Daily News Podcast 2025-07-26

During a golf visit in Scotland, US President Donald Trump claimed to have spoken with the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand to mediate in their ongoing border conflict. He announced this on his Truth Social network, stating both countries desire a ceasefire and peace. Trump indicated that trade deals would be contingent on cessation of hostilities. His visit to Scotland has been met with protests, criticizing both Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Demonstrators included environmental activists, pro-Palestine groups, and pro-Ukraine supporters. Trump plans to discuss trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen before returning to Washington. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: World Title: Trump wades in on Thailand-Cambodia fighting during golf visit in Scotland Source: Al Jazeera Full_article: The US president’s second day golfing at one of his courses has also met protests around the country. United States President Donald Trump says he has spoken with the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand in a bid to end their border fighting, on the second day of his golfing trip in Scotland, where he owns and is promoting two courses. “Just spoke to the Prime Minister of Cambodia relative to stopping the War with Thailand,” said Trump in a post on his Truth Social network on Saturday. Trump, who was playing at his Turnberry resort with son Eric and US ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, said soon after in a new post, “I have just spoken to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand, and it was a very good conversation.” On Saturday, the death toll on both sides stood at 32, with more than 130 injured. Trump’s announcement came as clashes, now in their third day, continued in the countries’ coastal regions where they meet on the Gulf of Thailand, about 250 kilometres (160 miles) southwest of the main front lines. Tensions flared over long-contested ancient temple sites before fighting spread along the countries’ rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. The decades-old conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, centred around a contested section of their shared border, re-erupted on Thursday after a landmine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. “Thailand, like Cambodia, wants to have an immediate Ceasefire, and PEACE,” said Trump on Saturday. “I am now going to relay that message back to the Prime Minister of Cambodia. After speaking to both Parties, Ceasefire, Peace, and Prosperity seems to be a natural. We will soon see!” Advertisement Trump also indicated he would not move forward on trade deals with either nation until fighting has stopped. ‘Even though he has Scottish roots, he’s a disgrace’ Trump’s visit to Scotland, where his late mother hailed from, has met protests, both at the golf course where he is playing and elsewhere around the UK. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on Saturday in front of the US Consulate in the capital Edinburgh. Speakers told the crowd that Trump was not welcome and criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for striking a recent trade deal to avoid stiff US tariffs on goods imported from the UK. “The vast majority of Scots have this sort of feeling about Trump that, even though he has Scottish roots, he’s a disgrace,” said Mark Gorman, 63. Gorman, who works in advertising, said he came out “because I have deep disdain for Donald Trump and everything that he stands for.” Protests also took place in other cities as environmental activists, opponents of Israel’s war on Gaza, staunchly supported by the Trump administration, and pro-Ukraine groups loosely formed a “Stop Trump Coalition”. “I think there are far too many countries that are feeling the pressure of Trump and that they feel that they have to accept him and we should not accept him here,” said June Osbourne, 52, a photographer and photo historian. “I don’t think I could just stand by and not do anything,” said Amy White, 15, of Edinburgh, who attended with her parents. She held a cardboard sign that said “We don’t negotiate with fascists.” Other demonstrators held signs of pictures with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein as the feeding frenzy in the US media, and backlash from his MAGA base, over files in the case has increasingly frustrated the president. At a protest Saturday in Aberdeen, Scottish Parliament member Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: “We stand in solidarity, not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for.” While golf is the main purpose of his trip, Trump also plans to talk trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. The Trump family will also visit another one of their courses near Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland, before returning to Washington on Tuesday. --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: BBC Great Western Railway (GWR) has issued a warning to train passengers in the West of England about expected disruptions on Sunday due to "crew availability." A reduced number of trains will operate on various routes, and the trains that do run are anticipated to be more crowded. Passengers traveling between Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester, or Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton, are advised to verify their travel plans before departure. Services connecting Westbury to Portsmouth or Weymouth, as well as those between Reading and Gatwick and Reading and Basingstoke, may also face cancellations. