Mubeen Blogs

Fashion house acknowledges work of traditional artisans after accusations of cultural appropriation Prada has acknowledged that its new leather sandal design was inspired by India’s famous Kolhapuri “chappals” – handcrafted shoes known for their toe-loop design – after facing criticism over its failure to credit the footwear’s origins. “We acknowledge the sandals … are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage,” Lorenzo Bertelli, the corporate social responsibility chief at the Italian fashion house, said in a letter to the Maharashtra chamber of commerce. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/83ivUsh

Rafael Grossi says some of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile could have been moved before US attacks Middle East crisis – live updates The UN nuclear watchdog chief has said Iran could produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months”, in an interview in which he also contradicted Donald Trump’s assertion that US strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the US broadcaster CBS News that the strikes on three Iranian sites had clearly caused severe damage but “not total” damage. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/X1IlY0j

Meta CEO reportedly to offer pay packages worth up to $100m, a gambit OpenAI’s Sam Altman calls ‘crazy’ Mark Zuckerberg reportedly spent months putting together a list of the top AI engineers and researchers across the globe, preparing to offer potential recruits lucrative compensation packages in Meta ’s attempt to poach AI talent from key competitors. Silicon Valley has been talking for weeks about the Meta CEO’s quest to attract top AI talent, including by offering pay packages worth up to $100m. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CZPJfoR

Andy John had previously issued ‘unequivocal’ apology over culture of excessive drinking, promiscuity and bullying The archbishop of Wales has stepped down after a culture of excessive drinking, sexual promiscuity, bullying, bad language and inappropriate banter at Bangor cathedral was revealed. Andy John, who is also the bishop of Bangor, released a statement on Friday evening after calls for his resignation gathered pace. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/jH90LkG

Trump administration revokes temporary protected status for citizens of country racked by deadly violence More than half a million Haitians are facing the prospect of deportation from the US after the Trump administration announced that the Caribbean country’s citizens would no longer be afforded shelter under a government program created to protect the victims of major natural disasters or conflicts. Haiti has been engulfed by a wave of deadly violence since the 2021 murder of its president, Jovenel Moïse. Heavily armed gangs have brought chaos to its capital, Port-au-Prince, since launching an insurrection that toppled the prime minister last year. On Tuesday, the US embassy in Haiti urged US citizens to abandon the violence-stricken Caribbean country. “Depart Haiti as soon as possible,” it wrote on X. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CEBYqK1

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/q4TFeQG

Full-back will join European champions at end of June Laura Wienroither could leave Gunners Arsenal are to sign the Liverpool vice-captain Taylor Hinds on a free transfer when her contract expires at the end of June, with the 26-year-old having decided to join the European champions. The left-back played for Arsenal as a youngster before joining Everton in 2018 and then moving across Merseyside two years later. She has spent the past five years with Liverpool, helping them finish as high as fourth in the Women’s Super League in 2024. The Jamaica international, who represented England at youth international level, is understood to have been offered a new deal by Liverpool but, while they will naturally be disappointed to lose a senior player, they understand and respect her decision to move to play Champions League football next season. Hinds was a key part of the Liverpool team that won promotion to the WSL with the second-tier title in 2022, and she played in every league...

Independent inquiry concludes college’s management failed to help Jewish students ‘feel welcome and safe from antisemitism’ Goldsmiths College in London has apologised to Jewish students and staff after an independent inquiry found it had allowed a “culture” of antisemitism to build up on its campus over a number of years. The inquiry concluded that Jewish students were subjected to antisemitism during their studies at Goldsmiths and that the college’s management failed to help Jewish students and potential applicants to “feel welcome, included and safe from antisemitism”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/HE6ym3i

The limited rollout in Austin, Texas, included pro-Tesla influencers using the paid ride service The main transportation safety regulator in the US is requesting information from Tesla after videos showed the company’s self-driving Robotaxis exceeding the speed limit or veering into the wrong lane. The company launched the service in Austin, Texas, over the weekend. Tesla heavily promoted the initial, limited rollout of its Robotaxis, which included pro-Tesla influencers using the paid ride service and showing off footage of their trips. Instead of positive promotion, though, those videos appear to have drawn scrutiny from the National Highway Transit Safety Administration (NHTSA), as the cars struggled to comply with traffic laws. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/n3Uuoyx

