World’s largest olive oil company says market has 'definitively' entered new phase
The update comes as analysts raise concerns about the prospect of global olive oil supplies swinging dramatically from one season to the next.
17th July 2026 15:21Michigan cyclosporiasis cases reach 5,000; Taco Bell lettuce supplier probed
Michigan's cyclosporiasis outbreak has grown to 5,002 cases, with 102 hospitalizations reported, as federal investigators look into a lettuce supplier linked to Taco Bell locations in five states.
17th July 2026 15:20Cyclosporiasis outbreak traced to lettuce from Mexico used by Taco Bell
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
17th July 2026 15:20Brenda Fricker, Oscar winner who played Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2," dies
Brenda Fricker won an Academy Award for 1989's "My Left Foot," played the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2" and appeared in "A Time to Kill" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer."
17th July 2026 15:15
NPR Topics: News
Is smoke in your home? Here's how to make an air purifier using a box fan
Smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota is sending air quality indexes to record levels, posing a hazard for millions of people. Here are tips for how to breathe easier in your home.
17th July 2026 15:07This week on "Sunday Morning" (July 19)
A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.
17th July 2026 15:01
The Guardian
Tour de France 2026: Ballon d’Alsace awaits riders on testing stage 13 – live
Tour de France updates from 12pm BST/1pm CEST
Stage-by-stage guide | Team guide | You can mail Tom
There’s no exlplosion off the start but it’s a narrow road to navigate from the flag drop.
We’re still about 3.5km out from the flag drop. Adam Yates is in need of some technical assistance, but should have time to get that sorted before we begin racing.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:55
The Guardian
The Open 2026: Herbert and Burns shoot record-equalling 62s on day two at Royal Birkdale – live
️Updates from the second round at Royal Birkdale
️Official leaderboard | Mail Scott with your thoughts
An opening birdie for the 2011 champion Darren Clarke. He’s +2. Apropos of nothing, and just because I happen to have the stat to hand, so may as well share it, Clarke is joint holder of the record for most appearances by an Open champion before his first victory. That’s 19, after his 2011 win, and he shares the number with Phil Mickelson (2013). Nick Price (1994) is next on the list.
Birdie for Jackson Suber at 2, and the leader stretches his advantage at the top! He tugged his drive into the rough down the left, but got a decent lie, and was able to wedge over the flag from 90 yards to 12 feet. One fairly straight roll later, and he moves to -6. Meanwhile Laurie Canter nearly aces the 4th. His tee shot lands just past the bunker guarding the front left and serenely glides to kick-in distance, though it was never threatening to drop, always on a route below the hole. The 36-year-old Englishman is -2.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:53
The Guardian
Mother of Henry Nowak’s murderer jailed for removing knife from scene
Kiran Kaur, 53, sentenced to three years for assisting her son, Vickrum Digwa, after his fatal stabbing of student in Southampton
The mother of Vickrum Digwa, whose false claims of racism against Henry Nowak triggered riots in Southampton, has been jailed for removing a knife from the murder scene.
Appearing at Southampton crown court, Kiran Kaur, 53, was jailed for three years for assisting an offender, her son, by taking the knife from where he had murdered the 18-year-old student on 3 December 2025 back to her family home.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:52Democratic socialists top MAGA candidates among voters in CNBC's All-America poll
The survey's findings come as democratic socialist candidates win Democratic primaries following the 2025 election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
17th July 2026 14:50
The Guardian
Brenda Fricker, Oscar winner for My Left Foot, dies aged 81
The acclaimed Irish actor started her career in Coronation Street and Casualty before a string of high-profile Hollywood roles
Brenda Fricker, who became the first female Irish Oscar winner for acting with My Left Foot, has died aged 81. Her agent Phil Belfield told the BBC in a statement: “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her … I was honoured to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over.”
In My Left Foot, Fricker plays the mother of Christy Brown, whose cerebral palsy means he only has muscular control over one of his feet. The film, directed by Jim Sheridan, was released to enormous acclaim in 1989, winning the best actor Oscar for Daniel Day-Lewis as well as best supporting actress for Fricker.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:48
The Guardian
Democrats slam Trump’s ‘pathetic attempt’ to sow doubt in election process – US politics live
Democrats accuse president of ‘working to rig the midterms’ in advance after primetime speech rehashed debunked claims
Trump also took to Truth Social today to claim that there were “great reviews” of his address to the nation on Thursday – where he repeated baseless claims undermining the electoral integrity of the 2020 election, and the safety of the election process at large in the US.
During his speech, Trump also tried to unveil new information – with scant evidence – that China’s interfered in the race that he lost to Joe Biden. This despite assessments from intelligence officials that no foreign actor, including China, attempted to alter any technical aspect of the 2020 voting process.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:48
The Guardian
World Cup 2026: Spain v Argentina countdown, Trump to attend final, England news – live
⚽ Latest news before Sunday’s World Cup 2026 final
⚽ Football Daily | Player guide | Golden Boot | Mail us
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will attend the World Cup final to see his country take on reigning champions Argentina, his government said Friday.
Sanchez, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump – who also plans to attend Sunday’s final in New Jersey – will then travel to Algeria for an official visit. AFP
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:46
The Guardian
How Zohran Mamdani and other US mayors use the World Cup to communicate
Whether through livestreams or in-person attendance, America’s mayors have taken a variety of approaches to integrating soccer into their comms strategy
From the moment he entered office, New York City Zohran Mamdani hasn’t hesitated to make his love of soccer clear. The former New York state assembly member hosted a watch party for the Africa Cup of Nations final soon after moving in to City Hall, littered speeches with references to soccer stars past and present, and remained a fixture at a Brooklyn pub to watch his beloved Arsenal on their way to a Premier League title.
The World Cup, though, is a different level. And as such, Mamdani has stood out over the last month-plus for being one of several municipal politicians in US host cities using the tournament – and soccer in general – as a way to connect with constituents, advance political goals, or in some cases, change the perception of their city among the public at large.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:44Amazon's Zoox issues software recall after robotaxi drove into heavy smoke
Last month, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi drove into an active emergency fire scene that was clouded with smoke, the company said.
17th July 2026 14:42Coca-Cola temporarily halts production of Fairlife milk after cyberattack
A cybersecurity incident has forced Coca-Cola to suspend Fairlife milk production in the U.S. An investigation is underway.
17th July 2026 14:37Airlines say permanent daylight saving time won't be simple
Adjusting to permanent daylight saving time would cause significant disruptions to schedules and operations, an airline trade group said.
