Five circles in Olympics colors: blue, gold, black, green, red.

Brittney Griner grateful to bring home Olympic gold for U.S.

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Brittney Griner composed herself in the restroom. All she needed was a moment before she was ready to celebrate.

Then the opening notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner” played. Tears streamed down Griner’s face as she stood on top of the medal stand with her third Olympic gold medal around her neck.

2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games

“This gold medal is going to hold a special place amongst the two others I was fortunate to win,” Griner said.

In her first international tournament since returning from a nearly 10-month detention in Russia, Griner helped the United States to a historic eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. After being released through a prisoner swap, receiving letters from fans worldwide and getting the opportunity to return to basketball, Griner had a feeling her eyes would start to water a little bit on the podium if the United States won. But the depth of emotion she felt as she wiped tears from her eyes after the anthem seemed to surprise even her.

“My country fought for me to get back and I was able to bring home gold for my country,” Griner said. “There’s just no greater feeling being here on the highest stage that you can be on.”

American Brittney Griner wipes a tear after hearing the national anthem

American Brittney Griner wipes a tear after hearing the national anthem following the United States’ Olympic gold-medal win at Bercy Arena Sunday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Griner averaged 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds off the bench during the Olympics. She scored four points in the final that came down to the final shot as the United States survived for a one-point victory over France. No matter how much she played throughout the tournament, Griner was energetic and engaged with her teammates, encouraging them on the sideline in timeouts and hyping them up on the court.

“When you think of someone that’s a warrior, that’s a trooper, that’s going to be there no matter what and is going to be consistent and a true professional, it’s BG,” Olympic most valuable player A’ja Wilson said. “She showed that tonight. She shows that always.”

Griner has made her reintegration to everyday life look seamless. She returned in December 2022 and appeared at major events, including the Met Gala and the Super Bowl. She was back on the court for the beginning of the 2023 WNBA season and played in 31 games while averaging 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds. She published a book detailing her experience in the penal colony where she worked making military uniforms.

But U.S. head coach Cheryl Reeve knew she needed to keep checking on Griner. Griner was supposed to participate in the team’s Olympic qualifier games in Belgium in February, but she “maybe just needed a little more time,” Reeve said.

“More than what she thought.”

Boarding the international flight was a big moment for Griner, longtime teammate Diana Taurasi said. The first train ride, Griner said, was difficult. The last train she rode overseas was a prison train.

“When you see BG around the team, her outward [looks like] she’s OK,” Reeve said. “You know that inside, there’s a lot going on there, but she always presents as her very best version of herself despite all that she’s been through. And she is thankful to be here.

Reeve repeated it for emphasis: “She is so thankful to be here.”

Griner credits therapy for helping her get back onto the court. She praised her teammates for support throughout the Olympics in France, which began in Lille, a city near the northern French border near Belgium, and ended in Paris where the team played three knockout rounds.

After surviving the toughest test of them all — a physical France team fueled by its home crowd — Griner hugged her wife, Cherelle. She plans to celebrate the win by taking a photo of the couple’s newborn son with the gold medal. Then Griner will get back to work.

The Phoenix Mercury return from the WNBA Olympic break with back-to-back games on Aug. 16-17.


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‘Pokémon’ Voice Actor For Misty & Jessie From Team Rocket Was 46

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Rachael Lillis, voice actor for Pokémon’s Misty and Team Rocket’s Jessie, has died. She was 46.

Lillis died on August 10 after being diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2024. Her Pokémon co-star, Veronica Taylor, shared a post on social media following Lillis’ death.

“We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played. She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills,” Taylor, who voices Ash Ketchum in the animé series, shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

In a statement, Taylor added, “Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing. She will be forever remembered for the many animated roles she played, with her iconic performances as Pokémon’s Misty and Jessie being the most beloved.”

