The Open 2026: day two golf updates from 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.

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

US strikes on Iran reportedly hit airport and bridges – Middle East crisis live

Southern rail station also attacked, Iranian media says, as IRGC claims to have destroyed US fighter jets stationed in Jordan

• US marines board tanker amid blockade of Iranian ports

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a statement to state media claiming to have “targeted American fighter jets and tankers stationed in Jordan”.

The statement says the attack involved “several ballistic missiles and numerous drones” and resulted in “the destruction of several American tankers and fighter jets and serious damage to many more of them”.

A tanker has reported being hit by an unknown projectile causing minor structural damage to the port side. All crew are safe and accounted for, no environmental impact has been reported and the vessel is continuing to its next port of call. Authorities are investigating.”

Iran 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

BP, ConocoPhillips to back Iraq with major investments 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.

Burnham to say his government will be ‘unashamedly Labour’ in first speech as party leader – UK politics live

‘Special conference’ to take place at noon where Burnham will be formally announced as Labour leader

This morning the Times has splashed on a story claiming Andy Burnham is facing “a revolt from his core support on the Labour left over his plans to appoint Shabana Mahmood”.

The only MP quoted on the record in the story criticising Mahmood is Rachael Maskell, a prominent leftwinger who is comfortable speaking out against the leadership. She told the paper Ed Miliband would be a better chancellor because he “has Treasury experience and he’s been able to bring our party together around some very difficult issues”. She criticised Mahmood’s record on immigration and said Mahmood “hasn’t got the level of skill and experience to provide the leadership that is needed in the Treasury”.

A senior ally of Burnham said: “Shabana has no sense of the economics. It’s just not something she’s ever spoken about. She’s not collaborative. It’s not clear how she would drive the machine.”

Another Labour MP said: “It’s baffling a lot of people because nobody knows what her views are on the economy. Does she even have any? She’s never done a speech or intervention. It’s just absolutely bizarre and I can’t see her as a sensible appointment.

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.

At the World Cup, has 'VAR' gone too far? Some fans say it's ruining the tournament

In this World Cup, VAR, or video assistant referee, has become ubiquitous (and despised by many). But there was a time when fans and teams loved it. What went wrong?

Trump makes unverified claims of China ‘election meddling’ as critics fear ploy to challenge midterm results

Opponents say president’s address about 2020 election loss is attempt to sow confusion ahead of midterms that could deliver big losses for Republicans

Donald Trump accused China of interfering with the 2020 election in a primetime televised address that laid bare his continuing obsession with his defeat to Joe Biden, but which opponents warned was a smokescreen for him to meddle in the forthcoming congressional midterms.

In a 25-minute speech on Thursday that had been hyped by Trump himself, the US president cast extraordinary doubts on the integrity of the US electoral process, saying it was “catastrophically” short of standards of fairness and trust, and vulnerable to trespassing by foreign powers.

China's Xi calls for step up of global effort in AI, as US curbs squeeze China's tech access

American-led restrictions have blocked China from accessing some of the world's most advanced technologies, spurring China's efforts to build its own know-how and intensifying the tech race between the world's two biggest economies.

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.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse - Konami classic rises again from Paris sewers and Joan of Arc is a boss

Evil Empire creatives explain how it is playing to today’s ‘metroidvanias’ and honouring the original’s legacy with much fresh slaying to be done

Since the last Castlevania game hit the shelves (2014’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2), Konami’s dormant series has unexpectedly spawned a hit genre. With an entire generation raised on “metroidvanias” – a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania – millions of players have only ever seen the games inspired by Konami’s seminal games. Now with Belmont’s Curse, launching in October, Castlevania is finally dashing back to console, where Konami hopes to reclaim its side-scroller throne.

