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GAA star who ‘brought joy and laughter to room’ dies suddenly as tributes pour in

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Belfast Live

Ben Kane passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, June 13

Tributes have poured in for a young GAA star from Dublin “who brought so much joy and laughter into any room he entered”.

Ben Kane, from Glasnevin, died “suddenly and unexpectedly” on Saturday, June 13, according to a death notice published by his family on RIP.ie.

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Ben, known as ‘Kaner’ amongst friends, was the cherished son of Mary and Dermot, adored brother of Amélie and treasured grandson of Danny, Rita, Dan and the late Margaret and nephew of the late Linda, Dublin Live reports.

He will be deeply mourned by his extended family, aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives, neighbours, friends, teammates and fellow club members. Ben was an exceptionally gifted GAA player who remained a devoted member of CLG Na Fianna in Glasnevin throughout his life.

The Dublin club have shared a moving tribute to the well-loved young man in a statement posted on social media.

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“On behalf of CLG Na Fianna, we extend our deepest condolences to Dermot, Mary and Amélie on the passing of Ben Kane,” they said. “Kaner was a valued player, teammate and friend whose spirit, dedication and kindness touched everyone at the club.”

“We mourn the loss of a vibrant young life and will always remember his commitment on and off the pitch. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kane family at this heartbreaking time. Ar dheis Dé a raibh a anam.”

Ben studied at Trinity College and proved an integral part of their GAA squad, playing a crucial role as they secured the Senior Football Division 2 League title in 2024, while also helping guide the side to victory in the 2025 Trench Cup as the college reclaimed the trophy for the first time since 2012.

In tribute to the gifted sportsman, Trinity College Dublin G. A.A. stated: “TCD GAA extend our deepest condolences to Dermot, Mary and Amélie on the passing of former TCD footballer Ben Kane.

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“Kaner was a valued teammate – a caring, sound and all round gent. He was a key player in the 2024 League success, 2025 Trench Cup run and 2022 All Ireland Fresher victory. We mourn the loss of this life taken too early. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kane family and friends at this heartbreaking time. Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.”

Ben remained extremely popular amongst teammates and fellow students at both Trinity College and Ardscoil Rís secondary school, with numerous tributes flooding in for the accomplished footballer, who has been fondly remembered as being “ten times the man off the pitch that he was on it”.

A close friend of Ben’s shared: “I was lucky enough to know Kaner through GAA from nursery right through to adult football. I’ll never forget the years of him cheekily dinking the ball over my head in shooting drills, and running off laughing with that big smile on his face.

“He was one of the nicest people you could ever meet, and I will always remember working nights with him, spending hours laughing and joking, while also having the kind of conversations that helped me with life. He was so intelligent, caring, and always had time for others.

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“Looking back at the photos and videos from all of the nights out with the team, he was the life and soul of every night and someone who made every occasion better just by being there.

“My thoughts are with Dermot, Mary, Amelie, and all his family and friends at this difficult time. May he rest in peace.”

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A fellow Trinity teammate paid tribute, saying: “When I met Ben playing football in first year in college, I was struck by what an amazing player he was. I learnt over the next few years that he was ten times the man off the pitch that he was on it. He was the kindest, funniest and most genuine lad in the dressing room, and he always lit the place up with his grin.

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“I’d like to offer my sincerest condolences to Ben’s family, friends and club mates. He’ll be sadly missed by everyone lucky enough to have known him.”

A further teammate also paid his respects, adding: “I was genuinely privileged to have met Ben playing freshers GAA in TCD in 2021. I am even more privileged to have become good friends over the following years together.

“Ben had the jokes to make an entire dressing room laugh, but he was also extremely kind, and always had a genuine interest in what a friend had to say, with a few words of advice always provided.

“He was truly a lovely person, as well as a fabulous footballer, and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.”

