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Showing posts from June, 2024

Buffalo Bills ease to victory as Tua Tagovailoa suffers concussion

The Miami Dolphins quarterback was helped off after being injured in the third quarter of the 31-10 defeat. from The Independent Sport https://ift.tt/Caq6jkx via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: Russia launches attacks on Kharkiv and Kyiv as Zelenskiy appeals for help

One person was killed and at least nine others injured in Kharkiv; a 14-storey apartment building in Kyiv was set on fire after Russia strikes. What we know on day 859 See all our Ukraine war coverage One person was killed and nine others including a baby were injured in a Russian strike on a post office in Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv , local authorities said. “A man, a post office employee, was killed,” the head of Kharkiv’s regional administration, Oleg Synegubov said on Telegram. The city of Kharkiv has been regularly targeted by Russian troops in recent months, but military analysts say the frequency has dipped since the US authorised Ukrainian use of its weapons on certain Russian targets. In Kyiv’s Obolon suburb, the local military administration said falling fragments from a Russian missile started a fire and damaged balconies on a 14-storey apartment building. Emergency services, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said five female residents were treated for stress,

Botanist tells how nettles helped solve Soham murders

Patricia Wiltshire reveals how her forensic knowledge helped secure the conviction of Ian Huntley for the 2002 murders Botanist Patricia Wiltshire has revealed how her knowledge of stinging nettles helped police solve the Soham murders in 2002 – a case which concluded in the conviction and a life sentence for their school caretaker Ian Huntley. Wiltshire, who is a palynologist – a pollen expert – was speaking to Lauren Laverne on Sunday’s episode of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. S he discussed her early life in a Welsh mining village, her lifelong love of nature, and the secrets that plants can reveal. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/REtGXfV via IFTTT

Denmark’s Hjulmand attacks ‘ridiculous handball rules’ after defeat by Germany

‘We cannot require defenders to run with arms like this’ Nagelsmann accuses Michael Oliver of being petty The Denmark manager, Kasper Hjulmand, took aim at football’s “ridiculous” handball rules after they were beaten 2-0 by Germany in a controversial, storm-ravaged last-16 tie. Denmark had been well in the game against Germany and thought they had taken the lead when Joachim Andersen converted three minutes after half-time. But the goal was disallowed by VAR for a fractional offside against Thomas Delaney and, almost immediately afterwards, Andersen was penalised for a harsh handball picked up by the video officials. They could not find a way back after Kai Havertz scored the penalty, Jamal Musiala confirming Germany’s progress. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mLCjgqD via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: multiple casualties in Russian attack on Dnipro apartment block

Infant among six injured, with at least one dead and more trapped in building in central Ukraine; 10 Ukrainian civilians freed from Russia and Belarus jails in Vatican-mediated deal. What we know on day 857 See all our Ukraine war coverage A Russian missile strike hit a nine-storey residential building in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, killing at least one person and injuring six others , officials said. The death toll would likely rise as more people remained trapped in the building, where four upper storeys collapsed as a result of the attack, said the interior minister, Ihor Klymenko. A photo posted on Telegram by the governor, Serhiy Lysak, and other images on social media showed a badly damaged building that had smoke rising from a gaping hole in its upper storeys. A seven-month-old infant was among the injured, Lysak said. Three people were in severe condition. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said 10 civilians including a politician and two priests taken prisoner in Rus

Far-right National Rally strengthening in final polls ahead of vote

Marine Le Pen’s party has pledged to boost spending power, slash immigration and restore law and order The far-right National Rally (RN) has strengthened in final polls, including one suggesting it could be on course for a historic parliamentary majority, as candidates fought for votes on the last day of campaigning before the first-round ballot in France’s most momentous election for decades. Two days before Sunday’s ballot, two polls on Friday showed Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, France-first party pulling steadily further ahead in a race it has led since President Emmanuel Macron called the shock ballot almost three weeks ago after the defeat of his centrists in the European parliamentary election. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/X0cLz8J via IFTTT

Dua Lipa at Glastonbury review – headliners are rarely this hook-laden and hedonistic

Pyramid stage The British singer’s Friday night set underlines her claim to be one of the world’s great current pop stars, with a cast-iron hit always around the corner According to the most intriguing bit of her between-song chat, Dua Lipa’s headlining Glastonbury slot came about as a result of an act of childhood manifesting. The singer claims she wrote out her desire to top the bill on the Pyramid stage in detail, up to and including what night said event should take place on: a Friday, so she “could spend the rest of the weekend partying”. And now here we are: watching a slightly peculiar video of Dua Lipa signing her name and writing the words “GLASTO 24” on a pane of glass, then licking it. Whether you buy the stuff about manifesting or not, Dua Lipa has clearly spent a lot of time carefully studying and absorbing how a successful Glastonbury headline set works, and putting what she’s gleaned to good use. The announcement of her appearance led to a degree of consternation, par

