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No Writer
Jun 16
Ebola: Largest ever outbreak of rare strain 'likely even greater' – and the 'first line of defence' has collapsed

The humanitarian organisation said there has been a near-total collapse in hygiene infrastructure and a critical fall in contact tracing since the rare Bundibugyo strain began to spread. Only one in five health centres in the province of Ituru, one of the epicentres of the virus, has access to enough clean water, Oxfam's field data shows. In Mongbwalo, a town of nearly 140,000 people in the province, only 20% of people have access to clean water and only 25% to functional sanitation and hygiene facilities. 'First line of defence' has collapsed Manel Rebordosa, Oxfam's field response coordinator in Ituri, said the findings highlighted the crisis unfolding due to contaminated water, lack of handwashing infrastructure and the challenge of disposing of infectious waste. "Water – the absolute first line of defence in any public health emergency – is simply not available," he said. "Miners working in the surrounding areas have no toilets and handwashing stations. Then they return home to communities already battling the virus. "Clean water costs $2 (£1.50) for 20 litres. For most families here, that is far beyond what they can afford." Cases hit record high The warning came as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the outbreak was the largest of the Bundibugyo strain on record. There were 781 confirmed cases and 181 deaths in the country, according to the DRC Ministry of Health as of 13 June. The Bundibugyo strain has no licensed vaccine, meaning that clean water and sanitation are critical components of the fight against the virus. Contact tracing has also fallen to 43% coverage, which is far below the 79% recorded one month into the 2018-2020 outbreak in the same region. US funding cuts fuelling spread Mr Rebordosa spoke of shortfalls in funding resulting from the US withdrawing its support of disease surveillance. "One month into the 2018 outbreak, healthcare workers achieved contact tracing rates where nearly eight in 10 known contacts were successfully monitored," he said. "Today, following the withdrawal of the US funding for disease surveillance and severe funding shortfalls, contact tracing is reaching fewer than half of the contacts. "That gap is not just a statistic; it is a painful reality that allows the virus to spread undetected through communities." 'Rumours spread faster than the virus' With more than 70 health facilities being destroyed by conflict and only 0.2 doctors per 1,000 people, the DRC's health authorities are struggling to identify new infections quickly enough. In North Kivu province, deaths are being reported in communities before they are ever identified as Ebola cases, Oxfam said. In addition, many families are caring for sick relatives at home and exposing others to the virus. Aid funding for the DRC has been cut from $2.58bn (£1.92bn) in 2024 to $1.4bn (£1.04bn) in 2026, a reduction of 46%. As a result, aid agencies have scaled back, forcing organisations to reduce outreach services. Mr Rebordosa said: "When trusted community outreach teams disappear, rumours spread faster than the virus. "People now fear healthcare facilities, which they see as death traps. "Families are turning to traditional remedies, which risks delaying treatment and allowing the virus to spread further. Every day without funding, the virus takes more lives." Read more from Sky News:Oil prices drop and stocks rally after US-Iran dealCrown prince of Norway's stepson jailed over rapes Tibakanya Mireille, a mother of five in Ituri, said one of her children had started to show symptoms. "I brought my child to the hospital when I noticed she had a fever, and she is now being tested. We are very worried," she said. "Here, two houses have been quarantined, and one family lost several relatives after caring for a sick relative, which caused others to be sick. "The disease has already killed several people in our community of Shari, in Bunia." Oxfam has scaled up its operations in the DRC, launching an initial $11.6m (£8.64m) six-month intervention to provide clean water and hygiene kits to 200,000 people in Ituri province. The charity said the response fell short of what was required to contain the spread.

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Bethany Minelle, arts and entertainment reporter
Jun 15
Trailblazing investigative reporter Roger Cook dies

