England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France, recording their best finish at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 1966.

The Three Lions stormed into a 4-0 half-time lead through goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a first-half brace from Bukayo Saka, leaving France facing a four-goal deficit at the break for the first time since 1930.

France mounted an impressive comeback in the second half as Kylian Mbappe scored twice, with Bradley Barcola also finding the net to reduce the gap to 4-3. Mbappe’s brace took his overall  World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving him ahead of Lionel Messi as the competition’s all-time leading scorer.

England regained control late in the match when Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Djed Spence was brought down inside the area. Ousmane Dembele responded in stoppage time to make it 5-4 before Jude Bellingham sealed the victory with England’s sixth goal in the 98th minute.

Saka became only the second England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match, following Geoff Hurst’s famous treble in the 1966 final.

Bellingham also enjoyed a memorable tournament, finishing with seven goals — the most ever scored by an England men’s player at a single World Cup.

The 10-goal encounter set a new record as the highest-scoring third-place play-off in World Cup history, while England also became the first team to score six goals against France in a World Cup match.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has said any withdrawal of American forces from Iraq should be based on conditions on the ground rather than a fixed timeline, warning that a security vacuum would not benefit Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, or the United States.

In an interview with Kurdistan24, Khalilzad said Iraq has strong potential to attract U.S. investment under the country’s new prime minister, who is focused on business, trade and economic cooperation. However, he stressed that lasting security remains essential for attracting foreign investors.

He said ongoing discussions between Baghdad and Washington cover both economic cooperation and security arrangements, including the planned withdrawal of U.S. forces by the end of September.

“We will have to see what the impact that will have,” he said. “Will the militias disarm? Will the security environment be such that the neighbors do not interfere in Iraqi security affairs and make things difficult? These are important questions.”

Khalilzad said any decision on reducing or withdrawing troops should depend on whether security conditions improve, including whether armed groups disarm and neighboring countries refrain from interfering in Iraq’s affairs.

“I personally think that we have to be condition-driven,” he said. “If the conditions are such that it’s safe to reduce or adjust or withdraw, one should do it.”

However, he warned against a withdrawal that creates new security risks.

“It’s not in Iraq’s interest or in our interest or Kurdistan’s interest for a security vacuum to be established where there are security challenges that remain,” Khalilzad said.

Khalilzad also described Iraq’s current security environment as “very difficult” but said the country’s long-term economic prospects remain promising if stability can be maintained.

An Afghan investor who has invested more than $80 million in building a textile factory in Kabul says the facility will begin fabric production in the near future.

Sayed Khan Parwani, the factory’s owner, said the project will create 12,000 direct jobs across three shifts once it becomes operational.

Construction of the factory, built on nearly 40 jeribs of land in Kabul, is about 90 percent complete.

Parwani said the infrastructure required for operations has been completed, machinery installation is underway, and modern equipment has been imported from abroad. He added that the factory will have the capacity to produce 50,000 square meters of fabric per hour.

“The six weaving halls are ready for operation, and we expect the factory to begin production within the next two months,” said Shah Wazir Amani, the factory’s technical engineer.

Factory officials said foreign specialists will initially oversee fabric production while local personnel receive training to gradually assume technical and operational responsibilities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy says the textile industry is a key pillar of the country’s economic strategy and that efforts are underway to encourage greater investment in the sector.

“Industry, particularly the textile sector, holds an important place in the Islamic Emirate’s economic strategy and can play a significant role in economic growth, job creation, and achieving self-sufficiency,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy.

Economic experts say expanding Afghanistan’s textile industry could boost economic growth, increase national revenues, and create thousands of jobs. They also say greater domestic fabric production would reduce reliance on imports and help keep capital within the country.

Analysts estimate that Afghanistan spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on fabric imports, adding that the launch of large-scale textile factories could significantly reduce imports, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and support the country’s economy.