Astronauts take cover as defunct Russian satellite splits into nearly 200 pieces

The six US astronauts aboard International Space Station rush to their spacecrafts in case of emergency departure A defunct Russian satellite has broken up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter for about an hour and adding to the mass of space junk already in orbit, US space agencies said. There were no immediate details on what caused the breakup of the Resurs-P1 Russian Earth observation satellite, which Russia declared dead in 2022. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/qiCneho via IFTTT

Numbers game: 10 statistics that tell the story of Euro 2024’s group stage

England rank 20th out of 24 in attempts on goal but third in passing accuracy and first in crossing accuracy None of the 81 goals scored in the group stage were scored directly from a direct free-kick. At Euro 2020, there was only one free-kick goal, scored by Mikkel Damsgaard against England in the semi-finals. Euro 2016 had four, with Gareth Bale scoring two – more (so far) than in the next two tournaments combined. This is in line with domestic trends: in Europe’s top five leagues, the amount of free-kicks in the final third that are shot at goal has dropped from 24.6% in 2008-09 to 18.8% in 2022-23. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IdHibm via IFTTT

Hook knife and a crash helmet: the New Zealand hopeful preparing for kite foiling’s Olympic debut

Justina Kitchen overcame a ruptured ACL and will compete in Paris as the sailing class features in the Games for the first time When New Zealand’s Justina Kitchen hits the water for the Paris Olympics next month in kite foiling, the 35-year-old will compete with an impact vest, a hook knife and a crash helmet. The safety equipment is a requirement for kite foiling, a sport making its Olympic debut. It is considered the fastest sailing class, where competitors are harnessed to a large kite and routinely reach 48km/h (30mph) on a board that appears to hover over the water on a thin foil. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/X6q0xam via IFTTT

Number of girls in England taking computing GCSE plummets, study finds

Introduction of new syllabus may be reason number of girls taking subject more than halved in eight years, academics say The number of girls in England studying for a GCSE in computing has more than halved in less than a decade, prompting warnings about the “dominance of men in shaping the modern world”. The sharp decline in female participation follows government qualification changes that led to the scrapping of the old information communication technology (ICT) GCSE and its replacement with a new computer science GCSE. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/7eDi3wI via IFTTT

Cost of toothpaste can double through the year in UK, study finds

Research discovers the cost of some healthcare products fluctuates wildly, according to time of year you buy them Dentists agree that brushing twice a day is the best way to look after your teeth. But depending on what month it is, dental hygiene can be a dramatically more expensive habit to maintain. New research has shown that the cost of a tube of toothpaste at some times of the year can be double its price at other times. The price of other popular health products such as Gillette razors can also double depending when they are bought. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5TFw8ZY via IFTTT

Gareth Southgate claims England fans are creating ‘unusual environment’

Plastic beer cups thrown at manager after Slovenia draw Southgate: ‘I understand the narrative towards me’ Gareth Southgate talked about being in “an unusual environment” after having plastic beer cups thrown at him by England fans and hearing his team booed off after their 0-0 draw with Slovenia on Tuesday night. Although a point was enough for England to go through to last 16 as winners of Group C, the reaction in the stands at the Cologne Stadium was hardly complimentary after another ineffective attacking ­display against opponents ranked 57th in the world. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hSmxKU via IFTTT

Harry Kane paradox leaves England talisman grasping to find his former self

The captain is too good a passer to be left up front, too good a poacher to be a No 10 and not fit enough to do both Around 48 minutes into this musty, vaguely icky game – a game that felt like it was a few weeks past its sell-by date, a game that came coated in a thin, unidentifiable layer of mildew – Bukayo Saka got the ball in England’s right channel and played a simple short pass into Harry Kane. For all his current travails, the vagaries of form and fitness, Kane is nothing if not a fearsome striker of a football. When he really connects, as he did here, the ball simply explodes off his boot: all gunpowder and venom and pure, coiled power. Two problems. First, Kane was facing away from goal. Second, he wasn’t actually attempting a shot but, in fact, trying to bring the ball under control. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/jaEHG1R via IFTTT

EDF, Utilita and British Gas rated worst energy suppliers for customer service

Service ratings across energy sector between January and March among lowest ever, says Citizens Advice EDF, Utilita and British Gas have been named as the worst energy suppliers for customer service, as research shows industry standards have slipped sharply. Citizens Advice said customer service ratings across the industry were among the lowest ever between January and March and average ratings had fallen by 10.5% compared with the same period in 2021. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/X0n62zc via IFTTT

‘100% penalty’: Clarke criticises referee after Scotland crash out of Euro 2024

Facundo Tello waves away claims for late spot-kick Clarke: ‘If we get the penalty it can be a different night’ Steve Clarke took aim at the Argentinian referee, Facundo Tello, after Scotland bowed out of the Euros with a late defeat by Hungary. Clarke suggested this tournament should be refereed only by European officials. Scotland felt Stuart Armstrong was due a penalty after tumbling under a challenge from Willi Orban in the 78th minute. Tello waved away the claims. Hungary broke Scottish hearts and sealed elimination for Clarke’s team with a 100th-minute goal from Kevin Csoboth. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/PmKZtcx via IFTTT

