#Japanese toilet maker Toto will fully resume new orders for prefabricated bathrooms, ending restrictions imposed earlier this year as the Iran war disrupted its supply of naphtha-derived materials

'Fists flying everywhere': A look back at the U20 #World Cup ruckus in Toronto in 2007. Argentina’s 3-0 win over Chile in an ill-tempered semifinal suddenly moved to the back burner.

The more pressing development was a ruckus near the stadium’s main entry area as players on the Chilean team slugged it out with security and police. A member of the Chilean delegation was subdued by a Taser during the bloody brawl.

It didn’t take long for it to become an international incident. Politicians were quick to weigh in, and then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the situation left a “black mark” on the tournament.

“International soccer matches are hotly contested and often become very emotional,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in Haiti at the time, said the next day.

Nearly 20 years later, six FIFA World Cup matches will be played at the same venue. Canada, the U.S., and Mexico will co-host the June 11-July 19 men’s tournament.

BMO Field was just a few months old when it co-hosted the under-20 competition that featured stars like Argentina’s Sergio Aguero, American Michael Bradley and Spain’s Gerard Pique.

On the night of the ruckus, Nathan Denette was outside the stadium with a fellow Canadian Press photographer when yelling was heard near the Chilean team bus.

Denette said that at first, there was a commotion between four or five people that escalated when eight to 10 players came out of the vehicle.

“There’s just fists flying everywhere,” he said that night. “Between the cops, the security guards, a couple of ladies were involved that were security. It looked like a big dogfight.”

Social media was in its infancy at the time. Smartphone use was a small fraction of what it is today.

So reporters’ phones -- for those who had them -- weren’t exactly blowing up as they took in player and coach availabilities around the facility. However, it soon became obvious that a new storyline was developing.

After interviewing the Argentine players, a handful of media members returned indoors when they were told to wait in place.

No other details were provided. Security guards and police officers hovered in the area.

Piercing wails were soon heard down the hall. One reporter said it sounded like a raccoon that had been quilled by a porcupine.

The volume got louder until a visual finally appeared. Handcuffed Chilean players, many with blood and dirt smeared across their chins and uniforms, were being led by police to a nearby locker room.

Tournament officials wearing dark #FIFA suit jackets soon followed. Colin Linford, then president of the Canadian Soccer Association, also approached the door.

He looked aghast as he peered inside the room.

An impromptu news conference was scheduled a short time later. A FIFA spokesperson said the entire situation was under investigation by the federation, local organizers, police and the Chilean delegation.

He said Chilean players were detained by police to de-escalate the situation in front of the stadium, adding that no arrests were made and that all players had been released.

The game was an intense battle between longtime South American soccer rivals.

Chile had two players red-carded and received seven of the nine yellow cards issued. Some 53 foul calls were made.

After the final whistle, several Chilean players tried to get at German referee Wolfgang Stark and the officiating crew before others stepped in to keep them away.

“The players were upset,” Chilean coach Jose Sulantay said via an interpreter. “They’re young players. The red cards affected them.”

The off-field brouhaha made headlines around the world.

The next day, Blatter, Linford and other soccer officials attended a packed news conference at a downtown conference room.

Blatter said he spoke with Toronto Mayor David Miller to “express the regrets of FIFA,” and asked the CSA to deal with the relevant domestic authorities and report back to FIFA.

Chilean official Harold Mayne-Nicholls was also on the dais.

“We apologize (for) the behaviour of the players after the game,” Mayne-Nicholls said. “We are not supporting (that) kind of conduct.”

He added that he witnessed the incident near the bus.

“I personally saw that the police of Toronto did not act as our police (are) used to acting with people that are just playing a football game,” he said. “For us, as the chairman of the football federation from Chile, we cannot accept those kinds of things coming from the police. Our players are 19, 20-year-old kids.

“They were playing football, and they never deserved the treatment they were receiving.”

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said it was “clearly unjustified” how the team was treated.