17th July 2026 14:17Import prices post surprise gain as costs of goods from China hit highest since 2008
Import prices were up 0.3% for the month, as a drop in energy was more than offset by increases elsewhere.
17th July 2026 14:13
The Guardian
Langer leads shortlist to become next England Test coach after Flower rules himself out
Zimbabwean informed ECB this week he is not interested
Langer due to lead Manchester Super Giants in Hundred
Justin Langer is believed to have moved to the top of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s shortlist of potential coaches of the men’s Test team, after Andy Flower ruled himself out of the running for the position on Friday.
Less than a week after Brendon McCullum was sacked as red-ball coach Rob Key, the managing director of men’s cricket who is leading the ECB’s recruitment process, has made significant progress in his search for a replacement.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:09Appeals court keeps in place Pentagon's escort policy for reporters
The appeals court in Washington, D.C., divided 2-1 in ruling in favor of the Trump administration in the legal battle over the Pentagon's escort policy for journalists.
17th July 2026 14:09
The Guardian
Beijing’s message to the world’s tourists: come here and judge China for yourselves | Zichen Wang
By relaxing visa rules, Beijing has two things on its mind – boosting its economy and improving its self-image
Walk through central Beijing today and one thing quickly becomes apparent: foreigners are back. They are taking photos outside the Forbidden City and sitting in cafes around Gulou and Sanlitun. The shift is visible online, too; YouTube is increasingly filled with videos titled “China Shocked Me” or “My First Week in China”. Most of the creators are tourists, not China specialists or journalists, and many of them are encountering the country for the first time.
The resurgence is striking because to many outside observers China’s story has become one of closure and increased security – of intensifying strategic rivalry with the west, expanded anti-espionage enforcement and increasingly constrained foreign reporting, including the withholding and revocation of visas for US journalists. Yet on the ground, another story is unfolding. When it comes to its relationship with the rest of the world, Beijing increasingly appears to be betting on direct exposure: come to China and judge for yourself.
Zichen Wang is deputy secretary-general at the Center for China and Globalization, a thinktank in Beijing. This article was co-written by Hao Wu, an assistant professor at the School of International Studies at Peking University
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:01
The Guardian
Biodiversity fears as human-bred hybrid fish integrate into Philippines lake
Escaped flowerhorn cichlids are causing concern for native species and about parasites capable of infecting humans
Escaped ornamental aquarium fish have integrated into a local ecosystem in the Philippines, but scientists say they may be threatening the native biodiversity of the lake.
Flowerhorn cichlids – human-bred hybrid fish prized for their bright-gold colour and prominent head humps – are believed to have escaped from breeding facilities into Lake Sampaloc, which sits in a volcanic crater, during a typhoon.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:00
The Guardian
Hot tubs and £80 rosé: how the mud-soaked British festival got a luxury makeover
Struggling industry seeks to capitalise on Gen Z’s willingness to spend on experiences and comfort
It had always been the great British festival way: greasy burgers and warm beer, retch-inducing toilets and the descent into dishevelment as roughing it takes its toll.
But a generation of festivalgoers has emerged who are willing to splash the cash to inject luxury into the experience. This summer, there are signs the under-pressure industry is ramping up its offer, from gleaming private toilets and “pamper parlours” to fine dining, hot tubs, saunas and even a “cold waterfall drench” to keep refreshed.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 14:00
The Guardian
More Canadian wildfire smoke shrouds US midwest, mid-Atlantic and north-east
109 million people face another day of poor air quality as smoke from blazes in Ontario drifts over the US
Tens of millions of Americans face another day of smoky skies, irritated eyes and bad air quality, as Canadian wildfire smoke spread again over huge swathes of the US, affecting around 109 million people across the midwest, mid-Atlantic and north-east.
The pungent wildfire blanketed cities such as Chicago and Detroit, where residents on Friday were warned to stay indoors and reduce activity levels after the air quality index reached a “hazardous” 361, according to the government website AirNow.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:49
The Guardian
Burnham declares he is ready to ‘beat Britain’s new right’ as he becomes Labour leader
Former Greater Manchester mayor, who will take over as PM on Monday, says country ‘crying out for a new politics’
Andy Burnham has declared himself ready to “beat Britain’s new right” with a fresh, united approach as he becomes the leader of the Labour party before taking over as British prime minister on Monday.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester won the overwhelming support of MPs, trade unions and party branches, making him the only choice to take over from Keir Starmer.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:46"Master yachtsman" fugitive captured on boat after 21 years on the run
Ronald L. Fischer, who was featured on "America's Most Wanted," fled Rhode Island during his criminal trial for first-degree sexual assault in 2005.
17th July 2026 13:38Dangerous flooding in Texas leads to more than 230 water rescues
More than 2 feet of rain slammed the Texas Hill Country in the past four days, causing dangerous floods. Jason Allen reports.
17th July 2026 13:36Fact-checking Trump's speech on election security
President Trump delivered a speech on election security Thursday night at the White House. Here are the facts behind some of his claims.
17th July 2026 13:35Iran says civilian infrastructure hit by latest U.S. strikes, expands attacks to Syria, Bahrain
The escalating standoff comes as the fragile truce signed by the U.S. and Iran last month showed further signs of unravelling
17th July 2026 13:34
The Guardian
What is cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea?
Illness surging in Michigan and other US states is rarely life-threatening, CDC says – but it can have severe effects
Cases of cyclosporiasis – a parasitic illness that can cause “explosive”, watery diarrhea – have surged across the United States in recent days, health officials have said, with an abnormally large outbreak of almost 1,000 cases reported in Michigan.
Michigan typically reports about 50 cases a year, making the current outbreak the largest in the state’s history and one of the nation’s biggest in recent years. Ohio has also reported a sharp increase, with 177 cases as of 2 July, since the CDC’s last count.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:32
The Guardian
Chastity, nodding and enormous pores: will women also love Nolan’s Odyssey?
Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation has been met with almost universal acclaim – from mostly male film critics. Might women find the journey less comfortable?
Long ago, almost as long ago as Homer composed The Odyssey, I was a film critic on the Sunday Telegraph. People sometimes ask me how sexist the scene was then, back in the bronze age mid-noughties, when male critics outnumbered female by about eight to one. Well, there wasn’t any sexism. It was actually totally fine and everyone was really nice.
