The Voice Reveal

‘Astonishing’ signs of regrowth discovered on world-famous tree, whose destruction led to outpouring of grief The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree brought forth an outpouring of emotion last year, with local people and tourists alike left bereft by pictures showing it on its side. But the latest stage of the saga has brought some “astonishing” green shoots of recovery, the National Trust has said – in a literal and metaphorical sense. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/t3sThFK via IFTTT

American dream played out in piece of irresistible theatre to bury the memories of the Damned Games of Tokyo Of course there was theatre at the very end. Two hours into this women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team final, with the USA coasting grandly at the head of the field, the logistics of competition left Simone Biles with one final act to stop the show. Three years on from Tokyo and The Breakdown, the only discipline remaining in that same team event was the Biles floor routine. And so in front of Bill Gates, Gianni Infantino, Serena Williams and Spike Lee, in front of the eyes of the world as ever, Simone Biles got to dance like no one was watching. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/i2yWdjT via IFTTT

French hero who took her baby daughter to training before Paris 2024 says: ‘I want women athletes to feel free’ She is one of France’s best-loved women sports stars, a martial arts hero hailed for breaking taboos over motherhood in elite sport by bringing her baby to training. So when the French judo star, Clarisse Agbégnénou, took the bronze medal in the under-63kg category on Tuesday and held aloft her baby daughter, Athéna, the adoring crowd went wild. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/wUL1zeo via IFTTT

Athletes becoming more strict with precautions Team GB’s Whittle: ‘Hand ­sanitising, wearing masks’ Further evidence of concern about the impact of Covid on swimming elements of the Olympics appeared on Tuesday night, when coaching teams of several nations – including Team GB – donned masks in the stand at La Défense Arena. There is no mandatory requirement to withdraw from the Games in cases of Covid, leaving nations to implement their own policies with athletes and staff. Adam Peaty confirmed he had tested positive after finishing in the silver‑medal position of the 100m breaststroke on Sunday evening. Peaty hopes to recover to take on relay roles at the weekend. Matters quickly extended beyond Team GB. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/AKXghIc via IFTTT

Olympic rower says men with children also expect their careers will last longer than women who are parents The Olympic rower Helen Glover has said fathers on Team GB receive less scrutiny for being parents than female peers and have expectations that their careers will last longer. As the world’s No 1 female rower and a two-time Olympic champion, Glover, who has three children, has long been an advocate for working mothers and since announcing her return from retirement a year ago to compete in Paris has been outspoken about the difficulties of juggling parenthood as an elite athlete. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Lc5i6br via IFTTT

Experts say policy changes that include scrapping Māori-led programs will harm communities and put New Zealand’s ‘great reputation’ at risk Revealed: the impact of shifts to policies affecting Māori Leading Māori figures from across New Zealand have sounded the alarm over the government’s changes to policies that affect Māori, after analysis by the Guardian highlighted the far-reaching scope of the proposals. The policy shifts proposed by the rightwing coalition have been described by experts as “chilling” and “dangerous” and have created a “deeply fractured” relationship between Māori and the crown, or ruling authorities. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/OtWil5T via IFTTT

Jonny Clothier was refused graduation at Bristol University over unpaid bill relating to flatmate’s bird A man who was denied his graduation for 41 years because of an unpaid bill of £64.80 relating to a parrot has finally donned his cap and gown on the same day as his son. Jonny Clothier studied architecture at the University of Bristol and was meant to graduate with his peers in 1983. But his old flatmate had a parrot which, after being left unsupervised, had free run of their university accommodation and was said to have wrecked the place. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/rSpTlKP via IFTTT

Phillipps, who has died aged 61, led one of New Zealand’s shining musical exports but the band was dogged by tragedy and his personal struggles Martin Phillipps, founder of New Zealand rock band the Chills, dies at 61 It is one of the great opening lines, by anyone: “Each evening the sun sets in five billion places, seen by 10 billion eyes, set in five billion faces.” The words are from Heavenly Pop Hit by the Chills , a band from Dunedin, New Zealand. There’s a good chance you know it, but there’s also a fair chance you don’t – in which case, stay with me. The author was Martin Phillipps, who has died suddenly at the age of 61 . It is far too young, although there are some who will think he did well to make it into a seventh decade. Others, who saw the resurrection of Phillipps’ stop-start career and his improved health, will feel the terrible curse that dogged his band has struck again. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/u3qbw4W via IFTTT

Embattled operator says sites in Glasgow, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, Yate and Swindon now ‘unviable’ Cineworld has said it will close six venues across Britain as part of a plan to cut costs, as the debt-laden chain continues to struggle with the headwinds facing the cinema industry. The affected sites will be Glasgow Parkhead, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, Yate and Swindon – Regent Circus. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/nbpZ5Fi via IFTTT