Crude oil prices dropped by 7% on hopes that the conflict would not immediately disrupt region’s oil supplies Oil prices dropped sharply after Iran’s retaliatory missile strike on a US airbase reduced concern that the country was poised to strain energy markets by closing off a vital trade route. Crude oil prices sank by 7% on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures dropping to $68.51, as the Iranian action on the Al Udeid base in Qatar raised hopes that the conflict would not immediately disrupt oil supplies from the region. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/YfVrHjP

Tel Aviv suburb was one of 10 sites hit across Israel on Sunday amid most intense barrage yet Middle East crisis – live updates A day after Iranian missiles struck , workers were still clearing rubble from the charred remains of an apartment block in Ramat Aviv, a quiet suburb in north-west Tel Aviv. Bystanders stopped and stared at the destruction, some posing for selfies in front of the impact site, other flipping through a diary belonging to one of the building’s residents, which had been thrown on the pavement. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/SdYCLM5

Bloc’s foreign affairs chief warns of a response unless action is taken to ‘stop the suffering’ in Gaza Strip The EU may take action to increase pressure on Israel unless there are “concrete” improvements for the inhabitants of Gaza, its foreign policy chief has said. After meeting the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels, Kaja Kallas said it was “very clear” that Israel had breached its human rights commitments in Gaza and the West Bank. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/IB2bgCl

The Iraq war was built on a lie. Now history is repeating itself In May 2003, George W Bush landed on the deck of a US aircraft carrier to deliver a triumphant speech, declaring that major combat operations in Iraq had ended – six weeks after he had ordered US troops to invade the country. Bush spoke under a now infamous banner on the carrier’s bridge that proclaimed, “Mission Accomplished”. It would turn into a case study of American hubris and one of the most mocked photo-ops in modern history. As Bush made his speech off the coast of San Diego, I was in Baghdad covering the invasion’s aftermath as a correspondent for a US newspaper. It was clear then that the war was far from over, and the US was likely to face a grinding insurgency led by former members of the Iraqi security forces. It would also soon become clear that Bush’s rationale for invading Iraq was built on a lie: Saddam Hussein’s regime did not have weapons of mass destruction and was not intent on developing them. An...

England’s most gifted shotmaker since Kevin Pietersen happily took on Bumrah and Siraj on his way to 99 Scientists say that the typical human can recognise 21 distinct facial expressions. After seven years of Test cricket, Jasprit Bumrah has grown to know a good handful of them about as well as any man can, from awe, through disgust, to fear, sadness, surprise and all their many combinations. You would guess it’s been a while since he’s seen a happy batter looking back at him from 22 yards, but if you had the binoculars on Harry Brook first thing on Sunday morning, you could see he was wearing such a big, goofy grin that his teeth were glinting through the gloaming. You don’t want to kink-shame him, but you’d think there must be easier ways to get your kicks than to go running down the pitch to hit a man bowling 90mph bouncers. But Brook’s brain seems to be wired a little differently. On the third ball Bumrah bowled him on Sunday, he decided to take two quick steps forwards and w...

As online media rewards emotion over substance, we must separate the real from the make-believe Gina Chick, David Genat, Guy Sebastian, Poh Ling Yeow, Elon Musk and Donald Trump don’t have a lot in common – except that they are the living embodiment of the essential truth of reality television: there can only be one winner. Gina, David, Guy, Poh and countless others have turned their success at surviving, dancing, cooking and singing into brilliant careers probably beyond their wildest dreams. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bjNnEJa

The individual walk-ons at Club World Cup underline Fifa’s failure to understand that football is a team sport – just ask PSG It is in the details that the truest picture emerges. Quite aside from the endless politicking, the forever-war with Uefa, the consorting with autocrats and the intriguing broadcast rights and partnership deals, there has been, not a new, but growing sense during the Club World Cup that Fifa doesn’t really get football. There is something cargo-cultish about it, creating outcomes without engaging in processes. Perhaps that is inevitable with Gianni Infantino’s style of leadership; like all populists, he is big on vision and short on practical reality. It was there in the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/doBcpQh

