Billy Hearthose predicted 16 wins in a row at one point
Billy Heartnose who has won hearts across the globe with his World Cup predictions
A cat from Newry has become an international star after going viral for predicting World Cup football matches on social media.
Billy Heartnose is a two-year-old tuxedo cat who was adopted by Linka Lin and Mark Kelly and has recently become a sensation online after predicting 21 games that did not end in a draw during opening games of the 2026 tournament.
Speaking to Belfast Live, the couple said that they started making videos with Billy for a bit of fun and never thought that they would get much attention on social media. But after he got prediction correct for the Scotland game against Haiti thousands of people started to watch the videos. This got a further boost when he picked the right team for England against Croatia.
Since then hundreds of thousands of people have viewed Billy’s prediction videos and he has featured in media across the world.
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The couple said: “We had been playing and interacting with Billy and putting videos up on social media with no followers or anyone really watching us as a bit of fun.
“Then after we put up a video of Billy predicting the Scotland game against Haiti all of a sudden we had 300,000 views on it! We think because it was a tough game to call people were impressed. Then after he predicted England against Croatia we got even more followers.
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“While he is only able to pick winners and losers he had a brilliant record of picking 16 wins in a row before he got one wrong. We thought once he did get one wrong people would lose interest but no, they still want to see who Billy is going to pick.
“Since Billy went viral we have had media organisations from all over the world get in touch and he has been on Fox News, The New York Post and outlets in South Korea, Argentina and New Zealand.
“We are just glad that everyone is enjoying Billy’s predictions and seeing what a smart and talented cat he is.”
The incident took place when a woman was walking her dog on Sunday (June 28) and was approached and attacked by an unaccompanied Pitbull type dog.
The woman was bitten during the ordeal – and while her injuries are not believed to be serious, her dog was seriously injured and had to undergo emergency surgery.
Cleveland Police confirmed that, due to the risk posed to members of the public, it was forced to put the attacking dog down.
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The force has now confirmed that two people, a man and a woman, both in their 30s, were arrested yesterday in connection.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland said: “Initial indications are that a member of the public was walking her dog when she was approached by an unaccompanied Pitbull type dog which then attacked her pet.
“The lady sustained a dog bite during the incident and thankfully this is not believed to be of a serious nature, however sadly her own dog sustained very serious injuries and was taken to the vet by police officers, where it is currently receiving emergency treatment.
“Unfortunately, due to the serious nature of this incident and the potential risk to other people in the immediate area, our specially trained officers had to put the dog down near the scene.
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“We understand that anyone who witnessed the initial attack or the aftermath may have experienced shock or distress however the safety of the public is always paramount.
“Enquiries are ongoing, and we are appealing for anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Cleveland Police via the 101 number or via the force website. Please quote reference 125672.”
Scalpers are selling GTA 6 on eBay at an inflated price, despite regular pre-orders being widely available everywhere.
GTA 6 pre-orders opened last week and despite months of concern around how expensive it would be, the sequel’s price is surprisingly reasonable.
The standard edition costs £69.99 and the Ultimate Edition is £89.99 in the UK, which is in line with other AAA games like Call Of Duty. The most controversial element is the lack of disc in physical copies, with boxed versions coming with a download code instead.
Despite the all-digital nature of the game’s launch, scalpers are re-selling GTA 6 pre-orders on eBay at an inflated price, even though there’s absolutely no need to do so.
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People are actually buying these codes too, with one being sold for $120 (£90.85) last week, which is $40 higher than the standard US price.
Some GTA 6 listings on eBay – a pointless purchase (eBay/Metro)
To hammer the point home, there’s zero reason to buy GTA 6 at these higher prices. You can pre-order the standard or Ultimate Edition digitally through the PlayStation or Microsoft stores, and even if you want a boxed copy, Amazon, Currys, and Argos have plenty of stock.
It all begs the question of why anyone is turning to eBay to sell or buy copies of GTA 6. The practice of re-selling games before release is commonplace, but it’s usually for special editions which are more difficult to come by. As a digital game though, there’s no fear of GTA 6 selling out.
GTA 6 is set to launch worldwide across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19, 2026.
