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Showing posts from June, 2025

Billy Searle pulls the strings as Leicester prove too strong for Saracens

Leicester 36-28 Saracens Tigers close gap on top four The temperature was zero at kick-off but when the pluses and minuses were totted up, Leicester were comfortably in credit and Saracens were out in the cold. A clinical and cohesive performance by Geoff Parling’s side has them looking upwards, contemplating the playoffs, while the Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, must reflect on his team’s inconsistency. As the regular season reaches halfway this was a highly significant mid-table encounter: Leicester in fifth, and sixth-placed Saracens still have ground to make up on the top four, but the home side narrowed the gap with an accomplished win. There were plenty of illustrious names on the teamsheet but it was Billy Searle, the Leicester fly-half, whose headline-grabbing performance won him player of the match. At 29, Searle has already played for five different professional clubs in England and three in France. On this sparkling form you wonder why any of them let him ...
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China hosts first fully autonomous AI robot football match

Footage of three-a-side game shows humanoids struggling to kick the ball or stay upright They think it’s all over … for human footballers at least. The pitch wasn’t the only artificial element on display at a football match on Saturday. Four teams of humanoid robots took each other on in Beijing, in games of three-a-side powered by artificial intelligence. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FjBGw8z via IFTTT
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Women’s Euro 2025 team guides: Netherlands

A lack of goals while narrowly avoiding a qualifying playoff shows they are not at their best, but Vivianne Miedema will surely make an impact This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2025 Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/s7W12yH via IFTTT
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Lifetime Isas ‘could lead to savers making poor investment choices’, MPs say

Committee says products may not be best use of public money and may have been mis-sold to people on certain benefits Lifetime Isas could lead to savers making poor investment decisions and may not be the best use of public money, a cross-party committee of MPs has said. In a report published on Monday, the Treasury select committee described rules which penalise benefit claimants as “nonsensical” and concluded that lifetime Isas , known as Lisas, may have been mis-sold to savers eligible for universal credit or housing benefit. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/OEY7Dx9 via IFTTT
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Notes from a nursing home: ‘We don’t speak of sadness here’

The nursing home becomes a vault, sealing away what disrupts the orderly march of life, writes aged care resident Andrew McKean . Yet there’s life here too I sit in my room in this nursing home near Sydney, a box of four walls that holds all I now call my own. Two suitcases could carry it: a few clothes, some worn books, a scattering of trinkets. The thought strikes me as both stark and oddly freeing. Not long ago my world was vast, a house with rooms I rarely entered, a garden that sprawled beyond need, two cars idling in the driveway, one barely driven. Now it’s gone. The house, the cars, the cartons overflowing in the garage, all sold, given away or abandoned. A heart attack and dwindling funds brought me here two and a half years ago. Family ties, thin as they are, keep me from moving anywhere away from here. I don’t resent it. I’ve seen the world, jungles, deserts, cities that glittered under foreign skies. That hunger is sated. This is a different journey, one of stillness, of ...
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Women’s Euro 2025 team guides: Sweden

Filippa Angeldahl, Stina Blackstenius and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd are among the world-class talents who will spearhead Sweden’s campaign This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2025 Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/qam4rOu via IFTTT
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When life gives you cumquats or kumquats make a marmalade and mezcal cocktail – recipe

Punchy and tangy, this winter cocktail is a household favourite for bartender Cara Devine . She shares her recipes for a Lady Marmalade and a ‘slapdash’ jam Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email In our Melbourne garden, the only fruit tree that produces with any regularity is a cumquat. Bitter little things, cumquats – spelled kumquats outside Australia – are not quite as versatile as most other citrus. So, I say “when life gives you cumquats, make marmalade!” – then use it in a punchy and tangy cocktail. The Lady Marmalade is a late-night specialty in our household. You can make a non-alcoholic version by shaking up the marmalade with a tangy fruit juice. Grapefruit with a splash of lime works well; the marmalade adds texture and complexity that elevates the juice to mocktail status. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/54yNILp via IFTTT
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Beautiful, isolated and expensive: US expats on life in New Zealand

