Ghana v Panama: World Cup 2026 – live

⚽️ World Cup kick-off: 7pm local/12am BST/9am AEST
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Beau

1 min Panama pass pointlessly, possession purloined.

It’s raining a bit in Toronto as we get started. Current temperature is 20 degrees. That’s Celsius. Canada isn’t that cold.

Trump says he is ‘not a big fan’ of USMCA, free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada he signed – live

The US has to approve a renewal of the existing agreement by 1 July, or announce its intention to exit the pact, a process that would take 10 years

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Donald Trump also denied (again) that the memorandum of understanding includes a $300bn fund for Iran, and denied that he had asked the Gulf states to commit funding.

“It’s false,” Trump told reporters as he sat alongside Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. “You can invest if you want. What am I going to do, say no one is ever allowed to invest? We’re not investing, we’re not putting up 10 cents and people can decide to do it. That’s up to them.”

In short, what it does is it opens the strait of Hormuz immediately … It also provides a framework whereby if the Iranians give us what we need – on stopping the funding of terrorism, on no longer pursuing a nuclear weapon – then they can get some benefits, be re-invited into the world economy.

US House staff visit Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison after claims of laptop and puppy

Epstein associate’s lawyer rejected preferential treatment claims in January, saying ‘humane treatment isn’t special’

Staff from the House oversight and judiciary committees visited the Texas prison where Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is serving her sentence, according to Democratic lawmakers.

In a statement, the Democratic representatives Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin said staff from the committees traveled to the minimum-security federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas, on Tuesday to seek answers about Maxwell’s transfer there, and about allegations that she has received preferential treatment at the prison camp.

HPV jabs cut risk of dying from cervical cancer before 30 to almost zero

Study reveals positive news, but experts say deaths and cases may rise again as fewer teenagers get vaccinated

Women who received an HPV vaccine in early adolescence have virtually zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30, according to a groundbreaking study, but falling vaccination rates could see a rise in avoidable deaths.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, according to the World Health Organization, and high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause 99% of cases. About 3,300 women in England are diagnosed with the disease every year.

SpaceX adds longtime Elon Musk ally Roelof Botha to board

Roelof Botha, who worked with Elon Musk at PayPal in the dot-com era before becoming a prominent venture capitalist, is joining the SpaceX board.

England 4-2 Croatia: World Cup 2026 Group L player ratings

Harry Kane was in fine form while Dominik Livakovic stopped the scoreline running away from Croatia

Jordan Pickford Could have done better with Baturina’s goal. Made crucial late save to keep England ahead but looked shaky. 6

The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and how to watch

With 104 World Cup games being played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, it's like "a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks," U.S. team captain Tim Ream told CBS News.

England surge to thrilling opening win in World Cup cracker with Croatia

Thomas Tuchel made it plain that when the stress came with the serious business of World Cup matches, he believed his England team would thrive. What had gone before, especially in the friendlies, was little more than a distraction. Here in the Lone Star state, which tallies with what England have on their shirts, it was time to make a statement about that second star.

There was a fair helping of stress against Croatia, the 11th best team in the world and the highest ranked pot two nation in the tournament – particularly in the first half. It was down to defending that was simply too open and generous. A seesaw opening 45 minutes ended 2-2, Harry Kane scoring England’s goals, the first from a retaken penalty. Martin Baturina and Petar Musa replied for Croatia. England were powerful on corners. The overall sense in open play was one of confusion.

Fed holds rates steady, pares down statement to remove cutting bias

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released its interest rate decision.

This law firm has deep ties to Trump. Now a partner is his pick for a top job.

Jamie McDonald, a partner at the firm Sullivan & Cromwell, is President Trump's choice to helm one of the nation's most prestigious federal prosecutors' offices.

Defense contractors would be barred from buying back their stock in bill approved by Senate panel

A bill the Senate Armed Services Committee approved would prevent defense contractors from buying back their stock without Pentagon approval.

Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady but leaves door open to hike

U.S. inflation is expected to remain elevated through the end of the year, Fed officials say in their latest forecast.

As western fires erupt, Trump's Forest Service says it's now fully staffed

The Forest Service says it's fully staffed with seasonal firefighters going into summer but there are still questions about whether the government is prepared if major wildfires get out of hand.

Here are the five big takeaways from Kevin Warsh's first meeting as Fed chairman

The Federal Reserve and Chairman Kevin Warsh on Wednesday followed the script on interest rates closely.

All-time greatest: who is the highest goalscorer in World Cup history?

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are vying to become not just 2026 World Cup winners but also the greatest goalscorers in the history of the tournament. Here’s how they compare with others on the all-time list

Golden Boot: World Cup 2026 top goalscorers

Lionel Messi started his 2026 World Cup campaign with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria.

The trio of strikes gave him a career total of 16 World Cup goals, equalling the existing record held by Miroslav Klose. It’s reasonable to expect the Inter Miami player to set a new mark this summer but he is being chased hard by Kylian Mbappé. He scored twice in France’s opening match victory against Senegal, giving him a total of 14 goals since his competition debut eight years ago.