Scotland team’s unheroic failure ends fans’ noisy, sozzled party

Germany’s bar-holders will miss the tartan army of supporters, few will miss Steve Clarke’s side’s football Some day, perhaps, the run will end. Some day Scotland will make it out of the group at a major tournament. But not yet, not this year. They earned a single point, failed to have a shot on target in three of the six halves of football they played in Germany, and scored just twice, one of them a freakish own goal that was gifted to them. Brewers and bar-holders will miss their fans, but few will miss their football. Scottish sorrow comes in catalogues. Some of their previous 11 group-stage exits have been the result of just not being that good. Some have been the result of underperformance on the biggest stage. And some, the sweetest, have carried the air of gallant failure. The most celebrated – 1978, Archie Gemmill, Ally MacLeod, the Dutch and all that – was a large helping of the third of those on a bed of the second. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2E

Portugal voice concerns after five pitch invaders get to Cristiano Ronaldo

Fans get on to pitch during and after Portugal 3-0 Turkey Steward crashes into Gonçalo Ramos after man runs on Portugal’s manager, Roberto Martínez, voiced security concerns after his team’s victory over Turkey was marred by five spectators invading the pitch and making their way to Cristiano Ronaldo in search of selfies. A sixth man failed in an attempt to get to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner but caused a steward to slip and crash into the Portugal striker Gonçalo Ramos, knocking the Paris Saint-Germain player to the turf. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1690rIi via IFTTT

Barcelona to ban apartment rentals to tourists in bid to cut housing costs

Spanish city is one of Europe’s top destinations but its popularity has made housing increasingly unaffordable for residents Barcelona, a top Spanish holiday destination , has announced it will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move as it seeks to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city livable for residents. The city’s leftist mayor, Jaume Collboni, said on Friday that by November 2028, Barcelona would scrap the licences of the 10,101 apartments currently approved as short-term rentals. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CQ4rRi7 via IFTTT

Pamela Allen on Mr McGee and turning 90: ‘I’ve always known what I’m doing is good’

From Who Sank the Boat? to Alexander’s Outing, Allen’s picture books are beloved. But after losing her husband she’s written a new book to ‘re-establish my sense of worth’ With more than 50 books published and many millions sold, Pamela Allen is one of Australia and New Zealand’s most remarkable and memorable children’s authors. Her picture books – including classics like Who Sank the Boat?, Mr McGee, Alexander’s Outing, and Bertie and the Bear – established her as a master of playful and inquisitive children’s literature, taking young readers on warm, gentle misadventures. At 90 years old, she has written a new book: Mr McGee and His Hat, which sees the return of the beloved stocky man, his little bowler hat and unplanned escapades. It has been seven years since she last wrote a book, and 12 years since Mr McGee’s previous appearance. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/sIxwS6t via IFTTT

England look terrified and they have no functioning midfield | Barney Ronay

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice had no chemistry in this formation. Was it ever likely to work, simply slotting in a talented passer? In the search for positives from an afternoon of ghost football in Frankfurt, you did at least have to give England one thing. This team has so far shown complete electoral neutrality in Germany. England are both laboured and conservative. Is there time to fix it? Two things about this England team leap out at this stage. Frankly, they look like atomised, shot, terrified. And second, the most obvious problem England have had is a complete lack of centre ground. This is a tournament semi-favourite without a functioning midfield. It is something Gareth Southgate took into this tournament, tinkered with, worried away at, and which he has not been able to fix. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/MaLctoj via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: Mourning for ‘Ghosts of Kyiv’ fighter pilot

North Korea aiding Russia’s ‘mass murder of Ukrainians’ says Zelenskiy aide; Beluga whales evacuated from Kharkiv to Madrid. What we know on day 848 Ukraine has bid farewell to one of its fighter pilots counted among the fabled “Ghosts of Kyiv” . Lt Col Valentin Korenchuk, referred to in the military as Beekeeper, piloted a MiG-29 fighter jet in the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade. He was lauded as Ukraine’s “best pilot” in an air force statement that this week confirmed his death in combat. In the opening days of the Russian invasion in February 2022, social media followed the embellished exploits of the Ghost of Kyiv, a fighter pilot said to have downed six Russian warplanes. Ukrainian officialdom encouraged the myth and for a time, the title was lent to Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Yerko, who went down fighting on the first day of the war, earning him the Hero of Ukraine medal. Eventually, the military conceded “the Ghost of Kyiv is a legend created by Ukrainians … a collectiv

Holocaust survivors to use AI to ‘future-proof’ their stories for UK schools

Testimony 360 project allows pupils to talk to AI versions of survivors and take virtual tours of concentration camps A groundbreaking educational programme will launch in UK schools later this month using artificial intelligence and virtual reality to “future-proof” the testimonies of Holocaust survivors. The Holocaust Educational Trust, a London-based charity, will launch its Testimony 360 programme across schools in the UK, allowing pupils to have lifelike, face-to-face conversations with Holocaust survivors through innovative technology. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/OWLGnKT via IFTTT

