World Cup sparks boom in U.S. youth soccer

The World Cup begins next week, but ahead of the competition, "CBS Saturday Morning" visits Chicago, where kids from various backgrounds are exposed to soccer through USA Soccer's "Soccer Forward" program.

England v New Zealand: first men’s cricket Test, day three abandoned after rain – live

• Play abandoned after sustained rain at Lord’s

• Sooryavanshi to face England | Email Daniel

Hmmm, it is bright sunshine at Lord’s now, the stumps are in position and the crease lines are being given a fresh lick. However, it’s just been announced that the players are taking an early lunch and IF no further rain we will have play at 1pm. Why couldn’t they delay lunch and get out there right now whilst there is a sunny gap in the weather I hear you ask. It is a good question.

“I expect this was known to everyone apart from me until today, but here goes: I was today years old when I found out Russell Crowe is a cousin of Martin and Jeff. What a family!” writes Suhmit Rahman

This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 7)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.

World Cup 2026 news as England, Scotland and USA gear up for friendlies – matchday live

• World Cup friendly football news from 8am UK time

• Your essential guide to every player at the World Cup

• You can email us here | Sign up for Football Daily

As always, feel free to message in today with any thoughts, feelings and observations. You can also leave a comment below the line.

Today’s question is: Who will win the World Cup?

‘People are still isolated and obsessive’: De Niro, Scorsese, Foster and Schrader reunite for Taxi Driver at 50

The director, screenwriter and stars of the 1976 classic film spoke about its making and parallels to the internet age at New York’s Tribeca film festival

It’s a half-century-old film so darkly prophetic and viscerally relevant that even its makers are still unpacking it.

“It’s a sense of being isolated, it’s about being lonely and not being able to communicate or connect,” said Taxi Driver’s director, Martin Scorsese, last night. “For me, that’s universal. It’s always going to speak to young people.”

Ministers may try to curb spread of misinformation during social unrest

Technology secretary Liz Kendall says she is ‘very concerned’ about role of social media but will not be ‘bullied off’ X

The government is considering fresh action to halt the spread of misinformation during public crises, Liz Kendall has said, insisting she will not be “bullied off” Elon Musk’s X.

The technology secretary was speaking after rioting broke out in Southampton over the police response to the fatal stabbing of Henry Nowak, a case about which Musk has repeatedly posted.

Pope Leo calls for leaders to reject polarisation as he begins Spanish tour

Pontiff to make marginalised a focus of first papal visit since 2011 including meeting with migrants in the Canaries

Pope Leo has urged political leaders to seek unity, rather than divide their populations for political gain, and said they must fight for peace, in the opening speech of his tour in Spain.

The pope has made the marginalised a focus of his visit – his first tour of an EU country, apart from Italy – including meeting homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands. The pope, who has clashed with the US president, Donald Trump, over his immigration policies and war with Iran, said his visit was aimed at setting an example of respecting “every human being”.

Antonelli edges out Verstappen to snatch pole at Monaco Grand Prix

• Mercedes driver goes 0.043 quicker than Red Bull rival

• Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton third, George Russell sixth

The margins were as tiny as ever beneath the looming walls of Monte Carlo but, with the verve and fearlessness of youth, Kimi Antonelli had the edge to claim pole for the Monaco Grand Prix. That in so doing the 19-year-old saw off concerted efforts by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, with 11 titles between them, on the toughest single-lap challenge of the year only served to emphasise the striking talent of the tousled-haired teen.

In a gripping qualifying session, Antonelli had to be flawless to edge out the Red Bull of Verstappen into second and Hamilton’s Ferrari into third. With overtaking as ever all but impossible on the streets of the principality, Saturday is the key part of the weekend in Monaco and qualifying was pleasingly dramatic and intense.

‘I messed up’: Wembanyama rues late mistakes after heartbreaking Spurs loss

• Knicks edge Spurs 105-104 to take 2-0 NBA finals lead

• Wembanyama made costly turnover in final seconds

• No team has won finals after losing first two at home

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama could barely remember the details of the late-game miscues that cost the Spurs in their agonizing 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the NBA finals on Friday.

The Spurs used a 14-0 scoring run to erase a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and briefly took a one-point lead before it all fell apart.

Andreeva comes of age with French Open triumph over qualifier Chwalinska

• Russian, 19, beats world No 114 6-3, 6-2 for first slam title

• Maja Chwalinska fails to emulate Emma Raducanu’s feats

Twenty minutes into the first grand slam final of her young career, it looked like Mirra Andreeva’s head was already in danger of exiting Court Philippe-Chatrier. Between the weight of the occasion, the windy conditions and a resourceful opponent seemingly built to cause her maximum anguish, Andreeva looked crippled by tension.

Her reaction to the pressure underlined the work Andreeva has put into addressing her emotional vulnerabilities. She maintained her composure, coolly problem-solving and then flourishing after a tense start as she ended the qualifier Maja Chwalinska’s historic run with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

France World Cup 2026 team guide

Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise have the attacking power to shred opponents but will Didier Deschamps let them off the leash?

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.

David Sullivan: how did the pornographer rise so high in modern football?

Sullivan hoped football would legitimise him but claims about historical conduct have led to his resignation from West Ham

• Sullivan steps down at West Ham to fight claims about private life

When David Sullivan was growing up in a council house in Cardiff, he dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. Short and squat, he would never be a player, but later in life the fortune he built through the pornography industry and the property world gave him a route into the sport. The only problem, Sullivan discovered, was finding a club willing to roll out the welcome carpet for him and his business partners, David and Ralph Gold.

