All posts tagged: Month

King Charles approves extra World Cup bank holiday for Scotland this month – but England could miss out

King Charles approves extra World Cup bank holiday for Scotland this month – but England could miss out

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email King Charles has given approval for a World Cup bank holiday to mark Scotland’s participation in the men’s football finals for the first time in decades. Monday 15 June 2026 has officially been confirmed as a national bank holiday, but only for Scotland, leaving many English football fans disappointed. The holiday was proposed by first minister John Swinney to allow people, businesses and other organisations in Scotland to celebrate after the team’s opening game against Haiti. His Majesty King Charles has now approved the Royal Proclamation, confirming the bank holiday. The presence of the Scottish team in the World Cup is significant for fans as it is the first time the men’s team has qualified since 1998. Now, following Scotland’s win against Denmark in November, they will be playing their first game against Haiti at 2am BST on Sunday 14 June. King Charles III has …

Solar beats coal in the US electricity mix for the first month ever

Solar beats coal in the US electricity mix for the first month ever

Photo: EDF Renewables North America Solar generated more US electricity than coal for the first month on record in May 2026, according to new analysis from global energy think tank Ember. Solar supplied 12.8% of US electricity during the month, while coal dropped to 12.2%. That’s a dramatic shift in the US power mix. Just five years ago, coal generated 19.7% of US electricity in May, while solar accounted for only 5.4%. US solar generation hit a record 45.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) in May 2026, up 17% from May 2025 and higher than the previous record set last July. Ember says another record could be broken again this summer. Solar output usually peaks in June or July, but its share of the electricity mix is often highest in spring, when strong sunshine lines up with milder temperatures before summer cooling demand ramps up. Advertisement – scroll for more content May was also the first time solar became the third-largest individual source of electricity in the US, behind only natural gas and nuclear. (If solar is included …

Amazon Prime Day is back this month – and I’ve found the best early deals

Amazon Prime Day is back this month – and I’ve found the best early deals

It’s that time of year again – Amazon Prime Day is officially returning this month. Taking place from 23-26 June, thousands of deals will be available across beauty, tech, appliances, books and more. The catch? The offers are exclusively for Prime members. Second only to Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day is the sale to bookmark if you’re thinking of making a big purchase – think Ninja air fryers, Shark hair tools or Apple AirPods. Previous Prime Day events have delivered some of the year’s strongest savings on big brand names such as Oura or Sony, alongside discounts on Amazon’s own products (Kindles, Fire TV’s and more). So if you’ve been planning to upgrade your old TV or treat yourself to a new electric toothbrush, now’s the time. If you’re not already signed up, now’s the time to sign up and make sure you don’t miss the biggest bargains. A 30-day free trial should be enough to get you through the sale and unlock all the usual perks along the way. That includes access to the discounts, …

Celebrating Pride Month | Andrew Copson – Humanists UK

Celebrating Pride Month | Andrew Copson – Humanists UK

Author: Andrew Copson From A J Ayer and Bertrand Russell leading the charge for decriminalisation of homosexuality in the 1950s, to the founding of the Gay Humanist Group in 1979, humanists have been marching, campaigning, and fighting for LGBT+ rights for well over a century. To celebrate Pride Month, we’re spotlighting five iconic LGBT+ humanists. Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) ‘For here again, we come to a dilemma. Different though the sexes are, they intermix. In every human being a vacillation from one sex to the other takes place.’ (Orlando, Virginia Woolf) Virginia Woolf’s modernism can be understood as fundamentally a humanist project, one deeply shaped by her challenge to conventional ideas about gender, sexuality, and personal freedom. She rejected the static, patriarchal, and divinely ordained models of Edwardian society, choosing instead to explore the complexity of human consciousness and desire. In 1912, aged 30, Virginia Stephen married Leonard Woolf, and the pair continued to cultivate the tight-knit circle known as the Bloomsbury Group. Bloomsbury was an LGBT-inclusive network of friends and lovers that celebrated sexual equality …

Lancashire village struck by second earthquake in less than a month | UK | News

Lancashire village struck by second earthquake in less than a month | UK | News

A UK village has been shaken by a second earthquake in under a month as residents described a massive thud resembling “a distant explosion”. The 2.2 magnitude tremor struck Silverdale, Lancashire, at 9.35pm on Saturday evening, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS). People as far away as Grange-over-Sands and Bolton-le-Sands reported experiencing “a big thud” and “a burst of noise” that seemed like “a distant explosion,” while another turned to social media, writing: “One hell of a bang that”. The identical location was hit by a 2.3-magnitude earthquake on May 13, while a considerably smaller 0.4-magnitude tremor occurred on April 12. Several other earthquakes have also affected the area since late 2025, including two in December and additional ones in February and March this year, reports Lancashire Live. One resident who experienced the tremor posted on social media last night, writing: “Another earthquake just happened?” In a statement on Facebook, BGS said: “BGS: BGS SEISMIC INFORMATION […] SILVERDALE,LANCASHIRE 06 JUNE 2026 21:35 UTC 2.2 ML The following preliminary information is available for this earthquake. …

