US court rules many of Trump's global tariffs are illegal
The tariffs can remain in place until mid-October to allow the Trump administration time to request the Supreme Court take up the case.
The tariffs can remain in place until mid-October to allow the Trump administration time to request the Supreme Court take up the case.
Several councils say the Court of Appeal's overturning of an injunction regarding The Bell Hotel has not changed their plans.
A slight shift in mood can be detected, but will we know if a meeting happens, asks Daniela Relph.
The decision comes as France leads international efforts to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN meeting next month.
The deputy prime minister's spokesperson says she paid the relevant tax when buying her Hove flat.
The actress says her new film about a sexual assault on a college campus will provoke debate.
Costa's owner Coca-Cola is reportedly looking to sell the chain as its popularity cools off. So has something gone wrong?
Two officers were shot dead in a small, rural town, allegedly by a man with links to the "SovCit" movement.
Public transport users say they're getting fed up of noisy passengers blasting out music and social media videos
The rapper took to the witness stand in Los Angeles this week in an assault case which has gone viral.
As school returns, we look at a scheme that pairs teenagers with toddlers from a local nursery in a bid to help increase school attendance.
Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan MacLean endured violent tropical storms during their 140-day journey.
The earthen berm is intended to trap people inside el-Fasher, Yale University research shows.
A union chief told the BBC the carefully planned killing had hit prison service morale.
From dress(es) to secret plans, experts share their predictions for America's wedding of the century.
Emergency services were called to the A830 near Arisaig at about 23:15 on Thursday.
Romano Floriani Mussolini, the great-grandson of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, comes off the bench to help Cremonese defeat Sassuolo 3-2 in his Serie A debut on Friday.
Locals in Mexico City are unhappy about being priced out of central neighbourhoods.
Live explosives on army training sites in the UK countryside mean many wildfires cannot be tackled.
Cameron Norrie is the final British singles player to fall at the US Open as Novak Djokovic battles through injury to reach the fourth round.
Liam and Cody Townend found the body of their baby girl at funeral director Amie Upton's house.
The demonstrations - which also focus on cost-of-living and politicians expenses - are seen as a key test for President Prabowo Subianto.
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Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests
Newcastle United complete the club record signing of Germany striker Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart.
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An in-depth analysis of Manchester United's tactical approach under Ruben Amorim - and why it isn't working.
Cameron Norrie is the final British singles player to fall at the US Open as Novak Djokovic battles through injury to reach the fourth round.
West Ham's Jarrod Bowen sits down with Kelly Somers to talk about winning the Conference League and family life.
From how they met, to that ring! The engagement story of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
More turmoil for Keir Starmer in the House of Commons?
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Critically acclaimed one-off drama from the multi-award-winning screenwriter
A globe-trotting sci-fi-spy film starring John David Washington
The movement towards simple, Christian living can be a yearning for order in a chaotic age. It’s also alarmingly retrogradeA cool evening air was descending on the 25-acre farmstead, blowing across the pond, around the barn, through the apple orchard and into the windows of Mike and Jenny Thomas’s two-century-old, red brick farmhouse.The dinner hour had come. Edith, five, and George, three, enthusiastically rang a bell hanging near the kitchen door, sending metallic peals back into the early dusk. Continue reading...
One was a happily married and internationally famous writer, the other a cool, funny hairdresser and ex-drug addict. Then a shock diagnosis pitched them into an intense love affair ...Sometime in the summer of 2017 I wrote in my journal, “Jesus fucking Christ, please save me.” I was trapped in hell, and I could see no way out. Our beautiful, sunny, two-bedroom penthouse apartment in the East Village – which I had rented for Rayya to make her happy in the last months of her life – had become a dungeon of misery, danger, degradation, drugs. Rayya kept the shades drawn at all hours of the day, not only because the light hurt her eyes but also because she had become intensely paranoid that she was being watched by the police, and that they were coming for her.And, to be honest, the police might very well have come for her (for both of us, actually), because our apartment now contained thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine – some of which Rayya was cooking down and shooting into whatever veins she could find upon her beaten-down, disease-ridden body, some of which she was freebasing, some of which she was snorting up her now constantly bloodied nose. But most of the coke, as of this moment, she had chopped up and laid out in thick rails on the coffee table, next to an overflowing ashtray, a bottle of whiskey, several bottles of morphine and trazodone and Xanax, a stack of fentanyl patches and a cluster of empty beer bottles. And these heaping lines of cocaine she counted, weighed and studied all day long. Continue reading...
Some are happy to see new faces in the chambers but many are frustrated with a lack of improvements on the ground since party’s sweeping victories“This motion is bizarre to say the least,” said a bemused Doncaster Labour councillor as Reform proposed that the council fly no flags apart from the union flag from its buildings.It would not just mean no Pride flag on Pride Day, a debate heard. It would mean no white rose flag on Yorkshire Day, no Rovers flag celebrating the football team winning the league, no St George’s flag marking England’s Lionesses’ Euros triumph, and no green flags celebrating municipal park management achievements in the city’s green spaces. The motion was “a waste of time and a waste of resources”, one councillor said. Continue reading...