His family said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Roger Cook, who died peacefully on Saturday after a short illness. "Alongside a distinguished and award-winning career in journalism, Roger was first and foremost a beloved husband and father. "He will be deeply missed by all of us, and we ask for privacy as we navigate this difficult loss." A New Zealand-born British journalist, Cook joined ITV in 1985, launching the eponymous The Cook Report two years later. The most popular current affairs programme on television at the time, with an audience of up to 10 million, it ran for 16 series and more than 120 episodes over 12 years, as Cook pursued criminals, conmen and corrupt officials. The show was fearless in its pursuit of justice - exposing child pornography, Northern Ireland protection rackets, baby trading in Brazil and the illicit ivory trade. It also tackled illegal immigration, war criminals in Bosnia, those behind 9/11 and other terrorist plots, as well as the Russian black market in weapons-grade plutonium. Broken ribs in the pursuit of justice Cook was injured many times in the course of making his programme and exposing wrongdoing, including suffering three broken ribs after confronting a Brighton antique dealer over his sale of fake antiques. More than just compelling TV, his programmes had a real-world effect, with a number of his investigations followed by successful police prosecutions or major changes in the law. Cook won a Bafta Television special award for the show in 1998. Starting his journalism career in Australia, he moved to London in 1968 to join BBC Radio 4's The World At One programme as a reporter and presenter. He later created and presented his BBC Radio 4 show Checkpoint, which ran from 1973 to 1985 and would lead the way to The Cook Report, which shared a similar format. A Spitting Image puppet and spoof from Sir Stephen Fry Cook's cultural impact was reflected in parodies from Benny Hill and Reeves and Mortimer, his own Spitting Image puppet, and nods on BBC Radio 4 and Channel 4, in dramas with investigative journalists inspired by him played by Sir Stephen Fry and Tony Slattery, respectively. In 2007, Cook revisited some of his most famous stings in a 90-minute special titled Roger Cook's Greatest Hits, during which he admitted he had received death threats due to the series. A statement from ITV, which launched his groundbreaking show The Cook Report in 1987, said: "In a career spanning an incredible five decades, Roger Cook's groundbreaking approach to investigative journalism made him one of broadcasting's most trusted and respected figures. "On his eponymous current affairs programme, The Cook Report, Roger worked tirelessly to expose criminal wrongdoing and injustice, helping to drive important and lasting changes in the law. "His fearless contribution to journalism will long be remembered, and we send our deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife, family and friends at this difficult time."

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No Writer
Jun 16
Jo Cox's sister warns against people being pushed 'towards the extremes'

Ms Cox was killed by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair in her Batley and Spen constituency on 16 June 2016, during the Brexit referendum campaign. Kim Leadbeater, who was elected MP for the seat following the tragedy in Birstall, West Yorkshire, said her sister would have been "deeply concerned" about the current divisions in society. But she would not have shied away from the challenge of uniting people, Ms Leadbeater added. And she said it was important to "push back on the divisive rhetoric and the dangerous language" while declining to name names, as it would give "bad behaviour oxygen". Following the case of Henry Nowak, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faced criticism for saying the public should feel "pure, cold rage" about what happened to the student. The 18-year-old was murdered last December by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused, and Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police. Officers ignored Mr Nowak's pleas that he could not breathe as he lay dying. There were violent protests earlier this month in Southampton near where the teenager was fatally stabbed. Also, billionaire X owner Elon Musk was criticised over social media's role in last week's violence in Belfast where homes were set alight and people targeted based on their race. 'I worry about where we end up' Ms Leadbeater, 50, said it is "absolutely fine to be angry about things", from concerns around immigration to the cost of living and housing, but not to stoke division. She said: "They seem to be shouting and not listening. And what that shouting does is it stokes that division. And it only takes one individual to not be able to draw the line between the anger and the violent language, and then acts of violence. And I find that deeply disturbing. "And I worry, if that continues, where we end up as a society. "So I suppose the 10th anniversary of Jo's murder is a moment in time to say to everybody, whatever your political views are, whatever your ideologies are, let's keep them in a safe, sensible space and not push people towards the extremes because there are no wins in that." Ms Leadbeater remembered her sister as being "full of kindness, full of compassion, but also full of a steely determination to make a difference and to get things done". She said: "Even though she would look, as I am doing at the moment, at some of the challenges we face as a country and be deeply concerned, she would not stop working hard to address those challenges and to look at how we can bring people together." Read more from Sky News:Nowak killer's sentence referred to Court of AppealHenry Nowak murder protesters jailed for violence Ms Cox, who was aged 41 when she was shot and stabbed, days before the Brexit referendum, had spoken against division in her maiden speech in parliament a year earlier. She told the Commons: "We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us."