More than 500 people have been killed in Venezuela following powerful back-to-back earthquakes, with many more injured. Rescue teams have also been trying to locate people trapped in collapsed buildings.
Here, Raffaele De Risi, associate professor in civil engineering at the University of Bristol, answered our questions about the role building design may have played in the disaster.
Venezuela is in an active seismic zone. Why do you think there have been so many devastating building collapses?
Indeed, Venezuela is a seismically active country. Hazard levels can easily be checked on several websites, such as the Global Seismic Hazard Map from the Global Earthquake Model Foundation.
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The number of building collapses is unfortunately linked to several factors rather than a single one: these range from the age and construction type of the buildings to their level of maintenance, to local soil amplification (when seismic waves pass from hard bedrock into softer surface soils), and proximity to the source.
In addition, both events were shallow (the mainshock particularly so), which further contributes to such extensive devastation. More broadly, it is not possible to identify a single cause; it is generally a combination of factors.
How would you recommend that countries construct their buildings in a country like Venezuela with the earthquake risks that it has?
Modern seismic building codes are very effective at preventing this kind of catastrophic collapse, so for new construction, they are central to the answer. The crucial point is enforcement: a code only protects people if it is properly applied, and construction quality is controlled.
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It’s also worth remembering that much of the world’s building stock predates current codes, which have evolved as scientific understanding has advanced, often incorporating lessons directly from events like this one.
For that existing building stock, seismic retrofitting and strengthening are essential, since we cannot simply rebuild everything. And for strategic buildings such as hospitals and power plants, modern solutions like base isolation can keep them not just standing but operational, and have performed extremely well in recent earthquakes.
How can buildings be retrofitted to enhance their protection against earthquakes?
Nowadays, there are many retrofitting techniques, and the right one depends on the building type, for example, reinforced concrete, steel or masonry.
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Broadly, a retrofit either increases the building’s strength and stiffness or reduces the forces it has to withstand, for instance, through base isolation (an engineering technique which decouples a building from its foundations) or energy dissipation devices. What matters most is this: before any retrofitting, a bespoke assessment is essential.
The goal is to reduce the unknowns about the structure through detailed surveys and material testing, and to build models capable of diagnosing it, so that the intervention can target the building’s specific weaknesses rather than applying a generic fix.
There have been numerous ‘pancake’ building collapses as a result of the earthquakes here, how do these happen and how can they be prevented?
A “pancake” collapse occurs when the vertical elements that support a building’s weight (primarily its columns) fail. The floors then lose their support and fall one on top of another. This is one of the deadliest forms of structural failure. In older buildings, pancake collapses are often caused by brittle failure.
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Columns that were not properly designed and detailed to deform and absorb energy simply break. The problem may be made worse by an open or weak ground floor, which concentrates the damage at a single level.
The engineering approach used to prevent this is known as capacity design. The principle is to determine in advance where the structure should sustain damage and to ensure that this damage occurs in a controlled, ductile manner, typically in the beams.
The columns, joints, and foundations are deliberately designed to be stronger so that they remain intact while the beams safely absorb and dissipate the earthquake’s energy. This principle is often summarised as “strong column, weak beam.” A building designed in this way can sway and dissipate energy rather than losing an entire storey and collapsing.
Combined with proper structural detailing and strong connections that prevent a local failure from spreading through the building, capacity design is a central feature of modern building codes. It is also a major reason why well designed modern buildings are far less likely to suffer pancake collapse.
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It looks like there are many buildings that have been damaged but have not collapsed. Does this typically result in many other buildings having to be demolished in the aftermath of earthquakes, and how is this decided?
Yes, and this is actually a sign that the buildings performed as intended. For ordinary structures, the goal of seismic design is not to survive undamaged, but to protect life: the building is allowed to be damaged, absorbing the earthquake’s energy, provided it does not collapse, and people can evacuate safely.
A building that is badly damaged but lets everyone out has done its job, even if it must later be demolished. Afterwards, each of these buildings has to be assessed, usually in two stages.
Buildings that have sustained damage but allow people to get out alive have done their job. Ronald Pena R
First, rapid inspections tag buildings for immediate use (broadly, safe, restricted, or unsafe to enter) to keep people out of danger while aftershocks continue; an “unsafe” tag does not mean the building is condemned, only that it cannot be occupied until checked properly.