Americans are showing renewed interest in moving to NZ. Those who have made the leap love its free healthcare and natural beauty, but warn fleeing is not a ‘golden parachute’ Californian Larry Keim has learned a thing or two in his 20 years living in New Zealand: good dill pickles are hard to come by, understanding kiwi slang will get you far, and if you think you’re going to get rich, forget it, “that ain’t gonna happen”. “But [New Zealand] is rich in so many other things that, at the end of the day, matter more.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/X0aMAlo via IFTTT
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Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer and Ariana Grande among new invited film Academy members

The annual list of creatives invited to join the Academy also includes Andrew Scott, Gillian Anderson, Mikey Madison and Jason Momoa Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer and Ariana Grande are among the names invited to join the film Academy in this year’s just announced list. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended the invite to 534 names this year, up from last year’s total of 487. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/roWRLlc via IFTTT
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Will the Democrats learn from Zohran Mamdani’s victory? | Bernie Sanders

Too many Democratic party leaders would rather be the captains on a sinking Titanic than change course The Democratic party is at a crossroads. It can continue to push policies that maintain a broken and rigged economic and political system and ignore the pain of the 60% of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck. It can turn its back on the dreams of a younger generation which, if we don’t change that system, will likely be worse off than their parents. Bernie Sanders is a US senator, and ranking member of the health, education, labor and pensions committee. He represents the state of Vermont and is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2HmhRqt via IFTTT
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Pep Guardiola warns Manchester City ‘will have to suffer’ against Juventus

Manager expecting Florida heat to disrupt team’s rhythm Injured Claudio Echeverri out for rest of tournament Pep Guardiola says that Manchester City “will have to suffer” against Juventus in the heat at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, with the conditions disrupting the team’s rhythm and affecting who he selects. If City beat Juve they will top Group G and avoid the winners of Group H, from which two of Real Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Hilal will progress. Temperatures for the game may be above 30C and Guardiola was asked about the conditions. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/h9aAE84 via IFTTT
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Women’s Euro 2025 team guides: Belgium

Stop Tessa Wullaert and you stop Belgium? Improving side will hope to prove they are more than a one-woman team This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2025 Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KD9uBCk via IFTTT
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Israel-Iran war live: Trump declares ceasefire in ‘12-day war’ hours after Tehran attacks US base in Qatar

Iranian foreign minister says its armed forces continued attacks on Israel ‘until the very last minute’, Qatar’s air defences ‘successfully’ repelled Iranian strikes Full report: Trump says Israel and Iran have negotiated ‘complete’ ceasefire Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/9ZL0KCG via IFTTT
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Mick Ralphs, founding member of Mott the Hoople and Bad Company, dies aged 81

The English guitarist, who had been bedridden after a stroke in 2016, is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November Mick Ralphs, singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, has died aged 81. A statement posted to the band’s official website on Monday announced Ralphs’ death. Ralphs had a stroke days after what would be his final performance with Bad Company at London’s O2 Arena in 2016, and had been bedridden ever since, the statement said. No further details on the circumstances of his death were provided. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FUzd3Rk via IFTTT
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Women’s Euro 2025 team guides: Norway

After disappointing in the past two major tournaments, including an 8-0 defeat by England, the Scandinavians are looking to improve under a new head coach This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2025 Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kZPI6df via IFTTT
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Ashley Walters says he limits son’s screen time since Adolescence role

Actor says it is good thing that Netflix hit has started conversations about phone use and parenting The Adolescence star Ashley Walters has said the show led him to limit one of his sons’ screen time, and that he “can’t even touch his device” for half of the week. The 42-year-old, who played DI Luke Bascombe in the series, said he had started “drawing back on his son’s screen time” because of concern he was not always doing what he said he was. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/HmXxbSv via IFTTT
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Duckett praises Pope for shrugging off England pressure with century against India

Pope deals with Bumrah to compile ninth Test ton Duckett: ‘He’s just stayed true to the way he plays’ Ben Duckett paid tribute to Ollie Pope’s approach after the No 3 made 100 not out on day two of the first Test against India at Headingley, saying the vice-captain “just stayed true to the way he plays” as England battled their way back into the game. Pope shrugged off the combined pressure of coming to the crease with his side in trouble and with his own place in the team being the subject of constant debate. He did so by dealing with Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s best bowler, in glorious form and by coping with the worst batting conditions of the game to compile his ninth Test century , sealed in the final moments of an extended day, with celebrations both in the middle and in England’s dressing room. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1fOHZJ6 via IFTTT
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‘It can be a really lonely journey’: Myles Lewis-Skelly’s mum Marcia on being a star’s parent and agent