With Bank of England meeting on 1 August, people are advised to take advantage of top-paying accounts now Experts are split on whether there will be a UK interest rate cut on Thursday but most agree on one thing: savers should “act now” to lock into the best rates while they are still available. All eyes will be on the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee when it meets on 1 August, although while some believe we could see it announce the first base rate cut in more than four years, others reckon we will have to wait until at least September. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mxUBJlS via IFTTT

The Parisian rain showed there is a good reason why Olympic opening ceremonies are held in stadiums Avant: le deluge. There was a moment, about an hour into Paris 2024’s Grand Opening Spectacular, as the rain soaked through shoes, trousers, socks and eventually skin, hair and bone; as yet more boats of waving people chugged down the Seine, like watching an endless series of weirdly nationalistic office parties; as some men did some dancing in a place, for reasons that frankly seemed quite remote at that point, where a thought occurred. Maybe this wasn’t just the worst Olympic opening ceremony ever. Maybe this wasn’t the worst outdoor event ever. Maybe this was the worst thing ever. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mXUwMtG via IFTTT

Ukraine’s foreign minister calls on Hong Kong to prevent Russia from using region to circumvent sanctions; drone debris lands in Romania. What we know on day 884 The Pentagon has found $2bn worth of additional errors in its calculations for ammunition, missiles and other equipment sent to Ukraine , increasing the improperly valued material to a total of $8.2bn, a US government report revealed on Thursday. In 2023, the Pentagon said staff used “replacement value” instead of “depreciated value” to tabulate the billions in materials sent to Ukraine. The $6.2bn error created a path for billions more to be sent to Kyiv. Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on Hong Kong to prevent Russia and Russian businesses from using the region to circumvent sanctions . Kuleba met with Hong Kong leader John Lee as part of a visit to China. He called on the administration to prevent Russia from using Hong Kong to circumvent restrictions resulting from Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to...

Health secretary’s comments follow finding that Care Quality Commission struggling to identify performance issues in hospitals and care homes Wes Streeting has called England’s healthcare watchdog “not fit for purpose” after an interim report found significant failings were hampering its ability to identify poor performance at hospitals, care homes and GP practices. The health and social care secretary promised to “grip the crisis” at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) by taking immediate action to increase oversight of the body and giving patients more confidence in their care. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/MCPmNkv via IFTTT

Science secretary backs five quantum technology hubs in push for UK to transform healthcare and industry Britain’s plans to create advanced devices based on the mind-bending physics of the quantum world have received a £100m boost, in a move ministers hope will have a transformative impact on healthcare, transport and national security. Peter Kyle, the science secretary has announced funds to establish five quantum technology hubs across England and Scotland. They will work with industry and government to develop and commercialise devices and ultimately drive a new economy. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/SifjVU7 via IFTTT

Vice Admiral Eduardo Santos was in charge of the Philippine navy at a time of ‘creeping invasion’ by China. Then along came an unusual idea More than 25 years ago, the BRP Sierra Madre was sent off for one final, secret voyage. In the darkness of night, the Philippine navy ship sailed from Manila Bay into the remote waters of the South China Sea. Then, to the surprise of many, it ran aground, and hasn’t moved since. “I did it as quietly as I could, so I would not raise any hackles among anybody,” says Vice Adm Eduardo Santos, who was chief of the navy at the time. To him, it was a case of mission accomplished. His plan had been to run the ship on to a small reef known as Second Thomas Shoal, one of the world’s most fiercely contested maritime sites, without China knowing. The move would help the Philippines defend the area for decades to come. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/gQBl0Ez via IFTTT

We’re making the case for 21st-century, modern public ownership that serves our communities Ed Miliband is the energy secretary The public voted for change at the general election. Perhaps nowhere more than when it comes to energy. Every person and business has paid the price of our country’s energy insecurity. As Vladimir Putin sought to use energy as a weapon in his illegal invasion of Ukraine, bills went through the roof in a cost of living crisis unprecedented in modern times. As the Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently made clear, there is one obvious answer to preventing us being so exposed again – a sprint for homegrown clean energy. As it said in its progress report to parliament last week: “British-based renewable energy is the cheapest and fastest way to reduce vulnerability to volatile global fossil-fuel markets. The faster we get off fossil fuels, the more secure we become.” Ed Miliband is the Labour MP for Doncaster North and secretary of state for energy securit...