“Rachael was so thankful for all of the generous love and support that was given to her as she battled with cancer,” the statement continued. “It truly made a positive difference. Her family also wishes to thank you as they take this time to grieve privately. A memorial is being planned for a future date. With love, Veronica.”

In follow-up posts on X, Taylor noted that she “was lucky enough to know Rachael as a friend.”

“She had unlimited kindness and compassion, even until the very end. She had a great sense of humor, was wonderful to be with, incredibly intelligent, and had such a memory. She worked hard and cared deeply,” Taylor added.

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“I am not sure how this very dark void will be filled now that her light no longer shines in it. Like the shooting stars in the Perseids, Rachael was a magnificent wonder and truly special. She burned bright and vanished too soon. She will live on in our memories for eternity.”

Lillis also voiced Intress in Chaotic, Thalia in Shadow of the Elves, Jigglypuff in Pokémon, Natalie in Ape Escape 2, Ursula in Dinosaur King, Hela in Cubix — Robots for Everyone, Faragonda in Winx Club, Ohno in Genshiken, and Martina in Slayers Next, among many others.




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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Cincinnati Bengals Team Score, Highlights, Updates, Schedule, Live Blog

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles spoke to the media the Sunday after the Bucs’ 17-14 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in Preseason Week 1. 2024 Training Camp practice. HC Bowles discussed how the two centers played during the game, being pleased with the ground game, his thoughts on the pass rush and the tightening competition in the WR room.


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Diana Taurasi Had Perfect Joke After Getting Benched in Team USA’s Gold Medal Win

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Diana Taurasi wrote herself into history after earning her sixth Olympic gold medal in the U.S. women’s basketball team’s 67-66 win over France on Sunday, but she didn’t exactly play herself into it.

Taurasi, who surpassed former American teammate Sue Bird for most gold medals in Olympic basketball history, was benched for the entirety of the title match. The 42-year-old sat and watched her teammates help clinch the program’s historic eighth consecutive Olympic gold at the Paris Games, with A’ja Wilson and Kahleah Copper putting together efficient performances against a pesky French side.

After the win, Taurasi was asked how it felt to one-up Bird and become Team USA’s reigning leader in Olympic basketball gold medals. 

“Yeah, it’s the only reason I came,” Taurasi said. “It’s funny cause we scored the same amount of points today.”

Though Taurasi didn’t get any time on the court on Sunday, her veteran presence was unmatched this tournament. Since Taurasi’s Olympic debut in the 2004 Athens Games, she has won every game at the Olympics that she’s competed in (44 of Team USA’s current record-setting 61-game win streak). She is the only American basketball player, men’s or women’s, to play in six Olympics, let alone earn six gold medals. 

Despite Taurasi’s storied legacy, many fans on social media still wondered if Team USA would have been better off bringing a younger playmaker, such as Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, to compete in Paris. 

Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer with 10,447 career points and counting with the Phoenix Mercury, previously confirmed that the 2024 Paris Olympics will be her last Games. Just as she eclipsed Bird chasing down the all-time Olympic basketball gold medal record this summer, someone will be chasing her, now.




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Biden convenes national security team as fears of Iran attack grow

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White House/ X President Joe Biden sits in the Situation Room with national security officialsWhite House/ X

US President Joe Biden met his senior national security team on Monday as concerns of a possible Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel grew.

Mr Biden said he had been briefed on preparations to support Israel should it be attacked, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken said officials were working “around the clock” to prevent an escalation.

Tensions have risen over the last week following the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh, for which Iran has blamed Israel and vowed “severe” retaliation. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination.

Numerous countries, including the US and UK, have also told their citizens to leave Lebanon, from where it is feared Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and political movement, could play a role in any response.

During Monday’s briefing, Mr Biden was told the timing and nature of an Iranian attack remained unclear, according to US news site Axios. A day earlier, Mr Blinken reportedly told his G7 counterparts that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel within 24 to 48 hours.

In a statement released after the briefing, Mr Biden said: “We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again.”