Marcia Lewis has handled her son’s stellar rise by becoming an agent and setting up No1Fan.club to support parents of children in academies If Marcia Lewis has learned anything in the past seven years, it is to keep pushing. “They probably thought by now I’d have disappeared,” the mother of the Arsenal and England left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly says with a laugh. “But I’m not that kind of girl. If I want to do something, I’m going to do it.” In March Lewis-Skelly, at the age of 18, became the youngest player to score on his England debut , and life has changed considerably for Lewis since she received a call from an agent who wanted to represent her son when he was 11. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/AFhdKYe via IFTTT
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Thai PM apologises over leaked call with Hun Sen as crisis threatens to topple government

In the phone call, Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra discusses a border dispute with former Cambodian leader and calls him ‘uncle’ Thailand’ s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra , apologised on Thursday for a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that provoked widespread anger and threatened to break up her ruling coalition. As pressure grew on Thursday, Paetongtarn apologised at a news conference alongside military chiefs and senior figures from her Pheu Thai party. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/SmH0Xso via IFTTT
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Ukraine war briefing: Russia ‘on verge of recession’, Putin minister tells economic showcase

Drone attacks on Kharkiv and Odesa; don’t forget about Ukraine because of Iran-Israel fighting, say Kyiv officials. What we know on day 1,213 Vladimir Putin’s economy minister has warned that Russia is “on the verge” of recession as he spoke on the second day of a signature event meant to bolster economic confidence. The minister, Maxim Reshetnikov, said at the St Petersburg economic forum that his view was based on “current business sentiment and indicators” pointing to a slowdown . “Everything else depends on our decisions,” Reshetnikov said, calling for the central bank to show a “little love for the economy”. Russia’s central bank raised interest rates to an eye-watering 21% in October 2024 to combat inflation and kept them at that level until this month when it eased them to 20%. Russia’s economic growth slowed to 1.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest quarterly figure in two years. Prices are rising across the economy driven up by massive government spend...
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Fire chiefs warn of barbecue wildfire risk amid amber heat alerts in England

Concerns raised about lighting outdoor fires after more than 500 blazes in the UK this year Fire chiefs have issued a warning over outdoor fires and barbecues after a sevenfold increase in UK wildfires , as amber heat alerts were issued across England before what is expected to be a scorching weekend. The UK has already experienced more than 500 wildfires this year, with incidents up 717% compared with the same period in 2024. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YAhqHQ via IFTTT
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Portraits so powerful they override reality – Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting review

National Portrait Gallery, London Saville’s colossal canvases are filled with bloodied mouths, epically thrusting nipples and meaty legs – and her tender Degas-like drawings are truly lovely The posters and grand title of Jenny Saville’s retrospective scream paint! – in red, pink and bruise colours – but you need to look at her exquisite drawings to get the measure of her. In Neck Study II a woman, eyes closed, holds up her head so we can study the curves and dips of flesh on her stretched neck. Saville notes these anatomical realities with a pencil in precise nuances of shading, also observing every contour of her face and the bones under her thin shoulders. It is beautiful. It is true. So what the hell – I thought – was she doing in the adjacent gallery where massively enlarged faces, pummelled by life and her art, are lit as harshly as flash photographs? They include her portrait of a boy with a bloodied beaten face, lip twisted, eyes dazed, used for the cover of a Manic Street P...
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Waterstones debut fiction prize 2025 shortlist announced

Six ‘inspiring new voices’ made the list, which features a Saltburn-style summer holiday and a Swedish bestseller Waterstones has selected six “astonishingly impressive and inspiring new voices” for its fourth debut fiction prize shortlist, including Catherine Airey, William Rayfet Hunter and Lucy Steeds. The shortlist, which also features Gurnaik Johal, Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin and Lisa Ridzén, represents a “bright and promising future for fiction”, said Bea Carvalho, head of books at Waterstones. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/wJjmWT7 via IFTTT
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European leaders to press Trump on Israel-Iran strategy at G7 meeting