They were nice in Soho, anyway. Farther afield, less so. Particularly certain readers, when it came to certain films, made by certain directors. Quentin Tarantino, obviously. Ken Loach, weirdly. And Christopher Nolan. Question their genius and prepare for epic correction by a legion of self-appointed bouncers.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:24
NPR Topics: News
Pakistani forces kill 24 militants in border raids near Afghanistan
The military said Friday it used intelligence sources to target militants over the previous 24 hours. The operations were in response to attacks by militants earlier in the week.
17th July 2026 13:15
The Guardian
US hits bridges, energy facilities and key port as it expands strikes against Iran
Tehran bombs US allies in Middle East and tells Iranians to cut electricity use after attacks on power infrastructure
The US hit bridges, energy facilities and a key Iranian port on Friday, expanding its aerial campaign against Iran, and prompting swift Iranian strikes against US allies in the Middle East.
US airstrikes hit bridges in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, killing at least seven people, Iranian state TV reported. The bridges were a key transit point for Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port. Further US airstrikes brought down a tower in Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, and targeted key electrical infrastructure and Iranshahr airport.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:11
The Guardian
Football Daily | Donald Trump gives himself starting role in the bigliest occasion of all
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Donald Trump has largely steered clear of the Geopolitics World Cup: he is yet to attend a game and appear on screen with his good pal “Jonny” Infantino. Oh, though there was that time Trump rang Fifa to lobby for a review into Folarin Balogun’s red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the reversal of the USA USA USA forward’s last-16 suspension crushing the integrity of the competition. An impactful cameo off the bench, you could argue.
Re: naming the 2030 World Cup (Football Daily letters passim). May I suggest ‘The Carbon Footprint WC’ or simply ‘El Carbonaro’” – Krishna Moorthy.
Brian Saffer’s suggestions for letting everyone join in the next World Cup and splitting into three divisions surely must lead to it being called the Swiss Model World Cup – SMWC” – George Paterson.
You could always stop trying to be too clever by half and just refer to it as ‘the World Cup’” – Alan Burgess.
Oh, you thought the STOP FOOTBALL campaign might last two days but, no, Major League Soccerball is back, baby! Four matches were played last night as the league announced, via its back-to-action campaign: ‘Thanks, World; We’ll Take It From Here’” – JJ Zucal.
This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:09
The Guardian
The big World Cup final quiz
Argentina and Spain will contest the 23rd World Cup final on Sunday. How much do you know about the previous 22?
This is a quiz by Richard Foster, who presents the It Started With A Kick podcast and is writing a daily World Cup quiz on the Seventh Heaven app, on Apple and Google Store.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:04
The Guardian
England rugby players may walk off pitch in Argentina if racist abuse is repeated
Jamie George promises ‘the strongest of reactions’
England players were racially abused by fans last year
England’s rugby players are threatening to walk off the pitch in protest against Argentina on Saturday if there is any repeat of the racial abuse aimed at black squad members on their last visit a year ago. Further incidents will not be tolerated and, according to England’s captain, Jamie George, will prompt “the strongest of reactions”.
George was also present in San Juan last July when his replacement prop forward Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Chandler Cunningham-South were the target of racist slurs from a group of home supporters during the warm-up and the first half of the second Test. World Rugby later confirmed England had made a complaint, but, despite an investigation, the individual perpetrators could not be identified.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 13:00
The Guardian
The Hunt for Gollum is being criticised for its all-white cast. Blaming Tolkien is the wrong answer
The Lord of the Rings author’s debt to Norse mythology is simply irrelevant when it comes to the appearance of hobbits and elves on screen today
Casting has come a long way since the early 1980s when it was somehow still acceptable to sign up Max von Sydow to play Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon in 1980, or hire Peter Ustinov as the lead in Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen in 1981 (despite protests at the time). These days, film-makers will have to defend an all-white cast in a medieval fantasy flick, which appears to be what has happened this week to The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’s Andy Serkis.
Asked by the BBC why every major casting for the new film has been a white actor, Serkis appeared to lay the blame on his literary source material. “Tolkien himself was influenced a lot by Norse mythology, there’s a lot of that feeling,” he said. “The Shire feels very, very much like a very, a very white, you know … They’re not very concerned about what goes on beyond the borders of the Shire, but they know they don’t want people coming in.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 12:59Economic outlook is worsening and Trump is getting blamed, CNBC survey finds
The public is as depressed about the economy as it has been since the years just after the pandemic, according to the All-America Economic Survey.
17th July 2026 12:50
The Guardian
Unbeatables v untouchables? Spain’s run faces ultimate test in World Cup final
Spain’s streak started after a defeat in 2024 but Argentina are no slouches – they are on an unbeaten run of 14 matches
Spain look unstoppable. Their 2-0 victory over France meant that they have not lost a game in normal or extra time for 37 games, which Opta revealed has equalled the best such stretch by a European team. However, Spain did lose the final of the 2025 Nations League to Portugal on penalties.
Their “unbeaten run” matches the efforts of Italy between October 2018 and September 2021, a streak which included Roberto Mancini’s side winning Euro 2020. Unlike Spain, Italy were truly unbeaten.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 12:46
The Guardian
Downing Street changeover and Bolivian skaters: photos of the day – Friday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 12:38Video shows plainclothes ICE officers attempt to detain man at Las Vegas airport
ICE agents in plain clothes at Harry Reid Airport in Las Vegas tried to detain a man they claim overstayed his visa. Other travelers intervened and the ICE agents ended up walking away, leaving the man handcuffed on one wrist. He was taken into custody the next day when his flight landed in L.A. Nicole Sganga reports.
17th July 2026 12:24
The Guardian
Seven Americans quarantining at Kenya Ebola facility after US travel ban, says aid group
Aid workers are first known people to quarantine at facility, which sparked huge opposition in Kenya
Seven American aid workers who had been in Congo to fight the Ebola outbreak are quarantining at a new isolation facility in Kenya after the US government introduced travel restrictions, the head of a US charity employing them told Reuters.
The aid workers are the first known people to quarantine at the facility, which has sparked huge opposition in Kenya and is at the heart of a legal case in which a court has ordered the work to be suspended. Construction continued however, according to US officials and satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 12:17ConocoPhillips to buy 42% stake in Iraqi unit from BP as U.S. seeks to weaken Iran's energy hold
BP and ConocoPhillips are set to announce billions of dollars of new investments in Iraq on Friday.
17th July 2026 12:14Maps show wildfire smoke forecast, air quality alerts in swath of U.S.
Heavy smoke from several large wildfires blazing in Canada and Minnesota is engulfing large swaths of the Midwest and the U.S. East Coast this week.
17th July 2026 12:03
The Guardian
How do you actually shop local in New York City?
