anti-Ukrainian narratives that play well to Poles disaffected by the war.

Additionally, by revoking Zelensky’s honour, Nawrocki has laid down a challenge to Tusk. The prime minister’s countersignature is required to validate the decision – and this would put him in a difficult political situation domestically.

Following the dispute, Nawrocki’s approval ranking is at a historic high of 54.8% – up by 8.4 percentage points from a month before.

While anti-Ukrainian rhetoric falls on fertile soil in Poland due to popular fatigue at supporting so many refugees, there is still strong support for Ukraine.

Jerzy Wójcik, a prominent Polish journalist and media executive, who has led major humanitarian campaigns like Warmth from Poland for Kyiv, initiated a petition to present Zelenskyy with Citizen’s Order of the Future award. He said that “the Polish right wing has launched a campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections and is ruthlessly exploiting the Volhynia tragedy for political gain”.

UPA’s past links to genocide are felt by most Poles. But there is still a strong tension when it comes to Nawrocki’s revocation of Zelensky’s order. This, along with Polish public support for Ukraine, suggests that the dispute is more complex than the political rhetoric implies.

The dispute is not primarily about the UPA – nor is it evidence of a fundamental shift in Polish foreign policy. While it has the potential to become a bigger diplomatic challenge for the two countries, it illustrates a broader phenomenon: political leaders mobilising contested history to solve present-day domestic political problems.

Similar dynamics can be seen in relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Their political leaders regularly invoke competing historical narratives surrounding the 14th-century Battle of Kosovo to strengthen their domestic political standing, often at the expense of dialogue between the two sides.

These strategies may generate short-term domestic political gains. But they risk undermining strategically important relationships.

A federal judge in Arkansas has thrown out a handful of state laws that put extra restrictions on citizen efforts to gather signatures for ballot initiatives, agreeing with challengers that they violated the constitutional free speech rights of voters.

The decision handed several victories to the League of Women Voters of Arkansas and other plaintiffs, which sued last year amid efforts in various states to make it harder for regular citizens to make laws or amend their states’ constitution through ballot initiatives.

One such measure required someone signing a petition to show photo ID. That and other additional ballot-initiative restrictions were imposed by Arkansas’ GOP-controlled state government after election officials cited a legal technicality to reject petitions submitted by abortion rights supporters in a 2024 effort to legalize abortion in the conservative state.

One of the plaintiffs, Protect AR Rights, called the decision an “important victory for the people of Arkansas and their constitutional right to direct democracy.”

The decision, issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks, also rejected some challenges by the league and its fellow plaintiffs, while Brooks sent three other disputes to trial.

The defendant, Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester, a Republican who had defended the laws in court, said in a statement that his office plans to appeal Brooks’ decision and “will fight tirelessly for common sense safeguards like voter ID.”

Among the laws Brooks struck down are 2025 measures requiring canvassers to verify a petition signers’ identity through a photo ID and to read the ballot question aloud or require a petition signer to read the entire ballot question before signing it. The ballot questions are often hundreds of words long.

Requiring a petition signer to possess and present a photo ID “before engaging in core political speech” plainly violates free speech laws, Brooks wrote, and noted that the Arkansas secretary of state’s office reviews every signature to confirm that the petition signer is a registered voter.

The ID requirement regulates what a registered voter “must do before signing a petition and what a canvasser must do before allowing them to,” Brooks wrote. “This impedes supporters of a measure from expressing their views by signing a petition.”

State officials had contended that requiring a reading of the ballot question before anyone can sign a petition was necessary to prevent a canvasser from misrepresenting the ballot question.

But Brooks wrote that the state had refused to prosecute reported cases of such canvasser misconduct, and that it should enforce its existing laws before it chose a more restrictive alternative of “imposing burdensome speech codes on good and bad actors alike.”

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter

Andy Burnham has said that ‘nothing is off the table’ as pressure grows for the leader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang to be deported.

The prospective prime minister weighed into the row after it emerged that Shabir Ahmed, 73, will be freed from jail on Thursday.

Despite his conviction in 2012 for multiple rape and sexual offences against young girls, his victims have been told that he cannot be deported to Pakistan.

They have also expressed fears for their safety once the Rochdale gang leader is out of prison after serving 14 years in jail.

Ahmed had dual British-Pakistani citizenship and was stripped of his British citizenship following his conviction.

Mr Burnham – who is expected to replace Sir Keir Starmer by the end of this month – has said he would ask senior ministers to find a way to deport him.

