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All-round Curran leads MI London to dominant win

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Sam Curran’s all-round brilliance led MI London to a convincing seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Leeds in the opening match of the men’s Hundred. Chasing 144, Curran finished unbeaten on 60 as MI London eased to their target with 16 balls remaining. After Brydon Carse’s fine spell of 2-18 had given Sunrisers hope, Curran added 93 from just 40 balls for the fourth wicket with Nicholas Pooran. The destructive Pooran struck a magnificent 19-ball fifty which took the game from Sunrisers, as he clubbed five fours and five sixes in his 58 not out. Curran had earlier taken 2-27 and seamer Richard Gleeson also impressed with 4-25 as Sunrisers were bowled out for 143. Mitchell Marsh top-scored with 41 at the top of the order but Sunrisers struggled for momentum after his departure, though Tom Alsop’s cameo of 31 from 18 balls gave them a late boost. England white-ball captain Harry Brook fell for eight and Sunrisers skipper Zak Crawley only managed 13. MI London, who were previously known as Oval Invincibles prior to the private investment in the Hundred, have won the past three men’s tournaments. What is happening on Wednesday? Southern Brave take on Welsh Fire at Southampton, with the women’s game starting at 14:45 BST and the men’s at 18:30. You will be able to watch both games live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. You can also follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.

Crime Report

Academies ‘must’ engage with knife crime discussion

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The mother of Harvey Willgoose has welcomed a government commitment to look at improving school access to anti-knife crime projects. In a meeting with the policing minister, Caroline Willgoose spoke of her pledge to continue to campaign to improve education into the dangers of knives in schools. Caroline, whose 15-year-old son was fatally stabbed to death at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield, said she’s been met with resistance to engage – particularly from academies worried about their “reputation”. Policing minister Sarah Jones vowed to work with the education minister to address some of the “barriers” that Willgoose and other campaigners have faced. Since her son was killed in February 2025, Caroline has campaigned to introduce knife arches into schools and has handed out first aid bleed kits. In September she will take part in a BBC Radio Sheffield-hosted anti-knife crime tour of schools. The tour will see Caroline and breakfast presenter Ellie Colton talking in front of school pupils about the dangers of knife crime, with the event also showing interviews with Harvey’s friends and messages from South Yorkshire Police officers. The majority of academies “declined” the offer of being part of the tour, Caroline said.

Educational

Education days ‘helping to empower young people’

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More than 1,000 young people in Jersey have benefited from a government initiative by learning about key community safety issues, scheme organisers say. The Building a Safer Community (BASC) team, part of the Government of Jersey, said it was celebrating another successful year empowering Jersey’s young people “to make informed choices to keep themselves and our community safe”. Year 8 children from 12 Jersey secondary schools learnt about community safety issues including substance use, fire safety, exploitation and keeping safe, organisers said. They also got the chance to explore fire engines and meet people working for Jersey’s front-line services. More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Justice and BASC co-ordinator Cirsty de Gruchy Moseley said the sessions helped students understand more about child exploitation and the impacts of arson and the affect drugs could have on their future. She added they also knew “where to go and who to contact for support”. The trainers team up with front-line workers, including the emergency services, customs and immigration, prison, probation and youth services for the event and aimed to make the sessions “as interactive as possible”, bosses said.

Technology

Why WhatsApp usernames could upset Somalia’s anti-terror fight

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Somalia’s government has told the BBC it is concerned about WhatsApp’s plan to launch a new feature that would let people chat using usernames rather than phone numbers, saying it could pose a security risk. Communications and Technology Minister Ahmed Osman Dirie said it could make it harder to trace and counter criminals in a country that is still battling Islamist militants. The rollout to three billion global users of WhatsApp worldwide is expected in the coming months, allowing people to remove or change their usernames at any time. Somalia has been hit by a brutal and deadly insurgency – led by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate – for more than two decades. In response to Somalia’s concerns, WhatsApp told the BBC that the feature was not yet live, and users would still need a phone number to use the app. It further stated that the feature comes with built-in safeguards against scams. But Dirie told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast that the Somali government had approached Meta, which owns WhatsApp, about their concerns and hoped that “we’ll reach a resolution on this matter very soon”. He pointed out that Somalia had a “unique context”, with an economy that heavily relies on mobile money transactions. “Unverified and untraceable usernames” introduced the risk of financial fraud and citizens becoming vulnerable to scammers, he said. Al-Shabab militants have also been known to use WhatsApp for their operations, including for extortion and propaganda. In 2024, Somalia’s intelligence agency said it had shut down 20 WhatsApp groups allegedly operated by al-Shabab for extortion and intimidation. It said it had also disabled data services for about 2,500 phone numbers associated with them.  

