General news

• New video game console aims to get kids moving

  20-06-2026 03:10 via bbc.com
  
  The Nex Playground will cost £269 (€319) when it is released on 22 June in the UK and Ireland.
  
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• Trump gets in shouting match with Republican senator amid standoff over housing bill and president’s anger at war powers vote - live

  24-06-2026 23:35 via theguardian.com
  Senator Bill Cassidy said he confronted president over Iran war and Trump ‘did not particularly care for my comments’Trump abruptly cancels signing of bill aimed at lowering housing costSign up for the Breaking News US emailA man or a movement? That was the question being asked when Zohran Mamdani gambled his political capital on Tuesday’s elections in New York.The answer from voters was emphatic: they prefer Mamdani and his brand of democratic socialism to the Democratic party
  
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• Morocco v Haiti: World Cup 2026 – live

  24-06-2026 23:35 via theguardian.com
  ⚽ Match kicks off at 6pm ET/11pm BST/8am AEST⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Group tables | Mail EllaThiago Alcântara, in an appearance on Fox’s US prematch show, highlights how Morocco will be looking to remedy some of their recent scoring concerns in this matchup. Across the two games, the Atlas Lions have 26 shots, but just five on target and two goals to show.Can they use this group-stage finale to unlock Achraf Hakimi (five shots) on the right flank and make even mor
  
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• World Cup 2026: third-place table, who has qualified and who needs what?

  24-06-2026 23:32 via theguardian.com
  With the group stage hurtling towards its end we look at who needs what to make the knockout phaseTeams level on points are separated, in order, by head-to-head points; head-to-head goal difference; head-to-head goals scored; overall goal difference; overall goals scored; disciplinary points; Fifa ranking. Continue reading...
  
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• Bill Gates says Epstein sought to blackmail him over extramarital affairs

  24-06-2026 23:26 via theguardian.com
  Transcript of congressional testimony shows Microsoft founder spoke of ‘veiled’ threats made by late sex offenderThe Microsoft founder Bill Gates told US members of Congress that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had sought to “blackmail” him over his extramarital affairs, according to a transcript of the testimony.The tech pioneer testified behind closed doors before the House oversight committee on 10 June regarding his friendship with Epstein, who died in prison in
  
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• Scotland v Brazil: World Cup 2026 – live

  24-06-2026 23:24 via theguardian.com
  ⚽ Kick-off: 11pm BST/6pm EDT/8am AEST
  ⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Group tables | Mail ScottThe BBC have flashed up a graphic of Scotland’s chances of reaching the knockout stage. It shows that if they win tonight, they’re 100 percent sure of getting through. A draw puts them on 99.99%. A defeat by one goal still gives them an 84.7% chance, while a two-goal loss drops the number down to 66.8%. All fairly promising, but then diminishing returns set in: a three-goal loss
  
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• Reece James an England injury worry after complaining of tight hamstring

  24-06-2026 23:23 via theguardian.com
  Declan Rice’s fitness monitored before Panama gameTuchel hopes Saka could start final group matchEngland are sweating on the fitness of Reece James before facing Panama on Saturday after the right-back complained of a tight hamstring.James is being assessed after Tuesday’s draw with Ghana and Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to take risks with the defender given his injury record. The Chelsea captain has completed England’s first two games at the World Cup but has struggled with injur
  
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• England beat West Indies by 38 runs and qualify for Women’s T20 World Cup semis – as it happened

  24-06-2026 23:19 via theguardian.com
  Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 65 helps England to a 38- run win over West Indies at boiling Lord’s and a place in the semi-finals.First strike for West Indies as Jones swings the bat in a pretty arc but outside edges to short third.No Sciver-Brunt again today, as she continues to recuperate from that left calf strain she retwinged while batting against Ireland. Charlie Dean takes the reins. Continue reading...
  
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• Canada lose home advantage for last 32 after Switzerland win to take top spot

  24-06-2026 23:18 via theguardian.com
  
  Canada’s home World Cup is over. Jesse Marsch and his men are now a road team, despite the spectacular efforts of the substitute Promise David.A 12-minute burst of clinical finishing early in the second half, after a dogfight of a first, earned Switzerland the right to call Vancouver home through the first week of the knockout stages. Murat Yakin’s lineup changes paid off handsomely with Rubén Vargas and Johan Manzambi rewarding his faith. Next up will be a round of 32 date ba
  
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• Bosnia and Herzegovina on verge of knockout stage after seeing off Qatar

  24-06-2026 23:07 via theguardian.com
  Bosnia and Herzegovina always knew boosting their goals-scored column would enhance their chances of advancing to the knockout stage for the first time. It was no wonder, then, that thousands of their supporters went berserk when Ermin Mahmic added a potentially crucial third goal in a victory that eliminated Qatar. The goal of the game undoubtedly belonged to the exciting 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, but Mahmic’s sealed a win that means a last-32 date with the USA in Santa Clara, at the
  
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• Yosemite visitor dies after being swept over nearly 600ft waterfall

  24-06-2026 23:04 via theguardian.com
  Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, identified as victim in Nevada Fall incident that nearly claimed life of woman who tried to helpA 22-year-old visitor to Yosemite national park in California died after he was swept over a 594ft-high waterfall on Saturday, officials confirmed this week.A fellow parkgoer, Freesia Gaul, was capturing a photo when she noticed the man, reportedly identified by local authorities as Josue Baires Alfaro, in the Merced River. Continue reading...
  
