ORSAY, France (AP) — Ice. Urgently and in large quantities.

At a Paris-region hospital, emergency medics needed it to plunge patients into cold-water baths to speedily bring down their temperatures so they wouldn’t join the growing tally of dead from a record-smashing heat wave. But lacking an ice-making machine, where to get it?

A fast-food restaurant helped out last week, saying the hospital could take its ice. Staff also bought ice from the supermarket. The Paris-Saclay Hospital has now ordered its own ice machine, eagerly awaited in the emergency department for a future attack of sizzling heat.

Whether that hits next week, as France’s weather service says it might, or in summer months ahead, medics and hospital administrators are acutely aware that the battle they’ve just endured will, because of climate change, be followed by others. Just as they brace for the annual flu season, they know that fighting heat waves is becoming their new normal.

Efforts to plug some of the holes exposed by the heat wave that shifted eastward to other parts of Europe after battering France, the United Kingdom and other countries are accelerating on a national level, too.

When France was baking through its hottest days on record last week, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a 100-million euro ($114-million) spend from this summer on cooling systems for hospitals and other work to keep wards functioning.

And at the latest in a series of heat-wave crisis meetings, he said Monday that the government is buying 30,000 air-conditioning units for health facilities, with the first deliveries expected “at the end of the week, beginning of next week.”

“It’s an absolute priority for us that, if the heat wave returns, the hospital situation be a lot less strained,” he said.

The World Health Organization on Tuesday described the heat wave as “a dress rehearsal” for summers that “will be harder.”

“Europe is warming at more than twice the global average. Heat waves are no longer one-off freak events,” it said. “Every summer we fail to prepare for them is a summer we pay for in lives.”

Heart attacks and other heat-exposure emergencies surge

At the Paris-Saclay Hospital, patients suffering from heat exposure started arriving in a surge on June 20, said Dr. Nicolas Gonzales, head of the emergency department.

“It was like a big mountain,” he said. “It was like that for seven days. So it was very intense.”

“In winter, we know we’ll have influenza epidemics and probably COVID as well. And now, in the summer, we’re going to have the climate crisis,” he said.

The first patient he treated in this heat wave was an emergency call-out, for a 50-year-old man in a coma at home and with a temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). His family said he seemed fine one minute, but was unconscious the next, Gonzales said. He was rushed to the hospital for critical care.

Then came the flood: heart attacks, dehydration, kidney malfunctions and other heat-related problems, impacting all age groups, from children to older people living alone.

“Heat is a physical assault. It is a physical assault on the body,” Gonzales said. “And when the body can no longer adapt — or, unfortunately, is no longer able to fight off that assault — you don’t feel it coming, and the heart can stop beating.”

Advertisement

Advertisement

The force has been working throughout the night to locate the missing man

Police have been searching throughout the night to locate a “high-risk” missing man who was last seen in Newmarket. Martin Hardman was last seen on foot in Newmarket at around 3.30pm on Tuesday, June 30.

Suffolk Police do not believe he has access to a vehicle at this time. The force has described Martin as a 6ft white male with long grey hair, mid-70s.

He was wearing a black t-shirt worn backwards, dark jogging bottoms, and a cowboy hat. He is likely to be using a three-wheel walker to aid mobility.

Suffolk Constabulary are continuing searches for Martin. Officers are extremely concerned for Martin’s welfare and are urging anyone who has seen him or has any information about his whereabouts to contact Suffolk Police on 101 or report online.

Hundreds of passengers flying in from London to Florida were forced to wait hours for their luggage and were allegedly repeatedly told they were prohibited from leaving without their bags. 

Travelers departing from Heathrow Airport to Orlando International (MCO) landed in the US around 7pm, but their travel woes were just getting started on Saturday night, according to multiple passengers on board. 

The massive delay was caused by adverse weather, which disrupted ground-handling operations for three Virgin Atlantic flights. 

‘We’d like to apologize for the inconvenience caused to customers whose bags were delayed arriving into Orlando International Airport on 27 June, due to adverse weather which affected ground handling operations,’ a spokesman for the airline told the Daily Mail in a statement. 

