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Former England captain Heather Knight to retire from international cricket

Current Lord’s Test will be her final appearance “I’m privileged to have gone on this journey’ Heather Knight will retire from international cricket at the end of this week’s Test match against India at Lord’s. Knight, who has made a record 320 appearances for England, has joined teammate Tammy Beaumont in calling time on her career at the end of what is the first women’s Test match at the home of cricket, and one in which England appear headed for defeat after a gruelling second day’s play on Saturday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/uU7VQk3

Kranti Gaud makes history as India turn up heat on England in women’s Test

Only Test, Day two: India 285 & 154-1; England 170 Gaud takes 5-37 to write name on Lord’s honours board India are in firm control of their one-off Test after bowling England out for 170 and reaching 154 for one at the close, building a substantial lead of 269. The 22-year-old seamer Kranti Gaud showed true mastery of red-ball bowling to finish with five for 37: her teasing line and length, combined with wobble seam, had England reeling at 47 for four. This is Gaud’s second Test, after making her debut at the Waca against Australia in March, and she enters the record books as the first woman to have her name carved on the Test honours board at Lord’s. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WFvwxRn

Missouri declares state of emergency over severe storms and flooding

Governor Mike Kehoe urges people to follow guidelines with more heavy rain expected through the weekend Missouri has declared a state of emergency in response to severe storms and flash flooding affecting the state’s central, south-central, and south-eastern regions. In a news release , Governor Mike Kehoe said that under the order, the Missouri state emergency operations plan has been activated, allowing state agencies to coordinate directly with local jurisdictions to expedite emergency assistance. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/jZi5PNF

Sophie Ecclestone and women’s cricket make history at Lord’s as England bowl out India

Only Test, day one: India 285; England 21-1 Ecclestone becomes England’s leading women’s wicket-taker The opening day of the first women’s Test match at Lord’s started with a nod to the historical injustice of the long, slow journey to reach this moment – a group of former women players, denied the chance themselves to play a Test at the home of cricket, given the chance to ring a ceremonial bell on the outfield marking five minutes before the start of play. There were more than a few tears shed in the Long Room before play even started. The day ended with India bowled out for 285, England 21 for one, and this match poised for an intriguing second day. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/YFusTUh

Mexico investigates whether US lied about role in capture of drug lord

Reporting suggests FBI involved in seizure of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García from Mexican territory in 2024 Mexico has launched an investigation into whether the US lied about its involvement in the capture and secretive transfer of a top Sinaloa cartel member in 2024, in what would be a potential violation of the country’s sovereignty. The US has long denied it played any role in the operation to detain the drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, a founder of the Sinaloa cartel, inside Mexico. Recent reporting by the local media outlet Pie de Nota , however, suggested that the FBI was involved in his capture. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/w1Ofsgm

Egyptian FA questions ‘fairness’ of loss to Argentina amid refereeing furore

Statement says decisions ‘raised serious concerns’ Association rues ‘controversial and influential incidents’ The Egyptian Football Association has questioned the “fairness” of the national team’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in Tuesday’s World Cup last-16 encounter. Having gone 1-0 up through Yasser Ibrahim early on, Egypt thought they had doubled their lead in the second half when Mostafa Ziko scored at the end of an excellent move. The goal was disallowed after a VAR review, however, with the referee, François Letexier, adjudging Marwan Attia to have committed a foul in the buildup. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/urEtZF7

The Guardian view on prisons: the public deserves better than this litany of failure | Editorial

Drugs and violence continue at disturbing levels. But a minority of jails show that progress is possible Prisons in England and Wales are in an appalling state . In his last annual report before stepping down, Charlie Taylor, the head of the prisons watchdog, highlights good practice where it exists. One example is a strengthened focus on reading in some jails. Another is the work done to improve staff-prisoner relationships at HMP Low Newton, County Durham. But the overwhelming impression made by the document , published on Tuesday, is of profound and shocking failure. The criteria on which inspectors judge prisons are safety, respect, preparation for release and purposeful activity. This serves as a useful reminder of what they are for. Unfortunately, they are failing on all fronts and especially the last. Only two men’s prisons out of 35 were judged as offering “good” work and education. In most places budgets and classes have been cut and attendance is poor. Even...