They were fans of West Ham United and bought a stake in the east London club in 1991, only to find entry to the boardroom closed. “We had no contact with the board,” the late David Gold wrote in his autobiography. “They simply did not want David Sullivan and the Golds at their football club.”

Mexico steps up security at World Cup 2026 fan zone amid growing unrest

• Co-host’s government adamant Zócalo event will go ahead

• 100,000 expected at official fan festival for kick-off

Mexico is planning to increase the police and security presence around Zócalo plaza in Mexico City to ensure the World Cup fan festival can go ahead amid growing social unrest and public protests.

Much of the city’s historic centre, including the Catedral Metropolitana and the Aztec ruin Templo Mayor, is locked down, but the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum is adamant Zócalo will remain open throughout the tournament.

How social media exploits girlhood anxieties

Freya India joins "CBS Saturday Morning" to discuss her book "GIRLS®: Generation Z and the Commodification of Everything." India is a contributing writer to The Free Press. Paramount Skydance owns The Free Press and CBS News.

Mom of American missing in Japan says they argued over ChatGPT

James "Weston" Higginbotham went missing one week ago while on a family vacation in Japan.

How Gen Z unplugs from the digital world

Gen Z are the first to live their entire lives with the internet easily available. "CBS Saturday Morning" visits an event aimed at helping teens unplug.

Parents of missing American in Japan launch their own search

The parents of a missing 20-year-old Auburn University student have launched their own search, after their son, James "Weston" Higginbotham, went off on his own during a family trip in Japan.

Pass the chakalaka! The best World Cup drinks and snacks – inspired by all 48 teams

From spicy South African relish to Scottish tattie scones, food is an integral part of watching the beautiful game. Here’s how fans around the world fuel match day

• International recipes inspired by the World Cup

The biggest World Cup ever is surely going to mean the most ever watching parties around the world. With 48 countries competing, why not take inspiration from global cuisine to serve your friends and family something more adventurous than crisps and lager this summer?

Football, after all, is a sport of rituals – from fans wearing the same “lucky pants” to watch every game, to placing the name of an opposing team in the freezer – and that extends to eating and drinking, too. This doesn’t just mean booze; in nations where alcohol is prohibited, for example, tea and traditional sweets provide the social lubrication. South American fixtures are fiestas of churrasco (barbecues), chimichurri and a lot of cheering, while in regions where cafe culture thrives, baked goods and strong espresso are more commonly enjoyed during matches than half a cider and some pork scratchings – even at 3am.

The Uplift: Ellie the elephant

Meet Big Ellie, the elephant mascot of the WNBA's New York Liberty. Plus more heartwarming news.

Shattered dreams: best XI from countries not at the World Cup

From Donnarumma to Kvaratskhelia, this all-star team, with a maximum of two players per country, all have the summer off

The 27-year-old Italy captain is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. After moving to Manchester City, he has quickly adapted to the Premier League demands for ball-playing, a skill he honed at Paris Saint-Germain. Despite his Euro 2020 penalty-saving heroics, Donnarumma failed to stop a single one against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Azzurri’s crunch World Cup playoff.

Flavio Cobolli hopes to jump queue in French Open showdown with Zverev

Italian will start his first grand slam final as the underdog but has shown he knows how to beat No 2 seed on clay

At almost the exact time Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi had been scheduled to take to Court Philippe-Chatrier on Friday and contest the match of their lives, they could instead be located in the bowels of the stadium, their faces a picture of misery inside the interview room at Roland Garros.

If not for the seriousness of the situation, with Arnaldi forced to withdraw from his first grand slam semi-final due to a virus, it would have been a comical sight. Somebody behind the scenes was not exactly of sound mind when they decided it was a good idea for Cobolli to sit next to an individual with a viral illness two days before his first grand slam final.

Meet the Belmont Stakes horses running in the 2026 race

The Belmont Stakes will host a New York rematch of the top two finishing horses from the Kentucky Derby today​ to wrap up horse racing's Triple Crown for 2026.

Prediction markets have become a draw for young men. Here's why

Prediction markets have become a draw for young men in search of quick cash and thrills, experts say. "I had almost $4,600 at one point but squandered that," one man said.

More Republicans are breaking with Trump. Is it conscience or politics?

Congressional Democrats say GOP majority is unraveling, but moves may in fact be aimed at retaining power

The wrath of Donald Trump has kept congressional Republicans in line for much of his second term thus far. But as the November midterm elections draw closer, the president’s allies in the Senate and House of Representatives appear increasingly willing to defy a president who appears to have asked lawmakers for too much in some areas and too little in others, all while the public sours on his administration.

In both chambers, small groups of Republicans have in recent weeks joined with Democrats to advance resolutions requiring that Trump receive Congress’s permission before continuing hostilities against Iran. Republican dissidents in the House helped pass another round of aid for Ukraine, as well as an effort to protect Haitians from deportation. In the Senate, a critical mass of Republican senators has given Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, a cold reception.

UK’s fragile heirloom: ceramics sector calls for more help to save ‘vital industry’

Brands such as Portmeirion in Stoke welcome £120m package but seek further support to avert fresh closures

On the floor of Portmeirion’s factory in Staffordshire, staff are hard at work as clays are moulded, glazed and fired – an intricate process requiring precision and specialist skills honed over years of practice – to manufacture the company’s array of tableware.

Portmeirion, a homeware brand founded in 1960 that employs 433 people, is based in Stoke-on-Trent, at the heart of British ceramics. The centuries-old craft is so integral to the area’s identity that the six federated towns that make up the Staffordshire city are known as the Potteries.

SpaceX IPO: how can I buy shares, and what are the risks?