Shopping local ensures a future for cultures and communities, says Caroline Weaver, creator of the Locavore Guide digital directory
When I signed the lease for my new apartment in Brooklyn, the relief of having survived the brutal New York City real estate market was short-lived when my next task became clear: I needed to furnish the place.
My first instinct was to check everything off my list by shopping online. But the thought of waiting for deliveries and unboxing an endless mountain of packages seemed exhausting. And, I was moving to New York, where the streets are lined with a seemingly infinite number of stores.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 12:00
The Guardian
Smart glasses are deeply creepy. Why are celebrities like Kylie Jenner endorsing them?
Meta touts safety features – but for women, the dangers of these recording devices are obvious
Imagine if every time you left the house, you couldn’t be sure that the stranger you met at a bar – or even the person walking by you in the street – wasn’t secretly recording you. It sounds like something out of a Black Mirror episode, but let’s face it, the era of wearable technology is fully upon us as everyday accessories have been developed to help track health and fitness data, receive smartphone notifications, and provide hands-free accessibility.
So when Meta announced their AI glasses a few years ago, it wasn’t too surprising that one of the biggest (and most embattled) tech companies on earth had begun cashing in on our obsession with watching others. And their AI glasses have already raised serious concerns over privacy, personal safety and even our sense of agency.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 12:00
The Guardian
‘I dreamt of a show where the audience becomes horny’: the Swedish puppet play starring bonking barbies
Malmö Dockteater is adapting Jackie Collins’s debut novel about the swinging 60s using anatomically enhanced dolls. Puppets help you explore sex in a different way, they say
Erik Holmström holds up a naked, headless Ken doll. Most of the figure is as you’d expect: lean muscles, smooth skin. But lower down, something’s different. Between those hairless thighs is a small plastic penis nestled in a tuft of hair. “It’s real hair,” says Holmström, the director of Malmö Dockteater (that’s “puppet theatre” in Swedish). Performer and puppeteer Kajsa Ericsson jumps in. “Not real pubic hair,” she clarifies.
This doll is not just a prop of the company’s new show; it’s one of the stars. Malmö Dockteater has adapted Jackie Collins’s debut novel, The World Is Full of Married Men, into an experimental puppet production that leaps fearlessly into the explicit sex scenes that got the novel banned in several countries when it was first published in 1968. After performances in Malmö and Stockholm, the company is bringing the show to the newly refurbished Yard theatre in east London, where it will be performed in Swedish with English subtitles.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 12:00
The Guardian
The White House’s guide to manhood: pop some T, restart a war and do WHAT with a corn dog? | Marina Hyde
Pete Hegseth wants to win the war on Iran with a secret weapon: testosterone. Meanwhile, JD Vance is worried about how to eat an ice-cream
Are the men of the Trump administration OK? Feels like it’s been a tricky week for some of them. On the one hand, you’ll note the US is already rebooting its Iran war. Clearly, many will feel this latest version of the conflict is coming too soon after the last one, with fans simply not given enough time to miss the IP. A lot like the live-action Moana currently falling off the screen in cinemas. On the other hand, defence secretary Pete Hegseth seems to have moved the defence department beyond even its latter-day renaming as the department of war, posting a video entitled “The High-T Department of War” in which he announced mandatory testosterone screening for US troops aged 30 and over. We’ll get to JD Vance being unintentionally aroused by footage of Joe Biden eating ice-cream in a minute. Or as soon as I can face it.
Even the lower-ranking White House operatives seem to be spinning out. You may remember the UK’s political betting scandal, where various police officers, campaign officials and aides to former prime minister Rishi Sunak were arrested or investigated for putting bets on the last general election date. Everything’s bigger in the US, of course, so in some ways it’s not a surprise to learn that the guy who operates Trump’s teleprompter has allegedly made $100,000 on Kalshi by placing bets on words or topics appearing in Trump’s speeches. He is currently on unpaid administrative leave, according to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who yesterday added solemnly, “there are very strict ethical guidelines here at the White House”. A statement so hilarious that I refuse to believe Leavitt herself didn’t say it for a bet. Probably with Hegseth. “Dude, I know I can get it in. I back myself. And if I do say it, you owe me $1,000 and an off-the-books testosterone shot.”
Marina Hyde’s new book, What a Time to be Alive!, is out in September (Guardian Faber Publishing, £20). To support the Guardian, order your signed copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 11:56Elon Musk's Memphis AI empire is the epicenter of the data center backlash
Data center-related policy proposals, protests and litigation are underway across the country citing Colossus and Memphis as a cautionary tale.
17th July 2026 11:40
The Guardian
‘I don’t play around’: Nolan fans fly into London to see The Odyssey at BFI Imax
Film fanatics arrive from US, Switzerland and Ireland for midnight premiere of director’s critically acclaimed epic
Odysseus made his name by embarking on a perilous journey from Troy to Ithaca, plus a few unplanned diversions courtesy of the gods. But this is nothing on Christian Campbell, who last night travelled more than 4,000 miles to see the Greek king’s epic fable on the big screen.
The 22-year-old film graduate, who aspires to be an editor, made the journey from Atlanta to London to watch Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 11:30
NPR Topics: News
Takeaways from Trump's primetime speech. And, at least 2 dead in major Texas flooding
President Trump gave a primetime speech raising claims of voting vulnerabilities but offered no new evidence. And, at least 2 people have died in major flooding in Texas.
17th July 2026 11:27
The Guardian
Jarrod Bowen declares intention to stay at West Ham despite relegation
Captain says promotion would bring ‘the most happiness’
He visited largest shareholder Daniel Kretinsky in Prague
Jarrod Bowen has said he intends to remain with West Ham after the club’s relegation to the Championship. The forward has attracted interest from Premier League teams but has spelled out his desire to stay after a summer during which he travelled to Prague for talks with the largest shareholder, Daniel Kretínsky.
“I feel like we’re moving in the right direction as a club,” Bowen told West Ham’s media channels. “There’s a lot of thinking time over the summer and a lot of things that go in your head. But I look in years and years to come of when I retire, what’s going to bring me the most happiness. For me now that’s getting this club back into the Premier League.”
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 11:22
NPR Topics: News
Photos: When the World Cup came to town
NPR member station photographers captured images of World Cup watch parties outside stadium gates, on street corners and in public parks and squares as the World Cup became, for a brief period, a part of local life.
17th July 2026 11:17
NPR Topics: News
U.S. strikes bridges in Iran, Tehran targets U.S. bases in the Gulf
The U.S. and Iran expanded their targets in the latest round of strikes on Friday, as fighting over the control of the Strait of Hormuz reignites fears of an all-out war.