Leaders gathering for summit in Canada intend to pin US president down on his whole Iran strategy Middle East crisis – live updates European leaders gathering for a G7 summit with Donald Trump in the Canadian Rockies plan to spend the opening day asking Trump to justify his confidence that Israel and Iran will make a deal that will mean “peace soon”. As the military exchanges worsen and the death toll mounts on both sides, European leaders are intending to pin the US president down on his whole Iran strategy, including getting a definitive response on whether he will use his influence over Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to call a ceasefire, or instead let the war run its course. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/fNjod9z via IFTTT
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McLaren play it cool after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collide

Briton forced out of Canadian GP with three laps left George Russell claims first win of season for Mercedes McLaren attempted to play down any acrimony between its drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after they collided at the Canadian GP, which saw the Briton crash out, as George Russell claimed a decisive victory for Mercedes after starting on pole. Norris’s failure to finish, crashing out from fifth place with three laps left, means that the Australian, who finished fourth, increases his championship lead over his teammate to 22 points. Russell now sits in fourth in the standings, 62 points off Piastri. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5GpnbQK via IFTTT
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Cloughie’s notes, Hillman Imps and Bela Lugosi: my glorious trove of old Forest programmes

Dusting off a pile of matchday gems from the City Ground spanning 50 years reveals a rich seam of cultural and sporting delights What to do with the pile of vintage Nottingham Forest programmes that came into my possession several years ago? At first, standard protocol was observed for uncategorised piles of paper. The 21 City Ground programmes, spanning 50 years from September 1963 to November 2012, were packed away in a dark cupboard, ignored and unread. But finally taking the time to study them has paid dividends: a rich seam of history leaps off the pages in clear, elegant black-and-white type. Forest’s presence in the top-flight’s upper echelons evoked the club’s halcyon days and plenty has been written about the Brian Clough-Peter Taylor era. Less attention has focused on Clough’s often entertaining programme notes during his 18-year tenure – while the editions outside Clough’s time are a fascinating way of charting Forest’s trajectory, as well as how profoundly football and wi...
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Trump’s military parade under way amid mass protests across US; some rallies thwarted by violence and threats - live

Millions show up to thousands of anti-Trump demonstrations despite killings in Minnesota; Virginia and San Francisco report vehicles driving into crowds Full report: Millions across US turn out for anti-Trump protests Tanks to roll through Washington as Trump hosts US military parade It will be a parade fit for a king – which is precisely why critics worry what message it will send the rest of the world about the future of democracy in America. On Saturday, there will be tanks on the streets of the nation’s capital as Washington hosts a celebration of the US army’s 250th anniversary, which happens to coincide with Donald Trump ’s 79th birthday. North Korea: military parades. China: military parades. Russia: military parades. These aren’t parades to celebrate a victory and it’s certainly not to celebrate the United States army’s birthday. This is a parade to aggrandise Donald Trump’s ego. No one who knows either Trump or his pattern of behavior would think for a minute thi...
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Leicester coach Cheika hits out at Cole yellow card after final defeat by Bath

Forward sent to sin bin after collision with Finn Russell Ben Spencer believes ‘sky is the limit’ for Bath Michael Cheika, the Leicester head coach, took issue with the officiating after his side’s playoff final defeat by Bath , describing the late yellow card shown to Dan Cole after an aerial collision with Finn Russell as “embarrassing for the game” and “hardly even a penalty”. The Australian was also less than impressed with how the scrum was refereed. “I’ve never seen it before in my life, dominating like that and getting nothing, zero. In fact, getting penalised against. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BWzsH4D via IFTTT
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ECB likely to continue as host of World Test Championship finals until at least 2031

Decision expected to be ratified at ICC conference in July WTC win would be ‘massive’, says South Africa coach The third day of the World Test Championship final ended amid raucous scenes among the South Africa fans in the stands but possibly also with popping corks in the Lord’s pavilion as it emerged that England is likely to host the showpiece event for another three cycles. Arun Singh Dhumal, chair of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, informed the International Cricket Council in April that it would like to host the next final in 2027 and such is the BCCI’s power in the international game the move was seen as overwhelmingly likely. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/8FeWzT2 via IFTTT
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US Open: Rory McIlroy makes cut as defending champion DeChambeau bows out at Oakmont

