The Voice Reveal

Ballon d’Or winner Putellas leads influx of superstar names at independent club aiming to bridge gap to very best Guardian writers’ predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Suzanne Wrack’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 6th Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/iXE1Ph9 via IFTTT

Plaskett fire has swept through more than 5,900 acres in Monterey county and remains un-contained, says Cal Fire A fire in California’s Big Sur region doubled in size overnight, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, in a coastal region where firefighters have battled another blaze for weeks. The Plaskett fire, which sparked on Tuesday, had swept through more than 5,900 acres (2,400 hectares) in Monterey county as of Friday, and remained un-contained, according to Cal Fire. Its cause is under investigation. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1fcBHzN via IFTTT

Liverpool will hope Germany striker Vivien Endemann and Japanese youngster Mao Itamura can help get them off to a better start than they had last season Guardian writers’ predicted position: 8th (NB: this is not necessarily Tom Garry’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 11th Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/G8pgTvf via IFTTT

Many of us are overwhelmed by the sheer number of our belongings, but can we change our consumption habits? And is there a more sustainable way to declutter? Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com Whether you call it decluttering, death cleaning or a clear out, many of us face the onerous task of paring back our possessions, or those of a loved one. There can be many reasons: from managing the mountains of stuff that comes with small children, to downsizing or moving house, or dealing with a deceased estate. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zYLDOWs via IFTTT

Penalties for travel to blacklisted countries have recently risen, while aid workers and activists say they have also been caught up in the law Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, freelance photographer Jang Jinyoung crossed from Poland into Lviv and travelled on to Kyiv, where he spent a fortnight documenting the war. South Korea’s foreign ministry had designated Ukraine off-limits days earlier, making unauthorised visits a criminal offence. He knew he was breaking the law but went anyway, as no Korean journalist had yet reported from inside the country. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WPDO6rB via IFTTT

US president says US will have ‘majority’ control of 65bn barrels of proven oil reserves Donald Trump announced Friday a new US oil agreement with Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, saying the US will have “majority” control of 65bn barrels of proven oil reserves. The terms of the agreement remain to be seen, but the US president said on his social-media platform that it had been brokered “through a partnership with ⁠private business” by his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and defense secretary, Pete Hegseth. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/qYT1GQU via IFTTT

Councillors say plan does not tackle effect on residents RFU want to increase number of non-sporting events The Rugby Football Union’s bid to stage more concerts at Twickenham has been delivered a blow after local councillors insisted planning permission should not be awarded until the proposal further commits to limiting the impact. The RFU has submitted its planning application to Richmond council to use the stadium for non-sporting events for up to 15 days a year, with a decision due in October. Public consultation was due to end on Thursday with 240 submissions in favour and 456 against at the time of writing. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/niM2PSk via IFTTT

Jes Staley told US House committee he also was at one point named a trustee of convicted sex offender’s estate Former JPMorgan Chase executive Jes Staley told US lawmakers he repeatedly shared confidential and market-sensitive bank ⁠information with Jeffrey Epstein and ⁠was at one ​point named as a trustee of his estate, according to a transcript released by the House oversight committee on Wednesday. These admissions come as lawmakers investigate the late convicted ⁠sex offender’s ties with political and business elites. Staley appeared before the committee in July as part of its investigation into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Transcripts ⁠from the meeting were released on Wednesday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tI45dC8 via IFTTT

Both children were born on same day in November 2025 in situation so rare it had not been contemplated by state surrogacy laws Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A Queensland woman gave birth to twin children with separate sets of biological parents last year, in what is believed to be an Australian first situation so rare it had not been contemplated by state surrogacy laws. The woman, anonymised in a court judgment, conceived an unplanned natural pregnancy about the same time as she received an IVF embryo transfer under a surrogacy arrangement with another couple. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/7tHCp3G via IFTTT

Tributes are paid to the much-loved and respected Fleet Street veteran who also tipped as ‘Larry Lynx’ Ken Oliver, who has died at the age of 86, was the Guardian’s racing editor for many years until his retirement in 2004, at the end of a lifetime in racing journalism at publications including the London Evening News, the Sporting Life, the Sun, the London Daily News, the Sunday People – where he tipped as Larry Lynx – and as the editor of Ruff’s Guide to the Turf, the racing equivalent of Wisden. Ken was the racing editor when I joined the Guardian in 2001 and he was a joy to work with: an old-school veteran of the glory days of Fleet Street, blessed with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the sport and steeped in all the rhythms and traditions of daily papers that would soon be ushered into history by the internet. He was also unflappable, understanding when a story or plan went awry, and the best possible company for a pint or two in a local watering hole once the first edition had been...

Companion bots are being regulated over worries they foster ‘emotional dependence’ and young people could stop marrying and having families When law student Zhao Wei heard that her AI boyfriend was going to be switched off, she was “heartbroken”. She had been talking to Wang Ye every day since she created him in January. “I was crying my eyes out – snot and tears everywhere,” the 19-year-old says. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/atpBd9C via IFTTT

Former women’s No 1 proves she’s no nostalgia act before star pairing crash out in mixed doubles quarter-finals Serena Williams’ US Open return lasted two matches and one afternoon Tuesday as she and Carlos Alcaraz followed a first-round win with a quarter-final defeat by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in the headline attraction of the reimagined mixed doubles competition. Back inside Arthur Ashe Stadium 1,453 days after the defeat by Ajla Tomljanovic that had appeared to end her career, Williams emerged from the tunnel at half past three to the roars of more than 10,000 spectators. As the 44-year-old American and Alcaraz warmed up in matching purple-and-black Nike kits, public-address announcer Andy Taylor rattled off her accolades one by one to a steadily rising wall of applause. Together they carried 30 grand slam singles titles, a record for a mixed-doubles team at a major. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KePGsik via IFTTT