An internal police investigation, released a couple of weeks later, found officers acted with an immense amount of restraint despite being “punched, kicked (and) spat on,” Toronto police chief Bill Blair said.

Blair added the situation started after an altercation between a spectator and a Chilean player. No charges were laid, and there were no serious injuries.

FIFA later handed Chilean forward Jaime Grondona a nine-month suspension and fine for assaulting match officials during the game. The Chilean Soccer Association was also fined for team misconduct.

It remains unclear whether the planned Canadian Soccer Association investigation into the off-field ruckus was completed. Messages left with the federation and the sport’s governing body were not returned.

Chile went on to beat Austria for the bronze medal. Argentina defeated the Czech Republic for #gold.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2026.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press

Asian #markets plunged on Monday as investors slammed the brakes on the red-hot AI rally, while Israeli strikes on Beirut sent oil prices and the dollar higher.

#Taiwan coast guard 'expels' #Chinese ships from restricted waters

A fire broke out on a luxury yacht that was berthed near an island resort in #Singapore, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the air

The small #African country with big World Cup dreams

#WASHINGTON, June 7. The US administration intends to provide its Persian Gulf allies with access to Iranian assets for compensation of damage Tehran may inflict them, Reuters news agency said, citing sources.

"The United States will make Iranian assets available to Gulf allies to support rebuilding and repairs for future damage caused by Iran," the news agency said, citing its sources.

According to Reuters, "The US will also consider using those assets to support repairs or past damages." US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent directed a team to assess costs for damag already inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran, the news agency added.

#FBI fires several analysts tied to disputed ‘Catholic ideology’ memo. The fired employees included four intelligence analysts and a supervisory analyst. The FBI declined to comment.

“This action is manifestly unjust, completely unsupported by the facts, and subverts standard FBI policy and procedure,” their lawyer, David Laufman, said in a statement. “These individuals deserved far better for the exceptional and faithful public service they rendered to protect our country.”

The January 2023 intelligence product produced by analysts in the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, field office emerged as a political flashpoint after it was issued, with Republicans in Congress repeatedly citing it as part of their broader contention that the FBI during the Biden administration was targeting conservatives.

Then-director Chris Wray repeatedly denied that charge and the FBI has said the document was quickly retracted and an internal review was launched. Merrick Garland, the attorney general under U.S. President Joe Biden, has said he was “appalled” by the memo.

Earlier U.S. Justice Department investigations into the memo challenged the analytical tradecraft but did not find intentional misconduct by the analysts involved.

The firings are part of a broader personnel purge under Patel, a Trump loyalist who over the last year, has pushed out dozens of employees who either contributed to investigations of the president or who were perceived as not in alignment with the administration’s agenda. The U.S. Justice Department has engaged in similarly sweeping firings of prosecutors since Trump took office last year.

In February, for instance, the FBI fired a group of counterintelligence agents who participated in the investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump over his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The Richmond memo, which emerged from a domestic terrorism investigation, sought to examine a potential link between what it called “Radical Traditionalist Catholic” ideology and racially and ethnically motivated extremists. It warned of the potential for violence and also highlighted what the authors described as “new avenues for tripwire and source development.” FBI leadership quickly condemned those findings once the document became public.

An internal FBI review described in a 2023 letter to Congress and based on interviews with 26 people “found that all individuals involved in the creation, review and approval of the product failed to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards and failed to recognize that the product, as drafted, equated the subjects’ interest in their self-described form of religion with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (RMVE) ideology without sufficient evidence or articulable support.”

The failure to adhere to standards, including on proper domestic terrorism terminology, “created the appearance that the FBI conducts investigative activity based on religious affiliation,” the letter said. “One of the FBI’s most fundamental principles is that investigative activity may not be based solely on the exercise of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.”

A Justice Department inspector general report in 2024 summarized the earlier FBI review by saying that though there were departures from proper analytic tradecraft, “no evidence of a malicious intent or an improper purpose” were found.

MS NOW earlier reported the firings.