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Then a detailed engineering assessment determines how much of the original capacity remains and whether repair is feasible. Whether a building is repaired or demolished depends on several factors: whether repair is technically possible, how much strength is left, whether the building is permanently leaning (which often makes repair uneconomic), and ultimately, the cost of repair against the cost of rebuilding.
This is why major earthquakes are frequently followed by extensive demolition (as across central Christchurch, New Zealand, after 2011), even where buildings did not collapse. Far from being a failure, it reflects the design philosophy at work: the buildings spent themselves to save the people inside.
The officer was making his way to a shop to pick up some food in Stanley, County Durham, on a rest day, when he noticed the elderly woman in distress.
On stopping to check on her, she told him she had run out of petrol and was looking for somewhere to get fuel.
Realising it would be a bit of a trek for her on foot, Sergeant Hanson took her in his car to the nearest petrol station to fill up a jerry can with fuel.
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Once there, he noticed one of the staff members confronting a man inside the station store, so he went to investigate.
The man was a suspected shoplifter who was trying to leave the store with several unpaid for items.
Assisted by a member of the public, the sergeant quickly grabbed hold of the man and detained him, while shop staff called for police back-up.
The shoplifter was arrested on suspicion of theft and making threats to cause criminal damage, as, during the confrontation, he was said to have made threats to blow up the sergeant’s house.
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It resulted in the 39-year-old suspect being taken into custody to spend the evening in a police cell.
Police put up a cordon at the scene and ambulance were also at the scene over the weekend.
Police were called to St James’ Street New Bury, just before midnight on Saturday after reports of an assault, and it is believed they “blocked off” the road to one witness.
Afterwards, a 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) on the scene shortly after when it passed midnight on Sunday.
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A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokesperson said: “Officers were called to St James St, Farnworth at 11.39pm on 27/06/26 to reports of an assault.
“One man was taken to hospital with head injuries and a man aged 33 was arrested at 00.05am 28/06/26 on suspicion of GBH.”
We will bring you more information on this when we get it.
The pair have been the Friday morning hosts since 2021 and stepped in as a temporary hosting duo when Phillip Schofield was ousted, and Holly Willoughby stepped down in 2023.
The TV presenters have now admitted that the ITV show’s rocky patch some years ago was a ‘hard’ period.
This was exacerbated by the fact that the daytime show includes a daily deep dive into the headlines, which at the time routinely included the show itself.
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‘We were doing a show that, through no fault of our own, was on the cover of newspapers for 50 days on the trot,’ said O’Leary.
Speaking to the Radio Times, he went on to say that in terms of the day-to-day headlines that emerge, honing in on specific moments during the live broadcast, he doesn’t look at them.
The pair temporarily stepped up to weekly hosts after Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby left (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
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‘We’ll finish an item, I’ll look one way and Alison will look the other, and the papers will be like, “Bust-up on This Morning!” It’s all bulls**t,’ said the 53-year-old.
Meanwhile, Hammon added to the publication: ‘You’ve got to be free to say what you want, and give your opinions. If you start editing yourself, you’ll lose the live element that people love.’
However, the pair did admit that they have hosted the show when they have been ‘unhappy’ with one another, but only a handful of times.
Hammond has said she would be able to fake their chemistry on the show, even if they were not speaking, but O’Leary disagreed that they would be able to.
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‘In terms of day-to-day stories, I don’t even look at them,’ said O’Leary (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
From hitting the headlines over queue-gate to his bombshell confession: A timeline of events that led to Phillip Schofield’s ITV departure
September 2022WILLOUGHBY and schofield hit headlines over queue-gate
The duo found themselves in hot water when they were accused of skipping the queue to visit the late Queen Elizabeth III lying in state.
ITV issued a statement in their defence and the presenters insisted they didn’t break any rules or take anyone’s place, but the backlash and criticism continued.
15 may 2023the this morning hosts put on a united front
Ignoring the rumours, Willoughby and Schofield appeared on This Morning beaming and seemingly putting on a united front.
The duo continued downplaying the rumours during their four episodes of This Morning that week, signing off the week saying, ‘See you on Monday, bye!’
