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World shares are mixed after a tech-led rally on Wall Street

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World shares are mixed after a tech-led rally on Wall Street

BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed Friday and U.S. futures declined as optimism over the U.S.-Iran deal to end their war was dimmed by the postponement of high-stakes talks on reopening negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and getting oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. markets will be closed Friday for Juneteenth.

Planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States over their efforts to reach a permanent end to war were delayed, while Israel’s military said its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area.

“Both sides are trying to show some good faith,” Bas van Geffen of RaboResearch said in a commentary. “But even if the water appears calmer, there is still a strong undertow. The agreement remains fragile on multiple fronts.”

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Germany’s DAX rose 0.2% to 25,079.30, while the CAC 40 in Paris was nearly unchanged at 8,467.75. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.2% to 10,376.64.

The futures for the S&P500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.2%.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 wavered between gains and losses but closed 0.3% higher at a new record of 71,250.06. The government reported that consumer prices excluding volatile fresh foods was unchanged, but analysts said it would likely pick up in coming months despite higher fuel costs.

Higher inflation was a factor driving the Bank of Japan to raise its benchmark interest rate earlier this week to a three-decade high of 1% as it gradually adjusts its policies after years of near-zero or negative rates.

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In South Korea, the Kospi lost 0.1% to 9,052.42, just shy of its record set a day earlier. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia declined 0.9% to 8,828.70, while India’s Sensex lost 0.8%.

Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan were closed for the Dragon Boat festival.

On Thursday, stocks rose on Wall Street, erasing most of their losses from a day earlier to notch weekly gains thanks to big advances for heavyweight technology companies. The decline on Wednesday was driven by anticipation that the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates this year in an effort to fight inflation.

The S&P 500 rose 1.1% and the Dow industrials added 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite surged 1.9%.

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Technology stocks had some of the biggest gains and the most influence on the broader market’s rise. Intel surged 10.6% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the semiconductor giant will make chips for Apple in the U.S. Other big semiconductor companies gained ground. Nvidia rose 3% and Micron Technology jumped 8.7%.

On the losing end, SpaceX fell for the second straight day since its big debut on the U.S. stock market last week. The Elon Musk-led rocket maker and AI company was down 3.6% following a 4.9% loss Wednesday.

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Oil prices wavered after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic. Brent crude, the international standard, spent most of the day lower before settling 0.4% higher at $79.85 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude fell 0.2% to $75.85 per barrel.

Early Friday, Brent crude was down 0.4% at $79.50 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude was flat at $75.85 per barrel.

Prices for crude oil are still above roughly $70 per barrel from before the war, but are well below the $100-plus price from a few weeks ago.

Rising energy costs have been putting more pressure on already hot inflation. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. has dipped below $4 a gallon, but is still 25% higher than a year ago. Prices have been rising for a wide range of goods because of higher shipping costs.

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The Federal Reserve kept is key interest rate unchanged this week but hotter inflation means it will likely raise rates by the end of the year. Lower interest rates make borrowing easier for businesses and households, spurring growth, but they also tend to stoke inflation.

In other dealings early Friday, the U.S. dollar fell to 161.31 Japanese yen from 161.38 yen. The euro was unchanged at $1.1458.

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I fixed my baby’s sleep when I stopped making this common parenting mistake

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I fixed my baby's sleep when I stopped making this common parenting mistake
My daughter Ruby used to be a good sleeper until I started believing that overtiredness would ruin her nights… (Picture: Lucy Mapstone)

It was 2am and my baby was bouncing around my bed, twerking her nappy bum in my face, squealing with joy and making it clear that she was up for a party.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t.

It was the third night in a row that my darling eight-month-old daughter Ruby had decided sleep was for the weak. A few weeks earlier, she had been happily sleeping through the night save for the odd brief wake-up.

Now she was regularly spending hours awake in the middle of the night, absolutely vibing all over the bed, usually between 2am and 4am. Fun for her, very not fun for me and her dad. We were baffled – her sleep hadn’t even been this bad as a newborn.