‘We worked closely with our airport and ground handling partners throughout and all customers were reunited with their bags before leaving the airport.’

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires all passengers to clear Customs and Immigration after deboarding their flight. 

CBP can hold bags if passengers have not completed customs processing, and it has jurisdiction over enforcement operations at Orlando airport. 

The department told the Daily Mail that they were aware of the passenger delays, blaming them on extended waits for checked baggage, which impacted the entry processes. 

The passengers were on board a Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow Airport in London (file photo) 

Carol Wick, a passenger on the flight, told the Daily Mail that she waited for five and a half hours and was told she could not leave by airport and airline staff 

Advertisement

‘CBP officers were present and prepared to process travelers. The timely delivery of baggage to the international arrivals hall is the responsibility of the airline,’ a spokesperson for CBP said. 

‘All persons, baggage, and merchandise arriving in the United States are subject to CBP inspection. CBP works in partnership with airport authorities and airlines to ensure efficient processing of travelers while maintaining security standards.’ 

One passenger, Carol Wick, told the Daily Mail that she was forced to wait in a customs line for five and a half hours. 

She said that CBP officials and airport security were ‘incredibly professional’, but employees with Virgin Atlantic and MCO prohibited passengers from leaving. 

Wick had even attempted to file a lost baggage claim two hours into the wait, but was told that her bags were not lost and that she was not allowed to leave without them.  

‘No one attempted to leave as we were told very, very clearly and repeatedly no one was allowed to leave the room. Several other groups came through and got their baggage right away and left. It was only three Virgin Atlantic flights that were trapped,’ Wick said. 

In a Facebook post about the experience, she wrote: ‘It’s officially over 48 hrs trying to get home. We finally made it home only to be trapped in customs for over 2 hours now. No one is allowed to leave the area without checked bags. No end in sight.’ 

Wick told the Orlando Sentinel that she estimated there were about 800 passengers across the three flights from Europe who were told they risked arrest if they left without claiming their bags. 

Angela Starke, a spokesman for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which oversees the airport, denied that anyone was threatened with arrest in a statement to the Orlando Sentinel. 

One passenger on board, Carol Wick, said that she had already endured delays and cancelations before the travel nightmare in Orlando 

A spokesman for Virgin Atlantic said the massive delay was caused by adverse weather and apologized to passengers for the inconvenience (file photo) 

Advertisement

‘We share travelers’ frustration with this experience and are working with our airline partners to understand what occurred and how similar situations, outside of weather, can be avoided,’ Starke added in a statement. 

Jessica Watkins, a Florida resident traveling home from a trip to London, said that she heard multiple announcements from airport staff instructing travelers that they were prohibited from leaving until they claimed their baggage. 

She added that the passengers on her flight continued to wait even after flights from Edinburgh, Manchester, Paris and Brazil were cleared. 

To make matters worse, Watkins said that staff did not communicate with the disgruntled travelers about the timeline or the reasons for the extended delays.  

‘There was no support from anyone. Nobody knew anything,’ she said. 

Passengers received an email from Virgin Atlantic after the ordeal, offering to reimburse them for snack purchases. 

Watkins called the message ‘tone-deaf’, adding that there was no food available in the customs area while they waited to be processed. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the airport for additional comment.  

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey is rolling out sweeping security measures for next month’s NATO summit, deploying tens of thousands of police and placing air defenses on high alert, while banning public gatherings and imposing controversial restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.

That’s meant to safeguard the summit, but also to display strength and underscore Turkey’s commitment to NATO, even as it is often portrayed as an outlier within it.

On July 7–8, leaders from all 32 member states are expected convene in the Turkish capital, including U.S. President Donald Trump, whose threats to withdraw from NATO and reduce U.S. troop levels have cast uncertainty over the alliance’s future.

Turkey has also unveiled a new VIP airport, converted from a former military airfield, specifically to host NATO leaders.

Allies will aim for unity

At the Ankara summit, NATO members are expected to address questions over defense spending and the U.S.’s evolving role in the alliance.