He tweeted: ‘Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first.

‘I will ask the home and foreign secretaries to review all possible options – and they should consider nothing is off the table.’

In 2022, when he was mayor of Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham called on the Tory government ‘to do everything within [its] power’ to deport grooming gang members.

The failure to deport members of grooming gangs has caused deep anger in communities and among victims.

In 2012, Sir Keir – then head of the Crown Prosecution Service – oversaw the jailing of the gang.

But last year, one of those jailed – Abdul Aziz – won a human rights battle that prevented his deportation to Pakistan.

Justice minister Jake Richards told the BBC’s Politics Live there were long-standing issues with ‘our ability to deport foreign national offenders to Pakistan’.

‘We need to try and work on that and see whether it’s possible, but in this case, it seems unlikely,’ he said.

When asked if the law should be changed to allow the deportation, he said: ‘I think it’s very difficult to change the law to look retrospectively.’

But he added he was ‘absolutely looking at this individual and if he is to be released from prison, looking at what we are doing to ensure, firstly, to look after his victims and keeping the community safe’.

Meanwhile, one victim – identified only as ‘Ruby’ – said: ‘I’m scared for my safety and my kids’ safety.

‘The main ringleader is getting out of prison, who is well known in Rochdale, Oldham and Middleton, so even if he’s not in that area, he still knows people and has a chance to talk to people from that area and that makes me unsafe.’

She said victims of abuse had been given ‘false promises’ and left to ‘fend for themselves’ through a lack of support from the authorities.

Documents published online – understood to be from the Probation Service – state that he cannot be deported back to Pakistan due to provisions in the Immigration Act 1971 which bar his removal.

These are that he arrived in the UK before 1973 and has lived in the UK for at least five years before his deportation was considered.

A national inquiry into grooming gangs was announced earlier this year after the Government came under increasing criticism.

The Home Office said Ahmed’s crimes were ‘appalling’ and that he would be subject to stringent licence conditions upon his release from prison.

He must initially live in supervised accommodation 24/7 and will be subject to an ‘exclusion zone’ centred on Rochdale.

Ahmed was jailed for 19 years in 2012 at Liverpool Crown Court as one of nine men in the Rochdale grooming gang convicted of offences against five girls.

Police said as many as 50 girls could have been victims of the gang, and that many of them had come from ‘chaotic’, ‘council estate’ backgrounds.

Judge Gerald Clifton said victims were treated ‘as though they were worthless and beyond any respect’ because they were not part of the gang’s community or religion.

Greater Manchester Police said at the time there was no ‘racial or cultural’ element to the crimes.

A report later found that police had not acted despite multiple concerns being raised. It said there had been ‘serious multiple failures’ by police and local authorities.

A mother and her toddler have been left stranded in Spain after a passport rule change ‘quietly introduced’ left them unable to return home to Manchester. 

Tegan van der Merwe faced every parent’s worst nightmare when she found herself stranded in a foreign country with little money and no way home, being ‘treated like a criminal’. 

The 25-year-old mother flew from Manchester to Palma de Mallorca on June 21 for a five-day holiday with her two-year-old daughter. Then, she had no idea of what obstacles they would face trying to return home. 

Having lived in the UK since 2002 as a settled British citizen, she had no reason to believe that she and her daughter, who both carry Dutch passports, would have any trouble getting home. 

There had been no issues raised when she booked her flights through EasyJet, and the young family had been to Egypt the previous October with no issues. 

But when Ms van der Merwe returned with her daughter five days later, they were ‘waved away by airport staff’. 

They were coldly told at immigration that they would not be allowed re-entry to the UK – their home, where she has lived and worked for more than 20 years. 

A quiet rule change brought about by the Government in February, unbeknownst to Tegan and many other families, has made it suddenly much harder for dual citizens to travel anywhere. 

Ms van der Merwe’s daughter was prevented re-entry to the UK as she only had a Dutch passport – despite her mother being a settled UK citizen 

Before February, dual nationals could leave and enter the UK on a non-UK passport with ease. 

Now, however, all members of a family – however young – must have either a British passport or a ‘Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode’. 

The new system has created many difficulties with the UK’s long-standing dual citizens, notably causing the ‘ETA conflict’. The UK uses an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for non-citizens. 

But if, like Ms van der Merwe, you are a British citizen and have settled status (and cannot get an ETA), relying on a foreign passport will result in an automated system block, denying you re-entry to the country. 

