Technology

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, June 30, 2026:

AcrossBig party

• The answer is Bash.

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Pricey variety of beef that translates to "Japanese cow"

• The answer is Wagyu.

Unwelcome sound at 7 a.m., perhaps

• The answer is Alarm.

Really make excited

• The answer is Revup.

Get ready (for)

• The answer is Prep.

DownFarm machine that bundles hay

• The answer is Baler.

Plant used to make mezcal

• The answer is Agave.

Pancake topper

• The answer is Syrup.

Prominent feature of a camel

• The answer is Hump.

Bend out of shape, as wood

• The answer is Warp.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

Despite the huge interest in its yet-unannounced products, Apple has traditionally done a pretty good job keeping its secrets under wraps until launch day.

That may change this year, as hackers made off with photos of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, lists of components used in the device, as well as supplier data.

According to Reuters, a ransomware group stole data from Apple's Indian supplier Tata Electronics.

Tata disclosed the hack last week, as more than 200,000 files started circulating on the dark web, including component design papers for older iPhones, and Tesla parts (Tesla is also one of Tata's partners).

The new documents, which have been reviewed by Reuters, could prove far more damaging, as they contain supplier info on "hundreds" of iPhone 18 Pro components, including details on chips, batteries, and cameras.

The leaked files also have photographs of iPhones undergoing drop tests, including, most likely, those of the iPhone 18 Pro. Reuters say the images show a "slab-shaped, grey handset with a three-rear-camera setup and an Apple logo," though the agency says it was unable to identify the model number of the device with certainty.

SEE ALSO: Apple price increases arrive: How much MacBooks and iPads will cost you now

Over the last couple of years, Apple shifted a big chunk of its iPhone production to India in an effort to become less reliant on China. The freshly leaked files coming out of India will likely put a strain on Apple's relationship with Tata, though neither Apple nor Tata officially commented on Reuters' findings.

Anthropic has partnered with California to provide state government agencies a discount on its AI tools such as chatbot Claude. Announced on Monday, the agreement will see state workers use Claude for a "wide range of tasks," including analysing information and drafting documents, in an effort to increase efficiency.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic pulls Claude Fable 5, Mythos 5 after Trump admin order

"AI should not replace the human work of government; it should help our workers move faster, solve problems more effectively, and deliver better results for Californians," California governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

Under the partnership, Anthropic will provide Californian state agencies and local governments with access to Claude at a 50 percent discount. The Californian AI company will also offer government workers free training, as well as support and advice from Anthropic's developers on how to use AI in their work.

California's partnership with Anthropic is intended to facilitate increased adoption of AI by its government workers. Claude is just the first "AI productivity tool" that will be offered to all California state agencies though a new shared portal, which will gather multiple such tools for government use.

"CDT [California Department of Technology] is partnering with departments across the state to leverage the state’s purchasing power to make it easy to procure new tools, fast and for the best price," said California State Chief Information Officer and CDT director Chris Given.

California state government agencies have already been using Claude prior to this week's deal. The state government previously used Claude to facilitate its surveying of Californians' views on AI, though exactly what role it played in this is unclear. Claude was further used to develop the AI tool Poppy, created specifically for state workers dealing with common business needs. California's DMV is using Claude as well, apparently to "improve customer service and lower wait times."

"As state employees, our goal is to provide our fellow Californians with the best possible service," said Government Operations Agency Secretary Nick Maduros. "To do that, we need to make sure our teams have access to the best modern tools, including Claude and other emerging technologies."

Some AI algorithms can have practical uses, such as ones designed to identify patterns in given datasets for further examination by humans. However, generative AI chatbots are notorious for hallucinating false information, landing users in hot water after failing to independently verify the output. Multiple legal professionals have faced severe penalties after being caught using generative AI to draft documents which are riddled with errors.

Anthropic has admitted that its AI models aren't infallible or completely accurate all the time. As such, it stands to reason that anyone using Claude should double-check all its output by researching and factchecking it themselves, especially if it's being used for important government work. However, considering that such diligence could very well reduce efficiency and increase employees' workloads rather than lessen them, the question is whether anyone will actually take such care.

Anthropic's rocky recent history with the Trump administration

Despite California embracing Anthropic, the AI company has recently had a much frostier response at the federal level. 

