Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue blew India away with pace at Trent Bridge as England condemned the world champions to a record 125-run T20 defeat.

The hosts posted 201-7 on the back of 70 from Phil Salt, with the entire India team only just besting the opener’s score as they were rounded up for 76.

Archer and Tongue were too hot to handle, both seamers pushing the speed gun past 90mph to scatter the power-packed Indian top order in a match-winning new-ball burst.

Tongue claimed career-best figures of 4-28 and Archer took 3-29, with the innings wrapped up 8.2 overs ahead of time.

It was an emphatic result in Nottingham – eclipsing India’s previous worst result in T20s by a massive 45-run margin – and handing the hosts a 2-0 lead with two to play in the Vitality Series.

India started a difficult day perfectly, winning the toss before Arshdeep Singh delivered a near-perfect maiden to Salt. It was a red herring, Jos Buttler picking up the pace with 36 of the first 43 runs.

Prince Yadav halted his charge with an inswinging yorker that crushed Buttler’s boot and parted his stumps, then added Harry Brook to keep England in check before Salt finally broke the shackles.

Entrenched on 17 from 19 balls at the start of the ninth over, he crashed 53 off the next 25 as a loose over from Varun Chakravarthy eased him into his work.

He launched a long-hop for six then hit three straight fours to catch up on his ponderous start. Harshit Rana struck back with consecutive wickets in the 12th over, Jacob Bethell unable to recreate his match-winning turn from Old Trafford as he hit a skier into the leg side and Tom Banton steering his first ball straight to deep third.

Salt did not let it disrupt his flow, passing 50 in 36 balls and adding two more sixes before slashing Axar Patel to backward point.

By then Curran (41no) had picked up the baton and Will Jacks kept the pressure on by flaying two of his first four deliveries into the stands. Two runs off the last ball guided England past the 200 mark.

It proved more than enough as the tourists wilted under a hostile examination. Archer set the tone with a rapid first over from the Stuart Broad End, hurrying 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with a 90mph bouncer and smiling when the next ball was sprayed for six over gully.

Two of Tongue’s first three balls also went the distance but from there it was all England. Abhishek Sharma slashed to deep point, Sooryavanshi gloved behind as he took on Archer’s next bouncer and Ishan Kishan picked out Bethell with a flat pull.

By the time Archer removed Shreyas Iyer and Axar, it was game over at 52 for five from five overs. India were sprawling, Tilak Varma stumped off Jacks before Tongue picked up his third courtesy of Shivam Dube’s thin nick.

Miscommunication between Buttler and Curran denied the Nottinghamshire man his fourth victim, but a sterling catch from Banton ensured he did not have to wait long as he added Harshit to his collection.

Adil Rashid finished things off with two late wickets as India only just beat their lowest T20 total of 74.

But each time he found himself down, Djokovic found a way. In the dark, he found light – literally, as the floodlights beat down on the battered surface – while there were times he had to go hunting at great heights, gazing into the high heavens in disbelief at fortuitous net cords or in sheer disbelief at how good he was getting from the man across the net.

Prince Harry appeared to criticise the High Court judge who ruled against him in his failed case against the Daily Mail.

In an extraordinary 374-word statement the Duke of Sussex referenced Mr Justice Nicklin’s previous work for newspapers just hours after he delivered a landmark judgement in favour of this newspaper.

Released jointly with Baroness Lawrence, Harry’s statement said the ruling felt like there was ‘one rule for newspapers and another for claimants’.

He argued that Mr Justice Nicklin’s findings, which rejected every one of his allegations, were a significant departure from previous cases brought against other newspapers, which the judge had represented in the past including the Daily Mirror.

Harry’s statement read: ‘This judgment represents a complete reversal of the position which previous judges have taken in relation to the hacking claims successfully brought against both News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers, who were represented by, at the time, the judge who made this decision.

‘Generic findings about various private investigators that were held by the courts in these parallel claims to have carried out unlawful activity at the very same time in relation to similar stories and well-known individuals have been wholly ignored.

‘The fact that this court has chosen to dismiss them represents an inconsistency which is hard to understand or reconcile with common sense, or the evidence heard in the courtroom itself.’