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Meanwhile, a classmate from Ben’s time at Ardscoil Rís shared: “I was fortunate enough to spend 6 years in ASR with Ben and a significant amount of time in BESS with him too.

“He was truly a larger than life personality who brought so much joy and laughter into any room he entered. My lasting memories of him all centre around him having everyone in stitches laughing – either in a classroom, college lecture hall or a football pitch.

“I am truly at a loss for words – my deepest condolences and thoughts go to his family at this time. Fly high Kaner.”

Ben’s funeral took place at Our Lady of Dolours Church on Botanic Road on Friday, before he was laid to rest at Glasnevin Cemetery.

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T20 World Cup results: England beat Scotland to close in on semi-final place

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BBC Sport microphone and phone

T20 World Cup, Group 2, Headingley

England 200-5 (20 overs): Dunkley 57 (37), Capsey 40 (25); Gordon 2-30

Scotland 162-7 (20 overs): S Bryce 34 (24)

England won by 38 runs

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Scorecard. Tables

England’s batting sparkled again as the hosts closed on a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals with an 38-run victory over Scotland at Headingley.

Sophia Dunkley ensured injured captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was not missed by capitalising on three dropped catches in making 57 on her return to the side.

Alice Capsey stroked 40 and Heather Knight 25 but most impressive was a barnstorming unbroken partnership of 61 from just 21 balls from Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson.

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Together they took England from 141-5 after 17 overs to 200-5 after 20 – with Kemp hitting an unbeaten 39 from 16 balls and Gibson an 11-ball 30 not out.

After an edgy chase over Ireland in their second match, this was more reminiscent of England’s performance on the opening night of the tournament when they piled up 219-1 against Sri Lanka.

The Kemp-Gibson pyrotechnics pushed the target beyond Scotland and, despite an admirable effort, they finished on 162-7 – their highest score batting second in T20 internationals.

A win in either of England’s last two matches, against West Indies on Wednesday or New Zealand next Saturday, will likely be enough to secure a top-two finish.

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Scotland, who have a win and two defeats, play New Zealand on Tuesday.

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Mark Hughes’ son dies aged 38 as ex-Wales star ‘totally heartbroken’ by sudden loss

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Wales Online

The family said they are ‘totally heartbroken’ by the sudden and unexpected loss

Mark Hughes has been left ‘totally heartbroken’ following the death of his son, Alex, at the age of 38.

A statement issued by the League Managers Association on behalf of the former Blackburn, Manchester City and Stoke boss Hughes reads: “Jill and I are totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son Alex.

“Alex was a wonderful son, brother to Curtis and Xenna, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children Sebastian and Leonardo.

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“Alex was Player Recruitment Lead at Grimsby Town FC, and had many good friends and colleagues. He will be so deeply missed by us all. We ask for privacy during this sad time as we come to terms with our family’s loss.”

Alex Hughes had been employed most recently within Grimsby Town’s player recruitment team at the time of his passing, reports the Mirror.

He was born in 1987 while his father Mark was contracted to Barcelona. He enjoyed a short-lived football career in Wales before transitioning into football administration.

He began as a match analyst at Blackburn before progressing to Manchester City as a scout.

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He subsequently held positions with Fulham, 1860 Munich and Reading. Hughes later assumed the role of director of football at AFC Fylde before moving to Morecambe and Grimsby.

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UK Gardeners Warned To Check for These Weeds Before They Spread

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UK Gardeners Warned To Check for These Weeds Before They Spread

Though plants like dandelions can be dismissed as “weeds,” the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said they’re a great way to attract wildlife and pollinators as part of a wildflower-rich garden.

Nettles, meanwhile, are brilliant for moths and butterflies, and can even be used for tasty recipes.

And according to the University of Connecticut’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (UC), they can help you to work out which kind of soil you have, too.

That’s important in general, as your soil type determines the best plants to grow in your backyard. And it’s useful for finding drought-prone sections of your garden ahead of heatwaves and possible hosepipe bans, too.