17th July 2026 11:13Trump doubles down on 2020 election claims in national address, alleging China meddling
Trump also repeated his calls for the Republican-led Congress to pass the "SAVE America Act," a controversial election bill that lacks support to pass.
17th July 2026 11:08
The Guardian
Add to playlist: the nervy breakbeats and acid delirium of Silverwingkiller and the week’s best new tracks
The industrial dance duo make music for this summer’s heatwave: filled with dread and jangling with pent-up energy
From Manchester, via Peterborough and Shanghai
Recommended if you like Crystal Castles, Mandy, Indiana, acid house
Up next Festival dates including East London Block Party, Brighton Psych Fest and End of the Road
Salford’s Silverwingkiller sound how this summer’s heatwave feels: delirious, dread-filled and jangling with pent-up energy. Named after the Chinese title for Blade Runner, they build pummelling industrial dance music from nervy breakbeats, the acid sounds of the Roland TB-303 synthesiser and the shared sense of creative freedom that James Baca and Yushang Ni discovered on moving to Greater Manchester, from Peterborough and Shanghai respectively.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 11:00
The Guardian
‘Laws were broken’: multistate effort to stop Paramount’s $111bn merger heads to court
Attorneys general from 12 states are suing to block the Paramount-Warner Bros deal they say violates antitrust law
A last-ditch effort to block the merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is heading to court as 12 Democratic state attorneys general attempt to stop the $111bn deal they say violates antitrust law and reduces competition in both the film and cable television industries.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, faces a crucial hearing on Friday to determine if a judge will temporarily pause the deal or allow it to continue toward approval. The merger was already approved by the Department of Justice in June.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 11:00
NPR Topics: News
A bug commonly sold at pet stores is helping scientists with a vexing task
The larvae of a beetle native to South and Central America, the critters are the perfect solution to sticky problem: How to prepare an animal skeleton for scientific use.
17th July 2026 11:00
The Guardian
England need fearless passers and three Tuchel omissions may point the way
Technical class in the fiercest battles was again lacking at the World Cup but there is hope amid the soul-searching
The post-match inquest into England’s elimination was almost over when Thomas Tuchel offered a revealing analysis of Argentina’s knack of instigating late comebacks at this World Cup.
“In their culture, ball possession plays a crucial role. It starts from a young age,” he said. “That is in the DNA and it demands a lot of self-confidence – natural self‑confidence to always want the ball, to always be in the gaps, to always define yourself through the ball. I think that is a crucial thing: to show courage.”
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 10:56
NPR Topics: News
Trump's team says 'no children' died from USAID cuts. Consider these 3 cases
Both Marco Rubio and Elon Musk, who led the effort to sunset the foreign aid agency, have said that no deaths have been linked to the cutting of its funding. These parents tell a different story.
17th July 2026 10:37
The Guardian
‘My eyes were stinging’: New Yorkers navigate smoky air and soaring temperatures
Pollution levels in the city were elevated as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south across a huge swathe of the US
The sun shone feebly through the thick haze. The smell of burning wood hung thick in the air. Many New Yorkers donned masks as the air quality plummeted amid health warnings.
The National Weather Service issued an air-quality alert because pollution levels were elevated as smoke from raging Canadian wildfires drifted south across a huge swathe of the US, reaching all the way to New York City and even beyond out into the Atlantic.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 10:00
The Guardian
California braces for its sharkiest summer in a decade – but experts say don’t panic
Young great white sharks are returning in large numbers, but researchers say humans are not on the menu
Surfers, swimmers and fishermen across California will be sharing the waves with an influx of visitors this summer: young great white sharks.
Juvenile white sharks are already appearing along the coastline, fleeing warmer than usual waters in Mexico during what’s expected to be an incredibly strong El Niño.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 10:00
The Guardian
ICE arrests human rights lawyer who fled Chinese crackdown
Arrest in Pennsylvania of Wu Shaoping, who is awaiting asylum decision, raises fears of deportation and persecution
A Chinese human rights lawyer has been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raising concerns he could be deported to China where he would face persecution.
Wu Shaoping fled China at the end of 2019 amid a crackdown on human rights lawyers. He travelled to the US on a tourist visa and made an asylum claim in 2020, for which he is still awaiting a decision.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 09:20
NPR Topics: News
What will the Pentagon begin screening 'war fighters' for? The quiz knows
Plus: Jurassic Park, U.K. politics, conspiracy theories, Pete Hegseth and numismatics.
17th July 2026 09:02
The Guardian
‘Adversarial clothing’: are garments designed to confuse facial recognition systems about to go mainstream?
Designers say that as well as offering a degree of protection from surveillance, their clothes make a powerful fashion statement about the importance of privacy
As facial recognition technology is rolled out across Britain’s public spaces, a new generation of designers say privacy could be the next big fashion trend.
Companies have started incorporating “adversarial patterns” in their garments – carefully designed arrangements of shapes, colours and repeated motifs said to exploit weaknesses in some computer vision systems.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 09:00
The Guardian
Andrew Motion: ‘Wilfred Owen became a kind of sacred text for me’
The former poet laureate on growing up with Lawrence Durrell, rereading Henry James and getting to grips with the genius of Alexander Pope
My earliest reading memory
My parents were country people who thought that looking after or chasing animals was more fun than reading: my father used to say that he’d read half a book in his life (The Lonely Skier by Hammond Innes), and while my mother got through three or four novels a year, she didn’t expect me to do anything equivalent. But I do remember enjoying something my grandmother gave me – My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. I must have been seven or so, and thought it was amusing and ingenious.
The books that changed me as a teenager
At my first school, I somehow got my hands on White Eagles Over Serbia by Lawrence Durrell, which my parents thought was unsuitably violent. I never finished it, but enjoyed carrying it around as proof of how grown-up I was. Then, at my secondary school, my history teacher read us some Wilfred Owen (we were studying the first world war), and the poetry-lights in my mind immediately flickered on. When I subsequently bought Owen’s Collected Poems it became a kind of sacred text for me (it still is).