Do bees have inner lives? Slow-motion video reveals bumblebee behaviour similar to ‘liking’ or ‘disliking’

Bees respond to tasty treats or plain water based on context, study that may provide support for establishing insect sentience shows Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast When bumblebees taste something good, they reach out their glossa – or insect tongue – for a while afterwards, almost as if they are licking their lips. And when they don’t like something, the insects will shake their heads and wipe their mouths. Scientists who captured the miniature facial expressions on slow-motion video say the behaviour is consistent with “liking” and “disliking” responses observed in mammals. Their results have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kmE5biw

At least 25 people die in US as record heatwave scorches swaths of country

More than 20 states reported temperatures above 100F as heat dome sits over eastern US during holiday weekend At least about two dozen people have died amid the perilous climate crisis-driven heatwave that has scorched swaths of the US with record temperatures. As a huge heat dome sits over the county’s eastern half, extreme heat gripped millions of people in the days leading up to the US’s semiquincentennial on Saturday – and beyond it. More than 20 states experienced have reported stifling temperatures more than 100F (38C), marring celebrations. And more than 140 million people remained under active heat alerts across the US on Sunday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dyvxp0N

Paraguay v France: World Cup last 16 – live

⚽️ Kick-off time: 5pm local/7am AEST/10pm BST ⚽️ Player guide | Canada 0-3 Morocco | Mail Beau What’s the biggest upset you can remember from a World Cup knockout round? Not the group stage. The record books are full of teams that lost their first games to an unheralded underdog but went on to reach the final. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/T5n4FJv

Ever-improving Sabalenka sees off Ostapenko to move into third round

No 1 seed looks strong in 6-4, 6-4 victory against Latvian ‘The plan is to get better every day,’ says Sabalenka As Aryna Sabalenka marched towards a convincing victory over the ever-dangerous Jelena Ostapenko, she opted for a slight change of pace. Leading 6-4, 2-1 and 30-0, Sabalenka followed up a massive serve by immediately flitting to the net. She surely had visions of her serve and volley attempt ending in triumphant Tim Henman-esque fashion, but that is not quite how things played out. She instead misjudged the path of Ostapenko’s slow, lofty return, and her shanked smash landed harmlessly on the service line. Ostapenko calmly ended the point with a forehand passing shot winner. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KGEIjcw

England’s game against Mexico could be moved to noon local time, 7pm UK time Sunday

Game originally set to kick off at 6pm local time Could be rescheduled due to risk of thunderstorms England’s World Cup game against Mexico on Sunday could be moved to noon local time (7pm BST), according to local media reports. The round of 16 game at the ‌Estadio Azteca was scheduled to start at 6pm local time (1am BST) but that could now change because of a risk of thunderstorms. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mUdrbSc

Brutal heatwave scorches eastern US ahead of Fourth of July weekend

National Weather Service warns heat index could reach 115F as heat grips midwest, Ohio valley and east coast Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A “prolonged, dangerous heatwave” was sweeping across parts of the central and eastern United States on Thursday, with forecasters warning that extreme record-breaking temperatures are expected to continue into the holiday weekend for millions of Americans. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Thursday that temperatures between 95F (35C) and 105F (40.5C), combined with high humidity, will push heat index values across parts of the region to between 100F and 115F. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/q5Jl8rs

Conflicts of interest? Trump only has one interest: himself | Robert Reich

The president made $2.2bn last year, with plenty of help from his own political decisions. This is called corruption, folks People in the US: share your views on Trump’s earnings in his second term In financial disclosures released on Tuesday, Trump reported earning more than $1bn last year from his several cryptocurrency ventures. All told – including other parts of his vast holdings, such as his real estate assets – Trump made at least $2.2bn last year, as opposed to the roughly $622m his businesses raked in in 2024, before he returned to the presidency. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/LtSXzvb