Set 23 years after the events of 1989’s Castlevania 3 – the same setting as the hit Netflix show – Belmont’s Curse shakes off the series’ 3D ambitions and takes the Belmonts back to basics. Dispatching players to the demon-infested streets of 1499 Paris, you’re placed in the tattered boots of Trevor Belmont’s daughter, Rose. As a bishop pleads with the Belmonts to rid Paris of the ancient evil besetting the city, Rose heads into the sewers, longsword in hand, and her demon-slaying adventure begins.

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

USA and Uzbekistan, along with India and China, possess the world’s current four best chess teams, 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 between 15-27 September. Full details of the forthcoming match are here.

The two teams in Miami will both be at virtually full strength. USA will field the world Nos 2 and 3, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, plus the world No 7, Wesley So, and world Nos 17 and 22, Leinier Domínguez and Levon Aronian. Only the world No 19, Hans Niemann, might have made it stronger.

Week in wildlife: a stuck raccoon, a hardy mouse and a well-camouflaged wildcat

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

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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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.

Rubio convenes countries on left-wing political violence

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday convened leaders from more than 60 countries to take part in the Trump administration's latest effort to quell what it calls "left wing" political terrorism.

Trump revisits disputed claims about election security and declassifies documents

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.

‘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

‘How’s this joker got my details?’: BrewDog founder faces complaints over emails to ‘equity punks’

Exclusive: Watchdog asked to look into how James Watt got data of ex-crowdfunders he invited to join buy-back bid

James Watt, the BrewDog founder who sold the debt-laden “punk” brewer earlier this year, is the subject of complaints to the UK’s data privacy watchdog linked to his surprise bid to buy the company back, the Guardian has learned.

BrewDog’s brand, intellectual property, UK breweries and 11 bars were sold to the US cannabis and drinks firm Tilray in March for £33m, in a deal that rendered the shares of more than 200,000 crowdfunding investors worthless.

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.

More than a hairstyle: how locs at the World Cup have changed perceptions of Black hair on the global stage

Using tinted tips and undercuts, footballers are rewriting what ‘professional’ looks like in elite sport in the process

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At the World Cup this summer locs, or what are commonly known as “dreadlocks”, have become as ubiquitous as free kicks. Defenders pin theirs back for clear sight-lines; forwards loosen and shape theirs for the cameras.

Antoine Semenyo of Ghana paired his with a sharp undercut. Spain’s Nico Williams bleaches his tips. Belgium winger Jeremy Doku has a mix of blond tinted tips, cornrowed. England’s Eberechi Eze has a variant styled into cornrows, while his former Crystal Palace teammate (and soon to be similarly gutted opponent in Saturday’s third-place “bronze” play-off) France’s Michael Olise opts for a slickly styled taper fade, a technique that emphasises the volume of the locs on top. Manu Koné, also of Les Bleus, has sported braided locs, while Switzerland’s attacking midfielder Johan Manzambi has gone for jumbo locs in combination with rope-like, protective Senegalese twists.

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

• Part one: From Cambridge ‘impostor’ to New Labour star

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.

Japan revises law to ensure supply of (male) heirs to the imperial throne

A popular princess drives support for having a female Japanese Emperor. But the country's first female prime minister opposes it.

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.

Fox’s US World Cup summer: wild mispronunciations, Corden’s sad beers and Lowe’s excellence

The broadcaster’s tournament coverage was a mix of flat and fizz. It could also have been a long farewell with World Cup rights up for grabs

Goodbye, then, to Fox, to its band of upbeat Brits and grown men dressed in suits and sneakers. Goodbye to constant cutaways to Gianni Infantino in the stands, his eyebrows a mournful tipi, his nude head sprinkling under the summer sun. Goodbye to Landon Donovan and his special gift for announcing every celebrity sighting (“And there’s Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz”) as if delivering the results of a colonoscopy. Goodbye to Rebecca Lowe saying “OK, OK” whenever she’s needed one of her on-set personalities to zip it so she can throw to a break. Goodbye to the momentum graph, which only flashed on screen when a match’s momentum needed no explanation; goodbye to “no golden goal” on the scorebug during extra time, referencing a rule that has not been in force at a World Cup for 24 years; goodbye to the connected ball, which never seemed connected when we needed connection most.