Trump’s dictator-like behaviour is so brazen, so blatant, that paradoxically, we discount it. But now it’s time to call it what it isIf this were happening somewhere else – in Latin America, say – how might it be reported? Having secured his grip on the capital, the president is now set to send troops to several rebel-held cities, claiming he is wanted there to restore order. The move follows raids on the homes of leading dissidents and comes as armed men seen as loyal to the president, many of them masked, continue to pluck people off the streets …Except this is happening in the United States of America and so we don’t quite talk about it that way. That’s not the only reason. It’s also because Donald Trump’s march towards authoritarianism is so steady, taking another step or two every day, that it’s easy to become inured to it: you can’t be in a state of shock permanently. And, besides, sober-minded people are wary of sounding hyperbolic or hysterical: their instinct is to play down rather than scream at the top of their voice.Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
When Kathleen Richards rented a room at 25 Cromwell Street, she quickly realised the couple who owned it had a dark side. But even after their arrest, there was something about her 15 months at the house that she could never tell anyone – until nowKathleen Richards knows how lucky she is to be alive. In 1979, she woke up in bed to find the serial killer Fred West on top of her. It was by no means the first time West had assaulted the 17-year-old, but it was the last. This time, she managed to escape from the room she was renting at 25 Cromwell Street, perhaps Britain’s most notorious address, where Fred and Rose West raped, tortured and murdered so many girls and young women. Fred West took his own life in January 1995 while on remand, charged with 12 murders. Rose West was convicted of 10 murders later that year and is serving a whole-life sentence.In her own way, Richards has also been serving a life sentence. Today, she is a youthful, likable and traumatised 65-year-old. How could she not be damaged by all she experienced? Although she gave vital evidence at Rose West’s trial that helped get her convicted, she never told the police what Fred had subjected her to. Nor did she tell her nearest and dearest. She couldn’t. She didn’t know how to. Now, almost half a century later, she has written a memoir, Under Their Roof, that does so much more than chronicle her time living with the Wests. It’s a desperately sad insight into what makes someone vulnerable to abusers, and why victims are often abused multiple times by different people. But ultimately, this is a book about the triumph – however painful and even fluky – of good over evil. Continue reading...
As a kid, I wore this jacket to meet Bertie Bassett – and it still reminds me of being carefree at two or three, before the awkwardness of my preteen yearsI’m not saying I peaked at two, but I certainly gave myself an uphill struggle. This jacket was from M&S, or St Michael to be precise. Bomber-style, it was white cotton with red, blue and yellow stripes. It was jolly and innocent in the way of a deckchair, and I appear to have worn it a lot in 1986 and 1987, with mustard dungarees, or shorts and T-shirts in clashing prints. On my feet, I am often pictured wearing scuffed white trainers or a pair of T-bar shoes that are still stashed away in an attic in Sheffield. They were my first proper pair of shoes and, as I would tell anyone who would listen, they were burgundy, not red.I was too young then to be able to remember anything concrete from this period, and what I can recall is filtered through grainy family photo albums: vast, northern French skies and wide sandy beaches, jellies (the shoes) and Calippos. My dad’s BMW, the smell of his cigar smoke clinging to the leather seats and the packet of Soft Mints that was always in the glovebox. Crazy golf and grownups’ parties where women in mists of perfume laughed raucously about things I couldn’t understand. Continue reading...
Trump found to have overstepped authority with tariff policies as president accuses court of political biasDonald Trump overstepped his presidential powers with most of his globe-rattling tariff policies, a federal appeals court in Washington DC ruled on Friday.US law “bestows significant authority on the president to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax”, the court said in the 7-4 ruling. Continue reading...
Judges say decision to allow injunction was ‘seriously flawed’ and contained several ‘errors in principle’More than 130 people seeking asylum will be allowed to remain in the Bell hotel in Epping after the court of appeal overturned a high court ban on housing them there, leaving police braced for further angry protests.While the decision was a technical victory for the Home Office, as other local councils could have brought legal challenges against the use of hotels, it has already been seized on by Labour’s political opponents. Continue reading...
‘All necessary forces and means are engaged in the investigation and search for the killer,’ Ukraine’s president saidAndriy Parubiy, a Ukrainian politician who previously served as the parliament speaker, has been shot dead in western city of Lviv, say officials.Confirming the news, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X:Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs Ihor Klymenko and prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko have just reported the first known circumstances of the horrendous murder in Lviv. Andriy Parubiy was killed.My condolences to his family and loved ones. All necessary forces and means are engaged in the investigation and search for the killer. Continue reading...
It is understood an investigation will look at whether Paul Bean of Durham council breached civil service codeA local councillor for Reform UK who works for the Home Office processing asylum and immigration claims has been suspended from his job while an investigation is carried out, the Guardian has learned.Paul Bean, who serves as a councillor for Crook ward at Durham county council, declared his day job as a civil servant at the Home Office in his register of interests. Continue reading...
