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• The Globe and Mail has released its 2026 summer culture preview, featuring curated recommendations for film, television, music, and art exhibits. • Music highlights include a diverse range of genres from hip hop and country to "banjo-infused heavy punk," with reporter Josh O’Kane leading the coverage. • Major art exhibitions will feature a centenary celebration for landscape artist Takao Tanabe in British Columbia and circumpolar art displays in Ottawa.

• The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature twelve groups of nations (Groups A through L) competing for the championship title. • Qatar has qualified for the tournament for the first time after topping a fourth-round group that included Oman and the United Arab Emirates. • Switzerland is highlighted as a dominant force in Group B, led by captain Granit Xhaka and a roster of players from top European leagues.

• The Canadian Department of Canadian Heritage ordered the CRTC to review its policy requiring streaming services to increase spending on local content. • The government aims to prevent these new regulatory costs from being passed on to consumers through higher subscription fees during a period of high cost-of-living pressure. • While the official reason focuses on consumer pricing, experts warn that the requirements could further strain Canada's trade relationship with the United States.

Ben Black’s lawyers deny relationship with disgraced financier, but DoJ records reveal years of interactionsSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailBen Black, the head of a little-known government investment agency funded by billions of dollars from US taxpayers, had personal and business ties to Jeffrey Epstein, according to emails and business filings released by the Department of Justice.His father, Leon Black, had once been the disgraced financier’s highest paying client – calling on the convicted sex offender for tax advice and to orchestrate payments to women, according to the New York Times and Bloomberg. Continue reading...

• The Albanese government is facing increasing pushback over proposed reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), with critics warning that cuts could cause significant harm to participants. • In the Middle East, Israel continued its overnight offensive, while Tehran announced it is halting peace talks and intends to fully close the strait of Hormuz. • Tensions remain high as Marco Rubio claims Iran has agreed to negotiate parts of its nuclear program, contradicting the current escalation.

Ofcom figures show the company’s delivery performance has worsened compared with the previous yearBusiness live – latest updatesThe postal regulator has launched an investigation into Royal Mail for once again missing its annual delivery targets, with almost a quarter of first-class mail arriving late.The company, which has been fined £37m since 2023 for routinely failing to meet delivery targets set by Ofcom, revealed on Friday that 24.3% of first-class mail failed to arrive on time in the year to the end of March. Continue reading...

Emails appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information were handed to Buckingham Palace in 2020, says BBCEmails handed to Buckingham Palace six years ago appear to show that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information while he was a government trade envoy, it has been reported.The BBC said on Saturday that an archive of more than 30,000 emails was handed to the lord chamberlain, the most senior officer in the royal household, in 2020. Continue reading...

• A federal judge declined to block President Trump’s executive order creating a federal voter list and limiting mail voting, allowing the policy to move forward for now. • U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee in Washington, rejected arguments from Democrats and civil rights groups that the order likely exceeds presidential authority. • The dispute is significant because it could affect how elections are administered, with states and Congress typically controlling election rules under the Constitution.