Northern Irishman’s birdie on 18th secures place Big names tumble out as DeChambeau finishes on +10 Clubs were thrown but the towel was not. Rory McIlroy battled Oakmont’s treacherous setup and his own frustrations to survive for the weekend at the 125 th US Open. As McIlroy clung on, high-profile exits from Pennsylvania included the defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, Justin Thomas and Shane Lowry. In epitomising how Oakmont can mess with the mind, Lowry earned a one-stroke penalty after lifting his ball on the 14 th green while forgetting to mark it. The Irishman could only laugh and, to be fair, did. McIlroy’s day began with two double bogeys inside three holes. By the 12 th , the Masters champion flung his iron 30 yards down the fairway in anger at a loose shot. Five holes later, McIlroy broke a tee marker after cracking it with his three-wood. Yet amongst this was admirable fighting spirit; McIlroy fired an approach sh...
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Storehouse review – an exasperating wander through the internet’s ‘arkive’

Deptford Storehouse, London While Liana Patarkatsishvili’s gargantuan immersive show looks spectacular, too many ideas are thrown about without being tethered to a story The disused warehouse given over to this immersive production was once a storehouse for newspapers (Rupert Murdoch’s, in fact). So it is well suited to the show’s central concern – the archiving of words, although the fictive “arkive” stored here is for every single digital expression since the inception of the internet in 1983. It is impressively gargantuan, with rooms as big as aeroplane hangars. Within them there are tight tunnels made of wicker or white padded material, the latter reminiscent of Punchdrunk’s Viola’s Room , also staged in a vast space. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/v61C3dV via IFTTT
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Rory McIlroy stumbles in US Open first round as JJ Spaun strides into lead

McIlroy endures bruising finish to opening round Spaun ends with one-stroke lead over Thriston Lawrence There was a Thursday spell where it felt like Oakmont had poked the bear. Rory McIlroy was two under par, he had fired a drive 392 yards; it felt as if the Masters champion had his mojo back. McIlroy has been in uncharted, strange psychological territory since completion of the career grand slam at Augusta National in April. Oakmont and the US Open then jabbed back in the manner only Oakmont and the US Open know. By the time McIlroy walked from the ninth green, his last, he had taken 74 shots including a second half of 41. He took a double-bogey five at the 8th. McIlroy’s demeanour showed he still cares. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/vcNAtVU via IFTTT
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Stormzy takes first acting role as he launches film production company

After music, publishing, sports and philanthropy, rapper expands into film-making with lead role in Big Man, a short film premiering on YouTube After conquering the charts , Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage and launching his own publishing imprint , Stormzy is taking his first steps into the world of movies with starring in a short film about the travails of an ex-rapper. Big Man will be made by the rap star’s own production company Merky Films in association with Apple, and feature Stormzy – in a sizable wig – as the lead character Tenzman, “a former rap star now navigating a restless and uncertain chapter of his life”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/vMDU5OF via IFTTT
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ICC chair Jay Shah likes what he sees at Lord’s and that can only be a good thing | Andy Bull

MCC is cosying up to Shah during World Test Championship between South Africa and Australia Lord’s looks a little different this week. The grass is the same shade of green, the pavilion still terracotta red, but the International Cricket Council, which runs the World Test Championship, has papered over every last trace of everyone else’s branding, from the posters outside publicising Middlesex’s upcoming games, to the sponsors’ logos spray-painted on the outfield. They’ve changed every last hoarding and billboard around the ground, and reprogrammed the three big screens so that they display, throughout the game, the slogans of their own sponsors. “Thums up Cola! Taste the Thunder!” They’ve even installed six big bright-orange sofas in the Allen Stand, on behalf of Sobha Realty, which goes by the motto “Art of the Detail”. There were unconfirmed rumours that an apparatchik had been spotted taping over the egg-and-bacon stripes on the members’ ties. Anything to make sure everything is ...
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Against the grain: as prices and temperatures rise, can Japan learn to love imported rice?