Group D: Flamengo 3-1 Chelsea Bruno Henrique 62, Danilo 65, Wallace Yan 83; Neto 13 After all the hype about Cole Palmer taking the No 10 shirt, it was hard to understand why Enzo Maresca seemed so determined to shackle his best player as Chelsea’s hopes of reaching the knockout phase of the Club World Cup as winners of Group D were dented by a second-half implosion in which Nicolas Jackson picked up a rash red card for the second time in his past four appearances. How Flamengo made light of the financial gap. The leaders of the Brazilian league were better and more motivated than their English opponents. Chelsea were dire, with Maresca’s tactics weirdly reactive. The Italian compromised Palmer by moving him to the right and defeat leaves Chelsea, who collapsed after taking an early lead, at risk of facing Bayern Munich if they reach the last 16. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/JncZThl

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Venganza is on the cards in Trnava on Saturday night when England take on Spain at the European Under-21 Championship quarter-finals. There are constant reminders on the Channel 4 coverage in the UK that “we” are the holders, despite the fact there are only a couple of remaining members from the squad that defeated La Rojita in the final in Batumi two years ago. It’s a night that Oliver Skipp will never forget. There is another stark difference between then and now: England were properly decent at that point. This current crop have stumbled their way into the last eight like a weary boozer, six pints deep, picking his way through an All Bar One terrace on a hot day. The American dream. We guess the cowboy won …” – Botafogo remind PSG chief suit, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, of the insult he hurled at their owner John Textor, also chief suit at Lyon, after the Brazilian side’s shock 1-0 Copa Gianni victory over the Bigger Cup champions. ...

Hero of 2006 World Cup was second choice behind Claudio Ranieri and has not had a successful career as manager Gennaro Gattuso said all the things he was expected to say at his first appearance as Italy manager. He talked about the need to restore enthusiasm to an Azzurri side whose morale has been dented by recent setbacks, as well as that sense of shared purpose that bonded him to teammates in the World Cup-winning side of 2006. The word he kept coming back to was “family”, insisting: “That’s the most important thing, more than tactics or formations.” His is not a vision of paternalistic authority but of a group close enough to speak hard truths to each other’s faces. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lGYfUBa

NY Jets owner look to buy John Textor’s 44.9% Palace share Palace chair Steve Parish is backing the bid The New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson, is closing in on a deal to buy John Textor’s shares in Crystal Palace in a move that could help the FA Cup winners’ chances of playing in next season’s Europa League. Johnson, who has owned the Jets since 2000, offered £190m for Textor’s 44.9% stake in the south London club last week, while the American is also believed to have received two similar bids from separate investors in recent days. But it is understood that despite being significantly below his valuation of around £240m, Textor is edging towards concluding a deal with Johnson and is now said to be ready to move on to invest in another club in English football after accepting defeat in his boardroom battle with the club’s chair, Steve Parish. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dh0DtCR

Two Smiths and Alex Mitchell in XI for Dublin match Tadhg Furlong also has chance to prove his fitness Maro Itoje will captain the British & Irish Lions for the first time against Argentina in Dublin on Friday after the head coach, Andy Farrell, included him and eight other Englishmen in the starting XV, before urging those playing to “set the tone” for the upcoming tour of Australia. England’s other starters include Marcus Smith at full‑back along with Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith at half‑backs. Ireland’s Tadhg ­Furlong will be given the chance to prove his fitness after struggling with a calf injury that ruled him out of Leinster’s United Rugby ­ Championship final win against the Bulls last weekend. Furlong is included on a bench that also features the hooker Ronan ­Kelleher, the only player to be involved against Argentina six days after taking part in the end-of-season finale. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/yjzGomR

The Mission: Impossible actor and country singing multi-hyphenate will be honoured alongside actor Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas Tom Cruise and Dolly Parton will be among this year’s recipients of honorary Oscars . The pair join choreographer, actor and director Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas, all scheduled to receive special Oscars at this year’s governors awards in November. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BUVhISQ

Many citizens see loss of lives, homes and much else as a painful but necessary sacrifice for country’s future Middle East crisis – live updates The Iranian missile blew the door off the White City museum celebrating Bauhaus Tel Aviv, and shattered the windows of the Quick coffee shop down the road, where cinnamon buns and salads sat in the display case ready for a relaxed summer day that would never come. In the ultra-orthodox neighbourhood of Bnei Bark another missile collapsed a school, killing an 80-year-old man. A third hit partway up a high-rise tower in manicured, suburban Petah Tikva, destroying a reinforced safe room and killing the family inside. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5X13r8n