Amidst this bureaucracy, Ms van der Merwe and her two-year-old daughter are trapped, living off money raised through a GoFundMe page. 

After being turned away from the airport and told by the airline that there was nothing they could do, Ms van der Merwe was advised to go to the British Embassy in Mallorca. 

Having been forced to move from the hotel they were staying in to a cheap, self-catered apartment by a noisy strip in Magaluf, Ms van der Merwe travelled by bus and walked for over an hour in the heat with her toddler to the Embassy early on Monday. 

But she told the Daily Mail the greeting was less than friendly, or helpful. 

The young family have been forced to set up a GoFundMe as the extended stay has left Ms van der Merwe out of work and unable to continue paying her rent back home 

Advertisement

The ordeal left the family wanting to ‘renounce their British citizenship’ after they felt ‘stranded’ by the UK government 

‘The consulate wouldn’t even open the door. I was told to speak to someone over the phone and put a Spanish address to get documents to apply for a British passport sent to me,’ she said. 

‘We were also told we had to get photocopies of everything – which meant walking even further and getting buses to try and find a post office or library which had a printer.’ 

It cost Ms van der Merwe, a young mother who had already had to extend her stay for one costly weekend, 60 Euros to send off the forms. 

Potentially looking at a stay of six weeks in the country while she waits for the passport, Ms van der Merwe said she and her daughter are only buying the essentials like bread, milk and nappies at the shop. 

The barrista said she has also been forced to hand in her notice for the home she rents back in Manchester since she is unable to make any income abroad, and will be forced to move in with her mother when they return. 

For now, the priority for Ms van der Merwe is ‘trying to make it as normal as we can’ for her daughter, although the situation is understandably stressful. 

The mother told the Daily Mail from Spain: ‘She has her ups and downs throughout the day, we’re just trying to make it as normal as we can for her. 

‘I’m just worrying about where the money is coming from, stressing about everything, and worrying that ultimately we could end up on the street if we don’t get help.’

She added: ‘It’s a terrifying situation to be in with a young child – we’re not safe here. 

‘We had to find the cheapest place to stay next to a strip of drunk people because we are completely stranded.’

The ordeal has left Ms van der Merwe wanting to ‘renounce her British citizenship’ after feeling completely ‘abandoned by the Government’. 

‘I don’t want to live in the country anymore, the way we have been treated. It’s like we are criminals – why can a two-year-old not re-enter the country and at least be held and questioned there? It’s terrible.’ 

It’s a nervous wait for Ms van der Merwe, who remains stranded in Spain. 

The Daily Mail approached the Home Office, who said: ‘We are aware of this family’s situation and are actively working to get them back to the UK as soon as possible.

‘Since February 25, 2026, all dual British citizens have needed to present either a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when travelling to the UK. #

‘Without one, carriers cannot verify British citizenship, which may lead to delays or refused boarding.

‘This requirement applies to all British citizens, regardless of other nationality, and brings us in line with the approach taken by countries including the United States, Canada and Australia.’

The GoFundMe to cover the cost of living for Tegan van der Merwe and her daughter can be found here.

President Donald Trump made more than a billion dollars during his first year back in office, thanks in part to his cryptocurrency assets, as First Lady Melania Trump raked in millions from her documentary.

Much of the president’s earnings last year came from his family’s crypto ventures, in which he secured more than $1.4 billion (£1 billion), according to a financial disclosure filing released on Tuesday by the US Office of Government Ethics.

It details how Trump earned more than $580 million from crypto-related activities, including approximately $515 million tied to token sales from World Liberty Financial LLC, which is managed in part by his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.

He also made about $65 million from equity sales associated with the firm and another $635 million from the sale of his $TRUMP meme coins.

Meanwhile, the first lady reported $10.7 million in net proceeds from a licensing agreement connected to her eponymous documentary, ‘Melania’, which performed better than Hollywood magnates had expected.

An additional licensing deal tied to the firm’s publisher generated more than $500,000, according to the disclosure. 

The film earned $7 million in ticket sales across the US and Canada in just its opening weekend, making it the best-performing theatrical release for a documentary, outside of concert films, since 2012.

Amazon had paid an eye-watering $40 million for the rights, as well as an additional $35 million to market the movie. 

First Lady Melania Trump also reported $10.7 million in net proceeds from a licensing agreement connected to her eponymous documentary

The first lady also benefitted from more than $6 million in income from another licensing agreement covering non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and collectible products, while the president made royalties on his products.

