GLOBAL SPORTS

First, the news of Saturday.

• From Google AI:

The U.S. and Iran are locked in an escalating cycle of violent strikes following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump declared the ceasefire dead, with the U.S. striking dozens of Iranian military targets and Iran retaliating with drone and missile strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. [1, 2, 3]

• 
  Heat Dome?  Very hot Miami temperatures for the England vs Norway match.

Forecasters are expecting record triple-digit highs this weekend in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

• 
  President Donald Trump today called the Regime Change, by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan....GARBAGE.  Book was released three weeks ago, hit #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and dropped to #2 this week.  Why?  Book dealers sold 300,000 copies in the first week, and are falling behind on meeting demand.  Costs $34.

The next two weeks will feature a variety of sport events in the Northern Hemisphere.  Not sure if any one is better than the others, but here is a list that will be covered, and more:

• 
  FIFA World Cup.
• Today.
• Norway 1 vs England 2
• Argentina vs Switzerland at 9PM EDT.
• Semi-finals
• France vs Spain, Tuesday, July 14, 3PM
• England vs TBD, Wednesday, July 15, 3PM

• 
  Championship on Sunday, July 19 at 3PM EDT
• Something new will be a half-time show.
• Featured will be BTS, Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Coldplay, Burna Boy, PS22 Chorus and conductor Gustavo Dumamel.
• Should start soon after 3:50PM EDT.

• 
  The Tour de France began on July 4 from Barcelona, Spain, and will conclude on Sunday, July 26 on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France.
• Current leader, Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates.

• 
  The Slovenian is the favorite to win, which would be his fifth title, tying four others:  Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain.

• 
  Wimbledon.
• In the women's single finals today, 
• Men's single finals tomorrow, Sunday, 11AM EDT, #1 seed Jannik Sinner (Italy) plays #2 seed Alexander Zverev (Germany).
• 
  Both from the Czech Republic, 21-year old #9 Linda Noskova (left) beat #10 Karolina Muchova in the Women's final today.  
• Noskova's title was the fifth women's Wimbledon title won by a Czech player since 2011.
• Czechia has a population just under 11 million, about the same as North Carolina.
• The highest ranked Czech player at Wimbledon was #14 Jiri Lehecka.
• 
  Remember Martina Navratilova?
• The is Czech, and was ranked #1 for 332 weeks in the 1980s.
• Became a U.S. citizen in 1981, and reacquired Czech citizenship in 2008.

• 
  Former UFC champions Conor McGregor and Max Holloway will today fight from Las Vegas, 9PM EDT.  The odds are such that Holloway should prevail, 69%, or -278.
• The 2026 Open (note that they don't bother with the British part) will be held next week at Royal Birkdale, along the northwest coast of England, with the final round on July19.

• 
  Major League Baseball All-Star Week begins today.  
• The Home Run Derby will ONLY be held on Netflix at 8PM EDT on Monday, July 13.
• The All-Star Game will air on FOX at 8PM EDT on July 14.

In the Southern Hemisphere:

• Rugby Union Nations Championship, began on July 4, but will not end until 29November2026.
• There are various races and such, but nothing of global consequence.

Also, one of us, but not me, left today on a special tour, as explained by Google AI:

The 2026 Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour, a flagship cultural flagship program, runs from July 12 to 21, 2026. Organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Tourism, this 10-day immersion combines travel across Metropolitan Manila, Dumaguete, and Cebu. [1, 2]

Highlights will be featured, including a stop in Hong Kong, over the next two weeks.

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