In a swipe at the judgement, Harry described it as an ‘obvious whitewash’ going on to argue that it represented a ‘shocking’ and ‘totally unwarranted’ exoneration of the Daily Mail and its journalists.

He claimed: ‘It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected.

‘However, the lengths to which the court has gone to exonerate the Mail is as shocking as it is totally unwarranted.

‘When the court says there is not sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, despite the documents showing otherwise, then one does wonder how justice was ever going to be achieved.’

Although, more than 40 journalists from the Daily Mail entered the witness stand to defend themselves, after being accused of illegal information gathering, Harry still insists he has been wronged.

He added: ‘While the claimants presented evidence, Mail journalists simply gave denials and the court chose uncritically to believe them, even in the face of inconsistencies, contradictions and blatant untruths that were obvious to neutral observers in court when compared to the documents.

‘We presented to the court evidence which we believed was compelling at the time and remains so now.’

Over the course of 46 days, the newspaper robustly defended accusations of bugging and the blagging of private records to obtain news stories.

In his judgement, Justice Nicklin consistently ruled journalists at the Daily Mail were credible witnesses who gave forthright accounts during their evidence.

In his executive summary of his judgement, Mr Justice Nicklin said: ‘The Claimants failed to prove their pleaded allegations of UIG (unlawful information gathering).’

Adding: ‘In broad terms, Associated called journalist witnesses who gave lawful explanations for the sourcing of the disputed articles and incidents.

‘The Court accepted their evidence, including their denials of UIG.’

In his ruling, Justice Nicklin also dismissed allegations made against senior executives at the newspaper who had been wrongly accused of lying at the Leveson Inquiry into Press ethics in 2011.

Harry’s statement concluded by saying: ‘We would like to thank our legal team for all their hard work and all the witnesses who were brave enough to come forward in the pursuit of justice.’

Moments after the High Court ruled against him, Harry was at Chatham House to host the Invictus Games for wounded, injured, and sick military service personnel and veterans.

Attempting to appear relaxed before cameras, he cracked a joke at the event.

He told the guests they were one of the few in the UK with air conditioning, ‘so I can understand why every seat is full’.

Speaking to delegates, he said: ‘Every one of us believes that those who have served their country, and in particular those whose lives have been changed by that service, deserve more than our gratitude.

‘They deserve opportunity. The chance to redefine one’s purpose and identity. They deserve to truly feel our admiration and respect. And they deserve every chance to build the life they choose beyond military service. That’s what the Invictus community is all about.’

By DAILY MAIL COMMENT

Published: 23:38 BST, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 23:39 BST, 7 July 2026

There were early concerns for Djokovic when he pulled up and immediately called for the trainer after injuring his lower left leg at 4-4 in the first set.

He had to see his service game through before he could receive treatment and, after holding to love, grimaced through a massage before returning to play.

After missing two set points at 5-4 on the Canadian’s serve, Djokovic started moving freely again and the pair engaged in an thrilling 22-point tie-break that saw them take turns at missing multiple set points, until Auger-Aliassime gifted his opponent the opener with a skewed volley.

A lapse in concentration saw Djokovic drop serve towards the end of the second set and Auger-Aliassime levelled the tie – at which point the roof was closed, despite both players protesting against it.

There was little to separate the pair as Auger-Aliassime made it through a marathon 13-minute service game that saw seven deuces, but Djokovic broke to love for a 4-2 lead and maintained that advantage to wrap up the third set.

Djokovic won eight straight points to claim the opening two games of the fourth – causing Auger-Aliassime to smash his racquet on his chair – but momentum suddenly shifted and the Canadian replied with a run of three games.

Auger-Aliassime clinched the resulting tie-break to force a decider- to the delight of the crowd on a rowdy Centre Court.

With both players staying strong on serve in the fifth, a match tie-break became inevitable. When it arrived, Djokovic whipped up support, pointing to his ear as he asserted his dominance to seal his place in his 15th Wimbledon semi-final.

By MIKE MERRITT

Published: 18:30 BST, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 21:47 BST, 7 July 2026

The Princess of Wales was given an insight to a real-life rescue as she scaled Ben Nevis last week.

While Catherine was around the 4,413ft summit, a blind military veteran further down was needing help.

Ex-soldier John Banfield, 87, had successfully climbed Ben Nevis on Armed Forces Day last month to raise funds for the charity Blind Veterans UK.