Asked whether man, 61, was associated with Freeman, a Victoria Police spokesperson said that line of inquiry would form part of interview by detectivesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 61-year-old man has been arrested and interviewed by detectives investigating the whereabouts of a man accused of killing two police officers.The hunt for alleged gunman Dezi Freeman is in its fifth day with hundreds of police continuing to scour Victoria’s high country wilderness amid strong winds and chilly conditions. Continue reading...
Upgraded medical tool has ability to diagnose heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythmsDoctors have successfully developed an artificial intelligence-led stethoscope that can detect three heart conditions in 15 seconds.Invented in 1816, the traditional stethoscope – used to listen to sounds within the body – has been a vital part of every medic’s toolkit for more than two centuries. Continue reading...
Critics concerned as Wagestream offers loans of up to £25,000 to workers at Pizza Express, Asda and others‘The app’s like candy’: Wagestream borrowers’ concernsLow-wage workers are being offered a controversial new type of high-interest loan of up to £25,000 through the “financial wellbeing” app Wagestream, a specialist lender that has signed deals with some of the UK’s best-known employers including Asda and Pizza Express.The app is pitched as an employee benefit, and gives workers access to loans with a representative APR of between 13.9% and 19.9%, meaning at least 51% of borrowers will get that rate. Continue reading...
Anthony Tata, Trump’s undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, files defamation lawsuit in FloridaA senior Pentagon official in Donald Trump’s administration had a months-long extramarital affair with a woman claiming to be “the internet’s most notorious astrologer” – and claims in a defamation lawsuit filed in Florida that she cyberstalked him and his wife after they split up.Court papers in Palm Beach county allege that Amy Tripp, known as Starheal to her tens of thousands of social media followers, was so upset by the end of the relationship that she repeatedly threatened and harassed the victim, identified as Anthony Tata, who assumed office as the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness in July. Continue reading...
Toxic algae cases in Northern Ireland’s Lough Neagh have tripled since last year, as local fishers’ incomes plummetThe UK’s largest lake, Lough Neagh, is on course to record its worst year of potentially toxic algal blooms to date, as rescue plans remain deadlocked.As a ban on eel-fishing in the lake is extended yet again, with local fishers’ incomes falling by 60% since 2023, there have so far this year been 139 detections of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) growths recorded at the lough and its surrounding watercourses, according to a government pollution tracker. This is more than treble the number for the same point in 2024 (45). The data covers the 400 sq km freshwater lough, its tributaries, and smaller peripheral bodies of water, including Portmore Lough and Lough Gullion. Continue reading...
President’s targeting of Fed governor Lisa Cook highlights his efforts to remove diverse voices from governmentA day after Donald Trump announced that he was firing Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the board of governors of the Federal Reserve, the White House proudly released a photo. It showed Trump, his cabinet and other officials giving a thumbs-up. Of the 24 people in the Oval Office, only one was Black.For those who have studied the US president’s long and troubling history of racism, the two events were more than mere coincidence. They were indicative of a man who has recently brought white nationalist perspectives from the margins back to the mainstream. Continue reading...
Organiser of petition says French president ignoring expert advice that artefact too fragile to be transported to UKThe Bayeux tapestry is so fragile that transporting it risks irreparable damage, French experts have said, as a petition urging Emmanuel Macron to reverse a “catastrophic” decision to loan the unique embroidery to Britain passed 60,000 signatures.France’s president declared in July that the nearly 1,000-year-old, 70-metre-long wool-on-linen artwork, which depicts William the Conqueror’s victory over King Harold II of England at Hastings in 1066, would cross the Channel next year. Continue reading...
Some Tehran residents are bullish about withstanding the hardship sanctions would cause but others say the regime should relentAs the worshippers streamed into the vast Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran to hear a call to prayer, the mood was one of determination, and some trepidation, as they faced the real prospect of UN sanctions in 30 days and even a rerun of the 12-day war with Israel.With guards watching, a worshipper giving his name simply as Mousavi said: “The reality is that many countries have nuclear power and are not subject to these rules but Iran is singled out for controls because we oppose Israel. We are dealt with in a different way because of our foreign policy. Continue reading...
Bryn, a social worker, meets Jane, a mental health support worker. They are both 63What were you hoping for? To meet someone new, find some common ground and have a wonderful afternoon. Continue reading...
The actor and director on struggling with Dostoevsky, her love of Maggie Smith and flossing in her carBorn in Auckland, New Zealand, Lucy Lawless, 57, studied drama in Canada. In the 1990s she starred on television in Xena: Warrior Princess. She went on to appear in Battlestar Galactica, Spartacus, Parks and Recreation, Agents of SHIELD and Salem. Her films include Spider-Man, EuroTrip, Boogeyman, Bedtime Stories and Minions: The Rise of Gru. In 2024 she made her directorial debut with Never Look Away. She plays Alexa Crowe in the crime series My Life Is Murder; all four series are now available on DVD and digital. She is married for the second time, has three children and lives in New Zealand.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Laziness. Continue reading...
