© Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Noah Berger/Associated Press
Despite job offers, Jaishree Malik has had visa renewal and extension requests delayed and denied, and she is not alone
Jaishree Malik bounds on to the Cheeky Monkey comedy club stage and brandishes an envelope – it is a letter from the Irish government. Would the audience like to hear what’s in the letter?
“Yeah,” the first rows reply. She repeats the question, prompting a louder response. “Yeah!”
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© Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/The Guardian
© Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/The Guardian
© Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/The Guardian
England are world champions, and they earned their moment through nerve, quality and an unshakeable refusal to accept defeat. Against tournament hosts the United States, the Para Lions overturned a late deficit to win 2–1 after extra time, bringing a glorious conclusion to their campaign in Georgia.
IFCPF Men’s World Cup Final 2026
For head coach Jack Rutter and his players, this was the reward for years of ambition, preparation and persistence. England’s first World Cup title in cerebral palsy football belongs to a squad whose performances deserve a prominent place in the nation’s sporting celebrations.
The final supplied the drama. After a goalless first half, the Americans broke through from a corner in the 56th minute. With regulation time almost exhausted, England faced the prospect of seeing their dream disappear within touching distance of the trophy.
Sam Dewhirst supplied the answer, equalising in stoppage time to force an additional period. Then came David Porcher’s decisive intervention: after Dewhirst’s effort was pushed away, Porcher converted the rebound. England protected their advantage and completed a turnaround worthy of a World Cup final.
Rutter’s assessment captured both the emotion and the work behind the achievement.
“It feels unbelievable,” he said, before praising the sacrifices made by players and staff. Appointed in January, the former England player had guided the team to the summit in his first major tournament as head coach.
His experience gave the occasion particular resonance. Having represented the Para Lions between 2013 and 2018, Rutter understood the long pursuit of international success. He also highlighted goalkeeper Giles Moore’s contribution against the Americans, praising the saves that helped keep England in contention.
England had already demonstrated their credentials throughout the competition. Victories over Japan, Indonesia and the Republic of Ireland brought a perfect group record. The knockout rounds demanded different qualities, with an extra-time victory over the Netherlands followed by a controlled semi-final win against Brazil.
That combination of attacking confidence and competitive resilience made England compelling champions. They could impose themselves when opportunities opened, but also withstand the pressure of matches in which a single moment could settle everything.
The achievement adds a memorable chapter to a sport with deep international roots. The first international cerebral palsy football competition took place in Edinburgh in 1978, during the third Cerebral Palsy International Games. The first World Championships followed in Denmark in 1982.
The International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, known as IFCPF, became the sport’s independent governing body in January 2015. Governance transferred from the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association, which had overseen its development for 37 years.
The modern World Cup continues that earlier championship tradition, providing a global stage for elite national teams. England hosted the senior IFCPF World Championships in 2015, while the women’s game reached an important milestone with its inaugural World Cup in 2022, won by the United States.
Men’s CP football features seven players per side, smaller pitches and goals, and two halves of 30 minutes. There is no offside, while players may roll the ball into play instead of using a conventional throw-in. Eligible athletes include players with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and stroke-related impairments.
Those adaptations produce an absorbing contest demanding technique, tactical intelligence and teamwork. England’s triumph offers an excellent invitation for new supporters to discover it.
The opportunity now is to turn celebration into lasting attention: fuller coverage, stronger support for development and more chances for young players to find their way into the game.
For children watching these champions, an England shirt can become a tangible ambition. Dewhirst, Porcher, Moore and their teammates have given that ambition faces, names and unforgettable moments.
Above all, this was a victory to savour on its sporting merits. England met pressure with composure and disappointment with determination. When the final demanded something extraordinary, the Para Lions found it—and brought the World Cup home.
Ukraine's military satellite links work at full speed again after a cap that hobbled its drones, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on 24 October. Hours later, SpaceX owner Elon Musk, who earlier pointed at Washington, said his company had enforced its own rules. A Ukrainian presidential adviser and a drone volunteer replied that civilian Starlink could not fly such missions.
Ukraine holds off Russia with American tools it doesn't control, so any pause decided abroad, like stalled Patriot deliveries or the Starlink cap, opens gaps in its defense. With no stated rule on what Ukraine's forces may do, the next cutoff could again come unannounced and unexplained.
The ministry recorded stable connections above 400 km/h (250 mph). Before, Kyiv said, links on Starlink and its military version, Starshield, cut out above 161 km/h (100 mph).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the restoration began overnight. "The speeds are now where they need to be," he said, citing defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. He thanked US lawmakers, the media, the State Department, and the US President, but not Musk or SpaceX.
Musk replied "Correct" to an X user who called Starlink "not a weapons system." "Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week," he wrote.
Correct.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2026
Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be.
Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them.
Ukraine military violated… https://t.co/ZXBB8bYfPn
He called Starshield "a different system" the US government controls, and warned: "Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact."
Musk named no evidence, cases, or time frames. Overnight, he answered a headline on the US financial blog ZeroHedge saying he "admits" SpaceX throttled Starlink.
"We simply enforced our terms of service when they were bypassed. There has been no change to our terms of service," Musk wrote.
When the cap hit on 14 October, Musk wrote that the US government owns and controls Starshield and that the US military and "ultimately POTUS" decide any limits. US President Donald Trump, who credited Musk with the fix while Kyiv still saw the cap, said on 24 October he had spoken to Musk about Ukraine but gave no details.
Ukrainian presidential adviser on defense technology Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the callsign Flash, wrote:
"It is very strange that Elon Musk doesn't know about the restrictions on Starlink operations in Ukraine."
Since winter 2026, every Starlink terminal over Ukraine, occupied areas included, has been limited to 70–90 km/h (43–56 mph), he said, and over Russia, Starlink does not work. "So we PHYSICALLY CANNOT USE COMMERCIAL STARLINK for deep strikes and mid-range strikes," Beskrestnov wrote. Deep strikes hit targets far inside Russia, mid-range ones targets closer to the front.
Ukrainian activist and drone fundraiser Serhii Sternenko called Musk's claim untrue. He said Ukraine introduced whitelists of terminals in February, and any terminal used on the move had to be listed and connected to Starshield.
"So using civilian Starlink for drone missions was technically impossible. All drone missions that needed satellite communication could be carried out only with Starshield," Sternenko added.
European governments help pay for Ukraine's Starlink service. Germany funds it under a contract that runs until April 2027. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, whose country pays around $50 million a year for the service, said on 23 October: "Mixing business with politics usually ends badly, especially when we talk about Elon Musk."
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