The main agenda will center on unity after Trump has criticized allies for failing to support the U.S.-led war on Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“The important aspect of the meeting is to what extent the rift between the United States and Europe can be healed or narrowed during the summit,” said Fatih Ceylan, a former Turkish ambassador to NATO and security analyst at the Ankara Policy Center. “We should not expect miracles, but nonetheless if there is a convergence of ideas emphasizing the importance of NATO, that should be seen as a success.”

Turkey’s role as host seems to have helped win an appearance by Trump, who has a close rapport with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Well, except for the fact that it was being held in Turkey by President Erdogan, I don’t think I would have gone to it,” he told reporters following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.

Turkey has often acted independently in NATO

In the runup to the summit, Erdogan has described Turkey as a reliable ally that consistently shoulders responsibility on NATO’s southeastern flank and would continue to play a leading role in the alliance. He said his country was working to ensure that the Ankara Summit “will stand as a reference point in NATO’s history.”

A NATO member since 1952, Turkey has the alliance’s second-largest army after the United States, a fast-growing defense industry, and occupies a strategic location the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East the Black Sea, and the Caucasus.

Yet it has often acted independently, frustrating allies by refusing to participate in sanctions on Russia, engaging in disputes with Greece, and purchasing Russian missile defense systems — a move that led to its expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 program in 2019.

Turkey also delayed Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership until it secured concessions on counter-terrorism cooperation and the lifting of arms export restrictions, and blocked the appointments of NATO chiefs Anders Fogh Rassmussen in 2009 and Mark Rutte in 2024 until other demands were met.

But Turkey’s independent streak has also enabled it to play a mediating role, from brokering a deal to ship grain across the Black Sea between Ukraine and Russia in 2022 to supporting recent initiatives aimed at ending the war in Iran.

Ankara too has at times been frustrated with its NATO allies, particularly over what it saw as the alliance’s lack of solidarity during a failed coup attempt in 2016, and the arms sales restrictions imposed on Turkey after its intervention in Syria.

Murat Aslan, an analyst at the Ankara-based SETA think tank, said Turkey learned to “play it alone” due to its turbulent relations with the United States and Europe, adding that Europe is now also talking about “strategic autonomy” from the U.S.

Turkey can help NATO navigate U.S.–Europe tensions by showing how to “balance” independence with alliance commitments, he said.

Ankara is tilting back toward the West

More recently, however, Turkey has leaned closer to NATO, whose importance was underscored during the Iran war when alliance missile defenses intercepted four missiles fired from Iran into Turkish territory. Weeks before the summit, Italy and Germany deployed air defense systems to help Turkey respond to heightened threats.

“Turkey wishes to distinguish itself as a foreign policy actor that is independent of NATO and the West,” wrote Hamish Kinnear, principal Middle East and North Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, in a note. “While Turkey is not abandoning its balancing approach, it is tilting closer to the West, primarily because of NATO.”

Authorities roll out strict security measures

In Ankara, strict access restrictions will be imposed on several of the city’s main arteries, around airports, the presidential complex where the summit will be held, and around hotels hosting the delegations, severely disrupting life in the city of nearly 6 million.

As the country prepares for the summit, Erdogan unveiled a new airport which was transformed from a former military airfield into a modern facility with expanded runways. The new Ankara Airport is expected to remain a VIP airport after the summit and is not expected to serve the general public, officials have said.

Facades of houses along the route from the new airport have been painted over as part of city beautification effort, the newspaper Cumhuriyet reported.

With a history of terrorist attacks, Turkey’s capital is no stranger to tight security, but the measures being taken in connection with NATO appear to go beyond the usual.

Authorities have also banned demonstrations, concerts, and graduation ceremonies during the summit, while non-essential state employees have been placed on leave to ease congestion.

Security units have detained more than 200 people suspected of links to extremist groups, including the Islamic State group, authorities said. Media reports said that several activists, lawyers and an academic were caught up in the sweep.

A Turkish court, meanwhile, blocked access to websites critical of NATO and the summit on security and public order grounds, according to Engelli Web, a website that tracks websites banned in Turkey. Several journalists from Turkish opposition-leaning media organizations were denied accreditation to cover the summit, sparking outrage from media rights groups.