Goodbye to Geoff Shreeves, Fox’s middle-aged Oliver Twist chirruping on the sideline for the approval of his American masters. Goodbye to Tom Rinaldi, to his pocket squares and his “lyrical” meditations on balls and planets and stars or whatever. Goodbye to Chef Nick, now forced to rein in the extravagance of his early contributions (kangaroo corndogs, fufu chicken tikka masala) in the face of the tournament’s gastronomically subdued final four. And goodbye to Jameis Winston, the Fox fan correspondent, whose distressingly antic and sweaty stadium dispatches gave him the unvarying appearance of a man being electrocuted in the middle of a baptism.

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.

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.

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.

Fact checking Trump speech on election security

President Trump is delivering a speech on election security Thursday night at the White House.

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.

‘I used to do acid on a Wednesday. I don’t have time for that now’: alt-pop star Steve Lacy on his struggle to follow huge hit Bad Habit

A Grammy nom at 17, a US No 1 ... then silence. With new album Oh Yeah? finally out after four years away, the genre-hopping artist explains the trauma and heartbreak that informed it

Since Steve Lacy became a Grammy-winning artist with a No 1 hit in the US, little has changed for him. His single Bad Habit was one of the biggest songs of 2022, leading to a sold-out tour across North America, Europe and Australia. But off-stage? He bought a new home in Los Angeles, but he hasn’t made any new famous friends. He doesn’t get hounded in public, because he’s a natural homebody. Besides, he’s not really that famous, is he?

“I think my name is bigger than my face, which is great,” he says, smiling mischievously. Sitting in a private room in a London hotel, wearing a Serge Gainsbourg T-shirt and jeans so ripped that they might as well be shorts, Lacy says he thinks he has pulled off the greatest trick of modern pop stardom: being one of the most celebrated musicians of his generation while remaining almost unrecognisable.

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.

Cyclist Rohan Dennis pleads guilty to driving with suspended licence after crash that killed wife

Adelaide-based Olympian was banned from driving for five years over Melissa Hoskins’ 2023 death

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Former professional cyclist Rohan Dennis faces a jail sentence after admitting he drove while disqualified over the events leading up to the death of his Olympian wife, Melissa Hoskins.

A judge had previously warned the former Olympian he would be jailed if he drove while banned.

Trump 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.

‘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.

Maps 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 Northeast U.S. this week.

Trump 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.

‘Even Politburo members can be touched’: what the latest purge says about Xi Jinping’s China

The ousting of Ma Xingrui – the third Politburo member in recent years - suggests Xi’s tolerance of dissent is diminishing, say analysts

On Tuesday, China expelled Ma Xingrui, one of the ruling party’s most senior officials, making him the third politburo member to be purged since 2022 as Xi Jinping deepens his years-long anti-corruption campaign.

Ma, a former Communist party secretary for China’s north-western region of Xinjiang, was accused of corruption, abuse of power and trading political favours for sex. The announcement came after Ma was placed under investigation in April for suspected “serious violations of discipline and the law”.

Deadly 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.

Blanche 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.

At 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.

An analysis of President Trump's address

President Trump gave a primetime address Thursday night in which he spoke about the integrity of U.S. elections — a topic he has spread disinformation about for much of his political career.

Trump 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.

Dozens 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.

Elon 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.

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.

Cyclosporiasis outbreak possibly traced to lettuce from Mexico used by Taco Bell

A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell is being investigated as a possible source for a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people.

Thousands 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.

Deadly NYC helicopter crash possibly caused by bird strike, NTSB documents indicate

Fifteen months after a sightseeing helicopter broke up in the air and crashed in New York City's Hudson River, investigators revealed what they believe brought down the chopper, killing the pilot and a family of five. Kris Van Cleave reports.