He added that steps were being taken to respond to attacks on US forces “in a manner and place of our choosing”. On Monday, several US personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack on a US military base in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Mr Blinken said officials were “engaged in intense diplomacy pretty much around the clock with a very simple message: All parties must refrain from escalation”.

“Escalation is not in anyone’s interests. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity,” he said.

He added that a ceasefire would “unlock possibilities for more enduring calm not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where the conflict can spread”.

“It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Biden spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan about “efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal”, a statement from the White House said.

A joint statement from the G7 also expressed “deep concern at the heightened level of tension in the Middle East which threatens to ignite a broader conflict in the region”.

“No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East,” it said.

Talks that had brought renewed hope of a ceasefire deal to end the conflict in Gaza have faltered following the events of recent weeks.

On 27 July, 12 children and teenagers were killed in a strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel accused Hezbollah of carrying out the strike, though Hezbollah denied any involvement.

Days later, Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah military commander, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Four others, including two children, were also killed.

Hours later, Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Haniyeh was killed in a “strong blast” caused by a “short-range projectile” fired from outside a house where he was staying while visiting the capital, Tehran.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that the killing would have a “negative impact on the ongoing negotiations”.

Israel has not commented on the assassination, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said afterwards that Israel had delivered “crushing blows” to Iran’s proxy groups in recent days.

Following the killings in Lebanon and Iran, the IRGC said Israel would receive a “severe punishment at the appropriate time, place and manner”, while Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the conflict had entered a “new phase”.

It is the closest the conflict has come to escalation since April, when Iran fired some 300 drones and missiles at Israel in response to an Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria that killed a number of senior military commanders.

Flights suspended

On Monday, Jordan asked all airlines planning to land at its airports to carry an additional 45 minutes’ worth of fuel, a move thought to be a precaution in case Jordan has to close its airspace in the event of a regional conflict.

German flag carrier Lufthansa has suspended all flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Beirut until and including 12 August.

US airline Delta has also paused flights to Tel Aviv until at least 31 August “due to ongoing conflict in the region”.

The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Lebanon and has urged British citizens in the country to leave.

It also advises against all travel to the northern area of Israel that shares a border with Lebanon.

The conflict in Gaza began following the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas and other militant groups, which saw around 1,200 people killed and another 251 taken back to Gaza as hostages.

Since the launch of Israel’s retaliatory ground invasion in Gaza, more than 39,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces have also exchanged near-daily attacks since the conflict began, with hundreds of people killed and thousands displaced on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.

Hezbollah and Hamas are both backed by Iran and form part of what Iran calls the “axis of resistance”, a loose alliance of militant and political groups across the region that oppose Israel and its key ally, the US.


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Team USA | “Mondo” Duplantis Shatters World Record, Defends Gold Medal, As Sam Kendricks Soars To Silver

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“I hate that we lost him to Sweden, I wish we could get him back to American one of these days,” Kendricks says, half-jokingly, about Duplantis, who grew partially in Louisiana and part-time in Sweden, as a dual citizen.

It seemed like ages prior to his records – his Olympic record on his first attempt, and the world record on number three – that Duplantis locked up his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, after Kendricks bid adieu to the three-hour competition following three unsuccessful attempts at 6.00m.

An Improvement from Rio 2016 And Redemption After Tokyo

2020


For the 31-year-old American from Oxford, Mississippi, his silver medal comes eight years after he won his first Olympic medal – a bronze medal at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

“At the end of the day, I’m on the track, I’m bleeding, and the end of the story is Mondo set the world record, but I snared myself a silver medal along the way,” Kendricks said, showing his hand to reporters, while referring to spiking his hand on his first 6.00m attempt.

Kendricks’ stellar performance is redemption, coming three years after he was sent into quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test at Tokyo 2020, forcing the six-time U.S. national champion to miss the Olympic pole vault competition in Japan.