Suspect in custody after deadly shooting at Wilmington Hospital

A suspect was taken into custody in Philadelphia in connection with the shooting at Wilmington Hospital that left a 19-year-old dead and another injured.

Here's how much the the Iran war cost -- and how its effects will linger

More than three months after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, the costs and aftereffects are felt around the world.

Dramatic rescue efforts after fiery small plane crash in Texas kills 1

A business jet with six on board crashed on a Laredo, Texas, highway and caught fire, killing one person and causing chaos as passersby frantically tried to save those inside.

JetBlue to reduce Newark, LaGuardia footprint as it forges ahead in Fort Lauderdale

JetBlue is planning to cut some employee bases at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and tech bases at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

US releases text of Iran peace plan as Trump says deal averts ‘worldwide depression’

Details of 14-point agreement revealed as senior US officials claim ‘major win’ despite significant concessions to Tehran

• Middle East crisis – live updates

The Trump administration has released the text of its 14-point agreement with Iran, claiming it delivered a “major win” for the United States – even as it made significant political and financial concessions to Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz and prevent a “worldwide depression”.

In extraordinary remarks on Wednesday, Donald Trump went from threatening Iran with a new wave of attacks to suggesting the country had basic rights to enrich uranium for civilian use, that he would not pressure Tehran to abandon its ballistic missiles programme and the US was “going to have to give back” billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.

Analysis: Chairman Kevin Warsh’s task forces are the key to understanding the new Fed

The new leader of the Fed left interest rates alone but made clear how he plans to rewire the central bank.

Daveigh Chase, child star known for Lilo & Stitch and The Ring, dies aged 35

Los Angeles-based actor’s boyfriend said she died from meningitis and blood infection which in turn led to sepsis

The former US child actor Daveigh Chase has died at age 35.

She was best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and portraying Samara Morgan, the ghost in the 2002 horror film The Ring.

Victims ID'd in B-52 bomber crash that killed 8 at Edwards Air Force Base

As standard practice, the military makes public identifications 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.

Jesse Welles on "This Land is Your Land" and Woody Guthrie's legacy

In the series "USA to Z," which celebrates 250 years of American history and culture, Anthony Mason talks to singer-songwriter Jesse Welles about Woody Guthrie's legacy and the meaning behind the popular song "This Land is Your Land."

CEOs of Anthropic and Google DeepMind call for U.S.-led AI coalition in meeting at G7

Tech leaders and heads of state, including President Donald Trump, joined a meeting about AI standards at the G7 Summit.

Federal Trade Commission sues leading transgender health group

Four states file alongside FTC, claiming WPath made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors

The Federal Trade Commission and four states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health on Wednesday, in the latest push by Donald Trump’s administration and others to limit gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPath, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members profited off the claims. Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas filed along with the FTC.

Pastors for Trump founder drops out of House race after texting scandal

Jackson Lahmeyer had been backed by President Trump, although the president dropped his endorsement shortly before Lahmeyer dropped out.

SpaceX posts first losing day as stock sinks 5%, losing momentum after a multiday rally

Elon Musk's space and AI company has seen its stock surge since its blockbuster IPO on Friday.

Two California students swept out to sea and drowned while napping on beach

Friends Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were pulled out of water by rescue crews but died later at local hospitals

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Two college students died after being swept out to sea from a Santa Cruz beach as massive waves and dangerous rip currents inundated the California coastline in recent days.

Authorities confirmed this week that Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were killed after the sudden swell at a Santa Cruz beach last Wednesday. Nair died last week while Sran died in a local hospital on Sunday.

CarMax shares fall after used car retailer reports earnings beats, CEO details turnaround plan

Despite the beats, questions remain about the company's ability to grow and cut costs under the plan amid tougher market conditions, including margin pressure.

Carvana’s new vehicle strategy turns dealership into ‘playground,’ test-drive center with sales all online

But don't expect Carvana to sell you a vehicle at one of its seven Stellantis stores, marking a stark contrast from typical franchised dealers.

Senate postpones Clayton's confirmation hearing after Trump upends plans

The Senate canceled Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing on Wednesday after President Trump's move to delay the installation of the new intelligence chief.

Trump says he likes idea of blaming Vance if Iran deal doesn't work out

President Trump at the G7 summit said the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran "might not be the kind of document that I should be signing."

Yoane Wissa gives DR Congo first ever World Cup point in draw with Portugal

The clock was about to hit 83 minutes when Roberto Martínez rolled the dice one last time. His team certainly needed extra movement up front so it hardly confounded logic that Gonçalo Ramos was stripped and ready. What made less sense was that Vitinha departed while Cristiano Ronaldo, peripheral save for two earlier half-chances, remained on and slogged his way towards the end of a draw that could check Portugal’s summer ambitions.

Ronaldo’s baying followers, swathes of them with local accents and wearing his No 7 shirt, had done their best to cajole a meaningful contribution from their idol but ultimately they had to settle for being under the same roof. Perhaps they expected a repeat of Lionel Messi’s staggering performance the previous night but Ronaldo did little to assuage concerns that his presence, once glorious, is nowadays a dead weight. The watching Gianni Infantino could have been forgiven for wondering whether Fifa’s contortions in freeing him from suspension for this game had been worthwhile.

