
Donald Trump will be ‘positive force' for US World Cup, says sports tycoon
US sports billionaire Arthur Blank has said he hopes that geopolitical tensions will 'settle down' before next year's football World Cup,

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Andorra vs England: When David Nugent nicked Defoe's goal
England travel to face Andorra in World Cup qualification tonight, a David vs Goliath clash when it comes to European football. Thomas Tuchel's side are ranked fourth in the world by FIFA as things stand, a whopping 169 places above tonight's opponents. Advertisement England have won all six previous meetings, scoring 25 times in the process and conceding none. It's a clash that has does not evoke much nostalgia, but it's one that David Nugent will remember fondly. Back in 2007, England were labouring against the minnows. Booed off after a goalless half-time in Barcelona, it required Steven Gerrard's latest Roy of the Rovers impression to get England ahead. Gerrard scored twice to put the visitors in control, before Nugent marked his international debut with the third. Usually, there would be universal appreciation for a debutant scorer, but it's fair to say strike partner Jermain Defoe was a little miffed. Defoe's effort on goal was crossing the line, only for Nugent to stab it in from millimeters out. Defoe gave a wry smile, but on the inside was clearly unhappy. 'Jermain Defoe had a shot, the keeper saved it, but it went under his body and was rolling into the goal,' Nugent later told the Express. 'I used my pace to get there just in time before it crossed the line and tapped it in. Advertisement 'It was going in anyway, but I decided I'd make sure. The pitch was a bit muddy, so it might have stopped in the mud.' Defoe's recollection was slightly different. 'Fuming,' he recalled to Rio Ferdinand presents. 'It was his first England goal so people were making noise about it. But I though, 'I've made the movement to get in, I've shot, snapshot, it's gone underneath the goalkeeper and I'm running away celebrating. He's just come from nowhere and kicked it in the goal!'' Nugent was never capped again, ending his England career with one appearance and one shamelessly stolen goal. Read – What will Cunha and Mbeumo bring to Manchester United? See more – Can Delap beat the curse? Rating every Chelsea number nine of the Premier League era Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
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Tuchel wants ‘relentless' England performance against minnows Andorra
Ivan Toney and Trevoh Chalobah speak about their England call-ups and hopes for the World Cup Ivan Toney and Trevoh Chalobah have spoken about their selection for Thomas Tuchel's 26-man England squad, as the team prepare to face Andorra in Saturday's group K World Cup qualifier.

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Trump banned travel from 12 countries, but included some exceptions to avoid legal battles
MIAMI -- The new travel ban on citizens of 12 countries that restricted access to people from seven others includes some exceptions, part of the administration's efforts to withstand the legal challenges that a similar policy known as the 'Muslim ban' faced during Donald Trump's first administration. The ban announced Wednesday applies to people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The restrictions are for people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, who are outside the United States and don't hold a visa. Some exceptions apply only to specific countries, like Afghanistan. Others are for most of the countries on the list, or are more general and unclear, like the policies for foreign visitors planning to come to the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, two of the events President Donald Trump has said he is more excited to host. Some experts agree that the current ban includes exceptions and has fixed some issues that were subject to litigation in the first travel ban. 'Absolutely, the administration is trying to avoid the problems that they had with the first proclamation,' said Jeff Joseph, president-elect at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He anticipated, nonetheless, that lawsuits are 'going to come anyway.' In one of the most confusing moments of his first administration, Trump issued an executive order in 2017 banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. People from those countries were barred from getting on flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after landing. Among them were students, faculty, businesspeople, tourists and people visiting family. The order, dubbed as 'Muslim ban' by critics, faced legal challenges in the courts for about a year and was amended twice after opponents argued in the courts that it was unconstitutional and illegal. A version of the first travel ban was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The new ban takes effect Monday at 12 a.m. It does not have an end date. __Green card holders __Dual citizens, including U.S. citizens who have citizenship of the banned countries __Some athletes and their coaches traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting events __Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan or are holders of special visas __Iranians from an ethnic or religious minority who are fleeing prosecution __Certain foreign national employees of the U.S. government that have served abroad for at least 15 years, and their spouses and children __People who were granted asylum or admitted to the U.S. as refugees before the travel ban took effect __People with U.S. family members who apply for visas in connection with their spouses, children or parents __Diplomats and foreign government officials on official visits __People traveling to the U.N. headquarters in New York on official U.N. business __Representatives of international organizations and NATO on official visits in the United States __Children adopted by U.S. citizens Trump said nationals of the countries included in the ban pose 'terrorism-related' and 'public safety' risks, as well as risks of overstaying their visas. Some of these countries, he said, had 'deficient' screening or have refused to take back their citizens. The Proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests. Critics of the 2017 ban said that it was racial and targeted Muslim countries. Now the policy is broader and includes countries like Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela — nations that don't have many Muslims. This will make the argument about racial animus, said Joseph, the immigration attorney. The government has also included potential end dates, and the State Department will evaluate the proclamation every 90 days and determine if it should be extended. The list can be changed, the administration said in a document, if authorities in the designated countries make 'material improvements' to their own rules and procedures. New countries can be added 'as threats emerge around the world.' The travel ban has barred most Afghans hoping to resettle in the U.S. permanently and those hoping to come temporarily, but there are several exemptions. One of them is for special immigrant visa holders who supported the United States' two-decades-long war in Afghanistan. Another exception applies to all countries on the travel ban and allows spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens to enter the U.S. The U.S. government can decide to admit or decline their entrance on a case-by-case basis, considering if they serve a 'United States national interest.' Iran, a soccer power in Asia, is the only targeted country to qualify so far for the World Cup that will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next year. Cuba, Haiti and Sudan are in contention. Sierra Leone might stay involved through multiple playoff games. Burundi, Equatorial Guinea and Libya have very outside shots. But all should be able to send teams if they qualify because the new policy makes exceptions for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, the Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' About 200 countries could send athletes to the Summer Games, including those targeted in the travel restrictions, and the exceptions should apply to them if the ban is still in place in its current form. Fans from the target countries willing to travel to the World Cup and the Olympics are not mentioned in the exceptions. Traveling from abroad for the World Cup and the Summer Games is expensive. In many cases, those who can afford the travel are wealthy individuals or people living in the diaspora, who may have different visa options.