Scientists say research suggests blinking may have acquired a social relevance in interactions between dogs and people Stare into a dog’s eyes and you may encounter a bemused expression. But researchers have found that dogs blink more often when they see their owners doing so, suggesting there may be more to the mutual gaze than meets the eye. Scientists have previously found that dogs turn on the puppy eyes when humans look at them, and that their brains can distinguish happy human faces from other expressions – even telling apart fearful faces from those that are angry or sad. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/aJA2wfO via IFTTT

Five-day trial at high court in Glasgow heard Dott subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse The former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school age children. The 49-year-old subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse, with the girl targeted between 1993-96 and the boy between 2006-10. A five-day trial at the high court in Glasgow heard Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately, and kissed them. On Monday, he was found guilty of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards them. In both cases the abuse happened in the Glasgow area. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ByF1OZv via IFTTT

US Southern Command has struck another vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two accused of trafficking drugs The US military has launched a deadly strike on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of drug trafficking. On Monday, US Southern Command (SouthCom) announced it “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/gLIiXSb via IFTTT

US president, pushing on with Freedom 250 festivities, makes over nation’s capital for Trump rally on wheels Kyle Kirkwood wins Freedom 250 IndyCar race after Trump waves the green flag He got the wrong end of the stick. Donald Trump couldn’t figure out how to hold the green flag until his wife, Melania Trump, and Command Sgt Maj Matt Williams set him right. Then the US president waved the flag fast and furious like an excited schoolboy. The race was under way – and his conquest of Washington DC was complete. Since returning to Washington, Trump has deployed the national guard, wrecked the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, demolished the East Wing of the White House and run the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts into the ground. His face adorns the Department of Justice, and he still has grand plans for a triumphal arch worthy of a Roman emperor. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/D9yCgMX via IFTTT

Back in the top flight after four seasons, Amy Merricks’ side have added WSL experience in a bid to consolidate Guardian writers’ predicted position: 12th (NB: this is not necessarily Tom Garry’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 1st (WSL2) Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0JqtjbQ via IFTTT

French youngster beats No 7 seed 6-3, 6-4 in Cincinnati Jessica Pegula battles past Swiatek to reach women’s final In the middle of a tense, erratic start to a rain-delayed semi-final day in Cincinnati, Arthur Fils found himself locked in defence and miles behind the baseline on his serve at 3-3. He scurried from sideline to sideline, lunging toward the ball at full stretch, seemingly with no real chance of turning things around. As Flavio Cobolli swept to the net with the intention of finishing Fils off, however, the Italian soon learned that his opponent had another gear to reach. From far wide of the court, Fils pulverised a forehand passing shot winner beyond his astounded opponent, drawing a roar from the crowd. That one point alone provided evidence of the athleticism, explosiveness and sheer audacity that have long marked Fils as such a rare, exciting talent, and it also set the tone for a monumental victory. From that moment onwards, Fils took control of the match and he marche...

Updates from the Great Barrier Reef Arena Start time in Mackay is 10am AEST Any thoughts? Email Megan While Australia has a chance to add to their lead today, the batting is still a concern and no one is more concerned than Marnus Labuschagne. The commentators are chatting about him this morning and Mark Waugh is adamant that if he doesn’t score runs in the second innings, his time in the team is over. The problem may be that there aren’t enough runs for him to get to prove himself. I’m interested to hear from you – who do you think should hold the number 3 spot? Is it Marnus? Or have you got your eye on someone else? And if you’re still wondering why on earth there’s Test cricket happening up in the tropics in winter, you might need to take one more step back and read about what happened in Darwin last week. The always brilliant Geoff Lemon has you covered with a breakdown of Bangladesh’s incredible upset. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/XYvR5ZL via IFTTT

Defensive tightness and replacing a key goal scorer are Natalia Arroyo’s focus in her second season in charge Guardian writers’ predicted position: 9th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 9th Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QuVzLla via IFTTT

Recall comes after Chinese authorities said it would ban hidden car door handles commonly seen on Tesla models Tesla and other carmakers are making a major recall of more than 4m vehicles in China over safety concerns mostly related to their door handles, according to Chinese authorities on Friday. The US carmaker is recalling about 2.98m China-made and imported EVs including Model 3, Model Y, Model X and Model S over door-handle safety risks, according to China’s state administration for market regulation. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/opPv5NI via IFTTT

Chow Hang-tung has been detained since 2021, and written about everything from clothes to Tiananmen Square and the meaning of freedom Tiananmen Square vigil organisers in Hong Kong found guilty of ‘inciting subversion’ In one essay written from prison, Chow Hang-tung worries about her hairstyle before court appearances because there are no combs or mirrors in her cell. “In a place like prison, where anything that is personal is stripped away, it’s even more important to hold on to every means by which you can express yourself,” she writes. “Don’t let uniform, depersonalised rules, dress codes, schedules, and behavioural requirements grind down your edges and mould you into a ‘model citizen’”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/MDVa5bO via IFTTT

After an underwhelming season, Arsenal have made major changes with club legends departing and top talent from all over Europe arriving Guardian writers’ predicted position: 2nd (NB: this is not necessarily Suzanne Wrack’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 2nd Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bEPgtc via IFTTT

Updates from the Great Barrier Reef Arena Start time in Mackay is 10am AEST Any thoughts? Email Jonathan Bangladesh have also made one change with rangy left-armer Shoriful Islam replacing Ebadot Hossain in the attack. The XI selected will go in full of confidence, as skipper Shanto explained earlier this week. “When you score against this kind of team, it gives you a lot of confidence going forward when we play in these kind of conditions or against this kind of bowling attack.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FsCAW23 via IFTTT