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Business Title: Train disruption expected by GWR due to crew shortages Source: BBC Full_article: Train disruption expected due to crew shortages Some GWR services will be cancelled, passengers have been warned Train passengers in the West of England have been warned to expect disruption on the railways on Sunday due to "crew availability". Great Western Railway (GWR) said fewer trains would run on a number of routes and that those that do run are likely to be busier. Those travelling between Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester or Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton should check their journeys before they travel. Service between Westbury and Portsmouth or Weymouth may also be cancelled, and also those between Reading and Gatwick and Reading and Basingstoke. --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: Times of India Battlefield 6, the latest installment in the Battlefield franchise, is rumored to be released only on modern-gen consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. This decision to skip PlayStation 4 and Xbox One could negatively impact the game, because Call of Duty still makes the games available to older-gen consoles. While the new game is expected to have stunning graphics, not making the game available to older consoles also means not tapping into a substantial player base, thus hindering opening sales. The decision to not include the older consoles might also make it harder for the game to reach its goal of 100 million players. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Technology Title: What lies ahead of Battlefield 6 if it sticks to modern-gen consoles only? Source: Times of India Full_article: Image via Electronic Arts. Skipping last-gen consoles might backfire Battlefield 6 Battlefield 6 will probably be available only on modern-gen consoles. | Image via Electronic Arts. Read More: Finally, the long wait is over as EA has recently revealed Battlefield 6 with a trailer. However, it was not a big surprise to the fans as the company has been very poor in keeping the development of this game a secret. Also the introduction of Battlefield Labs in early 2025 sealed the title’s existence way before its actual release.The upcoming title is going to be a turning point for Battlefield. After the disastrous performance of Battlefield 2042, EA is leaving no stones unturned to change the fate of this long-standing franchise. However, has EA made a mistake by leaving the last-gen consoles behind?The recently launched reveal trailer of Battlefield 6 unfolded many mysteries, which will be disclosed in detail when the game gets released. Looking at the trailer, any one can adjudge that the upcoming title is going to be the most graphically fidelious installment of the series, with the glimpse of bright daylight urban warfare against nighttime destructions, a collapsed dam, burning city streets, and much more to add on.Now despite revealing so much, EA hasn’t yet put the confirmation stamp on the potential platforms of the game. However, insiders and leakers have claimed that Battlefield 6 is going to launch only on modern-gen consoles, that means on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.These claims also get some huge base as EA’s Battlefield Lab testing was limited to current-gen hardware only. Also, the official reveal and wishlist page only show listings exclusively for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.With all of these, we can come to a conclusion that Battlefield 6 is likely to miss out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. And this decision is going to hit the upcoming title hard. First up, Battlefield’s long-standing dream of Call of Duty would have been completed, keeping in mind the promises BF6 is shown.But CoD never left older-gen consoles like PS4 and Xbox One behind, even for the most recent titles like Black Ops 6 and Modern Warfare 3. And none of these titles have ever compromised on visual qualities as well.Secondly, last-gen consoles still hold a substantial amount of playerbase, which would have boosted Battlefield 6’s opening sales to a huge level. But the upcoming title is going to miss out on that as it will probably rely on modern gen consoles only.Yeah it’s true that it would have been really tough for the developers to stick in so much graphical brilliance in older-gen consoles having inferior specifications. The majority of the gaming development companies have already followed this path as well. But for Battlefield 6, it is going to be its first, as even Battlefield 2042 was available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.Now it seems EA’s proposed goal of having 100 million Battlefield 6 players is far from reach, if the company sticks to modern-gen consoles only. --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: Financial Times Stephen Colbert, the cancelled late night TV host - Financial Times --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: Prideofdetroit.com The Detroit Lions held their fifth day of training camp in Allen Park, where Aidan Hutchinson displayed strong performance after recovering from a broken leg. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard believes Hutchinson is playing even better than last year. During drills, Hutchinson won reps against Penei Sewell and Dan Skipper. The team is experimenting with their offensive line, keeping Graham Glasgow at center and Tate Ratledge at right guard. Ratledge faces new challenges at guard, including adjusting to blitzes and pulling on outside runs. One-on-one drills highlighted performances from Jameson Williams, David Montgomery, and Sam LaPorta. Zach Cunningham is prepared to start at WILL if Alex Anzalone is absent. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Sports Title: Detroit Lions training camp observations Day 5: Aidan Hutchinson shines as pads come on - Pride Of Detroit Source: Prideofdetroit.com Full_article: The Detroit Lions welcomed in their “friends and family” to Allen Park on Friday, as the team suited up in pads for Day 5 of training camp. Participation Report After leaving practice early on Thursday, both Terrion Arnold (calf) and Derrick Barnes (finger) were back on the practice field on Friday and looked no worse for wear. While no players left practice early with apparent injuries, they were without rookies Tyliek Williams and Ian Kennelly. Aidan Hutchinson looks fully back Heading into training camp, one of the big questions repeatedly asked was: Will Aiden Hutchinson return to form after breaking his leg last season? After five days of practice, including Friday’s padded practice, he certainly looks all the way back. And if you ask defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, he may be even better than last year. “Listen, I’m not saying anything about numbers, statistics, any of that. But I see a better player than we had last year,” Sheppard told the media on Thursday. Before the pads went on, Hutchinson was able to showcase his elite burst and timing, and he looked very comfortable trusting his leg. When pads went on, he was able to dial things up even further and showed very well in both individual and team drills on Friday. Every training camp, the first rep of one-on-one OL vs DL is always Hutchinson against Penei Sewell. In a matchup of arguably the best two players on the field, it’s a battle worth the trip to Allen Park. Hutchinson cleanly won the rep, a rare occurrence in this battle of elites. In his next matchup, Hutchinson squared off against Dan Skipper, and the replacement left also had no answer for Hutchinson, who stabbed outside and dipped in and under, passing him nearly untouched. Hutchinson also looked strong in team drills, setting firm edges against the run and even getting a sack on third down to help the defense end the drive during 11-on-11s. “I’m at a point now in my career where it’s like, you’re shooting for the stars every year,” Hutchinson told the media after practice. “And if that’s not the expectation or standard you put to yourself, it’s got to be that way. I think from here on out, those first couple of years you’re getting in the league and figuring it out. But, now it’s every year, the standard is what it is.” Glasgow stays at center After flipping Graham Glasgow back to center and rookie Tate Ratledge to right guard on Thursday, the Lions kept things the same on Friday, sending out this starting unit: LT Dan Skipper LG Christian Mahogany C Graham Glasgow RG Tate Ratledge RT Penei Sewell “When you get the day off (Wednesday), you have the ability to kind of sit back, look at it all, think about it. And then it’s like, ‘You know what? Let’s just go ahead and throw Graham back in there at center and get Tate some of these guard reps,” coach Dan Campbell told the media Friday. “We’re still going to work him at center, but let’s go ahead and do this and see what this looks like for a little bit. We go into pads (today). And so, like I said, we’re just seeing what we can find. What’s the best combination? Who’s going to play best where?” For Ratledge, the responsibilities at guard present a new set of challenges, several of which we saw on Friday. For example, we saw the Lions blitz Brian Branch out of the slot, which forced Sewell to adjust to that pressure, leaving Ratledge to deal with Marcus Davenport from a unique angle. Davenport used power and angle to leverage Ratledge back into the quarterback. Another guard trait requires Ratledge to pull on outside runs and screens, something he hasn’t had to do while at center. His movement skills are a plus for him, but having to get out and try and block Branch in space is a daunting assignment. There’s a lot on Ratledge’s plate right now, but he seems to be handling the pressure well and should improve with more experience. As for the reserves, we saw the Lions continue their three center rotation, with the second- and third-teams on Friday: LT Giovanni Manu LG Netane Muti/Kingsley Eguakun C Michael Niese/Trystan Colon RG Kayode Awosika/Colby Sorsdal RT Jamarco Jones/Mason Miller One-on-ones One of the best aspects of wearing pads is tracking how players perform in one-on-one drills. There’s a lot to process in this section, so we’ll bullet point the highlights to keep things moving. OL vs DL As previously mentioned, Hutchinson cleanly beat Penei Sewell and Dan Skipper Christian Mahogany showed tremendous anchor vs. Chris Smith Graham Glasgow beat DJ Reader on their first rep, but things ended in a draw the second time around Tate Ratledge fought to a draw with Pat O’Connor, but handled Keith Cooper easily Giovanni held his ground against a much quicker Isaac Ukwu, locking him up and applying a firm anchor Offensive skills players vs. back-seven defenders Jameson Williams opened the event by squaring up against Terrion Arnold. The receiver showed surprising power and got the win. In their next matchup, Arnold didn’t hesitate and attacked, blowing up Williams before he could ramp up, with the hit resulting in Williams losing his helmet. Similarly, David Montgomery made a slick move to beat Jack Campbell in their first matchup. But Campbell’s aggression resulted in a huge tackle for loss that drew an incredible reaction from the defense. Dominic Lovett tried to catch Amik Robertson off guard by hurdling him, but the savvy vet wasn’t fooled and caught the rookie in the air and discarded him with violence. Morice Norris used a similar level of aggression that we saw from Arnold, but rookie Isaac TeSlaa used his strength and length to keep the defender at bay while staying on his feet for the win. Sam LaPorta has been a problem in team drills (which also continued