At least 27 people were killed and 106 others injured when clashes broke out between two powerful armed factions in the southern Libyan capital of Tripoli, the country’s emergency services said in a statement Tuesday.

Fighting began Monday after the detention of the commander of the 444 Brigade, Mahmoud Hamza, as he attempted to travel through Tripoli’s main Mitiga airport. He was apprehended by a rival faction, the Special Deterrence Force, which controls the airport. The reason for his detention remains unknown.

The clashes ceased late on Tuesday following an agreement reached with the UN-recognized Government of National Unity to transfer Hamza to a neutral party, as reported by state news agency LANA.

Civilians were among the casualties, LANA reported.

The fighting is considered the most severe of this year with images showing smoke rising above the capital following the overnight battles.

The agreement, according to LANA, encompasses the cessation of all military operations in Tripoli, the return of military units to their barracks, assessment of damage to public and private property, and that the Government of National Unity to issue compensations.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) stated on Tuesday that it “is closely monitoring security incidents and developments in Tripoli since yesterday and their impact on the civilian population. The Mission reminds all parties involved of their responsibility under international law to protect civilians.”

The country has seen little peace since it was split between warring factions since 2014, following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Moammar Gadhafi. The Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade are considered the strongest military forces in the Libyan capital, according to Reuters.

Not many would have predicted it before the tournament kicked off, but Spain became the first team to book its place in the Women’s World Cup final on Tuesday.

La Roja produced another impressive performance to beat Sweden 2-1 in the semifinals to make yet more history for the country.

Spain’s women had never progressed further than the last-16 before this year but are now just one win away from lifting a first ever World Cup trophy.

The team’s success has captured the imagination of the Spanish public back home, who are all very much behind their team.

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, sent his congratulations to the national team after Tuesday’s semifinal victory.

“To the final!” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Keep making history. All of Spain is with you.”

The excitement of watching the team make history was shared by Spain’s other top sports stars.

World Cup winner and Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta took to social media to call the players “giants” after their victory against Sweden. Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos wrote on X, “Congratulations! Spanish pride! We’ll be with you pushing in the final! Let’s go!”

Meanwhile, two-time grand slam tennis champion Garbiñe Muguruza posted on X: “Let’s keep going!!”

It was sentiment echoed by fellow double major winner Carlos Alcaraz who wrote on X: “LET’S GO, TEAM!!! Congratulations and let’s go for the [trophy] on Sunday!”

‘Thank you’

The success wasn’t just felt by those in the world of sport, Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas also sent his praise.

“Bravo!!! Proud of this team of women football players with class, heart and faith in themselves. Thank you!!!” he wrote on X.

Despite dominating much of the game against Sweden, Spain – the tournament top scorers (17) – struggled to find the breakthrough.

That was until 19-year-old sensation Salma Paralluelo opened the scoring with an unerring finish in the 81st minute.

The goal sparked the game into life and Sweden equalized just seven minutes later, before Olga Carmona’s long-range effort looped in off the crossbar to give Spain the win.

Paralluelo was in tears of joy at the final whistle, as she continues her remarkable rise at this tournament.

After scoring the winner in extra-time of the quarterfinal against the Netherlands, Paralluelo once again changed the game after coming on as a substitute in the 57th minute against the Swedes.

‘Loads of emotion’

In addition to her goal, her pace and physical presence up front allowed Spain to launch sustained attacks.

Eventually, her hard work was rewarded with the ball in the back of the net.

“Once again, loads of emotion just like the last match,” Paralluelo said after the semifinal.

“It was a really tough game when they scored that goal … but we were able to bounce back like always because this team gives everything.”

When asked what she was thinking about when standing on the pitch as the full-time whistle blew, Paralluelo replied: “My family, everyone that supports me, in them [the players], we deserved it. We’ve taken this little step, and now, we’ve got one more big push.

“We’ve just got the final left, we need to keep doing what we’ve been doing every match.

“We’ve been going from one challenge to another and now we have the last one – the big one – and we’re going to work hard to do it.”

Despite the nation’s ongoing success in Australia and New Zealand, it was far from a perfect preparation for the first World Cup finalist.