“A great man once told me that you don’t go to the Olympics to win,” Kendricks said. “You go to represent. Team USA, we fight for the privilege just to wear this flag. It’s a hard-fought privilege. Tokyo (2020) hurts.

Kendricks found himself behind eight ball after he missed an awkward-looking first try at 5.85m. As Duplantis and four of his buddies and competitors sailed over the height, the two-time world champion was forced to pass the height and take his chances at 5.90m. He stood in sixth place, with a large hill to climb.

“It’s a risk-based event – you have to kind of guess what is going to happen in the end because your efforts in the beginning make such an impact,” Kendricks explained.

“Making a pass is actually a move I pulled eight years ago in Rio – I missed 5.75m on my first attempt and passed to 5.85m, clearing it on a first because I knew my next jump would be a good one and put me in medal position.”


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Teammates celebrate with Sophia Smith after her opening goal against Germany.

U.S. women’s soccer team goes for gold after 1-0 semifinal win against Germany

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The U.S. women’s national soccer team continued its undefeated streak at this year’s Olympics with a 1-0 win against Germany on Tuesday to advance into the gold medal match on Saturday.

The American team has not lost to Germany in an international tournament for two straight decades. But this was a much tougher game for the U.S. squad than just a week earlier when the women clobbered the European team in a 4-1 game in the group stage.

Germany’s hunger for national glory was on full display on the pitch as the team forced the Americans into a much more chaotic game. Under coach Emma Hayes, the U.S. squad has been leading an aggressive but controlled offense that has found them overall success at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Teammates celebrate with Sophia Smith after her opening goal against Germany.Silvia Izquierdo / AP

But the Europeans played a confrontational game, raking up fouls as the Germans remained on the attack to obstruct opportunities from young American forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson. At one point a rough, but legal, tackle in the second half left Rodman on the ground for several minutes as onlookers feared an injury.  

Germany appeared ready for the forwards, who have led the team in goals so far, because the trio was constantly outnumbered and blocked as they tried to set up scoring plays. 

Hayes layered the offense with experience in her starting line. This meant that team veterans Rose Lavelle, Lindsay Horan and Crystal Dunn took on more of a role than in prior games when the young forwards were able to find space to score. 

Dunn blocked several German attempts at the U.S. goal while Lavelle and Horan found multiple opportunities at the opposing net. 

Germany's Marina Hegering fights for the ball with Sophia Smith of the U.S.
Germany’s Marina Hegering fights for the ball with Sophia Smith.Silvia Izquierdo / AP

It was a scoreless game at the end of regulation, forcing the game into another 30 minutes of extra time. 

Smith and Swanson finally broke through five minutes into extra time to score, Swanson assisting Smith in her third goal of the Olympics. 

Rodman 22, along with Smith, 23, and Swanson, 26, have been a defining feature of this new era of the U.S. women’s national team so far. Each have scored three of Team USA’s 11 goals so far and have been involved in 10 of those scoring plays in these Olympic matches.

Fans and game analysts have tried to give the trio a variety of names, starting with “The Big Three” but seemingly landing on the “Trident.”


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The U.S.'s Mallory Swanson fights for the ball during the women's semifinal soccer match between the United States and Germany at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Tuesday at Lyon Stadium in Decines, France.

U.S. women’s soccer team goes for gold after downing Germany : NPR

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The U.S. women’s soccer team defeated Germany 1-0 to advance to its first gold medal match at the Olympics since 2012. The U.S. team’s Mallory Swanson fights for the ball during the semifinal match on Tuesday at Lyon Stadium in Decines, France.

Laurent Cipriani/AP


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Laurent Cipriani/AP

NPR is in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. For more of our coverage from the games head to our latest updates.

PARIS — It took some extra time. But the U.S. women’s national soccer team is back in business and will play for gold at the Olympics.