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Like many parents, I turned to sleep apps, social media, ChatGPT and parenting forums for answers, with most pointing to the same culprit: overtiredness.

I was told Ruby wasn’t getting enough sleep during the day. She needed longer naps. Earlier bedtimes. Shorter wake windows (the time babies spend awake between sleeps).

Trying to settle an undertired baby at 2am in my bed was… interesting (Picture: Lucy Mapstone)

Overtiredness is the scariest concept in the baby sleep world. It crops up everywhere from Instagram reels to parenting forums, and the theory is so powerful because it appears to explain everything. A baby fighting a nap? Overtired. A baby waking up crying all night? Overtired. A baby waking at 4am ready for the day? Overtired.

Convinced I had accidentally created a chronically exhausted child, I started trying to squeeze more sleep into Ruby’s day.

It did not help and, if anything, things got worse.

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At the end of my tether, I sought help from baby sleep consultant Lauren Eells, founder of Sound Asleep Guru, whose science-led and direct approach to sleep had long stood out to me among the sea of conflicting ‘experts’ on social media, who each insisted they had the top method to help your baby sleep.

The first thing Lauren had me do was work out how much sleep Ruby actually needed. For 10 days I tracked every nap and overnight sleep. The result? Ruby averaged 13 hours of sleep across a 24-hour period.

That number changed everything and, instead of encouraging more sleep, Lauren wanted us to try for less.

At the time, I was giving Ruby around two and a half hours of naps a day. ChatGPT was suggesting shorter wake windows, and the popular sleep app Huckleberry was steering me towards earlier bedtimes. Lauren, meanwhile, wanted Ruby awake for at least four and a half hours before bed and to reduce her daytime naps to one hour and 45 minutes in total.

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Ruby got the help she needed to sleep more solidly at night and it was so simple (Picture: Lucy Mapstone)

I remember worrying that Ruby would be so exhausted. What about everything I had seen about overtiredness – wasn’t that exactly what I was supposed to be avoiding?

The explanation for approaching sleep in this way, Lauren says, comes down to two biological processes that need to work together.

The first is melatonin, the hormone that helps us feel sleepy as bedtime approaches. The second is sleep pressure, which builds the longer we stay awake.

‘What we do know is that there is melatonin that releases, and that you want to time your baby’s melatonin rise with going to bed so that you get the nicest settle to sleep,” she explains.

‘But in order for that nice settle to then lead to a nice night, you also need the right sleep pressure behind you.’

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In practical terms, a baby who has napped too much or too recently before bed may still appear tired enough to fall asleep. But they may not have built enough sleep pressure to stay asleep for long.

That, Lauren believes, is where many parents get caught out.

‘The number one myth that I think harms sleep is overtiredness, because it leads parents to put their baby down too early, for too long and at the wrong times,’ she says.

Lauren Eells, the founder of baby sleep consultancy Sound Asleep Guru, works hard against the overtiredness ‘myth’ (Picture: Lauren Eels)
When Lauren had her twins in 2017, overtiredness ‘wasn’t a thing’, she says (Picture: Lauren Eells)

‘They’ve used too much of their 24-hour sleep budget before they’ve even gone to bed that night.’

To my astonishment, Ruby could handle being awake for longer before bed. In fact, for the first time in weeks, I saw her getting properly tired before bedtime.

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The very first day I capped Ruby’s naps, she slept for more than 11 hours overnight without waking. Then she did it again. And again and again.

Soon, it became clear that we didn’t need to sleep train at all. Ruby still fell asleep in our arms before being transferred to her cot, but she was sleeping through the night without needing us.

Lauren explains that while routine carries most of the weight when it comes to sleep, some babies are more sensitive to sleep associations than others.

A baby who is fed, rocked, cuddled or helped to sleep may expect that same help every time they wake overnight (which happens several times a night and is biologically normal), meaning they struggle to resettle independently, and this is where sleep training can come in useful – but it only works once the schedule is sorted.