Sharp rise in use of high-strength vapes, research shows

Proportion of adults using e-cigarettes containing up to 20mg/ml of nicotine has increased to 32.5% from 6.6% in 2021 The use of high-strength nicotine vapes has increased sharply in the last three years, a study has found. Researchers found that in June 2021, only 6.6% of people were using the highest-strength vapes, defined as those near the legal limit of 20mg/ml of nicotine, yet by January 2024 that had increased to 32.5% of users. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Nfgp2wS via IFTTT

‘Our hearts are heavy’: anguish as Papua New Guinea picks up the pieces after deadly landslide

Weeks after the tragedy, frustrations rise over a bypass road that locals say offends their culture by disturbing ground where bodies remain buried In a remote village in northern Papua New Guinea’s Enga province, the community has set up a haus krai , a traditional mourning house. It is located about 200 metres from the landslide that buried people while they slept on 24 May. The house honours those killed in a tragedy that has affected thousands of people. Earlier this month authorities brought an end to the official recovery operation. Estimates of the number killed vary widely and few bodies have been recovered. The UN initially said 670 villagers died, though locals say the number is lower. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FUKjD0W via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: ‘Drone sanctions’ burn Russian oil reserves

South Korea says 10,000 containers carry suspected North Korean arms for Russia; claim that Russians beheaded captured defender. What we know on day 847 A Ukrainian defence source confirmed a drone attack was used to blow up oil storage tanks near the town of Azov in Rostov, southern Russia . Agence France-Presse said the defence source described it as a “successful” attack and said it caused “powerful fires in the installations”. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) “will continue to impose ‘drone sanctions’ on Russia’s oil refining complex and reduce the enemy’s economic potential, which provides the aggressor with resources to wage war against Ukraine”. Video published by Russia’s emergencies ministry showed thick smoke and flames billowing out of what appeared to be multiple oil storage tanks over a large area . About 200 Russian firefighters and emergency personnel were sent in. The Rostov region sits directly across the border from Ukraine and is home to the operational headq

EU leaders move closer towards giving second term to Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission president appears likely to keep her job as meetings continue to decide who gets top EU roles EU leaders are converging on a second term for Ursula von der Leyen as head of the European Commission but have failed to reach a quick agreement. Meeting for the first time since elections shifted the European parliament to the right, with big gains for nationalist and far-right parties in France and Germany, EU leaders discussed how to fill the bloc’s top jobs on Monday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2DeLUZn via IFTTT

Labour’s EU policy will do little to address economic impact of Brexit, says thinktank

UK in a Changing Europe concludes Labour has ruled out changes that would have made biggest boost to growth Labour’s EU policy amounts to “tinkering around the edges of the current relationship” and will do little to “address the continuing economic impacts of Brexit”, a report has concluded. An audit of UK-EU relations by the thinktank UK in a Changing Europe concluded that Labour had ruled out changes that would have made the biggest impact on economic growth. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/MQ0bo1L via IFTTT

Fans left sidelined and with nowhere to go thanks to Uefa’s bumbling genius | Jonathan Liew

Transport system failed to cope and supporters were left walking in the rain to get to England’s game against Serbia The No 107 tram pulls up next to a racecourse just outside Gelsenkirchen and judders to a halt. We wait. And wait a little more. Five minutes become 10, and then 15. Songs and idle chat gradually turn to sighs and anxious hubbub. One England fan thinks this tram might be getting diverted back to Essen. Another thinks it might be going straight to the stadium. In fact, its final destination is Gelsenkirchen railway station, where – as one of the few passengers with working phone signal confirms – the crowds are “utter carnage”. Which is also a pretty decent description of the tableau unfolding outside the windows. Here thousands of England fans in various states of distress and confusion, some in shirts and some not, are swarming in all directions across the pasture: some staggering, some running, some trying to clamber over the metal crash barriers in an attempt to rea

Maria Bamford: ‘I want to give Donald Trump a roundhouse to the bread basket’

The comedian and Lady Dynamite creator talks about Godzilla, her deep hatred of Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, and living in Australia for a year In your memoir Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult, you shared your personal email address with explicit encouragement for people to send you any complaints. Did you get any? I didn’t get any complaints, only loving support. I’ve got some beautifully written emails. It’s really heartening what human beings are capable of. I wonder if the people who are critical are all on my Instagram? They’re always complaining about me on Twitter or whatever. Those people don’t want to read. But yes, every once in a while I’ll get an email and it’s really lovely. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3woX5l8 via IFTTT