In February, President Donald Trump claimed Anthropic was run by "Leftwing nut jobs" and ordered all federal agencies to stop using its technology. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated that the rift was because the company refused to comply with demands from the Department of War that it remove safeguards against using AI for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (OpenAI stepped in to take on the contract instead, sparking significant backlash online.)

The Trump administration subsequently labelled Anthropic a "supply chain risk" and potential national security danger in March, making it the first U.S. company to receive such a designation. Earlier this month, the U.S. government further ordered Anthropic to suspend access to its recently released Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 AI tools by anyone who is not a U.S. entity (including foreign nationals residing in the U.S.), forcing the company to take them down altogether.

Trump's ire against Anthropic appeared to ease less than a week later, after the U.S. president encountered Amodei at the G7 summit and found him "a nice guy." Even so, as the relationship between Anthropic and the Trump administration currently stands, a federal partnership seems unlikely in the immediate future.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you watch international soccer.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Basketball moves

• Green: Inside the arena

• Blue: Baseball champions

• Purple: Unfinished movie

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Actions with a Basketball

• Green: Found at the Top of an Arena

• Blue: World Series MVPs

• Purple: First Words of Football Movies

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #645 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Actions with a Basketball: DRIBBLE, PASS, PIVOT, SHOOT

• Found at the Top of an Arena: BANNERS, CATWALK, LIGHTS, SPEAKERS

• World Series MVPs: DENT, KNIGHT, SPRINGER, VIOLA

• First Words of Football Movies: FRIDAY, GRIDIRON, REMEMBER, VARSITY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 30, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 30, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 30 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 30 Pips

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 1-6, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 30 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 3-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

To tweak.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

ALTER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A leg workout.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 30, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SQUAT

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

Put into place.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 30 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 30, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

AFFIX

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Large fruit.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

MELON

Final Hurdle hint

A parody.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

FARCE

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're an environmentalist.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 30, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Partitions

• Green: Cold sports

• Blue: Reduce, reuse...

• Purple: Sports recruitment

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Dividing structures

• Green: Participate in some winter Olympics

• Blue: Common recyclables

• Purple: What "Draft" might refer to

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1115 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Dividing structures: FENCE, GATE, HEDGE, WALL

• Participate in some winter Olympics: CURL, LUGE, SKATE, SKI

• Common recyclables: BOTTLE, BOX, CAN, NEWSPAPER

• What "Draft" might refer to: BREEZE, ON TAP, RECRUIT, SKETCH

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 30, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a cinephile.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 30, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: "And... action!"

The words are related to film.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a film set.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is That's Showbiz.

NYT Strands word list for June 30

• Director

• Cast

• Crew

• Producer

• Editor

• That's Showbiz

• Writer

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a dog lover.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 30, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 30, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A small dog.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter P appears three times.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

PUPPY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

NASA's new prototype rover ERNEST is made to test technologies for moon and mars exploration.

Discover how modern banking apps help parents teach their kids financial responsibility in an increasingly cashless world. Learn how to set spending limits, assign chores, and build smart money habits from childhood to the early adult years.

South Korea’s World Cup exit did not just end with a sad locker room and fans yelling at their TVs. It has made its way across the president's desk.

After South Korea’s elimination from Group A on Saturday, June 27, head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned the next day, ending a turbulent second stint in charge of the national team.

"I deeply apologize to the Korean public who supported our team. Today, I am stepping down," Hong said in a press conference. "Taking this job was never an easy choice, but from the moment I accepted it, my only focus was to fulfill my duties responsibly until the end."

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But the fallout from the loss did not stop with him.

On Sunday, June 28, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for a formal government investigation into the team’s disappointing tournament, while fan anger spilled from social media into real-world security concerns ahead of the squad’s return home.

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On paper, South Korea’s tournament wasn't all bad. The team opened with a 2-1 win over Czechia before losing 0-1 to Mexico, which meant the final group match against South Africa mattered: A win would have put South Korea in a much stronger position to advance, and even a draw could have helped its case under the expanded World Cup format, which allows the eight best third-place teams to reach the Round of 32. Instead, South Korea lost 0-1, finished third in Group A with three points, and had to wait for other results to learn whether that would be enough. Spoiler: it wasn’t.