Issues arose when 15 players declared themselves unavailable for selection in September last year, citing their emotional and physical health and an unappreciation of them, primarily focused on the practices of head coach Jorge Vilda.

The Spanish federation (RFEF) chose to stand behind Vilda and six players – including two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas – eventually reversed their decisions, but the saga left in its wake a fractured group of players; albeit a talented one.

Despite the noise surrounding preparations for the World Cup, the Spanish players have showed no signs of being bogged down and are now one step away from sporting immortality.

Two matches stand between Australia and a historic Women’s World Cup win, and the nation – perhaps prematurely – is debating the pros and cons of a national holiday should the squad defeat Spain on Sunday.

Soccer mania has swept the country in a culture where rugby, cricket and the local “Aussie Rules” football usually dominates. And while the nation paused to soothe shredded nerves after an extended penalty shootout against France, eyes are now firmly fixed on dispatching England on Wednesday night.

The match airs at 8 p.m. on Australia’s east coast but clashes with a workday in the home of the Lionesses – and it’s showing even earlier along the United States east coast, where eager soccer fans can catch the game over the breakfast.

In Australia, more than four million people tuned into watch the Matildas’ ulcer-inducing 7-6 win over the Les Bleues on Saturday, according to official free-to-air viewing figures, and Wednesday’s semifinal is expected to draw an even bigger crowd.

Stadiums that may otherwise sit dark and empty on a weekday night are switching on their lights and screens for Australia’s clash against its traditional sporting rival.

In Sydney, two stadiums with an extra 75,000 capacity will open to absorb spillover from the main venue, Stadium Australia, which itself will seat more than 75,000 people. Thousands more will be at the official FIFA Fan Festival site and a dozen public screens will show the match for free, not including pubs and clubs.

And that’s just in one city.

Sporting heroes

Elsewhere around the country, diaries are being cleared and extra catering ordered for a night the nation wants to remember as a seismic moment in World Cup history.

Other sporting codes are stepping aside – Basketball Australia has pulled the Boomers’ clash with Brazil forward by more than two hours “so everyone can catch @TheMatildas in their semi final,” it tweeted.

That might be a smart move. On Saturday, the AFL (Australian Football League) paid the price of unfortunate scheduling when fans in the stands began watching the Matildas’ game on their devices rather the match being played in front of them.

Passengers on planes tuned in on the backs of seats – and one lucky soccer fan did the rounds of local media after star striker Sam Kerr gave her her sweaty playing kit after Saturday’s match.

“I was yelling ‘please Sam Kerr, give me your jersey’ and then she did!” said Zara Borcak, who plays for the under 10s.

“I am so happy,” the grinning 9-year-old told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Officially, they’re the Matildas, but most Australians now casually refer to them as the “Tillies,” and as the slogan goes, they’re there “Tilits done.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has thrown his weight behind team, in between frustrating small businesses and much of the strained health sector with talk of a national holiday should they win the World Cup.

When asked if he was putting too much pressure on the squad, Albanese told one radio broadcaster: “There’s an old saying in AFL and NRL … ‘keep a lid on it’. The lid got blown off this a long time ago.”

The lid has definitely blown off – and Australians are loving it.

Maybe it’s because the last time the country came together to fight a common cause, they were desperately trying to stay apart. Just a few years ago, the idea of being in a crowded stadium, singing loudly – gasp – unmasked would have been unthinkable.

Now for some, the unthinkable is: ‘What if they don’t win?’”

Just breathe

For professional mentor and mindset coach, Ben Crowe, that’s the wrong question – it’s about redefining success.

“On so many levels, the event and the experience has already been a success,” said Crowe, founder of the Mojo mindset app.

“The Matildas have taught the country, or reminded the country, that the future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams, to steal a beautiful quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. They remind us to set big goals and dreams and genuinely believe in them. And then to work together as a team,” he said.

Crowe has worked with an impressive list of clients in both the sporting and business world, including the Australian men’s and women’s cricket teams, Wimbledon winner Ash Barty and the Richmond AFL football club, among others.