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Which weeds might mean I have drought-prone soil?

Some weeds, called “indicator weeds”, can reveal “clues” relating to soil health, existing nutrients, growing site conditions, and the potential health of the turf, UC said.

  1. White clover
  2. Black medick
  3. Plantain (especially broadleaf and ribwort plantain)
  4. Prostrate knotweed
  5. Red sorrel (sheep’s sorrel)
  6. Yellow woodsorrel
  7. Crabgrass
  8. Silver cinquefoil.

UC also listed American goosegrass, or Eleusine indica (which is different to UK cleavers, also sometimes called goosegrass here) and spotted spurge in the list – however they’re less common in the UK.

What should I do if I have drought-prone soil?

Drought-prone soils tend to be sandy. They usually feel gritty to the touch.

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Help them to retain water by mulching them, adding potassium as needed, and avoiding heavy traffic on these soils (like walking or driving on them, especially during periods of drought).

Organic matter is especially helpful for improving the quality of sandy soils. Manure and composted bark, wood chips, leaves, and straw can be very useful.

Try not to add too much clay to sandy soil, though, as that can lead to a “concrete”-like material.

How to remove clover

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Once clover has sprouted and the flowers are blooming, you’ll easily spot this perennial.

The best way to remove clover and not rely on any chemicals is to pull it out by hand.

Cory Tanner, Horticulture Program Team Director for Clemson University Cooperative Extension, says: “Hand digging and hand pulling of clover is the main way to remove it without herbicides”.

If you have a large area full of clover, you can dig it out and put down new turf. “Larger patches can be dug out and the area resodded or reseeded,” he says. If clover is something you don’t want in any part of your lawn or landscape, it’s best to consider managing the plant rather than focusing on eliminating it entirely.

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Which plants should I grow in sandy soils?

  • Tulips
  • Lavender
  • Buddleja
  • Hardy fuchsia
  • Carrot
  • Courgette
  • Alliums
  • Radishes.

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York Minster bells ring for 6 hours amid contest – video

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York Minster bells ring for 6 hours amid contest - video

Bellringers from across the country have gathered at the Minster for the National 12-Bell Striking Contest Final on Saturday (June 20).

It is the first time the competition has been held in York since 1999, when the home band won its own bells.

As The Press reported, the Minster’s bells will ring for six hours straight, finishing at 5.30pm when the winner of the Taylor Trophy is announced.

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Finalists this year include bands from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Guildford, Leeds and York.


Read next:


The National 12-Bell Striking Contest has been held annually since 1975 and is regarded as the premier competition in the art of change ringing.

A Minster spokesperson said people are encouraged to visit the cathedral during the competition.

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“Whether you are a dedicated contest follower, an occasional listener, or simply curious to experience the sound of world-class ringing in a great cathedral, you will be warmly welcomed,” they said.

Further details, timetable and results are available at 12bell.org.uk/york2026

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Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over Israeli attacks in Lebanon

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Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over Israeli attacks in Lebanon

TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — Iran on Saturday said it closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and warned that while negotiators were going to Switzerland for talks with the United States on their interim agreement, not much likely will happen if the fighting doesn’t stop.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in response, threatened to impose American tolls in the crucial waterway if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days, saying the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.” His social media post underscored that the agreement calls for toll-free travel for 60 days.

The announcements indicated a rough start to technical-level U.S.-Iran talks that key mediator Pakistan said will begin Sunday, with Qatari mediators also participating.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance left for Switzerland on Saturday evening, just as Iranian state TV posted video showing Iran’s negotiators arriving there. They include parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank and oil officials, among others. The deal calls for billions of dollars of Iran’s assets to be unfrozen.

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Talks were meant to start Friday, but the Iranians initially canceled their plans to attend because of escalating fighting in Lebanon. Negotiators for the U.S. and Qatar, with help from Iran, worked out an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah to tamp down hostilities, according to U.S. and regional officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Vance told reporters he would be in Switzerland “for a day or two” but was optimistic on making progress in the nuclear talks and on a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.

Negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. If they are not, “the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”

The strait once again becomes a challenge

But the strait has emerged again as a focus. Iran’s joint military command said it was closed because of the U.S. “clear breach of its commitments” by failing to end the war. The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts.

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The U.S. disputed Iran’s announcement.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command. The military said that 55 merchant ships transited Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil.

The global economy braced for more uncertainty.

Ships began transiting after the interim U.S.-Iran agreement was signed earlier in the week, a milestone that left plenty of questions unanswered. The U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and now allows Tehran to sell its oil freely — terms that have left some in U.S. Congress asking whether the war was worth it.

Vance earlier confirmed that top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland and working through technical details of anticipated negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. The interim deal gives negotiators 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, but the issue is intricate and the time can be extended.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon kill at least 16

A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that Iran informed the militant group that Tehran won’t reopen the strait until Israel announces publicly that it will comply with a “comprehensive ceasefire” in Lebanon and an end to military operations there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

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The official said that Hezbollah would commit to a ceasefire if Israel does.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, later said that the military had received “updated directives from the political echelon to cease fire.” The official said that the military is operating in a defensive manner in Lebanon, which includes the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks.

The official also said that five Israeli soldiers had been killed in the past 48 hours in southern Lebanon.

Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement there. Seven people were trapped under rubble after strikes hit the southern city of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.

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The death toll in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war has surpassed 4,000, Lebanon’s health ministry later announced.

An Israeli military official said that Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight. Israel’s army said that it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets and militants.

On Friday, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, said that Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire,” if Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases hostilities.

The conflict could sink the US-Iran deal

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are signatories to the deal between the U.S. and Iran.

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Hezbollah and Israel went to war two days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at northern Israel and Israel seizing large swaths of southern Lebanon.

A new round of U.S.-backed talks between the Lebanese government, and Israel is expected in Washington next week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep Israeli 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 continues near the Israel-Lebanon border

A strike on Lebanon’s Barish village killed four members of a family: parents and two children. In Arab Salim village, a body was pulled from a destroyed house, and in Doueir and Kfar Rumman villages, drone strikes killed a person on a motorcycle and a Lebanese soldier. Nine people were killed in strikes in Qannarit, Sohmor and Shehour villages.

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Israeli jets flew low over the coastal city of Tyre.

“Our entire lives would change if there’s a ceasefire,” said one resident, Hussein Khoshman.

Some residents of northern Israel doubted the fighting would stop.

“I don’t believe in a ceasefire because it doesn’t exist,” said Miriam Hod in Metula.

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___

Bassem Mroue reported from Beirut, and Munir Ahmed from Islamabad. Abby Sewell in Beirut, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Seung Min Kim and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, Josef Federman in Jerusalem, and Jamey Keaten in Zurich, Switzerland, contributed to this report.

___

A previous version of this story corrected the spelling of the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s last name to Baghaei, not Bagahei.

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A top banker made a case for rare earth mining to Pope Leo XIV

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A top banker made a case for rare earth mining to Pope Leo XIV

ROME (AP) — The head of Latin America’s top development bank made a pitch to Pope Leo XIV this week in the face of the Vatican’s call to divest from the mining industry: that the mistakes of the past can be avoided in extracting rare earth minerals to supply a global tech boom.

Ilan Goldfajn, head of the Inter-American Development Bank, met privately with the pope on Friday and asserted the potential of rare earth mining, saying it could be a boon to Latin America provided there are safeguards and value is added locally.

It’s probably not an easy sell. The Vatican for years has taken a firm stand against multinational mining corporations, especially in Latin America and in favor of the Indigenous peoples, whose lands and livelihoods are often ravaged when mining projects come to town.

