The Guardian
World Cup 2026: USA bounced out by Belgium after Balogun furore; backlash against Fifa builds – live
⚽ News and previews before the final last-16 match-ups
⚽ Player guide | Bracketology| Golden Boot | Email us
Let’s talk about everyone’s favourite subject: England!
What a game that was against Mexico, by the way. I feel asleep about 1am (BST), woke up with England winning 2-1, just before Quansah got sent off and all hell broke loose. England’s defending in the final 20 minutes or so was an absolute work of art (thank you Dan Burn), even if Mexico’s attacking play lacked a certain amount of imagination. A magnificent performance by the players, not to mention Thomas Tuchel, who I feared had gone too early with the: ‘Play a back five, and just hack the ball anywhere’ strategy.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 10:33
The Guardian
Millions of mourners highlight regime’s strong social base despite Iran’s divisions
Defiance of ‘maximum pressure’ from the US legitimises government and adds to sense of freer negotiating hand
As the multi-purpose, multinational funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei moved to the Jamkaran mosque in the holy city of Qom, and then to Najaf in Iraq, Iran’s leadership was weighing the mandate it had been given by the millions who have taken to the streets of Tehran over the past three days.
Some hailed the moment as a referendum from the streets showing support for the clerical establishment, and called for the strategy of confrontation with the west to be intensified. Others said it was more about a wider national pride that was conditional on demands for change and an end to the war being met.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 10:32
The Guardian
Nato summit begins with focus on defence spending as Zelenskyy and Trump due to meet - Europe live
Meeting of 32 member states comes at crucial time for alliance after tensions with US over Iran and Greenland
The opening speeches are now under way in Ankara, and you can watch them below.
This is the Day 1 industry event, not the leaders’ summit, mind you.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 10:31
The Guardian
Israeli officer shown throwing stun grenade into car during West Bank raid
Border police officer under investigation after CCTV footage shows him shouting at car’s occupants and throwing device
Israeli police have opened an investigation after CCTV footage showed a border police officer throwing a stun grenade into a car carrying young Palestinians during a raid on the Qalandiya refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
The footage from Sunday, released by the Israeli rights group B’Tselem, shows an officer approaching a car and shouting at its occupants.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 10:23Oil prices rise after report of Iranian attack on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
Brent and U.S. crude futures rose after a report of an Iranian attack on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
7th July 2026 10:10
The Guardian
The US supreme court’s ruling on trans people in sports is an assault on bodily autonomy | Judith Levine
Laws banning trans athletes claim to defend science, fairness, and women’s safety. They do the opposite
Last week, the US supreme court ruled that states may restrict participation in girls’ and women’s sports to “biological females” and exclude transgender athletes from competing. In the past six years, 27 states have enacted such bans; before the court were challenges to West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act and Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.
The majority opinion, penned by justice Brett Kavanaugh, upholds the laws’ legality under Title IX, the federal statute that guarantees women’s equal participation in college sports, and their constitutionality under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. It also vindicates Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports”. That directive withdraws funding from “educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy”. US policy, the order continues, will “oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth”.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 10:00
The Guardian
Why does JD Vance keep saying loony things? | Margaret Sullivan
Scratch their surface and you see exactly what he’s trying to do: stand up strong for intolerance and corruption
Given how impetuous Donald Trump is, his vice-president, JD Vance, strikes some Americans as a more stable alternative. A good bet, some of the Maga faithful believe, as the 2028 Republican nominee for president, and the eventual occupant of the Oval Office.
Every bit as rightwing as Trump but more serious and predictable – that seems to be Vance’s pitch to the public. And he clearly wants to be president; he’s as ambitious as they come.
Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 10:00
The Guardian
My handbag burst into flames – and I found a surprising bright side | Zoe Williams
It turns out my vaping habit is dangerous in more ways than one. But it could make me very popular in a survival scenario
Sitting outside a bar at the weekend, I noticed something coming out of my bag that looked and also smelled a lot like a naked flame. Ordinarily, I’d have thought it was my vape, but it couldn’t have been, since that was in my mouth. So I put it down to a mirage created by the clement weather, and thought no more of it until someone much smarter than me said: “Your bag’s on fire.”
It was my remarkable good fortune to be sitting opposite a friend who is a chemistry teacher, and explained what had happened through a laborious sequence of rhetorical questions. What is a spare vape battery made of? What are keys made of? What happens to a lithium battery when you connect something metal to each end? What is the result of closing a circuit inside a handbag? Not only had I set my bag alight; I’d melted my keyring, which for complicated reasons held a plastic portrait of both my nieces circa 2017, and it was yet more bad luck that I was also sitting opposite my sister, who, in fairness, reacted surprisingly well to the sight of her molten children.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 10:00Billionaire John Arnold commits $2.6 million to study online sports betting risk
John Arnold, who runs Arnold Ventures with his wife, Laura, is investing $2.6 million for university research into potential harms of online sports betting.
7th July 2026 10:00
The Guardian
So it’s Trump 1, Belgium 4 – and the world rejoices. Nothing like failed chicanery to bring us together, is there? | Marina Hyde
Joy is unbounded and when it dies down perhaps the guilty will be held to account for cheating and facilitation: perhaps they won’t. Still, enjoy the moment
Oh dear. Such a shame to see the US lose at football after their insanely embarrassing president cheated for them. Still, it really brought the world together. The last time this many people cheered on a Belgian resistance, it was 1914 and the Germans had just crossed the Meuse. As you’ll be aware, the USA were dumped out of their own World Cup on Monday night by a wholly superior Belgium, after Donald Trump boasted that he’d personally intervened in three phone calls with Fifa president Gianni Infantino to get the red card shown to USA striker Folarin Balogun rescinded. Yes, the US cheats at football. Pass it on.
You’ve heard a lot about shithousery during this tournament. We have even, excruciatingly, seen a few American commentators attempt to use the word in conversation. Guys, please, just – no. It’s not for you. You have ’erbs, “a couple things”, and “a ways to go”. But let’s call the events of the past few days by the name they deserve in all the languages of the world: Whitehousery.
Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:59
The Guardian
‘Serious consequences’: Farage attacks Sky News after question about George Cottrell
Reform UK leader confronts journalist after question about gifts from friend and convicted fraudster
Nigel Farage has said Sky News bosses face “serious consequences” in an outburst triggered by questions over fresh revelations about his finances.
The Reform UK leader has faced renewed scrutiny after the Sunday Times revealed he had received funding from his longtime ally, the convicted fraudster George Cottrell.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:50
The Guardian
David Squires on … England’s World Cup classic in Mexico and a Trump novelty
Our cartoonist looks at the big stories from the World Cup as England reach the last eight but the US slump out
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:50
The Guardian
Newcastle close in on signing Ajax generational talent Sean Steur for £23m
Howe rebuilding side after Tonali and Gordon exits
Widely hyped as Amsterdam club’s next De Jong
Newcastle are close to completing the signing of Sean Steur from Ajax for about £23m. The two-footed central midfielder is only 18 but has been widely hyped as the Amsterdam club’s brightest emerging midfield talent since Frenkie de Jong.
While De Jong left for Barcelona in 2019, Steur, who can operate as a No 6 or a No 8, seems almost certainly Tyneside bound. At St James’ Park he is likely to start next season competing with Lewis Miley to fill Sandro Tonali’s old central midfield role and will be given time to adjust to the Premier League’s physicality.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:46Chinese AI models are gaining ground with U.S. companies as OpenAI, Anthropic costs surge
Recent model releases from Chinese companies including DeepSeek and Z.ai are seen by many as highly competitive compared to leading U.S. frontier systems.
7th July 2026 09:30
The Guardian
‘You never truly quit’: how RuneScape survived to 25 – and beyond
The massively multiplayer online role-playing game has grown into a virtual social space and part of daily life for thousands of players
In a small stone chapel, on the edgelands of a medieval wilderness, two women are getting married. The attenders are draped in rainbow capes, glowing armour and top hats. A scantily clad, muscular man with angel wings officiates the ceremony. Over the heads of the two brides hover the words “I do” in bright yellow text. This is RuneScape, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (or MMO) set in the Tolkienesque realm of Gielinor. Turning 25 this year, it has, over its lifetime, become a crucial virtual social space and part of daily life for thousands of players.
Lancashire-born Amelia, one of the pixelated newlyweds, met her wife on a dating app but first bonded through their love of the game. “Our first and second date was pretty much exclusively talking about RuneScape,” she recalls. Four years later they were married, shortly followed by their in-game ceremony. Morgan – a 26-year-old from the Midlands – is one of Amelia’s closest friends. They met through the game and run UWU Girls together, a RuneScape clan that Morgan founded in a bid to cater to players across the gender spectrum. “We do IRL meetups, and for a lot of these women, it’s been their first meetings with strangers online – and that’s the same for me.”
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:30
The Guardian
The Breakdown | Will anyone stop the Springboks completing a Rugby World Cup three-peat?
Door is ajar for Rassie Erasmus’ side to surpass All Blacks when leading sides converge on Australia next year
The best sports teams constantly look to reinvent themselves. Their core principles remain in place but, crucially, they never, ever stand still. To do so is to risk slipping backwards relative to their competitors and arrive at the worst of all possible outcomes: a poorer, less successful version of themselves.
The ultimate example in rugby, until now, has probably been the All Blacks. For decades it was not only about winning the next game, but underlining their position, to quote one of their motivational whiteboard slogans from 2013, as “the most dominant team in the history of the world”. When you are chasing that kind of rarefied target you don’t allow the grass grow beneath your jandals.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:20
The Guardian
Houseplant hacks: can butterworts control fungus gnats?
This pretty little plant is carnivorous, so when placed next to plants affected by the insect pest it can be an effective living flypaper
The problem
The fungus gnat is the pest that just keeps coming. You dry out the soil, set up sticky traps, maybe even reach for the hydrogen peroxide, and just when you think you’ve have won, they’re back. The adults are harmless but maddening, drifting around your face and laying the next generation in any damp compost they can find. And most controls only deal with one stage of the cycle and leave the rest to carry on.
The hack
Butterworts are small carnivorous plants whose leaves are coated in a sticky mucilage that traps tiny flying insects, including fungus gnats. Keep one or two among your collection as living flypaper, catching adult gnats before they can breed.
The Guardian
Talking about death: how a father and brother found solace in the ‘living graveyard’ of an airline disaster
The film-maker Don Edkins lost his son Max in 2019, in the Ethiopian Airline crash that killed 157 people. With Max’s brother Teboho, he has made a documentary, not about the crash, but about their mourning
It was, says Teboho Edkins, “a film I didn’t want to make”. On 10 March 2019, Edkins’ brother, Max, was among the 157 people killed when Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crashed minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa airport.
For Teboho, making a documentary about the disaster seemed impossible: “It’s not a sexy subject. At first, I really didn’t want to do it at all.”
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:00
The Guardian
Stymied datacentre projects threaten global AI revolution
Large-scale datacentre projects around the world are being challenged or cancelled, as infrastructure’s energy demands ramp up
Datacentre planning proposals face all kinds of hurdles, from securing energy supply to high construction costs. But the 2,000 acre Prince William Digital Gateway site in the US state of Virginia had another problem: its proximity to a Civil War battlefield.
“If the development is allowed to proceed, the solemn nature of this historic site would become marred by sitting in the shadow of the monstrous datacentres, along with their associated electrical infrastructure,” said one legal brief against the plans.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 09:00NATO summit in Turkey begins as Trump pushes for more defense spending
Amid simmering tensions between the U.S. and some NATO allies over Iran and Greenland, President Trump will continue to press other countries to boost defense spending.
7th July 2026 09:00
NPR Topics: News
Heirs of 'odious' 167-year-old Supreme Court ruling see modern parallels
Descendants of Dred Scott and Chief Justice Roger Taney spoke about reconciliation at a church in the shadow of the Supreme Court last week as the high court wrestled with race and who can be an American.