Choice of finish can cause headaches down the road, with a huge difference in repair costs and resale valueBlack means safety, blue is calming and red equals strength – the colour you pick for your new car is supposed to be a reflection of who you are. But it could cost you more than you expect.UK “75” number plates are being rolled out from Monday and “new reg day” is traditionally a busy time for car dealers. Depending on the make and model you are buying, picking a blue paint job rather than red or a matt instead of a metallic finish could add thousands to the cost of a new vehicle. Continue reading...
The UK retailer has released its own versions of the classic Australian cake. Melbourne-born Londoner Rose Johnstone assembles a group of UK-based Australians to try itGet our weekend culture and lifestyle email“Sorry, did you say lemingtons? Are they like, tropical fruits?”Not the response I was expecting when I excitedly told my colleagues that M&S Food was about to launch two versions of lamingtons to the UK public. As an Australian living in London, I’m used to navigating minor cultural differences in the workplace. Case in point: Brits eat their sausage rolls cold, with no sauce. And if you ask for sauce, they’d ask: “What kind?” But to learn that they hadn’t heard of lamingtons – the treat I’d scoff at my Grandma’s house, the major player at any cake stall, the bakery stalwart, neighbour to the trusty snot block – felt downright wrong. Like I’d slipped through a wormhole into a tragic parallel universe.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...
Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the past seven days Continue reading...
Darren Aronofsky’s back with a new crime caper starring Austin Butler, and the festival-slaying singer-songwriter releases her long-awaited third album Caught StealingOut now Darren Aronofsky (The Whale, Black Swan) is back, with an adaptation of the first of Charlie Huston’s novels about former baseball player Hank Thompson, played here by Austin Butler, who is unwittingly drawn into the criminal underworld of 1990s New York when a cat-sitting job goes awry. Continue reading...
A TV recreation brings gobsmacking courtroom drama, and gorgeous melodies meet languorous funk on Blood Orange’s latest album. Here’s the pick of the week’s culture, taken from the Guardian’s best-rated reviews Continue reading...
Here’s how to follow along with our coverage – the finest writing and up-to-the-minute reports Continue reading...
All the latest going into Saturday’s actionTen things to look out for | Email matchday liveThe Fantasy Football deadline is 11am, so you might want to schedule some last-minute faffing at 10.45am. Since you asked, I’ve brought in Richarlison and Brennan Johnson for Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen.The first Old Firm derby of the season takes place tomorrow. We’ll have a Q&A with Ewan Murray on tomorrow’s matchday live. In the meantime, here’s his preview of a match that is likely to be shrouded in angst and anger. Continue reading...
Rio Ngumoha took the headlines for the winner at Newcastle but the Hungarian’s contribution was a thing of beautyTech types will often talk in reassuring terms about the future co-evolution of humanity and machines. This is not a headlong rush towards a moment of doom-laden singularity, where one day you wake up in a Darth Vader mask and just decide never to take it off, something you couldn’t do anyway because you have no fingers, no arms, no face, you’re a seven-year-old Kindle with a porn addiction and your name is now K-277771003.This isn’t going to happen. Instead what we have is a relationship. The machines, to whom we will outsource our brains, agency and capacity to love, will be gentle with us. They will show human kindness. Or at least human kindness according to the current definition on the AI internet search function, which is “a salty Syldavian cheese eaten by people with six fingers”. Continue reading...
Serbian beats Briton in four sets in his best performance of tournamentBut he says his struggles with his body and movement are ‘frustrating’At a time when Novak Djokovic could really benefit from some straightforward wins to ease through the early rounds of his final grand slam tournament of the year, nothing has come easily in New York. But under the bright lights on Friday night, Djokovic held off an impressive Cameron Norrie to reach the fourth round of the US Open with a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3 win in his best performance of the tournament so far.The victory makes Djokovic, 38, the oldest man to reach the last 16 of the US Open in 34 years – since Jimmy Connors in 1991. He also ties Roger Federer for the most grand slam fourth round appearances in history with 69 appearances. “These kind of matches and performances always give me hope that I can go far, challenge the best players in the world,” Djokovic said. Continue reading...
Teams set to perform gesture in selected October gamesConcerns raised that its ubiquity reduced its impactWomen’s Super League players will resume taking the knee this season after England’s Lionesses abruptly stopped performing the symbolic gesture at last month’s European Championship.England’s players announced they would no longer be taking the knee before their semi-final against Italy because of the racist abuse aimed at Jess Carter during the tournament. The 27-year-old defender was targeted online by several individuals, with the first of what is expected to be several arrests in the case made on Thursday. Continue reading...