Germany look like a team intent on writing their own history | Jonathan Liew

There will be tougher tests ahead, but the Euro 2024 hosts looked brutally efficient in their demolition of Scotland That’s the thing about fairytales: they don’t have to make sense in advance. They just start, and implicitly we accept the premise, however far-fetched. A cruel prince is turned into a grotesque beast by a beggar woman bearing an enchanted rose: fine, fine. That pumpkin is actually a carriage: OK, fair enough. Anxious host nation on a run of horrific tournament failures wrap up their opening game within 20 minutes while playing football from the spheres: we’re listening. And as the fireworks went off in cities across Germany, as the fan zones rumbled and erupted, as pilsners and radlers were spilled in pub gardens across the land, you could sense a nation slowly and happily coming to terms with its new reality. A reality in which the indignities of the past were buried under fresh flurries of fresh memories. The time for angst and introspection is over. Over these 90 b

Normani: Dopamine review – pop’s longest-awaited debut almost defeats the trolls

(Columbia) The ex-Fifth Harmony member was tipped for huge success until creative differences and personal strife set her back, but she has confidently regained her footing by leaning into R&B For six long years Normani was the most overlooked member of Fifth Harmony , a so-so girl band fused together in 2012 on the forgotten US variant of The X Factor. When they split in 2018, she quickly became the pop connoisseurs’ choice for assumed solo breakout success, a decision supported by a string of subsequent collaborations with acts including Khalid, Sam Smith and Calvin Harris. In the summer of 2019 she unleashed Motivation, a Max Martin-assisted, 00s pop-infused banger with a splashy video that recalled Beyoncé’s solo superstar arrival with Crazy in Love. From the outside, things looked rosy. Then Normani disappeared; songs were sporadic and untethered from a body of work; fans trolled her online, bemoaning perceived wasted opportunities to capitalise on her momentum. She resurfa

Keir Starmer faces questions over cost of Labour manifesto

Leader accused of being part of a ‘conspiracy of silence’ over economic challenges ahead as he launches wealth creation plan for government Keir Starmer faced new questions over how Labour would pay to fix Britain’s broken public services as he vowed to “turn the page for ever” on held-back potential and to end political “pantomime” during the party’s manifesto launch. The Labour leader said he saw “potential held back” everywhere he went as a result of a lack of housing, the cost of living crisis, low wages and inadequate healthcare for children. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/hSl4TRF via IFTTT

UK has seen ‘explosion’ in insecure work since 2011, says TUC report

Record high of 4.1 million people found to be in precarious employment such as zero-hours contracts and casual work The UK has seen an “explosion” in insecure, low-paid work in the past 14 years, according to a new report. The TUC said its study had found that the number of people in insecure work had reached a record high of 4.1 million. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2kP3lCF via IFTTT

G7 leaders head to Italy for summit as Ukraine and Russia top the agenda

US wants show of strength with planned sanctions for helping Russia, but group will also discuss migration, Middle East and AI A dramatic expansion of entities exposed to US sanctions for helping the Russian economy and an EU-led $50bn loan to ease the financial burden on Ukraine will be at the centre of discussions at a summit of the leaders of wealthy G7 nations in Puglia, Italy, starting on Thursday. The leaders, facing unprecedented challenges from discontented electorates, will be under heightened pressure to provide concrete results as their three days of discussion range across an interlinked agenda encompassing the war in Ukraine, migration, Africa, the Middle East, the climate crisis and harnessing artificial intelligence (AI). Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/F1in45V via IFTTT

Deadly cancer treatment delays now ‘routine’ in NHS, say damning reports

Studies sound alarm at state of cancer care with hundreds of thousands waiting months to start essential treatment Hundreds of thousands of people are being forced to wait months to start essential cancer treatment, with deadly delays now “routine” and even children struck by the disease denied vital support, according to a series of damning reports. Health chiefs, charities and doctors have sounded the alarm over the state of cancer care in the UK as three separate studies painted a shocking picture of long waits and NHS staff being severely hampered by a worsening workforce crisis and a chronic lack of equipment. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zjCTq1V via IFTTT

Peak Japan: why foreign tourists are going mad for Mount Fuji

A developer in Japan just built a 10-storey apartment block in Tokyo but then decided to tear it down. What is going on? Japanese artist Hokusai famously produced a series of woodblock prints titled Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, and centuries later, the majestic mountain still captures the imagination. However, now that translates into record numbers of tourists eager to commemorate their visit with painstakingly staged photos. An unencumbered view of Fuji is something to treasure – so much so that a real estate developer this week agreed to tear down a nearly completed apartment block in western Tokyo because it blocked residents’ view of the mountain. Developer Sekisui House said it decided to take down the 10-storey building due to “insufficient consideration for the impact on the scenery”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CdUZc24 via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskiy’s army of drones gets its own commander

Ukrainians claim hits on air defences in occupied Crimea; US, Poland and allies launch taskforce to counter Russian disinformation. What we know on day 839 Ukraine announced the appointment of Vadym Sukharevskyi as commander of drone forces, a newly created post . Sukharevskyi was already a deputy commander of the armed forces with responsibility for drones. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, decreed in February the creation of a separate branch of the armed forces devoted to drones and the order was endorsed last week by the government. Ukraine’s military said it damaged three surface-to-air defence systems in Russian-occupied Crimea over Monday night. Missiles struck an S400 system in Dzhankoi and two S300 systems near Yevpatoriya and Chornomorske, resulting in “significant losses” for Russian air defences, Ukraine’s general staff said. The Ukrainians claimed responsibility for an attack on the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in southern Russia on 5 June. “According to intelli