It’s June: Welcome to “Nuclear Family Month”

It’s June: Welcome to “Nuclear Family Month”

Republicans’ latest culture-war strategy: Counterprogramming Pride Month For years, conservative opposition to LGBTQ+ Pride Month largely took the form of criticism. Politicians condemned Pride events, activists organized boycotts of corporate Pride campaigns, and commentators argued that June celebrations had become too visible in public life. Now, a growing number of Republican officials are trying something different: creating alternative June observances of their own. In recent weeks, governors and lawmakers in several Republican-led states have promoted June designations such as “Nuclear Family Month,” “Strong Families Month” and “Fidelity Month.” Supporters describe the observances as celebrations of family values, marriage and child-rearing. Critics, however, see them as something else entirely: a deliberate effort to counter Pride Month. The timing is difficult to ignore. Not that many of governors are hiding their intentions in their statements and proclamations. 🚨 NOW: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has just signed a proclamation declaring June “NUCLEAR FAMILY MONTH,” the same as Tennessee, instead of LGBTQ Pride 👏🏻👏🏻 “The nuclear family, consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered …

Google will pay SpaceX 0M per month for compute

Google will pay SpaceX $920M per month for compute

SpaceX has lined up another compute deal ahead of its historic IPO, this time with Google. The company announced the deal in a regulatory filing on Friday. Under the terms of the deal, Google will pay SpaceX $920 million per month from October 2026 through June 2029 for access to “approximately 110,000 NVIDIA GPUs, CPUs, memory, and other related components.” The deal is similar in length and scope to the one SpaceX announced with Anthropic in late May. As part of that deal, Anthropic agreed to pay SpaceX $1.25 billion per month through 2029 to rent all the available compute from its Colossus 1 data center near Memphis, Tennessee that xAI — now part of SpaceX — originally built for its own artificial intelligence efforts. Google’s deal appears to be paying for roughly half the amount of compute that Anthropic has access to at Colossus 1. SpaceX didn’t say which specific data center Google would be using. CEO Elon Musk has previously suggested his company would reserve the Colossus 2 data center for xAI. Anthropic …

During Pride Month, “Rainbow Washing” Isn’t Enough

During Pride Month, “Rainbow Washing” Isn’t Enough

It’s June, and many cafes, bars, shops, restaurants, schools and other businesses, including therapy spaces, are awash with multicoloured flags and banners in overt displays of solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) communities. Or so they claim. June is Pride month, and an important reminder, if one were needed, to acknowledge diversity and celebrate and welcome all members of our communities. But many corporations seem guilty of what has become known as “rainbow-washing” in June when, for the rest of the year, they’re ambivalent at best and un-LGBTQ-friendly at worst. I am a year-round LGBTQ+ and TNBGQ (transgender, nonbinary, gender questioning) ally and advocate. I display Pride and straight ally flags in my therapy room and in the office where I conduct online meetings. There are books on the shelves of my therapy room about gender and sexual diversity suitable for readers of different ages and ethnicities, which are visible to all clients, all the time. I display the straight ally flag in visual marketing on my business cards and website, as well …

Motorola Razr Fold vs. Razr Ultra: I tested both phones for a month – this one’s better

Motorola Razr Fold vs. Razr Ultra: I tested both phones for a month – this one’s better

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. Motorola’s 2026 flagship foldables are among the most impressive devices I’ve tested this year. In one corner, you have the Razr Fold, a no-compromise foldable phone that, in some areas, outclasses Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7. The fusion of powerful hardware, versatile triple-camera system, and expansive inner display transforms the Razr Fold into a mini tablet.  In the other corner, you have the Razr Ultra, a premium flip phone that packs flagship hardware into a more compact form factor. What’s great is that the Ultra doesn’t play second fiddle, boasting unique features the Razr Fold lacks. Also: The best phones: Expert tested and reviewed So, which should you buy? Both are excellent; however, key differences create distinct user experiences. To help you decide, I’ve broken down three major strengths of each phone and why you should buy it. Then, at the end, I will reveal my choice for best Motorola foldable. Specifications 2026 Razr Fold 2026 Razr Ultra Display Cover: 6.6-inch LTPO pOLED at 165Hz; Main: …