He says Australians are captivated by this World Cup because they suddenly realize their team is challenging football heavyweights in a country that doesn’t typically rank at the top of soccer leaderboards.

“To feel that we belong on the global stage is pretty cool,” he said. “Because the performance has been so strong, and it’s been in our own country, I think we are celebrating and appreciative and really proud of that.”

Crowe says in some ways it’s harder to be a spectator than an athlete because, as much as they can yell, cheer and vent, fans have no control over the outcome of the game. His advice to anyone watching Wednesday’s game – on both sides – is, very simply, to “breathe.”

“Belly breathing is the quickest mind tap to tell the brain everything’s going to be okay. And then tell their brain to be calm. And to be present, knowing that you can’t control the outcome,” he said.

“If you tap into appreciation, that’s often the antidote to expectation. Appreciate the opportunity, and watch with no expectations because that’s how the Matildas are going to play.”

That’s easier said than done, and pressure is building on the team as millions around the country and abroad count down the hours until Wednesday’s kick-off.

Players are doing their best to focus, despite the distractions.

After being told that residents of one Melbourne street had renamed their road after her, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold gave a glimpse of the honesty and humility that has won over Australians.

“The last couple of days have been a pretty big whirlwind for me,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

“(It’s) probably the first time I’ve received attention like that, but at the same time, I just tend to block it out because I know to be honest, if I play like s**t tomorrow, it could be a whole different attention on me.”

Australia and England will meet on Wednesday as each team looks to seal a historic Women’s World Cup final appearance.

Neither side has ever qualified for a World Cup final before and in such an open tournament, both will have aspirations of going all the way.

In a World Cup to remember for so many reasons, Wednesday’s match at Stadium Australia in Sydney is the latest contest in a fiercely contested rivalry across numerous sports between the two nations.

How to watch

In the US, games will be aired on FOX Sports, while Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage.

Seven Network and Optus Sport are broadcasting matches in Australia and the BBC and ITV have the rights in the United Kingdom.

A full breakdown of media rights holders in each country is available on the FIFA website.

Australia vs. England begins at 6 a.m. ET (11 a.m. BST).

Australia vs. England

It’s been quite the summer of sport between Australia and England.

First, the Ashes took place in cricket – with Australia coming out on top in both the men’s and women’s formats.

A few weeks later, Australia beat its English counterpart in the final of the Netball World Cup.

And on Wednesday, the two will once again do battle, this time in the semifinal of the Women’s World Cup.

Both are on impressive runs, with tournament co-host Australia pushed on by its home crowd while England has continued its success under Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman following victory at the Women’s Euros last year.

Since Wiegman was appointed England coach the Lionesses have lost just once – to Australia in a friendly earlier this year. That defeat ended a 30-game unbeaten run that England had put together following Wiegman’s appointment in September 2021.

The Matildas have been boosted by the return of captain and all-time topscorer Sam Kerr after a calf injury, as she has played progressively more as the tournament has gone on, while also getting key contributions from other players within the team.

This is first the time that Australia has contested a Women’s World Cup semifinal. It is only the second nation to have made it through to the Women’s World Cup semifinals as hosts, after the US who were winners in 1999 and finished third in 2003.

On the other hand, England has been effective if not emphatic in its run to the semifinal, with narrow victories becoming the norm.

Wiegman’s team is likely to feel the absence of Lauren James, who will serve the second match of her two-game suspension on Wednesday after she was sent off for stepping on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie during the round-of-16 game at Brisbane Stadium.

It’s the third consecutive World Cup in which the Lionesses has reached the semifinal stage.

There will be intriguing tactical and personal battles across the pitch as both sides look to set up a clash against Spain in Sunday’s final.

Yet another record has fallen in this summer’s extreme-weather epicenter of Phoenix, but this one is doing more than fueling the heat – it’s a sign of a much more widespread issue developing in the Southwest.

Phoenix is experiencing its driest start to summer after recording no measurable rainfall Monday, a new record for the latest start to the region’s monsoon in the city.