Those include $4.7 million through a licensing agreement for Trump Watches with The Best Watches on Earth LLC and a deal related to the publication of The Greenwood Bible, a collaboration with God Bless the USA singer Lee Greenwood.

Another line in the financial disclosure showed Trump received a $200,000 speaking fee for a fundraising event in Naples, Florida, in December 2022.

It notes that the income from the watches and a separate sneakers-and-fragrances deal for which Trump earned over $67,000 were ‘inadvertently omitted’ from the president’s previous financial disclosure, as was the balance he was owed from the 2022 speaking event. 

The president further benefitted financially through the Trump Organization’s business dealings, the filing shows.

Trump reported more than $290 million in income related to revenue from his Mar-a-Lago estate; his Trump National Doral golf property; his club in Bedminster, New Jersey; and Trump National Washington DC.

Mar-a-Lago alone generated $77 million in ‘resort-related revenue’, according to the filing, up from $50 million in last year’s disclosure. 

At the same time, the president reported more than $86 million in settlements of legal disputes from media companies including ABC, CBS, Meta, YouTube and X.

Melania’s eponymous documentary earned $7 million in ticket sales across the US and Canada in just its opening weekend

Advertisement

It was the best-performing theatrical release for a documentary, outside of concert films, since 2012. A full theatre for the release with Melania onstage is pictured

To further bolster his net worth, the president also deployed a growth mindset with stocks in some major American companies.

One of his largest bursts of stock buying came on August 18, 2025, when Trump made three successive purchases of some of the largest names in technology – Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia – with each trade valued at between $5 million to $25 million.

The Nvidia purchase came exactly one week after Trump announced Nvidia and AMD had agreed to give the US government 15 per cent of their H20 chip sales to China in exchange for export approval.

Apple had also announced an additional $100 billion in US investments on August 6, bringing its total planned US commitment to $600 billion.

The filing also shows Trump purchased Amazon stock worth between $500,000 and $1 million on September 23 – the same day a trial began in a Seattle federal court for a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which alleged Amazon duped customers into paying for Prime membership.

The trial ended two days later, after Amazon agreed to pay a $1 billion civil penalty to the FTC and refunds totaling $1.5 billion to an estimated 35 million customers.

Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, though, has previously said the president has no ability to direct any of his trades. 

Trump pictured in 2017 with Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Trump, Satya Nadella, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon

President Trump also received gifts totaling more than $370,000 during his first year in office.

Many of the gifts were tickets to sporting events including ten tickets to the FIFA men’s World Cup worth $15,000 from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, ten Super Bowl tickets from New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson, 15 tickets each to two UFC events from CEO Dana White as well as a number of other tickets to MLB, NFL, NCAA and golf events.

A statue from Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino depicting the president with his fist raised following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, was also worth $250,000.

But the president did report some liabilities as well, including his civil trial verdict judgments in favor of writer E Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s and of defaming her after she went public with the allegations in 2019.

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Trump’s appeal of a jury verdict awarding Carroll $5 million in the case.

In the meantime, Trump is also appealing another jury’s verdict, which awarded Carroll an $83.3 million judgment for defamation.

Trump received gifts totaling more than $370,000 during his first year in office, including 15 tickets each to two UFC events from CEO Dana White

Advertisement

A statue from Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino depicting the president with his fist raised following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, was worth $250,000

Along with the Trumps’ financial disclosure, the Ethics office also released Vice President JD Vance’s financial disclosure on Tuesday.

The report is much shorter, just 17 pages compared to the Trumps’ 927-page report, and details how the vice president earned income from his book, the firm Narya Capital – which he founded, the Rise of the Rest Seed Fund – where he served as a managing partner – and Bitcoin holdings valued at between $250,000 to $500,000.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, White House spokesman Anna Kelly emphasised that ‘neither the president nor his family has ever engaged – or will ever engage – in conflicts of interest. 

‘President Trump proudly made the United States the crypto capital of the world through executive actions, supporting legislation like the GENIUS Act, and other commonsense policies to drive innovation and economic opportunity for all Americans,’ she noted. 

‘All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people – and any so-called “reporters” pushing otherwise are recycling the same, tired, false narrative that Democrats and the legacy media have been pushing for a decade.’

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization also said the disclosure ‘once again demonstrates that The Trump Organization continues to maintain a strong financial position, supported by world class, valuable assets, substantial liquidity and a conservative balance sheet.

