Mubeen Blogs

Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tX2AxMg

Destruction wrought by pig-borne disease is thining the canopy of bunya pine forests and the problem is getting worse, experts say Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast High up in an ancient conifer rainforest, at what was once the largest Indigenous gathering place in eastern Australia, there is sunlight where there shouldn’t be. Among the eponymous pine trees of the Bunya Mountains, in south-east Queensland, a deadly disease has taken root. Walking through the forest, Adrian Bauwens, a Wakka Wakka man, says pockets of sunlight have replaced what is “usually quite a dense canopy where’s it’s quite heavily shaded”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1zFoVJS

The Hong Kong tower block fire, Russian drone strikes in Kharkiv, floods in Thailand and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/EpvyCdm

Study shows small changes to tone of posts in ‘for you’ feed increase unfavourable feelings towards political opponents Small changes to the tone of posts fed to users of X can increase feelings of political polarisation as much in a week as would have historically taken at least three years, research has found. A groundbreaking experiment to gauge the potency of Elon Musk’s social platform to increase political division found that when posts expressing anti-democratic attitudes and partisan animosity were boosted, even barely perceptibly, in the feeds of Democrat and Republican supporters there was a large change in their unfavourable feelings towards the other side. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0sygnbr

Although some appointees make valuable contributions, the absurd archaism of the second chamber of parliament has to be addressed Not much about the House of Lords is defensible on principles of democratic representation. One plausible merit of an appointed chamber is that specialists might be recruited to apply non-political expertise in legislative scrutiny. Appointees are certainly not supposed to use their privileged position to advance the interests of paying clients. After a Guardian investigation , two peers were disciplined this week for breaking lobbying rules . Lord Dannatt, a former head of the British army who served as a crossbencher, and Lord Evans of Watford, a businessman and Labour peer, have been suspended for four and five months respectively. Both men were recorded by undercover Guardian reporters posing as property developers, discussing ways in which their Westminster contacts might be useful to advance potential clients’ access. Continue reading... from The ...

Liverpool on run of six defeats in seven league matches ‘You would never have expected us to have lost so much’ Arne Slot has admitted he feels guilty about Liverpool’s “ridiculous” slump, a collapse no one at the club envisaged, and said he must prove himself to everyone at Anfield on a daily basis. Slot is dealing with the worst run of his managerial career after Nottingham Forest inflicted a sixth defeat in seven Premier League games, and eighth defeat in 11 matches in all competitions, on the champions on Saturday. Cody Gakpo described the 3-0 reverse at home to Sean Dyche’s team as a “kind of embarrassment”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/iCXr4Pd

Magpies’ away record is a worry before Champions League meeting with Roberto De Zerbi, Mason Greenwood and co Newcastle fans are travelling to Marseille with a soundtrack of uncertainty echoing in their ears. Quite apart from the official warnings about rampant pickpocketing, street crime and potential football‑related violence, their phones seem full of concerned messages from families and friends. Those oft-repeated exhortations to variously “take care”, “watch yourself” and “stay safe” in a city listed regularly among Europe’s most dangerous could, in a different context, easily apply to Eddie Howe’s team. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/hY742lH

When Chelsea host Barcelona, fans can assess two 18-year-olds who are equally tipped as future Ballon d’Or winners Comparisons mean little to Estêvão Willian. The Brazil winger did not even take kindly to being nicknamed Messinho – “Little Messi” – earlier in his career. He called the nickname “disruptive” and made clear that he had no interest in trying to be someone else. “I don’t like comparisons,” the 18-year-old told ESPN Brasil last year. “For those who don’t know how to deal with it, it’s quite disruptive. Me being Estêvão is very good.” Chelsea no doubt agree. After all, opposition defenders aside, who could possibly complain about Estêvão just being Estêvão? Not for nothing is he widely tipped to win the Ballon d’Or one day. The teenager’s talent is outrageous, his start to life in England has been better than expected and, although the obvious risk with heaping too much praise on a young prospect is that it makes them take their eye off the ball, it is telling that those wh...

Christian Jimenez, Oregon high school senior, faces possible obstruction charges after traffic stop by immigration agents Immigration officers detained a student at a high school in Oregon during his lunch break on Friday, according to the student’s family. Seventeen-year-old Christian Jimenez, a US citizen and senior at McMinnville high school, was driving his father’s vehicle around 12.30pm during lunch when agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) stopped him, his older brother, Cesar Jimenez, told Oregon Live . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kBmuO3S

In the annual Tower Ballroom extravaganza, the injury withdrawal of La Voix means no dance-off or elimination. With scores and votes carried over to next week, who would rise to the seaside occasion? And who would take a big dip? Couples tend to pull out all the stops and the sea air invariably goes to the judges’ heads, meaning the average score at Blackpool is a whopping 33 points. Outside of the final, which has previously been held here, there have been four perfect 40s awarded in the Tower Ballroom. Will we see another tonight? It’s just five minutes until we find out… Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZyeJmEd

An online personality quiz made me feel understood, but it also created a mental cage Sometimes, taking an internet quiz on a random Tuesday night can change your life – first for the better, then for the worse. Are you bothered by intense stimuli, like loud noises, strong smells or caffeine? Are you deeply moved by the arts or nature? Do you become overwhelmed when a lot is going on around you? Do you have difficulty with big changes? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Gp4oAn1

A fire at Cop30 in Brazil, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, Russian missiles hit Ukraine and a giraffe on the move in Kenya: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/os893L5

Big-name drivers and cutting out the middle man a vital part of the strategy with just over 100 days to go before the 2026 season opener Twelve months ago at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Cadillac were finally given the green light as Formula One’s newest entry for 2026. Building the team from scratch has entailed a frenetic work rate that the team principal, Graeme Lowdon, has compared to the Apollo moon landing. As F1 descends on Vegas this weekend, Cadillac know time is getting tight. At the final race of the season to be staged in the United Statess, with just over 100 days to go before they take to the track for the first time in Melbourne at the 2026 opener, Cadillac have come on in leaps and bounds but, in what must seem like a sisyphean task, they are aware there will never be enough hours in the day. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/GBwlCHW

Unsealed indictment says Ryan Wedding tracked down witness who was then murdered before he could testify US authorities have charged a fugitive former Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin with the murder of a witness who was prepared to testify against him. The attorney general, Pam Bondi , said on Wednesday that Ryan Wedding was accused in a newly unsealed indictment of tracking down a witness in Colombia who was then murdered before he could give evidence. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WgdvRA7

The hit BBC crime drama is coming back to screens for the first time since its record-breaking 2021 finale BBC hit crime drama Line of Duty has been confirmed to return for a seventh series. A new six-part season following police anti-corruption investigations was today announced by the BBC. “ We couldn’t be more delighted to be returning for a seventh [series],” said creator Jed Mercurio. “Corruption in this country is supposed to have come to an end while Line of Duty was off air so I’ve been forced to use my imagination.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QAhM8Jn

Workers hired to cover long-running dispute will take part in industrial action after alleging unsafe workloads and toxic workplace culture Agency staff brought in as cover during the long-running bin strikes in Birmingham will join the picket line for the first time over claims of bullying and harassment. Hundreds of refuse workers have taken part in an all-out strike in the city since March in a dispute over pay and jobs, prompting the council to declare a “major incident”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/S72Gkrf

Complaint slams government’s actions as ‘unlawful and invalid’ after air force revoked early retirement benefits A group of 17 transgender US air force members has sued the Trump administration for denying them early retirement pensions and benefits. The complaint , submitted in federal court, describes the government’s move against them as “unlawful and invalid”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/J4uQwMR

At least nine cases detected of Ebola-like illness, according to Africa CDC, which kills up to 80% of those infected Ethiopia has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in the south of the country, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said. The Marburg virus is one of the deadliest known pathogens. Like Ebola, it causes severe bleeding, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea and has a 21-day incubation period. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/weP92UJ

Maro Itoje and company have talked the talk and are hungry to follow through with a first win at home over New Zealand since 2012 For better or worse it has been lashing down in south-west London. Good news for restocking the reservoirs but rather less so for dry-ball rugby. Had England played New Zealand 24 hours earlier it would have resembled a game of outdoor water polo and, although the matchday forecast is less biblical, a decidedly damp, grey afternoon awaits. Is it some kind of celestial clue that England’s on-field drought against the All Blacks might be about to break? It is now 13 years since the last men’s victory over New Zealand at what was once called Twickenham, so long ago that Maro Itoje was still at school. Troublemaker by Olly Murs (featuring Flo Rida) topped the UK charts and the nation was basking in a warm, fuzzy post-London Olympics glow that was supposed to last indefinitely. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zPnMCpH

Deal would also require multibillionaire family to give up ownership of the Connecticut-based firm A federal bankruptcy court judge on Friday said he would approve OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma’s latest deal to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids that includes some money for thousands of victims of the epidemic. The deal overseen by US bankruptcy judge Sean Lane would require some of the multibillionaire members of the Sackler family who own the company to contribute up to $7bn and give up ownership of the Connecticut-based firm. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/POJgzdN

Belgrade establishes joint venture with Donald Trump’s son-in-law to build hotel, apartments and museum complex The Serbian government has established a joint venture with a property development company owned by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to develop a hotel complex in Belgrade, giving Serbia until next May to demolish the existing buildings, according to leaked documents. An independent Serbian news magazine, Radar , published what appears to be a 2024 investment agreement giving Kushner’s firm, Atlantic Incubation Partners LLC, a 77.5% stake in the joint venture, and the Serbian government a 22.5% stake. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/G3Ylq9h