The Guardian
‘It’s a spiritual experience’: docuseries goes behind the spectacular chaos of Burning Man
In HBO’s four-part series The Man Will Burn, the psychedelic, uber-expensive festival is granted a deep dive
In 1986, a group of starving artists seeking release amid a devastating economic downturn built an oversized wooden stick figure, hauled it on to a San Francisco beach and set it ablaze as police officers and passersby looked on in disbelief. Forty years later, Burning Man is the festival to end all festivals – a sprawling spectacle of music, art and self-expression that draws tens of thousands to the Nevada desert every summer for community, catharsis and spiritual connection. It is a pilgrimage for Bohemians and billionaires, a byword for a particular strain of woo-woo hipsterism, a countercultural institution wrestling with the contradictions between its libertine ideals, corporate reality and the regular presence of lightning-rod figures such as Grover Norquist, the conservative strategist, and Elon Musk’s brother.
The only way to truly grasp the meaning of the place, it seems, is to take the trip –figuratively at first, then literally once fully immersed in Black Rock City’s psychedelic, anything-goes culture. “It’s such an immersive experience that it seems that it would be impossible to capture on film or convey what it feels like to be inside a city that exists for a week, that’s imagined, built and sustained entirely by the people inside,” says Jehane Noujaim, co-director of The Man Will Burn, a new docuseries that premiered on HBO this month on the festival.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 09:00
NPR Topics: News
Republican campaigns see immigration as a winning issue for midterms
Republicans are spending more money and running more ads on immigration than Democrats are ahead of the November midterm elections, according to an NPR analysis of advertisement data.
17th July 2026 09:00
NPR Topics: News
Kalshi says it's not a sportsbook even as World Cup bets surge
The betting site Kalshi emerged as a dominant sports betting platform during the World Cup. But the company avoids billions of dollars in taxes by insisting it is not a sports gambling operator.
17th July 2026 09:00
The Guardian
More than 200 countries endorse Infantino for fourth Fifa term despite Balogun scandal
Only a handful of FAs have not declared their support
Uefa has made its opposition clear on number of issues
Gianni Infantino has the formal endorsement of more than 200 countries for re-election as Fifa’s president despite the climate of unrest that has swirled since the scandal surrounding Folarin Balogun’s reprieve from suspension.
The Guardian understands only a handful of Fifa’s 211 member associations are still to send letters of support for Infantino, who is on course to be voted into a fourth term by a landslide at its congress in March. A small number of European countries are among the outliers, with Germany the highest-profile FA yet to provide official backing.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 08:36
The Guardian
Weather tracker: Thunderstorms strike across Europe amid record heatwave
Storms are typical during intense heat but this week’s have been extreme. Plus, deadly monsoon rains in Bangladesh
Hailstones the size of golf balls have been seen in French villages as, on top of the exceptional European heatwave, thunderstorms have struck across parts of Europe.
While thunderstorms are typical during and after a period of extreme heat, the storms across countries such as France, Germany and Poland have been particularly severe, bringing flooding, strong winds and heavy showers with large balls of hail.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 08:35
The Guardian
‘I’m not into leather at all!’: John Wood on privately photographing Glasgow’s gay underground, and the comparisons with Robert Mapplethorpe
He was a telecoms engineer by day – and documented the Scottish city’s leather scene by night. Now the 79-year-old has opened his erotic archives and received his first ever solo exhibition
What is the story behind John Wood’s photographs? Some might guess that his portraits, which capture male subjects in various states of undress, very often wearing black leather jackets, gloves and boots, were taken in New York in the era of BDSM photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and Studio 54. Or maybe they were created in a very different kind of darkroom – the type of spaces that inspired the homoerotic imagery of the artist Tom of Finland? If you were given a hundred tries, you’d probably never guess that these erotic, intimate, kinky portraits were taken in a converted attic in the West End of Glasgow, unbeknown to the world (and the neighbours) for decades.
The story of Wood himself is equally unusual. At 79, he is showcasing his first ever solo show at Celine gallery in Glasgow. To say it has been a long time coming would be an understatement: Wood has been making photographs since his teens, when he began teaching himself by studying the images in magazines. The portraits in the show span a 20-year period, from ‘Cal’, a small Polaroid of a man standing nude next to a white doorway, taken in 1982, to ‘June 2002’, a gelatin silver print of an unnamed man clad in a leather waistcoat, while a black leather military-style cap and a cigarette obscure most of his face.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 08:19
The Guardian
Norma Winstone and NDR Radio Orchestra: A Timeless Place review | John Fordham's jazz album of the month
(Enodoc)
The emotive lyricist and surefooted improvisor sounds lustrous in a 1990 recording featuring an exquisite I Loves You, Porgy
When Norma Winstone, the peerless English vocalist and lyricist, reached 80 in 2021 – still in entrancing voice – a cascade of tributes included one from ECM Records boss Manfred Eicher, legendary master of doing more with less in new music: “She hears things differently, and tells us about them in her own quiet way.” Winstone’s confiding storytelling could have struggled in a noisy world, but landmark albums, the accolades of peers and fans and an MBE have confirmed its soft power across 60 years. So does the release of A Timeless Place, a long-archived 1990 radio broadcast with Winstone fronting Hanover’s NDR Radio Orchestra.
The title track is her much-covered lyric (Mark Murphy, Jazzmeia Horn and Cécile McLorin Salvant have explored it) to pianist Jimmy Rowles’ lovely tune The Peacocks. Glimpsed happiness, missed chances and the sounds and colours of emotions (“I’m drowning now, slowly sinking in a sea of blue and green”) typify Winstone’s materials, and her lustrous low sounds and vaulting octave leaps constantly mutate the implications of words.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 08:00
The Guardian
Heartstopper Forever review – sanitized sex scenes won’t let the Netflix lovebirds grow up
The film-length finale to the teen LGBTQ+ show has poignant moments but feels like fan service by numbers
If it were up to Kit Connor, Heartstopper would have ended quite differently. “If I’d had my way, I would have had Nick and Charlie cheating on each other and doing all those stupid things,” he recently told the Guardian. “Because young people do that and don’t necessarily need to be villainized for it.”
Midway through Heartstopper Forever, the film-length finale of Netflix’s series, I started to see his point. The central star-crossed lovebirds of Alice Oceman’s megahit are now 18 and 17, and like most teenagers they have sex, get drunk and fight with their annoying siblings. Unlike most people their age, they don’t vape, don’t use sex apps and they definitely don’t cheat.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 07:01
The Guardian
USA v Uzbekistan match foreshadows chess battle for Olympiad top prize
Two of the top four chess nations will go head to head in Miami on 27-28 July
The USA and Uzbekistan are among the world’s current four best chess teams, along with India and China, so the announcement that the pair will meet at Miami on 27-28 July in an all-play-all rapid and blitz Scheveningen format is sure to create interest as a guide to what may happen when the 200-nation classical Olympiad takes place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 15-27 September. Full details of the forthcoming match are here.