7th July 2026 09:00
NPR Topics: News
Trump's NATO pressure campaign continues as summit begins
President Trump's arrival in Ankara kicks off another potentially tense meeting for NATO.
7th July 2026 09:00
NPR Topics: News
Explosions rock Damascus, wounding 18, as French President Macron visits Syria
The French president's office said that Macron was safe and that his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa would continue as scheduled.
7th July 2026 08:59
NPR Topics: News
Morning news brief
Graham Platner faces calls to end his Senate bid after sexual assault allegation, NATO summit begins in Turkey, U.S. men's run at the World Cup ends with loss to Belgium.
7th July 2026 08:42
The Guardian
We Are Not Machines by Sarah O’Connor review – can dignity at work survive the tech revolution?
A Financial Times journalist ponders the future of labour in world increasingly dominated by AI and automation
It’s never been easy to land and keep a decent job. But it feels like it’s getting harder. In June, the number of job vacancies in the UK fell to a five-year low; headlines warn of a looming AI-employment shock. What might the future of work look like – and who or what will shape its terms? In her new book, Sarah O’Connor goes looking for answers in the modern collision of artificial intelligence, automation, and human labour.
This clash between human and machine – and the fight to secure decent working conditions even as the pressure to maximise production mounts – is nothing new. Neither are concerns about the health risks of repetitive factory work or the loss of creative craftsmanship and independent judgment in the wake of mechanisation. O’Connor has been a reporter at the Financial Times for nearly two decades, and although We Are Not Machines looks to the future, many of the threats AI poses to workers’ dignity and safety look a lot like reconfigurations of old battles. The book takes its title from the signs striking Swedish miners carried in 1969 as they protested their employers’ new methods of monitoring their output. “Vi är ej maskiner”, their signs read: “We are not machines.”
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 08:00
The Guardian
Life Support review – quietly devastating medics’ eye view of the war in Gaza
In the absence of foreign media, doctors are valuable witnesses to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Daniele Rugo’s documentary
Dying children and grieving parents are a fact of her work says Canadian paediatric intensive care doctor Tanya Haj-Hassan. “But Gaza is that continuously,” she adds, wiping away a tear. Haj-Hassan is one of several doctors who are interviewed in Daniele Rugo’s documentary about their medical missions to Gaza since October 2023. Doctors tend to be careful with their words and don’t instinctively reach for overstatement or exaggeration. But their measured accounts of hell on earth, along with clips from their video diaries, make this quietly devastating film almost unbearable to watch.
Israel does not allow foreign reporters into Gaza unless under military escort, so medics are valuable independent witnesses. Nick Maynard is a gastrointestinal surgeon who has been visiting since 2010. He has always seen destruction in Gaza, he says, but after October 2023, it was on different scale. On his first night, ER doctor James Smith tried to count the number of explosions; he lost track after several hundred. Reconstructive surgeon Victoria Rose arrived with 23 suitcases after putting a call to UK plastic surgeons for supplies. On a later visit she was permitted to cross the border with just one.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 08:00
The Guardian
Madonna was always anti-nostalgia. But looking back on Confessions II has revitalised her music
The veteran pop diva has pressed rewind to move forward on her new record – and beneath the bangers fizz a host of emotionally charged memories
• Confessions II review – nostalgic dancefloor trip sparks her most vital album in two decades
“Madonna never reflects, she’s always moving forward,” Warner PR Liz Rosenberg told me in 2005, when after a frustrating few months laid up after a riding accident, Madonna re-emerged “like a bullet from a gun” with the glorious disco-driven Confessions on a Dance Floor, produced largely alongside Stuart Price. Madonna has always been militantly anti-nostalgia: continual reinvention is crucial to her artistic identity.
But arguably, Confessions was – until last week – her last great record. Constantly trying to push forward has not always worked for Madonna, with the multiple producers and genres of her 2010s output often proving inconsistent and confusing: the muscular funk of 2008’s Hard Candy, the busy powerpop of 2015’s Rebel Heart, 2019’s globe-straddling Madame X. Leaving Warner Records in 2007 started the decline: Madonna had struck hugely lucrative deals with Live Nation and Interscope, but pressure to recoup that investment meant an element of compromise in her practice and adapting to another contemporary pop innovation: songwriting camps and production by committee. In 2015, Madonna complained to Rolling Stone about “working with people who can’t get off their phone, can’t stop tweeting, can’t focus and finish a song”.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 07:34Trump heads to Turkey as NATO is strained by Russian attacks, U.S. impatience
Trump frequently vented about NATO members' refusal to heed U.S. calls for help clearing the Strait of Hormuz during its campaign against Iran.
7th July 2026 07:18
The Guardian
Best fans at the World Cup? How Colombia’s support powered the team to success
Néstor Lorenzo’s side face Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday and will be hoping for the same backing that has shocked opponents so far
Mexico City, Guadalajara, Miami, Kansas City – Colombia’s World Cup journey has gradually been heading north for three weeks. Thousands of their supporters now descend on Vancouver looking to see Néstor Lorenzo’s side try to reach their first quarter-final in 12 years when they face Switzerland on Tuesday. After Mexico and the United States, “yellow fever” is about to hit Canada.
This sort of fan migration, which has filled host cities with vibrant colour and joy, has not been seen since that last quarter-final in 2014, when Colombia supporters travelled in massive numbers to Brazil, not only owing to its proximity but also to the fact that the selección had not qualified for a World Cup for almost a generation before. James Rodríguez, the breakout star of that tournament, addressed the fans before travelling to North America as captain this year as there had been trouble when Colombia were in the US for the 2024 Copa América.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 07:00
The Guardian
Wildfires in southern Europe wreak havoc – in pictures
Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 07:00
The Guardian
Severe storms in China bring tornadoes and landslides that have killed 15 people
Chinese leader Xi Jinping calls for ‘all out’ rescue effort as death toll rises and 16 people remain buried after a landslide in the country’s west
The death toll from devastating storms in parts of China rose to 15 on Tuesday, with hundreds more injured and tens of thousands evacuated, state media reported, as the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, urged “all out” efforts to rescue people affected by the weather.