Interntional

Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Canada and Carney vows to ‘intensify’ trade talks

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Everyday consumer items like wine and hockey sticks and industrial goods such as cement are among the goods targeted. However, several key exports will be spared, such as energy, potash, critical minerals and fish.   Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by saying Canada stood ready to “intensify” trade talks with the US in the coming weeks.   The White House said the duties would take effect in 30 days. It marks a major escalation in trade tensions between the North American neighbours.   These tensions have been simmering since Trump returned to office in January 2025 and unleashed a wide-ranging global programme of tariffs.   Tariffs are taxes on imported goods that are paid to the government by companies bringing in the foreign products.

Entertainment

Fishing port’s famous trawler event returns

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More than 20 fishing vessels will take to the water on Saturday in celebration of one of Britain’s “most iconic ports”. Brixham is England’s most successful fishing port in terms of the value of catch landed on the quayside, and Torbay Council has recently given the green light for a major port expansion at Oxen Cove. The Brixham Trawler Event will attempt to revive the heyday of the former popular Trawler Race. A spokesperson said the day serves to “celebrate the incredible heritage of one of Britain’s most iconic fishing ports”. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon They added: “After everything the industry has faced, this is the event for fishermen to take a well-earned day off and enjoy the celebrations with their family, friends and crew. They deserve it.” Vessels taking part will be dressed in flags and bunting for the occasion, with guests invited on board for a rally around the bay which starts at 10:00 BST. Organisers have chosen the Fishermen’s Mission as their charity, saying it was a fitting tribute to those who worked in one of Britain’s most demanding professions. The festival will also welcome friends from the Netherlands, who are long valued supporters of the event. Maaskant Shipyard is once again providing a boat bell as a trophy. There will be onshore entertainment throughout the day, with a lineup of solo singers and bands, a fairground ride, face painting and arts and crafts activities for children. Event secretary Jackie Stockman said the day was about “celebrating our fishing community and the incredible port we are so proud of”. The event, formerly known as the Brixham Trawler Race, had a hiatus after the event in 2019 and returned in 2025 after successfully negotiating with the Maritime Coastguard Agency, albeit with a reduced number of passengers on board the trawlers for the rally. It will cover one lap of the bay, with boats being handicapped according to their speed and horsepower to make it a fairer contest.

Entertainment

Latest stage of entertainment zone near City ground

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A city’s councillors have unanimously approved plans for a 600-capacity entertainment venue. The scheme at the Etihad Campus close to Manchester City’s ground won the backing of the council’s planning committee during a meeting on Thursday. It will form part of the £300m entertainment zone called Medlock Square near to the Co-op Live arena. Plans for the new venue were submitted earlier this year. Questions were asked during the council meeting about its impact on the roads and local area when events are taking place at the Etihad Stadium, Co-op Live, and new theatre venue at the same time. It is thought there will be around 15 arena and match days taking place over the year. A council officer said the “reality is when you have a huge facility like this close to the city centre, the impetus will always be to ensure that as many people as possible get there by public transport or active forms of transport, that’s the objective of the strategy that we have for the campus”. Planners noted in their report that “the venue would contribute to Manchester’s reputation as a vibrant city, attracting visitors and supporting tourism”. They added: “It would be open throughout the year, creating around 150 jobs. One hundred construction direct jobs would be created with [gross value added] of £18m. A local labour agreement would prioritise local residents for jobs.” The 3,000-capacity Medlock Square entertainment zone has been billed as a “year-round hub for culture, leisure and entertainment”, and is set to include bars, restaurants and cafes, a sky-walk with views over the Manchester skyline, a zip-wire and a three-storey office block.