It was Hong’s lineup choice against South Africa, though, that enraged fans the most. In the match South Korea needed to rescue its tournament, Hong left Son Heung-min out of the starting lineup, saying afterward that he planned to use him later when South Africa was tired. Son came on at halftime, but by then South Korea was already chasing the game.

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Hong later admitted he would not make the same decision again, but by then the damage had already been done. And the wave of hate from home that has gone far beyond standard post-tournament disappointment.

Reports out of South Korea have described online death threats against Hong, heightened police security ahead of the team’s return to Incheon International Airport, and furious fan reaction across social media.

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Fans are especially frustrated because South Korea had enough talent to expect more. The team included Son Heung-min, one of Asia’s biggest soccer stars, along with European-based players like Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae. Son Heung-min, the team’s captain, has posted a lengthy apology on Instagram, asking supporters not to direct excessive criticism and hurt toward the players.

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Hong's return as head coach in 2024 had already been controversial, with fans questioning whether the Korea Football Association had run a fair hiring process. The sports ministry previously alleged that the KFA had not followed its own procedures, including reportedly "a reasonable interview process."

President Lee made clear that he sees the collapse as more than a bad coaching spell. In a statement posted to social media, Lee said he felt "not just confusion but utter bewilderment" over the result and argued that South Korea’s early exit reflected deeper problems with leadership and personnel decisions.

"When favoritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper," Lee wrote.

Lee also pointed to the taxpayer money and state resources used to support the national team, making the case that the World Cup failure was not just a private soccer matter. Because public money goes into the team’s participation, he argued, the public is owed a clearer explanation of what went wrong. He called on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate the circumstances around the exit, analyze the causes, and propose reforms to prevent a repeat.

If that sounds like an unusually dramatic response to a World Cup exit, it is not entirely without precedent.

The closest comparison may be France in 2010, when Les Bleus imploded at the World Cup in South Africa after Nicolas Anelka was sent home and the players boycotted training in protest. The disaster quickly moved beyond the locker room: then-President Nicolas Sarkozy publicly condemned the team’s behavior, captain Thierry Henry was brought to the Élysée Palace, and France’s parliament held hearings into the national team’s failure.

For Hong, this ending is especially complicated. As a player, he remains one of the most important figures in South Korean soccer history, having captained the country during its historic run to the 2002 World Cup semifinals. As a coach, though, both of his World Cup stints with the national team have ended in group-stage disappointment: first in 2014, and now again in 2026.

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There were security concerns around Hong's return home. It seems to be just as rowdy as they expected, according to video footage from the airport at 4 a.m., where fans were waiting in the Arrivals hall armed with insults.

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This, alarmingly, is not the first time South Korean fans have quite literally thrown eggs at their home team.

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For South Korea, the World Cup may be over, but its clear a very dramatic postmortem is just getting started.

Reports say Samsung will expand its Galaxy S27 line to four phones with the addition of the new Galaxy S27 Pro. It's designed for those who want Ultra-level power in a smaller body. Here's everything we've heard, including a privacy feature that debuted on the Ultra.

Streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus have huge global libraries. The only problem is accessing them from one place. Here's how to use a VPN to watch virtually everything online. 

We tested the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme processor. With a chip designed specifically for PC gaming handhelds, what type of gaming frame rates can you expect?

That's it, stick a fork in June, it's done. And while Paramount+ knocked out some solid hits, from Scream 7 and a new season of The Agency to Beavis and Butt-Head to, oh yeah, the UFC at the White House, there are still some solid movies in its formidable library to get you through the month's final week.

TL;DR: Stop battling PDFs with some help from this lifetime subscription to AcePDF Converter & Editor, now $23.99 (reg. $99.99) with code EXTRA20 during Deal Days, our answer to Prime Day, through July 1.

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It’s surprising how often we encounter PDFs in the real world, both at home and at work. AcePDF Converter and Editor makes it a lot easier to handle them, serving as your one-stop shop for editing and converting them.

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TL;DR: Live stream Netherlands vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup showcases three huge games from the Round of 32 on June 29, including Netherlands vs. Morocco.

The Netherlands have looked really impressive in this tournament at times, but they've also shown some vulnerable flashes. Morocco, on the other hand, stunned Brazil with their quality in the group stage and notched up comfortable wins against Scotland and Haiti. All of which makes this an interesting matchup. You could easily imagine this contest taking place much later in the tournament.