Thunderstorms and gale-force winds killed at least 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei, where “severe convective weather” hit cities, while tornadoes were reported elsewhere late Monday, state news agency Xinhua said.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 06:51
The Guardian
Pam the Bird: arrest ends hours-long standoff after graffiti painted on Melbourne’s 120m Bolte Bridge tower
Jack Gibson-Burrell, 22, was taken into custody for questioning after allegedly climbing and painting a giant cartoon bird on the bridge
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The man accused of painting the notorious Pam the Bird graffiti has been arrested after he allegedly climbed and vandalised a major bridge, sparking an hours-long police standoff and traffic chaos.
Nearly nine hours after causing a major police operation from the top of Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge, on which he allegedly painted a giant cartoon bird, Jack Gibson-Burrell peacefully surrendered just before midday on Tuesday.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 06:33
The Guardian
Five charged in Liberia after more than 200kg of cocaine seized in drug bust
Shipment discovered at airport in Monrovia and valued at £14.2m had been falsely declared as seasoning cubes
Authorities in Liberia have charged five suspects over one of the largest drug seizures in the country’s history, after police found more than 200kg of cocaine falsely declared as Maggi seasoning cubes.
The shipment, with an estimated value of $19m (£14.2m), was discovered at the international airport in Monrovia on 8 June, but the suspects were not named until a press briefing at the weekend.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 06:30Why oil investors fear the next toll fight could be the Strait of Malacca
The prospect of fees to transit the Strait of Hormuz has sparked alarm, not least by investors who fear it could be replicated in other maritime corridors.
7th July 2026 06:16
The Guardian
Country People by Daniel Mason review – a joyful follow-up to North Woods
This fantastical journey through family, folktales and a world beneath our feet is witty, uplifting and gorgeously written
Daniel Mason’s latest novel sees him return to the verdant New England landscape that so captivated readers of 2023’s acclaimed North Woods. This time, though, he hops the border from Massachusetts into Vermont – and effects a deeper shift in the process. Where North Woods was a foray into history, telling the tale of a house and its inhabitants over three centuries, in Country People Mason turns his attention to literature and mines the rich seams of text, from myths to Milton to Shakespeare to Tolstoy and all points in between, that make up his novel’s foundations. This is, at its core, a story about stories; a tale about the tales we tell each other, and our children, and ourselves.
It’s also a far simpler thing: the linear account of a year in the life of a contemporary family. On the surface, this might look like a step back from the scope and ambition of North Woods, which spooled out over hundreds of years in a polyphony of forms and voices. But if Country People teaches us anything, it’s that surfaces are only ever a fraction of what we’re dealing with – or, to borrow from one of its three, gloriously baroque epigraphs: “for every terrestrial stream, there run a thousand below the earth. For each pond, a hundred inner seas.” The book’s action is driven, in fact, by its characters’ compulsive need to dig deeper: to burrow into their physical and metaphorical landscapes for meaning, for inspiration, and on occasion just for the hell of it. Sometimes the digging in Country People is literal; often it’s metaphorical. And occasionally – well, occasionally, it turns out, the boundary between the two isn’t as solid as it might first appear.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 06:00
The Guardian
Fuel on the fire: why oil companies are profiting as the world gets dangerously hot
The scientific consensus is that burning fossil fuels drives the climate crisis, yet the world’s biggest oil companies are planning to increase production
As the world swelters in ever more dangerous heat, why are oil companies being allowed to turn up the gas instead of paying for the consequences of their greed?
That ought to be the question on everyone’s minds amid baking heat domes over much of the northern hemisphere, temperature records being smashed day after day, children dying in locked cars, hospitals filling with heatstroke victims and emergency services tackling wildfires.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 06:00
NPR Topics: News
China test-launches a ballistic missile in the South Pacific and raises regional concerns
The launch, using a dummy warhead, took place the same day Australia and Fiji signed a mutual defense treaty meant to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.
7th July 2026 05:29
NPR Topics: News
Tanker set ablaze after being struck by projectile in the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state television said the tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault.
7th July 2026 05:28
The Guardian
US airman accused of exposing himself to 16-year-old girl avoided British trial
Hannes Marschalek, who allegedly exposed his penis to four other women in Cambridgeshire, tried via US court martial
A US airman who allegedly exposed himself to a 16-year-old girl and four young women in England was able to avoid the British justice system after the US military was permitted to take control of the case, the Guardian can reveal.
Cambridgeshire police received complaints that the airman, Hannes Marschalek, had indecently exposed himself to the women as they walked past his home in Littleport, a small town in Cambridgeshire, in 2022.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 05:00
The Guardian
June heatwave in UK led to ‘mass sleep deprivation’, poll suggests
Exclusive: Record temperatures fuelled by climate crisis left 86% of homes ‘too hot’ and many people feeling unwell
With parts of England once again in the grip of a heatwave, an opinion poll shows the one at the end of June led to “mass sleep deprivation”, with two in three people struggling to sleep during the sweltering nights.
Almost half of people said they had lost at least three hours of sleep each night. The results are consistent with scientific research showing that global heating is damaging sleep across the world.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 05:00FIFA criticized for lifting U.S. star's red card suspension after Trump phone call
Europe's soccer governing body and prominent commentators have criticized the decision, which allows Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium.
7th July 2026 04:43
The Guardian
Australian PM says Chinese missile test could have caused ‘considerable damage’ if weaponised
Solomon Islands prime minister says he doesn’t want to see more countries testing ICBMs in Pacific, adding ‘be our friend but don’t threaten us’
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said China’s weapons test in the Pacific risks fuelling dangerous nuclear proliferation, with the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fired on Monday capable of causing “considerable damage” if weaponised.