“In the history of the organization, we have never witnessed security measures as stringent and suffocating in a host city for a summit as we are seeing this time in Ankara,” wrote Namik Tan, a former Turkish ambassador and legislator from Turkey’s main opposition party.

Personal trainer Selin Karakoc said she breathed a sigh of relief after she was told that her wedding on July 5 falls just before the start of the restrictions.

“Ours could be one of the last weddings in Ankara that week,” she joked.

The coastal town of Caraballeda in La Guaira is one of the hardest hit areas by the twin Venezuela earthquakes, where high-rise tower blocks have been reduced to a sea rubble.

Scores of rescue workers, many of them family members, are still desperately searching for their loved ones among the destruction.

The BBC’s Latin America correspondent Will Grant speaks to a 15-year-old boy looking for his brother.

A new arrival in Coronation Street sends shockwaves through Weatherfield, while the last new arrival continues to find himself in hot water next week.

Cassie Plummer’s (Claire Sweeney) world is imploding as, in an attempt to rid her relationship with Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) of Tracy Barlow’s (Kate Ford) toxic influence, she delivers an ill-fated proposal. Later, when Tyrone Dobbs’ (Alan Halsall) kids track down his biological father as a birthday gift, she’s faced with a hideous reminder of her past. Is Cassie about to completely self-destruct?

Abi Webster (Sally Carman-Duttine) is horrified when her young son ends up in hospital as a result of the mould in her flat. When she learns that her elusive landlord is Idris Nazir (Junade Khan), she begins to plot revenge, drafting in Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson), while Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) worries over Idris’ growing influence on Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey). Has Idris already burned all of his Weatherfield bridges?

Glenda Shuttleworth (Jodie Prenger) makes a shock discovery about her brother, George’s (Tony Maudsley) girlfriend, Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins) and immediately spills the tea to her brother, who confronts Christina. But what has Glenda found out?

Elsewhere, Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) struggles in the aftermath of the trial, Maria Connor’s (Samia Longchambon) distrust of Gary Windass (Mikey North) continues and Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) attempts to make the most of her remaining time in Weatherfield.

As usual, the football has caused some serious re-jiggery when it comes to our soaps, but also as usual, I’m on hand to help you keep track of what happens and when on the cobbles!

Sunday, July 5

A frustrated Abi has had enough as she calls her land lord over the worsening damp in her flat, lamenting to Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) that he never calls her back – and she doesn’t even know his name. Later, with Abi arrives in Speed Daal where Idris is, and as she calls her landlord again, his phone rings, and she realises they’re one in the same. Later, Abi tucks a poorly Alfie Franklin (Carter and Oakley Razak Townsend) into bed, unaware of the black mould growing behind his bed.

As an anxious Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) visits Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan), he’s heartened when Sam apologises for his earlier explosion, realising that his dad had his best intentions at heart and that he’s in the right place for the moment.

Elsewhere, Fiz Dobbs (Jennie McAlpine) catches a sneaky Hope and Ruby (Isabella Flanagan and Billie Naylor) plotting; as Cassie tries to get to the bottom of things, they refuse to play along and Ben Driscoll’s (Aaron McCusker) phone rings – the verdict on Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) is in and as the Driscolls enter the court room, the lead juror is ready to deliver the news.

Tuesday, July 7 – double episode

Abi and Kevin rush a suffering Alfie to A&E, and an anxious Idris is shocked to see the state of the flat and races to the hospital, where they’ll be keeping Alfie in ICU overnight. The doctor confirms that Abi needs to find a new place to live as the mould is the cause of Alfie’s breathing issues, and Leanne points out to Idris that the previous owner must have known about the mould. Abi later clocks Brody forcing a man into Idris’ car and reports back to Sally, who’s concerned when Brody later hands her some money.

Cassie is fed up of Tracy sticking her nose into her relationship with Steve. When Tyrone suggests that it’s just something she’ll have to live with if she truly loves Steve, Cassie’s having absolutely none of it and drops to one knee in the cab office, making an official proposal.

Meanwhile, as Hope attempts to ease Will Driscoll’s (Lucas Hodgson-Wale)  worry, he makes peace with Daniel, but he’s taken aback when Hope invites him to visit Sam at the hospital, while Christina lies to George to get out of a romantic dinner, and as George promises to make it up to Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) for ever suspecting her of killing Theo, Christina panics when she receives a phone call.