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Ruby now manages solid nights of sleep without sleep training, and all by just adjusting her schedule and not trying to make her sleep more than she needs (Picture: Lucy Mapstone)

Ruby, however, appears to be one of the rarer babies who can happily drift off in our arms and still connect her sleep cycles without needing us through the night.

According to Lauren, that’s because routine matters far more than many parents realise.

‘Sleep training is the icing on the cake,’ she tells me, adding: ‘The cake itself is getting the routine right.’

In other words, many babies aren’t waking because they’re getting too little sleep. They’re waking because they’re getting too much. Astounding, right? But spend five minutes on Reddit or on social media looking at baby sleep advice and you will generally hear that overtiredness is enemy number one.

Lauren believes one of the biggest problems facing parents is the rise of generic sleep advice that treats all babies as though they need the same amount of sleep.

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At the time I tweaked Ruby’s sleep, both Huckleberry and various Google sources suggested she should be getting around 14 hours of shut-eye in a 24-hour period, including up to three hours of naps. For my daughter, aiming for that amount of sleep was exactly what caused the problem.

‘This idea that every baby has a 14 to 16-hour sleep tank just isn’t true,’ Lauren says. Sleep doesn’t breed sleep.’

Who is Lauren Eells?

Lauren Eells is the founder of Sound Asleep Guru, a sleep consultancy that supports families with infant and toddler sleep, routines and independent sleep. So far, she and her colleagues Grace, Hana and Chloe have helped more than 4,000 babies get better sleep.

She holds a Level 6 EDS Sleep Practitioner qualification covering children aged 0-16, is trained in paediatric CBT-I (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia), has completed Imperial College London’s Paediatric Sleep course, and holds additional qualifications in infant reflux, colic and allergies, including cow’s milk protein allergy and lactose intolerance.

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Lauren also co-hosts the parenting podcast Spilling the Tea on Zzzs and contributed to a recent BBC investigation into the unregulated baby sleep industry.

Lauren’s entire approach is built around the idea that babies, like adults, have different sleep needs. The challenge for parents is working out which type of baby they have.

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She argues that generic schedules, wake windows and sleep apps can make parents lose confidence in their own instincts.

‘It really robs parents of their ability to read their baby and get to know their rhythms,’ she says.

In the end, my biggest takeaway from all of this was simple: my baby is my baby. Her sleep needs are individual, and trying to force her into somebody else’s ideal schedule was never going to work.

Everyone wants their baby to sleep well, of course they do. But trying to cram more sleep in than they need will set you up to fail.

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And yes, sometimes you have to accept less naptime in the day to get a good night’s sleep, but I’d bet most of us would rather have a baby who slept more at nighttime.

Ruby is now nearly 15 months old and, at time of writing, she still sleeps over 11 hours overnight (touch wood) when we keep her naps in check.

We still get the bedtime cuddles but, thankfully, the 2am nappy-bum dance parties are mostly a thing of the past. If she’s teething, it’s a whole other story, but that’s a topic for another day…

For more about the overtiredness debate and baby sleep schedules, Lauren discusses the topic in depth in Overtiredness, season three, episode seven of the podcast Spilling the Tea on Zzzs.

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Huckleberry has been contacted for comment.

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West Lothian nursery top of the class after Care Inspectorate visit

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Daily Record

While at the Bathgate school, the inspector spent time speaking with children who attend the nursery, their families/carers and observed and spoke with members of staff to help inform their final judgement on practices at the nursery.

Windyknowe Primary School Nursery has received excellent praise from the Care Inspectorate.

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An unannounced inspection from the Care Inspectorate took place in March of this year.

While at the Bathgate school, the inspector spent time speaking with children who attend the nursery, their families/carers and observed and spoke with members of staff to help inform their final judgement on practices at the nursery.

The Care Inspectorate has now released its verdict and it’s great news for everyone at Windyknowe Primary School Nursery as top marks have been handed out.