FDA identifies likely source of lettuce containing diarrhea-causing parasite

The FDA has identified Taylor Farms as the likely source of lettuce contaminated with the parasite behind cyclosporiasis, as the outbreak grows. Mark Strassmann reports.

SpaceX aborts Starship test flight, sending stock lower

Elon Musk said it would make another attempt "hopefully in a few days." SpaceX completed the maiden test flight of its Starship V3 rocket in May.

Flooding kills at least 2 in Texas as torrential rain continues

At least two people have died in Central Texas following multiple days of heavy rainfall and flooding, as authorities warn residents to seek higher ground immediately. Jason Allen reports and Rob Marciano has the forecast.

Air quality emergencies impact at least 21 states amid wildfires

Smoke and ash from wildfires in Canada settled over major cities and towns this week, including Minneapolis and New York. Health officials warned that coughing and shortness of breath are risks for everyone outside, especially those with chronic conditions. Tom Hanson reports.

Microsoft's Nadella criticizes Anthropic's Fable for being 'editorially controlled'

Microsoft enjoys close ties to Anthropic, but it's also working to help companies refine models that keep their data private.

Trump expected to allege Chinese meddling in U.S. elections during primetime speech, sources say

President Trump is preparing a primetime speech tied to American election security, sources say. He is also pushing for passage of a voting regulations bill that would establish national voter ID and proof-of-citizenship standards. Ed O'Keefe reports.

Universities get funding from foreign entities on U.S. watch lists, records show

The State Department is cracking down on universities accepting funding from foreign entities on U S. government watch lists.

Teleprompter operator made over $100K betting on Trump speeches

After detecting suspicious activity on the teleprompter operator's account, Kalshi investigated and then referred the case to federal regulators.

ICC staffer talks publicly about alleged sexual abuse by chief prosecutor Karim Khan

Female lawyer tells CNN’s Christiane Amanpour about alleged ‘escalation of attempts’ as second woman also speaks out

Two women who have accused the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, Karim Khan, of sexual abuse have spoken out about their claims against the prominent British lawyer.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Thursday, an ICC staffer identified by her first name, Sarah, spoke publicly for the first time about her allegations, which have engulfed the court over the past two years.

7/16: CBS Evening News

Air quality emergencies impact at least 21 states amid wildfires; Trump speaks on elections, alleging Chinese access to voter data.

Banking Committee's Sen. Rounds liked Warsh's 'tone' in first testimony as Fed chairman

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh was on Capitol Hill for two days of testimony this week.

Thousands of Google workers demand layoff protections amid AI boom in petition to CEO

The petition to Sundar Pichai, the CEO, included more than 4,500 signatures and included calls for buyout options

Google workers on Thursday delivered a petition calling for layoff protections as tech giants continue to slash their workforces while pouring billions into AI.

“Make no mistake: this is a company that is enjoying massive, unprecedented success,” Parul Koul, Google software engineer and Alphabet Workers Union president, said outside the company’s California headquarters after delivering the petition to the office of the CEO, Sundar Pichai’. Koul pointed to Google’s $4tn valuation, which has quadrupled over the last six years: “These layoffs and cuts are not difficult decisions, but simply profit being put over the people that make this company run.”

Air quality plummets in 20 US states as smoke from Canadian wildfires spreads

Millions of Americans face air quality alerts from Minnesota to New York as authorities urge people to stay indoors

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Smoke from wildfires burning in south-central Canada and parts of Minnesota is spreading across the US, prompting air quality alerts in more than 20 states with millions of Americans expected to face unhealthy air conditions this week.

The smoke from the more than 180 active wildfires in northern Ontario made Chicago’s air quality the worst in the world on Thursday evening, followed by Detroit and Minneapolis, according to IQAir’s global rankings.