One in three Asda staff have been attacked at work, survey finds

GMB poll receives reports of workers being stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes One in three Asda staff have been attacked at work, according to research that included reports of workers being stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes. The poll of almost 1,000 members of GMB, one of the UK’s biggest unions, returned stories of delivery drivers being chased by people in cars, while store workers had food thrown at them. More than half (58%) of respondents said they had suffered injury or illness on the job. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/PvAlFKZ via IFTTT

Media studies are popular, dynamic and have ‘profound impact’, report says

Degrees often derided as ‘low-value’ or ‘Mickey Mouse’ subjects are praised as vital to UK’s £108bn creative industries Media and communications studies, often derided as “soft”, “low-value” or “Mickey Mouse” subjects, are in fact popular, dynamic and have “profound impact”, according to a report. The British Academy study says that rather than being “low value”, such courses play a vital role in the UK’s £108bn creative industries and have become increasingly relevant in a world grappling with new technologies, artificial intelligence and the dangers of disinformation. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/a0tAp2K via IFTTT

Water births do not increase risk of complications, study finds

Using a water pool during labour for low-risk pregnancies is as safe as giving birth out of water, research shows Giving birth in a water bath does not increase the risk of complications for the baby or its mother, a study has found. Researchers at the University of Cardiff assessed 73,229 records from low-risk pregnancies where a water pool was used during labour across 26 NHS organisations in England and Wales between 2015 and 2022. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/N6YKg7b via IFTTT

EU elections: Macron to dissolve French parliament after crushing loss to far right

As National Rally achieves best ever result in France, populists also make gains in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands Latest results – live France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has been accused of gambling with French democracy after announcing that he will dissolve parliament and call snap legislative elections in the wake of his allies’ crushing defeat to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) in Sunday’s European parliament elections. On a night that saw far-right parties make significant but far from conclusive gains in Europe, the RN won about 32% of French votes, more than double the 15% or so scored by Macron’s allies, according to projections, with the Socialists just behind on about 14%. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tu6F1Zc via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: Ukrainian intelligence ‘strikes Su-57 warplane deep inside Russia’

Satellite pictures show apparent damage; Russian gains reported at Chasiv Yar, but Zelenskiy says Pokrovsk under most pressure. What we know on day 838 Ukraine’s forces have hit an advanced Su-57 warplane on an airbase in Russia nearly 600km from the frontlines, according to Ukrainian military intelligence. The GUR shared satellite photos appearing to show an aircraft among scorch marks and craters . “ The pictures show that on June 7th, the Su-57 was standing intact, and on the eighth, there were ruptures from the explosion and characteristic spots of fire caused by fire damage near it,” the GUR said. The strike took place on Saturday at the Akhtubinsk base in southern Russia , the GUR said. The plane, capable of carrying stealth missiles, was among “a countable few” of its type in service. Russia’s Su-57 fleet has been largely absent from the skies over Ukraine, and has instead been used to fire long-range missiles from across the border. The UK Ministry of Defence has said Russi

The cat in the flat: Singapore lifts ban on pets in public housing

Public consultation found widespread support to allow cats in the city’s Housing and Development Board flats, in which 80% of the population live Tommy is, without doubt, the head of his household. If he wants the air conditioning switched on, he simply glares at the unit on the wall. If he wants an early night, he’ll miaow for the TV to be silenced. But, until now, he has been living in violation of a law that bans cats from much of Singapore’s housing. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/akDdgEJ via IFTTT

The moment I knew: I burst into the living room with his letter held high and screeched, ‘I’m getting married!’

Leigh Shelley was smitten with Tanner but feared he’d never want a future with her. Then, forced apart by distance, they both put pen to paper We met through Sydney share houses in the early 80s when I was in my mid-20s and Tanner, a clever and sweet country boy, was a couple of years older. I first laid eyes on him as he was reaching into a hot oven; he looked up and his gaze met mine. I thought: “Wow, he is gorgeous!” Typical of that time, there were many complicated relationships between housemates and friends. Tanner was in a long-term relationship and it was three years before our feelings for each other spilled over. At a house party we danced to Cold Chisel ’s My Baby over and over; another time, at a dinner party at his place, we shared a furtive kiss at the front door as I left. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pbxhrt4 via IFTTT

UK growth since 2010 has been lacklustre and largely driven by immigration, says report

Resolution Foundation report suggests parties are dodging the economic challenges facing the country Rishi Sunak’s pre-election claim that the UK economy is now “going gangbusters ” is undermined today by a report which argues that growth since 2010 has been “unspectacular” and has been the result of a rising population, caused principally by high levels of immigration. The study, Life in the Slow Lane, from the politically independent Resolution Foundation, will add to the consensus among economists and academics that the fundamentaleconomic problems and challenges facing this country are being dodged by the parties during the general election campaign. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/D2eJgAR via IFTTT