The troubling new milestone is emblematic of a much larger problem in the Southwest, which relies on the monsoon for much of its rain. Monsoons – which occur in several continents – are seasonal shifts in wind direction that transports moisture into the region. The North American monsoon provides parts of the Southwest 40 to 75% of its annual rainfall, but many cities across the region are pacing 50 to 80% behind average rainfall amounts since June 15, when the monsoon typically begins.

This lack of rainfall during a critical time of the year has for weeks enhanced the region’s exceptional heat and expanding drought.

Parts of Phoenix did see rain on two days in July, but because it didn’t fall at the city’s official reporting station, it didn’t count toward city records. Only 30 to 40% of the Phoenix metro area experienced the rain, said Alex Young, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Phoenix. That rainfall was light, according to NWS data, only amounting to between 0.1 to 0.2 inches across the two days. These rainfall totals account for at most 10 to 25% of what typically falls during July, and occurred across only a fraction of the city’s footprint.

And Phoenix’s rainfall woes have been growing well before the normal start to the monsoon, NWS data shows.

Nothing more than a trace of rain has been recorded at the city’s official reporting station since March 22. Monday marked 145 consecutive days without measurable precipitation, further cementing Phoenix’s second-longest dry streak on record. The longest dry stretch on record for Phoenix stands at 160 days and occurred more than 60 years ago from December 29, 1971, to June 6, 1972.

Phoenix isn’t the only city missing out on most of its monsoon rainfall. Flagstaff, Arizona, has recorded about 30% of its typical rainfall since monsoon season began and Albuquerque, New Mexico, has only seen around 20%.

Minimal rainfall has led to abnormal dryness and drought across at least 95% of New Mexico and 85% of Arizona, the US Drought Monitor reported last week.

How long Phoenix’s dry spell will last depends on a brewing stormy setup later this week across portions of the Southwest, including eastern and central Arizona. There’s a chance Phoenix will receive rainfall at some point Friday or Saturday, meaning the 160-day record might not be broken.

How dry weather drives dangerous heat

The lack of rainfall is driving this summer’s heat even higher.

Sun shining on dry ground typically results in higher temperatures because none of the sun’s energy is used to evaporate moisture and more of it can be converted into heat. Cloud cover can also have a significant influence as it affects how much sun reaches the ground.

Throw in several intense heat domes and a plethora of records have fallen in Phoenix this summer. Phoenix had not only its hottest month on record in July, but also the hottest month ever recorded for any US city.

The city endured a record-breaking 31 consecutive days from June 30 to July 30 where high temperatures reached or exceeded 110 degrees. Phoenix has had 43 days so far this year where temperatures met or surpassed 110 degrees, just 10 days behind 2022’s all-time record of 53 days.

And the heat hasn’t stopped stop once the sun goes down. Phoenix has had 28 days of low temperatures at or above 90 degrees this year, which ties the record set in 2020.

Low temperatures in the hottest part of the summer tend to hover in the low to middle 80s, but one day in July set an all-time record when temperatures failed to fall below 97 degrees.

When heat doesn’t abate at night, it can quickly become dangerous – especially for those without reliable access to air conditioning. On average, nights are warming faster than days in most of the US as a consequence of the climate crisis.

At least 147 deaths have been attributed to extreme heat in 2023, with a majority of the reported deaths occurring in Arizona. As of early August, more than 100 people had died due to heat in Arizona alone.

Guatemala’s presidential runoff on August 20 will see a former first lady compete against the son of a former president, capping a troubled race that has worried observers about the country’s future as inequality and corruption drives political turbulence throughout the region.

Sandra Torres, largely seen as continuity candidate for the political establishment, will run against the anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo – who defied predictions with his second-place finish in the first round of voting in June.

Torres won 16% of the first-round vote in June with Arévalo coming in with 11.8% of the votes cast. Still, more than 24% of voters cast blank or invalid votes and about 40% of registered voters abstained, which analysts have attributed to high levels of disenchantment with Guatemala’s electoral system after the state disqualified opposition candidates who spoke out against corruption.

As an outsider candidate, Arévalo’s surprise run in the second round has reinvigorated this year’s presidential cycle, which has been plagued by allegations of government interference and fears of democratic backsliding.