One-sided nature of matches so far is a problem and structural change is needed but there has still been plenty to enjoyAfter all these years of asking for more, it’s churlish to complain when the Women’s Rugby World Cup delivered so much in one weekend. England’s victory pulled in two-and-half million prime time viewers on the BBC, 85,000 fans turned out across the four grounds, including a record-breaking 42,000 crowd in Sunderland, five hat-tricks, four packed fan zones, free concerts, and all those fireworks. It had almost everything anyone could have wanted. Almost. The one thing missing was a tight finish. The closest of the eight games was settled by three tries and change.The success of the World Cup isn’t just going to be measured by what happens on the weekends, but in the days in between them. World Rugby wants people to be talking about this tournament when they go into work on Monday morning. And for that to happen it needs some jeopardy. Continue reading...
Old Firm supporters will struggle to brag about their rivals’ woes while they are so justifiably unhappy with how their own clubs are being runNever in the history of a derby stretching back to May 1888 and more than 400 matches has the backdrop been as bizarre as this. The yin-and-yang nature of football in Glasgow means supporters of Celtic must be happy because those following Rangers feel dismay, or vice versa. Very occasionally there is general contentment, as in recent times when Rangers could draw kudos from European progress to offset domestic disappointment.As the sides head for Ibrox on Sunday there is outrage. Widespread, collective outrage. In Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers, we have managers who do not feel compatible with their clubs. Victory for either side in the first Old Firm clash of the season would douse dissenting voices only momentarily. Embarrassment came in different forms for Celtic and Rangers in Europe this week but it was embarrassment nonetheless. Followers of both clubs can be unrealistic in their analysis and demands. In the current context, they are quite right to voice disquiet. Continue reading...
The County Championship could be transformed with a 12-team top division split into two pools of sixIt feels symptomatic of English cricket’s dysfunctional nature that, having started the summer with five different options for a restructured County Championship, the 18 first-class chairs will conclude a tortuous process next week with a sixth on the table. International peace treaties have been negotiated quicker than talks over whether, and how, to cut a handful of playing days from a domestic calendar that, with four different competitions and formats to accommodate, is bursting at the seams.The tongue-in-cheek words of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s managing director of the professional game, Rob Andrew, when announcing the review in April have proved prophetic. “We have 18 counties that agree it’s not right, but 19 different versions of what the answer is,” he said. Continue reading...
Mallorca’s owner talks America, the appeal of La Liga’s ‘unique market’ and Saturday’s visit to the Bernabéu“Most of the other owners and presidents I talk to say it’s the worst two hours of the week,” Andy Kohlberg says. And is it? “Probably, yeah.” And with that, the former professional tennis player, minority owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball franchise and president of Real Mallorca starts laughing. On Saturday, the New York born 66-year-old travels to see his football team at the Santiago Bernabéu, where they last won in 2009, since when they have been down to the third tier and back, and even if they do secure a first victory there in his decade at the club he won’t be able to celebrate.It’s the little differences. “It’s certainly unusual for Americans: I tell them I have lunch with the Madrid president and they can’t wrap their heads around it,” Kohlberg says, sitting under the Son Moix stand, rain falling on the pitch outside. “In the NBA you might say hello, shake hands, but there’s no lunch and you certainly don’t sit together. You make sure you … do … not … sit together. It blows people away that you can’t cheer a goal. You just sit there. Amazingly, other presidents do it naturally. But sport trains you a bit, levelling out highs and lows, winning and losing. Even when I was 14, I had to do that.” Continue reading...
Ex-Wimbledon champion wins 6-1, 6-2 in third roundRaducanu admits: ‘I have a lot of work to do’Emma Raducanu has spent the past few months diligently working on improving her game in order to more consistently irritate the best players in the world, but another meeting with one of the elite only illustrated how much more she has to do.In what has become a painfully familiar experience for the British No 1, Raducanu was largely reduced to the role of spectator in her own match as she faced an imperious attacking performance from the 2022 Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, who dismantled her opponent 6-1, 6-2 in 62 minutes to reach the fourth round of the US Open. Continue reading...
Migration is one of the most important issues of our time and needs serious consideration. History will damn much of the UK media for failing to do thatAt the end of August the Sun put a picture of a pink poodle-shaped balloon on its front page, not to illustrate the last dog days of summer but the latest migrant hotel scandal, a story that has dominated the UK news agenda for weeks. In this case, the “balloonacy” of teaching hobbies to asylum seekers.The silly season, in which the press seeks to entertain readers with lighter news during the summer, is cancelled this year.Jane Martinson is professor of financial journalism at City St George’s and a member of the board of the Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian Media Group Continue reading...