Danny Mills cheers on son George to European championship 5,000m silver

Son of former England footballer second to Ingebrigtsen Romell Glave picks up 100m bronze for Britain in Rome Some athletes celebrate their first major medal with a night on the town. Others, with a modest drink or two. But after George Mills had won a gutsy European championship 5,000m silver behind only the brilliant Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, he promised that his only indulgence would be some fermented kombucha – if he could find any in Rome – before going back into hard training on Sunday. But what a performance Mills produced in only his third run over the distance. After a slow race, Ingebrigtsen, the reigning Olympic 1500m champion and double 5,000m world champion, pushed for home at the bell. Yet the 25-year-old Mills refused to submit, harrying his esteemed rival down the back straight before Ingebrigtsen powered away to win his third European 5,000m title in 13mins 20.11sec. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/HscRj7X via IFTTT

William Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut known for Earthrise photo, dies in plane crash

Retired major general, 90, killed when his plane plunged into waters off Washington state’s San Juan Islands Retired Maj Gen William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the famous Earthrise photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state. He was 90. “The family is devastated,” said his son, retired air force Lt Col Greg Anders, who confirmed the death to the Associated Press. “He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/h7K3Wbi via IFTTT

‘Rigged’: Trump attacks judge and courts in first post-conviction rally

Ex-president in Arizona warns appeal courts to ‘step up and straighten things out’ and insists no crimes were committed In his first campaign rally after he was convicted of 34 felonies, former president Donald Trump recalled how he just went through a “rigged” trial with a “highly conflicted” judge despite there being “no crime”. The court cases Trump faces have become a mainstay of his campaigning throughout the last year, where he frequently tells his followers that the charges are a form of election interference and designed to tamp down the Maga movement. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/SDF7Ir0 via IFTTT

Russia nuclear-powered submarine to visit Cuba amid rising tensions with US

Russian sub – joined by three other naval vessels – will not be carrying nuclear weapons, authorities in Havana said as they announced the visit A Russian nuclear-powered submarine – which will not be carrying nuclear weapons – will visit Havana next week, Cuba’s communist authorities have announced, amid rising tensions with the US over the war in Ukraine. The nuclear submarine Kazan and three other Russian naval vessels, including the missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov, an oil tanker and a salvage tug, will dock in the Cuban capital from 12-17 June, Cuba’s ministry of the revolutionary armed forces said in a statement. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/fSwdiPF via IFTTT

Mexico man dies from first human case of bird flu strain H5N2

Scientists are on alert for signs the virus is adapting to spread more easily among humans, after the WHO announced the death from April The World Health Organization (WHO) has said a man’s death in Mexico was caused by a strain of bird flu called H5N2 that has never before been found in a human. The WHO said Wednesday it wasn’t clear how the person became infected. “Although the source of exposure to the virus in this case is currently unknown, A(H5N2) viruses have been reported in poultry in Mexico,” WHO said in a statement. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/nJWQYlM via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: Power cuts ordered as Russian attacks create ‘catastrophic’ shortages

Ukraine rations power as generation falls far short of needs; US to reportedly release $225m more in weapons, France to sign €650m deal. What we know on day 834 See all our Ukraine coverage Ukraine’s power grid operator, Ukrenergo, ordered cuts in 12 regions on Wednesday evening due to critical shortages. Ukrainians have been warned to limit consumption after Russian air strikes in recent weeks inflicted serious damage on generating capacity. “In view of repairs to units and the latest destruction, we are catastrophically short of electricity for our needs ,” said Serhii Kovalenko, head of Yasno, the largest private power company in Ukraine. Russia has either destroyed or captured 50% of Ukraine’s power generation , according to a report in the Financial Times . A fire broke out at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region of Russia on Thursday morning, with local governor Vasily Golubev blaming a Ukrainian drone attack . The refinery has previously been hit by Ukraini

UK general election opinion polls tracker: Labour significantly ahead of Tories as campaign continues

Find out who’s up and who’s down in the latest polls – and how many seats each party is likely to win in the 2024 general election UK politics live – latest updates UK general election: find your new constituency – and see how it would have voted in 2019 UK general election: the seats the Tories will lose if the polls are right Support the Guardian’s UK election coverage today Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called the next UK general election for 4 July 2024. After 14 years of Conservative rule, Keir Starmer’s Labour has been consistently ahead in the polls since the start of 2022. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BoqHAtf via IFTTT

Asda now the most expensive UK supermarket to buy fuel, study shows

Chain once prided itself on selling the cheapest fuel but RAC analysis shows it is now the dearest Asda is now the UK’s most expensive supermarket fuel seller, research shows, after the retailer’s private owners ditched its long-held pledge to be the cheapest on the market. The retailer, which was bought by the billionaire Issa brothers and their private equity partner TDR Capital in 2021, charged an average 2.1p a litre more for unleaded petrol than rivals Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons at the end of May, according to an analysis by the RAC motoring organisation. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Jxa4lij via IFTTT