Goldfajn’s visit, which followed one earlier this year by mining executives, suggests that he recognizes the weight of the pope’s words in the majority-Catholic region, and a desire to sensitize him to the possibility of a better way of doing business. Whether Leo can be swayed is another matter, given his own experience in the region and criticism of the often corrupt deals mining companies ink with governments in the developing world.

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Countries have identified dozens of minerals, including copper, cobalt, lithium and nickel, as critical because they are essential for new technologies. The 17 rare earth elements are a subset of them. They’re used in a wide range of products, including smartphones, semiconductors, electric vehicles and jet engines.

“It’s a unique opportunity for the region, but you need to do it in the right way with the standards, the labor conditions, with the environmental conditions, the governance,” Goldfajn said in an interview in Rome on June 18, one day before his meeting.

“We have exactly the tools to do that,” he added, noting the IADB has a roughly $4 billion pipeline of critical mineral projects in the region, mostly in Chile, Argentina and Brazil, and three-quarters of that amount with private companies. He had just delivered a presentation on rare earth minerals at a finance conference, with an eye on potential European investors.

A pope who knows Peru

Mining has a checkered, centuries-long history in Latin America, from forced labor and displacement of Indigenous peoples to deforestation, poisoning of waterways and deadly dam collapses. Foreign companies withdrew much of the wealth from the earth without enriching local populations. In colonial times, silver and gold made its way across the ocean to adorn Catholic churches.

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Leo, who spent two decades working as a missionary in Peru, would be intimately familiar with the plight of Indigenous peoples in mining areas and the environmental impact of extraction industries on the land. He ministered in Chulucanas, in the archdiocese of Piura, which has huge copper mining projects, and in Trujillo, known for its gold deposits. His final Peruvian posting, Chiclayo, is a big logistical hub for northern Peru’s extraction industries.

“He must have seen both sides: the promise, the future, but also the challenges,” Goldfajn said of Leo’s time in Peru. He noted that Leo held a private audience with a group of top mining executives in January, which he heard from them had been “very constructive.”

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But two months later, the Vatican launched a campaign to encourage divestment from mining companies. At a Vatican news conference, top officials held up an ecumenical Christian network, known as the Church and Mining Network, that is active in particular in Latin America. The campaign seeks to encourage local churches to review their investment strategies and divest where needed, and to share information especially with Indigenous groups about the types of extraction occurring on their lands.

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Leo is expected to visit Peru in November, including places where he ministered. In each of the three sub-Saharan countries he visited during his April trip to Africa — Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea — he blasted the “colonization” of Africa’s minerals by mining companies.

It makes sense for people like Goldfajn to try to engage Leo, even if the pope alone won’t move investment decisions, Bryan Harris, managing partner at Sabio, a Latin America-focused strategic advisory firm, wrote in an email.

“The decades he spent in Peru give him personal credibility and his messaging on mining sets the tone for how dioceses and parishes across the continent will engage with mining companies and projects,” said Harris, who consults for international mining companies in the region. “These groups are often the basis of local opposition movements to mining, so the Pope has considerable sway on whether relations are confrontational or conciliatory.”

Harris noted that processing of rare earths can be extremely dirty, involving heavy chemical use that can contaminate water resources without close monitoring of companies’ sustainability commitments and enforcement by federal regulators.

Mining as colonization in modern day

Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, singled out the toll of mining in his 2015 environmental encyclical “Praised Be,” noting the pollution of underground water systems as a result of runoff, the mercury pollution in gold mining or sulfur dioxide pollution in copper mining.

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Francis said it was “essential” for Indigenous communities to be the principal dialogue partners when large projects affecting their land are being considered.

The Vatican didn’t provide any readout of Leo’s private audience with Goldfajn. In a separate audience Friday, Leo met with participants in a conference at the Vatican’s environmental educational center named for Francis’ 2015 encyclical. He denounced the profit-at-all cost mentality of those who seek to plunder the earth “at the expense of the most vulnerable and enhances the risk of dehumanization.”

