Los Angeles, June 16 (IANS) New Zealand midfielder Matt Garbett has been ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a hamstring injury he suffered in training earlier this week, the country’s football federation said on Tuesday. New Zealand suffered this injury blow ahead of their opening match against Iran, currently underway at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. “All Whites attacker Matt Garbett has been ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after picking up a hamstring injury. The whole squad’s tho…

Mexico City, June 16 (IANS) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her support for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade, and said she is willing to discuss the merits of the deal with US President Donald Trump if necessary.”The treaty benefits all three countries. The first treaty had its problems for the United States. This second treaty was signed by President Trump himself,” Sheinbaum said during her daily press conference on Monday at the National Palace in …

United Nations, June 16 (IANS) The UN General Assembly (UNGA) convened its fifth interactive dialogue with a candidate for the position of next UN secretary-general.During the dialogue on Monday, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former UNGA president and former foreign minister and defence minister of Ecuador, nominated by Antigua and Barbuda in May, presented her vision statement and answered questions from UN member states and civil society representatives regarding her leadership abilities, experienc…

Havana, June 16 (IANS) The US embargo against Cuba has caused incalculable humanitarian damage and become the main obstacle to the Caribbean country’s social development, local media reported.Citing a study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Cuban online news outlet Cubadebate said Cuba’s infant mortality rate rose from 4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 9.9 in 2025, an increase of 148 per cent.The report says that the sharp rise in infant mortality during that period may hav…

Kansas City, June 16 (IANS) Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi cautioned that the reigning world champion cannot afford to repeat its Qatar 2022 nightmare when launching its title defense against Algeria, warning that “everyone is going to want to beat us.” Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Monday, the 38-year-old center-back, appearing at his fourth World Cup, said the memory of Argentina’s shock opening defeat four years ago remained a powerful lesson, reports Xinhua.”I’m enjoying t…

Los Angeles, June 16 (IANS) A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert, the base said.The crash occurred on Monday at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time, the base wrote on X.Emergency response teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, and response operations remain ongoing.In a separate post on X, the military base announced that the airfield was closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted, Xinhua news…

New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Evian, France, on Tuesday on a two-day visit to participate in the G7 Summit, marking the third and final leg of his two-nation tour. Upon his arrival, French President Emmanuel Macron will formally welcome the Prime Minister.During the summit, PM Modi will participate in a working session on the theme, “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity.” The session will bring together leaders of G7 countri…

Miami, June 16 (IANS) Maxi Araujo scored late to cancel out Abdulelah Al Amri’s first-half strike as Uruguay and Saudi Arabia shared the spoils in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H encounter here at the Miami Stadium on Tuesday (IST). Uruguay started strong with Araujo forcing a smart save from Mohammed Al Owais before the Saudi goalkeeper produced an even better stop to deny Federico Vinas’s diving header.Saudi Arabia’s first real threat came from a corner when Fernando Muslera reacted brilliantl…

Seattle, June 16 (IANS) Egypt were left to rue a missed opportunity for a historic FIFA World Cup victory after settling for a 1-1 draw against Belgium in their Group G opener at FIFA World Cup 2026.The Pharaohs produced a disciplined and spirited display and looked on course for their first-ever World Cup win after Emam Ashour fired them ahead in the 19th minute. The move began with a moment of brilliance from Mohamed Salah, whose incisive pass unlocked the Belgian defence. Ashour took a compos…

Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) The team of the blockbuster film ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ celebrated its 25th anniversary at a special event in the city on Monday. Actors Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel, director Anil Sharma attended the event. They spoke with the media on the sidelines of the event.When asked if there’s a 3rd part to the franchise, the director said that he is waiting for a perfect script. The day he gets it, he will start the work on the film in full-swing.He said, “The 1st part was…