Guided by RAF veteran Gary Thomas, he reached the summit in five-and-a-half hours but at Halfway Lochan, Mr Banfield, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, became exhausted and two members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) got him off the hill using their all-terrain vehicle.

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A smiling Kate at the top of Ben Nevis

Former soldier John Banfield, 87, scales Ben Nevis on Armed Forces Day

Deputy team leader Astie Cameron said the Princess of Wales was ‘absolutely amazing’ 

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Meanwhile, Catherine, accompanied by two other members of Lochaber MRT, was more than 2,000ft higher up listening to the drama below.

Deputy team leader Astie Cameron said: ‘She would have been aware of the rescue because of the chatter on the team’s radios. 

‘She was absolutely amazing. She did the walk in just under five hours which is quick – especially after what she has gone through with cancer it was an incredible achievement.’

Catherine’s Three Peak challenge involved climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours.

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The 44-year-old had called it a ‘chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back’.

Photos from the Welsh summit of Yr Wyddfa released on social media at the weekend came with a caption: ‘A huge thank you to everybody who has supported The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.’

The princess paid tribute to the charity as ‘a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life changing for so many people’.

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan has furiously accused FIFA of rigging the World Cup after a string of controversial refereeing decisions went against his side during Argentina’s dramatic late comeback in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Argentina, who were 2-0 down with 12 minutes to play plus stoppage time, looked destined to exit the tournament before late goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez resulted in a remarkable 3-2 comeback victory.

When Fernandez’s game-winning header rippled the net in the 93rd minute, chaos broke out on the touchline as Egypt’s furious staff remonstrated with referee Francois Letexier, leading to goalkeeper coach Saafan El-Sagheer being shown a red card and manager Hassan being dragged away from a confrontation with the official.

The Pharaohs were furious that the referee – and also VAR – had not awarded Egypt a penalty moments before Argentina’s winner, as Mohamed Salah was brought down inside the box after having his foot clipped by Julian Alvarez.

Earlier in the second half, Egypt themselves had a goal disallowed by VAR due to a foul in the build-up. Throughout the game, a string of decisions went in favour of Argentina, who have now progressed to the quarter-finals as they bid to retain their crown in North America.

After the match, Hassan could not contain his outrage and furiously accused world football’s governing body FIFA of rigging the tournament so that all-time great Messi could remain in the competition for ‘marketing reasons’.

An Egypt coach was sent off after the bench reacted furiously to Enzo Fernandez’s winning goal for Argentina, clearly upset with the number of decisions that went against them

‘We were better, but football is unfair,’ the heartbroken coach said in his post-match interview. 

‘It could be a matter of marketing, they could want to make a World Cup with the champion of the last World Cup, they want Messi to exist (in the tournament).

‘I thank my players very much. To all the Egyptians, the Arabs, the Africans, you can work hard, it’s what you have to do, but sometimes there are other factors that make you struggle. 

‘I wish we could be happier with the loss, but with a severe loss like today I say to them (my players) be upset. We wish we could be happier. Thank God for everything but football is different from what happens in the stadium when we are playing against the world champions. 

‘There is support from all directions for the world champions. Support and marketing.’

He added later: ‘Why isn’t there any fairness in sport? In football? I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.’ 

Hassan went on to claim that the result was influenced by ‘internal’ and ‘external’ factors and that Egypt had objected to the selection of Letexier as referee.

Egypt were furious at having a goal disallowed when leading 1-0 during the game, and later showed similar expressions of anger and disbelief after Salah was penalised for a soft foul that would otherwise have seen him charge through on goal for a one-on-one opportunity.

As the touchline bust-up at the end of the game broke out following Fernandez’s winner, Hassan made a gesture that is typically used to draw a referee’s attention to an accusation of racism, holding his hands aloft in an X shape.

It is unclear if Hassan was alleging a specific incident had occurred or whether he was protesting more generally against injustice and the controversial decisions that had gone in favour of Argentina.

Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a dramatic late comeback as the World Cup holders won 3-2

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Egypt’s star man Mohamed Salah cut a miserable figure as he arrived back at Egypt’s hotel

Messi, who is widely regarded as the greatest footballer to have graced the game and steered Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, is spending the last years of his glittering career in the USA as a veteran for David Beckham’s Inter Miami. 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has already drawn controversy over the World Cup’s integrity after his institution agreed to suspend USA forward Folarin Balogun’s red card following a phone call with Donald Trump, has been targeted with accusations of bias by fans amid Argentina’s World Cup success during his tenure.

The Swiss football chief, who has struck a friendship with Trump after awarding the President with FIFA’s inaugural peace prize in 2025, raised eyebrows when he joyfully congratulated Argentina following their narrow last-32 win over Cape Verde – and immediately backpedalled by insisting he is neutral.

Ahead of Switzerland’s round of 16 clash with Colombia in Vancouver, Infantino raised an Egyptian flag aloft in a possible attempt to rubbish accusations of favouritism towards Argentina after their late comeback. 

It is important to note that, despite claims online, no evidence has emerged to support allegations or corruption or match manipulation against FIFA or Infantino.

The first big decision made by referee Letexier during Egypt’s defeat was to award Argentina a penalty during the first half, although the Pharaohs should have few complaints about the spot-kick, which was ultimately missed by Messi. 

In what was another thrilling round of 16 clash at the World Cup, Yasser Ibrahim put Egypt ahead after just 15 minutes, before Mostafa Ziko doubled their advantage midway through the second half.

Ziko added fuel to the fire after the game by describing Letexier as an ‘unjust’ referee.

‘Referee, not fair,’ he said in tears during his post-match interview. ‘Unjust, unjust referee. An unjust person. An injustice that is so clear.

‘He’s wasting the effort of an entire nation. Since the beginning of the game, we were leaving the game winning 2-0 against Argentina. But the cup has already been given.’

Gianni Infantino lifted an Egyptian flag aloft in Vancouver shortly after the country’s elimination

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Ziko, who netted Egypt’s second goal, congratulated Argentina on already winning the World Cup, claiming that the holders have been shown favouritism by ‘unjust’ referees

‘I apologise to (the Egypt fans). We wanted to make them happy today. We didn’t know how to do that. But, by God, it’s not in our hands; it’s in the hands of the referee. The cup has already been decided.

‘Congratulations to Argentina on the World Cup. Congratulations. You don’t need anything else.’

Shortly after the game in Atlanta, FIFA confirmed that all officials for France’s quarter-final against Morocco will be Argentinian – the first time this tournament that all match referees will be from the same country, sparking more allegations of favouritism. 

Some fans noted in the fallout of Egypt’s defeat that Argentina have been awarded a remarkable eight penalties in their last 12 World Cup matches, with spot-kicks proving crucial to their triumph in Qatar in 2022.

Argentina will face either Switzerland or Colombia in the World Cup quarter-finals before a potential showdown with England in the semi-finals, should Harry Kane and Co prevail against Erling Haaland’s Norway on Saturday.

How much is David Beckham set to pocket from his World Cup brand deals? Take on our quiz in our newsletter HERE. 

Milano Pro-Sport has manufactured leotards for the British Gymnastics Team since 1996 and was a leading supplier of gymnastics clothing in the UK.

The company describes itself as “committed to manufacturing the most exciting, highest quality leotards and sportswear.”

Milano Pro-Sport enters liquidation

Milano Pro-Sport, based in Preston, has now entered voluntary liquidation after 30 years in business.

A formal statement revealed the business was “no longer commercially viable for the company to continue trading”.

The announcement was made on July 6 by CEPS plc, the company’s major shareholder, in a statement published on the Halifax website.

The statement said: “Following a review of the firm, Milano International Limited would be placed into creditors’ voluntary liquidation (CVL).”

Creditors’ voluntary liquidation is when shareholders decide to wind up a company that cannot pay its debts in full.

CEPS plc confirmed that formal notices were “currently being prepared” and expected to be issued later the same day.

The review of the proposed liquidation considered both the operations and financial position of the company.

CEPS said Milano Pro-Sport recorded a turnover of £1.85 million at the end of December 2025 but reported a pre-tax loss of £156,571.

Moorfield’s Advisory has been appointed to support the CVL process and will invite offers for the company’s assets.

Milano is fully owned by Milano International Holdings Limited, which is 90% owned by Signature Fabrics Limited.