There are 75 million tons (82.7 million U.S. tons) of rare earth oxides around the world, more than half in China, and with Brazil home to the second-largest reserves, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s most recent estimate.

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Plans for hub to ‘keep youth off the streets’ as part of city redevelopment

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The plans are still at an early stage

A Peterborough City Council cabinet member has suggested the Embankment could become home to a state-of-the-art youth activity hub as part of plans to redevelop the city centre.

Councillor Mohammed Jamil revealed the ambitious initiative on the council’s monthly ‘Ask the Cabinet’ podcast while discussing the new Cygnet Bridge with Council Leader Shabina Qayyum.

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“We’re looking at a Youth Zone to go on the Embankment to go with the Lido and the new swimming pool,” Cllr Jamil said.

Cllr Jamil said the new purpose-built hub would be a “very innovative” space that would be “very successful in attracting youths and trying to keep them off the streets”. The councillor added: “They’ve set these things up in places like Wigan, Bolton and East London.”

The existing Youth Zones mentioned by Cllr Jamil are expansive, state-of-the-art facilities developed by OnSide, a national youth charity.

According to its website, the charity’s aim is to “build a network of state-of-the-art, multimillion-pound youth centres in the UK’s most disadvantaged areas [that] are incredible spaces filled with energy, inspiration and highly skilled youth workers who truly believe in young people”.

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OnSide’s Youth Zone in Wigan town centre boasts 15 dedicated areas, including four 40-metre floodlit football pitches, an art room, music room, and climbing wall. It is open to all young people across the town aged from 8 to 19 (up to 25 with additional needs). Cllr Jamil explained that “different youth zones are different in different places”.

The Youth Zone in East London typically offers 20 activities, including fitness, dance, arts, music, media, self-improvement, and sport. A four-court sports hall offers facilities for badminton, football, netball, and basketball, as well as a separate climbing wall.

Elsewhere there is a fitness suite with the latest gym equipment, an outdoor kick pitch, and a kitchen and café area selling healthy food and drink. Dedicated areas for dance, music, film, and multi-media, arts and crafts, gaming and DJ-ing, martial arts, and boxing facilities also feature.

Speculating on how a Youth Zone specific to Peterborough would look, Cllr Jamil said: “It could be computers, it could be employment skills, it could be a whole host of things that youth are interested in.

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“We’re just looking to see what the concepts are around the country. Once we’ve sat down and said ‘this is the model we want’ then we’ll let [people] know.”

The Councillor, who is also Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Governance and Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, acknowledged that the plans are still in the early stages.

“We’re still at the infancy stage of doing it and it’s a concept for us,” he said, “but we’re very serious as an administration about getting this done.”

Adding newly constructed buildings to the city centre would require funding. “We’re looking to secure funding to be able to put that on the Embankment,” he said. “We [the council] would have to fund some of it but we are actively looking to make sure that it happens.”

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Congress picks up the pieces after the Iran war

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Congress picks up the pieces after the Iran war

WASHINGTON (AP) — The question hangs in the halls at the Capitol: Was it worth it?

Congress, which never authorized the war against Iran yet never fully objected to it, now must grapple with the consequences of President Donald Trump’s nearly four-month conflict: the lives lost, the billions spent and the national security fallout that has reordered the political dynamics in the Middle East.

Ask senators what they think about the deal Trump struck to end the war, and they do not search too far for words.

“Pathetic. Failure. Inevitable conclusion of a combination of never making the case to the American people, flawed strategic vision, lack of grasp of the regional dynamics,” said Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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“How many ways, can I say, bad, bad, bad?”

Yet Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a past chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said that because of the president’s actions, “We are safer today.”

“You can criticize — Oh, he didn’t totally win,” Johnson said. “Well, that was always going to be very difficult.”

As Trump moves on to the next phase, it is left to the Congress to pick up the pieces: explaining the war to voters back home, restocking the military arsenal that has run low from bombing runs and trying to ensure the fragile ceasefire holds as the United States seeks to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions and work toward an uneasy peace.