Following their visit, the Inspector evaluated the Nursery on the Care Inspectorate’s six point scale indicators as 6- Excellent for ‘Leadership’ and 5-Very good for both ‘Children play and learn’ and ‘Children are supported to achieve’. For context these are two of the highest marks a nursery can receive from the Care Inspectorate with the final report detailing the major strengths found throughout the nursery

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The report from the Care Inspectorate noted that the service was exceptionally well led, and the dedicated staff team had created a very positive and nurturing ethos.

Leaders used highly effective quality assurance and involved all staff in improvement work, resulting in confident leadership at all levels and a positive impact across the nursery and wider community.

Children enjoyed a wide range of high-quality play experiences both indoors and outdoors. They were confident, engaged and empowered to lead their own play and learning.

Staff used warm, responsive interactions to support learning. They knew when to step in to extend thinking and when to give children time and space to explore independently.

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Children experienced caring and respectful relationships that helped them feel safe, secure and included. Staff showed genuine care and love, and used wellbeing tools and rights based approaches to support children to understand and express their feelings.

Personal plans were clear and up to date, with strong involvement from families. Staff knew children well and used this information to provide consistent support that met individual needs.

Windyknowe Primary School and early Learning Centre Head Teacher, John Cloherty said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of the inspection from the Care Inspectorate.

“This is a true reflection on the excellent commitment of the nursery staff who go that extra mile for our children on a daily basis and who are a privilege to work alongside.

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“It is hard to believe that the team have been working together for less than two years and achieve this in such a short period of time.

“We will use this feedback to build further on that ethos so that we can be the very best for our young people and their families.”

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Northern Ireland home heating oil prices lowest since start of Iran war

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Belfast Live

It comes as the US and Iran sign an initial peace deal aiming to end the war.

Home heating oil prices in Northern Ireland are at their lowest since the start of the Iran war four months ago, new figures show.

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The Consumer Council’s Home Heating Oil Price Checker, which is updated each Thursday, shows the average price for 300 litres of home heating oil is currently £238.30. This has decreased from £255.80 last week, and an average of £382.97 at the beginning of April.

The average cost of 500 litres of heating oil is currently £380.96, down from a high of £612.37 on April 9. Currently, 900 litres is costing on average £677.16, down from a high of £1,088.71 two months ago.

Across Northern Ireland, average prices for home heating oil vary depending on location. The Mid & East Antrim area is currently the cheapest spot to purchase 300 litres of oil, at an average of £236.01, £2.29 below average.

Ards & North Down is the cheapest location to buy both 500 and 900 litres at the minute, at £374.97, £5.99 below average for the former, and £666.50, £10.66 below average for the latter.

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Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon is the most expensive area to buy 300 litres this week, £3.19 above average at £241.49. For 500 litres, Newry, Mourne & Down has the most expensive price at £389.72, £8.76 above the regional average.

Derry City & Strabane is the most expensive area to purchase 900 litres of heating oil this week, with prices £14.99 above average at £692.15.

The lower home heating oil prices in Northern Ireland come as the presidents of the US and Iran sign an initial peace deal aiming to end the war.

The agreement includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a $300bn (£224bn) plan for Iran’s “reconstruction”, and the US terminating “all types of sanctions” on Iran.

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However, the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme, the main reason stated by the US for the conflict, is still to be negotiated over a 60 day period.

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Man United transfer news LIVE: Mateus Fernandes twist, new Ederson update, Sandro Tonali stance

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Manchester Evening News

Manchester have been told they would be stupid to sell Marcus Rashford to Arsenal.

Arsenal have been mentioned as a possible destination for the England international, but former United forward Louis Saha has warned Old Trafford chiefs that they would regret sanctioning any deal with the reigning Premier League champions.

He said: “For me, selling Marcus Rashford to Arsenal is a complete no-go. I wouldn’t give any strength to the reigning Premier League champion.

“Look at Robin van Persie coming to United and helping them win the league. There’s no good in those kinds of deals for the selling club.

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“You have Rashford, who went to Barcelona and they won La Liga. He was a massive asset.

I think that giving a discount on assets to your rival for the Premier League is stupidity.

“I consider Rashford a real danger for anyone who wants to compete in the league. If this guy is in form, he’s able to score 20-25 goals. So no, don’t give that power to somebody you consider a rival.”