Chairman Warsh drastically alters Fed rate statement. Here's what's changed

This is a comparison of Wednesday's Federal Open Market Committee statement with the one issued after the Fed's previous policymaking meeting in April.

‘We had right of way’: when British fair play met Russian firepower off the Isle of Wight

Jane and Alan Kelvey’s holiday yacht met a warship in the Channel – at a tense time for Anglo-Russian relations

“We actually had right of way,” said Jane Kelvey, a little crossly, though keeping it civil. “But we weren’t going to argue with a warship.”

The dramatic standoff in the Channel on Tuesday morning between Admiral Grigorovich, a 125-metre (409ft) battle-hardened Russian frigate, and Bright Future, a 12-metre (40ft) pleasure yacht owned and helmed by Jane, 69, and her husband, Alan, 71, has rather caught the nation’s imagination.

Trump touts Iran agreement to wrap up G7 summit in France

President Trump defended the agreement reached by the U.S. and Iran​ at a press conference to close out the G7 summit in France.

Derek McInnes confirmed as Rangers manager after Danny Röhl joins Salzburg

• McInnes moves to his boyhood clubs from Hearts

• Röhl goes by mutual consent after less than a year

Rangers have confirmed the appointment of Derek McInnes as their manager on a three-year contract after Danny Röhl left for RB Salzburg by mutual agreement.

McInnes, a former Rangers player, joins from Hearts after leading them to second this season. He rejected the opportunity to manage Rangers in 2017 but said: “It is no secret that I grew up a Rangers supporter and I am convinced this is the right time to take on this prestigious role given the club’s structure and leadership.”

Walter Parazaider, founding member of Chicago, dies aged 81

Founding member of band with hits like If You Leave Me Now and Hard to Say I’m Sorry had Alzheimer’s disease

Walter Parazaider, a co-founding member of the rock band Chicago, has died at the age of 81 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

His daughter confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning.

French police authorised to use water cannon on asylum seekers in £660m deal with UK

Refugee charity says decision to let riot police use water cannon, which are banned in Great Britain, is ‘sickening’

French riot police deployed in northern France under a £660m deal with the UK are authorised to use water cannon against asylum seekers, the Guardian has been told.

Two specialist policing units, including a 50-officer riot squad, have begun working to prevent asylum seekers and people smugglers from launching small boats under the UK-France deal in time for the summer months.

Titan sub: design flaws and company groupthink central to catastrophe, report finds

Canadian officials find structural defects in material used for hull and say firm failed to fully test ‘novel’ design

Canadian safety officials have issued a damning report on the catastrophic final voyage of the Titan submersible, finding that the US company behind the expedition was overcome by “groupthink” and “confirmation bias” and failed to understand the profound risks confronting their largely untested craft.

The 6.7-metre (22ft) carbon fibre submersible dipped below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean in June 2023 en route to the wreckage of the Titanic ocean liner. But nearly two hours after it departed with five passengers, communications went dark. The disappearance prompted a frantic international search, with Canada and the US marshalling all available resources.

Tropical Storm Arthur forms off Texas Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, formed Wednesday off the Gulf Coast of Texas.

Lil Nas X shares update after getting mental health care: ‘There’s less fear in my heart’

Musician says on Instagram he is ‘doing much better’ and receiving treatment and therapy after 2025 arrest

The musician Lil Nas X posted a moving video update to his Instagram on Wednesday morning. In the nearly three-minute clip, the artist – born Montero Lamar Hill – shared that he “has been in rehab for a few months” and since then, has returned home to Atlanta, where he is from and his family lives, and Los Angeles, where he resides.

The update comes in response to an event last summer in which the musician was charged with attacking Los Angeles police officers.

The Obama Presidential Center and Library opens in Chicago

After more than a decade since it was announced, the Obama Presidential Center and Library officially opens to the public in Chicago's Jackson Park on June 19, 2026.

Golden ticket: why Versailles invite is the ‘real deal’ for Trump

The US president’s opulent tastes will be well served in a palace that has hosted Putin, King Charles and JFK

For a US president who has likened himself to a king and redecorated the Oval Office with golden paint and gold ornaments, it feels like the perfect dinner venue.

Donald Trump said one of the deciding factors in accepting an invitation to dine with Emmanuel Macron at the spectacular, 2,300-room Palace of Versailles was that it was “not gold leaf” but the “real deal”.

Trump sabotages Senate bid to fast-track Clayton as DNI, committee scuttles hearing

Any delay, and continuation of acting DNI Bill Pulte in the role, is likely to endanger the reauthorization of a key U.S. intelligence authority.

DOJ taps prosecutor to coordinate human trafficking, child exploitation cases

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appointed Alessandra Serano to serve as the Justice Department's national coordinator on human trafficking and child exploitation cases.

Macron hails US alignment with G7’s ‘shared commitment’ on Ukraine

French president welcomes group’s unity after ‘very deep change’ in Washington’s approach

Emmanuel Macron has said the whole of the G7, including the US, recognises “the territorial integrity of Ukraine” as he hailed a “re-synchronisation” of positions on the issue.