today), but he also got very clean wins in one-on-ones vs. Avonte Maddox and Brian Branch—which is incredibly hard to do. Tight ends/running backs vs. safeties and linebackers This was purely a pass rush vs. protection set of drills, which heavily favors the defense. However, Craig Reynolds won both of his reps, absorbing big contact from Anthony Pittman on one rep. Trevor Nowaske showed a really nice swim move passed Brock Wright—flashing some pass rushing chops that have earned him the backup SAM role for most of camp—but when lined up opposite LaPorta, the Pro Bowl tight end handled him well. Unsurprisingly, Grant Stuart stood out with the pop of his pads. He had a very successful bull rush against Kenny Yeboah that easily drove him into the “quarterback.” Campbell and Montgomery were back at it again here, and the third-year linebacker won both of his reps, which is no easy task. Montgomery is one of the best pass protectors on the team, but Campbell won with both force and sound technique. Don’t sleep on Campbell as a potential blitzing piece of this defense. Special teams Rock Ya-Sin showed off his veteran experience during drills as one of the only gunners to successfully beat the double team for a “tackle.” On the play, Ya-Sin stepped around the outside blocker, but instead of heading upfield (like most others did), he sharply cut back in, forcing the second blocker to lose his angle and eventually the rep. Norris also demonstrated his experience by patiently waiting for TeSlaa to beat his initial block. Then, instead of attacking, he maintained his angle and forced the rookie to make the next move. Norris easily countered and ran TeSlaa out of the play. Lovett got some revenge on Robertson during this drill, as he stab-stepped inside and forced the aggressive corner to bite, then the rookie used his speed to fly by and have an open lane to the ball carrier. Lovett is a very natural gunner, and I believe if he makes the team, he could earn a starting role there. Fellow rookie wide receiver Jackson Meeks is also a legitimate option at gunner. He easily beat his blocks with power and often found himself in ideal positions to attack the ball carrier. His power showed up with the pads on. Veteran receiver Malik Taylor had one of the best special teams reps of the day, as both he and Stantley Thomas-Oliver got locked up at full speed. Taylor used his strength to gain leverage on the blocker and lifted him off the ground and out of the way as he cut back to the ball carrier. Unloading the notebook Zach Cunningham looks ready to start at WILL if Alex Anzalone misses any time. Cunningham continues to rep with the starters and is making loads of plays, especially against the run. It’s been a while, but it’s worth remembering that Cunningham led the NFL with 164 tackles in 2020. He remains a strong tackler. Craig Reynolds' grip on the RB3 job is steadily increasing. Reynolds found big gains on a toss sweep and screen pass during 11-on-11s, showing that he can be productive in and out of pads. In the final 11-on-11 drill of the day, we saw terrific plays from TeSlaa (converting a third down on a tough sideline catch), Lovett (leak out to the left with YAC), and Jakobie Keeney-James (securing a crossing route and flying up the field). With Meeks showing out on special teams, this rookie wide receiver class has performed very well early in camp. Speaking of rookies, tight end/H-back Zach Horton showed that he also has traditional fullback range, laying some solid blocks on a few running plays. Kingsley Eguakun got beaten on a spin move by Myles Adams during one-on-ones, but redeemed himself during team drills when he pancaked a blitzing Anthony Pittman. With Tyleik Williams not in attendance, it was Chris Smith and Pat O’Connor stepping into the starting 3-technique role. Smith also expanded his roles from 3T to include 4i, joining O’Connor and UDFA rookie Keith Cooper as the only defensive linemen (that we’ve seen) to take reps in that role. Throughout camp, Erick Hallett has shown impressive positional range, playing all five defensive back positions. On Friday, he secured a beautiful tackle for loss on a running back flare route during team drills. He’s playing himself into the mix for a defensive back depth role. “Well, one of the reasons we like Hallett is because he can play multiple roles,” Campbell said Friday morning. “He’s a little bit in that niche of Pat O’Connor who can do so many different jobs. Hallett can play the nickel, we can put him outside, play some corner, he’s playing safety, certainly moving him around on special teams. There’s just a lot of jobs he can do, and there’s always going to be value in that.” --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: Space SpaceX's Crew-11 astronauts, including NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA's Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos' Oleg Platonov, have arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for their launch to the International Space Station. The launch is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, aboard the Dragon "Endeavour" on a Falcon 9 rocket. After a successful flight, the crew will dock at the ISS on Saturday, August 2, joining Expedition 73 and later Expedition 74. This marks Fincke's return to the LLF since landing on the space shuttle Endeavour, now continuing with the Dragon Endeavour. Mission managers have given the go-ahead for launch preparations. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Science Title: SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts arrive in Florida ahead of launch to space station Source: Space Full_article: The members of SpaceX's Crew 11 arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, July 26, 2025, ahead of their scheduled launch to the International Space Station. From left to right: Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke of NASA; Kimiya Yui of JAXA; and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos. The next four people to launch to the International Space Station have arrived at their launch site. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, together with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov flew on a NASA aircraft from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Saturday (July 26). They touched down at Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) at 1:12 p.m. EDT (1712) GMT. "We are absolutely joyed to be here at Kennedy Space Center," said Cardman, Crew-11 commander. "This is the first moment when it's really starting to feel real. This is the beginning of a week when things will feel progressively more and more real as we approach our launch." The four members of SpaceX's Crew 11 walk and wave as they approach a microphone at Kennedy Space Center's Launch and Landing Facility on Saturday, July 26, 2025. (Image credit: NASA) Cardman, Fincke, Yui and Platonov are scheduled to launch as the members of SpaceX's Crew-11 aboard the Dragon "Endeavour" on a Falcon 9 rocket from KSC's Launch Complex 39A on Thursday (July 31) at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT). Should the flight go as planned, they will dock to the orbiting laboratory next Saturday (Aug. 2) to join the station's Expedition 73 (and later Expedition 74) crew. "Boy, it's great to be back," said Fincke, Crew-11 pilot." "One of the last times I landed on the at the [LLF] was on space shuttle Endeavour, and now we get to go on another endeavor, a Dragon Endeavour, this time." On Friday, mission managers gave their “go” for launch preparations to proceed after concluding a flight readiness review. "We're looking forward to launching soon," said Fincke. --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: CityNews Calgary Alberta Health Services (AHS) is implementing temporary visitor limits at cancer facilities due to the measles outbreak in the province. Inpatient and outpatient services at several cancer centers are limited to two visitors per patient to protect vulnerable individuals, including those pregnant, under five, or with weakened immune systems, who face increased risk. Exceptions include patients positive for or suspected of measles, pediatric and adult hospital admissions, and those in NICUs, PICUs, labor/delivery, postpartum, oncology sites, or units housing vulnerable patients. Compassionate exceptions are reviewed case-by-case. Alberta has over 1500 measles cases and warnings have been issued. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Health Title: Visitors to Alberta cancer facilities limited due to measles outbreak: AHS Source: CityNews Calgary Full_article: Alberta Health Services (AHS) is temporarily limiting visitors in cancer facilities due to the measles outbreak in the province. In the notice to staff, it says inpatient and outpatient services at Calgary’s Arthur J.E. Child Cancer Centre and Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute will be limited to two. The temporary limit–meant for staff to exercise should they need to–also applies to the Jack Ady Cancer Centre in Lethbridge and the Grande Prairie Cancer Centre. According to the notice, the health agency says this is intended to protect the most vulnerable hospitalized patients during the outbreak while maintaining family-centred care, and can pose even more risk for those who are pregnant, under the age of five, or who have a weakened immune system. That would apply to many cancer patients undergoing treatment. Visitors will be allowed for patients positive or suspected of measles admitted to the pediatric and adult hospitals, and patients admitted to areas that include neonatal intensive care units, pediatric intensive care units, labour and delivery units and postpartum units, oncology sites and designated units or care spaces, and units and programs housing measles-vulnerable patients. The two visitors are the same people permitted throughout the patient’s stay, though AHS says there are other options for any other visitors. AHS adds compassionate exceptions will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis. CityNews has contacted AHS for more information. Measles cases soar over 1,500 This comes as measles cases in Alberta have risen to 1,538 as of Friday, with public advisories issued for northern Alberta and Calgary. A dozen cases come from the North and South zones each, and a single one comes from Calgary. There are 479 cases in the North, 16 in Edmonton, 108 in the Central Zone, 44 in Calgary, and 891 in the South Zone. One person is hospitalized, and 11 are communicable. AHS says there was a confirmed case at the Calgary International Airport on July 17 and 19, and another at the Alberta Precision Laboratories in Glenmore Landing on July 22. Anyone who has been at those locations is being asked to self-monitor for symptoms of measles and is strongly encouraged to review their immunization records. Measles can include complications ranging from ear infections to pneumonia, swelling of the brain and in rare cases, death. Symptoms of measles include: Fever of 38.3° C or higher; Cough, runny nose and/or red eyes; and A rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs. The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours. On darker skin colours, it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it, or it might be hard to see. If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any healthcare facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy. You can find more information online at ahs.ca/measles or ahs.ca/immunization. --- END ARTICLE TEXT ---