Thomas Tuchel is all for the marginal gains and the Three Lions have taken to new, fluorescent red shoes to boost their focus. It was certainly a strong look, impossible to ignore, something only a top-level footballer could carry off – and even then, the jury was out. When Ezri Konsa strolled in to preview Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia at Wembley, the England defender did so in what, at first glance, appeared to be a cross between a pair of slippers and oversized Crocs. In garish, fluorescent red. On closer inspection, it was possible to make out grooves and nodules on them, and then it was time for the science part. Apparently, if you wear these your concentration improves. Well, that is according to the manufacturer. Something to do with the pressure points on the foot, perhaps. Was Konsa convinced? Unclear. How about Thomas Tuchel? Ditto. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0YOKsNw

Experts including children’s laureate lament low quality of entertainment and call for more funding for children’s TV Lots of children’s programming made for YouTube is “not entertainment, it’s sedation”, the UK children’s laureate has warned. Frank Cottrell-Boyce said “frictionless” programming in which children are “bombarded with information”, such as CoCoMelon, a YouTube Kids channel with 180 million subscribers, failed to offer the “stimulation and nourishment” that previous generations had enjoyed. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Ig4PdOG

Game-by-game coverage of evening match in Turin Can anyone challenge the Sinner-Alcaraz supremacy? Anyroad up, out come our players… Nor is classical all he does: Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Astwp9C

Tierney strikes as Celtic defeat Kilmarnock 4-0 Rangers beat Dundee for third straight league win Kieran Tierney scored his first Celtic goal in seven years as the Premiership champions cut the gap on leaders Hearts to seven points with a 4-0 home victory against Kilmarnock . The left-back, who scored on his final Arsenal appearance in May, drilled in from 25 yards to double Celtic’s lead six minutes into the second half. It was the 28-year-old’s first Celtic goal since a Europa League win against RB Leipzig on 8 November 2018. Johnny Kenny had opened the scoring in the 10th minute with his fourth goal in four matches under the interim management team of Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney. Daizen Maeda missed several good chances for Celtic and Kilmarnock hit the crossbar through Bruce Anderson before Tierney struck. The home side struggled to build on the cushion but late goals from Maeda and Arne Engels, from the spot, added a flattering sheen to the scoreline. Continue read...

Leicester condemn Norwich to eighth straight home loss Club: ‘We have no choice other than to make a change’ Liam Manning has been sacked by Norwich in the wake of a 2-1 home defeat by Leicester , which left them 23rd in the Championship, with nine points from 15 games and without a win at Carrow Road since May. The Canaries have lost all seven of their home matches in the Championship this season, with another defeat coming in the Carabao Cup, and are now four points adrift of safety. After going ahead on 62 minutes through Mathias Kvistgaarden’s second goal in successive games, Norwich were pegged back by substitute Bobby Cordova-Reid 10 minutes later and then suffered a nightmare ending when Jordan James headed a dramatic second for the visitors. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/TxvtdIM

US president also praises Viktor Orbán’s hardline stance on immigration during White House summit Donald Trump has suggested that he could exempt Hungary from sanctions on importing oil from Russia as he praised Viktor Orbán’s hardline stance on immigration during a cozy White House summit. Trump also called on European leaders to show more respect to the Hungarian prime minister, who has clashed repeatedly with fellow EU heads of government over issues of migration, democracy and rule of law. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pIkrNYH

Droughts and heatwaves causing water in some areas to reach 41C, killing fish and endangered dolphins, say researchers Amazonian lakes are being transformed into simmering basins hotter than spa baths as severe heatwaves and drought grip the region, research shows. The temperature of one lake exceeded 40C (104F) as water levels plummeted under intense sunlight and cloudless skies. The extreme heat triggered mass die-offs among endangered Amazon river dolphins and fish, which cannot survive in such high temperatures. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1GPd3BA

Memoir chronicles Juan Carlos’s anointment as heir to dictator and death of younger brother when playing with pistols A memoir by Spain’s disgraced former king chronicles his anointment as heir to the dictator Francisco Franco, his role in saving democracy from a coup attempt in 1981, and his grief at the death of his younger brother when the two were “playing” with a pistol as teenagers. The book, published 11 years after Juan Carlos’s abdication and exile, is titled Reconciliation but appears to do anything but, instead detailing how he feels abandoned and misunderstood by his son and heir, King Felipe VI, and by other close family members. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QTadSOl

More than 500 people received letters from MaineHealth expressing condolences and providing estate instructions Maine ’s largest healthcare system accidentally sent condolence letters to more than 500 living patients in effect informing them that they had died. MaineHealth attributed the blunder to a computer system error and apologized. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/UyYBoqT

Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tzuWbjU

Woman, 38, and man, 37, had been arrested on Wednesday in relation to theft of £76m worth of jewellery in Paris Two more suspects, a man and a woman arrested this week over the jewel heist at the Louvre, have been charged and remanded in custody, prosecutors have said. The charges on Saturday brought to four the number of people now charged over the spectacular robbery. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lSaeuJ9