Marcus Rashford(Image: (Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images))

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West Lothian training ground plans tie Livingston FC with Pumpherston Juniors

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Daily Record

West Lothian Council’s Executive has been asked to approve a plan proposing a 30- year lease of Pumpherston Juniors’ ground at Drumshoreland Place in the village to Livingston FC.

Livingston Football Club has teamed up with one of the county’s most famous teams with plans which will create a dedicated training facility for the club, and boost facilities for one of the county’s oldest clubs.

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West Lothian Council’s Executive has been asked to approve a plan proposing a 30- year lease of Pumpherston Juniors’ ground at Drumshoreland Place in the village to Livingston FC.

Currently Pumpherston Juniors Football Club (PJFC)- originally founded in 1896- lease the football ground from the council under the terms of a Community Benefit ground lease that is due to run until 31 March 2041.

The facilities at the ground include an 11-a-side grass pitch, a small sports court with a synthetic surface, changing facilities and car parking. The site is the home ground of PJFC, who currently play in the East of Scotland pyramid system.

The council has been approached jointly by PJFC and Livingston Football Club (LFC) with a proposal that would see PJFC renounce their existing Community Benefit lease and a new thirty-year commercial lease of the facilities at Drumshoreland Place granted in favour of LFC.

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Under that joint proposal, LFC would undertake significant capital investment in the facilities at the football ground, replacing the existing grass pitch with a new 3G pitch, as well as installing new flood lighting and providing modern changing facilities.

The proposed works would be fully funded by LFC and would significantly improve and modernise the existing facilities at the ground.

The proposed new lease to LFC and their subsequent capital investment would mean LFC has a dedicated training facility for their first team, women’s team, reserves team, along with their nine affiliated clubs.

LFC also have a Scottish Football Association (SFA) requirement to convert the existing synthetic playing surface at the Almondvale Stadium to grass ahead of the 2027 season and the proposed new lease would ensure they continue to have access to training facilities during the new pitch installation works at Almondvale Stadium.

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If LFC do not have access to alternative training facilities during the pitch installation works at Almondvale Stadium, they would be unable to install that new pitch, which is an SFA requirement should LFC secure promotion back into the Scottish Premiership.

LFC have explored the provision of training facilities in and around the footprint of Almondvale Stadium, however it has not been possible to identify a viable solution due to the physical restrictions of the property.

PJFC supports the proposal, and their own security of tenure at Drumshoreland Place would be secured by way of a legally binding sub-lease between themselves and LFC that would run concurrently with the proposed new thirty-year lease between LFC and the council.

Under the terms of that sublease, PJFC would have access to the facilities to fulfil their home fixtures and training sessions at no cost to PJFC.

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The lease would generate £10,000 per annum for the council.

Council officers are recommending that it is considered to be in the council’s best interests for the existing lease to PJFC to be renounced, for a new thirty-year lease to be granted to LFC.

The council’s Executive will decide on Tuesday.

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Rory McIlroy’s US Open hopes in tatters after disaster on back nine

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Belfast Live

Wyndham Clark leads the US Open by six shots heading into the final round at Shinnecock Hills

Scottie Scheffler has positioned himself for a tilt at completing the career grand slam, though he faces a formidable challenge in overcoming Wyndham Clark’s commanding six-shot advantage at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

The world number one, who made straight for the practice green following his round of 69 that lifted him into a share of second place, celebrates his 30th birthday on Sunday. With Father’s Day also falling on the same date, he’ll be hoping for a treble celebration.

Yet Scheffler must not only work out how to post a score low enough to apply genuine pressure on Clark – who is attempting to become the first player since Martin Kaymer in 2014 to lead a US Open from start to finish – but also rely on his fellow American’s fortune and recovery skills finally running out.

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Clark demonstrated remarkable resilience, converting vital par saves from 14 feet, seven feet, six feet and three separate putts from five feet. He also delivered some spectacular shotmaking, none better than a 275-yard approach that finished inside five feet to set up the tournament’s first eagle at the par-five 16th.