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• Has the American project failed? Eddie Glaude Jr on the US at 250 – Stateside with Kai and Carter

  24-06-2026 22:45 via theguardian.com
  As the US prepares to celebrate 250 years since its founding, Kai Wright sits down with Eddie Glaude Jr, a Princeton University professor, to talk about the conflicts at the heart of the American project. Glaude argues that Black Americans have played a vital role in establishing the country, but their presence is a constant reminder that the American fantasy – the story of a white republic – doesn’t exist. He and Kai discuss how the Trump administration has normalized white su
  
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• Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega and Stephen Fry among new invited Oscar voters

  24-06-2026 22:14 via theguardian.com
  
  Annual list of creatives invited to join the Academy also includes Josh O’Connor, Teyana Taylor and Jon BernthalJacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega and Stephen Fry are among the 529 creatives invited to join this year’s member class of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.“We are delighted to invite this remarkable group of film artists and professionals from around the world to join the Academy,” said CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor in a sta
  
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• Elon Musk loses trillionaire status as SpaceX and Tesla stock drops

  24-06-2026 22:02 via theguardian.com
  
  Falling shares push tech mogul back down to billionaire ranks after SpaceX IPO made him world’s first trillionaireElon Musk was no longer a trillionaire by the time markets closed on Wednesday. Plunging shares in Tesla and SpaceX dragged the tech magnate down to billionaire status. As of 4pm ET, Forbes listed Musk’s net worth as $970.2bn.Musk reached trillionaire status on 12 June after SpaceX’s historic initial public offering. The rocket, satellite and AI company’s debu
  
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• Man who died in suspected murder at Peak District stone circle named by police

  24-06-2026 21:56 via theguardian.com
  
  A 41-year-old man has been arrested after Isaac Clare-Watts, 26, found at Nine Ladies monument on Monday A 26-year-old man who died in a suspected murder during a summer solstice event at a Bronze Age stone circle has been named by police.Isaac Clare-Watts, from Nottingham, was found at the Nine Ladies stone circle in Stanton Lees in the Peak District in Derbyshire at about 1.38pm on Monday. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Horrific’ maternity care failings at Nottingham NHS trust prompt calls for public inquiry

  24-06-2026 21:18 via theguardian.com
  Report uncovers biggest childbirth scandal in NHS history in which 520 mothers and babies suffered ‘potentially avoidable’ harm or diedHorrific failings led to 520 mothers and babies in Nottingham suffering harm or dying, sparking calls for a public inquiry into maternity care across England.In all, 444 women and 76 newborn babies suffered “potentially avoidable” outcomes, a damning three-year long review of the biggest childbirth scandal in NHS history concluded.A &ldquo
  
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• Shabana Mahmood’s immigration and asylum bill to go before MPs next week

  24-06-2026 20:50 via theguardian.com
  Refugee charities fear controversial changes, including on forced removals and age checks, are being rushed throughShabana Mahmood’s controversial plans to increase the forced removal of people refused asylum, introduce stringent age checks for people claiming to be children and limit applications under human rights laws are scheduled to be placed before MPs within days.The immigration and asylum bill is expected to be put before parliament next Tuesday and will face opposition from some L
  
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• Tennis stars’ protests over prize money share to continue at Wimbledon

  24-06-2026 20:40 via theguardian.com
  Revenue share is 14.4%; players want 16%Players to limit time they give to the mediaThe top men’s and women’s tennis players have decided to continue their protests for a greater percentage of grand slam tournament revenues at Wimbledon.A month after the top players chose to limit their pre-tournament media duties at the French Open to 15 minutes, the players will extend the protest until the end of the first week of the tournament, also limiting their post-match media duties during
  
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• Pakistan police rescue French woman and children allegedly held captive by husband for 12 years

  24-06-2026 20:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Husband arrested after Sylvie Yasmina, 54, and five children found at home in north-western provincePakistan police say they have rescued a French woman and her five children after she told authorities she had been held captive by her husband for more than a decade and subjected to years of domestic abuse in the country’s north-west.The woman, identified as 54-year-old Sylvie Yasmina, was rescued earlier this week from a mud-brick home in Bara, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near th
  
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• UK records its hottest June day and France its hottest day ever as heatwave sweeps Europe

  24-06-2026 20:03 via theguardian.com
  Temperature of 36.1C (97F) recorded in Hampshire, while two-thirds of Europe’s population experience temperatures above 30CThe UK has broken its all-time temperature record for June and France has recorded its hottest day ever for the second day running, as a heatwave affecting more than 90 million people sweeps across swathes of Europe.As the UK and France registered record-breaking temperatures, the World Health Organization warned that the extreme temperatures are “putting lives a
  
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• Nasa rover detects potential signatures of ancient microbial life on Mars

