The Guardian

Lightning stops play: how electrical storms could disrupt the World Cup

Under US rules, even a distant strike can suspend a game – and some will take place in Florida, the thunderstorm stateHot weather will be a major concern at the World Cup, but lightning may also prove a particular problem. Under US safety regulations, a strike within 10 miles (16km) of a stadium triggers a 30-minute suspension of the game, during which players must leave the pitch.The size of the safety zone was dictated by research on the distance that lightning can strike from a storm even wit

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The Guardian

Middle East crisis live: US and Iran trade strikes again, after Trump warns Tehran will ‘pay the price’ for stalled talks

US launches second round of airstrikes on Iran, and Tehran responds by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and JordanUS strikes Iran for second day, as ceasefire appears close to collapseThursday’s strikes are more evidence that Iran has the leverage in the negotiations with the Trump administration, according to Dan Shapiro, the former US ambassador to Israel.It is Trump that is desperate for them to sign the agreement, as his statements reveal, and Iran that is dragging their feet.”A deal that punts nuc

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The Guardian

Escaped prisoner who fled brother’s funeral believed to be in Melbourne, police say

Orijol Rukaj was on pallbearer duties when he evaded corrections staff – and has been on the run for the six weeks sinceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice say it was a busy funeral – with about 300 people gathering at a Melbourne cemetery on Anzac Day to farewell the brother of Orijol Rukaj.Before assuming his duties as a pallbearer, Rukaj was escorted to the Keilor East service by corrections staff. But correct

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BBC World

Family of British toddler criticises police as Australian inquiry into cold case murders begins

NSW inquiry will also examine whether notorious serial killer Ivan Milat was responsible for more murders.

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NY Times World

The War in Ukraine Has Now Gone On Longer Than World War I

Parallels between the two wars abound, from the grinding nature of the fighting to the way new technologies reshaped warfare.

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NY Times World

A.I. and the Chip Boom: Take a Quiz on New Korean Slang and Memes

What’s a “silicon-collar”? South Korea’s chip industry has been supercharged by the advent of the A.I. age, inspiring a host of new phrases.

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The Guardian

Children hit by parents more likely to bully others, research finds

The UCL study also found physically punished children were more likely to struggle in schoolChildren smacked by their parents struggle to get good exam results and are more likely to bully others, causing a negative impact on society, according to new research calling for smacking to be banned.The study by University College London (UCL) found that children in England who were physically punished at the ages of three, five and seven were significantly less likely to pass GCSE exams compared with

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BBC World

Four days of extreme rain killed 7% of world's rarest orangutans, study says

Climate change-induced weather events are pushing orangutan populations to extinction, says a study.

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The Guardian

Australian billionaire Brett Blundy wages high-stakes campaign to oust chair of Victoria’s Secret

Blundy’s investment firm, BBRC International, owns about 13% of the US-listed lingerie brand, giving it a potential platform to launch a hostile takeoverFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian billionaire Brett Blundy is waging a high-stakes campaign to oust the long-term chair of Victoria’s Secret & Co, setting the stage for a showdown at the company’s annual meeting in the US on Thursday.Blundy’s investment

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The Guardian

Peter Weir receives inaugural AFTRS lifetime achievement award

Director of Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli celebrated for defining Australian culture and ‘global influence on craft, form and storytelling’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPeter Weir, the director of Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli, was presented with the inaugural lifetime achievement award from the Australian Film Television and Radio School on Wednesday night.At an

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The Guardian

States tell Albanese government that NDIS changes could mean people with disabilities are shifted into hospitals

Plan to move 240,000 people off scheme leads states and territories to jointly warn they can’t ‘deliver like-for-like services to people who are exited from the NDIS’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastState and territory disability ministers have rung alarm bells over the Albanese government’s proposed overhaul of the NDIS, warning they can’t deliver “like-for-like services” for more than 200,000 participants expected

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The Guardian

French man on trial accused of raping partner after contact with Dominique Pelicot

Man accused of sedating and filming abuse of partner had contact with Pelicot, who was jailed for drugging wife and inviting men to rape herA bodyguard from Lyon is to go on trial for allegedly sedating and raping his partner after he was in contact online with Dominique Pelicot, who was convicted of drugging and raping his own wife, Gisèle Pelicot.Pelicot, one of the worst sex offenders in modern French history, is serving 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of drugging his then wife a

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The Guardian

Mehdi Hasan on Donald Trump’s big, beautiful birthday – podcast

As the US prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary and Trump turns 80, what state is the country in? And its president?This weekend kicks off an extravaganza of celebrations for the US, marking 250 years of independence from Britain – and for Donald Trump, marking 80 years of being, well, him.Presidents gone-by would have used a milestone anniversary to promote national unity. Trump is organising a cage fight. The president is adamant that every decent, flag-waving American will enjoy the fes

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WSJ World News

World Cup Puts Mexico’s Cartel Crisis on the Global Stage

Activists are using the tournament to spotlight tens of thousands of missing people, while officials deploy high-tech shields to protect lucrative tourist zones.

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NY Times World

U.S. Officials Told Colombia to Cancel President’s Meeting With Mamdani

The State Department canceled President Gustavo Petro’s visa last year after he attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Manhattan. He had planned to attend a forum led by Mayor Mamdani of New York.

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The Guardian

Angus Taylor rejects One Nation seat sharing deal as cracks appear in Liberal ranks over Pauline Hanson threat

South Australian Liberal Tony Pasin says parties should ‘work hand-in-glove’ to defeat Labor at the next electionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSplits are appearing inside the Liberal party about how to deal with Pauline Hanson, after one opposition MP at risk of losing his seat to One Nation said the two conservative parties should cooperate and not run against each other – a plan rejected by Angus Taylor and othe

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The Guardian

Aukus is among Australia’s worst foreign policy decisions and requires ‘heroic’ optimism, Gareth Evans says

Former Labor foreign affairs minister says belief US would defend Australia in event of an existential attack is a ‘ludicrous delusion’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAukus will prove to be one of the worst defence and foreign policy decisions ever made by an Australian government and is only being permitted by Donald Trump in order to destroy Chinese nuclear threats to the US mainland, former foreign affairs minist

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WSJ World News

Jared Kushner’s $5 Billion Albanian Reality Check

Kushner is proposing to build luxury beach hotels and resorts in a corner of Eastern Europe often overlooked by U.S. investors—but things aren’t going well.

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BBC World

Iran says it struck ships in Strait of Hormuz after US launches new strikes

US Central Command said its latest airstrikes were responding to "unwarranted and continued aggression" from Iran.

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The Guardian

Accused LA wildfire arsonist wanted ‘revenge on society’, prosecutors say as trial opens

Defense says no evidence occasional Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht ignited deadly blaze on New Year’s Day 2025The trial of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting last year’s deadly Palisades fire, kicked off on Wednesday with opening arguments. Prosecutors cast him as a vengeful arsonist who sought to hide his role from authorities, while his defense attorneys argued that the fire was caused by fireworks.On New Year’s Day in 2025, firefighters extinguished a small blaz

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