Elon Musk firm plans the biggest stock market launch in history – but experts have flagged potential downsides

It’s being billed as the biggest stock market launch in history. Shares in Elon Musk’s SpaceX are poised to be released on 12 June with a valuation of $135 (£100.84). The company plans to sell 555.6m of them, which means it will raise $75bn from the sale.

On Friday, it was reported that up to a quarter of the shares could be reserved for individual investors, rather than funds and banks. This is a bigger share than is typically the case in a large initial public offering (IPO).

Colombian far-right candidate is latest Trumpian figure in Latin America to ride anti-incumbent wave

Abelardo de la Espriella, promising an iron-fist approach to crime, leads polls in Colombia’s presidential runoff election

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Abelardo de la Espriella, the far-right lawyer who is leading the polls ahead of Colombia’s presidential runoff election, has marketed his rum, wine and menswear brands – as well as his novels and albums on which he croons popular classics – under the label “De la Espriella Style”.

His shift from business suits to T-shirts, baseball caps and a meticulously trimmed beard suggest the influence of El Salvador’s populist autocrat Nayib Bukele.

Grave in Norfolk of 119 sailors may be exhumed due to coastal erosion threat

Bodies were buried in Happisburgh after HMS Invincible sank in 1801 on way to join Nelson at Battle of Copenhagen

A mass grave for 119 sailors who drowned more than 200 years ago could be exhumed to avoid their remains being exposed by coastal erosion.

HMS Invincible sank off the Norfolk coast in 1801 on its way to join Horatio Nelson’s fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen. The recovered bodies of those who drowned were buried at St Mary’s church in Happisburgh, the nearest village to the shipwreck.

Jill Biden’s book is the last thing we need right now

CNN anchor Jake Tapper joined a chorus of voices accusing the former first lady of rewriting history and dodging accountability for the 2024 loss

Forget the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight being held on the White House lawn, if you want to tune in to a far more amusing brawl, may I suggest Hunter Biden v Jake Tapper? The CNN anchor is categorically unimpressed with Jill Biden’s new memoir, View from the East Wing, and has joined a chorus of voices accusing the former first lady of rewriting history and dodging accountability for the 2024 loss. In response, Hunter has accused Tapper of having the wrong priorities.

“So let me get this straight,” Hunter wrote on Twitter/X on Wednesday. “Jake Tapper is focused on attacking my Mom. Jared and Ivanka are building a private island paradise on Albanian protected land. Don Jr married the daughter of Epstein’s banker, and a startup his fund backs just got a record $620M Pentagon loan. Eric is taking an Israeli drone company public for $1.5B in the middle of a war with Iran that nobody wanted. And I know: ‘But what about your paintings, Hunter?’ Please.”

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

New study casts doubt on reliability of mental health diagnosis interviews

Diagnostic interviews seen as ‘gold standard’ vary in reliability from condition to condition, study says

Diagnostic interviews – the most common way to diagnose substance use and mental disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar and personality disorders – vary in reliability from condition to condition, according to a new study in Jama Network Open.

Laura Duncan, a psychiatry professor at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and one of the study’s authors, said diagnostic interviews are “often treated as a ‘gold standard’ for assessing mental disorders in both clinical settings and research”, but pointed out that these interviews fall short of providing a “definitive benchmark that demonstrates excellent validity and reliability”.

Inside the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from

The U.S. and Iran have yet to reach a peace deal or address Iran's nuclear ambitions, despite signals from Trump that talks are progressing.

Despite a competitive market, finding a summer job is highly beneficial for teens

Teenagers looking for summer jobs face a tough labor market. But the personal benefits are huge.

As American elections become more tense, officials are turning to local police

Since the 2020 election, local law enforcement has increasingly been playing a bigger role in helping local officials secure elections.

Palestinian baby shot dead by Israeli troops in occupied West Bank

The seven-month-old, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was in his mother’s arms when soldiers fired on family in Hebron

Israeli troops killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby in the occupied West Bank and injured one of the child’s parents after opening fire on the family’s car, despite it having complied with an order to stop.

Soldiers opened fire on Friday on a car carrying the infant and his parents in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron. The seven-month-old, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was critically injured, evacuated in critical condition to a hospital, where he later died. His parents were also injured.

Jürgen Klopp’s agent shoots down ‘annoying’ talk of Real Madrid move

• Presidential candidate Riquelme wants German as coach

• Former Liverpool manager now works for Red Bull

Jürgen Klopp’s agent has dismissed talk of the former Liverpool manager filling the vacant post at Real Madrid should Enrique Riquelme become the club’s next president.

Marc Kosicke rejected Riquelme’s statement that the German, who left Anfield for a job as Red Bull’s head of global football, would become head coach after releasing a statement confirming him as first choice if elected on Sunday.

Zohran Mamdani plays the Guardian's Bracketology to predict World Cup winner – video

The New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, briefly stepped away from City Hall to tackle the ultimate soccer challenge: predicting the entire World Cup bracket In the Guardian's exclusive interactive game. From shocking early exits to his definitive pick for the final, see how Mamdani maps out the world’s biggest tournament

• Bracketology: predict a path to World Cup victory

A park famed for rare gorillas gears up to fight Ebola and protect its primates

In Virunga National Park, rangers are on the front lines — playing a critical role to contain the surging virus while coping with an upsurge in conflict-related violence.

The Africa exception: the slavery reparations debate was once ‘unthinkable’. Now it is unavoidable

The architect of the African Union’s reparations framework for the historic UN resolution explains why demands for historical justice are inseparable from the struggle for Black sovereignty

Last month, at commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of France’s Taubira law recognising the trafficking of enslaved Africans as a crime against humanity, Emmanuel Macron did the unthinkable: he became the first French president to publicly utter the word “reparations”.