International condemnation has grown overnight after China’s state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday that a “strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead” had been launched from a “strategic nuclear submarine of the navy”.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 04:28
The Guardian
Rapid endometriosis tests to be made available on NHS in England and Wales
Saliva and gut sensor-based tests hailed as ‘gamechanger’ for millions of women who can wait years for diagnosis
Two tests that can dramatically speed up diagnosis of endometriosis are to be made available on the NHS in England and Wales, in a move hailed as a “gamechanger” for millions of women.
One in 10 women of reproductive age are affected by the condition, where tissue similar to that found in the womb lining grows elsewhere, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Symptoms include painful periods, painful bowel movements, pain when urinating and pain during or after sex.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 04:01
The Guardian
Together in prosaic dreams: anthology reveals Europeans’ anticlimactic subconscious
Collector of dream stories from across continent finds ‘surprising consistency’ in the way they are structured
A young woman discovers in a dream that she is responsible for the Holocaust and tries to come up with schemes to make amends – and then gets distracted by a business meeting. Another woman dreams she is being chased by murderers – and ends up chilling in front of the TV with them. A man gets to advise Emmanuel Macron on social policy – and talks to him about haircuts and dog training instead.
Dreams can turn our innermost fears and darkest fantasies into miniature dramas. But an anthology of recollected dreams harvested from online forums across Europe shows how the story arc of the subconscious often bends towards anticlimaxes.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 04:00
The Guardian
Europe faces up to prospect US may be unable to arm Nato allies
Wars in Iran and Ukraine have expended stockpiles of sought-after missiles, leaving gap in military resources
There are growing concerns in Europe that the US defence industrial base is no longer providing the weapons pledged to Nato allies with US stockpiles depleted owing to the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, leaving allies to consider new avenues to arm and defend themselves.
As Nato leaders including the US president, Donald Trump, convene in Ankara, Turkey, the US plans to address European defence spending and concerns over the Trump administration’s future commitment to the military alliance.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 04:00
The Guardian
Dowry murders in India no longer spark public anger or debate, study finds
Thousands of women are killed in dowry disputes each year, despite the practice being banned in 1961
Dowry deaths in India no longer provoke the public anger they once did, despite thousands of women’s lives still being lost every year, according to new research.
The killings – women who are murdered or driven to suicide following dowry disputes between families – have also faded from political debate, despite an increase in cases.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 04:00
The Guardian
Russian cities feel the pinch amid worsening fuel shortages
Ukraine’s drone and missile campaign on oil infrastructure has brought impact of war to citizens of Moscow and elsewhere
Five hours into the queue, tempers were already fraying at the gas station. Then a black Audi Q7 swept past dozens of waiting cars and pulled straight up to the pumps. Within minutes, motorists were shouting, mobile phones were recording and a police officer had drawn his pistol to calm the crowds.
The confrontation, filmed on Saturday night at a petrol station in the Siberian town of Ust-Ordynsky, captured the growing frustration over Russia’s worsening fuel shortages, which have spread across a country that remains one of the world’s largest oil producers.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 04:00
The Guardian
‘Bored? You’re never good enough to get bored!’ Oscar-winner Helen Hunt on great roles, unruly audiences and her RSC debut
The formidable actor talks about the challenge of finding meaty characters, tough times in the US – and co-starring with her dad’s hero Kenneth Branagh in The Cherry Orchard
It’s lunchtime in Stratford-upon-Avon and Helen Hunt has 30 minutes to spare. She’s preparing for her Royal Shakespeare Company debut and is taking time out to speak to me via Zoom, just her head and shoulders, with what looks like a sleek-surfaced kitchen in the backdrop. Hunt is all sleek surfaces herself: polite smiles, even tones and an inscrutability so strained it makes me wonder what might be bubbling underneath.
Hunt is starring alongside Kenneth Branagh and Bill Pullman in a new version of The Cherry Orchard. She plays Madame Ranevskaya, the Russian aristocrat and matriarch who returns home to find her family estate in jeopardy. The play, like so many of Chekhov’s, is about the apathy of the elite class in the dying days of the Russian empire. So why this play, for her, and why now?
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 04:00
The Guardian
Indecent proposal: why social media’s rebrand of surveillance tech normalises harassment and non-consensual filming | Maggie Zhou
By selling AI glasses as aspirational, cool and fashion-forward, tech elites are trying to pacify their entry into the mainstream world
We have a habit of dismissing social media trends as inane and vapid while ignoring the disturbing undercurrent. A few weeks ago I was reminded of that when I saw an Instagram carousel by British fashion personality Alexa Chung. Shared with her 6 million followers, she showed different outfits through screenshots of herself entering and leaving her home on her security camera. Rita Ora commented, “Good angle keep this series going”. Security system company Ring commented, “Fit checks on Ring cam? Next level.”
The post caught my eye among the feed of curated noise, a counterculture take on the traditional iPhone outfit photo. Its presumed effortlessness felt intimate and off the cuff. Social media loves that sort of thing.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 03:55Belgium knocks out U.S. men 4-1, ending the Americans' World Cup run in Seattle
Belgium defeated the U.S. Men's National Team 4-1 on Monday night in the World Cup round of 16 knockout match in Seattle, ending the Americans' hopes of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in 24 years.
7th July 2026 03:50U.S. loses to Belgium 4-1; Balogun plays after Trump calls FIFA
FIFA reversed Folarin Balogun’s suspension after Trump sought a review, letting the U.S. striker play Belgium over objections.
7th July 2026 02:18See the full U.S. men's soccer schedule for the 2026 World Cup
The U.S. men's national soccer team kicked off its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on Friday.
7th July 2026 02:13
NPR Topics: News
What a divorce coach wishes couples knew before ending a marriage
Divorce is a tool, not a weapon, says Karen McNenny, author of a new book on the subject. She explains how to end a marriage while protecting your family and your mental health.
7th July 2026 02:06The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and how to watch
With 104 World Cup games being played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, it's like "a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks," U.S. team captain Tim Ream told CBS News.
7th July 2026 02:04
The Guardian
Ragged USA crash out of World Cup with last-16 defeat to Belgium
The United States’ quest to get Folarin Balogun’s red card overturned may have opened a Pandora’s box – one specifically designed to contain the national team’s worst nightmares.