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No Writer
Jun 14
Barcelona-Catalunya GP: Lewis Hamilton claims first Grand Prix win for Ferrari as Kimi Antonelli retires late on

Hamilton drove superbly in a high tyre wear race to take his first Grand Prix victory since his last triumph for Mercedes in July 2024, with George Russell taking second from Lando Norris in the first all-British podium since 1968. Mercedes had no answer to Hamilton as the Ferrari driver capitalised on the fortunate timing of a mid-race Virtual Safety Car and used his tyre prowess to become the seventh oldest race-winner in F1 history at 41 years old. Barcelona-Catalunya GP result | F1 2026 standings | F1 2026 CalendarDownload the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Smart decision making from Ferrari to effectively undercut Russell at the second round of pit stops, coupled with Hamilton's driving, provided the opportunity to win and the seven-time world champion took it by running away in the last part of the Grand Prix on fresher tyres. An emotional Hamilton said on the radio: "You've helped me achieve this dream and I can't thank you enough. Thanks for everyone pushing so hard back at home. "I'm so proud of you. To my family, I love you. To my fans, thank you for continuing to remind me who I am. I couldn't have done this without you." Hamilton's 106th career F1 win means he's 41 points behind Antonelli in the Drivers' Championship after the Mercedes driver retired with four laps remaining as his car shut down when running in second. Antonelli had just overtaken team-mate Russell after a dicey battle but the latter closes his championship deficit to 50 points. Norris, who, like Russell, has failed to score points at the last two Grands Prix, claimed his second podium of the season as McLaren had a more competitive showing than the last two rounds. Charles Leclerc suffered a late steering issue when on course for a top five result as his disappointing run of form continued. Max Verstappen finished 40 seconds behind Hamilton on his way to fourth with Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar in sixth, behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri in fifth. Alpine enjoyed their third double points result of the season with Pierre Gasly in seventh and Franco Colapinto in 10th. Colapinto had crossed the line in eighth but was given a 10-second time penalty for failing to slow down under yellow flags which puts him behind Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. How Hamilton and Ferrari combination beat Mercedes Mercedes had won all six Grands Prix this season prior to Sunday and were favourites to maintain their 100 per cent record on Sundays as high tyre wear was expected - an area which has not been an issue so far in 2026. The start was rather tame as the top five of Russell, Hamilton, Antonelli, Norris and Verstappen remained in their qualifying positions. It looked like Russell may cruise away but Ferrari decided to go on the front foot by pitting Hamilton, who started on softs with the Mercedes on mediums, relatively early on Lap 12. This forced Russell and Antonelli to pit earlier than planned so they did lose track position. With the front-runners on the hards, Ferrari went aggressive again by pitting Hamilton for a second time on Lap 28 and this time Mercedes were happy for Russell to be undercut by his former team-mate. This proved to be a crucial moment. While Hamilton was flying on new medium tyres, Russell started to struggle with his tyres and came under threat from Antonelli, with Norris not too far behind. Russell and Antonelli pitted on Lap 37 and 38 respectively to begin their second-half chase of Hamilton but, on Lap 41, Fernando Alonso stopped at the side of the track which caused a Virtual Safety Car. It could not have come at a better time for Hamilton as he was able to pit and come out in the lead as he lost less time on his rivals by pitting during a VSC compared to green flag conditions. That meant he had track position and fresher hard tyres than the Mercedes for the remainder of the race, which allowed him to power away to one of his most famous victories in F1. "A huge grazie to everyone here. My team here at Ferrari, everyone back at the factory. Fred [Vasseur] for believing in me and bringing me to this team," said Hamilton. "I started out a dream which seemed almost impossible during my time last year but we never gave up hope and the team continued to lift me up. We made so many changes and we made so many improvements. "On top of that, I have got the greatest fanbase a sportsman could ever ask for and so thank you to everybody." He added: "I watched Ferrari have all that success when I was younger, watching it on TV. "And as I've been racing here [in F1], I'd always watched the screens and wondered what it would be like to win in that car - and it's come." Behind Hamilton, Russell started to lose time to Antonelli again and the Italian took advantage with a brave move down the inside into Turn One on his team-mate with five laps remaining. But, Antonelli came to a halt just one lap later with another Mercedes suspected power unit problem in what could be a decisive moment in the title race on a day Hamilton reminded everyone why he's still one of F1's top drivers. Formula 1's European season continues with the Austrian Grand Prix on June 26-28, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