CEPC plc holds a 67.5% interest in Signature Fabrics Limited.

The Milano Pro-Sport website is currently offline, displaying a message stating the server is “temporarily unavailable.”

Further updates on the company’s status are expected in the coming days.

Anyone interested in the business or its assets are advised to contact Moorfields for more information.

CEPS and Milano have been contacted for comment.

Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026

It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.

Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s, and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.

UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation.

TG Jones will be closing 150 stores across the UK as part of a “restructuring” plan approved by the High Court on Wednesday (July 1).

Other retailers have been forced to close stores this year, including:

Several UK travel companies have also ceased trading or entered administration in 2026:

Luxury UK holiday company Salamander Voyages shut down back in April after entering administration.

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out over the coming months after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It hasn’t all been bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Plus-size clothing brand Evans also returned to the UK high street recently after closing all its stores and concessions in December 2020.

Which company/store closure in 2026 has impacted you the most? Let us know in the comments below.

As another heatwave reaches the UK, it is worth asking an uncomfortable question: is there any positive side to extreme heat?

The answer is not that heatwaves are good. They are not. They put pressure on people’s health, homes, schools, transport and the electricity grid. The UK Health Security Agency estimated 1,504 heat-associated deaths in England during five heat episodes in summer 2025. The official advisory Climate Change Committee has also warned that 92% of existing UK homes could be at risk of overheating by 2050. So the starting point is clear: heatwaves are a serious climate and public-health risk.

But heatwaves also expose something important. They show us how poorly prepared our homes and energy systems are for the climate we are now living in. In that sense, the opportunity is not in the heat itself. The opportunity is in using heatwaves as a trigger to redesign how we cool, power and protect our buildings.

One obvious route is solar energy. Hotter weather does not automatically mean better solar performance. In fact, solar panels lose some efficiency as they get hotter, with typical losses of around 0.4%–0.5% per degree Celsius. But heatwaves often come with long periods of strong sunlight, and that creates a practical opportunity: using solar power to meet some of the extra demand for cooling.

We should not simply respond to heatwaves by buying more portable air-conditioning units and adding pressure to the grid. During the late June 2026 heatwave, Great Britain’s electricity system operator had to request extra power as households used more fans and air conditioning. That is a warning sign. Cooling is becoming an energy-system challenge, not just a question of household comfort.

Cooling with clean energy

The better response is to connect cooling with clean energy. Homes with solar panels, batteries, external shading, good ventilation and smart controls can use daylight hours more intelligently. Solar power can run fans, heat pumps or efficient cooling systems during the day. Batteries can store surplus electricity for the evening, when demand often rises. Thermal storage can also help by storing coolness or heat, reducing the need to draw electricity at peak times.

This is not a fantasy. Solar power is able to directly meet around half of the world’s cooling demand according to one model, and more when combined with cold thermal storage, such as freezing water when solar electricity is abundant, and using the ice later for cooling. The UK is not directly comparable with the hotter countries covered in that study, but the principle still matters: as cooling becomes more necessary, it becomes more important to power that cooling through clean energy rather than adding pressure to the grid.

There is also a role for heat pumps, especially reversible systems designed for both heating and cooling. The UK government has already framed some heat-pump and heat-battery technologies as tools that can keep homes warm in winter and cool in summer. But this needs careful design. Not every heat pump installation will provide effective cooling, and not every home is ready for it.

The simplest solutions should come first: external shading, trees, better insulation, ventilation, reflective surfaces and one safe cool room in vulnerable homes. These are not glamorous technologies, but they reduce heat before households need to use electricity. Then, where active cooling is needed, it should be efficient, low-carbon and linked to smart energy systems.

The fairness issue is crucial. Wealthier households can adapt first: solar panels, batteries, shutters, heat pumps and better insulation. Renters, older people, low-income families and people in poor-quality housing may be left with the highest heat risk and the least ability to respond. Heatwave resilience therefore cannot be treated as a private luxury. It needs to become part of basic infrastructure.

So yes, there is a positive side to heatwaves but only if we define it carefully. Heatwaves are not good news. But they are increasingly clear warnings of where the system is failing and where investment should go next: cleaner cooling, better homes, smarter storage and a fairer approach to climate adaptation.