Wednesday, July 8

When Cassie spies Steve helping Tracy with a flower delivery, she decides to seek solace in a glass of vodka and heads to the Chariot Square. As she gets more and more drunk, she makes a pass at a bloke at the bar, just as Steve comes looking for her.

With her suspicions raised by Christina’s recent behaviour, Glenda goes rooting through her bag while she nips to the loo and is floored by what she finds inside.

Also, Idris is hit with two shocks, first when Abi tells him that she’ll be taking him to court, and second when he learns that Brody’s dad, Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), is a copper, Will announces that he’s giving up athletics, unwilling to deal with constant reminders of Megan and Fiz questions Hope and Ruby, who assure her they’re merely planning a nice surprise.

Friday, July 10 – double episode

Cassie returns home with plans to attend Tyrone’s birthday meal at the Bistro. She’s lifted when Steve reassures her that he wants to move past the previous few days and return to where they were, but she’s floored again when Hope and Ruby reveal that they’ve located Tyrone’s dad with a sample of DNA. Locating Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield), Tyrone’s dad, Cassie warns him that Tyrone won’t want anything to do with him, but her sees through her ploy and ends up flirting with Tracy. Tyrone and Cassie later find Ross, Steve and Tracy at Speed Daal and Cassie’s stomach turns when Tyrone softens toward his dad.

Following Glenda’s warnings, George trails Christina and finds her in a compromising position with a man. When she finally reveals the truth and just how much trouble she’s in, George advises her to come clean and pray for understanding from their loved ones.

Elsewhere, Adam agrees to take on Abi’s case against Idris, Maria sticks to her story when she’s questioned again by Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) and McLaughlin, though later slips when she admits to Kit, who’s been taken off the Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) case, that she’s sick of Gary’s secrets and Betsy watches Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) on his shift, determined to spend every minute together before she leaves for London.

MORE: Christina’s secret is exposed on Coronation Street – and her loved ones may not forgive

MORE: Brody confronts his dark side in Coronation Street as he commits kidnap

MORE: Tyrone gets the shock of his life in Coronation Street from Hope and Ruby

The United States national team has grown tired of hearing about its traditional shortcomings in World Cup knockout matches.

The Americans will look to change that narrative on Wednesday as they attempt to win their first World Cup elimination game in 24 years when they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 in Santa Clara, California.

The Americans last, and only, knockout win came on June 17, 2002, when they defeated Mexico 2-0 in the round of 16 in South Korea.

The good news for the Americans is they should have a healthy Christian Pulisic after the star missed the second game with a calf injury and played only 33 minutes as a sub in the final group match against Turkey.

“I feel good and ready to go for tomorrow,” Pulisic said.

The U.S. will once again play a knockout round match at a home World Cup in the San Francisco Bay area. The 1994 team made it out of group stage and faced Brazil at Stanford Stadium — less than 15 miles away from the site of this year’s game in Santa Clara — only to lose 1-0 to the eventual champions.

Since that round of 16 win over Mexico in 2002, the U.S. is 0-3 at that stage but are favored to advance against Bosnia, according to oddsmakers.

“We understand what it means, you win or you go home. There definitely needs to be a lot of focus and attention detail this week,” Pulisic said. “But I think the vibe feels good. We’ve still kept it light and we still are going to be ready to battle once the whistle blows.”

The U.S. has one win in 21 games against European teams with seven draws and 13 losses since making it back to the World Cup in 1990 for the first time in 40 years.

England will face Congo and Belgium will play Senegal in the other elimination games on Wednesday.

The round of 32 continues on Thursday with Spain playing Austria, Portugal taking on Croatia and Switzerland facing Algeria, and then concludes on Friday with Australia up against Egypt, Cape Verde playing Argentina and Colombia facing Ghana.

The eound of 16 begins on Saturday.

What to watch on June 30

— England vs. Congo, noon EDT in Atlanta (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Belgium vs. Senegal, 4 p.m. EDT in Seattle (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— United States vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 8 p.m. EDT in Santa Clara, California (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

England battling mounting injuries entering round of 32

Injuries are mounting for England, which is missing its first- and second-choice right backs for the round of 32 game against Congo.