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Dominic Waghorn, International affairs editor
Jun 16
Trump's Iran war is one of the greatest strategic blunders in US history

The US and Iran have agreed to stop fighting and to open the Strait of Hormuz. Everything else is being kicked down the road over 60 days of ceasefire and beyond. Given that the Strait was open before the conflict was started by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, reopening it is no great achievement. It simply restores the status quo ante bellum. After a war that has cost an estimated 30 billion dollars, killed thousands and destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of US military hardware, have any of Trump's declared objectives been fulfilled? • No on Iran's nuclear programme: both the fate of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile and its enrichment project are to be discussed over the coming weeks. It remains far from obliterated. • No to changing the regime: Ayatollah Khamenei and a slew of top-ranking commanders have been killed, but have been replaced by even more hardline figures, apparently in no mood to compromise. • No to helping the Iranian people who rose up against their government. If anything, the war has strengthened Iran's leadership, particularly if it benefits from sanctions relief as part of this deal, which seems more than likely. • No to destroying Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. America's self-styled bombastic 'Secretary of War' had claimed it had largely been neutralised, US intelligence estimates 70% of Iran's missiles remain serviceable. • No to reining in Iran's proxies. These are not part of any deal, it seems for now at least. Trump's supporters will point out that Iran's military has been massively degraded. His lieutenants are fond of saying most of its navy is at the bottom of the sea. But not where it counts. Iran's naval potency has remained intact in the Strait of Hormuz, giving the Iranians leverage they could only have dreamt of before. Iran's air force has been destroyed, but it was largely obsolescent anyway. A huge number of Iran's IRGC and military bases have also been taken out, but their occupants have survived and remain firmly in control of the country. In short, Iran priced in the beating its conventional military would take and has prevailed where it's mattered most. As things stand, the deal achieves none of what Barack Obama's 2015 nuclear deal did. So far, the highly enriched uranium stays in Iran, the enrichment programme can be reassembled, and there is no moratorium yet on enriching more. Read more from Sky News:'Unduly lenient' sentence for Henry Nowak's murderer referredDrone strikes in Sudan killed over 1,000 people in five monthsTrump accused Obama of handing the Iranians billions. Negotiations following this memorandum of understanding are likely one way or another to do the same. Donald Trump has found his off-ramp to this war. He has a better chance now of averting global economic meltdown. He hopes to move on and salvage his party's political chances in America's forthcoming mid-term elections. There is a huge amount at stake in the diplomacy that now follows, which will be fiendishly difficult. Iran has acquired leverage through this war that it never enjoyed before. Its control of the Strait of Hormuz gave it a grip on a fifth of the world's oil supply. It can wield that power at will in the future. It is likely, therefore, to be even less accommodating in these negotiations. Attacking Iran turned out to be a massive miscalculation for Donald Trump. It has cost America's standing in the world dearly and left Iran potentially stronger. It will go down as one of the greatest strategic blunders in US history.

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No Writer
Jun 14
US musician Oliver Tree believed to be among six dead in mid-air helicopter crash in Brazil

The city's military fire department says one of the helicopters crashed in a car dealership where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire which was later extinguished. Officials say an investigation is under way into the cause of the collision. Police say 32-year-old Tree, an alternative singer and internet personality, was on the list of passengers handed to aviation authorities, but the bodies of those killed in the crash have yet to be identified. Tyre repair worker Fernandes de Freitas told local media he saw one of the helicopters in flames following the collision and noticed one of the passengers had jumped out of the other aircraft before hitting the ground. "It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying," De Freitas said. Tree was in Brazil as part of a world tour when the crash occurred, where he was due to play more than 70 shows across 30 countries. He had performed in Buenos Aires on 4 June and published a video on Saturday playing football in a local neighbourhood of Rio. The other names on the list of passengers were Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim, known online as "Gaspi", a Brazilian producer and an Argentine film director, along with the pilots of both helicopters. Read more on Sky News:Three dead after Royal Navy helicopter crashes into Devon fieldHelicopter crash in Borneo, Indonesia, kills eight Internet personality KSI and judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent paid tribute to Tree on his social media, posting a series of pictures of the two together. "Can't believe I'm actually having to type this. You're 32 man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make. So much content to make. You're a legend and will always be a legend. Still doesn't feel real. Genuinely feel sick. I love you bro," said KSI, accompanied by a love heart emoji. Tree was known for songs including Life Goes On, Miss You, Alien Boy and Voices, the latter of which he sang alongside KSI. Miss You, in which he featured as the main artist along with German producer Robin Schulz, was nominated for Best International Song at the 2024 Brit Awards. The track peaked at Number 3 in the UK singles chart, and No 4 in the Australian charts. His debut album, Ugly Is Beautiful, peaked at Number 14 in the US album charts and Number 42 in the UK charts. Tree also has a Guinness World Record for the largest kick scooter, measuring at 4.16m tall and 3.13m long.