German champions have 31 shots during rout New Zealand part-timers suffer through tough afternoon The good news for Auckland City was that they stopped Harry Kane scoring on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati. The bad news was that his Bayern Munich teammates were a little more prolific, scoring 10 between them in the opening match of their Club World Cup campaign. If Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, was hoping his expanded Club World Cup – now containing 32 teams, playing across four weeks in 11 US cities – would showcase the depth of talent in global football, this was not a good example. The statistics were excruciating: the German champions had 31 shots – 17 of them on target – to Auckland’s one, and enjoyed 72% of possession. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CZRgBY4

Iranian forward remains in Tehran due to closed airspace Inter to start Club World Cup campaign on Wednesday The Inter forward Mehdi Taremi will not be able to join his teammates at the Club World Cup in the United States as he is stuck in Tehran because of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. Flights from all Iranian airports have been grounded after an exchange of military strikes between Iran and Israel over the past two days. That meant the Iran international was unable to take his scheduled flight on Saturday to join his teammates in Los Angeles. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/VJ71wDi

Workplace raids will be stopped after Trump conceded that deportations are hurting agricultural and hospitality industries The Trump administration deportation campaign is reportedly shifting its focus away from raids on the agricultural and hospitality sectors after Donald Trump conceded this week that his immigration policies are hurting the farming and hotel industries. The New York Times reported that an internal email was sent on Thursday by Tatum King, a senior official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), to regional department leaders at Homeland Security Investigations, directing them to stop workplace immigration enforcement actions unless related to criminal investigations. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/jJLI90c

RJ May, who used screen name ‘joebidennnn69’, charged with 10 counts and ordered to remain jailed until his trial A Republican member of South Carolina ’s state house whom prosecutors say used the screen name “joebidennnn69” has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children. RJ May was arrested at his Lexington county home after a lengthy investigation and was ordered on Thursday by a federal judge to remain jailed until his trial. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2X8zt6S

Rival coaches Johann van Graan and Michael Cheika have rebuilt their sides along similar lines but Bath are favourites It has been a while but the old firm of English club rugby are finally back. Between 1978 and 1997 Bath and Leicester collectively won 15 national knockout trophies and over the first 15 years of the league’s existence they claimed 12 titles between them. Their reunion at Twickenham is akin to those other 90s chart-toppers, Oasis and Blur, dusting down their favourite guitars and appearing on stage together. The temptation is to dive head first into a foaming tub of nostalgia and wallow in the rekindled rivalry. If anyone had predicted in 1996 that Bath would not win another domestic title in the next 29 years they would have been laughed out of the convivial old Rec clubhouse. Leicester, similarly, thought the ABC Club and the Tigers’ steely winning mentality would live for ever. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/i9ESRXt

Witnesses at a hospital near the impact site described parts of the plane landing on a canteen building as 200 people ate inside At 9.48am on Thursday, Air India flight 423 took off from New Delhi bound for Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat state, 600 miles south-west. It was an entirely normal day – although hotter than usual for the time of year in north India – and an entirely normal flight, except for the fact that the plane, an 11-year-old Boeing Dreamliner, landed 20 minutes early. After more than two hours on the tarmac parked at Terminal 2 of the sprawling Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport, captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an experienced pilot, taxied on to the single runway and prepared for takeoff. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/AQTBjIg

Exclusive: Liz Kendall pledges sick and disabled people will be protected but MPs are pushing for more substantial changes to bill Ministers are to offer mutinous Labour MPs an olive branch on the government’s welfare plans to help avert a major rebellion in a crucial vote early next month. Liz Kendall, the welfare secretary, wants to reassure angry MPs who have threatened to rebel over fears that sick and disabled people will be hardest hit. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5rMYhZQ

Dane joins from Brentford after almost seven years there He replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked Tottenham have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new manager. The 51-year-old Dane joins from Brentford on a contract that runs until 2028. and succeeds Ange Postecoglou, who delivered Europa League glory to end Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought but was sacked because of dismal results in the Premier League. Spurs moved to line up Frank before dismissing Postecoglou last Friday, holding talks via intermediaries and plainly keen to avoid a protracted search for the person to lead them forward after a season in which they finished 17th with 38 points. Only once in club history have they had a worse league record – in 1914-15. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/qRFVCOU