Guatemala watchers are cautiously hopeful that the popular will might prevail.

Why has the race been so turbulent?

Rights groups say graft and impunity accelerated among the country’s political class after a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission, known as CICIG, credited for assisting in hundreds of convictions, was dissolved in 2019. Prosecutors and judges associated with the commission were arrested, investigated, and many have been forced to flee the country in the ensuing years amid high rates of poverty and malnutrition.

Worries about democratic backsliding began to mount in this year’s election cycle as anti-corruption candidates were barred from running, prompting widespread criticism from the US and Western allies.

Arévalo, who previously served as ambassador to Spain, has also faced attempts to disqualify him. A Guatemalan court suspended his Movimiento Semilla party on the request of Rafael Curruchiche, who heads the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity and is on the US State Department Engels list for “corrupt and undemocratic actors.”

Curruchiche said they were investigating Movimiento Semilla for allegedly falsifying citizens’ signatures – a claim Arévalo has denied.

But he was ultimately allowed to run in the first round following international outcry by the US, European Union and a group of international donors, known as the G13, which includes the United Kingdom and Canada. Even Torres announced she would suspend her political campaign in solidarity with Movimiento Semilla.

Who are the candidates?

Unemployment, corruption, and high living costs are at the top of voters’ minds as they head to the polls on August 20. “Guatemalans want to replace this broken political system that no matter what candidates say they end up doing the same things in office,” Freeman said.

Torres has pledged to expand the country’s social programs and has advocated for tough policies to tackle crime in the style of Nayib Bukele, the president of neighboring El Salvador. She holds support among rural voters, garnered when she helped get more cash transfers and benefits as first lady more than a decade ago.

The 67-year-old heads one of the country’s largest political parties, Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE), and served as the country’s first lady alongside her ex-husband, the center-left former President Alvaro Colom, from 2008 to 2011.

This is the third presidential cycle Torres has competed in, losing in 2019 to current President Alejandro Giammattei. Her time in the spotlight has made her one of the most recognized names in the political race, although many Guatemalans have indicated they will not vote for her.

Current momentum appears to be behind the former diplomat. Arévalo is seen as a pragmatist from the center-left Movimiento Semilla party, which he co-founded in 2017, and may be able to tap into widespread discontent against the current political class. His father, Juan José Arévalo, was Guatemala’s first democratically elected president in 1945 and is fondly remembered for creating the country’s social security system.

Tackling corruption is his first order of business, according to his 100-day plan if voted into power. Arévalo appears less interested in prosecuting corrupt actors and more focused on doing away with pork barrel spending, Freeman says. “The theory is more that you need to fix corruption at the source and stop public contracts from being awarded in a non-competitive way.”

He has promised to bring back the journalists, judges and prosecutors who fled the country in the wake of the government shutting down CICIG – this includes his party’s former presidential contender, Thelma Aldana, known for her anti-corruption crusades that led to the conviction of a former president. Aldana was barred from running in the 2019 race.

Guatemala currently recognizes Taiwan, and Arévalo has said he would like Guatemala to have relations with both Taipei and Beijing.

Guatemala’s business elite have warmed to him, with Duolingo Chief Executive Luis Von Ahn announcing on X that he had contributed $100,000 to his campaign.

Congress is set to be largely controlled by establishment parties following this year’s elections, including the outgoing president’s Vamos party and Torres’ UNE. Even if Arévalo does win at the polls Sunday, there may be many more hurdles to come.

The body of the assassinated Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was buried in a private ceremony in the country’s capital on Friday night.

They said the burial was carried out in deep privacy, with his coffin escorted by members of the police along with his closest relatives.

Villavicencio, an anti-corruption campaigner and lawmaker who was outspoken about the violence caused by drug trafficking in the country, was gunned down at a campaign rally in Quito on Wednesday.

The killing of Villavicencio, who belonged to the Movimiento Construye political party, came just 10 days before the first round of the presidential election was set to take place.