The Five-Star Weekend review – Jennifer Garner’s escapist holiday drama is the perfect beach watch

This adaptation of author Elin Hilderbrand’s novel looks absolutely beautiful. It’s a warm, pleasant show whose approach to putting this group of female characters front and centre is highly refreshing

The Five-Star Weekend is the perfect beach watch, adapted by Bekah Brunstetter from the perfect beach read of the same name by bestselling beach‑read author Elin Hilderbrand. It blends schmaltz, melodrama, jokes and genuine feeling in perfect proportions throughout its eight episodes. It is escapist entertainment that contains, in its tale of five female friends unwinding and spilling secrets over a faultlessly curated long weekend in Nantucket, absolutely nothing to distress us. Come on in, it says warmly with every gorgeous shot of island coastline, the water’s lovely.

The weekend is organised by a tradwife-inflected culinary influencer, Hollis (Jennifer Garner), who has recently lost her husband, Matthew (Josh Hamilton), in a car crash. This all happens off screen; after the police arrive at the house to break the news, we cut swiftly to six months later. It’s the equivalent of a children’s book killing off the parents without a backward glance so the fun can begin.

Worry Doll by Laura McPhee-Browne review – a sensual, sinister novel about the horrors of desire

Two women meet on a train and tumble into an all-consuming affair told from both sides – who have very different stories

I’ve been craving a sandwich: soft white roll, roast chicken, sharp cheese. A bright little cut of tomato. After I finish this review I’ll walk up to the supermarket and buy myself a hot chook. Sink my teeth in.

It wasn’t my idea. I caught the craving from Laura McPhee-Browne’s Worry Doll. One of her characters longs for the same sandwich, made just so: “there is a particular amount of cheese and chicken that she requires for it to feel the way she needs it to when she chews and swallows.” I know that feeling. There is nothing cheap about cheap pleasure. And Worry Doll understands pleasure.

Bank of America CEO on World Cup ticket sales, economic boost

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan speaks with "Face the Nation" about his company's FIFA sponsorship and the high turnout for the World Cup despite expensive ticket prices. See the full interview, Sunday.

White House says ICE traffic stops will continue after deadly shootings

The comments came following widespread reports earlier in the week that those stops would be put on pause after two immigrants were fatally shot by ICE agents in early July.

Flood sirens blare in South Central Texas as rivers reach perilous heights

Flood sirens blared early Thursday in Comfort, Texas, as the Guadalupe River rose more than 30 feet in three hours, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The storm could bring even more rainfall than last year's deadly Fourth of July floods.

The bigger picture: Tuchel gets blame for England exit but this is not only about him | Barney Ronay

German will be pilloried for his semi-final decisions but that is to ignore the fact English football culture is not set up to win major tournaments

“I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.”

As England’s World Cup hopes recede into another spell of heartache, let down in Atlanta by the latest handsome, cadaverous Mr Right, a little sadder, not much wiser, sunburnt, broke, eating Jägerbomb ice cream out of the tub with a spoon, this is a good moment to seek some classic New York romcom solace. Meg Ryan was right. Don’t be sad that it’s over. Be incredibly angry and frustrated on the radio that it happened at all.

Navy's Blue Angels won't be reprimanded after video shows low flyover

The Blue Angels said an aircraft "flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas."

Nearly 736,000 Pillsbury rolls recalled over possible glass contamination

The recall includes cases of Pillsbury "Hard Roll Dough" and "Kaiser Roll Dough" bread rolls, which are marketed to businesses.

7/16: The Takeout with Major Garrett

President Trump to give primetime speech on election security; Todd Blanche has second day of confirmation hearing for attorney general role.

In primetime speech, Trump doesn't provide evidence for illegal voting

President Trump raised claims that the country's voting systems are vulnerable to being "rigged and stolen," without providing new evidence of a single fraudulent vote cast in any election.

AG pick Blanche to meet with Epstein survivors after 2 GOP senators hedge on nomination

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wants Todd Blanche to meet with victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before committing his support for the nomination.

