Morocco reached the quarter-finals as Iran mourned, Ukraine sought continued US resolve, and heat, earthquakes, Taiwan Strait patrols and Sahel insecurity all intensified

Over the past 24 hours, World Cup knockouts moved into a new stage: Argentina edged Cape Verde, Colombia beat Ghana, and Morocco defeated co-host Canada 3-0 to become the first quarter-finalist. Beyond football, Iran held mass mourning for Ali Khamenei, Zelenskiy spoke with Trump about ending the war, heat strained the US and Europe, Venezuela raised its quake death toll to 2,954, China patrolled east of Taiwan, Mali faced attacks, and Pope Leo appealed for migrant protection in Lampedusa.