That stroke extended his cushion to seven over his nearest challengers, and Clark’s good fortune persisted at the following hole where, despite finding thick rough, he received a free drop due to a television tower before being permitted to replace his ball after it rolled away twice.

Questions were also raised regarding the extent of his ‘gardening’ along his putting lines during the final holes on the Poa annua surfaces, which are notorious for becoming progressively more challenging as the day progresses. The regulations permit golfers to tap down spike marks, though Clark took a considerable amount of time perfecting his putting lines.

A missed five-foot par putt on the final hole gave hope to those trailing behind, as he completed a level-par round of 70.

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Since the first Masters in 1934 there have been 13 previous instances of players holding a six-shot advantage or greater after three rounds, with Greg Norman’s 1996 collapse at Augusta being the sole exception to converting such leads into victory.

Scheffler, who will partner Clark in the final pairing, commented: “I think it’s appropriate to understand what’s at stake,” adding: “I think understanding the moment and giving it your best shot I think is all part of the process.

“I mean, I’d rather be leading but I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament.”

While Scheffler managed to stay competitive, Rory McIlroy’s quest for his first US Open title since making his major breakthrough in 2011 ended in disappointment. After a promising outward half of two-under 33, his challenge unravelled spectacularly.

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Three consecutive birdies from the fifth brought him within four shots of Clark, who was just teeing off, but an overhit approach at the challenging 10th for the second day running sparked a collapse. Five dropped shots on the back nine resulted in a 40 and an overall 73, leaving him three over par with his hopes in tatters.

Clark remained confident about his prospects, saying: “I feel good. I have got more and more comfortable every time I have got in these positions,”.

“I’m hoping I can bring my A-game finally.”

There are only five players under par, with Sahith Theegala (70), Tom Kim (72) and Sam Stevens (72) joining Scheffler, while four sit at level par. English pair Matt Fitzpatrick, who laboured to a 74, and Tommy Fleetwood, who battled his way to a level-par 70, are one over.

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Fleetwood memorably carded a final-round 63 when the US Open last visited Shinnecock, falling short by a single stroke, but given the present conditions, a similar performance appears improbable.

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Man fighting for life after Failsworth stabbing

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Manchester Evening News

Two suspects have been arrested

A man who was stabbed in Failsworth is fighting for life in hospital. Emergency services attended Hale Lane on Friday evening (June 20).

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The victim was rushed to hospital with serious stab wounds. He remains in a critical condition this morning (Sunday), according to Greater Manchester Police.

Two men, aged 19 and 46, were later arrested in Moston on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. Officers were seen in attendance on Hale Lane, near the junction with Moston Lane East, on Saturday morning.

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A crime scene investigation van was also pictured on the scene as forensic officers scoured the area for evidence. A GMP spokesperson said on Saturday: “We are investigating an incident on Hale Lane, Failsworth, last night that resulted in a man needing hospital treatment for stab wounds.

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“We have arrested two men, aged 46 and 19, on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. We will provide further updates when we have them.”

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Vance and Iranian officials arrive in Switzerland to launch talks on Tehran’s nuclear program

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Vance and Iranian officials arrive in Switzerland to launch talks on Tehran’s nuclear program

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to formally launch negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and build out the fragile interim deal to end the war in Iran.

The framework was signed last week, and now top U.S. and Iranian negotiators are in a 60-day sprint to reach an agreement on the technical details that hold massive implications for the world economy and global security.

Iran dealt two quick blows to the interim agreement with the United States on Saturday, angered by Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon, saying it had closed the Strait of Hormuz and announcing that while its negotiators were going to Switzerland for talks, not much is likely to happen there.

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Yet only days after signing the agreement, it’s being stress-tested after fighting escalated in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah — and by the subsequent announcement by Iran’s military that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that transits a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas.

Vance had originally been slated to be on the ground at the picturesque Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne on Friday, but his departure from the United States was delayed after fighting escalated in Lebanon and Iranian officials canceled plans to attend the talks.