Dangerous wildfire smoke continues to blanket parts of the U.S.

Orange skies and heavy smoke covered large parts of the U.S. on Thursday as Canada and Minnesota grapple with wildfires. Hazardous air quality is expected to continue.

Joe Root hits unbeaten 99 as England level ODI series with India

• Second ODI: England, 235-6, bt India, 233, by 4 wkts

• Will Jacks shares in key 72-run stand for sixth wicket

After the meltdown by England’s footballers in Atlanta, the national mood was never going to be significantly improved by their cricketers. Nevertheless, a hard-fought four-wicket victory over India in Cardiff was a boost for Harry Brook’s side and set up a series decider at Lord’s on Sunday.

Not that they did it easily. Set just 234 on a curious surface on which the ball stopped at times and only the technicians prospered – Virat Kohli had earlier purred to 65 from 66 balls – they slipped to 94 for four inside the 20th over. But thanks to Joe Root’s classy unbeaten 99, a one-all scoreline was secured with 35 balls to spare.

Players ‘puzzled’ by tactics but Tuchel left himself no other option with his squad picks | Jacob Steinberg

The England head coach took a risk by selecting injury-prone players and ignoring creative options such as Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White

When Thomas Tuchel became England’s head coach he spoke repeatedly about wanting his side to adopt a Premier League style. He wanted intensity, pace, full-throttle football. Tuchel offered clarity, his analysis was precise and his squad for the World Cup was built around the idea of overwhelming opponents with physicality and relentless running.

There were roles for specialists and places for individuals who could be trusted to bring the vibes. There were like-for-like alternatives in various positions and Tuchel was granted a lot of leeway. He was bold with his choices and could respond to questions about omitting the creativity of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Adam Wharton, Morgan Gibbs-White and Trent Alexander-Arnold by arguing that he had a vision and was going to stick to it.

Tillis says he won't support Blanche unless he meets with Epstein survivors

Sen. Thom Tillis said that Todd Blanche must meet with survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's crimes before he'll vote to advance his nomination for attorney general out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Here's why the housing market is hurting so much this summer

Mortgage rates are high, home prices at record levels, and consumers stressed — all contributing to a drop in existing home sales and builder sentiment.

Doctors question plan to screen military members for low testosterone

Doctors raised a range of concerns about a testosterone screening policy announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which is likely to be costly to implement.

Airlines 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.

Alphabet shares fall on report its most powerful AI model Gemini 3.5 Pro is delayed

Alphabet announced the Gemini 3.5 Pro AI in May, saying it was being used internally but wouldn't be ready for a broader rollout until the following month.

Rebecca Perry wins Waterstones debut fiction prize for ‘delicious and dream-like’ novel

May We Feed the King, about a museum curator and a medieval monarch, was praised by judges for its ‘crisp, cool prose’ and ‘poet’s eye for detail’

Author and poet Rebecca Perry has won the 2026 Waterstones debut fiction prize for May We Feed the King, praised as a “delicious and dream-like tale”.

Chosen from a shortlist of six novels, May We Feed the King follows a present-day curator whose job is to dress rooms in historic houses. (“When you see a replica feast scene in the great hall of an old building, I am the person who placed the pomegranates beside the pie.”) They become increasingly obsessed by the subject of their latest commission, a medieval king whose own story about his reluctance to rule unfolds in parallel.

UnitedHealth blows past estimates, hikes earnings outlook as it reins in costs

The healthcare giant is working to stabilize margins by shrinking membership, exiting unprofitable contracts and pouring $1.5 billion into AI.

Dallas Fed President Logan calls for 'modestly' higher interest rates

The policymaker said this week's good inflation news wasn't good enough.

Trump Media launches paid data service to help Wall Street track Trump’s posts

Trump Media launched an API to give paying customers real-time access to market-moving Truth Social posts.