Reece James is out with a hamstring injury and backup Jarrell Quansah twisted his ankle in England’s 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday.

It could see Djed Spence move over from the left to cover, but coach Thomas Tuchel is confident James and Quansah will both soon return — so long as England can advance beyond Congo.

“They’re getting closer and closer,” Tuchel said. “The race was close even to make it into my squad this time. So we need to make sure that we have more matches. That is the main focus, and then that will be very soon.”

Congo is playing in the knockout round of the World Cup for the first time. It already held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in the group stage and beat Uzbekistan to advance.

“It is true we are looking at a difficult match, but in no way insurmountable. We have proven this against teams that were supposed to be superior to us, that we could actually put in a good performance,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said. “So we are focusing on our strengths, we are walking our path and once you get to this point in the competition, it’s difficult for everyone.”

Bukayo Saka, who came into the tournament carrying an injury, is fit to start, Tuchel said.

US coach Mauricio Pochettino apologizes for curt tone to media after loss

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino opened his news conference on Tuesday by asking the media to forgive him for his curt tone following the U.S. team’s 3-2 loss to Turkey.

The loss came after the U.S. had clinched the top spot in the group.

“I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference,” Pochettino said. “I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat.”

Pochettino called out the media in the post-match news conference last week for not praising him and his team for having already won the group before the loss to Turkey.

“For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad,” Pochettino told reporters after the game.

Belgium looks to return to 2018 glory when it faces Senegal

By advancing to the knockout round atop Group G, Belgium has already improved upon its woeful performance at the World Cup four years ago.

After a historic third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Belgium did not advance past the group stage in Qatar. With its 5-1 victory over New Zealand on Friday night, Belgium has already achieved what coach Rudi Garcia expected at the bare minimum from his team.

Ahead of Wednesday’s knockout round match against Senegal, Garcia expressed satisfaction, as well as desire for more. Belgium won one game and played to two draws in group play.

“We wanted to finish first in the group stage and we succeeded,” Garcia said in French. “Of course we wanted to win more — we know the story of our World Cup so far. Now it is time for the knockout phase. Senegal is a big team. But, you have to beat them, too, if you want to go far in a World Cup.”

More World Cup news

— France forward Kylian Mbappé scores his 17th and 18th World Cup goals, one back of Lionel Messi

— Haaland scores deciding goal as Norway wins its 1st World Cup knockout game, beating Ivory Coast 2-1

— Netherlands coach Koeman resigns after penalty shootout loss marked team’s quickest World Cup exit

— Iran heads home after a heartbreaking World Cup knockout, but fans say players should be proud

— False hope and schadenfreude: Familiar feelings for Germany after another World Cup flop

— World Cup in photos, Day 20

Stat of the day

— Prior to Monday’s loss to Paraguay on penalty kicks, Germany had been 17 for 18 in World Cup shootouts and had converted 15 in a row. In the 1982 semifinals, Uli Stielike was blocked by France goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ettore with Germany’s third shot. But Germany made its next three and won 5-4. Germany was 4-for-4 in the 1986 quarterfinals against Mexico, 4-for-4 in the 1990 semifinals against England, and 4-for-4 in the 2006 quarterfinals against Argentina — winning all of those contests.

___

AP Sports Writers Josh Dubow, James Dobson and Andrew Destin contributed to this report. ___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Serena Williams’ daughters and husband watched on with a smile yesterday – even as the tennis legend bowed out of Wimbledon Singles. 

For almost two and a half hours, Centre Court dared to dream that Williams had one more miracle left in her. 

Instead, the seven-time champion’s long-awaited return ended in first-round defeat as Australia’s Maya Joint held her nerve to win 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3. 

Even then, the 44-year-old star still had a smile on her face as she waved to adoring fans, friends and family as they cheered her off the court. 

Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian was seen clapping with their daughters Adira, two, and eight-year-old Olympia at his side. The girls beamed as they watched their mum. 

Sister Venus wasn’t far away, cheering her younger sibling on.   