Crime Report

Attempted murder charge after ‘hate crime’ attack

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A teenager has been charged with attempted murder after a 50-year-old man was seriously attacked in what police said they were now treating as a hate crime. A homophobic remark was allegedly made during Sunday’s assault on the victim, understood to be Sikh, on St Paul’s Road, Smethwick, West Midlands Police said. There was no evidence that the attack was motivated by race or religion, they added. The 17-year-old appeared before magistrates in Birmingham today and was remanded into youth detention, to next appear at Birmingham Crown Court on 17 July, the force said. The victim remained in hospital and was in a critical but stable condition, they added. A second 17-year-old boy was arrested following the attack, on Friday morning in the Dudley area, on suspicion of attempted murder. He would be questioned in due course, detectives said. The BBC has seen video footage filmed in the aftermath of the attack that showed an injured man being helped by members of the public. Ch Supt Kim Madill said: “I know the real concern and anger that this attack has caused in the area. “I’ve been in touch with representatives from the community throughout the week to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to establish what happened and who was responsible.” Anyone who might have been in the Tollhouse Way or St Paul’s area at the time or who had any information about the attack was urged by officers to contact them.

Crime Report

Licence restrictions considered to tackle crime

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Two Surrey  are considering tighter licensing restrictions on pubs, clubs and takeaways to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Woking Borough Council (WBC) has launched a consultation on its existing Saturation Zone, also known as a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), which allows it to refuse new licences in parts of the town centre. Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) is also due to decide next month whether to introduce a Special Stress Area covering parts of Epsom town centre. Woking and Epsom have been identified by Surrey Police as hotspots for anti-social behaviour and violence, alongside Guildford, Knaphill, Redhill, Staines and Camberley, a council report said. The existing Saturation Zone means Woking Borough Council can refuse applications for new licences The consultation for Woking, which originally introduced a CIA in 2007 and expanded it in 2009, will finish on 24 July. The zone includes Victoria Way, Chertsey Road, Stanley Road, The Broadway and High Street, as well as Goldsworth Road and Church Street West. It means that applications for new licences, variations to existing ones or new club premises certificates are likely to be refused by the council. Licensed premises include businesses that sell alcohol, provide hot food and drink between 23:00 and 05:00 BST, or provide music, sport or performances.

Interntional

Drowning deaths soar in France as Europe buckles in peak of heatwave

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Forty people have drowned in heatwave-related deaths in France since last Thursday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said, as temperatures hit record levels in several major cities and the heatwave reaches a peak in several European countries. “It’s not something to be taken lightly, going swimming in unsupervised areas during a heatwave,” sports and youth minister Marina Ferrari told French radio. France, along with Spain and Italy, have been hardest hit by the heatwave so far. France saw its hottest June day on record on Monday and its hottest ever night on Monday https://www.amazon.in/night, with a minimum average of 21.6C according to Météo France, and with well over half the country on red alert. Meanwhile, in Spain temperatures are set to peak above 40C in some areas, with red alerts in Andalusia in the south, and Cantabria and the Basque Country in the north, on the third day of a national heatwave. ethnic fashion ethnic outfit ideas ethnic wear styling tips Spain is more exposed to the effects of climate change than almost any other European country. State weather service Aemet says June heatwaves are becoming increasingly common, with 10 recorded in mainland Spain between 2000 and 2025, and just two in the previous 25 years. And in Italy, a red heatwave alert has been declared in 15 cities, including Rome, Milan, Florence, Turin and Venice. The alert signals conditions that can pose health risks even to healthy adults, not just the elderly or chronically ill. France’s sports minister said too many people were trying to cool off in rivers and canals without necessarily taking the risks into account. Among the fatalities was a 13-year-old girl who had gone for a dip with her family in the River Seine at Fontaine-La Port on Sunday evening, although she did not know how to swim. AFP via Getty Images

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