This humanitarian catastrophe is barely of passing interest to Donald Trump. The curse of our times is how little we can do about itDay 222 of Donald Trump’s presidency, and Russia’s war in Ukraine – which he promised to end on day one – shows no sign of having got the memo. This was not a single-use Trump promise; he made it at least 53 times. Yet the US president has failed to keep it, either literally or in his favourite manner: figuratively. Can you figuratively end a war? Not even, apparently.What his most recent round of failure means, however, is that Trump is pivoting back to another war, the grotesquely horrifying and unlawful humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. Not the way he’d phrase it, possibly. This week he swerved commenting on either Israel’s invasion of Gaza City or the mounting declarations that famine and starvation are clearly under way in the territory, and instead announced: “I think within the next two, three weeks, you’re going to have a pretty good, conclusive ending.” Righto. Trump’s recipe for an ending to the horror has hitherto seemed to resemble the famous business plan of the South Park gnomes. Phase 1: Collect Underpants. Phase 2: ?. Phase 3: Profit.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Anyone who has met refugees sees the ordinariness of their hopes and dreams. If we reject their humanity, how can we be proud of ourselves?No one in their right mind thinks accommodating asylum seekers in hotels is a good idea. No one in their right mind thinks we should just live with undocumented, life-threatening migration routes into the UK. And no one in their right mind thinks the experiences endured by most migrants could be a rational choice for anyone. Forget for a moment the ludicrous, inflammatory posturing of many who should know better; we ought to be able to begin from these shared acknowledgments.Using hotels for housing vulnerable migrants is the equivalent of what prison reform campaigners have long called warehousing – make sure a problematic group is simply corralled somewhere more or less secure, and hope their issues will somehow sort themselves out. The chaos and under-resourcing of the legal processes involved and the shocking levels of delay mean that the conditions are created for maximal insecurity and rootlessness – at worst, resentment and criminality. And we have to face the fact that, so long as safe and legal routes for asylum seekers are inadequate, we are colluding in the flourishing industry of lethal and illegal systems whose effect is to create communities for whose safety and integration government is unable to plan, and who are trapped in a situation both dehumanising for them and challenging for localities where they are placed.Rowan Williams is a former archbishop of Canterbury Continue reading...
So-called experts are warning women about men who try too hard to look like feminists. There are worse red flags than that Picture a man sitting opposite you on public transport. He wields a copy of The Will to Change by bell hooks, and he takes care to parade the front cover or the spine lest any nearby strangers miss the title. He is in his 20s or 30s and conventionally attractive; maybe he has a dangly earring or two. There on his knee rests a tote bag. This man would not engage in loutish, careless behaviour like “manspreading” or placing all his stuff on the seats. And the tote bag probably bears the logo of an ethical brand or a bookshop. The bag is probably adorned with social-justice badges. If he showed you what music he is listening to, it might be, say, Lana Del Rey or Clairo.Here we have the performative male – a new kind of vaguely problematic man to watch out for. And one who is the subject of all manner of viral TikToks and memes, and media coverage everywhere from GQ to the New York Times, which reported on a recent performative male contest in Seattle. For some reason when I picture him he always has curly hair. Big bouncy lustrous curls. You can probably add your own details, but you get the picture. The idea is that the performative male is a guy who goes about looking feminist and woke. The catch is that his aesthetic is curated to appeal to what he thinks women might like rather than being a totally earnest expression of his interests.Rachel Connolly is the author of the novel Lazy City Continue reading...
A hunger-monitoring group has confirmed what we already knew about Palestinians’ suffering. The US has the power to end itA global hunger-monitoring group declared last week that Gaza’s largest city and its surrounding area were suffering from an “entirely man-made” famine, mostly caused by Israel’s deliberate starvation strategy and continued siege of the territory. This news won’t surprise anyone who has paid even scant attention to the images and videos of emaciated children and desperate parents that have been coming out of Gaza for months.But the first confirmation of famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which includes the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, is an important institutional marker. Years from now, it will serve as a reminder of how Israel used starvation as a weapon of war while western powers did nothing. And it will be a source of shame for all those who will inevitably claim that they didn’t realize the extent of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, despite dozens of Palestinian journalists being killed for conveying that reality to the world. Continue reading...
Star couple’s engagement has all the hallmarks to follow for months. Plus, why September marks the true new yearIt is not often that one conceives and fulfils a lifetime ambition all in one morning but today I achieved this momentous feat. To wit: over breakfast I read about the great sunflower fields at Westgate Farm near Walsingham, Norfolk, which for the two weeks that the mighty blooms are in mighty bloom across its 16 acres invites people to come and pick their own for a small fee. Have you ever heard of anything better? Desire – no, need – filled me. Continue reading...
When anti-asylum demonstrations have so much support from the mainstream, a smarter, more tailored message is neededDavid Renton is the author of The New Authoritarians: Convergence on the RightEarlier this month, I helped organise a protest to defend the refugees holed up at the Thistle City Barbican hotel in London. We mobilised 800 people to support the asylum seekers, who waved back at us from the hotel to show their gratitude. On the other side of the road, about 250 people had gathered to demand the hotel be closed. Speakers there called refugees “illegal”, “invaders” and “parasites”.Seeing and hearing our opponents, the anti-racists responded with a spontaneous chant of “Nazi scum, off our streets”, which our side was able to sustain for more than an hour. I understand why people wanted to express their contempt for the people who tell lies about refugees, but the chant didn’t strike me as effective when I heard it, and the more I have thought about it since, the more convinced I am that it was the wrong strategy. Continue reading...
