OpenAI’s apparent failure to visit key site raises questions over UK investment 04. July 2026 (14:00) Exclusive: £20bn of ‘potential’ £30bn AI investment touted by UK ministers appears to have been hypotheticalIt was to be the biggest undertaking in Britain for OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Stargate UK – a multibillion-pound UK datacentre project – would represent “a major step forward in the US-UK technology partnership”.But the plans were paused in April, with an OpenAI spokesperson citing concerns over regulation and high energy costs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How the 1986 Mexico World Cup was almost cancelled after a devastating earthquake 04. July 2026 (13:40) Guardian reports after the disaster told of 5,000 deaths, much of the capital being razed, and doubts about Mexico hosting the finalsMexico last hosted the World Cup in 1986, but the competition was almost cancelled several months before the start when an earthquake struck the capital, Mexico City, leaving at least 5,000 people dead, 30,000 homeless and much of the city flattened, in one of the worst earthquakes to hit the country.To this day, the death toll remains disputed, with some estimates putting it as high as 40,000. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Birdsong data from Merlin ID app to help global biodiversity project 04. July 2026 (13:00) Cornell Lab for Ornithology plans data linkup between app and population monitoring on eBird platformThe Merlin bird ID app will allow users to feed real-time bird identifications into one of the world’s biggest citizen-science biodiversity projects in an update it is hoped will aid conservation of at-risk birds.Since 2021, the free Merlin app, created by the Cornell Lab for Ornithology, has used machine learning to provide an almost instantaneous sound-identification service for birdsong, along with an image for each bird identified. In future, the detections of bird species recorded by people will be automatically collected on the global online database eBird, which contains more than 2bn bird observation records. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Emotional connection’: Wonderwall becomes England’s World Cup anthem 04. July 2026 (13:00) Oasis tune has been sung from Texas to Massachusetts and soon in Mexico City – and the players have joined in tooIt has become England’s World Cup anthem more three decades after it was first released, being belted out by fans from Texas to Massachusetts.Wonderwall by Oasis will soon be heard in Mexico City too, where the Three Lions will face the tournament co-hosts Mexico on Sunday evening – or at 1am on Monday for fans singing along back home. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK woman, 21, arrested in Thailand after allegedly stabbing boyfriend to death 04. July 2026 (12:26) Officers found the body of a 34-year-old man in a luxury rental home in the Pattaya area, local media saysA 21-year-old British woman has been arrested in Thailand after allegedly fatally stabbing her boyfriend, according to local media reports.The Bangkok Post reported that on Thursday morning local time, officers found the body of a 34-year-old man, who operated a cannabis farm, in a luxury rental home in the Pattaya area, a beachside region two hours outside of Bangkok known for its large expat population and nightlife. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Trump accounts’: Wall Street-backed investment funds for children to go live 04. July 2026 (12:00) Savings plans for children born between January 2025 and December 2028 launched as president seeks electoral boostTrump accounts, a savings vehicle named after the US president and authorized by congressional Republicans, are set to go live on Saturday, offering American parents a new way to save money for their children by investing in funds managed by major Wall Street firms.All accounts established for children born between January 2025 through December 2028 – nearly the entirety of Donald Trump’s second term – will receive $1,000 from the government. Parents, friends and employers will be able to deposit as much as $5,000 a year into the accounts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Crowds gather as six-day funeral for former Iranian supreme leader begins 04. July 2026 (11:43) Up to 30 million people expected to attend delayed events for Ali Khamenei, killed at start of war with US and IsraelThe funeral of the former Iranian supreme leader has begun as the gates of the sprawling Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran let in thousands of mourners who had been waiting through the night to enter the grounds.Iran is staging mass funeral processions for Ali Khamenei – whose 37-year reign was brought to an end in February by the first airstrike of the war launched by the US and Israel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour MPs call on water firms to save Britain’s lost lidos 04. July 2026 (11:00) Group, whose constituencies have derelict or at-risk pools, are campaigning to make outdoor swimming available for allCooling, blue expanses of water have been a lifesaver for many lucky enough to live near a lido during the recent UK heatwave.Now, a group of 20 MPs, along with the Fabian Society, are calling for this relief to be made accessible for all by getting water companies to fund the reopening of the country’s lost lidos. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Overseas education project for women and girls axed by UK after two years 04. July 2026 (10:00) The programme, aimed at keeping 1m girls in school across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, withdrawn after aid cutsA leading higher education programme, aimed at keeping 1 million girls in school across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, has been axed by the British government just two years after it was announced.The scheme, Strengthening higher education for female empowerment (SHEFE), which was unveiled with some fanfare two years ago by the outgoing Conservative government, had a £45m budget to increase access to higher education for 1 million students worldwide. It has now had its tender withdrawn, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘My childhood stopped’: woman sues CPS after taking stepfather to abuse trial 04. July 2026 (09:00) Annie’s lawyers argue that prosecution was so badly executed it breached her human rightsAt her kitchen table, in a village in southern England, Annie* sits with a blue folder stuffed with court documents, witness statements and correspondence relating to the trial of her stepfather, whom she had reported to police for alleged childhood abuse.As she prepared to tell her story for the first time, she was flooded with emotion when a photograph fell from the folder. The square Polaroid showed a young girl standing in a field beside a pony, dressed in jodhpurs and a riding hat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