Political crisis and protests in Ukraine as Zelenskyy defends sacking defence minister

President says he had to choose ‘one side or the other’ after breakdown of relations between ministry and military leaders

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has defended his decision to dismiss the country’s popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, and confirmed reports that relations had broken down between the ministry and the country’s top army leadership.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy said there had been a “challenging dialogue” between Fedorov – widely seen as a reformist and moderniser – and the military’s commander in chief, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Arsenal close in on £34m deal for Club Brugge forward Christos Tzolis

• Greece international replacement for Leandro Trossard

• Arsenal seek defensive cover after William Saliba injury

Arsenal have agreed a deal worth up to €40m (£34m) with Club Brugge to sign Christos Tzolis as a replacement for Leandro Trossard and will step up their attempts to sign defensive cover due to concerns that William Saliba could miss the start of the new season due to his ongoing back issues.

An official bid for Tzolis, a Greece international who scored 22 goals last season and was previously targeted by Crystal Palace, has yet to be submitted but it is understood that Arsenal have verbally agreed to pay the Belgian club’s asking price. The 24-year-old is expected to have his medical in the coming days and sign a long-term contract. The former Norwich forward, who usually plays on the left flank, will be a direct replacement for Trossard after his departure for Besiktas was confirmed this week for €18m (£15.3m).

Uber driver who killed dog walker is also found guilty of trying to murder his landlord

Dawood Safi, 28, mounted a ‘frenzied’ and deadly rampage while in the grip of a psychotic episode

An Uber driver who stabbed a dog walker to death in a “frenzy of violence” while in the grip of a psychotic episode has also been found guilty of trying to murder his landlord.

Dawood Safi, 28, killed 49-year-old Wayne Broadhurst in the random knife attack last October, just minutes after attacking his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, and a boy of 14.

General Mills recalls 736,000 Pillsbury rolls over glass contamination fears

FDA notice warns of ‘potential foreign material’ as recall covers two types of frozen bread roll dough

General Mills is recalling nearly 736,000 Pillsbury bread rolls over concerns they could contain glass, according to a notice issued by the US Food and Drug Administration earlier this week.

The recall covers two frozen bread roll products: 3,080 cases of Hard Roll Dough, with 180 rolls in each case, totaling 554,400 rolls, and 1,260 cases of Kaiser Roll Dough, with 144 rolls per case, totaling 181,440 rolls. The FDA notice states the products may contain “potential foreign material (glass)”.

‘Bizarre choice’: business and Labour puzzle over Shabana Mahmood as future chancellor

The home secretary, favourite to take over at No 11, has minimal economic credentials and many MPs would prefer Ed Miliband

Andy Burnham last month promised the UK he would bring “good growth in every postcode and hope in every heart” when he is installed as prime minister. Britain’s industry leaders also have a hope in their hearts: that Burnham will install a pro-business chancellor.

The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, was for several weeks seen as the most likely candidate to succeed Rachel Reeves but, after a brutal briefing battle and a backlash from big business, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, appears to have emerged as the frontrunner. Now businesses are scrambling to try to work out how she might run the economy if confirmed in the Treasury on Monday.

Earth-like exoplanet found to have an atmosphere

Scientists discover the first confirmed atmosphere around rocky planet outside our solar system that is within the habitable zone

The search for life outside our solar system has taken another twist as researchers revealed they have discovered an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet 49 light years away that could have liquid water on its surface.

Atmospheres have previously been found around gas giant exoplanets as well as “sub-Neptunes”. There have also been signs of such envelopes around rocky exoplanets that sit outside their star’s habitable zone – a region in which liquid water could exist on the planet’s surface, and hence potentially support life.

Tim Merlier surges to Tour de France 2026 hat-trick on stage 12 but crash hits sprinters

• Soudal Quick-Step rider pips Kooij and Philipsen

• Tadej Pogacar safely retains yellow jersey

The likely final sprint stage of this year’s Tour de France was won by Tim Merlier, of the Soudal Quick-Step team, who added victory on the banks of the Saône to his wins in Bordeaux and Bergerac.