Since 1825, when France punished Haiti for daring to declare itself the western world’s first Black sovereign republic by extorting 150m francs in compensation for the loss of what it regarded as enslaved “property”, reparations to Black peoples and nations have been politically “unthinkable”.

The World Cup is being played in my hometown. Can’t say I’m excited | Dave Schilling

I love soccer. But absurd ticket prices and odious politics are keeping me away from the stadiums

Forgive me if I’m not excited for the World Cup. After a heartbreaking loss for my beloved Arsenal in the Champions League Final, I’d love a break from soccer. A respite from the drama and misery of the beautiful game would do a lot of good for my soul right now. But Fifa, the sport’s sprawling governing body, doesn’t have time for me to lick my wounds. They demand my wallet.

With the World Cup coming to North America, I have no chance of escaping the monstrous hype, even if I can’t even imagine affording the exorbitant ticket prices. Thousands of seats remain available for the US’s opening group stage match against Paraguay in Los Angeles, which was an unthinkable result when the competition was awarded to the US, Mexico and Canada.

Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist

This article was corrected on 6 June 2026 to reflect the fact that Bukayo Saka, unlike Marc Guéhi, is not an immigrant

Oi! You in the stalls! Put that phone away and surrender to the art | Nadia Khomami

As Rosamund Pike found out recently on stage, many people now experience the arts simply as content to be documented for likes and shares

Have we lost the ability to surrender to a story? Surely, if there’s any narrative that deserves our undivided attention, it’s that of a crown court judge fighting the legal system’s approach to sexual violence against women, when she discovers her own son has been accused of rape. But as Rosamund Pike discovered last weekend, even such a visceral and emotionally demanding drama wasn’t enough to keep everyone in the room absorbed.

Pike made headlines when she walked back on stage at London’s Wyndham’s theatre after the curtain call for Inter Alia – not for a solo bow, but to remonstrate with an audience member for texting during the climax of her performance. “Maybe it was very important, and maybe you’re a doctor, and you’re saving someone’s life, and I hope you are,” she said. “But we do see these, we do feel them. I feel like I’ve got to hold you all, so when I feel that and see it, it’s hard.”

Nadia Khomami is arts and culture correspondent at the Guardian

Israeli airstrikes kill 9 including Lebanese army officers after ceasefire deal

The Israeli military confirmed hitting a vehicle and said the incident is being reviewed. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun called the strike "a flagrant violation to Lebanese sovereignty and international law."

MoD reports ‘minor technical issue’ with aircraft carrier docked in Norway

HMS Prince of Wales expected to set sail in the coming days, Ministry of Defence says

A technical issue has been detected on a UK navy flagship while docked in Norway after working with Nato and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), the government has said.

Earlier this month, HMS Prince of Wales – one of Britain’s two flagship aircraft carriers built for £6.4bn – set sail for Nordic waters from Loch Long, in Argyll and Bute, to provide security in the Atlantic and High North regions.

Deported Filipino sailors say they were falsely linked to child sexual abuse material

NPR has tracked deported Filipino sailors who say they were accused without evidence of possessing child sexual exploitation material. Almost none have been charged or prosecuted.

‘A soccer ball can bring great joy to two little kids’: Kuanglong Zhang’s best phone picture

The carefree scene in the ancient Chinese city of Kashgar prompted the photographer to reflect of his own sources of happiness

Kuanglong Zhang lives in Shenzhen, in the south of China, and was visiting the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar when he took this photo. Close to the borders of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, it is ancient and landlocked; distinctly different from the modern port city he calls home. Zhang remembers being captivated by the unfamiliar streets and alleys. As he explored, he came across two brothers playing football after school.

“I used the telephoto lens on my phone to make the contrast between the children and the painted yellow buildings stronger, and the composition cleaner,” says Zhang, who is the 2025 Mobile Photography awards’ photographer of the year. “I set up the shot so they’d be on the left and right side of the frame to create a sense of visual balance, and, as both of them are facing left, it gave more space on that side so the image doesn’t feel cramped.”

Vaughan Tomlinson on tried-and-tested problem-solving techniques – cartoon

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UK urged not to further weaken EV rules as CO2 impact revealed

British vehicles will emit extra 17m tonnes of CO2 by 2030 due to loophole allowing sale of more PHEVs, data suggests

Campaigners have urged the government to resist calls to further water down electric car sale rules, as an analysis reveals that vehicles on UK roads will emit an extra 17m tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030 mostly because of changes last year.

Parts of the car industry have urged ministers to review for a second time the rules that force manufacturers to sell increasing numbers of electric cars each year.

Peru is set to elect its 10th president in a decade

Peruvians will elect their new president Sunday with polls suggesting a polarized but tight race between hard-right candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sánchez.

Women accusing Andrew Tate criticise UK extradition delay as influencer appears in Russia

Lawyer for British women attacks ‘extraordinary spectacle’ of Tate’s arrival in Moscow

British women who have accused Andrew Tate of rape, assault and coercive control have questioned why the self-professed misogynistic influencer has appeared in Russia as UK authorities continue to hold off on seeking his extradition.

Tate admires Vladimir Putin and amplifies Kremlin propaganda online. He arrived in the same week that Russian authorities welcomed US rightwing figures at an annual conference described as Russia’s answer to Davos.

Actor Philippa Dunne: ‘Someone once saw me in a play and said that I was disgusting’

The Amandaland actor on her statue phobia, what she’d like to say to her mum, and lusting after Keanu Reeves

Born in Dublin, Philippa Dunne, 44, trained at the Gaiety School of Acting and co-founded a comedy group called Diet of Worms. Her TV work includes Derry Girls and This Is Going to Hurt. Since 2016, she has played Anne Flynn in the BBC sitcom Motherland and its spin-off, Amandaland, now in its second series; her performance won her a Bafta nomination this year. She is married with a daughter and lives in London.

