All posts tagged: brink

Cape Verde’s historic World Cup ride ends after pushing Argentina to the brink : NPR

Cape Verde’s historic World Cup ride ends after pushing Argentina to the brink : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) is scored on by Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. Lynne Sladky/AP hide caption toggle caption Lynne Sladky/AP MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — All that Vozinha wanted out of this World Cup was for his mother to see him play. He got that — and so much more. Cape Verde didn’t win a match at the World Cup, and somehow, that didn’t seem to matter. The African team’s debut on this stage was unforgettable, thanks largely to the 40-year-old goalkeeper who nearly engineered a soccer story that would have been counted among the greatest upsets in sports history. Cape Verde’s magical ride ended Friday in the Round of 32, with the Blue Sharks falling to Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion Argentina — as most expected. Final score: Champions 3, Cinderellas 2, in extra time — as probably very few expected. “We have dignified Cape Verde as a national team in …

Argentina, Messi pushed to the brink by Cape Verde and its 40-year-old goalkeeper

Argentina, Messi pushed to the brink by Cape Verde and its 40-year-old goalkeeper

Published by Sam Flores

Since this World Cup began, how many people have learned about Cape Verde, the small nation off the west coast of Africa? In its opening match, Cape Verde introduced itself with a draw against mighty Spain. Then it recorded another against Uruguay and another against Saudi Arabia, making it the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup’s knockout round. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading. Its reward? A date with Argentina in the round of 32. The Cape Verde-vs.-Argentina match was billed as a re-imagining of David vs. Goliath. It marked the largest discrepancy in world rankings between two teams in the knockout round ever, with Argentina ranked second and Cape Verde 64th. Argentina ultimately won 3-2 in extra time, grinding out a victory in a thrilling match. Argentina scored twice in extra time, with the winner coming courtesy of a Diney Borges own goal in the 111th minute. For most of Friday night, though, the game boiled to a contest between two …

Ex-armed forces chief warns UK armed forces ‘on brink of disaster’ | UK | News

Ex-armed forces chief warns UK armed forces ‘on brink of disaster’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Britain’s armed forces are teetering on the “brink of disaster” owing to chronic underinvestment, the former head of the Royal Navy has warned. Lord West of Spithead, who commanded the force for four years in the early 2000s, called on the Government to set out precisely how it intends to raise the funds for the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan. He was amongst a number of peers who rounded on the current state of the armed forces, as their former chief, Lord Stirrup, cautioned that an inadequate funding announcement would perpetuate decades of “hollowing out” of the services. Meanwhile, Lib Dem peer Lord Lee of Trafford, a former defence minister, declared that the condition of the Royal Navy is a “national embarrassment”. The Government has confirmed that the Defence Investment Plan (Dip), which will outline long-term funding and strategy for the armed forces, will be published ahead of the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month. Defence minister Lord Coaker acknowledged the shortcomings, conceding that the Government ought to have done more to convince the public …

Four London tech start-ups on the brink of unicorn status

Four London tech start-ups on the brink of unicorn status

Published by Sam Flores

Shop Circle, founded in 2021 by Luca Cartechini and Gian Maria Gramondi (pictured top), is a serial shopper for tech: it buys ecommerce software firms, then modernises them by adding AI to automate HR, marketing and finance tasks to boost profitability. The firm, which has its headquarters in Paddington, has bought 16 companies over the past four years, raised more than $200 million (£148 million) from backers including Founders Factory and QED Investors and has 200,000 customers using it to run their operations. Source link

Trump issues chilling 6 word warning to Iran as peace deal on brink | World | News

Trump issues chilling 6 word warning to Iran as peace deal on brink | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Donald Trump has sent a chilling six word warning to Iran (Image: Getty) Donald Trump has issued a new chilling six word warning to Iran as a peace deal between Washington and Tehran teeters on the edge. The US President suggested military action could resume if Tehran failed to agree to Washington’s demands over its nuclear programme. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, the US President warned military action could resume if negotiations with Tehran fail to produce a breakthrough over Iran’s nuclear programme. Mr Trump said: “Iran very much wants to make a deal. So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that, or we’ll have to finish the job.” The stark warning came as senior US officials insisted diplomacy remained the preferred route, despite growing fears the conflict could spiral further if talks collapse. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Cabinet meeting the administration was still pushing for a negotiated settlement with Iran and claimed “some progress” had already …

Iran sends huge 2-word warning to Trump as US peace talks on the brink | World | News

Iran sends huge 2-word warning to Trump as US peace talks on the brink | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Iran’s National Security Council has warned there will be “no retreat” in the war with the US – hours after Donald Trump piled pressure on Tehran to agree a peace deal. Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr said the country’s military had shown “fierce resistance and pinned the enemy to the ground”. He added: “Now more than ever, the country needs unity and cohesion so that the Americans and Zionists will also be disappointed in this regard.” This comes after two senior Iranian officials travelled to meet the Qatari Prime Minister in Doha to discuss a peace deal with the US. Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will lead Tehran’s delegation, according to Reuters. They are joined by the governor of Iran’s central bank, there to negotiate the release of frozen funds. Mr Trump had claimed negotiations with Iran “are proceeding nicely” in a lengthy statement on his social media platform Truth Social. However, he warned that if a deal cannot be agreed upon, US forces would go “back to the battlefront … bigger …

Trump’s Iran war is pushing American farmers to the brink

Trump’s Iran war is pushing American farmers to the brink

Published by Sam Flores

The rain in Windsor, North Carolina, is way behind schedule. Despite the seat of Bertie County being crisscrossed with rivers and creeks and lying on the estuary of the Albemarle Sound, local farmer Charles Harden reckons the area is suffering from a 12-inch rain shortfall in the first five months of 2026. “It’s been terrible dry,” Harden told Salon. Windsor usually gets about 50 inches of rain a year. That’s bad news for his company, Clovergrass Produce, and its crop of soybeans, cucumbers, peanuts and corn plus his herd of beef cattle. “We’re starting off this year in a drought,” Harden said. “We ended last year in a drought.” “Right now is harder than any time in the history of our country for agriculture,” Harden said. He should have some idea of hard times — Harden is a ninth-generation North Carolinian farmer, his family having been in Bertie County since 1771. “We’ve been through a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, two world wars, and two depressions,” Harden said. “So we’ve seen it all.” Things were …