Albania warned EU accession at risk over Jared Kushner-backed resort plans

Proposed development of protected shorelines and wildlife zones violates EU environmental policy, says MEP MEPs have warned Albania that EU accession talks are at risk if the government does not “change course” over plans for a luxury resort backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Tineke Strik, the Dutch MEP heading a European parliament fact-finding mission to the Balkan nation, said Albania’s leadership was “playing with fire” by pursuing the €1.4bn (£1.2bn) real-estate venture that would, she said, wreak havoc on virgin coastline. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pUiEHo2

‘It’s going to be tough’: Declan Rice ready for DR Congo challenge in last 32

England midfielder’s experience with Arsenal last season taught him the need to be patient against teams unwilling to attack Declan Rice is reflecting on the pivotal moment of his season so far, the one when plenty of people thought it was about to go wrong for him and Arsenal. It was a narrow and painful defeat for them at Manchester City in mid‑April, which meant the clubs were stride for stride with each other at the top of the Premier League. The momentum was with City. Were Arsenal about to blow it? The TV cameras picked out Rice on the Etihad Stadium pitch and, as he shook his head, he was easy to lipread. “It’s not done,” the England midfielder said. It was not. Arsenal won all of their remaining league games, finding a way through unbearable levels of tension. City did not and Arsenal were champions for the first time since 2004. “It could have gone either way,” Rice says with a smile. “That would have lived with me for ever.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://...

High-performing schools in England ‘should be encouraged to admit more white working-class pupils’

Report says once-in-a-generation changes needed to tackle why such children are lowest-performing large demographic High-performing primary and secondary schools in England should be encouraged to admit more disadvantaged pupils from white working-class backgrounds to help reverse a continuing crisis in underachievement, an independent inquiry has said. The independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes concluded the current education system was “not set up to serve white working-class children and families”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/LCdmA0h

Arthur review – modern girl’s quest yields a good knight for all ages

Polka theatre, London Marietta Kirkbride’s enchanting take on the Arthur myth brings silliness and songs when young Grace travels back in time with Merlin the wizard Here is a sparkling new take on the King Arthur legend for the ages – and all ages – from Bucket Club theatre company. Our tale begins with young Grace waiting in A&E, Lego stuck up her nose and her brother hurt following a squabble. When Merlin appears in hospital, weaving a tale of mysterious adventure, Grace is pulled into an epic quest packed with enchanted forests and sparkling underwater realms. In the closing scenes, when Arthur finally pulls that famous sword from the stone, loud gasps ripple through an enchanted young audience. Magic. Writer Marietta Kirkbride’s contemporary take has lots of smart jokes for the parents to enjoy and a helping of Gawain the Green Knight thrown in for good measure. There are witty nods to today’s political climate, with a sixth-century England languishing without a king and stru...

Japan and Morocco face old order giants in the hope of a brave new world | Jonathan Wilson

Two eye-catching last-32 ties offer hope of a winner from outside the traditional powers – Brazil and the Netherlands could be gone The World Cup exists in a state of perpetual flux. It goes to new territories. It gets bigger. It experiments with second group phases and replaces playoffs for sides level on points with goal difference then head-to-head. And still one of the same eight countries from western Europe or South America wins it. Since Argentina in 1978, there have been two new winners, and those were France and Spain, from the heart of Uefa, their success based on maximising the advantages of being European and wealthy; no countries have been so successful at industrialising youth production, so much so that they now provide the models for every country seeking to invest in academy programmes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZJbMDef

Trump administration moves to restart LGBTQ+ suicide hotline it initially ended

The Trevor Project non-profit that helped pioneer LGBTQ+ ‘press 3’ option for 988 hotline is being shut out as it restarts The Trump administration is moving to restart the specialized LGBTQ+ option for youth who contact the 988 crisis intervention hotline – but the group that helped pioneer the idea is being shut out. The Trevor Project, the New York-based leading non-profit for suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ young people in the US, may not be allowed to offer the service it had helped develop for the 988 Lifeline just a few years ago. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/6lvAkuX