When were you happiest?
Any time I’m in rehearsals.

In Ohio, the Sikh community passes traditions to the next generation

Photographer Akash Pamarthy has documented the Sikh religious community in Ohio over several years. His photos tell a story.

The Forest Service wants to close research hubs to save money. That could be costly

The Forest Service is trying to shut down research hubs because it says it needs to live within its means. But the agency plans to close facilities that cost less than $1 to rent while keeping open one that costs $1 million.

Fifa backtracks on plastic water bottles ban at World Cup after fury from fans

• Fans will now be allowed one sealed bottle at matches

• Keir Starmer among critics of previous U-turn on policy

Fifa has again amended its water bottle policy for the World Cup in North America, allowing fans to bring in one sealed, disposable 20-ounce (590ml) bottle into stadiums.

Ticket holders had previously been permitted an empty, transparent and reusable bottle up to one litre but an update earlier this week confirmed reusable bottles were no longer permitted.

Top 100 reader novels

After critics and authors picked their top 100 novels we asked for your favourites. From Uruguay to the Isle of Skye, more than 3,000 readers cast their votes. Here’s your list – topped by a new number 1

• Read about your choices here

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100

‘Mogging’ is suddenly everywhere. Is that a problem?

This word for outdoing or outshining others originated in the manosphere, but is now thoroughly mainstream. Why is it so popular – and should we be worried about slang that arises from toxic subcultures?

Until recently, if someone had said “mog” to me, I probably would have assumed they were talking about the children’s book cat created by the late great Judith Kerr. If asked about “mogging” or being “mogged,” I would have been completely baffled. But for many members of gen Z and gen Alpha (or anyone who is just a bit too online), the slang term, which means to outdo or outshine others, is everywhere.

Mogging’s origins are in the manosphere, where it began as a verb derived from the acronym “Amog” (alpha male of the group). In misogynistic forums in the 2010s, to “mog” came to mean to outdo someone in terms of sexual desirability. Mogging has been adopted by “looksmaxxing” influencers such as Braden Peters, known online as Clavicular, who encourage men to try to alter their looks – sometimes in extreme ways – to increase their “sexual market value”. Such an influencer might talk of “frame mogging” another person in a photo or video – a variation on mogging that specifically refers to being more muscular.

Blackouts, hyperinflation, dissent: Iran considers perilous prospect of peace

Conditions that led to bloody prewar protests have been made worse, commentators say

Iran is already preparing for the perilous transition from wartime unity to a fractious peace marked by hyperinflation, a 10% contraction in the economy, power cuts and calls for a triumphalist government to end its unprecedented hunting down of dissent.

With peace not yet secured, the debates within the regime about Iran’s future are only just starting to emerge but its rulers are clearly thinking about how after surviving the war, they can survive the peace.

Man dies after shark attack off Western Australia coast near Albany

Government department says man was in the water around Michaelmas Island, near Albany, when he was bitten by a suspected 4.5-metre shark

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A male diver aged in his 30s has died after being bitten by a shark in Western Australia.

The state’s police force confirmed on Saturday afternoon that the 35-year-old man had died, after being treated by paramedics at the scene for more than two hours.

When I claim my black Britishness in this age of intolerance, here is the music that goes with it | Hugh Muir

A wonderful thing happened on a visit to the new V&A East: a very public, taxpayer-funded soundtrack of my life

This is surreal. I’m standing in the new home of one of Britain’s most historically august cultural institutions, and it looks and feels for all the world like a silent disco.

There is a middle-aged white woman to my right, staring intently ahead, swaying gently and bobbing her head as rhythmically as the giant headphones covering her ears will allow. Behind me there is a young black woman, her hair pulled back to give the headset and whatever she is listening to untrammelled passage. She is swaying, rising a bit, then falling: in the room but in a world of her own. Behind me, I see a muscular guy of mixed heritage; his ripped torso is still, his head of braided hair is not, and his face gently creases as he smiles about what he is hearing. My feet are planted, but I’m aware that I’m giddy, as if slightly drunk. There we are, imbibing different musical clips of different things in different bits of semi-darkened galleries, and yet it is a shared endeavour.

How the ‘Picasso of ponds’ went from shaping golf courses to making freshwater homes for wildlife

Shaun Hancox has created scores of ponds for rewilding projects across Britain – and he says there’s a lot more to it than digging a hole

He is known as “the Picasso of ponds” but the tableaux being created by Shaun Hancox in a boggy field in Somerset currently looks more like a building site. An orange and black excavator is rhythmically removing lumpy clay soil and sculpting it into brown banks.

The result looks like a scar of bare earth on what was once green pasture – but the magic happens as soon as rain fills the newly created depressions. Plants seed swiftly, invertebrates and amphibians rapidly find the water, and life explodes.

Romário: ‘I consider myself one of the greatest players ever. An 11 out of 10’

Brazil’s 1994 World Cup winner on being good without training, his political legacy and why he loves social media

Few people’s interview list over the past year features Neymar, Robert Lewandowski, Xavi Hernández and Iker Casillas. But then not many interviewers have the pulling power of Romário. Thirty-two years after the former Brazil striker was crowned world champion and best player at the 1994 World Cup, he is travelling far and wide to speak with football greats for his YouTube channel.

Romário began his “face to face with the man” project a year ago. “This whole Romário TV thing is a brand-new situation in my life,” he says. “I’m really happy, enjoying it. It’s so cool.