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More money for the Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the rounds on Capitol Hill this past week as lawmakers consider Defense Department funding as part of the Republican majority’s next big budget package.

The White House has asked for a remarkable $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon this year, on top of the extra money that Republicans delivered as part of the Trump’s tax cuts package last year.

Republicans are mulling a sizable $350 billion plus-up for Hegseth on par with the White House’s budget request that the GOP could pass on its own, through the reconciliation process that allows majority rule over potential objections from Democrats.

Senators, meanwhile, are seeking to set some guardrails on Hegseth with a provision to block a portion of his travel fund until the Pentagon delivers various reports. One such report is on an investigation into the strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed more than 165 people, a flashpoint at the start of the war.

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Officials have said they believe the U.S. was responsible for the strike and that it was based on faulty intelligence.

Questions swirl over what’s next in Iran

Lawmakers are still processing what just happened after Trump swiftly signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran and opened a window of 60-day talks toward ending Tehran’s nuclear program.

“I understand the president’s trying to find a peaceful solution to this,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who serves on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees. “I commend him for that. But we’ve got a lot of questions.”

Senators are particularly concerned about the tentative deal’s provision for a potential $300 billion fund for the “reconstruction and economic development” of Iran.

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To many skeptical Republicans, that money sounds similar to the planeloads-of-cash narrative they used against the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, which offered a slim fraction of that amount, some $1.7 billion overall. To this day, Trump tells an exaggerated story of how that payment to Iran, for U.S. military equipment it never received, was made.

“The only concerns I have are the money and the conditions,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

“If we send a trainload, a shipload, it’s gonna age as well as that,” he said.

Circumspect over what was gained and lost

Over and again Congress tried and failed to exert its authority under the war powers act to halt the U.S. military action in Iran.

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The House ultimately passed a war powers resolution that sought to force an end to the war after a small number of Republicans joined the Democratic measure last month. The Senate has voted nine times, including this past week, but failed to reach the majority needed.

At the same time, Congress did not affirmatively authorize the war with a use of force resolution, as has been done in certain other conflicts, including the Iraq War.

“I’m glad that the conflict has finally ended and hope the ceasefire holds,” said a statement from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

But Shaheen said the country must be clear-eyed about what has come about.

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Not one of the president’s objectives has been achieved, she said, and Iran won significant concessions.

“The American people are paying the price with higher costs in every aspect of life and tens of billions in tax dollars spent,” she said.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said it’s hard to see what leverage the U.S. gained to force Iran to a better negotiation.

“You want to be able to give the benefit of the doubt,” she said.

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But Murkowski said, “I think we’re in a place where there is a deal that has been signed, but it doesn’t appear to me that it puts us in that much of a different position than prior to the beginning of the war.”

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Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to the report.

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Utah marks a year of fighting measles

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Utah marks a year of fighting measles

Utah has spent the past year fighting measles outbreaks — a grim milestone that could affect whether the United States can keep its measles-free designation.

More than 680 people have gotten sick since the state’s first outbreak began on June 20, 2025.

Unlike measles outbreaks in Texas, South Carolina and Arizona, the spread in Utah has been tough to contain to one region — infecting undervaccinated communities in nearly every county.

Measles popped up in healthcare settings, big-box stores and restaurants, and youth sporting events. In February, an exposure at a state high school wrestling championship sparked at least 46 cases among attendees.

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Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine. It causes a tell-tale rash, high fevers, strong cough, ear infections and diarrhea.

While most recover, some — including young babies, pregnant people and those with weak immune systems — are at higher risk of developing dangerous complications like pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness or even dying. Even healthy people can develop issues years down the road, including a rare but fatal degenerative brain disease that manifests about a decade after infection.

The measles vaccine is safe and 97% protective after two doses.