The French president welcomed a “very deep change in the US approach”, saying Donald Trump and all the leaders present at the G7 summit at Évian-les-Bains understood that Vladimir Putin was not interested in peace.

Makerfield: how one small area could decide the UK's next prime minister – video

It's Andy Burnham’s day of destiny in Makerfield. The former mayor of Greater Manchester is this week seeking to return to parliament in a likely bid to challenge the leadership of Keir Starmer and perhaps find a way to No 10.     

Guardian journalist Sarah Ann Harris takes a closer look at what is at stake for Andy Burnham, the Labour party, and why the Makerfield byelection results could have a national impact.

• ‘Is it really as close as it looks?’ - your questions on the Makerfield byelection answered

Three-time Olympian Jenny Simpson in hospital after collapsing at track event

• US runner reportedly lost pulse in medical incident

• Organizer thanks EMS and safety professionals

• Simpson won bronze in 1500m at 2016 Olympics

Jenny Simpson, a three-time Olympian and one of the most accomplished American female runners in history, was taken to hospital and is receiving treatment after collapsing at a track event on Tuesday in North Carolina.

The organizer of the event, Sir Walter Running, said there had been a “medical incident” involving Simpson while she paced a mile group at an event in Raleigh. Runner’s World and LetsRun reported that Simpson did not have a pulse for a period of time but said it was restored with CPR and an AED.

An inside look at President Trump's campaign to acquire Greenland

New Yorker writer Ben Taub says while the idea of acquiring Greenland is out of the headlines, it hasn't been dropped. Taub describes how Trump's ongoing efforts have broken the trust of our allies.

Tropical Storm Arthur is the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season

Forecasters say Arthur could generate life-threatening flash floods along the northern Gulf Coast. But it is not expected to strengthen further.

Captain Root 2.0: more fun but a different kind of burden in leadership reboot | Simon Burnton

He is back in the groove as leader, but the callow nature of this team has forced a fresh approach as Stokes’s stand-in

There was a moment, late on the first day at Lord’s, of the sort that makes captaincy instantly worthwhile: Ben Stokes chose to bring Emilio Gay in at short leg, Kane Williamson immediately edged the ball into his pad and then into the air, and without even looking to see what happened next Ollie Robinson sprinted into his captain’s embrace. It is a high‑pressure role, perhaps at times unbearably so, but it is not without its rewards.

The first day of the second Test had little in common, not least because the England team sheet had in the intervening period been put through a shredder. The sun shone, the pitch behaved, and as an occasion it felt – perhaps appropriately given the kind of mess England have made a habit of getting themselves into of late – a great deal more sober.

"The most famous judge in America, for a while," on highs and lows of a Trump trial

In an exclusive interview with CBS News, retired Justice Arthur Engoron reflected on the highs and lows of the 2023 Trump civil fraud trial.

Greetings from Maputo, Mozambique's capital, shaped by a modernist architecture

An impromptu tour of Mozambique's capital city reveals a unique imprint left by architect Amâncio "Pancho" Guedes.

I once protested against the G7. I feel no need now, because it’s collapsing all by itself | Zoe Williams

You cannot take a rules-based order seriously when only some of the participants are playing by the rules

When 200,000 protesters gathered to meet the G8 summit in Genoa, 25 years ago, their point (our point, in fact; I went on a coach, it took two and a half days) was that eight rich nations shouldn’t dictate the rules to the rest of the world. If you accept that power concedes nothing without a demand, this demand probably sounds a bit broad, boiling down to “abnegate your power”. But it was part of a wider anti-globalisation movement, in which many of the precise mechanisms by which the developed world exploited the developing had been nailed down.

Many of the protest tactics and networks had been honed at the battle for Seattle in 1999, outside the World Trade Organization summit, along with an agenda that was capacious and versatile. Unfortunately, the authorities had also learned a thing or two, and both the elaborate security of the G8’s red zone and the police brutality outside it were met with some astonishment from the world’s (liberal) media, but not from anyone with a memory exceeding two years.

Booksmaxxing: how reading became sexy

‘Reading is having a moment,’ according to Tinder. But do its users actually appreciate books, or just talk about them to get dates?

Name: Booksmaxxing.

Age: The next big thing.

Mother of Cape Verde star Vozinha will secure visa to attend World Cup in US

• US House leader Jeffries says fees have been waived

• ‘No mother should miss the chance to watch their child’

• Goalkeeper fueled shock goalless draw with Spain

The mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will be able to receive a visa to enter the United States and watch her son play at the World Cup after cost issues prevented her from attending their historic draw against Spain earlier this week, US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Wednesday.

Cape Verde was named by the US government on a list of countries whose citizens must post a returnable bond of $15,000 (£11,200) to travel to the United States, in addition to a visa fee. The Trump administration last month dropped the requirement for World Cup ticket holders, but by that point the high costs had ruled out the trip for Ana Candida Evora, the mother of Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper.