A family holiday on the hoof: donkey trekking in the Spanish Pyrenees

A week-long mountain trek with two young children felt like an ambitious undertaking – but they loved every minute

It’s said the 19th-century Parisian flâneur, intent on not rushing past the beauties of the street, would take a tortoise on a lead to set the pace. I thought about this as my donkey bent his head to another thistle and I turned my attention to the view, waiting for him to finish. Every way I looked, layers of mountains receded in deepening shades of eggshell blue. There were no sounds but the wind, the squeals of marmots and the giggles of my two young kids. I was extremely, uncomplicatedly happy.

Our donkeys were on loan from Burrotrek, a small outfit run by Swiss-born Denise Wirth. Twenty years ago, Denise spent four and a half months walking the Camino from Switzerland to Santiago de Compostela with two donkeys. She liked Spain, and she loved donkeys, so she settled on the idea of offering donkey treks in the Pyrenees. She has not looked back. For much of the year she is based where she settled, near Cadaqués, and offers a variety of self-guided itineraries through the vineyards in the foothills and along the Mediterranean coast, with trips lasting between a day and a week. But for the summer months, when temperatures soar, she relocates with her donkeys to Cal Jan de la Llosa in the province of Girona, a gorgeous ruin of a farm several miles up an unpaved track. From here, she lends her animals to people who, for whatever reason, have a romantic notion of what it might be like to take a donkey up a mountain.

What links champagne, Mozart and veal pie? The Saturday quiz

From the ‘Intransigents’ to Simple Comforts and Cookery Bible, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz

1 What began to tilt in 1178?
2 Which deep-sea fish attracts prey with a glowing lure called an esca?
3 Habitat 67 is a Brutalist housing development in which North American city?
4 Which founder member of the Football League no longer exists?
5 What was Barbara Castle’s 1969 plan to improve industrial relations?
6 Vasco Núñez de Balboa was the first European to see what?
7 Which artistic group were originally called the “Intransigents”?
8 Which 1963 fantasy film did Tom Hanks declare the “greatest movie ever made”?
What links:
9 Simple Comforts; Cookery Bible; How to Be a Domestic Goddess?
10 I’m a Believer; I Wanna Be Yours; Feel Good Inc?
11 Champagne (Chekhov); Mozart (Mahler); veal pie (Pitt the Younger); whisky (Dylan Thomas)?
12 Altes; Bode; Neues; Pergamon?
13 Estonian; Finnish; Hungarian; Sámi?
14 Dupplin Moor; Halidon Hill; Culblean; Neville’s Cross?
15 Aird; Dickinson & Sawyer; Edgar; Hunt; Mundson; Poulain?

It’s no surprise that an AI-faked presidential speech condemning foreign exploitation went viral – the world is suffering from a leadership vacuum

Attributed to the president of Namibia, the speech is still being shared as citizens across Africa and the Caribbean cry out for moral leaders willing to speak uncomfortable truths

For a moment, the speech attributed to Namibia’s president travelled across the world like a gust of hope. It was fierce. Defiant. Unapologetically sovereign. The speaker denounced corruption, condemned foreign exploitation and declared that Africa’s resources belonged not to politicians or multinational corporations but to its people. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah spoke of leaders who signed away national wealth behind closed doors and warned that those who betrayed the public trust would face accountability. It sounded like the language of decolonisation reborn.

Across social media, many listened with admiration. Finally, here was a leader speaking with moral clarity. Here was the rhetoric that generations of postcolonial citizens had been waiting to hear. But there was one problem. It was fake. Nandi-Ndaitwah rejected it as an AI-generated fabrication.

The Alien Autopsy Scandal: this fascinating tale of a bizarre DIY hoax hits Spinal Tap levels of hilarity

A fake alien made by a Doctor Who sculptor, animal organs sourced from a butcher, an actual magician behind the camera … this outrageous story makes for a great watch

If you had to be interviewed on film, how would you hope to come across? Attractive, honest, a good egg? Or pathologically shifty, to the point that audiences want to throw their shoes at the screen? I found myself unlacing my Doc Martens this week, watching a documentary about the biggest hoax of the last century.

In 1995, a grainy film was released that purported to be of an autopsy conducted on a creature recovered from a crash site on military land in Roswell, New Mexico. The incident had long been hallowed in ufology, but no moving footage had ever been uncovered. You’ve seen it. Hazmat figures loom over a bulbous-headed humanoid, spreadeagled on the table. Its dead, oval eyes are black, mouth agape, belly distended. I saw the shocking footage again last night, or thought I did. It was actually my laptop screen going dark, after I fell asleep in front of Netflix.

Knicks beat Spurs by one point for 2-0 lead in NBA Finals

The red-hot Knicks are going home, two wins away from an NBA championship that the capital of the world has been waiting to see for generations.

Blind date: ‘It felt like taking part in Blind Date was a lifelong thing she wanted to do’

Laurine, who works in forensics, meets Theo, a financial adviser. They are both 27

What were you hoping for?
Love! Or someone new, great conversation, a free dinner and feature in my favourite Guardian column.

My mother was forced to give me up for adoption. But when we finally met decades later, it was far from a fairytale ending

Thirty years after my parents were pressured into placing me with an adoption agency, I finally reconnected with them. But it was nothing like the neat stories you see on TV

One morning in late September 2023, I discovered by chance that my birth mother had been killed almost a year earlier. The revelation came while I was searching my work email for a stray message. In the bin folder, amid a slurry of irrelevant press releases, lay an unopened email, ­flagging a long-forgotten Google alert I had set up for her name, Susan Barras. We had been estranged for almost 15 years, so this in itself provoked trepidation. I had cut contact with her when our relationship had finally become too fraught and emotionally ­exhausting for me to continue. Opening the email, I realised with shock that the alert had been triggered by a probate notice about her estate.