Though Utah’s spread has slowed in recent weeks, state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen sees little opportunity to rest. She’s worried the start of school and arrival of colder weather in the fall will cause measles to surge again.

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“It’s still here, it’s still transmitting,” she said. “We just need those few cases to hit the wrong community and it could flare up really big again.”

Utah sees the impacts of dropping vaccination rates

The worst spread has been in the southwestern part of the state, where 265 people have fallen ill with the vaccine-preventable disease since last summer. Overall, measles infections hit 22 of the state’s 29 counties.

In the state’s rural northeast, the conditions were also ripe for measles to spread. Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah counties — collectively dubbed the “tricounty” health region — has seen the second-largest decline in childhood vaccination rates in the state.

More than 16% of the region’s kindergarteners were missing their measles vaccines in the last school year, according to state data. Statewide, 12.8% were missing their vaccine, putting the state far short of the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent measles outbreaks.

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The TriCounty Health Department logged 74 cases of measles this spring, after people who got sick at the youth wrestling tournament spread the virus in school and later within their households.

The frontier region had seen a rise in vaccine hesitancy for some time, said Sydnee Lyons, the health department’s public information officer.

Despite the large number of cases, local and state health officials consider TriCounty’s measles response a success.

Health officials focused efforts on mitigating the inevitable spread. Unvaccinated students were excluded from in-person school and people who were sick were told to isolate themselves. And their appeal to care for one’s neighbors led to more people coming in to get vaccinated, officials said.

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TriCounty’s infectious disease specialist Cyndie Mattinson recalled a parent who told a school nurse she didn’t want to talk to the health department because “she was worried that we would be angry with her and be judgmental because her children were unvaccinated.”

The nurse vouched for the health department staff, and told the mom to let her know if she felt judged. Mattinson ultimately had a great conversation with the mother.

“The perceptions were changed that we weren’t out there to police, we were there to be a help and a resource to the community,” Mattinson said.

Health experts will meet to decide on US measles status

Utah’s lengthy battle with measles will likely affect whether the U.S. can keep its measles-free designation. Public health officials consider measles to be eliminated from a country when it shows it stopped continuous spread within local communities for at least a year.

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The national measles case count was 2,104 as of June 18, nearly surpassing last year’s record total.

Utah has fought measles for a year, but it’s not clear if the earliest clusters are connected with the major outbreak on the Utah-Arizona state line, which was detected in August, Nolen said.

But since then, most of the state’s measles cases have come from within Utah, not from other parts of the country.

International health experts will gather in November to determine if the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles elimination status. Canada lost its status last year after ongoing outbreaks.

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In Utah, doctors continue to reassure scared patients and lobby for better public health policy.

Dr. Ellie Brownstein, president-elect of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a pediatrician in Salt Lake City, spent the height of the outbreak opposing a bill that would have made school vaccine waivers easier to get. It failed, but she says there hasn’t been a clear cultural reckoning over measles’ resurgence.

“I don’t know that we get it to end,” Brownstein said. “I don’t know that we’re going to get this genie back in the box because there’s enough people out there to spread it.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Cheese recalled from UK shelves over serious health risk

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Cheese recalled from UK shelves over serious health risk

The affected product is Dunnes Stores Velvety & Mild French Brie, sold by Traditional Cheese Company.

The FSA (Food Standards Agency) said: “The presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the products listed above.

“Symptoms caused by Listeria monocytogenes can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.

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“However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.

“Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.”

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The company stated: “Traditional Cheese Company is recalling the above products. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling the products.

“These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the products.”

If you have bought any of the above products, do not eat them. Instead, return them to where you bought them from for a full refund.

What are product recalls and withdrawals?

If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be ‘withdrawn’ (taken off the shelves) or ‘recalled’ (when customers are asked to return the product).

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The FSA issues Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a ‘Food Alert for Action’ is issued.

This provides local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.

What’s your favourite type of cheese? Let us know in the comments

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