X changes porn policy to opt-in system that blocks under-18 users

The social media network’s new rules, announced on Monday, come after regulator pressure around the world to better protect children from inappropriate content Elon Musk’s X now officially allows pornographic content on its platform but says it will block adult and violent posts from being seen by users who are under 18 or who do not opt-in to see it. The company announced on Monday new policies that formalise what is viewable on the platform. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mHgszG2 via IFTTT

Ukraine war briefing: Italy sending another Samp/T air defence system

Further permission needed to hit targets in Russia, says Kuleba; Kamala Harris to attend Swiss peace conference. What we know on day 832 Italy will send a second Samp/T air defence system to Ukraine, its foreign minister has said. The Italian-French system also known as Mamba can track dozens of targets and intercept 10 at once. It is the only European-made system that can intercept ballistic missiles. Ukraine will ask its allies to further lift restrictions on using their weapons against targets inside Russia, the foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has said . Western air defence systems and permission to strike targets in Russia with western weapons “remain crucial for Ukraine to repel Russian glide bomb and missile strikes against Kharkiv city” , the Institute for the Study of War wrote in an assessment on Tuesday. The ISW also wrote: “Ukrainian field commanders are reportedly compensating for training difficulties that mobilisation has exacerbated by training new personnel on t

An orchard: a place where you tame trees, or try to – an act of hope | Helen Sullivan

My grandmother’s orchard stopped me in my tracks, and I only have to read the word to feel the shade of those trees Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email My grandmother had a small orchard in her garden in Johannesburg. It was a few plum and peach trees, and very shady. The leaves of the plum trees were purpley-green, almost black, and the ground was covered with the pits of decayed peaches, so that when I ran barefoot across the sunny garden with its dry grass, and into the orchard, I was forced to stop; it was like running over hard pebbles. And when I stood still, it was dark and smelled like rotting fruit. There were gnats hovering near the ground. I lifted my foot and looked at the hard folds on the peach pit. My shadow stopped at the orchard’s border, it could not cross. An orchard is a place where you tame trees, or try to. To plant one is an act of hope, the belief that home will mean abundance, that it is good to put down roots. “These trees came to stay,” is how Ri

‘We want to forge ahead’: grief and defiance as Dom Phillips’ widow journeys to site of his death

The Guardian journalist and his Brazilian colleague, Bruno Pereira, were shot dead in the Amazon in 2022 Alessandra Sampaio fell to her knees and wept as she clambered on to the boat’s deck and came face to face with the remote riverside clearing where her husband’s life was extinguished and hers turned upside down. The sound of Sampaio’s lament mixed with birdsong and the voice of an Indigenous shaman echoed through the jungle where the British journalist, Dom Phillips, and his Brazilian comrade Bruno Pereira were shot dead in June 2022 . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/g9RnjPX via IFTTT

Predictive blood test hailed as ‘incredibly exciting’ breast cancer breakthrough

New ‘liquid biopsy’ will act as an early warning sign to anticipate risk of tumours returning A new blood test can predict the risk of breast cancer returning three years before any tumours show up on scans in an “incredibly exciting” breakthrough that could help more women beat the disease for good. More than 2 million women are diagnosed every year with breast cancer, the most prevalent type of the disease. Although treatment has improved in recent decades, the cancer often returns, and if it does, it is usually at a more advanced stage. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/7BjzOSy via IFTTT

Did you pay for that? What is driving the massive rise in shoplifting?

High streets across the UK are struggling with an epidemic of stealing. What’s behind this sudden crime wave and can anything be done to stop it? A man leaves a north London branch of Aldi carrying two bags of groceries that he did not pay for. He hadn’t planned to steal, but after becoming exasperated with the slowness of staff attending to the various glitches and alarms of the self-checkout system, and assuming it would go unnoticed, decides to just walk out the door. He crosses the road and heads towards home. It’s a busy part of town and this kind of thing happens all the time. He doubts anyone in the store even noticed. But a voice calls after him, a security guard has given chase. The man, slightly panicked, doubles down and quickens his pace, pretending not to hear, but the guard keeps shouting, pleading for him to stop. In an attempt to lose his pursuer, the man ducks into a newsagent. The security guard enters, finds the man pretending to browse the fountain pens, and chall

‘It seems like a dream but it is reality’: Real Madrid win delights Ancelotti

‘We are not going to sleep!’ manager says of celebrations Jude Bellingham says: ‘Nights like tonight make it all worth it’ Carlo Ancelotti said that Real Madrid’s winning mentality helped them survive a major scare against Borussia Dortmund and claim a record 15th Champions League title. The German side dominated the first half at Wembley and it required a string of fine saves from Thibaut Courtois, who has spent most of the season out injured, to keep them level at the break. Those missed chances came back to haunt Dortmund, with Dani Carvajal heading home from a Toni Kroos corner 16 minutes from time before Vinícius Júnior made sure of the victory – the ninth successive European Cup final Madrid have contested in which they have emerged victorious. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/I5S2CJh via IFTTT
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