Susan was only 69 when she died, and my first thought was that the breast cancer she was being treated for when we were in touch had returned. My second was the realisation that both my birth parents were now dead – my birth father had died of liver failure in late 2018, aged 70. But then the unfamiliar name listed on the probate notice, Suzann Doyle, captured my attention. Underneath this was confirmation that my birth mother had changed her name. Her address at the time of her death posed further questions. It was not that of the large detached house in Guildford I had visited just once, a few months after we were reunited, where she had lived with her husband. This address was for a tiny one-bed retirement flat overlooking Guildford train station.

Predator or prey? The confounding case of the missing sea eagle

The UK’s biggest bird of prey has been compared to a flying barn door. So how can one fitted with a satellite tracker disappear in prime grouse-shooting country?

The six police officers arrived at the Snilesworth estate in two pickup trucks last week, according to one account. They asked to go up on the moors, a source said, and “so off they went”.

A vast expanse of spectacularly undulating lands on the western edge of the North York Moors, Snilesworth is globally renowned for its grouse, partridge and pheasant shooting. It is known locally for attracting “rich people from London in helicopters and blacked-out SUVs”.

Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for freekeh salad with fennel, apple, tofu and dill | The new vegan

This endlessly adaptable salad is the perfect addition to your summer picnic basket

When I was growing up, picnicking was a favourite Sodha family pastime, but we did it in a very Indian way. The focus was never on the place: we never had to eat in a bucolic location to have a good time. Our understanding was that homemade food was the best and therefore should be eaten always and anywhere. The food came first; a view was a bonus. As such, even now, decades after leaving the family home, I am always thinking of a good meal for us to eat outdoors. This nutty, chewy freekeh with fennel, dill and tofu has shot up to the top of my favourites: robust, easy to assemble and, above all, delicious whether you eat it on the bank of a lake or in a service station car park.

A wedding invitation makes me feel like a deer in the headlights: the Becky Barnicoat cartoon

Ebola spread in central Africa could match 2014 record outbreak, US health officials say

Modelling from US CDC shows Ebola spread could be on ‘dangerous trajectory’, but experts warn outbreaks can be very hard to predict

Central Africa’s Ebola outbreak could spread to be similar in scale to the worst outbreak in history, west Africa’s 2014-2016 outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people, according to a new analysis by US health officials.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday published a range of scenarios generated by computer models, from 10,000 cases to more than 20,000. In the west Africa outbreak, more than 28,000 cases were reported.

U.S. military says it shot down Iranian drones launched toward Gulf allies

The exchange of strikes comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran to make a deal to end the conflict.

US threatens to reconsider role in Bosnia and Herzegovina amid rift with Europe

US embassy in Sarajevo made threat after European states refused to back its preferred High Representative candidate

A deepening US-European rift over the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina has broken open with a dispute over a top administrative post, leading to a US threat to “reconsider” its role in international peacekeeping.

The American embassy in Sarajevo issued the threat after European states refused to back the US preferred candidate to become the new High Representative for the international community. At a meeting this week in Sarajevo of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) – a multinational group tasked with overseeing the implementation of the 1995 Dayton peace agreement – Washington supported an Italian diplomat, Antonio Zanardi Landi, while the UK, France, Germany and most European states backed France’s envoy to the Western Balkans, René Troccaz.

Graham Platner faces another controversy days ahead of Maine Senate primary

This week, the New York Times reported allegations of Platner's "unsettling" behavior toward women he dated, including one claim that he was physically abusive, which Platner denies.

Los Angeles police chase ends in fatal shooting of suspect on 405 Freeway

The freeways of Los Angeles saw two big police pursuits on Friday. The first chase ended when authorities reported that a robbery suspect was shot and killed on the busy 405 Freeway during morning rush hour. In the second incident, an alleged carjacker was taken down by a police K-9 following a meandering three-hour chase. Carter Evans has more.

Why a 55-mile trek is a mandatory rite of passage for freshmen at one high school

The five-day, 55-mile Appalachian Trail hike is a 53-year tradition for freshmen at St. Benedict's Preparatory School.

Space station crew briefly moves to "safe haven" amid concerns over leaks

Out of an abundance of caution, NASA briefly directed five of the seven crew members aboard the International Space Station to wait inside the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon "Freedom" spacecraft.

How a Starbucks marketing stunt spiralled into mass boycotts in South Korea

A botched tumbler promotion on the anniversary of a pro-democracy massacre unleashed a boycott, police investigation and political firestorm

It was a PR nightmare: customers smashing Starbucks branded tumblers and mugs as fans deleted loyalty apps and cashed out prepaid balances. Amid the uproar, government ministries cut ties with the coffee chain and apology notices were pasted on Starbucks stores across South Korea.

The initial shock may have passed, but the anger remains.

New Jersey school requires freshmen to go on 55-mile hike

For more than five decades, St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, has required its freshmen to go on a mandatory five-day, 55-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. Steve Hartman explains why in "On the Road."

Employers added 172,000 jobs in May, surging past expectations

The labor market continues to show strength despite rising inflation and concerns about slowing economic growth.

Marine veteran held at gunpoint fights off his attackers

A Marine veteran was working on his truck in front of his home in Oxon Hill, Maryland, this week, when four teens tried to rob him at gunpoint. That is when his military training kicked in. Tom Hanson reports.