Wimbledon wildcard for Williams sisters is just reward for their contribution to tennis | Malaika Khan

The return of the Serena and Venus partnership is not about trophies – it is a chance for the sport to celebrate two legends

Serena and Venus Williams have received a wildcard into this year’s Wimbledon women’s doubles draw, but do we really need them back?

From a competitive standpoint, perhaps not. Tennis has moved on to a new generation and neither sister is expected to challenge for a major singles title again.

Scheffler faces mighty Shinnecock test in bid to claim career slam with US Open victory

World No 1 has chance to join Rory McIlroy in exclusive club – but windswept course requires patience

Shinnecock Hills is a study in restraint and attrition that has spent more than a century bringing the world’s finest golfers to heel. When the US Open returns here for a sixth time on Thursday, the current crop will once again face a rugged coastal masterpiece where calamity lurks around every corner and mistakes are punished with uncommon severity.

The William Flynn-designed layout, one of the United States Golf Association’s five founding clubs, is a 7,440-yard track of rare beauty and menace revered as one of the purest tests in championship golf. Three distinct clusters of holes form a rough triangle across the property, exposing players to shifting winds from different directions throughout the round. With gusts forecast to exceed 40mph at times, even players who know Shinnecock well acknowledge that controlling trajectory and accepting adversity will be every bit as important as making birdies.

What to expect as Kevin Warsh leads his first Fed interest rate meeting

New Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh is stepping in at a critical juncture for the U.S. economy, with inflation at its highest level in more than three years.

Trump trusts Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. It matters for more than interest rates

New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh is expected to hold interest rates steady this week, but President Donald Trump’s trust gives him room to pursue longer-term changes.

Social Security faces looming benefit cuts. Can the program be saved?

Social Security checks could see a 22% cut in 2032 unless Congress takes steps to shore up the program. Here are 5 ideas for fixing it.

Survivors of violence could see debt erased as N.Y. law goes into effect

A new law in New York makes it the eighth state to provide a path for coerced debt relief for survivors of domestic violence.

Borthwick keen to rest Itoje but injuries may force England rethink

• Giving captain the summer off ‘would be the right thing to do’

• Van Rensburg set for England debut despite Test ineligibility

Steve Borthwick will rest the England captain, Maro Itoje, this summer unless injury strikes in the second row over the weekend.

Itoje is poised to be stood down for the Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina next month following a year during which he led the British & Irish Lions to a series victory against Australia, played in the autumn and Six Nations campaigns, and mourned the death of his mother.

Fed Chair Warsh expected to withhold 'dot' from central bank's interest rate outlook

The central bank's Federal Open Market Committee is set to release its quarterly update of where individual officials expect interest rates to head.

Apocalypse when? ‘Earth’s Black Box’ to be installed in remote Tasmanian airfield

Rouser Lab says the steel structure will record ‘every step’ humanity takes towards climate catastrophe

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It was designed to survive the apocalypse, as humanity’s last testament to its failure. But for a while it seemed the “Earth’s Black Box” hadn’t even survived its own planning process.

Now, five years after it was announced to much fanfare, followed by years of ominous silence, the box is back. Its creators say parts assembly is under way and, in December, the full monolith will be installed near Queenstown on the edge of a remote western Tasmanian airfield.

Ancient DNA provides evidence of earliest known plague outbreak

Discovery in Siberia suggests bacterium from raw marmots devastated hunter-gatherer tribes about 5,500 years ago

The earliest evidence for an outbreak of plague has been uncovered at late stone age cemeteries in south-eastern Siberia where dozens of hunter-gatherers and their children were buried.

Ancient DNA collected from the remains suggests the disease tore through the sparse communities in devastating waves that began about 5,500 years ago, at least two centuries after the bacterium responsible, Yersinia pestis, first emerged.

Honeybees make specialised ‘baby food’ to give larvae balanced diet, study says

Researchers also discover bees can adjust their diets when pollen sources do not provide healthy level of nutrients

Honeybees blend a special “baby food” to give their larvae a balanced diet, with adult bees also able to regulate their feeding to avoid overconsuming certain nutrients, according to a study.

Researchers have discovered that bees can adjust how much they eat when pollen sources do not provide them with the ideal balance of essential amino acids, the essential building blocks of protein that animals cannot make for themselves and must obtain from their diet.

I am an only child, and so is my son. And we are not weirdos | Polly Hudson

Selfish, lonely, maladjusted – the prejudices against only children persist, as well as of their parents for just having one child. But we are an army on the rise

Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me ... must be a saying thought up by somebody extremely privileged. For everyone else, words wound, and there are certain groups that are seemingly, bafflingly, forever considered fair game. No matter how PC the world becomes, they’re immune from progress, and it apparently remains permissible to make comments, assumptions and jokes about them, and to attach outdated stereotypical attributes. Only children aren’t unique in having to tolerate this, of course, and they won’t enjoy that. After all, they don’t like sharing anything, do they?

Badoom-tish! Hilarious, no? Well, no, not to me. I am an only child with an only child, so colour me double-offended. Actually, not offended – bored. As anybody would be, hearing the same tired, lazy “gags” over and over again.