The political and cultural insulation of Japan’s beloved grain is falling apart, and experts warn the country’s relationship with the staple will have to adapt It’s cheap, filling and a time-honoured way for office workers to calm their hunger pangs. Lunchtime diners at fast-food restaurants in central Tokyo are here for one thing: gyudon – thinly sliced beef and onions on rice. The topping is rich and moreish, but it’s the stickiness of the plump japonica grains beneath that make this one of Japan’s best-loved comfort foods. Rice cultivation in Japan stretches back thousands of years. In the Edo period (1603-1868), a meal for most people meant a simple bowl of unpolished grain, while members of the samurai class measured their wealth in rice bales. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/sAiB1Zo via IFTTT
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High stakes and a shot at silverware: WTC final will sparkle despite critics | Ali Martin

It may not be the pinnacle of cricket’s most storied format but it does provide a spectacle beyond established rivalries It was the pandemic that forced the first World Test Championship final to be staged at the biosecure Rose Bowl in 2021, then commercial snags that led to it being held at the Oval two years later. But having been intended for both, Lord’s finally gets its chance this week, the defending champions Australia taking on South Africa for the right to lift the oversized Chupa Chup that is the ICC Test Championship Mace. This will probably prompt eyerolls in some territories, even if June ruled out a fair number of them from acting as hosts. Another argument in favour of Lord’s is the ground’s history and prestige coupled with London’s diversity. Despite England not making the final, likewise India and their jet- set supporters, the first four days in St John’s Wood are sold out. Where else in the world could guarantee this turnout for a “neutral” final? Continue readin...
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Variety of wildlife in UK’s woodlands falling as habitats degrade, says report

Only 7% of Britain’s woodlands in good condition, while number of birds fell by 15% over last five years The variety of wildlife in the UK’s woodlands continues to decline as the habitats deteriorate, according to a new report. The Woodland Trust found that the progressively worsening ecological condition of woodlands is making them a less effective habitat for the wildlife living in them. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/IGqw7jV via IFTTT
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I have seen the light and it’s Tracey Emin’s Jesus – RA Summer Exhibition review

Royal Academy of Art, London With an extraordinary painting by Emin, great works by Cindy Sherman, Cornelia Parker and Sean Scully, assisted by some perving from Allen Jones, this annual jamboree has returned to relevance Halfway through the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, I was woken up by Jesus (but more on this shortly). Suddenly, as I came to, the whole place appeared alive and more and more good stuff leapt out from the 1,600 works on view. What’s that upsidedown stag? It’s by the 87-year-old German master Georg Baselitz. As for those convex mirrors above your head, reflecting you and the floor in radical foreshortening, that’s an installation by Cornelia Parker. In the same room hang eviscerated animal carcasses hooked up on chains, made of textiles by Tamara Kostianovsky. But it’s Jesus who lifts this exhibition out of the ordinary. He moves towards you like a shark in the illusion created by Tracey Emin’s painting The Crucifixion. And like a shark, he is frightening. I th...
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Ally Wollaston pips British teenager Cat Ferguson to Tour of Britain title

New Zealand cyclist claims overall victory at the last Lorena Wiebes takes stage win for SD Worx-Protime Teenage prodigy Cat Ferguson came within a hair’s breadth of executing a memorable overall win in her debut Tour of Britain, but was outsprinted by her rival Ally Wollaston at the climax of the final stage in Glasgow. The pair came into the final sprint tied on time, after Wollaston had erased the 19-year-old Ferguson’s overall lead. Bonus seconds for third place in the final sprint, behind the stage winner, Lorena Wiebes, was enough for the New Zealander to snatch the overall win. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CDyf6kp via IFTTT
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Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe shot at campaign event

39-year-old opposition senator reportedly hospitalised in serious condition after being shot in the back, with one suspect arrested The Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has been shot in Bogotá, with reports he was taken to hospital in a serious condition. The 39-year-old senator, who is running for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Centre party founded by the former president Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/PahGxDw via IFTTT
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Ukraine war briefing: Putin yet to retaliate in full force over Operation Spiderweb, officials say

Diplomat predicts ‘huge, vicious and unrelenting’ assault, though a Russia expert thinks Moscow is unable to escalate much beyond current level of attacks. What we know on day 1,201 See all our Ukraine war coverage Vladimir Putin’s threatened retaliation against Ukraine over its drone attack on Russia’s bomber fleet has not happened yet in earnest, despite heavy bombardment of Kharkiv and Kyiv the past two days, and is likely to be a significant, multi-pronged strike soon, US officials have told Reuters. One senior western diplomat anticipated a “huge, vicious and unrelenting” assault by Moscow. Michael Kofman, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Russia might seek to punish Ukraine’s SBU domestic security agency which orchestrated last weekend’s assault, possibly employing intermediate-range ballistic missiles, as well as targeting defence manufacturing sites. Still, Kofman suggested Russia’s options for retaliation may be limited, as it ...
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Chris Hadfield: ‘Worst space chore? Fixing the toilet. It’s even worse when it’s weightless’