‘Our debt remains incredibly low relative to the size and strength of our overall portfolio, reflecting an extremely underleveraged financial position. 

‘The breadth and depth of this filing further underscores our commitment to transparency,’ the spokesperson continued. ‘At nearly 1,000 pages, it represents one of the most comprehensive financial disclosure reports ever submitted and demonstrates a level of financial transparency unmatched in presidential history.’

Harry Kane celebrated his winning second goal against the Democratic Republic of Congo with a ferocity to match the magnitude of his feat.

Ripping at his shirt, he roared into the crowd with bared teeth and a primal glint in his eye – having hunted down his prize through brute tenacity.

But just minutes later, after the final whistle blew, England‘s embattled warrior retreated to the stands for an entirely more tender moment.

Sweet photos show the captain holding his two-year-old son Henry aloft and beaming with pride as he gazed into the toddler’s eyes.

He was also spotted debriefing with his wife, Katie Goodland, who no doubt was oozing with pride for her husband.

Harry later showed off his Man of the Match award to his children – with daughters Ivy, nine, and Vivienne, seven, and sons Louis, five, and Henry gathered around.

The whole Kane clan then grouped together for a photo, with all four kids miraculously coaxed to hold still for the camera.

Anthony Gordon, who came on as a sub in the 61st minute and went on to assist both of Kane’s goals, also shared a touching moment with his family.

Harry Kane showed off his Man of the Match award to his wife and children

The superstar captain gave his wife, Katie Goodland, a relieved kiss after clinching the match for England

Advertisement

The whole of the Kane family posed for a photo, with one of the star’s daughters clutching his Man of the Match award

Anthony Gordon kissed long-term partner Annie Keating, while clutching their two-year-old son

He had kisses for his young son, also two-years-old, who wore an England kit with ‘Daddy’ on the back, and for his long-term partner Annie Keating. 

Jude Bellingham, who alongside Kane has been instrumental for the Three Lions in the competition, wrapped his arms around girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, 28.

The England number ten, who turned 23 on Tuesday, also gave his mother Denise a tight hug.

Bukayo Saka looked relaxed as he slung a leg over a chair and chatted to his fiancée, Tolami Benson, who he has been for more than five years.

He also threw his around mother Kemi’s shoulders, as she looked delighted.

Keeper Jordan Pickford, who managed to contain the damage to a single conceded goal in the seventh minute, sat down with his wife Megan Davison and family.

In the end, it was two goals from the captain that snatched victory from the jaws of looming humiliation against minnows the DR of Congo.

The African side dubbed The Leopards and ranked 35th in the world had spent most of the bad-tempered match thrashing the Three Lions 1-0.

The 2-1 victory sets up a round-of-16 crunch showdown against Mexico – in Mexico City, at their home stadium the Azteca, scene of Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal.

It will be a seismic event unlike anything England has seen so far in this World Cup.

Jude Bellingham, 23, wrapped his arms around girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, 28

The England number ten also gave his mother Denise a tight hug

Ashlyn flashed a winning grin as she chatted with her boyfriend and two other pals

Bukayo Saka chatting with his girlfriend, Tolami Benson, who he has been in a relationship with for around six years

Advertisement

Saka also shared a hug with his mother, Kemi

Jordan Pickford with his wife Megan Davison, wearing a green themed England top

Ivan Toney, who was a surprise pic for Tuchel’s 26-man team at the World Cup, holds his child alongside girlfriend Katie Bio

More than a million Mexico fans took to the streets when their team beat Ecuador earlier this week with four people dying during the wild celebrations.

Last night millions watched in agony at home along with tens of thousands in the Atlanta Stadium as Congo got their goal after just six minutes – then roared when saviour Kane turned the team’s fortunes. 

It was a nail-biting hour before his miracle rescued his sinking side with a sensational header to level the score. Then he blasted a second goal home minutes later.

On the final whistle, nerve-shredded fans went wild with excitement, belting out Wonderwall and ‘Football’s Coming Home’ in the vast air-conditioned stadium.

Retired Civil servant David Delves, 60, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, said: ‘Kane is able! What a second goal that was. Unstoppable.’ 

Company director Michael Nobes, 64, from Portsmouth, added: ‘Crikey, they do put you through a lot of stress, I didn’t think my heart would hold out. Harry Kane, wow, just amazing – onto Mexico now.’