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No Writer
Jun 15
Homes in illegal Israeli settlements promoted at London property show that sparked protests

The photos show marketing materials handed out at the event promoting properties in Ma'Ale Adumin and Givat Zeev in the West Bank and Ramat Eshkol and Givat HaMatos in East Jerusalem. These settlements are illegal under international law. Prior to the event, a spokesperson for the Great Israeli Real Estate Event strongly denied claims that any such properties would be promoted there. They told Jewish News: "All exhibitors, without exception, will provide information about properties and projects within the Green Line. "We believe that these ridiculous allegations are motivated by anti-Israeli and terrorist supporters, seeking only excuses to attack Jews in general and the State of Israel in particular." Politics latest - follow live The Green Line refers to the armistice line established after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Since 1967, when Israel captured more territory in the Six-Day War, it has marked the dividing line separating Israel from the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza. A member of Jewish Anti-Zionist Action – a UK protest group of pro-Palestinian Jews – told Sky News they obtained the marketing materials after signing up to attend the event. "After passing through security, I was given a free tote bag and a booklet advertising the different real estate companies present at the fair that day," they said. "These companies included Yigal Realty, selling homes in the illegal settlement of Givat Zeev, and Tivuch Shelly, selling homes in Givat Hamatos and Ramat Eshkol, which are both settlements in East Jerusalem. "I visited Tivuch Shelly's stall and was given a leaflet advertising properties in Ma'ale Adumim, which is an illegal West Bank settlement." As exclusively reported by Sky News on Friday, more than 100 cross-party MPs and peers signed a letter calling on the government to stop the event last week, including 62 from Labour. The letter highlighted a 2024 ruling from the International Court of Justice that said Israel should end its unlawful presence in the occupied territories and "emphasised that all UN member states are under an obligation not to recognise the occupation as legal and must not render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation". The event's website had previously advertised properties that would be available for purchase in the West Bank, including the settlement of Gush Etzion, but those references were taken down after human rights groups raised the issue last week. 'Absolutely deplorable' Labour MP Andy McDonald, Co-Chair of the Britain-Palestine APPG, co-ordinated the letter. He says their concerns have been vindicated. "It's an absolute abomination that people have the audacity to come to our capital and trade in lands they do not own," he said. "How would it look if the Russians were here trading lands in Ukraine? I'm aghast that it is tolerated. "It's imperative our government should act and respond – they shouldn't say to British companies they should not trade with settlements; they need to say they must not." Fellow signatory, the Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, described the situation as "unacceptable." "Advertising the sale of land and property in these illegal settlements at events like these in London is abhorrent," she said. "We were assured that the Government was 'pursuing' the matter - clearly this came to nothing. This is a huge failing of the government. We either support upholding international law or we don't." Hundreds of rival protesters gathered outside the event to protest in support and opposition to the event at Edgeware United Synagogue. 15 people were arrested. Sky News understands the Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer and Department for Culture, Media and Sport Minister Ian Murray wrote to the Advertising Standards Authority on Sunday requesting that any evidence of advertising property in illegal settlements is examined to ensure UK law and regulations are upheld. In a statement, the government said: "We completely oppose the advertisement of properties for sale in settlements, which are illegal under international law. "We have written to the Advertising Standards Authority to ensure any evidence of such advertising is scrutinised under UK law, and we have updated advice to UK businesses of the legal and reputational risks of activity in illegal settlements." The settlements are endorsed by the Israeli government. The organisers of the Great Israeli Real Estate Show, as well as the estate agents Yigal Realty and Tivuch Shelly, have all been contacted for comment.