Tucker reported from Los Angeles.

Eric Tucker And Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press

During a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russian President Vladimir Putin "responded" to a recent so-called open letter from Vladimir Zelensky with an address to Russian troops on the front lines, concluding his response with the words "Keep working, brothers!"

The West’s short-sighted sanctions policy is working in Russia’s favor, the president noted.

TASS has compiled the Russian leader’s key statements.
Zelensky’s letter

Vladimir Zelensky’s rude letter can be seen as creating conditions that preclude a face-to-face meeting: "And this letter does indeed contain elements of rudeness. What is this? Is this a way to create conditions for face-to-face meetings and talks? Or is it creating a situation in which it is actually impossible to hold any face-to-face meetings at all?"

Kiev has deemed it possible to move to a public debate, which is "not quite right, or completely wrong."

The leader of the Kiev regime must not be afraid to go to the polls, but must not usurp power: "One must not be afraid to go to the polls and must always act within the framework of the Constitution. Otherwise, it is called usurpation of power, which is a criminal offense."

"The author of the letter mentioned my age. What can I say? Of course, everyone should think about their age. But it seems to me that many other political figures are carrying out their duties at my age. Some are even older than I am. What matters most for a politician is not age, but capacity and ability to perform."

Zelensky wants to receive weapons from the US, but at the same time does not want to see US President Donald Trump as a guarantor of agreements between Russia and Ukraine; this "raises questions": "Surely, reliable guarantors are always welcome, but it's unclear why he refuses to accept the US administration and President Trump in that role."

Moscow and Kiev should resolve key issues on Ukraine, while other countries can "serve as guarantors."

Everyone saw how President Trump "took it upon himself to educate" Zelensky. One can only thank him for his "work" on Zelensky’s manners, but "there is still work to be done."

Zelensky recently requested a meeting through a Russian businessman. "We have never refused to meet with Zelensky, but there is no need to "pour from an empty vessel into an empty one." Before a summit on Ukraine, solutions to the situation must be found; until then, Russia "does not see the point" in such a meeting.

The Kiev regime wants a meeting only to "stop the advance of our armed forces."

In response to Zelensky’s letter, the president addressed the Russian military: "Keep working, brothers!"
Starobelsk

There were no military facilities near the Starobelsk college that the Ukrainian armed forces struck: "This is a terrible crime. There wasn't a single military facility there, not even a single military vehicle nearby."
Special military operation

"As of April 1," Russia fully controls the Lugansk People’s Republic. "Less than 15% of the territory" of the Donetsk People’s Republic remains under Kiev’s control. Russia will achieve the complete liberation of Donbass; "we are moving calmly but confidently toward resolving these tasks."

Russia will seek the denazification of Ukraine: "We will pursue certain other [goals] through talks, namely denazification."

Hostilities will eventually end, and they will end once Russia achieves its stated objectives: "We proceed on the assumption that they will end. And, of course, they will end once we achieve our stated objectives."

The Ukrainian strikes on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) endanger Europe itself, the sponsor of the Kiev regime: "Europeans who encourage the current Kiev regime's actions should carefully consider their own security."

Russia will strengthen its security, including its air defense systems: "We must strengthen our security, strengthen our missile defense system, strengthen our air defense, and we will do so."
Ukraine’s weapons

Ukraine "does not have its own production" of the types of weapons that Russia possesses.

Russia has, among other things, weapons that are not available not only to Ukraine but also to other countries, "for example, intermediate-range weapons, such as the Oreshnik."

Ukraine mainly receives drones from Western countries: "For the most part, of course, they come to Ukraine from Western countries. All that's needed is assembly. They are trying to develop something on their own, but little is coming of it."

Jet-powered drones, which have recently appeared on the battlefield, are generally being successfully "neutralized."
Russia’s economic development

Despite sanctions pressure and the departure of some companies from the country, everything is developing in Russia: "Where it’s profitable, nothing has stopped here."