If you want to watch Netherlands vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Netherlands vs. Morocco?

Netherlands vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on June 29. This fixture takes place at Monterrey Stadium.

How to watch Netherlands vs. Morocco for free

Netherlands vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Netherlands vs. Morocco for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Netherlands vs. Morocco for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Netherlands vs. Morocco (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.

Live stream Netherlands vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.

Most EVs, like their gasoline counterparts, require owners to return to the dealership for regular maintenance. All legacy automakers selling electric vehicles have service and repair models built around their specific dealer networks, training, and tools. How readily available that service and repair information is to owners, independent shops, and the general public is the subject of an ongoing debate known as Right to Repair.

It's been a week since President Trump signed an executive order directing a whole-of-government push on quantum computing — funding it, securing its supply chains, building its workforce, and making sure adversaries like China don't get there first.

This marks a significant federal commitment to a technology that is either the next great computing revolution, or the most expensive science experiment in history, depending on the expert opinion. But one thing it can do: replace AI as the carrier of long-term hopes for the tech industry.

This would be the right moment for a switch, as the vibe shifts on AI itself: models are more expensive to train, returns are harder to demonstrate. Investors who have sent AI stock soaring may soon be looking for the next big thing to believe in.

Quantum computing — with its theoretical promise of solving problems that would take classical computers millennia — is a real and genuinely fascinating technology. It's just a lot more complicated, and further away, than the White House-led hype suggests.

What is quantum computing?

Your laptop processes information in bits. Tiny switches in a computer see data in binary code: either as a 0 or a 1. Quantum computers swap those out for qubits, which can exist as 0, 1, or a combination of both at the same time — a property called superposition.

Which, if we can harness it, would fundamentally supercharge everything a computer can do.

As IBM describes it, think of solving a maze. A classical computer tries every path until it finds the exit. A quantum computer, by using the interference patterns of qubits — the way their probability waves cancel out wrong answers and amplify right ones — can zero in on solutions without brute-forcing every option.

Add entanglement, where qubits become so linked that measuring one instantly tells you about others, and you have a machine that approaches certain problems in a completely different way than anything humanity has built before.

For one thing, researchers say, a fully functional quantum computer would likely mean the death of Bitcoin.

What can it do?

Still, the most credible near-term applications are in science and industry, not consumer tech. Quantum computers are particularly well-suited to simulating molecular behavior — which could dramatically accelerate drug discovery and materials science — and to crunching complex optimization problems in finance and logistics.

According to IBM, the field is projected to grow into a $1.3 trillion industry by 2035, with major players like Google and Microsoft, as well as startups like IonQ, already investing heavily.

An MIT report from 2025 found that quantum computing patents have grown fivefold over the last decade, venture capital hit a new high of $1.6 billion in 2024, and demand for quantum skills has nearly tripled since 2018.

Business executives, the report noted, are increasingly "quantum curious" — in part because watching AI explode taught them not to sleep on the next big thing.

Why is there a 'but'?

The gap between what quantum computers can theoretically do, and what they can actually do right now, remains enormous.

According to IBM, current quantum processors are fragile, error-prone, and require cooling to temperatures colder than outer space to function. A researcher on r/Physics who works in quantum information put it plainly: the commercial use cases are "speculative at best," and the classical computing baseline is "shifting so fast it's impossible to get a read on the gap."

Engineering bottlenecks, such as error correction, qubit stability, and scaling, also remain major unsolved problems. IBM says it's targeting 200 logical qubits by 2029 and 2,000 by 2033. These are timelines that make quantum computing a decades-long project, not an imminent revolution.

Why is the Trump administration suddenly all in?

Last week, President Trump signed Executive Order 14413, directing a sweeping whole-of-government push to accelerate quantum computing research, secure domestic supply chains, expand the quantum workforce, and prevent adversaries — China specifically holds 60 percent of global quantum patents, per MIT's report — from gaining a strategic edge.

The order establishes a new effort to build a quantum computer at a Department of Energy facility and sets aggressive timelines across multiple agencies.

It's a legitimate national security concern, dressed up in the language of a tech boom. Like fusion power, quantum computing is real and will matter — probably a lot — but the current moment looks a lot like the early AI hype cycle. Expect lots of startups with "quantum" in their name to launch as a result.