Archive September 5, 2025

Paraguay Declares Holiday To Celebrate 2026 World Cup Qualification

After qualifying for its first Football World Cup in 16 years with a draw against Ecuador, Paraguay celebrated an impromptu national holiday on Friday.

As thousands of Albirroja fans gathered in the streets to celebrate a 0-0 draw with Ecuador, which gave Paraguay the final automatic spot in South America, President Santiago Pena decreed the holiday on late Thursday.

Even though some critics claimed a national holiday was over the top, Pena said in his announcement that Friday would be dedicated to paying “homage to the epic campaign that has inspired the entire nation.”

READ ALSO: Spain Cruises to its first World Cup Finals, Germany Loses It.

Paraguay last participated in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where they were eliminated by Spain in the quarter-finals.

Paraguay’s ninth World Cup campaign will be marked by their participation in the 2026 edition, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“There are children who have never seen the Albirroja at a World Cup.” Paraguayans have waited for this to happen once more, Pena said.

Trump changes the Department of Defense’s name to ‘Department of War’

In all executive statements, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

Trump claimed that the name change was a result of a wider shift in the organization from a “woke” ideology at a signing ceremony held from the Oval Office on Friday. He added that a new era of military victory would beckon.

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“We thus won the First World War.” The Second World War was won by us. Before that and every step thereafter, we prevailed. After that, we made the decision to rename the organization Department of Defense, according to Trump.

“We ought to have won everywhere,” he said. We could have won every war, but we actually made the decision to be very politically correct or awake.

Official White House correspondence and official public statements were to use the name “Department of War,” according to administration officials. However, Congress would need to pass new legislation in order for a more permanent change.

Trump added that in order to do so, he would ask Congress to pass a bill to codify the name.

The new name has been widely accepted as a sign of President Trump’s more aggressive foreign policy.

Trump has overseen bombing campaigns in Yemen, Iran, and the southern Caribbean Sea since taking office for a second term.

Despite making the initial promise to be “a peacemaker and a unifier” while in office, those military actions come at this time.

However, the new name has historical roots. From 1789 to 1949, the Department of Defense was known as the Department of War.

Following World War II, Congress passed the National Security Act of 1947, which established a single civilian-headed department for the US military.

According to historians, switching to “Department of Defense” was also intended to emphasize the need to avoid war given the recent threat of nuclear destruction.

Trump made the suggestion at the ceremony that the most recent name change was related to the US’s recent lack of military victories.

We could have won every war, but we really made the wrong choice: very politically correct or awakened. And we simply fight forever,” Trump said, presumably reflecting on alleged “forever wars” like the US’s invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We wouldn’t really lose,” he said. We would simply fight. Tidy-sort. We never wanted to win, but we could have easily won each of their wars with a few minor adjustments.

Maximum lethality, not tepid legality

The US secretary of defense will now be referred to as the “secretary of war” as a result of Friday’s executive order.

At the signing ceremony, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who is currently in charge of that position, said the move helped “restore the warrior ethos.” He offered some words of support for the name change.

“The War Department will engage in decisive combat,” the statement read. He said it will fight to win rather than lose.

“We’re going to engage in offence rather than just defense,” he said. Maximum lethality, not dreadful legality. violent impact that is not politically correct.

Since taking office, Trump has changed its name several times, including changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico in federal documents.

Additionally, he reversed changes that saw Confederate-era soldiers baptized with new moniker names on military installations.

For instance, his administration removed the name “Fort Liberty” from a military base in North Carolina and changed it to “Fort Bragg,” which was also inspired by Confederates.

However, Trump’s team claimed Roland Bragg, a World War II paratrooper, would be the replacement name for Braxton Bragg, instead of the former Confederate General.

Can you believe that the previous administration changed their name a little bit? But won’t we forget that, will we? ” Trump said during an army base speech in June.

“I’m not sure if the location could be the same.” The Fort Bragg is . Fort Bragg will always be called that, and that is the name.

Trump attributed the change to superstition, but his administration has also taken a different course with regard to diversity initiatives that aim to make the military more welcoming to various demographics.

A deadly aerial strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea followed Friday’s pledge to pursue a more war-forward strategy.

Trump and his top officials have promised to use more “narco terrorists” to allegedly detain alleged criminals.

According to experts, such strikes have no legal basis and raise the possibility of the targeted attack on civilians, including fishermen and migrants.

Trump claimed on Friday that boat traffic in the area where the attack, which resulted in 11 fatalities, has decreased since.

Mbappe levels up with Henry as France cruise past Ukraine in World Cup tie

France defeated Ukraine 2-0 to begin their World Cup qualifying campaign in style with a late Kylian Mbappe breakaway goal that gave them the lead early in Michael Olise’s opener.

The forward now has 51 international goals, which puts him on par with Thierry Henry in second place behind Olivier Giroud (57), thanks to his Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni’s 82nd-minute strike on Friday, which was set up by him at the end of a quick counterattack.

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After replacing Desire Doue at the interval, second-half substitute Ousmane Dembele, who had already missed training this week due to a thigh issue, aggravated the same injury.

Before halftime, Doue was unable to continue because of a knock to his right calf. Hugo Ekitike earned his first cap, but Dembele’s evening also came to an end when he took off in the 81st minute, making way for him.

Les Bleus’ pace and movement kept Ukraine apart throughout the opening half of a smooth 4-2-3-1 formation Les Bleus had controlled the opening half.

Only goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s quick reflexes, including his deft sliding pass from Bradley Barcola to Olise, prevented further damage by blocking Dembele and denied Olise a second after a delicate Tchouameni chip over the defense.