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20 may 2023schofield steps down from this morning after more than 20 years
Schofield confirmed his departure from This Morning, saying: ‘I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.
‘Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind.
‘I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.
‘So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future.’
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20 may 2023WILLOUGHBY releases statement and takes early break from this morning
Addressing Schofield’s departure, Willoughby said: ‘It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Schofield and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour.
‘The sofa won’t feel the same without him.’
ITV confirmed she would go on to host This Morning with other members of the team, but took an early half-term break, and would not be returning to the sofa until June 5.
26 may 2023schofield admits affair with much younger this morning colleague and confesses he lied about it
He said the relationship occurred while he was still married to his wife of 30 years, Stephanie Lowe, the mother of his two daughters – Ruby and Molly – and before he came out as gay.
26 may 2023Schofield resigns from ITV with ‘immediate effect’
‘I am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me,’ Schofield said, after admitting he lied to the broadcaster and his colleagues.
26 may 2023itv release statement accepting schofield’s resignation
After an admission that he lied to colleagues and to ITV, the broadcaster confirmed that they accepted his resignation.
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The broadcaster also admitted to feeling ‘badly let down’ and ‘deeply disappointed’ after Schofield confessed to lying to bosses about his relationship.
27 may 2023Willoughby releases statement
Willoughby accused Schofield of lying to her about the affair, saying his admission is ‘very hurtful’.
27 may 2023itv issue new statement claiming ‘no evidence found’ from a 2020 investigation
ITV released a new statement confirming that an investigation into Schofield and an employee was conducted in 2020.
They said no evidence of a relationship was found ‘beyond hearsay and rumour’.
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june 2Schofield breaks silence
The Sun published an interview with Schofield in which he said he was sorry to Willoughby but owed his ‘greatest apology’ to his former lover. He reiterated that he did not ‘groom’ the man, and that although his wife was ‘very, very angry’ about the affair, his daughters had been ‘guarding’ him during the fallout.
Speaking to the BBC’s Amol Rajan, Schofield also said he had ‘lost everything’ and the affair had a ‘catastrophic effect’ on his mind. Speaking about the criticism he faced, he said he could see ‘nothing ahead’ except ‘blackness and sadness’ and spoke about his television career ‘in the past tense’.
june 5Willoughby returns to this morning
Willoughby made an emotional return to This Morning, saying she felt ‘shaken, troubled, let down and worried’ following the revelations about Schofield.
She began with: ‘Firstly, are you ok?’ adding: ‘It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil.’
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octoberitv confirms workplace changes
The company’s policy on work relationships was updated. Staff were reportedly required to disclose any kind of relationship, including a friendship, sexual or romantic connection, to ‘the company at the earliest opportunity’.
december 7ITV ‘unable to uncover’ Schofield affair evidence
It said it made ‘considerable efforts’ to find out the truth about the alleged affair but was ‘unable to uncover the relevant evidence’ until the presenter’s own admission in late May 2023.
The former presenter ‘reluctantly declined’ to take part because of ‘the risk to his health’.
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September 25Schofield’s TV return confirmed after months of rumours
Schofield announced Cast Away, saying: ‘I can say whatever I want about whatever I want. It’s my chance to tell my side of my story.’
He explained: ‘When she is unhappy with me – and it’s probably only happened maybe two or three times…’ to which Hammond joked it was ‘more like 700 times.’
O’Leary continued: ‘I don’t like the idea of making Ali unhappy. One, because she’s such a good friend and two, because she’s basically a Jamaican mother, and you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her.
‘But we have a great relationship. I think I’ve taught Alison to take life a bit more seriously, and she’s taught me to take it a bit less seriously.’
What classes are most memorable from your school days? Being mesmerised by the Bunsen burner in double science? Grappling with fractions in maths? Well, London’s next generation will be learning to run their own Airbnb, as that’s just one of the skills that students will be taught at Inspired Edge Academy London, a new school for children aged seven to 11 with an innovative education model.
Choosing where your child should go to school is a big decision for parents. You want the best for your kids and for them to spend their days in an environment where they’ll be nurtured, can expand their skills, and get prepared for the future.