Russia continues to supply uranium to the US market and ranks among its top three suppliers: "The top supplier by volume to the US is an American company. The second is a joint venture with European and American capital. The third by volume is Russia - to this day. And that’s fine; everything is normal."

Although Ukrainian drone attacks on critical infrastructure in Russia cause some economic damage, serious businesses "focus on the long term."

"Sanctions, however, hurt those who impose them more."

Russia is "deliberately cooling down the economy" for its own good.

There are no threats to Russia’s economy either today or in the near future: "I want to assure you that we see no threats either today or in the near future. On the contrary, we see that our actions are yielding tangible results."

"All issues are discussed on a regular basis" at meetings with the business community.

Investors’ cries of "help" are linked to the key interest rate, but Russia remains an attractive country for investment, "including not only domestic but also foreign investment."

Russia has done more and in a shorter time than originally planned to reduce poverty in the country; "the fundamental basis for the development of the Russian economy is stable and has good growth prospects."

Previously, the oil and gas sector accounted for about 50% of federal budget revenues, whereas now it accounts for only 20%.
Global energy market

Russia is interested in stable and balanced energy prices because excessively high prices negatively impact the real sector of the country’s economy: "It is important to us that this price strikes a balance between the interests of producers and consumers. Most importantly, it must remain stable."

Reducing oil supplies negatively impacts the global economy, and Russia does not seek to disrupt the energy markets: "We have no interest in that."

Russia is working with Saudi Arabia to balance the interests of oil suppliers and consumers.

If oil prices remain high, they will likely affect inflation in the world’s leading economies, including the US: "Right now, if oil prices remain high, everything will be more expensive, and this will affect the entire chain of economic interaction."
Foreign business in Russia

Despite the ongoing special military operation, foreign businesses are not abandoning their operations in Russia. The risks arising from this situation will be minimized: "There are those willing to work here after assessing all these risks. But I have no doubt that we will minimize them; sooner or later, these risks will fade away."

Russia will welcome back foreign companies that "didn’t leave a mess behind or act rudely." But their return will be based on the interests of domestic business.

Thanks to sanctions, Russia has expanded its capabilities and begun to replace Western companies in third-country markets. Meanwhile, European partners "quietly grumble behind closed doors" at their governments but are forced to simply accept it: "This is what such short-sighted policies by some of our partners lead to. But in this sense, it actually works to our advantage."

The sanctions against Russia "helped develop our own capabilities."
US elections

The conflict in Ukraine might not have started if Donald Trump had not been "cheated out of the election" in 2020 and had remained in power: "Perhaps if Mr. Trump had been in power, things would have turned out differently."

"I believe there was fraud in the previous election. Voting by mail does not meet any international standards for ensuring fair elections."

The relationship between the leaders of Russia and the US is built on mutual respect: "I treat him as a colleague. I treat him with respect."
International isolation

There was no international isolation of Russia to begin with, but the "previous administration" of the US was the initiator of attempts at this isolation: "I assure you that there was no isolation to begin with."

US allies are trying even harder than the Americans to isolate Russia: "Allies in Europe followed suit and have succeeded in this to a greater extent than even the US administration."

Russia is pleased to welcome representatives from both European countries and the US to the SPIEF: "And the fact that, as you noted, there are now official representatives of the #US, and I know there are representatives of European countries [at #SPIEF] - this is something we can only welcome."

#Russia has never shut itself off from anyone: "We have never shut ourselves off from anyone."

The US military is waiting for clarifications from the Pentagon following US President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding the number of US troops in Europe, Associated Press (AP) wrote citing two US defense officials.

According to the agency, NATO allies were bewildered after Trump announced plans to send 5,000 US servicemen to Poland just a few weeks after ordering to withdraw the same number of troops from Europe.

Associated Press believes that uncertainty over Washington’s plans affects servicemen’s lives and may potentially cost millions to US taxpayers.

At the same time, the #Trump administration claims that the reduction of US military presence in #Europe was planned beforehand and was coordinated with the allies.