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A convoy with U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives at the Bürgenstock Resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, in Switzerland Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone, Pool Photo via AP)

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Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, center, arrives at the Buergenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, early Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone, Pool via AP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, center, arrives at the Buergenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, early Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone, Pool via AP)

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Delegations from the U.S. and Iran, as well as mediators Pakistan and Qatar, arrived at the picturesque mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne on Sunday morning. Talks were expected to begin soon, according to the Swiss government.

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U.S. Central Command disputed Iran’s claim that it had once again shuttered the strait and said U.S. forces continued to monitor the situation to ensure traffic continues to flow through the waterway. Vance has said that millions of barrels of oil have moved through the strait in recent days.

Vance departed the U.S. just after Iranian state TV said Iran’s negotiators had arrived in Switzerland. Tehran’s negotiators include parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with central bank and oil officials.

Air Force Two, with Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance on board, departs Joint Base Andrews, Md., Saturday, June 20, 2026, en route to Switzerland. (Elizabeth Frantz/Pool Photo via AP)

Air Force Two, with Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance on board, departs Joint Base Andrews, Md., Saturday, June 20, 2026, en route to Switzerland. (Elizabeth Frantz/Pool Photo via AP)
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A convoy with U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives at the Bürgenstock Resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, in Switzerland Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone, Pool Photo via AP)

A convoy with U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives at the Bürgenstock Resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, in Switzerland Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone, Pool Photo via AP)
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The U.S. vice president joins special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who have already been on the ground to begin sifting through the technical details of the nuclear talks.

The talks between the U.S. and Iran will also include Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, as well as Qatari mediators. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sharif will also meet separately with each delegation from Iran, Switzerland and the U.S. “to reaffirm Pakistan’s enduring commitment to dialogue and durable peace in the region.”

Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, arrived at Emmen Air Base outside Lucerne just before 6 a.m. local time, according to his office.

While Vance said he planned to be in Switzerland for just “a day or two,” leaving much of the detailed negotiations to be spearheaded by Witkoff and Kushner, his role in the talks has heightened scrutiny of the vice president at a time when he’s actively considering a 2028 presidential campaign.

Trump and Vance have come under searing criticism from parts of their own party for the deal, with Republican hard-liners unfavorably likening it to a nuclear agreement signed by the Obama administration that Trump and the GOP have insisted did nothing to actually terminate Iran’s nuclear program.

The agreement signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian immediately allows Tehran to sell its oil freely and paves the way for Iran to tap into billions of dollars in assets that are currently frozen. It also calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were targeted in U.S. strikes last summer.

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The agreement says commercial vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without a charge, but does not preclude future fees imposed by Iran. Trump made his own threat on Saturday to levy U.S. tolls on the strait if there is no deal with Iran in 60 days, insisting in a social media post that the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”

The Trump administration has been working to reassure global markets that the Iran war has been merely a blip on oil prices, as Americans have complained the conflict resulted in hiking gasoline prices ahead of peak summer travel months. After the White House announced the deal a week ago, oil futures dropped almost 8% — and markets are expected to closely track the progress of talks when they open for trading on Sunday evening.

Further complicating matters, neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the deal between the U.S. and Iran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep his forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in the initial days after the agreement between the U.S. and Iran killed 47 people in Lebanon, as well as four Israeli soldiers.

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Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

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Ryhope Engines Museum stars in Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day

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Ryhope Engines Museum stars in Virginia Woolf's Night and Day

The former pumping station in Sunderland provides some of the film’s most atmospheric period backdrops, helping director Tina Gharavi turn the region into Edwardian Britain for her new adaptation of Woolf’s novel.

‘Such a gem’ – The location the director didn’t know

Gharavi has lived in the North East for almost 30 years, yet she admits she only discovered Ryhope when she began scouting for sites that could pass as early 20th‑century industrial England.

“It’s such a gem. It is absolutely unbelievably good, you know, like staggeringly good for the region,” she said.

The museum – built around magnificent Victorian and Edwardian beam engines – offered exactly the kind of authentic machinery and architecture the production needed.