Authorities said Thursday that they had arrested six suspects, all Colombian nationals and gang members, in connection with his assassination. The suspected shooter died earlier in police custody following an exchange of fire with security personnel, though his nationality remains unclear.

The Andean country, a relatively peaceful nation until a few years ago, is now plagued by a deteriorating security crisis fueled by drug trafficking and a turf war between rival criminal organizations.

Violence has been most pronounced on Ecuador’s Pacific coast as criminal groups battle to control and distribute narcotics, primarily cocaine.

The assassination prompted an outpouring of condemnation from inside Ecuador and around the world, including from the UN Human Rights chief, the United States and European Union.

During the investigation, authorities seized a rifle, a machine gun, four pistols, three grenades, two rifle magazines, four boxes of ammunition, two motorcycles, and a stolen vehicle believed to have been used by the suspects.

The attack also prompted President Guillermo Lasso to request help from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and he tweeted earlier that a delegation would soon be arriving in the country.

Growing up in a small village in southern Ghana, Osei Boateng watched many of his family members and neighbors struggle to access basic health care. In many regions of the country, it can take hours to get to the nearest hospital.

Boateng said many people lost their lives due to preventable or treatable diseases. His grandmother and aunt were among them.

“My grandmother was a very big part of my life,” said Boateng, 28. “It was very hard when we lost her, and it was due to something that could have been easily prevented. That is the painful part of it.”

The average life expectancy in Ghana is 64 years old, and the most common causes of death are largely treatable conditions, such as malaria, stroke, and respiratory infections.

Feeling an urgent call to help, Boateng decided he would make it his life’s mission to bring health care to remote communities in Ghana. He worked hard in school and got a scholarship to study biology at Cornell University in the US.

“I was learning a lot about hypertension and diabetes and things that people back home didn’t know they could die from,” said Boateng, who ultimately earned his master’s in Healthcare Administration. “Early screening wasn’t an option for us.”

He realized that education and preventative health care was lacking in many remote areas of Ghana. Yet telling people to go to the doctor wasn’t the answer.

“I realized that these people don’t have the luxury of time,” Boateng said. “The food that they put on the table is determined by what they sell in the market. If I tell them to go to the hospital, there’s no way they are going to go.”

Doctor’s office on wheels

Boateng wanted to find a way to remove these barriers to health care access and education. He started his nonprofit, OKB Hope Foundation, and in 2021, he converted a van into a mobile doctor’s office and started bringing health care directly to those in need.

A few times a week, the mobile clinic and medical team travel long distances to remote communities in Ghana and provide free routine medical care.

On each trip, Boateng’s team consists of a nurse, physician’s assistant, doctor, and operation assistant. In the van, they can run basic labs like bloodwork and urinalysis as well as prescribe and provide medications.

“It’s like a one-stop shop for people,” said Boateng, adding that most of the people they see have one health issue or another.

Since its launch, Boateng says the Hope Health Van has served more than 4,000 Ghanaians across more than 45 rural communities who otherwise don’t have easily accessible medical care.

Empowering local communities

To supplement the mobile clinic, Boateng’s organization has also trained 20 volunteers to serve as local health advocates. They check people’s vitals, such as blood pressure and glucose levels, and provide the medical team with timely data for assessing how to move forward with care and treatment, especially for those whose health is at risk.

“We are empowering local community members to be able to provide care to their own community members,” Boateng said.

To date, the health advocates have helped more than 1,000 people.

In his efforts to provide basic medical care and save lives, Boateng realized that mental health was also an issue he needed to address.

“In Ghana, if you show mental health symptoms or even if you express that you are depressed, you are seen as a weak person,” he said.

For Boateng, it’s important to treat the whole person. Last year, he and his organization launched an initiative to integrate mental health into their care and destigmatize getting help. They also speak at schools to show younger generations there is no shame in taking care of your mental health.

Throughout Ghana and beyond

Boateng has big plans for the future. He hopes to expand to provide more consistent and high-quality medical care not only to those living in remote areas of Ghana but in other countries as well.

“I believe that our model can be replicated in Sub-Saharan Africa,” he said. “So, the goal is to really develop strategic partnerships and get additional mobile health vans for the communities or the regions that we want to serve.”