Several women from the U.S. Women's National Team practice soccer on a green soccer field. A few are wearing orange vests that say

The U.S. defeated fourth-ranked Germany 1-0 in a semifinal rematch in Lyon. It was scoreless after 90 tense minutes of regulation. But in the 95th minute of extra time, Sophia Smith put the Americans on the board with a sweet shot that darted beyond the reach of the charging German goalkeeper.

Germany was hobbled by the absence of two attackers: captain Alexandra Popp, who was sick, and forward Lea Schüller, who was injured.

The U.S. is the most decorated team in Olympic history. It’s won the most gold and most medals in the history of the Games (four gold, a silver and a bronze). But the U.S. missed the medal round in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and had to settle for bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

At the Paris Olympics, the fifth-ranked U.S. sailed through the group stage with victories over Zambia, Germany and Australia. In the quarterfinals, the U.S. had a tougher time against Japan. The two sides didn’t score in regulation and it was Trinity Rodman’s spectacular extra time goal that gave the Americans a 1-0 victory.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S. competes in a women's 400-meter hurdles heat at the Paris Olympics on Sunday in Saint-Denis, France.

Against Germany, a team the U.S. beat 4-1 last week, the semifinal was a lot closer.

At halftime it was 0-0, but it was a first half dominated by the Americans. While the Germans surprisingly didn’t register a single shot, Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan, Tierna Davidson and Sophia Smith all had shots on goal.

It wasn’t until the 62nd minute that the U.S. had its best chance to score. Forward Mallory Swanson zipped by the German goalkeeper and pushed the shot into the side netting as two defenders converged on her. Swanson, who assisted Smith’s game-winning strike, has scored three goals in four matches in this tournament.

The U.S. entered these Olympics with a new coach, a younger roster and a new attitude. Coach Emma Hayes took over in May and still hasn’t lost a game (8W-0L-1D). Six of the victories have been by shutout.

The U.S. will play for the gold medal on Saturday in Paris against either Brazil or Spain.


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US President Joe Biden. PHOTO/@POTUS/X

Biden convenes national security team as fears of Iran attack grow

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US President Joe Biden met his senior national security team on Monday as concerns grew of a possible Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel.

Biden said he had been briefed on preparations to support Israel should it be attacked, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken said officials were working “around the clock” to prevent an escalation.

Tensions have risen over the last week following the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh, for which Iran has blamed Israel and vowed “severe” retaliation. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination.

Numerous countries, including the US and UK, have also told their citizens to leave Lebanon, where it is feared Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and political movement, could play a role in any response.

During Monday’s briefing, Biden was told the timing and nature of an Iranian attack remained unclear, according to US news site Axios. A day earlier, Blinken reportedly told his G7 counterparts that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel within 24 to 48 hours.

In a statement released after the briefing, Biden said: “We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again.”

He added that steps were being taken to respond to attacks on US forces “in a manner and place of our choosing”. On Monday, several US personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack on a US military base in western Iraq.

US President Joe Biden. PHOTO/@POTUS/X

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Blinken said officials were “engaged in intense diplomacy pretty much around the clock with a very simple message: All parties must refrain from escalation”.

“Escalation is not in anyone’s interests. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity,” he said.

He added that a ceasefire would “unlock possibilities for more enduring calm not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where the conflict can spread”.

“It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead,” he said.

His words came after Mr Biden spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan earlier in the day. They discussed “their efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal,” a statement from the White House said.

A joint statement from the G7 also expressed “deep concern at the heightened level of tension in the Middle East which threatens to ignite a broader conflict in the region”.

“No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East,” it said.

Talks that had brought renewed hope of a ceasefire deal to end the conflict in Gaza have faltered following the events of recent weeks.

On 27 July, 12 children and teenagers were killed in a strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel accused Hezbollah of carrying out the strike, though Hezbollah denied any involvement.

Days later, Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah military commander, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Four others, including two children, were also killed.

