Author: The Guardian

So, this was the night Georgia advanced to the last 16 in their first appearance at a major tournament courtesy of a magnificent victory over Portugal and one that will live long in the memory of the thousands of supporters who were here to witness history. No wonder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who got the nation dreaming after scoring inside 92 seconds and afterwards swapped shirts with his childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo, pined to see the scenes in Tbilisi.There will be a rich tapestry of lasting images from this win but the sight of Georgia’s substitutes’ bench emptying, reserve goalkeepers Giorgi Loria…

Kvhicha Kvaratskhelia said helping the Georgian team overcome many difficulties and reach the last 16 of the first major tournament gave the country “the best day of my life”.Kvaratshelia scored inside 92 seconds before Georges Mikautadze converted a second-half penalty following a VAR review to beat Portugal 2-0 and secure Sunday’s clash in Cologne Spain’s knockout rounds. Georgia avoided elimination with a historic win over one of the favorites 68 spots above them.”This is the best day in a Georgian’s life,” Kvalatkhelia said. “We just made history. No one will believe what happened, that we were going to beat Portugal,…

Five people have been charged with conspiring to bribe a Minnesota juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash in exchange for the acquittal of defendants in one of the country’s largest Covid-related fraud cases, the US attorney’s office and the FBI announced on Wednesday.Court documents made public reveal an extravagant scheme in which the accused researched the juror’s personal information on social media, surveilled her, tracked her daily habits and bought a GPS device to install on her car. Authorities believe the defendants targeted the woman, known as juror 52, because she was the youngest and they believed her…

England have been given a boost by the announcement that Luke Shaw will return from a hamstring injury for Sunday’s Euro 2024 last-16 tie against Slovakia. The team’s only professional left back is already out as he has been working his way back from injury since February 18.In Shaw’s absence, Gareth Southgate has left Kieran Trippier out of position on the left side of the back four, causing balance issues in the team. Trippier’s performances have been solid but his reluctance to overlap up front, combined with Phil Foden’s ability to cut inside from the left, has allowed England to…

Bolivia’s president Luis Arce has urged citizens to take to the streets to defend the country’s democracy from an apparent coup attempt after heavily armed army troops seized control of La Paz’s political heart and military police were filmed trying to force their way into the former government palace.“We need the Bolivian people to mobilize and organize themselves against this coup d’état and in favour of democracy,” Arce said in a video message filmed at the Great House of the People, the official presidential residence in Bolivia’s de facto capital of La Paz.Flanked by members of his cabinet, Arce declared:…

Progressive groups reacted with disappointment and anger over Jamaal Bowman’s decisive primary loss to a moderate Democrat in New York’s 16th district, calling for the party to cut ties with pro-Israel lobbying groups they blame for the result.In a letter to the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, more than a dozen progressive organizations said they had “dire concerns” over the party’s continued association with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), “the future of the Democratic Party, the future of our multiracial democracy, and the future of our planet”.The signatories included the Center for Popular Democracy Action, Jewish Voice for…

Paris Hilton, the American socialite and media figure, has told a congressional panel looking into strengthening child welfare protections that she was “force-fed medications and sexually abused by staff” while she was institutionalized as a teenager.Hilton, an outspoken advocate for better protections for children in youth facilities, told the House committee on ways and means on Wednesday that she had been “violently restrained and dragged down hallways, stripped naked and thrown into solitary confinement”.The 43-year-old has previously described how she was subjected to “a parent-approved kidnapping” at four different youth facilities as her parents searched for solutions to her rebellious…

(Pictured above)Curry laksa, deeply savoury, shrimpy and coconut-milky, is perhaps the most well-known version in the laksa multiverse. To make it at home requires vigilance, dedication and a clear diary – you’ll need to start it a day ahead to allow the spice paste and soup to develop its flavour. Also required: many pots, many colanders. Persevere with making your own ginger-spiked chicken stock (store-bought will not give the satisfaction or the flavour). And when shopping for ingredients in Australia, Vietnamese coriander (found at south-east Asian grocers) is sometimes sold as Vietnamese mint, laksa leaf, phak phai or rau răm;…

FReims showed more energy in the 1-1 draw with Poland, thanks in large part to the return of Kylian Mbappe. The captain played the entire game and coolly took penalties, but the team did not live up to the level they had been almost unanimously considered favorites before the game. There are bright spots for Dortmund, who have reached the last 16, but there are as many questions as answers for France as they have drawn two of their three group games and scored just two goals – one penalty. and an own goal.Kylian Mbappe: The game changerOver the past…

Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands was asked to “report” to the Dutch foreign affairs ministry to explain allegations of a secret surveillance and espionage campaign by Israeli spy services against the international criminal court, it has emerged.Dutch officials asked to meet the ambassador, Modi Ephraim, to discuss concerns raised by a Guardian investigation that revealed Israeli intelligence agencies attempted over a nine-year period to undermine, influence and allegedly intimidate the ICC chief prosecutor’s office.The meeting was disclosed by officials in response to questions raised in parliament by several Dutch MPs about the revelations, part of a joint investigation with the…