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The Open 2026: Herbert and Burns shoot record-equalling 62s on day two at Royal Birkdale – live

️Updates from the second round at Royal Birkdale ️ Official leaderboard | Mail David with your thoughts An opening birdie for the 2011 champion Darren Clarke. He’s +2. Apropos of nothing, and just because I happen to have the stat to hand, so may as well share it, Clarke is joint holder of the record for most appearances by an Open champion before his first victory. That’s 19, after his 2011 win, and he shares the number with Phil Mickelson (2013). Nick Price (1994) is next on the list. Birdie for Jackson Suber at 2, and the leader stretches his advantage at the top! He tugged his drive into the rough down the left, but got a decent lie, and was able to wedge over the flag from 90 yards to 12 feet. One fairly straight roll later, and he moves to -6. Meanwhile Laurie Canter nearly aces the 4th. His tee shot lands just past the bunker guarding the front left and serenely glides to kick-in distance, though it was never threatening to drop, always on a route below the hole. The 36-year...

Joe Root hits unbeaten 99 as England level ODI series with India

India 233 all out; England 235-6 – England win by four wickets Will Jacks shares in key 72-run stand for sixth wicket After the meltdown suffered by England’s footballers in Atlanta, the national mood was never going to be significantly improved by their cricketers. Nevertheless, a hard-fought four-wicket victory over India in Cardiff was a boost for Harry Brook’s side and set up a series decider at Lord’s on Sunday. Not that they did it easy. Set just 234 on a curious surface on which only the technicians prospered – Virat Kohli had earlier purred to 65 from 66 balls – England slipped to 94 for four inside the 20th over. But thanks to Joe Root’s classy unbeaten 99, a win was secured with 35 balls to spare. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/SoIAN5d

Rebecca Perry wins Waterstones debut fiction prize for ‘delicious and dream-like’ novel

May We Feed the King, about a museum curator and a medieval monarch, was praised by judges for its ‘crisp, cool prose’ and ‘poet’s eye for detail’ Author and poet Rebecca Perry has won the 2026 Waterstones debut fiction prize for May We Feed the King, praised as a “delicious and dream-like tale”. Chosen from a shortlist of six novels, May We Feed the King follows a present-day curator whose job is to dress rooms in historic houses. (“When you see a replica feast scene in the great hall of an old building, I am the person who placed the pomegranates beside the pie.”) They become increasingly obsessed by the subject of their latest commission, a medieval king whose own story about his reluctance to rule unfolds in parallel. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zuaNjIA

Germany warns US against election interference after it announces grants scheme

State department says plan will provide funding to ‘address national sovereignty, migration, censorship and lawfare’ Friedrich Merz has warned Donald Trump’s administration against interfering in German elections after the US state department announced a scheme to fund Maga-aligned causes in Europe. The German chancellor was responding to a new US initiative offering grants of up to $3m (£2.2m) for European charities, thinktanks and individuals. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/msjcG5Z

Cyclospora outbreaks causing diarrhea in US expected to continue through August

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is scouring food supply chain for culprit, which may be lettuce What is cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea? Federal health officials have said they expect the outbreaks of cyclospora – a parasite that causes watery, explosive diarrhea – across the US to continue through August as they scour the food supply chain for the culprit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 1,645 lab-confirmed cases of the parasite; reported that 145 people have been hospitalized; and reported that they have a backlog of 5,100 cases that require more analysis, including interviews. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/EmSrbTL

Republicans return to Capitol Hill with agenda complicated by Graham death

Lawmakers face obstacles, including demands from Trump, Mitch McConnell’s absence and senator’s sudden death Republican lawmakers return to the Capitol this week facing a lengthy to-do list and Donald Trump’s demands for new voting restrictions, as Democrats jockey for an advantage ahead of the November midterm elections. Lawmakers from both parties are eager to highlight before voters legislative victories ahead of the midterms, when control of Congress is at stake. But for Senate Republicans, who are already navigating an array of demands from Trump, their agenda grew further complicated over the weekend with the death of Lindsey Graham , the budget committee chair who was a key player in negotiating a party-line bill to fund additional defense spending and other priorities outlined by the president. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/qbleSTX

England on collision course with Messi and Argentina in World Cup semi-final grudge match

First competitive game between teams since 2002 World Cup Georgia braced for potential flashpoints in Atlanta buildup It has been billed as one of the biggest grudge matches in the history of international football. After England’s players rode their luck against Erling Haaland’s Norway on a steamy night in Miami, they spent Sunday recuperating at their base in Kansas City as thoughts turn to facing Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel’s team will take on the reigning champions on what promises to be an emotionally charged occasion in Atlanta for the chance to play France or Spain in the final. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/UqGHoiZ