Report warns of crisis of poverty and mental health which ‘casts a shadow’ over young people’s wellbeing Ministers have been urged to reform the benefits system to tackle child poverty, after a report found it to be a major cause of mental illness that “casts a shadow” over young people’s wellbeing. The report, by the Centre for Mental Health, Save the Children UK and the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, found that the number of children living in poverty in the UK had increased to 4.3 million, while one in five children and young people aged between eight and 24 had a diagnosable mental health problem. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/GfdKMIw via IFTTT

Previous studies had suggested men could sense changes in body odour, but recent test found no compelling evidence The widespread belief that men are more attracted to the scent of a woman when she is at her most fertile may not be true after all, researchers say. A flurry of studies in recent decades have made a persuasive case that female body odour changes over the menstrual cycle, allowing perceptive males – in theory, at least – to sense when mating is most likely to result in pregnancy. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/F1f0OBL via IFTTT

Members of Tokyo’s Ara Style Senior say they were inspired by the inclusion of breakdancing at this year’s Paris Olympics Head spins and monkey flips are noticeable by their absence. But in their place there is a lot of laughter and a thumping beat, along with the occasional grimace and yelp of frustration. The 10 people – wearing bright orange and green T-shirts that mark them out as members of Ara Style Senior – do not belong to the demographic you would normally associate with breakdancing . Their average age hovers just below 70, and the oldest is 74. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tJrfgVS via IFTTT

Orange Tree theatre, London Finn Cole plays swimmer Ray, whose life enters choppy waters when performance-enhancing drugs are discovered at his club A pair of swimming briefs is quite the costume for a professional stage debut, which can feel exposing enough for actors. But appearing on the hottest day of the year , Peaky Blinders’ Finn Cole may well have been relieved to be sporting just the titular trunks of Lucas Hnath’s 2013 play. The mini pool in Anna Fleischle’s striking set, part of an in-the-round design that covers the Orange Tree’s stage, walls and columns in a mosaic of blue, provides an extra opportunity to cool off. The stillness of that tranquil pool, beneath Sally Ferguson’s shimmering lighting, opposes the increasingly choppy life of Cole’s swimmer, Ray, after performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are discovered at his club. This threatens his Olympic ambitions but also jeopardises his brother Peter (Ciarán Owens), a lawyer who dreams of stage-managing Ray’s glittering f...

Capital’s residents told on Sunday to stay in shelters; Iskander missiles apparently used in Kharkiv region strike while shelling hits city of Nikopol. What we know on day 879 See all our Ukraine war coverage Ukraine’s air defence systems were engaged in repelling a Russian air attack on the capital, Ukraine’s military said on Sunday. “Air defence systems are being activated on the approaches to Kyiv,” Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram. “Stay in shelters until the air raid alarms is lifted.” Russian missiles and artillery fire in north-east and southern Ukraine killed at least three people on Saturday , law enforcement agencies said. A missile attack was launched around 3.15am on the town of Barvinkove in Izium district, the north-east Kharkiv region’s prosecutor’s office said. The statement listed the dead as two men aged 48 and 69 and said about 50 buildings were damaged in the strike, apparently by three Russian Iskander missiles. Anoth...

A new report suggests men are less likely than women to have a trusting relationship with a doctor and so miss out on health literacy and advice Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails , free app or daily news podcast After Shehan Karunaratne noticed a lump on his testicle, the 26-year-old went to the doctor – but only mentioned the pain going up his leg. The general practitioner recommended physiotherapy. A year later, when he returned coughing up blood, he received a diagnosis of stage 4 testicular cancer which had spread to his lungs, grown on the nerves down his back, around his hip and down his legs. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/9p2VuI1 via IFTTT

Result of Guardian Australia experiment aligns with research showing social media automatically delivers troubling content to young men, largely without oversight Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails , free app or daily news podcast How do the algorithms of Facebook and Instagram affect what you see in your news feed? To find out, Guardian Australia unleashed them on a completely blank smartphone linked to a virgin email address. Three months later, without any input, they were riddled with sexist and misogynistic content. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1afCxvj via IFTTT

If we search God’s Word, we find powerful, spiritual wisdom regarding what we can do when we experience anxiety, what God can do about it, and truths to cling to in our times of anxiousness. from Christianity.com https://ift.tt/XSWRqiu

‘Digital pandemic’, ‘havoc’ and ‘meltdown’ were some of the most common phrases in UK headlines after botched CrowdStrike software update Saturday’s headlines are dominated by the fallout from an IT failure that grounded planes, took TV channels off air and played havoc with health services, banking and retail businesses around the world. The outage was the result of a botched software upgrade by US firm CrowdStrike that hit Microsoft’s Windows operating systems and left workers with a “blue screen of death” as their computers failed to start. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CIBnlhH via IFTTT