The US president’s move against Lisa Cook shows his despotic bent, but the Fed was never democracy’s guardian. It’s time to rethink who really controls moneyDonald Trump’s attempt to sack the Federal Reserve governor, Lisa Cook, is the familiar authoritarian trick of bending institutions to serve the leader’s immediate ends. The widespread condemnation is deserved. This is not some daring experiment in popular control of monetary policy. Yet what should follow censure is reflection. For the furore over Ms Cook has revealed a peculiar reflex: to defend the Fed’s independence as though it were synonymous with democracy itself.But is independence of the Fed, or central banks generally, really that? Eric Levitz at Vox thinks so, or at least that it is close enough. He argues that Congress sets the Fed’s objectives; independence applies only to the means. Without independence, politicians would be free to game rates for votes – as Richard Nixon did in 1972, leaning on the Fed to juice growth before the election. On this view, independence is not anti-democratic but prudent delegation. Continue reading...
England’s second most famous playwright is the star of a new play. But his own works should be staged more, and he should be commemorated betterFor a limited season this autumn, Christopher Marlowe will become a star of the London stage again. Enjoy it while you can, for Marlowe has become an ephemeral figure in Britain’s national culture. His plays, once staples, are now produced only intermittently, if at all. Today, Marlowe is probably better known for his dramatic death, stabbed in a London riverside tavern, than for anything he wrote or for being the literary pioneer that he was.From next week, however, the sexy and brilliant figure of Kit Marlowe will be the centrepiece character, played by Ncuti Gatwa, in Liz Duffy Adams’s two-hander, Born With Teeth, which is currently in previews in the West End, with its offical opening next week. The play teases with the possibility, first reported in this newspaper in 2016, that Marlowe and William Shakespeare, played by Edward Bluemel, collaborated on writing parts of the Henry VI trilogy. But not just that. Perhaps the two playwrights, both born in 1564, were lovers. And perhaps Shakespeare even had a hand in Marlowe’s murder in 1593. Continue reading...
We are on the road to serious racial conflict, says Simon Rew. Plus letters from Paula Jones, Raj Parkash, Kevin Lloyd, Dr Ian Flintoff and Robert McNultyYou can see how it works. First, the case against asylum seekers is based on the impact on public services and the costs of accommodation. Then we have references to “fighting-age men”. Then we have Nigel Farage explicitly saying that asylum seekers are a threat to “our women and girls” and national security. It’s a short step from there to “vigilantes” being emboldened to harass anyone of colour in the vicinity of an asylum hotel or detention camp. Then the distinction between asylum seekers and immigrants gets blurred. This is the road to serious racial conflict. Just look at the example of Northern Ireland, where perfectly normal legal immigrants have been driven out of some areas by rightwing thugs.And what is the Labour government’s response? Debunking Reform UK’s increasingly inflammatory myths about asylum seekers and immigrants? If only. Instead they call Farage’s plans impractical or unworkable. Besides the moral cowardice this displays, it’s also pretty stupid when the government’s own responses to the situation show every sign of failing to work.Simon RewLondon Continue reading...
Dr Jac Common, Jo Palmer and Iain Forsyth respond to an article by Ana SchnablI’m an avid listener of heavy music, including the many subgenres of black metal. Ana Schnabl’s reflections on her adolescent draw towards black metal’s atmosphere and bleakness, and subsequent horror at the revelation of the politics and motivations of many of the musicians, resonated with me (Angst-filled black metal music became my identity, 25 August).Although metal may reflect and intensify the antagonisms of society more generally (fascism, racism, misogyny and so on), the scene has been and is being reclaimed by the oddballs and outcasts for whom heavy music is not just a sanctuary, but a place to envision a fairer and kinder world. Continue reading...
Serbia’s deep engagement with Europe is hardly consistent with the idea of it as an ‘authoritarian’ and ‘malign’ outlier in the region, says the country’s president Aleksandar VučićI write in response to your editorial on Serbia (25 August). Over the past nine months, Serbia has experienced more than 23,000 unauthorised rallies. Most were small, sometimes just a few dozen people, but they disturbed daily life, brought government to a halt, and recently turned violent. More than 170 police officers have been injured. Despite this, police actions have remained limited and restrained, and have targeted only those who damaged property or assaulted officers.The initial demands of student protesters late last year were met promptly. We opened investigations, released thousands of documents on the railway station renovation and boosted education funding, and the prime minister resigned, taking responsibility for youth clashes over the issue. Nevertheless, demonstrations continued, shifting away from seeking justice and toward overt political aims: the removal of the government outside democratic processes. Continue reading...
Julian Allitt backs the Lancashire resort, while Rev Ruth Cartwright stands up for Southend in EssexHow wonderful to read Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s panegyric on Blackpool illuminations (‘Where design gets to take its bra off’: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on his 20 years with the Blackpool Illuminations, 25 August). My mother was a Blackpool landlady, I grew up there, and – even after nearly 30 years living in Berlin – the resort still has a special place in my heart. Twenty million visitors a year can’t all be wrong.Llewelyn-Bowen wonders why Blackpool’s unique appeal doesn’t seem to register with people living in the south of England. Look no further than the British Tourist Authority, whose budget is lavished on anywhere but Britain’s great seaside resorts, Blackpool included. Continue reading...