With a country on the verge of falling in love with this team, and tens of millions eager for a reason to embrace the glory and pride this sport can provide, there were instead questions of fairness and propriety. A star striker, who made an honest, unintentional mistake – and said and did all the right things – became a talking point. And a day later, on an otherwise beautiful Monday evening in the Pacific north-west, the United States’ World Cup dream ended with a thud.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 01:59
NPR Topics: News
The U.S. men's run at the World Cup ends with a 4-1 Round of 16 loss to Belgium
The team was in the eye of a storm over a controversial phone call from President Trump to FIFA's head about a red card on a U.S. striker. But even with the U.S. at full strength, Belgium easily won.
7th July 2026 01:58Dayslong preliminary hearing for Charlie Kirk's alleged killer is underway
Prosecutors will present their case this week against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
7th July 2026 00:37
The Guardian
Sri Lanka prison riot kills 26, with more than 100 others wounded
Victims with cuts and gunshot injuries rushed to hospital after fighting between prisoners from two drug gangs
Clashes at a Sri Lankan jail have killed 26 people, including seven guards, and wounded more than 100 in the country’s deadliest prison riot in years, officials said.
Victims with cuts and gunshot injuries were rushed to Negombo hospital, north of the capital Colombo after overnight fighting between prisoners from two drug gangs, police said on Monday.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 00:35Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing appears in court
Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was in court Monday for a critical hearing. Carter Evans reports.
7th July 2026 00:25Chris Richards on red card controversy, U.S.-Belgium match: "Business as usual"
U.S. Men's National Team defender Chris Richards spoke with "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil in an interview ahead of the knockout match against Belgium.
7th July 2026 00:20USMNT defender Chris Richards reacts to Folarin Balogun's red card suspension being lifted
USMNT defender Chris Richards speaks with Tony Dokoupil about the controversial decision to lift the suspension against Folarin Balogun and his team's ongoing run through the World Cup.
7th July 2026 00:172 National Guard members on patrol in Memphis fatally shoot man, police say
Two Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot a man in Memphis who turned toward them with a gun during a downtown pursuit, authorities said.
7th July 2026 00:16
The Guardian
Calls grow for Graham Platner to drop out after sexual assault allegation
Several top Democratic figures call on beleaguered Maine Senate candidate, who denies accusation, to step down
Calls for Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, to withdraw his candidacy intensified Monday after a woman accused him of sexual assault in an exclusive report by Politico.
While Platner denied the claims, many top Democratic figures quickly called on the beleaguered nominee to step down.
Continue reading... 7th July 2026 00:12Woman who dated Graham Platner claims he sexually assaulted her, Politico reports
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is postponing campaign events after a woman he dated told Politico that Platner forced her to have sex against her will. Nikole Killion reports.
7th July 2026 00:06Passenger recounts seaplane's hard landing in New York City's East River
A seaplane was forced to make a hard landing Sunday in New York City's East River. Kris Van Cleave spoke with one of the passengers.
6th July 2026 23:56New Jersey hit with powerful back-to-back thunderstorms after enduring extreme heat
Parts of New Jersey are cleaning up after a wave of powerful thunderstorms brought flooding and ripped the roof off a BJ's Wholesale Club. Lana Zak reports on that and some of the other severe weather across the U.S., while Lonnie Quinn has a look at the forecast.
6th July 2026 23:47
The Guardian
‘I go with a clear conscience’: Cristiano Ronaldo confirms he has played his last World Cup game
Portugal lose last-16 game 1-0 against Spain
Martínez: ‘When you need a goal, you cannot take him off’
Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he has played his last World Cup game, but said that even at 41 he has not yet made a decision about his future.
Twenty-three years after making his debut, the Portugal captain’s 233rd game for his national team ended in a late 1-0 defeat against Spain that led to elimination in Dallas. He departs as the only man to have scored at six World Cups and he said he does so at peace, claiming that Portugal’s European Championship win in 2016 was as big as a world title and noting that his era has been the most successful in the country’s history.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 23:33
NPR Topics: News
Extreme heat on Independence Day will be America's new normal, experts say
In cities across the U.S., parades were canceled and events were delayed because of the heat. Meanwhile, emergency rooms saw a high number of people with heat-related illnesses.
6th July 2026 23:24
The Guardian
Air pollution linked to DNA changes in sperm, research shows
Study of more than 2,000 men identifies epigenetic changes linked to exposure to common outdoor pollutants
Air pollution appears to alter how sperm genes function, one of the largest fertility studies of its kind has found.
Men exposed to common air pollutants while sperm were developing showed subtle DNA changes that affected whether genes were switched on or off, raising fresh concerns air pollution may harm male fertility.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 23:01Balogun's red card suspension lifted after Trump called FIFA chief
Balogun's reinstatement came after President Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week and asked for a review of the red card suspension.
6th July 2026 22:41Trump says he saw play that led to red card and asked FIFA president for review
President Trump said he spoke to FIFA President Gianni Infantino after seeing the play and asked for a review.
6th July 2026 22:397/6: CBS Evening News
New Jersey hit with powerful storms after heat wave; passenger recounts seaplane's hard landing in New York City's East River.
6th July 2026 22:30Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs, as Xbox unit downsizes and plans to spin off four gaming studios
Microsoft is cutting jobs in its commercial business and its Xbox gaming group, where revenue has been shrinking.
6th July 2026 21:37
The Guardian
Captains fantastic and Irish joy: Women’s T20 World Cup highlights
Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Molineux led their teams expertly and Australia v India at Lord’s felt like a final
It’s easy to understand why Beth Mooney was chosen as player of the tournament after her magnificent innings in the final. Also in the running mustbe Danni Wyatt-Hodge, whose hundred on the opening night at Edgbaston set the tone for a confident campaign by England (at least until they ran into the Australia juggernaut in the final).