Supporter Mark Perkins, 45, from Liverpool, said: Harry came up with the goods again, he is Mr Dependable, Mexico in Mexico City will be a very different game, a lot harder.’

Glen Harris, 66, from Lincoln, said: ‘We are here now – and going all the way to the final. I have booked six weeks and want to see us win the World Cup.’

Dominic Webb, 34, a software designer of Swindon, Wiltshire, said: ‘I’ll be dancing on the ceiling tonight, just buzzing. 

‘My whole trip – and it’s cost absolutely thousands – has been, for me, about getting to Mexico. Playing against Mexico in Mexico is going to be a complete dream.’

The victory means England fans face a wallet-busting scramble for flights and tickets to the Mexican capital for Sunday night’s game, which will kick off at 1am on Monday UK time.

Hundreds of pubs are applying for ultra-late licences to show to allow punters to pull all-nighters, with the potential for a 4am finish if the game goes to extra time and penalties.

Employers are bracing for a ‘mass sickie event’ next Monday morning as bleary-eyed workers sleep off the match.

Boxpark venues in Croydon, Wembley, Liverpool, Camden and Shoreditch are among hundreds of venues to obtain temporary licence extensions to give drinkers lots of extra time.

Other venues face a ‘Mexican standoff’ with jobsworth council officials. Although ministers have given pubs free rein to allow drinkers extra time during the World Cup knockout stages, that does not apply to kick-offs as late at 1am.

Individual venues wishing to open that late must apply to their local licencing authorities for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN). 

Officials have the power to block pubs from serving so late, meaning a likely standoff in some areas where locals do not want the noise and hassle of an all-night party.

Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘We remain in close contact with Government about concerns raised by publicans who want to show the match but haven’t got [temporary licences] in place. It would be a crying shame for fans and pubs if our locals weren’t able to host such an important match.’

There are no published figures for how many pubs have applied for a TEN, and most venues will be waiting for the outcome of the round-of-16 match against Congo on Wednesday before applying. 

But based on previous tournaments, it is likely that around 3,000 of the UK’s 46,000 pubs will ask to stay open late.

The first two-thirds of last night’s match were desperate for England. Fans had their heads in the hands after just six minutes when 28-year-old Congo winger Brian Cipenga sliced the ball past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

DRC fans – vastly outnumbered by England supporters – went wild, filling the stadium with noise and dancing and singing in the stands.

In a nightmare first half, Jude Bellingham got a yellow card for a poor tackle and captain Harry Kane was denied a penalty after being flattened on his way to the Congo goal. 

The DRC then almost got a second goal but hit the post, while shots on target by Bellingham and Kane were both saved by the Congo goalie.

The belated win was a relief for England’s sweating army of travelling supporters.

They had followed the team on a 5,000-mile odyssey, from their sensational first game in Dallas, beating Croatia 4-2, then the draw with Ghana in Boston and New York for the 2-0 defeat of Panama.

The round of 32 match between Belgium and Senegal was temporarily halted in the first half.

The World Cup match between Belgium and Senegal was temporarily halted as three protestors invaded the pitch. The disturbance saw security pursue the pitch invaders and eventually remove them from the playing area.

Those who entered the pitch are believed to be social media influencers. They ran onto the playing surface at the Seattle Stadium in the 31st minute of the match.

At one point, up to five security guards were chasing one individual, who was eventually stopped and caught after running off the pitch. The chase resulted in a few slips from the chasing security.

It’s reported that a further two people were apprehended before they could make their way onto the pitch.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football’s Facebook page

Speaking during ITV’s commentary, main commentator Sam Matterface said: “We’ve got a social media prank which is going to cause a halt in play, and it is quite a dangerous situation because there are three or four young gentlemen who have decided to encroach on the pitch.

“They have been wrestled now, two of the three have. The third has evaded security staff, who are trying desperately to get hold of him. And eventually the protesters are removed.”

He then added: “It has created yet another interruption. We haven’t had too many of those at the World Cup. We had several didn’t we at the Euros a couple of years ago, people coming on desperate to get selfies with big-name players.”

Footage shown live on ITV cut away from the chase between the invaders and security and instead showed images of the players of both sides watching on as well as wider shots of the stadium.

After a short break, play got back underway quickly with a drop ball. Belgium were looking to score an equaliser before the half-time break, something which they failed to do.

At the time, Senegal were leading 1-0, thanks to Habib Diarra’s 24th-minute goal. The winners of the match will play either the USA or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 16 on July 7.

Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.