‘You make people a bit happier’: the football app building friendships in London 13. June 2026 (15:00) Footy Addicts helps amateur players find a game at short notice – and tackles the problem of lonelinessCries of “Boss! Boss! Boss!” emerge from the pitch during a hard-fought game of football in a London park. There aren’t a lot of names used in this game, because most players only met just before kick-off. They were brought together by an app that’s injecting life into grassroots football.Footy Addicts was invented to solve an infuriating problem for amateur players – the late dropout, which can lead to unbalanced teams and ruined games. The app brings together strangers who are desperate to play football, and who can step in after a cancellation to make up the numbers at short notice. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anthropic to disable its most advanced AI models after US order limiting foreign access 13. June 2026 (14:37) Company said US government believes safeguards can be bypassed and product used to identify software vulnerabilitiesAnthropic said it will “abruptly disable” its most advanced AI models for all users after the US government ordered it to suspend access to the models for foreign nationals, citing national security concerns.The company received the export control directive to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all foreign nationals, without being given specific details of the national security concern, Anthropic said in a statement. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New York man who killed gay dancer faces 25 years after hate-crime conviction 13. June 2026 (13:00) Dmitriy Popov fatally stabbed O’Shae Sibley in Brooklyn in 2023 and was found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crimeA New York City man who was recently convicted of a hate crime in the 2023 stabbing death of vogue dancer O’Shae Sibley is facing a prison sentence of between eight and 25 years.Sentencing for Dmitriy Popov, who was 17 at the time of Sibley’s slaying, was tentatively scheduled for 30 June following his conviction. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Three teenagers arrested over death of man in Essex 13. June 2026 (12:27) Boy, 14, among three people held after 21-year-old was found critically injured in Central Park, ChelmsfordThree teenagers, including a 14-year-old boy, have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 21-year-old man in a park in Essex.Emergency services attended Central Park in Chelmsford at about 7pm on Friday, where the victim was found with critical injuries. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Head of Commons media committee denies writing article accusing BBC of bias 13. June 2026 (12:00) Excoriating article under Caroline Dinenage’s name remains on ConservativeHome website It was a crisis that toppled a BBC director general and his head of news. After contentious accusations of bias by a former external adviser, Michael Prescott, both Tim Davie and Deborah Turness quit the corporation.At the height of the media storm that ensued last November, the corporation was struck by another blow. A key figure in scrutinising the BBC – the chair of the Commons culture, media and sport committee – delivered an equally damning verdict. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pipers and dreams: World Cup fever grips Scotland again after 28 years 13. June 2026 (12:00) The country is ready to blow away decades of dashed hopes and celebrate, with marching bands and all-night partiesScotland is leaning into one of its most treasured traditions: embracing the hope and anxiety of a football World Cup, with a healthy dose of self-deprecating style.There are brash new tartans, an Edinburgh bar offering free Irn-Bru-infused “fiery ginger” beers for patrons with red hair, a collaboration between Scottish whisky firms and a Brazilian distiller, and all-night parties in nightclubs repurposed as fanzones. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Palestinian American woman held without charge by Israeli military 13. June 2026 (12:00) Soldiers arrested university student Sama Safi, 20, along with members of Palestinian women’s national soccer teamA 20-year-old Palestinian American woman has been held in Israeli military detention for nearly two weeks after Israeli soldiers stormed her family home in a pre-dawn raid on 2 June.Sama Safi, a psychology student at Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank, has not been charged with any crimes. A spokesperson for the Israeli military said she and three other women detained around the same time were arrested “after promoting hostile terrorist activity and additional terrorist-related activities”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Drug diversion schemes cut reoffending rates more than prosecution, study says 13. June 2026 (10:00) Exclusive: Research in England shows people a third less likely to reoffend under decriminalisation-style schemesDrug diversion schemes led by police that steer people away from the criminal justice system and into treatment and education services are significantly more effective in reducing reoffending than prosecution, according to a new analysis.Researchers examined outcomes across 13 English police forces and more than 62,000 criminal incidents over the past four years, finding that people whose cases were dealt with through decriminalisation-style diversion schemes were a third less likely to reoffend than similar individuals prosecuted for drug possession. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers 13. June 2026 (09:00) Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain’s winter, say expertsIt is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first ever sighting in the UK.The heron was first spotted in Foryd Bay at the weekend before flying to nearby Caernarfon harbour where it fed among the boats. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Public control of water and energy at heart of Burnham agenda, sources say 13. June 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: Greater Manchester mayor ‘serious’ about taking over ‘essentials of life’ if he becomes PM, a move critics say could cost taxpayer billions A decade-long project to bring water and energy into public control will lie at the heart of Andy Burnham’s agenda should he become prime minister, according to sources close to the Greater Manchester mayor.Several close allies of Burnham have said he wants to take over broad swathes of UK utilities in an effort to improve performance and potentially reduce bills for consumers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