Four years after many assumed they had seen her final singles appearance at the All England Club, Williams walked back through the famous gates to a reception befitting one of the sport’s greatest ever players.

From the moment she stepped onto Centre Court, she was greeted by a standing ovation that rippled through the 15,000-strong crowd. 

The seven-time champion’s husband remained by her side on Tuesday night, living every point with trademark intensity, while daughters Olympia and Adira were also part of the occasion as their mother returned to the stage

Williams was edged out by the 20-year-old rising star, Maya Joint, who delivered a composed, mature performance beyond her years to secure the biggest win of her career

Advertisement

Every winner drew a roar. Every shift in momentum was seized upon by spectators desperate to will her towards another famous comeback.

Ultimately, though, the physical demands of top-level singles tennis after four years away proved too much.

And Williams was edged out by the 20-year-old rising star, who delivered a composed, mature performance beyond her years to secure the biggest win of her career.

There were familiar faces watching from Williams’ courtside box, but life has changed considerably since she last played singles here in 2022.

Not only has she welcomed a second child with husband Alexis but she had also co-founded a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team and danced at the Super Bowl.

Williams is now also a fashion red carpet regular, attending her tenth Met Gala in May wearing a Marc Jacobs minidress with gladiator heels, to support her sister Venus – co-chair of the event.

She’s also written a children’s book, something she has in common with the Duchess of Sussex, to whom she was at one point very close.

And more recently she has been open about using the skinny jab Zepbound, which is similar to Mounjaro – quickly becoming one of the most famous celebrities to endorse the controversial weight loss drug.

On Oprah Winfrey’s podcast last August, Williams said she had not wanted to take ‘the shortcut’, but she was not losing weight after her two pregnancies through training alone.

‘I couldn’t beat the weight. It was the one opponent I couldn’t beat,’ she said.

Ohanian remained by her side on Tuesday night, living every point with trademark intensity, while their daughters were also part of the occasion as their mother returned to the stage where she built so much of her sporting legacy.

Sister Venus, who will partner Serena in the doubles later this week, was also among those cheering every point.

But for Williams, this was never simply another first-round match. It was a return to the place where she became a global sporting icon, winning seven singles titles and six women’s doubles crowns alongside Venus.

The Centre Court crowd knew it too. They rose as one when she emerged, creating an atmosphere that felt more like a celebration than the first round of a Grand Slam.

At 44, and making her first Wimbledon singles appearance in 1,462 days, there were inevitable questions about what remained of the explosive power and movement that once intimidated an entire generation. Early on, those concerns appeared justified.

Joint, ranked world No. 87, settled quickly. The Australian’s crisp groundstrokes repeatedly exposed Williams in longer rallies, and once she secured the crucial break midway through the opening set she rarely looked troubled, taking it 6-3 with impressive composure.

Yet those expecting the former champion to quietly fade away underestimated the competitive instinct that has defined her career.

Williams gradually found her timing, serving with greater authority and unleashing flashes of the thunderous hitting that once made her virtually untouchable on grass.

The second set became vintage Serena in spirit if not always execution.

Twice she recovered from a break down to drag herself back into contention, with Centre Court willing her forward, she saved a match point before forcing a tie-break, then somehow summoned enough quality to edge it 8-6.

Venus Williams is pictured ahead of watching her sister Serena Williams take on Maya Joint on day two of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships

Williams waves to the crowd after losing her first round match; smiling even as she bowed out of Wimbledon Singles

Serena Williams’ family including husband Alexis Ohanian, their two daughters Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. and Adira River Ohanian watch her play

Those expecting the former champion to quietly fade away underestimated the competitive instinct that has defined her career

Advertisement

Despite the weight of expectation pressing down from every corner of Centre Court, the Australian reset impressively in the deciding set

The noise when Joint’s final return drifted long was among the loudest heard all tournament, as 15,000 spectators dared to dream that one final Wimbledon comeback might still be unfolding before their eyes.

For a few magical minutes, time appeared suspended.

But greatness in sport also means recognising the next generation, and Joint refused to become overawed by either the occasion or the opponent standing across the net.