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 21:24
The Guardian
Ann Blyth obituary
Oscar-nominated Hollywood actress who starred alongside Joan Crawford in the 1945 noir melodrama Mildred Pierce
Joan Crawford was never likely to be voted mother of the year once her daughter Christina wrote Mommie Dearest, a memoir alleging physical and psychological abuse. Among the friends and former colleagues who sprang to her defence after the book’s publication in 1978 was Ann Blyth, who at the age of 17 played Crawford’s headstrong and resentful screen daughter Veda in the noir melodrama Mildred Pierce (1945).
The film, adapted from the novel by James M Cain, was nominated for six Oscars, including one for Blyth as best supporting actress. She called her veteran co-star “the kindest, most helpful human being I’ve ever worked with”. That kindness began during the audition process. “[She] did the test with me, and it made a world of difference,” she said in 2013. “People just didn’t do that. Not of her stature.”
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 21:00Judge says alleged D.C. pipe bomber isn't covered by Trump's Jan. 6 pardons
A judge ruled that that President Trump's pardons of the rioters were "expressly limited" to those who were convicted of their actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and did not apply to Brian Cole Jr.
6th July 2026 21:007/6: The Takeout with Major Garrett
Democrats withdrawing Platner endorsements after sexual assault allegation; Russian attack on Kyiv looms over upcoming NATO summit.
6th July 2026 21:00
The Guardian
Arthur Fery whips up Centre Court crowd by never knowing when he is beaten | Andy Bull
British wildcard has no quit in him and fought back to deny Grigor Dimitrov and reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals
Who the hell taught Arthur Fery when to know when he’s beaten? It’s easier to kick nicotine than it is to make this kid quit. He made it through to the fourth round by twice fighting his way back after trailing by a set and a break to defeat Zizou Bergs in a fifth‑set tie‑break, and now he’s gone on to the quarter‑finals by doing it all over again after being a set and a break down against Grigor Dimitrov.
There are brick walls with more ive in them. Against Dimitrov the 23‑year‑old Fery, who has never made it past the second round of a grand slam tournament, almost lost, almost lost, and almost lost again. And then in the end, he won.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 20:57Extended interview: USMNT player Chris Richards on Balogun red card, World Cup popularity, more
USMNT player Chris Richards speaks with Tony Dokoupil about how the team reacted when they found out Folarin Balogun could play against Belgium, what he thinks of the World Cup's popularity in the U.S. and more.
6th July 2026 20:57
The Guardian
‘A despicable woman’: Kylian Mbappé hits out at Paraguayan senator over racist attack
Celeste Amarilla called striker a ‘colonised Cameroonian’
French Football Federation to file criminal charges
France’s Kylian Mbappé has hit back at a Paraguayan senator, describing her as a “despicable woman” after she launched a racist attack on him. Mbappé’s penalty proved the difference in an ill-tempered match as France beat Paraguay 1-0 in Philadelphia on Saturday to advance to the quarter-finals.
Celeste Amarilla wrote a long tirade on X, describing Mbappé as a “colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French” and as a “brute who had not learned to write”. Paraguay’s players should have slapped him after the match, she added.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 20:51Toyota to invest $3.6 billion to move Tacoma pickup truck production from Mexico to Texas
Toyota said it is investing $3.6 billion to move production of the Tacoma midsize pickup truck from Mexico to its San Antonio manufacturing campus in Texas.
6th July 2026 20:30Children who died on Wisconsin's Geneva Lake found in sunken boat, police say
Three children who died when a boat capsized on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin amid a sudden storm last week were found inside the sunken vessel, police said.
6th July 2026 20:13
The Guardian
‘Living like this is agony’: Cuba suffers third nationwide blackout in six months
Impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US imposed a blockade in January
Cuba on Monday suffered its third nationwide power outage since the start of the year, the state electricity company said.
The impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US president, Donald Trump, imposed an oil blockade in January, which has depleted the already dwindling supply of fuel for Cuba’s power plants.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 19:30
The Guardian
Lauren Bennett, singer on LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem, dies aged 37
British-born vocalist competed on The X-Factor before joining the girl groups Paradiso Girls and G.R.L.
Lauren Bennett, member of the girl group G.R.L. and featured artist on LMFAO’s global smash hit Party Rock Anthem, has died at the age of 37.
“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren,” the group wrote on their Instagram page. “Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us.” A cause of death was not specified.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 19:27
The Guardian
Rising star Alexandra Eala wins hearts and minds but falls to Jasmine Paolini
Eala loses her first grand slam last-16 match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Paolini inspired by seeing Federer in Royal Box
Alexandra Eala left Centre Court with her hands shaped into a heart and a simple mantra for her millions of followers. “Never say die and play every point like your life depends on it,” she said.
The 21-year-old certainly lived up to those words before her dream here ended in the last 16 with a painful defeat to Jasmine Paolini, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 19:08
The Guardian
Do bees have inner lives? Slow-motion video reveals bumblebee behaviour similar to ‘liking’ or ‘disliking’
Bees respond to tasty treats or plain water based on context, a study that may provide support for establishing insect sentience shows
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When bumblebees taste something good, they reach out their glossa – or insect tongue – for a while afterwards, almost as if they are licking their lips. And when they don’t like something, the insects will shake their heads and wipe their mouths.
Scientists who captured the miniature facial expressions on slow-motion video say the behaviour is consistent with “liking” and “disliking” responses observed in mammals. Their results have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 19:00AI actor Tilly Norwood set to star in first feature film
AI-generated actor Tilly Norwood is set to star in her first feature film, with her creator saying that "art will be imitating life."
6th July 2026 18:47
The Guardian
Typhoon Maysak kills two and forces thousands to evacuate in China
Tropical storm causes extreme flooding in south of the country with heavy rainfall expected in coming days
A tropical storm has killed two people, caused dam breaches and forced tens of thousands to evacuate in southern China.