US President Biden. PHOTO/@POTUS/X
US President Biden. PHOTO/@POTUS/X

Hours later, Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Haniyeh was killed in a “strong blast” caused by a “short-range projectile” fired from outside a house where he was staying while visiting the capital, Tehran.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that the killing would have a “negative impact on the ongoing negotiations”.

Israel has not commented on the assassination, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said afterwards that Israel had delivered “crushing blows” to Iran’s proxy groups in recent days.

Following the killings in Lebanon and Iran, the IRGC said Israel would receive a “severe punishment at the appropriate time, place and manner”, while Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the conflict had entered a “new phase”.

It is the closest the conflict has come to escalation since April, when Iran fired some 300 drones and missiles at Israel in response to an Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria that killed a number of senior military commanders.

Flights suspended

On Monday, Jordan asked all airlines planning to land at its airports to carry an additional 45 minutes’ worth of fuel, a move thought to be a precaution in case Jordan has to close its airspace in the event of a regional conflict.

German flag carrier Lufthansa has suspended all flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Beirut until and including 12 August.

US airline Delta has also paused flights to Tel Aviv until at least 31 August “due to ongoing conflict in the region”.

The Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Lebanon and has urged British citizens in the country to leave.

It also advises against all travel to the northern area of Israel that shares a border with Lebanon.

The conflict in Gaza began following the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas and other militant groups, which saw around 1,200 people killed and another 251 taken back to Gaza as hostages.

Since the launch of Israel’s retaliatory ground invasion in Gaza, more than 39,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces have also exchanged near-daily attacks since the conflict began, with hundreds of people killed and thousands displaced on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.

Hezbollah and Hamas are both backed by Iran and form part of what Iran calls the “axis of resistance”, a loose alliance of militant and political groups across the region that oppose Israel and its key ally, the US.


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Bobby Finke, U.S. women’s relay team set world records to end Olympic swimming

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NANTERRE, France — Bobby Finke and the U.S. women set world records in the 1,500-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley on Sunday, adding final touches of glory for Americans, who suffered a relative collapse in the gold market but still took home the most medals from this quadrennial swim meet.

The U.S. made 28 visits to the Paris La Défense Arena podium, but Americans were only on the top step eight times.

While both numbers were more than any other nation, it was a slight step back by supremely high U.S. standards.

American swimmers scored 30 medals and 11 golds in Tokyo (2020); 33 and 16 in Rio (2016); 30 and 16 in London (2012); 31 and 12 in Beijing (2008); 28 and 12 in Athens (2004); and 33 and 14 in Sydney (2000).

No American man had won an individual gold this meet until Finke set his world mark.

The Florida native, who also won the 1,500 in Tokyo, kept a remarkable streak alive: At least one American man has won an individual swimming gold in every Olympics since 1904, with the exception of the 1980 Moscow boycott.

Finke’s record (14:30.67) was set in the last individual race of the meet.

“The whole ‘the men’s team hasn’t won an individual gold medal’ [narrative] was in the back of my mind,” he told reporters. “I was putting pressure on myself to try to get it done again.” 

The quartet of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske finished the swim meet in style, clocking in at 3:49.62 to win the 4×100 medley relay in dominating fashion.

That American win came moments after one of the most exciting races of the meet, when the Chinese men rallied to grab gold away from the United States in the 4×100 medley, a race the U.S. has won in 15 out of the 16 finals before Sunday night.

The U.S. and France were neck and neck headed into the freestyle before Pan Zhanle’s time of 45.92 slipped China to the front.

The U.S. team of Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Caeleb Dressel and Hunter Armstrong took silver and France the bronze.

While the U.S. and Australia are the most recognizable swimming powers, Dressel said he was impressed by swimmers from Italy, France and China who are on America’s heels.

“The wealth is just getting spread around, we’re not getting any worse,” said Dressel, who took home two golds and a silver from these Games. “It’s good for the sport to have the whole world involved.”


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