Despite the weight of expectation pressing down from every corner of Centre Court, the Australian reset impressively in the deciding set. 

She continued to target Williams’ movement, absorbing the crowd’s energy without allowing it to rattle her concentration.

Williams continued to fight, chasing every ball and refusing to surrender – even as fatigue inevitably crept in after almost two and a half hours of intense competition.

Ultimately, however, the physical demands of singles tennis after four years away proved too great.

Joint secured the decisive break before serving out one of the biggest victories of her young career, sealing a result she is unlikely ever to forget.

There was disappointment, especially as Williams had spoken before the tournament about embracing the opportunity to return, admitting she did not know whether Wimbledon would ever come calling again.

Yet defeat hardly diminished the occasion.

Williams graciously shakes hands with Australia’s Maya Joint. While her singles campaign may be over, Wimbledon is not quite finished with Williams

Advertisement

Serena Williams will return this Thursday in a doubles pair with her sister, Venus

For long stretches, Williams reminded everyone why she became a seven-time Wimbledon champion. The serve still carried menace. The competitive fire still burned fiercely. Most importantly, the resilience that made her one of sport’s defining champions never deserted her.

And while her singles campaign may be over, Wimbledon is not quite finished with Williams.

As she will return this Thursday in a doubles pair with Venus.

The Williams sisters remain the most successful doubles partnership of the modern era.

Together they have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six Wimbledon crowns, and completed the career Golden Slam by winning Olympic gold four times.

Their dominance helped redefine women’s doubles, with their combination of power, athleticism and instinctive understanding making them virtually unbeatable at their peak.

It will be the first time they have competed together at Wimbledon for a decade and offers fans another opportunity to watch two of the tournament’s most iconic champions share Centre Court once more.

Gene Wilder fans are in uproar after Netflix revealed that an AI recreation of the late actor’s voice is being used for their new competition show, Wonka’s The Golden Ticket.

The streaming service bills the show, which is set to be released September 23, as a “one-of-a-kind reality competition” where “lucky players step inside Wonka’s Chocolate Factory to face unpredictable games, tests and temptations.”

A new trailer for the series features an AI-generated voiceover created to sound like Wilder, who famously starred as Wonka in the much-loved 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Wilder died in 2016 at the age of 83.

In the teaser clip, a recreation of Wilder’s voice can be heard saying: “For the first time in decades, I’m opening my beloved chocolate factory… A whole new generation of real life golden ticket holders will compete for a life-changing prize, or say a most unfortunate goodbye.”

The reveal of the AI-generated voice has failed to spark wonder with fans of Wilder or the 1971 film. One wrote on X: “Gene is rolling in his grave.”

Another opined that the AI voice “almost sounds like gene wilder, but not really and is a plastic substitute that people will eat up because the robots have made them stupid, This is an obscenity.”

A third added: “Someone should have voiced this better, the ai voice lacks emotion, no soul no depth.”

While another wrote: “WORST VERSION OF HIS VOICE! WTAF… you couldn’t go with more than one take from the AI bot?! I could probably piece together an amalgamation of just things genes said in movies and get a smoother more natural dialogue feels… he said ‘extraordinary’ entirely WRONG… rip Gene.”

Wilder quit feature films in 1991, decades before his death.

In his final interview, the actor said he left Hollywood behind because he “didn’t want to do the kind of junk I was seeing.”

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day

New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Advertisement

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day

New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

“I didn’t want to do 3D, for instance,” he continued. “I didn’t want to do ones where it’s just bombing and loud and swearing. So much swearing going on. If someone says ‘Ah, go f*** yourself,’ well, if it came from a meaningful place, I’d understand it. But if you go to some movies, can’t they just stop and talk, just talk, instead of swearing? That put me off a lot.”

Tim Burton’s version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was also dismissed by Wilder.

“I think it’s an insult,” he said of the reboot. “Johnny Depp, I think, is a good actor, but I don’t care for that director. He’s a talented man, but I don’t care for him doing stuff like he did.”

Though he also gave memorable performances in several Mel Brooks comedies, Wilder is perhaps best remembered for his outlandish turn as Wonka, typified by this classic, nightmarish tunnel boat ride scene.