Canada’s most famous astronaut on his unusual party trick, predictions on extraterrestrial life and favourite space movies What’s the most chaotic thing that’s ever happened to you in space? L​aunch – you go from no speed at all to 17,500 miles an hour in under nine minutes. The chaos is spectacular, the power of it is just wild, the physical vibration and force of it is mind-numbing – and it all happens so blisteringly fast. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, you go from lying on your back in Florida to being weightless in space. It’s just the most amazing, chaotic, spectacular, rare human experience I’ve ever had. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pmWEMNc via IFTTT
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Ministers commit to £86bn for ‘breakthrough’ UK science and tech R&D

Mayors welcome £500m set aside for regional authorities to target investment locally New drug treatments, longer-lasting batteries and developing artificial intelligence are among research projects that will receive funding as part of an £86bn government investment into science and technology. Ministers have announced a £22.5bn a year commitment in research and development (R&D) over the next four years, including up to £500m for regional authorities to target the investment locally. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zCui8Fg via IFTTT
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Ukraine war briefing: We bomb their warplanes, they bomb our civilians, says foreign minister

Repeated shutdowns at Moscow airports due to drone threat; military airfields and fuel depots inside Russia hit. What we know on day 1,200 Russia’s missile and drone barrage against Kyiv on Friday killed at least six people , Ukrainian officials said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said three emergency workers who went to a bomb site were “killed in a repeat Russian strike”. Two died in an attack on the northern city of Chernihiv and at least one more in the north-western city of Lutsk. Eighty people were injured in attacks across Ukraine . Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Russia had “‘responded’ to its destroyed aircraft … by attacking civilians in Ukraine … Multi-storey buildings hit. Energy infrastructure damaged.” Ukrainian spies last weekend destroyed Russian strategic bomber aircraft on the ground using quadcopter drones hidden on top of trucks in Operation Spiderweb . Russian aviation authorities restricted flights at Moscow regional airports on...
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Donald Trump says Elon Musk has ‘lost his mind’ and dismisses peace offering

Trump says he is ‘not particularly’ interested in reconciling with Musk, who reportedly wanted to speak to president Money can’t buy love: Republicans give Musk cold shoulder Trump v Musk: 10 ways they can further hurt each other Donald Trump has accused Elon Musk of “losing his mind” as the dramatic breakdown between America’s most powerful person and the world’s richest person escalated into a full-blown feud that could have seismic political and economic consequences. In a series of phone calls to US media on Friday morning, Trump snapped back at Musk, after the tech mogul and Republican financier launched an extraordinary social media attack on the president the day before, which ended with him accusing Trump of being named in the so-called “Epstein files” – documents related to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WUZ7ujb via IFTTT
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Scottish Labour win pivotal Holyrood byelection, beating incumbent SNP and surging Reform UK

Voters in the central seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse rallied around popular local candidate Davy Russell Scottish Labour has won a pivotal Holyrood byelection, beating the incumbent SNP and fighting off Reform UK’s aggressive racist campaigning, in a remarkable turnaround of fortunes that will boost the party ahead of next year’s Scottish parliamentary elections. Voters in the central Scotland seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse rallied round the popular local candidate Davy Russell after a toxic campaign that saw Nigel Farage launch an unprecedented series of personal racist attacks on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZeHjbom via IFTTT
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Convention on human rights must adapt, says Council of Europe head

Alain Berset acknowledged growing criticism of the 75-year-old treaty, but said any changes must also respect ‘our core values’ The European convention on human rights (ECHR) must adapt while continuing to uphold its core values, the head of a European rights council has said. Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe (CoE), acknowledged growing criticism of the 75-year-old treaty, but said reform should be approached with care and rooted in shared democratic principles. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/K2ER8SP via IFTTT
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Epsom aims to put showpiece Classic back at level of Kentucky Derby