For those looking for an education setting that goes beyond the norm, Inspired Edge Academy London will open in September 2027. Located at Olympia in Kensington, alongside independent senior school Wetherby Pembridge, Inspired Edge Academy will combine the core curriculum with real life skills, and use AI technology to accelerate learning.
Teaching practical life skills on top of the curriculum
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The daily schedule at Inspired Edge Academy London will look refreshingly different to most schools
Inspired Edge Academy
Run by Inspired Education, a global group of 125 schools with 95,000 students, Inspired Edge Academy London will teach the standard UK curriculum but also teach its pupils some additional, more future-facing classes.
Here, mornings will be focused on the core curriculum, including English, maths, science, computing and languages, while afternoons will be spent mastering skills like financial literacy, entrepreneurship, public speaking and real-world problem solving.
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The school says that using AI-powered adaptive learning platforms allows children to learn up to three times faster than traditional models. Having used this technology in partner schools within the Inspired group, Inspired Education’s analysis of students showed an average improvement of 8.1 per cent in assessment scores in some subjects after six weeks of learning on the platform. The idea is that this then frees up time for students to learn life skills alongside the core subjects.
The lessons dedicated to life skills will be wide-ranging, with topics as varied as how to build a drone, how to run an Airbnb and designing a colony to survive life on Mars. These sessions will be an exciting change of pace — for example, the Impossible Mission Circuit encourages children to work in teams, putting their problem solving and teamwork to the test by cracking codes and flying a drone safely through a live challenge.
Students will also be set projects that ask them to think big and forge connections, such as organising a local conservation campaign, or creating a multilingual story archive to celebrate the linguistic diversity of the community.
Education that reflects the current world
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Inspired Edge Academy’s mission is to prepare children of today for the ever-changing employment market of tomorrow
Shutterstock / Halfpoint
The programme at Inspired Edge Academy London aims to prepare children for the ever-changing world we live in. According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2025 Future of Jobs Report, 39 per cent of workers’ core skills will change by 2030. The report also found that, of the 1,000 leading global employers it surveyed, the most sought-after core skill was analytical thinking. Other key skills were resilience, flexibility, agility, leadership and social influence.
When it comes to fastest growing jobs, the WEF report showed that the top three were big data specialists, Fintech engineers, and AI and machine learning specialists. Also on the list were environmental engineers and renewable energy engineers.
According to the Skills Imperative 2035 programme report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), “changes in the labour market are now happening faster than previously projected, by as much as three times for some occupations”. In order to prepare for this, the report noted that more focus is needed to ensure “young people leave education with the qualifications and skills needed to compete for entry-level roles in high growth areas”, adding that “this requires a system of lifelong learning that nurtures the development of individuals’ skills throughout early childhood, education and work”.
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The NFER report suggested focusing on what the organisation refers to as essential employment skills (EES), which it says will “become even more vital across the whole economy over the next decade”. The skills identified in the report were: collaboration, communication, creative thinking, information literacy, organising, planning, prioritising, problem solving and decision making.
With this in mind, education needs to adapt and change, says Nadim Nsouli, the founder of Inspired Education and Inspired Edge Academy. “Education must evolve to reflect the world children are growing up in. The traditional classroom structure was designed for another era, when information was scarce and learning moved at a single pace for everyone,” he says.
Learning tailored to each child’s needs, not age
Inspired Edge Academy London will combine the core curriculum with AI-enabled learning and real-life skills
Inspired Edge Academy
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The Academy will use AI-enabled adaptive learning platforms, which is tailored to each pupil by monitoring their individual progress and adjusting teaching in real time. Real-life teachers will continue to play an essential role, however, working with this innovative technology and looking at the data to decide what each child needs next — whether that’s more explanation, more of a challenge, or something else entirely.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the programme will be bespoke to each child’s specific needs, with progress being based on how quickly they’re able to master skills rather than their age.
According to Mike Lambert, global education director at Inspired Education, this is one of the things that sets Inspired Edge Academy apart. “Children do not learn at the same pace, but conventional classrooms often expect them to. Inspired Edge Academy changes that by allowing pupils to move forward when they have mastered the material, while ensuring those who need more support receive it,” he says. “The national curriculum remains our foundation, but the programme builds far beyond it, equipping children with the academic knowledge, confidence and life skills they will rely on throughout their lives.”