After the hour, Ukraine, who had first threatened to shoot dangerous crosses into the box, burst forth. Before Illia Zabarnyi struck Mike Maignan’s post, briefly putting France’s backline under real pressure, Ibrahima Konate cleared off the line from Ivan Kalyuzhnyi.

However, Deschamps’ side were able to watch the final minutes with comfort once Mbappe sprinted clear to deliver the decisive blow with a low drive.

The 2018 World Champions advance to Group D when faced with the toughest opposition as a result. Iceland and Azerbaijan are also included in the group.

Hants beat Durham to reach 11th T20 Blast Finals Day

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Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street, Banks Homes Riverside, and Vitality Blast quarter-final

Hampshire 221-8 (20 overs): Albert 68, Cartwright 61, Lynn 51, Potts 2-35

Durham 195-6 (20 overs): Robinson 60*, Howell 2-28

By 26 runs, Hampshire won.

Toby Albert, the opening batsman, continued his excellent form in the T20 Blast to help the Hampshire Hawks defeat Durham by 26 runs to reach the finals.

Albert finished with 472 runs, which is the fifth-highest run-scorer in the group stage, and he returned with a 68-run, four-sixth-season effort.

Hampshire piled up 221-8, the highest score by an opposition at Chester-le-Street, with opening partner Chris Lynn, who had 51 in 27 deliveries, and Hilton Cartwright, who had 61 in 31 balls.

Durham were always struggling and could only respond with 195-6, with Ollie Robinson scoring a late 60 from 33 balls.

Durham will now face Durham Steelbacks in their first Finals Day appearance since 2016, while Hampshire will now face Northamptonshire Steelbacks in their first semi-final on Saturday, September 13 at Edgbaston.

Durham won the toss, chose to field, and the first over ended in just one run. This is their third T20 quarter-final appearance since 2018. Their night was as good as they could get.

After the Powerplay, Albert and Lynn unleashed a barrage of clean ball striking, bringing the total to 88 from the next five overs, increasing the lead to 89-0.

Before Australian Lynn pulled Jimmy Neesham over long-on and then deep-backward square for two sixes in the third over, Albert swung Callum Parkinson’s left-arm spin over long-off for the game’s first six.

After falling to Parkinson’s feet for an easy chance, Albert went on to fumble over Neesham for two more sixes in the sixth over, scoring on 24. Hampshire’s run-rate was just under 15 at the over with 89-0.

In just 58 balls, the opening stand came to an end, with 112 more balls added, and both of the openers had received less than nine deliveries.

However, Cartwright arrived to help add 60 from the final five overs by striking four sixes.

Graham Clark was a cheap replacement for the hosts, but David Bedingham’s two sixes gave Durham a lead of 50-1 after five overs.

In the sixth over, the South African batter holed out deep mid-wicket, and Hampshire took control with Benny Howell’s medium-pace variations.

Before Colin Ackermann was run out by Chris Wood’s direct hit from short-fine leg, Captain Alex Lees, Durham’s top run-scorer this season, made it to 26 before clipping Howell to deep square in the 10th over.

Neesham hit five fours in one Currie over, but Durham were without 93 from 34 balls when Wood swung Wood to deep midwicket in the following.

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Suarez given six-match ban for spitting incident

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Following their 3-0 League Cup final defeat, Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez received a six-game suspension for spitting at a Seattle Sounders employee.

Following a melee involving both sets of players and the Uruguayan, the incident occurred shortly after the match’s full-time whistle on August 31.

Obed Vargas was grabbed by Suarez around the neck before team-mate Sergio Busquets hit the Mexico international in the chin.

Suarez and Sounders security director Gene Ramirez got into a fight moments later, and teammate Oscar Ustari held him while spitting in Ramirez’s face.

Suarez, 38, apologized for his actions in a statement on his Instagram account.

Suarez’s suspension would only be effective for the following year’s edition of the tournament, according to a statement from the Leagues Cup disciplinary committee, but Major League Soccer “reserves the right” to impose additional sanctions.

Teams from the MLS and the Liga MX compete in the Leagues Cup each year.

Sergio Busquets and Tomas Aviles, Suarez’s Inter Miami teammates, have received two and three game suspensions, respectively.

Steven Lenhart, a member of the Seattle coaching staff, has received a five-game suspension.

Suarez has had a number of controversy-related incidents throughout his career.

Suarez was given an eight-game ban for his role in Liverpool in 2011 after being found guilty of racist abuse of Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra.

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Dabrowski & Routliffe win US Open women’s doubles

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US Open 2025

Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York

The top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova defeated top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe in straight sets to claim the US Open women’s doubles title for the second time.

On Arthur Ashe Stadium, Canada’s Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Routliffe defeated them 6-4, 6-4, to win the previous championship game at Flushing Meadows in 2023.

Dabrowski, who is still competing for the sport’s biggest prizes, revealed in December that she had surgery to treat breast cancer earlier in 2024 and had undergone additional treatment.

After being diagnosed with cancer in April of this year, Dabrowski and her doubles partner Routliffe lost to Townsend and Siniakova in the Wimbledon final before regaining control of the American/Czech pairing to win the WTA Finals in November.

Before Friday’s US Open final, Dabrowski, 33, discussed the new perspective she’d gained over the previous 18 months.

After the duo’s first Grand Slam victory since receiving her diagnosis, Dabrowski addressed 30-year-old Routliffe on the court, “Erin, what a wild ride. It has been utterly crazy.

We’ve been through a lot together, and I’m proud to be able to support you today. The world is meant by that.

“We rock on, and I appreciate you sticking by me.”

Townsend’s successful US Open came to an end as a result of a doubles defeat.

The 29-year-old made it to the last 16 of the women’s singles, matching her best Grand Slam run, despite an argument between the pair at the final match that ended up being won.

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