FA equipment borrowed to make draw for 264th Classic ‘My job to try to bring crowds back,’ says course manager Having staged the draw for last year’s Derby with hand-scrawled ping-pong balls outside the local Wetherspoons, the only way was up before the 246th running of the Epsom Classic and there was a welcome sense of occasion and sporting heritage as 19 runners – the biggest field since 2003 – were handed their spots in the starting stalls for the race on Saturday. For that, thanks were due in no small measure to the Football Association, which agreed to lend its famous balls, velvet bag and Perspex bowl, familiar from FA Cup draws gone by, for the ceremony. As Willie Carson, four times a winner of the Classic and on hand to draw the stall numbers, pointed out during the rehearsal, the FA’s crest was still obvious on the bag. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mESQWFC via IFTTT
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Hamad Butt: Apprehensions review – beauty and violence from a lost and dangerous YBA

Whitechapel Gallery, London He died before his time but Hamad Butt’s sublimely hazardous retrospective of mustard gas baubles and blinding lights is a thrilling mix of the nostalgic and new Flies crawl about in a triptych of glass-fronted cabinets, while in another installation you gradually realise the fragile bottles you’re looking at are full of poisonous gas, lethal to humans. Does this remind you of anyone? Hamad Butt is the Damien Hirst who got away, the Young British Artist of the 1990s who didn’t win the Turner prize, make millions or lose his youthful talent and turn into a bloated mediocrity. Now he is a cult figure precisely because he is none of those things and can instead be presented as if he was a complete unknown, whose art expresses his queer Pakistani identity rather than being part of a fin-de-siecle art movement of sensation and creepy science. I couldn’t find any reference, even in the moving array of Butt’s working documents on show, to the fact he studied at...
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Wheel of 20th-century Italian cheese smashes record for oldest parmesan

Parmigiano reggiano opened after 27 years and three months – maturing for six years longer than previous holder A wheel of parmigiano reggiano has been celebrated as “an authentic jewel of nature” after setting a longevity record for parmesan cheese. The still-edible 36kg wheel was one of the last made in 1998 by Romano and Silvia Camorani at their dairy in Poviglio, a small town near Parma in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3PvKu2V via IFTTT
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Edinburgh fringe event organisers urged to capitalise on Oasis and AC/DC gigs

Fringe Society CEO says venues could offer concertgoers ‘morning after’ shows or tempt residents who ‘want to hide’ Organisers of Edinburgh fringe events have been urged to be “pretty smart” and capitalise on the decision by Oasis and AC/DC to play gigs in the city midway through the festival. There was surprise and irritation when it emerged the bands would be staging four concerts at Murrayfield stadium in mid-August when the world’s largest arts festival is in full flow. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/d1oslhn via IFTTT
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English mayors push for visitor levy to boost income from tourism

Group led by Steve Rotheram says introducing local tourism tax would empower regional growth A coalition of mayors from across England are urging the government to allow local authorities to bring in a Barcelona-style visitor levy to generate income from tourism. The group, led by the Liverpool city region mayor, Steve Rotheram, argues that a visitor levy would unlock vital funding for tourism and cultural infrastructure, empower regional growth and reduce dependence on central government funding. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/LfZhnua via IFTTT
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Relatives of 1994 Chinook crash victims initiate legal action against MoD

All 29 onboard, including crew and MI5, RUC and army officers, died when RAF aircraft crashed on Mull of Kintyre Relatives of intelligence officers and military personnel killed in a 1994 RAF helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre have taken the first step in legal action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Twenty-nine people – including officers from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the army, along with the helicopter’s special forces crew – died after RAF Chinook ZD576 crashed in foggy weather in south-west Scotland on 2 June 1994. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tcGCxQl via IFTTT
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Sweden’s Maja Stark holds off Nelly Korda to win first major at US Women’s Open

25-year-old wins by two shots at Erin Hills Korda finishes in tie for second with Rio Takeda Maja Stark has won tournaments around the world, but a professional victory in the United States eluded her. Now she is a US Women’s Open champion. The Swede shot an even-par 72 to win the second major of the year by two shots on Sunday at Erin Hills. Stark led the championship by one stroke through 54 holes and outlasted the World No 1, Nelly Korda, who got within a shot of the lead before petering out on the back nine. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/yWgHMP3 via IFTTT
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