The JSPrice Perception

Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump (Image: The Guardian) As I pin up a 2026 FIFA World Cup wallchart on one of my walls, I reflect on what will come over the next six weeks, as events on the pitch go head-to-head against the battles between various countries off the pitch; some of those countries are competing in this competition - one is hosting the whole thing. When it was decided that the United States would co-host this World Cup with Canada and Mexico, it was 2018, and Donald Trump was in the middle of his first term as US President. At the time, many of us thought that this presidency would be a distant memory - either that he would lose the election in 2020 and be away from politics forever, or he'd win a second term and by 2026, he'd have completed both terms he's allowed to run, and the tournament would be welcomed by someone with a much smaller ego. Well, while he did lose that 2020 election, he didn't get away from politics and here we are, starting a tourname...

Sir Keir Starmer needs to be bold, and introduce a swift EU return (Image: Yorkshire Bylines) I don't know what has been more sobering - the latest UK election results or their subsequent commentaries. If we are to believe in any press speculation, Britain may be looking at welcoming its fourth Prime Minister this decade almost as soon as I press 'Publish' to this article. The frenzy and franticness of British politics have reached a new level, and the more I read into it, the more worried I am about the future. To summarise these recent weeks, current Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has been under severe pressure over his handling of the government's appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States last year. We know why it happened - because, at the time, Starmer wanted anything to appease the American government led by the unpredictable Donald Trump who, back then, only started declaring economic wars against allies through crippling tariffs. If an...

President Donald Trump points at the Winston Churchill bust (Image: MSN/Getty Images) I was struck by what United States President Donald Trump said in one of his latest criticisms of UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. At the time, Starmer stated that he was not going to help Trump, nor Israel's leader Benyamin Netanyahu in their current military campaign against Iran. Sure, the US can have a British base or two to park planes, but that's about it. That, according to Trump, isn't enough. When asked about the UK's role, he pointed at the bust of Winston Churchill he has at his Oval Office and said, " Starmer is no Churchill. " Churchill, for those want to be selective with history, is seen as a war-time 'hero' - leading the UK and allies' charge against Nazi Germany during the Second World War. When Adolf Hitler and his minions surrendered in 1945, then-UK Prime Minister, rightly or wrongly, took the plaudits and many war-time leaders ever since ...

David Beckham (centre) with princes William (L) and Harry (R) (Image: Marie Claire)   You may find what I'm about to write here a little weird: the so-called 'Beckham saga' is vital for society. I feel we need it, to digest it, to understand it, to heal from it and to progress together, as a unit. Told you, weird, right? But I'm being serious. For those out in the loop, Sir David Beckham and his wife, now Lady Victoria Beckham, have been married for 27 years. In 1999, their nuptials was a cultural moment in Britain - the biggest English football star at the time and Posh Spice, in holy matrimony. I was eight years old at the time - into my football and pop music - this couple certainly had an impression on me, despite never supporting Manchester United. They were the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton of the 1990s and beyond.  "Posh and Becks," as they've affectionately been known since, have four children, the eldest of which, Brooklyn. His birth was the...

Leaders of Denmark and the United States, Mette Frederiksen and Donald Trump (Image: Wikimedia Commons) Donald Trump has his eyes on two countries dear to my heart (Iran and Denmark), and it is utterly terrifying. I will write about Iran - where much of my DNA comes from - later in this article, but first, let's address Denmark, a nation that has been a sanctuary and home for much of the Iranian side of my family for almost 40 years. Prior to recent times, Denmark has been among the quieter countries in global politics. It doesn't consistently rank high in the ' happiest nations in the world ' for a laugh. Should you visit it for the first time, you will find it clean, respected and harmless. If it were a person, it wouldn't hurt a fly. It also runs a number of smaller territories, including the Faroe Islands (situated between Scotland and Iceland) and Greenland, a large island to the east of Canada.  For so long, the only time you would hear Greenland in the news w...