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 state

Hot 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 with no clouds overhead. This is more than a theoretical risk. During a game in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998, an entire team was killed by a single bolt of lightning. There have been many other deadly incidents.

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Millions of homes in London, Essex and Kent at risk of sinking as climate crisis worsens

Analysis pinpoints areas most vulnerable to hotter, drier weather causing ground to shrink and drag foundations down

Millions of homes are at risk from climate-related subsidence, according toan analysis by the British Geological Survey (BGS).

As hotter, drier summers driven by global heating become more frequent, the ground under houses can shrink and drag down a property’s foundations. The most vulnerable areas include London, Essex, Kent and a tranche of land from Oxford up to the Wash on England’s east coast, according to scientists, who say mitigation measures will be needed.

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Home Office contractor investigates claims of staff racism and hate speech

Whistleblowers from Mitie allege some employees have made offensive remarks or liked abusive social media posts

One of the government’s key contractors has launched an investigation into allegations of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate speech among staff working in immigration removal centres, the Guardian has learned.

Whistleblowers from the company, Mitie, have alleged that some staff members working in immigration removal centres and deporting migrants have made offensive comments at work and in social media posts.

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How the Belfast stabbing was the spark to a fuse loaded with grievance and provocation

Politicians, social media and far-right agitators convinced people that migrant-targeting violence would solve all their problems

Within minutes of the footage going online – of a Black man stabbing a white man – there was a sense of inexorability to what came next in Northern Ireland.

The grievances, the social media platforms, the politicians’ doublespeak and the international cheerleaders all provided a fuse. On Monday night came the spark.

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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 since

Police 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 corrections staff didn’t bring him back to prison.

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What Made FP-5 Flamingo Strike on russia’s VNIIR-Progress Plant Successful, How Many Missiles Were Used – Defense Express

  1. What Made FP-5 Flamingo Strike on russia's VNIIR-Progress Plant Successful, How Many Missiles Were Used  Defense Express
  2. Ukraine says missiles hit military plant deep inside Russia  BBC
  3. Ukrainian strikes are inflicting pain deep inside Russia  The Economist
  4. Ukraine war briefing: Flamingo missiles hit more far-flung Russian targets  The Guardian
  5. Ukraine Strikes St. Petersburg in Long-Range Drone Attack  The New York Times
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The War in Ukraine Has Now Gone On Longer Than World War I – The New York Times

  1. The War in Ukraine Has Now Gone On Longer Than World War I  The New York Times
  2. 5 Grim Warning Signs for Putin in Ukraine  Newsweek
  3. Ukraine’s fight is longer than the First World War, and looks similar in the trenches  The Globe and Mail
  4. Ukraine war now longer than the first world war – the similarities are unsettling  The Conversation
  5. Ukraine’s war is now longer than the first world war  The Economist
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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 school

Children 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 other children, even after factors such as family background were taken into account.

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The Real Problem With Global Trade: How China’s Currency Manipulation Is Warping the World Economy – Foreign Affairs

  1. The Real Problem With Global Trade: How China’s Currency Manipulation Is Warping the World Economy  Foreign Affairs
  2. China Vice Premier to Join Macron’s G7 Call on Trade Imbalances  Bloomberg.com
  3. Why the G7 is worried about global economic imbalances  Reuters
  4. Macron courts China with G7 outreach  politico.eu
  5. China will continue to share development opportunities with other countries: vice premier  Xinhua
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Did China’s Xi visit North Korea because an emboldened Kim Jong Un wants “to confront the U.S.”? – CBS News

  1. Did China's Xi visit North Korea because an emboldened Kim Jong Un wants "to confront the U.S."?  CBS News
  2. North Korea, China claim wins from Xi visit, but limits remain  Reuters
  3. Behind the Pageantry in Pyongyang With Xi and Kim  The New York Times
  4. Friendship or leverage: Why is Xi Jinping in North Korea?  BBC
  5. China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance  NPR
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How Germany turned a fighter jet failure into an opportunity – politico.eu

  1. How Germany turned a fighter jet failure into an opportunity  politico.eu
  2. CCA showdown and FCAS fallout, as Berlin Air Show gets underway  Breaking Defense
  3. Israel’s war-tested weapons are becoming Europe’s new obsession  The Jerusalem Post
  4. German air show opens under shadow of Iran war, fighter project collapse  Defense News
  5. ESA at ILA 2026 – Day 1 highlights  European Space Agency
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Rescuing a Losing War – Futura Doctrina | Mick Ryan

  1. Rescuing a Losing War  Futura Doctrina | Mick Ryan
  2. When Russia Loses Its War in Ukraine  Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
  3. What a Russian Army Collapse Might Look Like  The Bulwark
  4. A Spring Campaign in Ruins: How Russia’s Record Losses Threaten Its Summer Offensive  Ukrinform - Ukrainian National News Agency
  5. Has Putin Already Won? Why The Ukraine War Could Be Entering Its Most Dangerous Phase | World News  News18
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Deadly Indonesia floods wiped out at least 7% of rare orangutan population, report says – Yahoo

  1. Deadly Indonesia floods wiped out at least 7% of rare orangutan population, report says  Yahoo
  2. Four days of extreme rain killed 7% of world's rarest orangutans, study says  Yahoo News Canada
  3. Indonesia Landslides Devastated Endangered Orangutans, Study Finds  The New York Times
  4. Four days of extreme rain in Indonesia killed 7% of world’s rarest great apes, study finds  The Guardian
  5. Cyclone Senyar wiped out 7% of Tapanuli orangutans, pushing world’s rarest great ape closer to extinction  The Indian Express
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FBI seizes 13 websites that officials say were used by China to target and recruit US workers – AP News

  1. FBI seizes 13 websites that officials say were used by China to target and recruit US workers  AP News
  2. FBI seizes over a dozen websites it says were used by Chinese agents to recruit US officials  CNN
  3. US seizes 13 website domains tied to alleged Chinese intelligence collection  Reuters
  4. China used websites to target security-clearance holders, officials say  Defense One
  5. An FBI-Seized Site in a Chinese-Intel Recruitment Sweep Carried a Toronto Company's Name and Address  The Bureau | Sam Cooper | Substack
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