In what has been a Tour of rare opportunity for both sprinters and breakaways, the final hour of racing was manic in its intensity and peppered with constant but futile attacks, until the riverside finish came into view.

The Guardian view on England’s World Cup disappointment: a tale of the not wholly unexpected | Editorial

There was a sense of deja vu as Argentina came from behind to win an intense semi-final. But the players also gave the nation some memorable highs

Historically, English football-supporting culture has had a well-known darker side. But in recent decades, as the England men’s team’s trophy drought has continued, some of its unofficial anthems have acquired an endearingly melancholy quality. “It was nearly complete, it was nearly so sweet”, as the Three Lions song had it in the 1990s, when England exited a World Cup and a European Championship at the semi-final stage.

This summer, Oasis’s Wonderwall has been the soundtrack as Harry Kane and co progressed to Wednesday’s climactic semi-final showdown with Argentina. This is a song which, very wisely in an England context, puts a heavy emphasis on the idea of “maybe”. In the end it turned out to be maybe not.

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Why Orthodox Jews are opposing the new daylight saving bill in Congress

Orthodox Jewish organizations say the bill, if passed, would force morning prayer services to start after 9 a.m. in some parts of the country, making observant Jews late for work and school.

‘A masterpiece in every way’: The Odyssey earns near universal acclaim as full reviews published

Christopher Nolan’s epic was given five stars by the Guardian, Independent and Telegraph, while the New York Times called it a ‘monumental adaptation’

Christopher Nolan’s $250m Imax blockbuster version of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey looks set to be among the director’s best-received of his career, and could be a frontrunner for next year’s best picture Oscar.

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw was among the vast majority of critics who awarded it five stars, calling it a film “with thrilling ambition, boldness, seriousness, generosity and flair. There are some broad-brush moments in the dialogue, yes, but even these are applied with a muscular flourish.”

Keir Starmer makes Sadiq Khan a peer in the House of Lords

Appointment by the outgoing prime minister potentially opens door for London mayor to join Burnham cabinet

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Sadiq Khan has been handed a peerage by Keir Starmer just days before the prime minister stands down, potentially opening the door to one of Labour’s most high-profile mayors joining Andy Burnham’s cabinet in future.

The London mayor has long been tipped for the House of Lords, with Starmer said to have been keen to put him there immediately after the May local elections in an attempt to shore up Labour’s progressive flank.

'Not a junk rally:' How to trade the strongest small-cap stock market in three decades

The Russell 2000 small-cap stock index is up almost 20% this year, its best first half since 1991, and investing experts say the rally can keep running.

Ava DuVernay to make Netflix documentary 14th on birthright citizenship

The film-maker behind Selma and 13th will focus on the 14th amendment for a new film out later this year as Donald Trump targets those protected by it

Ava DuVernay announced on Thursday that she has made a documentary for Netflix on the 14th amendment, which gave liberty and rights to formerly enslaved people following the civil war, and has come under legal attack from Donald Trump.

Netflix said on Thursday that it will release 14th later this year. The film will mark a return to nonfiction for DuVernay, the film-maker of Selma and Origin, and a follow-up to DuVernay’s 2016 film 13th, her examination of the legacy of the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery.

Marinakis, seafood and ‘sweet honey’ of Europe led Glasner to join Nottingham Forest

• Owner ‘even more ambitious than I am’

• Club pushing to sign Lucas Bergvall from Tottenham

Oliver Glasner said he wants to bring back the “sweet honey” of European football to Nottingham Forest and suggested the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, may be one of few people more ambitious than him.

Glasner revealed talks with ­Marinakis over a seafood platter in Athens convinced him to become Forest’s fifth head coach in less than 12 months, the Austrian signing a three-year contract after a fruitful two years at Crystal Palace.