  24-06-2026 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Perseverance identifies organic carbon molecules in rocks on riverbed that carried water billions of years agoNasa’s Perseverance rover has detected complex carbon molecules in Martian rocks that are already in the spotlight for bearing potential signatures of ancient microbial life.Measurements taken by the rover’s Sherloc instrument identified organic carbon in mudstones from the Bright Angel outcrop as it trundled along Neretva Vallis, a dried-up river that carried water into the
  
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• Israel says IDF is staying in southern Lebanon, undermining Iran peace talks

  24-06-2026 19:57 via theguardian.com
  Defence minister says troops not withdrawing though Tehran sees end to war in Lebanon as part of deal with USThe Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that Israeli troops would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, further complicating Iran peace talks as fighting in Lebanon continues to be an obstacle to permanent peace.Speaking on stage in an interview in Tel Aviv, Katz said Israeli troops would remain in south Lebanon – echoing sentiments from the Israeli prime minister, Benjami
  
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• Farmers criticise government plan to counter threats to UK food security

  24-06-2026 19:47 via theguardian.com
  Plan warns climate crisis will lead to food price shocks and shortages but farmers say it fails to adequately fund responseThe climate crisis will lead to food price shocks and shortages, the government has warned in its new plan for British farming.But farmers criticised the plan, which outlines for the first time the government’s vision for the long-term direction of farming, for failing to adequately fund a response to this threat to the UK’s food security. Continue reading...
  
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• The Guardian view on priorities for a new prime minister: foreign policy cannot be an afterthought | Editorial

  24-06-2026 19:37 via theguardian.com
  
  Keir Starmer came to power without a strategic concept of post-Brexit Britain’s place in the world. His successor must not repeat that mistakeSir Keir Starmer had years in opposition to prepare for government. His likely successor, Andy Burnham, has weeks. Unlike the outgoing prime minister, Mr Burnham will bring past ministerial experience to the top job as well as lessons learned as the mayor of Greater Manchester. But as every veteran of No 10 attests, the pressures in th
  
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• Germany’s railways grind to halt as IT maintenance snag takes down network

  24-06-2026 19:37 via theguardian.com
  
  Deutsche Bahn widely criticised after hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded in operator’s latest setbackGermany’s rail network ground to a halt late on Tuesday as a result of maintenance work that went wrong, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers unable to get home as the national operator faced widespread criticism over the chaos.The Deutsche Bahn (DB) meltdown was initially thought to have been caused by a cyber-attack, but it later emerged that it was likely to have b
  
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• The Guardian view on Islamophobia: political rhetoric is fuelling hate crime | Editorial

  24-06-2026 19:32 via theguardian.com
  Muslims in the UK, Europe and the US are increasingly fearful and frustrated as targeted attacks rise. Others must speak outThe chilling attacks that injured five men in Edinburgh at the weekend, including two who were struck as they left a mosque, have deepened the fear that many Muslims in Britain feel today. The case received remarkably little attention south of the border. A man has now been charged with five counts of attempted murder, allegedly “aggravated by reason of having a terro
  
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• Police officers took eight minutes to discover Henry Nowak’s stab wound, evidence shows

  24-06-2026 19:31 via theguardian.com
  Transcript of body-worn camera footage reveals moment officers realised handcuffed Nowak was seriously injuredPolice officers who arrested Henry Nowak took about eight minutes to discover his stab wound, newly released evidence shows.Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for Nowak’s murder after falsely claiming the 18-year-old had racially abused him in Southampton. Nowak was stabbed multiple times while walking back to his student accommodation alone afte
  
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• Burnham’s pick for chief of staff led firm that advised BP, Apple and Amazon

  24-06-2026 19:27 via theguardian.com
  Appointment of James Purnell, former chief executive of Flint Global, described by one Labour MP as ‘very bad sign’The advisory firm led by Andy Burnham’s incoming chief of staff counted BP, Amazon, Jaguar Land Rover and Uber among its clients, transparency records reveal.Burnham is facing unease within Labour over the lobbying links of James Purnell, a longstanding friend and former cabinet minister who was most recently chief executive of Flint Global. Continue reading...
  
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• Hundreds of mothers and babies died or were harmed at ‘toxic’ NHS trust - The Latest

  24-06-2026 19:10 via theguardian.com
  
  A shocking report into the biggest ever maternity care scandal in the NHS has revealed more than 500 mothers and babies died or were harmed as a result of inadequate care in Nottingham. The review, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, found there was a dismissive attitude to women’s concerns, failures in maternity care, staff shortages, a toxic culture and racism at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust. Lucy Hough speaks to UK health and inequalities correspondent Tobi Thomas. Contin
  
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• Another FTSE firm is under attack from a US raider. Demand top dollar | Nils Pratley

  24-06-2026 19:09 via theguardian.com
  The warehouse landlord Segro has a bright future, not least with datacentres, so there’s no reason to roll overSegro rejects £12.6bn offer from US rivalHere we go (yet) again: another opportunistic takeover bid from the US for a UK company. The fun at easyJet isn’t even over yet, but the next target is Segro, the property firm known as Slough Estates until the branding merchants decided a slicker name was needed for a portfolio that these days extends well beyond Berkshire and
  
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