Typhoon Maysak killed two people in Nanning, in China’s southern Guangxi province. Maysak, which lashed Vietnam and China’s southern island province of Hainan over the weekend, will dump the water it sucked up on its way across the South China Sea as it weakens and heads inland, meteorologists say.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 17:50
The Guardian
Hamas offers to hand over authority in Gaza to US-backed administration
Militant group’s statement makes no promise to disarm unilaterally as Israel and the US have demanded
Hamas has announced its intention to hand over governing authority in Gaza after two decades in power, and has invited a US-backed interim administration to take over the running of the Palestinian territory.
It was not immediately clear how far Monday’s announcement would go towards strengthening an only partially observed ceasefire in Gaza or improving conditions in the besieged coastal strip which is still in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 17:47
The Guardian
The Guardian view on atrocities in Sudan: when ‘never again’ becomes again, and again | Editorial
The city of El Obeid faces catastrophe. Governments are shirking their duty to challenge all those sustaining this war
“This is not a drill. It is a red alert,” said the UN rights chief, Volker Türk, on Friday. He was warning that catastrophe was unfolding in the strategically important Sudanese city of El Obeid in north Kordofan. Near-siege conditions are tightening, relentless drone attacks continue and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allies are massing around it.
Two decades ago, after the genocide in Darfur, the world said “never again”. But it is happening again, and few are even paying attention. The alarm was raised repeatedly last year as the starvation siege of El Fasher in north Darfur deepened. Tens of thousands of people were killed in the subsequent massacre, with one witness describing “a scene out of a horror movie”. UN investigators reported “the hallmarks of genocide”, including explicit calls to eliminate non-Arab communities. Civilians who fled were raped and murdered; so were those who stayed. Before El Fasher came a killing spree in Geneina by RSF-allied forces.
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Continue reading... 6th July 2026 17:40Here's who won — and lost — under Trump's "big, beautiful bill"
A year after President Trump signed the sweeping tax and spending package, its effects on households, businesses and federal programs are increasingly evident.
6th July 2026 17:35
The Guardian
Pogacar rises above wildfire restrictions to take yellow jersey in deserted Les Angles
Fans were banned from stage three finish amid fire risk
Tour organisers insist stage four goes ahead in 40C heat
Tour de France organisers have insisted that the fourth stage on Tuesday, from Carcassonne to Foix, will go ahead, despite furnace conditions in southern France and predicted temperatures of more than 40C (104F).
The 182km stage, scheduled to run through the heat of the afternoon, comes after the Tour’s third stage to Les Angles was held without the usual publicity caravan and only small numbers of fans, to avoid increasing the risks posed by wildfires raging in the eastern Pyrenees.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 17:34Trump plugs Dell at first-ever White House opening bell, sending shares soaring
Trump rang the bell in the Oval Office to open Monday's trading as he launched investment accounts for babies born from 2025 through 2028.
6th July 2026 16:51Trump defends call urging Balogun red card review: 'It wasn't a foul'
"I didn't know what the hell a red card was," said Trump, who called FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the suspension of Folarin Balogun.
6th July 2026 16:36Microsoft to cut more than 3,000 jobs from ailing Xbox unit
Microsoft moves to slash costs as the video game industry faces what the tech giant calls the "most severe hardware crisis in its history."
6th July 2026 16:27
The Guardian
Jonathan Anderson delivers high-concept Dior collection that celebrates the sculptural
Hot on heels of creating Taylor Swift’s wedding dress, designer brings his re-energising razzmatazz to Paris catwalk
The one person in the fashion industry who doesn’t want to talk about Taylor Swift’s as-yet-unrevealed wedding dress is the man who actually knows what it looks like. “It was a big honour,” was all that Dior’s Jonathan Anderson would say about dressing America’s de facto royal wedding. “But no, I can’t tell you anything about it. It will all come out in due course. It was a joy to work with her and we became very good friends. It is an emotional thing, doing someone’s wedding.”
Instead, Anderson wanted to talk about a very different American artist, sculptor Lynda Benglis, whose sensual slumped hunks of smelted metal inspired his haute couture collection. A wooden pavilion built for the show in the gardens of the Rodin Museum was soundtracked with the flutter of paper fans along the front row, and the haughty silhouettes of couture seemed liquefied in the city heat. A skirt of silver-foiled petals lapped and shimmered like molten lava. A tailored Bar jacket trailed threads of chiffon at the hem like drips of ice-cream down a cone.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 16:25
The Guardian
How to start volunteering: ‘There are roles to fit all interests and skill sets’
Common misconceptions are that you don’t have the right skills, or you need to make a huge time commitment
Many people want to do good in the world. They want to connect and give back to their communities. But volunteering, much like Sunday meal prep or morning meditations, often ends up at the bottom of the to-do list – a nice idea we’ll get to when we have more time.
“For many people, volunteering is something they feel positively about, but don’t always prioritize or think they have time for,” says Matt Bertram, vice-president of volunteer services for the American Red Cross.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 16:00
The Guardian
Wildfires rage across southern Europe, forcing thousands to flee homes
Tour de France spectator ban as country along with Spain, Portugal and Greece faces ‘powder keg’ after heatwave
Wildfires raging across southern Europe have forced thousands to flee their homes and prompted officials to ban spectators from a stage of the Tour de France, amid warnings of “powder keg” conditions after a record-breaking early summer heatwave.
Hundreds of firefighters are tackling blazes that have burned through almost 20,000 hectares (49,500 acres) in Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. Strong winds are forecast to fan the flames and temperatures are expected to rise again this week.
Continue reading... 6th July 2026 15:32
The Guardian
A job that changed me: I was a music festival artist liaison. At 22 with a walkie-talkie in hand, I’ve never felt more powerful
Our job was to prepare dressing rooms with the bands’ alcohol. The musicians tended to be gentle and kooky but their managers were pushy
My friend Hannah and I scored a job working in the “artist liaison” team at a music festival in 2004. We were both Australians, living in a share house in London, and our role was to manage backstage dressing rooms and keep the artists both happy and under control.
I was 22, with a walkie-talkie in one hand and the keys to a sea container full of alcohol in the other, and I’ve never felt more powerful.
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Continue reading... 6th July 2026 15:00