A defiant Tehran could intensify its uranium enrichment in response, amid reports Israel may be planning attack Donald Trump has warned that a “massive conflict” could break out in the Middle East soon if talks over an Iranian nuclear deal break down, amid concerns over a possible Israeli strike against Tehran. Trump said on Thursday he was worried that an Israeli strike could “blow” the negotiations, and he confirmed he had ordered some US personnel to evacuate from the Middle East in case of an Iranian counterattack that could include “missiles flying in their buildings”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QsuED3R

The Pennsylvania course laps up its reputation as the sternest of tests with the players facing a severe physical and mental examination Oakmont. OMG-mont. Over the top-mont. The prevailing sense among anybody who ponders a US Open at this site in rural Pennsylvania is how wonderfully demanding the challenge always is. Cue entertainment. As Xander Schauffele appropriately put it: “I don’t think people turn the TV on to watch some of the guys just hit a 200-yard shot on the green. They turn on the US Open to see a guy shooting eight over and suffer. That’s part of the enjoyment of the US Open for viewers.” Strap in and enjoy the show. This version of Oakmont has rough that is routinely more than five inches thick. Menacing, sloped greens add to the idea of inevitable carnage. The 125th staging of the major will be a war of attrition, one which will physically and mentally exhaust the finest golfers in the world. Temper tantrums are guaranteed. Continue reading... from The Guardian ...

Police say 19 attacks launched on Cali and nearby towns, hitting police posts, municipal buildings and civilians Colombia has been rocked by a string of coordinated bomb and gun attacks that killed at least four people across the country’s south-west, deepening a security crisis roiling the Andean country. Police said attackers launched 19 attacks on targets in Cali – the country’s third largest city – and several nearby towns, hitting police posts, municipal buildings and civilian targets. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QqJBrpn

Critics had claimed that plan announced in May exposed complex of desert etchings to impact of informal mining Peru’s government has abandoned a plan that reduced the size of a protected area around the country’s ancient Nazca Lines , after criticism the change made them vulnerable to the impact of informal mining operations. Peru’s culture ministry said on Sunday that it was reinstating with immediate effect the protected area covering 5,600 square kilometers (2,200 square miles), that in late May had been cut back to 3,200 sq km. The government said at the time the decision was based on studies that had more precisely demarcated areas with “real patrimonial value”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZGOvBx3

Potential fee could be most expensive for German club Playoff winner Tommy Watson sold to Brighton for £10m Jobe Bellingham is poised to swap Sunderland for Borussia Dortmund after the clubs agreed an initial fee of around £28m, potentially rising to £32m. The 19-year-old England Under-21 midfielder, the younger brother of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham , has just played a key part in helping Sunderland to secure promotion to the Premier League but is now following in his sibling’s footsteps and heading to the Bundesliga. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ScLNeOg

Ed, a pet who went viral online during his disappearance, was airlifted after he was found safe in a pasture A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee and became an internet sensation in the process was captured on Sunday, authorities said. Ed the zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, the Rutherford county sheriff’s office confirmed. The sheriff’s office said aviation crews captured the zebra. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KvNOWHn

When Laura went into labour, her new sort-of boyfriend Adam Dalzotto never left her side. Watching her give birth sent his opinion of her stratospheric Find more stories from The moment I knew series In 2018 I had just started lecturing in nursing at a university in South Australia. It was the start of the academic year and I was new to town, so a colleague and I decided to check out the open-day stalls. I’d been vegan for a few years and was hoping to meet some like-minded folk. A person in a Sea Shepherd hoodie pointed me in the right direction and I was immediately struck by this woman sitting in the middle of the stall. It’s a moment captured in resin in my mind – there was a crowd of people and cupcakes on the table. I would say I was 13 paces away from Laura when I first clapped eyes on her. She was just breathtaking; smiling, happily chatting to people. She seemed to have this immense gravity to her and I could feel myself getting pulled into her orbit. I chatted to her ...