From penalties to Pavarotti and Beckham to Bruckner: classical music and football are closer than you might think

As the World Cup gets underway, we look at the music that has soundtracked the beautiful game – and the composers who have loved it

France ’98, when Scotland last faced Morocco at a World Cup – as they do this Friday – and lost a crucial game three-nil. (John McGinn’s winner against Haiti in Boston on Sunday rewrites all the recent records and sets the team on a path to almost certain glory this time around. Obviously.)

But you could have read the runes of Scottish doom in that World Cup by the tunes that Scotland fans had in their ears. Scotland’s song that year was Del Amitri’s masterpiece of melancholy, Don’t Come Home Too Soon, the most downbeat, honest, and lyrical World Cup song ever written – alas, the team didnae listen. And there was the BBC’s World Cup titles for 1998: Fauré’s Pavane, which lifted the moodometer from melancholic all the way to apathetic. (Not that England did much better, despite the surreal street party of Vindaloo, Engerland’s unofficial anthem, and the self-satisfaction of Three Lions, they went out in the round of 16, after David Beckham’s red-card against Argentina.)

Ex-health worker cautioned after Kate’s medical notes offered for financial gain

Information commissioner issues formal caution after London private hospital treating royal reported breach

A former healthcare worker at a private hospital in London has been formally cautioned by the UK privacy and data watchdog over the deliberate misuse of the Princess of Wales’s private medical records and offering to disclose them for financial gain.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched a criminal investigation into the unlawful obtaining and disclosure of medical information to a third party without the consent of the data controller after the London Clinic reported a breach in March 2024.

Fears for Xbox as it puts its developers on the chopping block once again

After the billion-dollar company’s leaders sent staff a memo saying the brand had ‘over-extended’, game studios may be in the firing line

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In March 2000, Bill Gates stood onstage at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco and, to a packed crowd, officially announced the company’s long-anticipated video game console. “We want Xbox to be the platform of choice for the best and most creative game developers in the world,” he told attenders – and that was indeed the intention of the small, dedicated team who put together the blueprints of that first machine.

The Xbox landscape seems very different 25 years later. Last week, mere days after a bullish summer showcase full of Gears of War revivals and promises of a renewed focus on Xbox’s gaming strengths, new CEO, Asha Sharma, and chief content officer, Matt Booty, wrote a memo to Xbox staff inviting them to brace for “hard truths”. “Excluding Activision Blizzard King, over the past five years, we have spent over $20bn on ongoing investments in our content, platform and hardware subsidy, but our annual revenue has declined nearly half a billion during that time. Going forward, this cannot continue,” it read.

Okra up north: how a forgotten heirloom travelled the African diaspora to Toronto

Okra holds a special place in many African-descended communities, and a Canadian farmer with Jamaican roots is growing a very old variety

When Nicole Austin was growing up in Oshawa, Canada, her Jamaican family couldn’t find the foods they enjoyed back on the island. No callaloo, garden eggs or okra. Austin’s grandmother grew certain things in her backyard, but only if she had the necessary seeds.

“It’s often small-scale farmers, farmers of color, Black farmers that make sure that these foods that are culturally significant to us are available, that we grow them, that we share them,” Austin said. “It wasn’t until I’m in these spaces now that I realized how important the place is of farmers of color and Black farmers to make sure that these food histories are maintained and celebrated and shared.”

Vance says text of U.S.-Iran deal will be released Friday "at the latest"

Vice President JD Vance said on "CBS Monrings" that the Trump administration wants "to tell the American people what's in this deal."

Pakistan ends 'luxury tax' on menstrual products, contraceptives. Will prices drop?

In Pakistan, taxes on menstrual products can add up. Activists have long worked to change this. Now a new budget wipes out the 18% sales tax. But questions remain about the impact on prices.

AI arts and gold-mining in mud: photos of the day – Wednesday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Rising temperatures may increase flood risk through river ‘whiplash’, study finds

Sudden shifts from wet to dry weather, or vice versa, may foil typical drought- and flood-prevention measures

Rising temperatures may trigger a dangerous increase in “hydroclimatic whiplash” in rivers that would make traditional approaches to flood and drought planning insufficient, a study has found.

As temperatures rise owing to the worsening climate crisis, rivers will experience increasingly rapid transitions between heavy downpours and long dry spells – called hydroclimatic whiplash events – because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, intensifying rainfall extremes.

Taiwan says Chinese pressure over the island is the 'new normal'

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the scholars' passports and mobile phones were confiscated, and they were detained in Mombasa for more than 20 hours before being allowed to leave the country.

Midsummer morris dancers and their mysterious goat Caprihorn: Hollie Fernando’s best portrait

‘I wanted to celebrate the women who are reinventing morris dancing. They took me to a pub and gave me a pickled egg mashed up in a packet of crisps. I felt like I’d entered a magical world’

Morris used to be a very male-dominated sport, but in 1975 the Morris Federation was created specifically to allow women to join sides. An older organisation, the Morris Ring, didn’t allow teams with women to be members until 2018, yet today women account for more than half of Britain’s Morris dancers. As soon as I heard about Boss Morris, the all-female side in this picture, I wanted to shoot a portrait of them. I was keen to celebrate the evolution of this traditional form of dance by focusing on young women who are both honouring and reinventing it.