The two teams in Miami will both be at virtually full strength. The USA will field the world Nos 2 and 3, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, plus the world No 7, Wesley So, and the world Nos 17 and 22, Leinier Domínguez and Levon Aronian. Only the world No 19, Hans Niemann, might have made it stronger.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 07:00
The Guardian
Pitbull concert forces historic Champions League qualifier in Lithuania to move
FK Kauno Zalgiris renting out stadium for gig
They take on KI of Faroe Islands in two-leg tie
Lithuania’s best team will probably be forced to play a historic Champions League qualifier later this month away from home after renting their stadium out for a show by the US rapper Pitbull.
On Tuesday night, the Toplyga champions, FK Kauno Zalgiris, beat Kosovo’s champions, Dritam 3-2, and 4-3 on aggregate, to book their place in the Champions League second qualifying round, in the process securing around €1.7m in prize money. They are scheduled to travel to the Faroe Islands champions, KI, on Tuesday before hosting the second leg in Lithuania on 28 or 29 July.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 07:00
The Guardian
Week in wildlife: a stuck raccoon, a hardy mouse and a well-camouflaged wildcat
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 07:00
The Guardian
Rudeness! Manners! Whatever happened to being polite?! | First Dog on the Moon
Back in the day you had to be rude in person – now you can do it anonymously from home
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The Guardian
Robert Laidlow: Reality Eaters album review
BBC Philharmonic/Havlat/Kaziboni/Piatti Quartet
(NMC)
Einstein’s field equations, Newton’s universal law and artificial intelligence are among the subjects of Laidlow’s ambitious orchestral works
Robert Laidlow is as at home in the realms of science and technology as he is in the world of classical music. As this NMC debut album demonstrates, his intricate, wildly imaginative work is eminently approachable, even if the core concepts are highly complex.
Warp, a terse, 12-minute piano concerto, proposes a musical solution to Einstein’s field equations as the intrepid Joseph Havlat boldly goes where no pianist has gone before amid the distorting fabric of orchestral space-time. Strident orchestral lines spiral ever upwards, stretching instruments to their limits, while the piano maintains its course towards a serene conclusion. Handsomely recorded, the BBC Philharmonic and Vimbayi Kaziboni offer vibrantly detailed support.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 06:30Trump revisits disputed claims about elections but offers no new proof of fraud
In a primetime address, President Trump alleged the U.S. election system falls "catastrophically short," revisiting a topic that has drawn his attention for years — and making claims that election experts have heavily disputed.
17th July 2026 06:11
The Guardian
‘Forever chemicals’ – the national cancer scandal brewing in a Lancashire town
In this week’s newsletter: residents living near a chemical factory are the latest community concerned about the health and environmental impact of Pfas contamination
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Residents within a kilometre of the AGC Chemicals Europe factory in Thornton-Cleveleys in the north of England, have found themselves at the centre of what is quickly becoming a national scandal.
In 2024, the UK Environment Agency and the local authority initiated an investigation into historic emissions of Pfoa – a carcinogenic “forever chemical” that international research has linked to kidney cancer – from the factory. After environmental testing, people have been advised to wash and peel homegrown food and to avoid eating locally produced eggs, and two allotment sites near the factory have been closed.
May and June heatwaves killed about 2,700 people in England and Wales, data suggests
Inside the secret Laos shops selling pangolin scales, bear bile and tiger bones to tourists
Who is ‘stealing’ Bali’s water? How tourism siphoned off a prized resource
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 06:00
The Guardian
The Red Mouth by Sheila Armstrong review – profound exploration of Ireland’s deep time
Sinister bogland discoveries haunt the intersecting lives of four characters in this meditative, exquisitely written tale
Almost 14% of Ireland is bog: vast swathes of moss-carpeted land, below which layers of ancient history have been compounded into mulch-black turf. Captivated by their otherworldly beauty, Seamus Heaney wrote some of his finest poetry about bogs – and the bodies discovered, perfectly preserved, in their eerie depths.
Sheila Armstrong’s exquisite second novel, The Red Mouth, also centres around two bog discoveries: the “monstrous, bog-black antler” of a great Irish elk, and the mutilated body of a girl who comes to be known as Belroe Woman. From here we follow the intersecting lives of those haunted, both literally and figuratively, by these excavations and the uncanny landscape that yielded them.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 06:00
The Guardian
The Manchester years: how Burnham’s rebirth as ‘king of the north’ set him on road to No 10
In the second part of a two-part profile, Josh Halliday charts PM-in-waiting’s journey northward, where as mayor he revelled in his Covid-era popularity – and changed his approach to politics
Andy Burnham was a broken man. In a pub a short walk from parliament, which he had taken to calling “the madhouse”, he plotted his escape over beers with three trusted colleagues.
It was late March in 2016. Burnham, the MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester, had been in Westminster for 15 years but here, in a politico-free pub on Horseferry Road, his mood was dark.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 05:30
The Guardian
Ann Widdecombe’s death should make Britain ask itself: what sort of political culture do we want? | Gaby Hinsliff
Dehumanising politicians is the first step towards justifying their elimination. It matters more than ever to keep putting the person back into the picture
Ann Widdecombe was never one to hide from an argument. And she wasn’t afraid for her safety either. She scoffed at friends’ suggestions that she should get electric gates, as an elderly woman with a public profile living alone on Dartmoor, just as she dismissed concerns about her health at 78.
Having lost friends in the Brighton hotel bombing that almost killed Margaret Thatcher, she wasn’t naive about security. But she was forged in a different era: one before Jo Cox was murdered, when the greatest risk was to politicians identified as symbols of the state, rather than as the embodiment of an idea. She posed happily for press photographs inside her retirement bungalow, including one available to anyone casually Googling that included the house’s distinctive name: Widdecombe’s Rest. She would have been so easy to find, had anyone gone looking. Perhaps she never really believed that anyone would.
Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 05:00
The Guardian
Taking salsa classes can improve mental health, Oxford study suggests
Researchers find dance reduced depressive symptoms and social anxiety in young people in eight-week trial
Salsa is one of the most popular dance forms, with hundreds of millions of followers worldwide. A mix of Caribbean, Spanish and African musical styles and rhythms, it is believed to offer many cognitive and physical benefits, such as improving cardiovascular health, muscle tone and posture.