Boateng has gone all in on his OKB Hope Foundation, recently quitting his job to dedicate his time to bringing health care to his home country. But for him, the sacrifices are well worth the reward.

“Words cannot describe the feeling that you get providing care for someone who otherwise wouldn’t be alive if your mobile health van wasn’t there.”

Want to get involved? Check out the OKB Hope Foundation website and see how to help.

To donate to OKB Hope Foundation via GoFundMe, click here

Venus Williams rolled back the years with a vintage performance to secure her first win against a top-20 player in four years.

The 43-year-old Williams defeated Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-5 in the first round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Monday.

Kudermetova is seeded 16th in the tournament and would have been expected to ease her way past Williams, but the seven-time grand slam winner had other ideas.

“Definitely satisfaction from today is (from) all the work that goes into just being here at all,” the veteran American said after the win.

“I did my best to be here as soon as possible in the best form possible I could bring in that amount of time. So that makes it satisfying, to be able to get a win with very little time to prepare.”

In both sets, Williams found herself 4-1 down and on the back foot, but, as on so many occasions throughout her career, she found a way to battle back.

“I think at some point when you’re down a double break, you start to think, ‘Well, I at least want to just hold serve for the rest of this set,’” Williams said. “Simple thoughts like that. Then you get a little bit closer. You’re like, ‘Okay, maybe I just want to win another point.’

“Definitely some big holes today that I usually don’t play from … But that’s tennis. That’s what’s so exciting.”

Williams will now wait to see who she faces in the next round in Cincinnati as she continues her preparation ahead of the 2023 US Open.

Her previous victory against a top-20 opponent also came at the Western & Southern Open in 2019 when she defeated Kiki Bertens in the second round.

When English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion signed an Ecuadorian midfielder from Independiente del Valle for just £4.5 million ($5.7 million), unsurprisingly there was little fanfare surrounding the transfer.

Fast forward two years and the teenage midfielder with just a handful of professional appearances to his name has now become a record-breaking transfer.

Moisés Caicedo has been sought after by some of the world’s biggest soccer clubs and it is Premier League side Chelsea who has pried the Ecuadorian away from Brighton.

Multiple outlets including Sky Sports and the BBC report that it’s a British record fee of £115 million ($146 million) that Chelsea and Brighton have agreed upon.

The midfielder has signed for Chelsea on an eight-year contract.

“I am so happy to join Chelsea! I am so excited to be here at this big club and I didn’t have to think twice when Chelsea called me. I just knew I wanted to sign for the club,” the Ecuadorian said in a statement. “It’s a dream come true to be here and I can’t wait to get started with the team.”

As the transfer fee may suggest, the record-breaking move didn’t come without its fair share of complications.

Premier League giant Liverpool believed that it would be the team securing the signing of Caicedo after having a £111 million ($141 million) bid for the midfielder accepted just days ago.

This even saw the usually coy Liverpool head coach, Jürgen Klopp, speak out on the potential signing.

Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Klopp said: “I got told I can confirm a deal with [Brighton] is agreed.”

In the 2023 January transfer window, Caicedo was also heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, as well as a move to the Blues’ London rival, Arsenal.

Upon interest from the Gunners, Caicedo issued a plea on Instagram to Brighton chairman Tony Bloom asking for a move to be pushed through.

Caicedo’s statement read: “I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them.

“I always play football with a smile and with heart. I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador.

“My dream is always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.

“I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful.”

While the winter move never materialized, Brighton has now negotiated an even more substantial fee for Caicedo.

The 21-year-old will star in Chelsea’s midfield alongside former record British transfer, Argentinian midfielder Enzo Fernández.

Fernández signed for Chelsea in January 2023 for £107 million ($132 million) and, while incredibly expensive, Chelsea’s new midfield partnership represents both the present and the future of a new-look Blues squad which looks to come back from its 12th place finish in last season’s Premier League.

Chelsea shared a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in its first Premier League game of the season and now takes on West Ham United in its next game on Sunday where fans could be treated to the sight of Caicedo making his debut.