When they appeared on stage at the Brits with the band Wet Leg, who I was working with at the time, I thought, “It’s meant to be! If I don’t do it now, someone else will.” It was really hard to pin the group down, as there are so many of them, but as we discussed ideas they all got excited by the idea of doing a summer solstice shoot on Rodborough Common during one of their practice evenings. It’s a great location – an amazing hilly green space right on their doorstep in Stroud.

Protesters to rally against World Cup sponsor Hyundai before Mexico game

• Focus on business dealings with mining company

• Guadalajara rally to highlight fate of ‘disappeared’

Hyundai will be targeted by protesters at a rally before the Group A game between Mexico and South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday, due to the World Cup sponsor’s business dealings with the South American mining company Ternium.

A 2025 report from the environmental group Mighty Earth criticised Hyundai’s involvement in what they described as a “dirty steel supply chain”, as the South Korean motor company is a major buyer of iron ore from Ternium for use in steel production. Ternium has faced repeated criticisms for its destructive environmental impact and corporate governance policies from campaign groups, as well as its alleged links to the disappearance of two Mexican activists.

Elegant and practical, capri pants give off Audrey Hepburn vibes | Jess Cartner-Morley

These tailored trousers are ideal for those sunny days when the forecast looks dodgy later on – or when there’s a heatwave but you still have to go to the office

I think we can probably agree that Audrey Hepburn would not have been seen dead in jorts. The baggy, grunge-adjacent knee-length denims that were everywhere last summer and are creeping back around are definitely cool. Totally a vibe. But elegant they are not.

The capri pant is an undeniably elegant solution to the problem of what to wear when jeans or tailored trousers are too hot and cumbersome, but you don’t want to wear shorts. For instance, when it is sunny while you are getting dressed, but you are going to be out all day and the forecast looks dodgy later on. Or when there is a heatwave but you still have to go to the office, so Daisy Dukes are not going to work.

Construction equipment multinationals may be aiding Israeli war crimes, experts say

Exclusive: Images show Israeli military using six companies’ bulldozers and excavators to demolish south Lebanon villages

Human rights experts have alleged that six multinational construction equipment conglomerates may be aiding and abetting war crimes by supplying excavators and bulldozers to Israel, after photos and videos showed the Israeli military using their equipment to demolish villages in south Lebanon.

The Guardian geolocated and verified images showing the Israeli military using excavators made by six companies – Caterpillar, Volvo, Hyundai, Doosan, Hitachi and Komatsu – to destroy homes, public utilities, shops and other structures across southern Lebanon.

Israel has levelled entire villages inside the “yellow line”, a 608 sq km area occupied by Israel along the Lebanese-Israeli border. At least 46 villages in south Lebanon have suffered heavy damage, most of it caused by demolitions carried out after the 17 April Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, according to a satellite analysis by Bellingcat.

Potential first Atlantic tropical cyclone of the year develops in the Gulf

Forecasters say the potential first tropical cyclone of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season could develop into a fully formed storm on Wednesday and bring life-threatening flash flooding.

‘Period tax’ on sanitary products to be abolished, says Pakistan minister

Campaigners welcome announcement cutting levies on menstrual health items, but say their work to end period poverty is ‘far from over’

Pakistan plans to abolish “period tax”, in a victory for young campaigners who had taken the government to court over the charges.

Finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that sanitary towels and related items were “daily necessities that are indispensable for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities”, and said he intended to remove the sales tax.

Veteran fights to prevent wife's deportation: "I'm begging my own country"

Retired staff sergeant Wilmer Trujillo, who served roughly 20 years in the U.S. Army and the Texas National Guard, is asking ICE to release his wife of six years.

Milan tram drivers accused of sharing CCTV images of female passengers’ thighs and breasts

Drivers suspended as prosecutors investigate claims they exchanged vulgar WhatApps on images hacked from IT system

A group of tram drivers in Milan have been suspended from their jobs amid an investigation into a WhatsApp group in which they allegedly exchanged sexist and vulgar comments about images of female passengers.

Milan prosecutors placed at least one employee of ATM, the city’s public transport firm, under investigation on Tuesday for allegedly accessing an IT system without authorisation and for hacking a CCTV system to obtain images of female passengers.

Australia power past Bangladesh in Women’s World T20 mismatch

• Australia win by nine wickets after being set 79 to win

• Romp in Leeds underlines disparity in resources

It was never expected to be a close one. Australia versus Bangladesh features one of the greatest disparities of resources in women’s international cricket. Still, having hosted Australia for a full series as recently as 2024, and with the recent fast starts of opening bat Juairiya Ferdous, and the intensity of opening pace bowler Marufa Akter, and the developing batting of Shorna Akter and Sharmin Akhter Supta, and the full suite of spin variety under the spiky leadership of Nigar Sultana Joty, there was reason to hope that Bangladesh might continue their development with a competitive performance.