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Instead of building sets, Gharavi could frame her actors amid real ironwork, brick and steam‑age engineering, giving Night and Day a physical texture that’s hard to fake.

Powered by volunteers like Keith

Part of what moved Gharavi about Ryhope Engines Museum was not just the building, but the people who keep it running.

The site is maintained by volunteers, some of whom have been giving their time for decades.

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“The men who work there, they’re just incredible because they’ve been doing it as volunteers, one of them for like 40 years, like this guy called Keith,” she said.

“Keith is just my hero, really… I just can’t give enough props to those men who have kept this kind of Edwardian‑Victorian factory alive forever and ever and ever and it’s just so lovingly looked after.”

The lovingly preserved engines and pipework help Night and Day feel rooted in the real industrial world that sits in the background of Woolf’s story about class, work and social change.

Director Tina Gharavi was blown away by Ryhope Engines Museum.Director Tina Gharavi was blown away by Ryhope Engines Museum. (Image: BRIDGE & TUNNEL PRODUCTIONS)

A perfect fit for Woolf’s Edwardian world

While Night and Day follows the emotional and intellectual lives of characters like aspiring astronomer Katharine Hilbery, it is also very much a story about a country on the brink of transformation.

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Suffrage protests, new technologies and shifts in work and family life all loom over the relationships at its centre.

Locations like Ryhope Engines Museum quietly underline that context.

The museum’s great engines speak to the power systems – literal and metaphorical – that kept Edwardian Britain running, while the volunteers’ dedication mirrors the film’s interest in communities and unseen labour.

By shooting in a working heritage site rather than on a backlot, Gharavi adds another layer of authenticity to Woolf’s world.

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Putting Sunderland on the cinematic map

For the director, using Ryhope was also part of a bigger mission: to showcase the North East as a serious filming destination.

She has talked about the region as “spectacularly diverse”, with everything from cities and coastline to factories and forests available within a short drive.

“I didn’t know about [Ryhope Engines Museum] until I made this film and we were looking for period locations,” she admits – before adding that now, “everyone should visit it” because “it’s staggeringly good.”

Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day could soon see cinema‑goers across the country follow her advice, stepping inside a place where North East engineering history and big‑screen storytelling meet.

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Vanessa Feltz ‘very upset’ after being dealt career blow as she admits ‘it was a shock’

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Wales Online

Television star Vanessa Feltz broke her silence as she presented her programme on LBC

Vanessa Feltz has broken her silence after it was announced that her Channel 5 programme is being “rested”.

The news about her self-titled show Vanessa – which she had been presenting since March last year – came earlier this week.

The star has now addressed the decision while speaking on her LBC programme, admitting that she was “shocked” by the move.

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She told her listeners: “It was a bit of a shock. It was meant to be a delightful year’s contract, the show was going really well… I was shocked to the core and very upset and I still am.”

The chat show saw Vanessa in conversation with studio guests and members of the public, who called in to the show to share their stories on whatever was being discussed.

However, during its time on air the programme did receive some calls from hoaxers, some of whom posed as characters from EastEnders and recounted plotlines from the BBC soap.

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Confirming that the programme was being dropped, a 5 spokesperson said: “Due to afternoon scheduling changes, Vanessa will be rested from July 17th. We thank Vanessa and her team at ITN for 18 months of warm, witty, wise and searingly honest shows.”

“Vanessa remains a valued member of the 5 family and we are discussing future projects together,” they went on.

Vanessa’s television chat show was first broadcast from 1994 to 1998 on ITV, before it was succeeded by Trisha.

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She went on to several other projects, working on shows such as Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, BBC Radio 2, This Morning. Then last year she revived her chat show on Channel 5, and it has been airing for an hour on weekdays.

However, after it was rebooted the programme went through some changes – it underwent three redesigns, which affected both the studio and the branding. It was thought that this was a bid to attract more viewers.

As well as her presenting work, Vanessa is known for her appearances on reality TV programmes. She has taken part in series such as Strictly Come Dancing, Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Big Brother.

Vanessa aired on Channel 5.

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