Despite positive jobs report, rising costs leave many U.S. farmers struggling

U.S. employers added 172,000 jobs in May, according to the Labor Department, a better-than-expected jobs report. But in the heart of Wisconsin's farm country, many farmers are facing a different reality as they struggle with tariffs and rising fuel and fertilizer costs amid the Iran war. Nikole Killion has more.

Controversy swirls around Graham Platner ahead of Maine Senate primary

Just days to go before the Senate primary in Maine, Democratic candidate Graham Platner insists he won't drop out of the race despite a new report from The New York Times in which three women who dated Platner detailed behavior they found "unsettling." It's the latest issue facing the fledgling political hopeful. Caitlin Huey-Burns reports.

Amazon unveils latest warehouse robot as tech giants continue AI layoffs

"Our experience of robots is that it's actually driven up employment rather than the reverse," Amazon executive John Boumphrey told CNBC.

Park ranger dies after falling into crevasse on America's tallest peak

The National Park Service said a ranger in Alaska fell into a crevasse and died on North America's tallest mountain.

6/5: CBS Evening News

New allegations raised against Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner; CBS News hears from Wisconsin voters on the economy.

Wiegman pays price for lack of defensive pragmatism as Spain expose technical gap | Tom Garry

England were outclassed in Mallorca and would have been better served by trying to contain the world champions

As the game ticked into second-half stoppage time, Spain were almost showboating, Aitana Bonmatí flicking the ball around the pitch with grace, style and a swagger that sent out an emphatic message: Spain are significantly better than England.

On a balmy evening in Palma, the world champions taught the European champions a painful lesson. The scoreline was one thing but, more alarmingly, the undeniable gulf in technical ability between the teams gave the Lionesses a brutal reality check, a year out from the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The job market is much stronger than economists expected. Why?

Americans say it's tough to find a job, but employers just added a surprisingly strong 172,000 new hires in May.

FBI fires analysts who worked on memo about Catholic extremist ideology

The five fired FBI analysits were involved in the creation of a withdrawn internal 2023 intelligence memo on "Radical Traditionalist Catholic" ideology, sources said.

Marvell Technology and Flex to join S&P 500 index, replacing Pool and Campbell's

The move highlights the growing importance of the technology sector to the stock market.

After deadly bus crash, investigators probe company's links to other carriers

The company that operated a bus involved in a deadly crash in Virginia last week has ties to a broader network of travel firms, including one shut down by regulators a decade ago, a CBS News investigation has found.

Trump wants Bill Pulte to fire big chunk of national intelligence office staff: WSJ

President Trump's comments are sure to roil members of Congress who criticized the appointment of Bill Pulte as acting national intelligence director.

First officer told captain of United Airlines flight that hit light pole he was "slow and a little low," NTSB says

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on a United Airlines plane that struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike in May.

Google to pay SpaceX $920 million a month for compute capacity at xAI data centers

Ahead of a planned IPO, SpaceX inked a deal to rent compute capacity to Google for $920 million per month for 32 months.

6/5: The Takeout with Major Garrett

The U.S. added 172,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.3%; Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner has mounting controversies.

Meta's stock sinks on report company could raise tens of billions of dollars to fund AI push

Meta shares dropped after the Financial Times reported the company could potentially raise tens of billions of dollars in a stock offering to help its AI push.

Ned Jarrett, NASCAR Hall of Famer and CBS announcer, dies at 93

Ned Jarrett was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011 after 50 career wins on the sport's top circuit.

Starmer suggests US ‘trying to interfere in our democracy’ over Nowak claims

Prime minister’s office responds after JD Vance blames British teenager’s death on mass migration

• How Britain was rocked by Henry Nowak’s murder – and why the US intervened

​Keir Starmer has suggested the US is trying to interfere in British democracy after JD Vance, the US vice-president, blamed the murder of the British teenager Henry Nowak on mass migration.

The prime minister’s office responded after the senior Republican politician claimed in a post on X that Nowak would be alive “if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it”.

Anthony Head brought gravitas to Buffy and everything else he touched | Jesse Hassenger

The late actor was a charming and funny father figure, and sometime singer, in the cult TV show, one of his many roles that showed just how much he could do

• Anthony Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso actor, dies aged 72

For years, fans eagerly anticipated the oft-floated idea of a spinoff from the cultishly beloved 1997-2003 TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As described by creator Joss Whedon, this miniseries would not follow beloved supporting characters like nerdy witch Willow, sardonic vampire Spike or laconic were-teen Oz. It would be called Ripper, and it would focus on the younger days of Rupert Giles, the school librarian and “watcher” character played by Anthony Head. Giles served as the tweedy mentor and father figure to Buffy, the woman chosen to keep vampires at bay, throughout the show’s seven seasons.

Sadly, the show never came to pass – and now, with Head’s death at the age of 72, it probably never will, at least not with its signature star. (And probably not its creator, who has since faced multiple accusations of on-set misconduct.) But both creative and fan interest was consistently high; just think about that for a moment. This 90s-originated teen drama tantalized viewers with the promise of spinning off a token grownup character into his own adventures. To picture Buffy’s contemporaries following suit is downright laughable; consider the equivalent spinoff from Dawson’s Creek, for example. Would it star Jen’s Gram? The female teacher who committed statutory rape with Pacey? Even given the expanded possibilities of a more fantastical world, Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s aunts were never exactly in talks with the BBC, either.

Hot jobs report puts Fed cuts further out of reach as Chair Warsh faces policy tests

Another big jobs report in May has swept aside the possibility of interest rate cuts anytime soon.

Judge refers DOJ lawyers for possible discipline over handling of transgender care probe

U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy had lambasted Justice Department lawyers in a decision last month and accused them of misrepresenting and withholding information.