Nothing of the sort, unfortunately, eventuated at the T20 World Cup in Leeds, as Australia notched a win in the north that supercharged their net run rate. Joty won the toss and batted, saying that she wanted to back her top order to be aggressive, only for the Powerplay to go diametrically in the other direction. A cautious opening over facing Megan Schutt, the swing bowler back in the side after Ash Gardner’s rolled ankle created space for the batting order to be shuffled up, was followed by Dilara Akter’s angled hoick across a straight ball from seamer Kim Garth that took off-stump.

Heavy rain creates treacherous conditions in South, Gulf Coast: "Definitely makes you worried"

Heavy rain on Tuesday hammered parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, creating dangerous conditions and leaving drivers stranded. Jason Allen reports.

1 person killed, 5 rescued after small plane crashes on busy Texas highway

A small plane crashed on a busy highway in Texas on Tuesday and caught on fire. People jumped into action to help those on board escape. One person was killed, police say. Lilia Luciano reports.

Alex Pereira blasts Ciryl Gane for ‘illegal shots’ during White House UFC fight

• Brazilian star said he took blows to the back of the head

• Pereira calls on Dana White to remove referee Herb Dean

Mixed martial arts star Alex Pereira of Brazil has accused Frenchman Ciryl Gane of landing multiple “illegal shots” during their fight for the interim UFC heavyweight title at the White House.

Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist. The referee then stopped the fight 1min 27sec into the round after a left to the chin.

I’m a 14-year-old trans athlete. No one should face the vicious attacks I have faced | Lina Haaga

People understand gender differently, and I was taught to respect all ideas. But the vitriol I recently experienced was not a healthy debate

For as long as I can remember, I have known I am a girl. That certainty is as instinctive as knowing I am right-handed. It is difficult to explain to someone who has never been transgender or loved someone who is, but I have never lived this way to gain an advantage or take something from someone else. I live this way to honor what I know is true.

I transitioned at four years old. By sixth grade, my identity was public. I grew used to the double takes, the questions, the quiet skepticism. Most of it did not bother me. Curiosity, even when clumsy, is human. People understand gender differently, and I was taught to respect all ideas, just as I hope others respect mine.

Lina Haaga is a transgender student athlete

US public still favours action on climate change despite Trump’s fossil fuel drive

Two-thirds of Americans say they are worried about climate but level of media coverage does not reflect this

US political and media discourse has drifted away from the climate crisis amid a frontal assault by Donald Trump upon policies to limit global heating and the president’s pugnacious demands to “drill, baby, drill” for more oil and gas.

Yet while elite attention on climate has waned, even among some previously vocal Democrats who have wound back on criticism of the fossil fuels that are overheating our planet, the American public remains concerned about the climate crisis and continues to favour action to deal with it, according to experts and polling.

How to turn yoghurt pot scrapings into a marinade for fried chicken – recipe | Waste not

An almost-empty container can be a vessel for food alchemy

Using an almost-empty yoghurt pot to marinate meat and vegetables is one of my favourite ways to prepare dinner. It’s a really simple and tidy way to marinate food that not only saves on the washing-up, it also turns a few yoghurt scrapings that might otherwise be destined for the drain into a flavour-enhancing, tenderising, waste-saving hack.

Disclosure Day is great. But Spielberg overestimates our capacity for empathy

Spielberg’s sci-fi blockbuster starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor may be spectacular, but it misjudges how much humans are prepared to tolerate abuse of groups we see as ‘other’

Steven Spielberg has converted his longstanding fascination with the possible existence of aliens into considerable commercial and critical success and now, 49 years after Close Encounters and 44 after ET, the film-maker has returned to the subject for the sci-fi spectacular Disclosure Day.

The film follows cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) and weather presenter Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) as they become state-secret whistleblowers, working with Hugo (Colman Domingo) to expose nearly eight decades’ worth of evidence that the US government has known about extraterrestrial life.

To fridge or not to fridge: tell us your views

What should and shouldn’t be kept in the fridge can provoke debate. We want to hear about your non-negotiables

What items should or shouldn’t be kept in the fridge can divide opinions but the Guardian has asked some experts – it seems bread and olive oil do not benefit from being in the fridge but red wine can taste great chilled.

Now we want to hear from you. What items do you keep in the fridge? Does this differ from your partner, family or friends? Let us know.

Survivors speak up to help convict man of murder, sexual assault

David Pearce was convicted of first-degree murder for the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales after a night of partying in Los Angeles. He was also found guilty of raping seven other women who came forward to testify at his trial.

How location sharing helped police catch a serial rapist-turned-killer

The mother of murdered model Christy Giles pleads for others to share their locations. She says the technology helped police catch David Pearce, who murdered Giles and her friend, architect Hilda Marcela Cabrales.

Senate postpones confirmation hearing for intel chief after Trump's call to delay

Senators wanted to fast-track President Trump's pick for Director of National Intelligence. But Trump now says he wants to delay until they pass voting legislation that already failed in the Senate.

Trump to face questions at G7 press conference. And, Tuesday's primary results

Trump has touted his tentative agreement with Iran at the G7 summit. Today, he is expected to field questions at a press conference as the summit wraps up. And, a look at Tuesday's primary election results.