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No Writer
Jun 15
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: African nation defying one of biggest mismatches in football history shows beauty of the game

Spain vs Cape Verde. Tournament favourites vs tournament debutants. A nation who has won four European Championships and one World Cup against a team who lost to Mauritania in qualifying. Yet a 50 million major football nation could not beat a collection of islands comprising 500,000 people. This was not just a huge shock, it was one of the biggest mismatches in football history. Spain 0-0 Cape Verde - report and reactionAs it happened | Teams | Stats | Group H guideWorld Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World CupFollow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App And as soon as the game kicked off, you could see that mismatch in terms of football quality. Goalkeeper Vozinha will grab the headlines for his clean sheet, the seven saves he made at the age of 40 and his tears of joy at full-time - but he also had the second-most touches out of any Cape Verde player on the pitch. His outfield team-mates just were not able to keep hold of the ball. Spain completed nearly 400 passes in the final third of the pitch, while Cape Verde could only manage 16 at the other end. Their 74 per cent possession and 27 shots created an Expected Goals (xG) tally of 2.7 - on most days Spain win that match 3-0. But stories like Vozinha make the impossible, possible. And the Cape Verde goalkeeper was not alone in his heroic display. His two centre-backs were outstanding and also had the game of their lives. Diney Borges won more duels and made more tackles than any other player in white and blue. His performance was only bettered by his centre-back partner - Dublin-born Pico Lopes - who made 11 clearances and made a goal-saving block to deny Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal late on. And despite Spain's domination, Cape Verde only made one foul in the entire game - the fewest in a match from any World Cup team on record since 1966. They went about it diligently. No time-wasting, no cheap tricks, no 'housery'. Just heart. That is no surprise, given the journeys these players have gone through to reach this moment. Three years ago, defender Sidny Cabral - who played most of the game on a yellow card - was in the fifth tier of Germany. Forward Garry Rodrigues is a former postman. Captain Ryan Mendes thought his big break was coming when Leicester came to scout him when he was playing at French second tier side Le Havre. The move did not happen, and the Premier League side signed one of his team-mates instead. His name was Riyad Mahrez. "This means everything for our country," said Cape Verde coach Pedro Brito. "This is proof of what our country is about - resilience and to try to overcome hardships. But results like this draw against Spain can change lives. It is no better seen in goalkeeper Vozinha, who admitted after the game that he could not afford to pay for his mother's visa to attend the World Cup. But he started Monday with 50,000 followers on Instagram. An hour after kick-off and that number sat at 1.5 million. Those 90 minutes, those seven saves could significantly alter the life of a player who is surely contemplating retirement at the end of this summer, with his contract at second division Portuguese club Chaves expiring on June 30. Commercial opportunities in the nation may be right around the corner. Documentaries may be made. He will never buy a drink in Cape Verde ever again, that's for sure. How did Spain fail to win? But while this is Cape Verde's story - the question must be asked about how Spain could not get through. For them, this was a failure - potentially even an all-time low. From minute one, the pattern of play just was not there for the European champions. The ball speed was far too slow. Striker Mikel Oyarzabal, branded the key in Spain's attack with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams struggling with injury, took 31 minutes to have a touch of the ball. Spain only managed one shot on target right up until the 38th minute. Substitute Yamal made a difference, creating more space for others from the moment he came off the bench. But by that point Spain were on the brink of desperation. There was not enough rotation in the wide areas before Spain's teenage star came on. Without Yamal and Nico Williams, Spain did not look like a team that is equipped to be dangerous out wide. During Euro 2024, this Spain team was all about calm heads and flair moments. This was the opposite. Spain know there is room for so much improvement. They know that improvement will come once Yamal and Williams can start matches again. They can also point to recent history where results like these have been the perfect kick up the backside towards success. The last World Cup saw many people write Argentina off as they lost their opener to Saudi Arabia. Spain's only World Cup triumph in 2010 saw arguably the best ever combination of Barcelona and Real Madrid players beaten by Switzerland in game one. Despite the national embarrassment, Spain's World Cup bid is far from over. That is another example of the beauty of football.

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