Tottenham chair was not blinded by silverware and decided finishing fourth-bottom of the Premier League was not enough In football, there is always a lot of light and noise. There is always a lot of emotion. That is both its appeal and why it is so difficult for those in the game to make decisions. Ange Postecoglou gave Tottenham one of the great nights in the club’s history when they won the Europa League in Bilbao. A first trophy in 17 years. A first European trophy in 41. It’s easy to understand why the instinct is gratitude, to hope that somehow victory can be self-replicating, that silverware begets silverware and something fundamental in Tottenham’s being was transformed at San Mamés. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tKbdy67

Jacob Bethell’s pure talent puts him in high demand, but Shoaib Bashir is the real freelancer in cricket’s deeply confusing world Bruised skies, sun through clouds, dualism, life in death. Welcome to the bloom of another England Test Match summer, the summer, this time around, of Bethell and Bashir. But of Bethell first because he’s the easy bit. The battle for Jacob Bethell is of course just beginning. Everyone wants a piece of England’s most thrillingly talented young cricketer. The broadcasters are frothing. The papers want to know whose shirts he wears. Actually the papers don’t really care. Maybe the Daily Telegraph wants to know this at a push. But Bethell is still kind of perfect right now, a future-bomb, all promise and new things, in a sport that is always desperate for these. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QmSoL3h

Glitzy Euro squad launch helps the feelgood factor but there are still questions over squad harmony, strength in depth and player welfare Music thumping, quick transitions, a host of celebrities and inspirational words. There’s nothing like an England squad announcement video to get you in the mood for a major tournament. “I hope you can feel it from the streets to the stands, the summer is in the safest hands,” the poet Sophia Thakur tells us, exactly one month out from England’s first game of Euro 2025 against France. The slogan is “It’s time to go again” and the squad is announced by a host of big names, from Maisie Adam, Daisy May Cooper and Keely Hodgkinson, to David Beckham, Alex Scott, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/yfKulDN

Björn Ulvaeus tells audience at SXSW London the technology is ‘very bad at lyrics’ but has helped him break through creative impasses After bringing a blockbuster hologram version of Abba to a purpose-built venue in east London, Björn Ulvaeus’s next technological exploration is a musical that he’s written with the help of artificial intelligence. Ulvaeus, 80, told an audience at SXSW London that he was “three-quarters” of the way through writing a new musical which he has created with assistance from AI songwriting tools. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/TfF2rAY

The former head of Doge said the ‘outrageous’ tax bill will cause the deficit to grow to $2.5tn US politics live – latest updates Elon Musk , the billionaire tech entrepreneur, has opened a new rift with Donald Trump by denouncing the US president’s tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination”. Musk’s online outburst could embolden fiscally conservative Republican senators – some of whom have already spoken out – to defy Trump as they continue crucial negotiations on Capitol Hill over the so-called “one big, beautiful bill”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZvoWSHm

Scientists puzzled by huge amounts of prickly sargassum suffocating shorelines from Puerto Rico to Guyana A record amount of sargassum has piled up across the Caribbean and nearby areas in May, and more is expected this month, according to a new study. The brown prickly algae is suffocating shorelines from Puerto Rico to Guyana and beyond, disrupting tourism, killing wildlife and even releasing toxic gases that forced one school in the French Caribbean island of Martinique to temporarily close. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/nAT8qUs

More than a century on, the officer who was the victim of antisemitism is in line for a posthumous promotion More than a century ago he was wrongly convicted of treason in a case that convulsed France and laid bare a rising tide of antisemitism. On Monday, French politicians took the first step towards remedying the injustice – unanimously backing a symbolic effort to promote Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish French army captain, to brigadier general. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/cpK7l04

Party tells council officers they risk ‘gross misconduct’ if they block Elon Musk-inspired initiative Reform UK has told council officers they will face “gross misconduct” if they obstruct an Elon Musk-style department of government efficiency unit to examine all council spending in areas they control. The party will pilot the Doge-style scheme in Kent county council, led by a team including the Brexit donor Arron Banks as well as cybersecurity entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/p3YnAb0

Move that seeks political control of doctors’ and scientists’ published research fits a pattern of censorship by the Trump administration, veterans advocates say Senior officials at the US Department of Veterans Affairs have ordered that VA physicians and scientists not publish in medical journals or speak with the public without first seeking clearance from political appointees of Donald Trump, the Guardian has learned. The edict, laid down in emails on Friday by Curt Cashour , the VA’s assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, and John Bartrum , a senior adviser to VA secretary Doug Collins, came hours after the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a perspective co-authored by two pulmonologists who work for the VA in Texas. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bRpC4zK

Most evacuated residents are from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last week More than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated as dozens of wildfires remain active and diminish air quality in parts of Canada and the US, according to officials. Most of the evacuated residents were from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last week. About 17,000 people there were evacuated by Saturday, along with 1,300 in Alberta. About 8,000 people in Saskatchewan had been relocated as leaders there said the number could climb. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kOVyYsw