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Effort, spirit and moments – but do England lack all-round quality?
England’s World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina has renewed doubts over whether resilience and individual brilliance are enough to make the team genuine tournament winners. Thomas Tuchel praised England’s mentality after their quarter-final victory over Norway, but questioned their ability to control matches, and the late collapse against Argentina left them without a first men’s…
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Fox’s US World Cup summer: wild mispronunciations, Corden’s sad beers and Lowe’s excellence
Fox concluded its television coverage of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, capping an eight-year run as the tournament’s English-language broadcaster on US TV that began in 2018. With media rights for 2030 and beyond still to be awarded, this could mark the network’s final World Cup, and the Guardian’s review reflects on…
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Adam Silver calls Caitlin Clark a ‘political football’ as the WNBA keeps dodging reality
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been criticised for taking a cautious, non-committal stance on the physical treatment of WNBA star Caitlin Clark, reportedly describing her as a “political football” rather than directly addressing player safety concerns. The remarks came as Silver spoke publicly about Clark’s treatment on court, with critics arguing he appeared more focused…
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Telstra admits avoidable error after millions of Australians were impacted by its nationwide outage: ‘Not good enough’
Telstra, one of Australia’s largest telecommunications providers, has admitted that an avoidable error caused a nationwide outage that disrupted services for millions of customers, including access to the triple zero (000) emergency line. The company acknowledged the fault stemmed from a software issue and conceded that the failure was “not good enough,” an admission that…
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Notorious beaver named Steve McQueen that repeatedly escaped his enclosure in search of love has finally settled down – with Doris
A beaver called Steve McQueen, notorious for repeatedly breaking out of his enclosure while searching for a mate, has finally settled down after being paired with a female beaver named Doris. The story highlights the lengths some animals will go to find companionship, and offers a light-hearted update on a beaver whose escape attempts had…
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LeBron James drops the ultimate nothing-burger at Fanatics Fest with his NBA decision looming
LeBron James used his Fanatics Fest appearance to drink wine and dodge free agency questions, leaving Tyrese Haliburton and thousands without answers.
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Canberra United’s A-League Women future secured as date set for Men’s team entry
Canberra United’s future in the A-League Women has been secured after the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) confirmed that Australian Sports Group (ASG) has taken over the club’s licence, ending two years of uncertainty. The move follows the withdrawal of previous backers Capital Football, after which the ACT government stepped in to keep the two-time A-League…
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Under threat from the rise of padel: Tennis club with nearly 200 members fights for survival as it faces being replaced by padel courts in row over rent
A tennis club with almost 200 members is fighting for its survival after facing the prospect of being replaced by padel courts amid a dispute over rent. The case highlights growing tensions across Britain as padel’s rapid rise in popularity puts pressure on traditional tennis facilities, with some landlords and club owners looking to convert…
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The financial winners and losers from the World Cup
The expanded 2026 World Cup has generated major commercial gains for Fifa, broadcasters and sponsors, while placing heavy costs on supporters. The article argues that the tournament’s larger scale—48 teams rather than 32—has increased audiences and revenue opportunities, but also intensified concerns over affordability and commercialisation. Fifa is expected to exceed the $7.6bn (£5.6bn) it…