BBC News

Elye Wahi, a 23-year-old Ivorian forward for Nice, was denied entry to Canada for Ivory Coast's World Cup group match against Germany scheduled for Saturday in Toronto. He started in Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador on Sunday and remains in the United States while the team travels. French authorities detected unusual betting patterns on a yellow card he received in May, leading to his arrest last month, though the Ivorian Football Federation states it received no official notification of proceedings.

Excavations have uncovered two post holes from a timber structure approximately 3 miles from Stonehenge, dated to around 5,000 years ago. The alignment of the posts corresponds to the summer and winter solstices, with associated artifacts including pottery and animal bones. The work was directed by Phil Harding of Wessex Archaeology.

Miguel Almiron was sent off with a straight red card in first-half stoppage time of Paraguay's Group D World Cup match against Turkey after covering his mouth while speaking to opponent Mert Muldur. The dismissal, confirmed by VAR in Santa Clara, California, marked the first application of a new rule targeting covered-mouth gestures in confrontational situations. Paraguay led 1-0 at the time of the incident on June 19.

Ibrahima Konate, 27, has agreed a four-year deal with Real Madrid until June 2030 following 183 appearances and multiple trophies at Liverpool. The defender departs on a free transfer at the end of June after joining from RB Leipzig in 2021. Sources confirm the transfer details but provide limited perspective diversity.

Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian national, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian national born in Ukraine, were convicted at the Old Bailey of conspiracy to commit arson and related charges for attacks on a vehicle and two homes connected to Keir Starmer in north London during May. Lavrynovych received a seven-year sentence and Carpiuc a two-year sentence. A third defendant was acquitted, and recruitment occurred via a Telegram account offering payment.

The 2027 London Marathon will occur over two days for the first time as a one-off expansion to accommodate 100,000 participants. Organizers project more than £150 million in charity fundraising and a £400 million economic impact. Elite women will race on Saturday and elite men on Sunday.

Ali Fallahi, a 45-year-old dual British-Iranian national from Ilford, has been charged with arson in connection with a fire at a memorial wall on Limes Avenue in Golders Green on 27 April. The incident is one of several arson attacks under police investigation for possible links to Iran, alongside reported stabbings and an elevated UK terrorism threat level. A separate female suspect was released without further action.

Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, was found not guilty on five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The verdict came after a 13-year UK investigation into her tenure as Nigeria's petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015. Co-defendants Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde were also acquitted on related charges.

England faced Croatia in a World Cup opening match according to BBC News and The Guardian. Reports indicate Harry Kane scored twice, Musa equalized for Croatia, a specific starting lineup was used, and no substitutions occurred. Multiple analyses apply differing ideological frames to the event while the 2026 tournament date remains unsupported by verifiable schedules.

Morocco defeated Scotland 1-0 on Friday in a World Cup Group C match, with Ismael Saibari scoring the only goal. Morocco holds 4 points from two group matches while Scotland has 3 points. Scotland's next match is against Brazil.

Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper for Cape Verde, played in a 0-0 draw against Spain at the World Cup. US visa fees for his mother were waived following outreach by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, enabling her attendance at Cape Verde's next Group H match against Uruguay in Miami. A State Department official confirmed assistance with travel arrangements.

New Zealand hold a 352-run lead after day three of the second Test against England at The Kia Oval. England, without captain Ben Stokes, won the first Test but trail after posting 291 in their first innings and conceding substantial totals to New Zealand.

Wyndham Clark holds a four-shot lead at -7 after rounds of 64 and 69. Matt Fitzpatrick, T Kim, Xander Schauffele, and S Stevens are tied for second at -3, while Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler sit at even par [BBC News]. Second-round scoring averages differed by tee time, with later groups averaging 73.87 and early groups 71.97 [BBC News].

The Church of England delivered a formal apology for its involvement in historical forced adoption practices through affiliated mother and baby homes. The statement was made by Sarah Mullally following two years of archival research. The UK government has confirmed it will issue a parallel state apology.

The Obama Presidential Center hosted an opening ceremony on June 18, 2026, in Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side. Multiple former presidents and other officials attended the event, which featured remarks by Barack Obama and a performance by Stevie Wonder. Reports from BBC News, France 24, Townhall, and the New York Times documented the proceedings with varying details on attendance and program elements.

The ECB confirmed on 8 June that Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke the team curfew after the first Test and are under investigation by the Cricket Regulator. Joe Root is serving as interim captain for the second Test against New Zealand on a game-by-game basis. The ECB has stated that Stokes was not asked to resign.

A private jet en route from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Austin, Texas, crashed on Loop 20 motorway near Laredo after reporting mechanical issues. One of the six people aboard died, five survivors were hospitalized in stable condition, and bystanders plus first responders assisted the rescue using improvised tools. The NTSB and FBI are investigating the incident that also struck one vehicle and led to a motorway closure.

Two southbound East Midlands Railway services collided near Bedford at approximately 17:15 BST on Friday. One driver died and 89 passengers were injured, including 11 with very serious injuries. British Transport Police declared a major incident; the cause remains under investigation.

A war between the US, Israel, and Iran that began in February concluded with a June 18 deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz and defers nuclear negotiations for 60 days. Fuel prices increased during the conflict, with US gasoline rising from $2.94 to $4.05 per gallon and UK petrol from 132.05p to 154.72p per litre. Analyses differ on the deal's implications for security, markets, and households.

The Scottish Conservatives captured the Aberdeen South Westminster seat in a by-election, defeating the SNP candidate by more than 6,000 votes, while the SNP won the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election. Both contests were triggered by the resignations of SNP MPs who had been elected to Holyrood. Douglas Lumsden secured the Conservative victory and Lara Bird won for the SNP.

Official data show UK inflation at 2.8% in the year to May, unchanged from prior readings, while food inflation slowed to 2.2%. Transport costs rose sharply to 6.8%, led by a 24.6% increase in motor fuel prices.

Rockstar has announced that pre-sales for Grand Theft Auto 6 begin on June 25 via the PlayStation Store and select retailers, with the game scheduled for release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The official cover art, revealed in a 30-second video, depicts protagonists Jason and Lucia in a pop-art style set in the fictional state of Leonida. The title was delayed from an earlier 2025 window.

Zimbabwe's lower house of parliament approved a bill on Thursday extending presidential terms from five to seven years and shifting future selections to parliament. The measure passed 216-42 and would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to serve until 2030. The bill now advances to the senate.

Dan Jarvis was appointed UK defence secretary after John Healey resigned last week and met NATO counterparts in Brussels before the Defence Investment Plan was published. The draft plan showed a 0.08% GDP rise through 2030 with no timeline for the government's 3.5% target by 2035. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called for concrete spending roadmaps ahead of the 7 July summit.