This is echoed by Nsouli: “Inspired Edge Academy represents a new model for primary education, with a broader set of focus areas, that could see children learn how to build a drone or run an Airbnb,” he says. “Most importantly, progression will be based on mastery rather than age. Every child learns differently, and education should adapt to the learner, not the other way around.”
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Inspired Edge Academy London — part of a global education group
London will be home to the first Inspired Edge Academy, but that’s just the start. There are more locations set to open around the world in places such as Lisbon, Milan, Madrid, Mexico City, São Paulo and Auckland, making it part of a global group of schools.
Lambert says that London was the “ideal place to bring Edge to life”. He adds: “It’s a city that demands adaptability and confidence to succeed, and education needs to keep pace. At Edge, children progress through learning at their own pace, while spending dedicated time applying that knowledge through real-world projects. The result is not just academic confidence, but a genuine love of school and the practical skills needed for life in London and beyond.”
WARNING: DISTRESSING DETAILS – A newborn baby has tragically been found dead in toilets at the Electric Forest festival in Rothbury, Michigan, police have said
09:39, 29 Jun 2026Updated 09:40, 29 Jun 2026
The body of a newborn baby has been tragically found dumped in a portable toilet at a US music festival.
Police have launched an investigation into the grim discovery, which was made at the Electric Forest festival in Rothbury, Michigan, on Sunday morning.
The body was found in a portable toilet at the camping area of the annual music event, the state agency said. “The body was discovered by an employee of the restroom vending company during routine maintenance,” officials said.
The incident happened on Sunday hours after the Canada v South Africa match finished
A man has been killed and another left with life-threatening injuries after a shooting at a World Cup fan zone in San Jose, California, police have confirmed.
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The incident happened on Sunday at San Pedro Square in San Jose, a popular entertainment district which has been hosting official fan zone screenings during the 2026 tournament.
Police said emergency services were called to the scene following reports of gunfire. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
Authorities confirmed the attack is being treated as a homicide investigation. Several surrounding streets were cordoned off as officers secured the area and began inquiries.
There were no World Cup matches being shown at the time of the shooting, with the day’s fixtures having already finished earlier in the afternoon.
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San Pedro Square has been one of several fan gathering points across the San Francisco Bay Area during the tournament, attracting large crowds of supporters watching games on big screens.
Police have not yet released details about any suspect or possible motive.
The wider region of California has been hosting multiple World Cup matches and fan events as part of the expanded 2026 tournament across North America.
A World Cup 2026 manager has resigned from his position after his country exited the competition prematurely
Hong Myung-bo has stepped down from his role as South Korea boss following their World Cup 2026 group-stage exit. He becomes the fourth boss to leave their post after poor performances in North America.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed his bewilderment at the early exit, too, calling for a probe into the reasons why. In a press conference in Mexico on Sunday, Hong confirmed that he would be stepping down.
“Even though I am leaving the national team, I am not abandoning Korean football altogether,” Hong said. “I will cheer for the national team from the bottom of my heart and hope that the team will be trusted and loved by the people once again.”
Fans had lost faith in Hong, as evidenced by a petition calling for his resignation and the reform of South Korea’s national team. The petition read: “The Korea Football Association’s official selection process was effectively ignored, making it difficult to avoid criticism that the appointment was fundamentally illegitimate.
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“Despite fielding what many considered the strongest squad in Korea’s World Cup history, the team finished with one win and two losses, placing third in the group.
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“The performance against South Africa was so lifeless that it could be regarded as one of the worst displays by a Korean team in World Cup history.”
Hong’s popularity in South Korea plummeted so low that he has been reportedly banned from various shops and restaurants. President Lee’s admission on X was just as damning. He wrote: “I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome, I am utterly baffled.
“Once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions are everything. When loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence, and an incapable person is appointed as a leader, the outcome is as predictable as fire.”
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This was Hong’s second stint as national team boss as he also guided them to the World Cup 2014 before resigning. His reappointment in 2024 sparked allegations of favouritism and a lack of transparency in the hiring process from Korean media, all of which Hong denied.
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.
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