Now a randomised controlled trial suggests it could also reduce depression and anxiety. Researchers at the University of Oxford and the Oxford Health NHS trust studied 121 young adults with mild to moderate depression and anxiety who were randomly assigned to a salsa dance programme or a control group.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 05:00
The Guardian
Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for raspberry, cardamom and mascarpone tart | The sweet spot
This fruity summer dessert combines taste and texture with its layers of soft frangipane, crunchy sugar crust and a silky topping
If there’s one thing I’m very likely to have in my freezer, it’s a pack of ready-rolled puff pastry. And especially so during the warmer months, when I can use it for quick sweet or savoury tarts, be it a casual midweek bake or a fancier dinner party dessert. Layering texture is key, and here we’ve got crisp pastry; soft, slightly chewy at the edges frangipane; a crunchy demerara sugar crust; a silky mascarpone topping and squidgy raspberries.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 05:00
The Guardian
Philippines demands ‘racist’ Chinese state media video depicting Filipinos as monkeys be taken down
Philippine defence secretary denounces video referencing South China Sea dispute as a ‘disgrace’ to regional leadership
The Philippines strongly condemned state-run China Daily for releasing an AI-generated video that depicted Filipinos as monkeys, saying the “racist” imagery is “offensive, distressing and unacceptable” and drawing a firm line against dehumanising propaganda.
Manila demanded that the video posted on China Daily’s Facebook account on 10 July be taken down. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 04:50
The Guardian
As the UK and Europe battle deadly wildfires, what lessons can Australia offer?
Knowledge learned over more than a century in Australia is being tested by worsening fires. It’s a familiar narrative around the world
The violent hot red flames of deadly wildfires across the UK and Europe and scenes of panicked communities fleeing homes could not, at least geographically, be further away for Jan Harris.
But sitting in her new home at Reedy Swamp in rural New South Wales in Australia, the 67-year-old has found herself in tears.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 04:00
The Guardian
Jesy Nelson: Life Changing review – you just want to reach through the screen and hug the Little Mix star
What begins as another celebrity lifestyle documentary shifts completely when the former Little Mix star faces a devastating diagnosis for her newborn twin daughters. Every scene is affecting
The fact that cameras were there to witness the worst moment of Jesy Nelson’s life was seemingly a coincidence. Prime Video had been following the former Little Mix singer for a documentary on her life since leaving the band, as well as the birth of her premature twins. What no one could predict was that, seven months later, as producers continued to film the growing family, Nelson’s daughters, Ocean and Story, would be diagnosed with the life-threatening muscle wasting condition spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Jesy Nelson: Life Changing starts with a clip from the last time viewers saw Nelson as she relocated to Cornwall with the father of her twins, her fiance Zion Foster, last year. “When they start walking, they can walk on the sand,” a smiling Nelson tells Foster as they sit with their babies on the beach. Of course, anyone who has seen the headlines in recent months knows this is achingly foreboding; a lost future that must be grieved and reshaped.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 04:00
The Guardian
Experience: I’m a world champion foosball player
The 2018 final against Germany went to penalties – we thrashed them and won gold
I was 12 years old when I first played foosball – table football – in the summer of 1975 in Beirut. My home city was under siege, split by civil war. School was cancelled and roads were closed. We couldn’t get to the beach and the only place to go was the amusement arcade. Luckily for me, it was across the road.
Alongside billiard tables and games machines were a couple of foosball tables. I watched older kids play for hours, mesmerised by a game where you could outsmart an opponent two feet away, then celebrate in their face. You needed 20 pence, or qurush in Lebanese money, to play: 10 pence for the table and 10 pence for the winner. Money was scarce, so I made a deal with the guy who owned the place – if I cleaned the tables, I could play for free. With machine guns rattling on the nearby green line, which divided the east and west of the city, I’d stuff a towel inside the goal and practise until I was confident enough to play. I got really good. By the following summer, I was winning 10 games in a row.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 04:00Trump falsely alleges voting machines are "vulnerable" and "easily compromised"
President Trump alleged voting machines and ballot-counting systems are "extremely exposed to attack" — but experts say voting machines are subject to intense controls.
17th July 2026 03:52
The Guardian
‘I’m sorry but I’m unable to speak’: hero of India’s Cockroach party weakens on 19th day of hunger strike
The climate activist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk, who has become the figurehead of anti-government protests in Delhi, is resisting calls to end his fast until the education minister resigns
As night falls on day 18 of his hunger strike, the lack of any sustenance except water shows. It is 7pm and Sonam Wangchuk looks weak. A physiotherapist sits beside him on the stage massaging his arms to soothe his aching joints. Propped up against pillows and bolsters, Wangchuk whispers: “I’m sorry, but I’m unable to speak.”
The activist and engineer has lost close to 9kg from a body that was spare and lean to begin with. Doctors say it is around this stage of a hunger strike that the body enters a state of severe starvation, breaking down fat and muscle, resulting in extreme weakness, impaired brain function and electrolyte imbalance.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 03:00Deadly helicopter crash in Hudson River likely caused by bird strike, NTSB says
A family of five from Spain, including three children, and the pilot died in the April 2025 crash.
17th July 2026 01:58Blanche holds meeting with Epstein accusers after Tillis' request
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with accusers of Jeffrey Epstein following a demand to do so by a Republican senator whose support is crucial to advancing his nomination to lead the Justice Department.
17th July 2026 01:51At least 2 dead in Central Texas flooding as torrential rain slams region
More than a foot of rain has fallen since Monday, triggering dangerous flash flooding in Central Texas.
17th July 2026 01:50Trump suspends teleprompter operator over Kalshi bets allegations, White House says
Kalshi retained most of the profits, which were more than $90,000, from the trades made on public statements by President Trump.
17th July 2026 01:11Dozens of Marineland's whales coming to U.S. through rescue plan
Dozens of beluga whales are set to be relocated from the shuttered Canadian theme park to aquariums across the United States through an international emergency rescue effort, officials said.
17th July 2026 00:57
The Guardian
Family devastated by ‘unacceptable’ charges over methanol deaths of Australian teenagers in Laos
Australian government says it is ‘deeply frustrated’ and will continue to press for ‘real charges with teeth’ over deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles
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The Australian government says it wants “real charges with teeth” over the fatal methanol poisoning of two teenage travellers in Laos, as authorities prepare to lay lesser charges that have been called “bitterly” disappointing.
Melbourne travellers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, were backpacking through the south-east Asian nation in late 2024 when they were fatally poisoned with methanol while drinking at Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng.
Continue reading... 17th July 2026 00:34Thousands of election-focused workers cut during Trump's 2nd term
Since the beginning of his second administration, the government has cut thousands of workers who were tasked with ensuring secure elections in the U.S.
17th July 2026 00:30