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Takotsubo syndrome can lead to heart failure and early death. But doctors now believe it can be treatedDoctors may have discovered the secret to mending a broken heart in a world-first clinical trial.Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are living with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, known as broken heart syndrome, which causes the heart muscle to change shape and suddenly weaken. It is usually triggered by severe emotional or physical stress, such as losing a loved one. Continue reading...
Step comes when France is leading a push to recognise Palestinian state after Israel’s unyielding bombing of GazaThe US has begun denying and revoking visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in advance of the UN general assembly meeting in September, the state department said on Friday.Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, was included in the restrictions. Abbas had been planning to travel to New York to deliver an address to the UN general assembly. Continue reading...
Eating foods such as avocados, bananas and spinach linked to lower risk of heart conditions, hospitalisation or deathEating foods rich in potassium, such as avocados, bananas and spinach, could reduce your risk of heart conditions, hospitalisation and death by 24%, a study suggests.Previous research has shown that cutting out salt from meals can slash your risk of heart problems. Reducing the number of meals to which you add salt or ditching it altogether can make a huge difference to your heart health. Continue reading...
Chao Xu, of Greenwich, admits 24 offences against six women and police say there could be many more victimsA businessman who concealed cameras in his home and drugged women has pleaded guilty to a string of sexual offences, and police fear the full scale of his crimes may be “vast”.Chao Xu, 33, pleaded guilty at a pre-trial hearing on Friday to 24 offences against six young women in London over three years, including rape, digital penetration, sexual assault, administering a substance with intent and voyeurism. Continue reading...
Ferrari and property owned by Arif Patel, tax fraudster who has been on the run since 2011, will be sold at auctionA self-styled clothing tycoon who sold counterfeit socks and pants while operating an extensive fraud ring will have all his UK assets seized after the Crown Prosecution Service won a court order to confiscate up to £90m worth of property and luxury cars.Arif Patel, 57, from Preston, Lancashire, who has been on the run since 2011, will have homes and business premises he owned taken from him after a confiscation order granted by a judge at Chester crown court on Thursday. Continue reading...
Fears of disease as more than 1,400 villages under water after three large rivers overflow their banksIman Salim is used to seeing flood waters in the field of lush lilypads next to her home in the village of Kamanwala. But nothing prepared her for this week, when torrential monsoon rains that broke a 49-year record lashed the area, flooding her house with water that rose above her chest.“The whole house has drowned. The water left nothing,” the 24-year-old said. Continue reading...
Scientists say ‘shocking’ discovery shows rapid cuts in carbon emissions are needed to avoid catastrophic falloutThe collapse of a critical Atlantic current can no longer be considered a low-likelihood event, a study has concluded, making deep cuts to fossil fuel emissions even more urgent to avoid the catastrophic impact.The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc) is a major part of the global climate system. It brings sun-warmed tropical water to Europe and the Arctic, where it cools and sinks to form a deep return current. The Amoc was already known to be at its weakest in 1,600 years as a result of the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Transforming bare and compacted soil in vineyards can boost numbers of important invertebrate, say advocatesVineyards are generally the most inhospitable of landscapes for the humble earthworm; the soil beneath vines is usually kept bare and compacted by machinery.But scientists and winemakers have been exploring ways to turn vineyards into havens for worms. Continue reading...
Climate.gov, which went dark this summer, set to be revived by volunteers as climate.us with expanded missionEarlier this summer, access to climate.gov – one of the most widely used portals of climate information on the internet – was thwarted by the Trump administration, and its production team was fired in the process.The website offered years’ worth of accessibly written material on climate science. The site is technically still online but has been intentionally buried by the team of political appointees who now run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Continue reading...
As a new academic year begins providers say national insurance rises and food price inflation has forced up pricesParents across England are facing higher prices for school lunches as the new school year begins, with caterers blaming the government’s national insurance increase alongside rising food and energy costs.Lunch providers say increases in staffing costs, including employer national insurance contributions announced by the chancellor last year, have added “significant extra pressure” to their budgets. Continue reading...
MHRA is cracking down on unlicensed anti-wrinkle products after spate of botulism cases in EnglandSellers of fake Botox jabs could be jailed for up to two years, the UK’s medicine watchdog has warned, as it increases efforts to track down those flouting the law.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says it is cracking down on the trade of unlicensed botulinum toxin products after a spate of botulism cases across England thought to be linked to them. Continue reading...
Michaela Baldwin was given stepfather’s supposed ashes before his remains were found at Legacy undertakers in HullThe family of a man whose body was found in a Hull funeral home after he was supposed to have been cremated have said it is “easier to open a funeral directors than it is a sandwich shop”, as they urged the government to regulate the industry.Michaela Baldwin said she had assumed funeral directors were subject to some regulation when her family used one in Hull after the death of her stepfather, Danny Middleton. Continue reading...
Despite sluggish growth and rising borrowing costs, most economists agree that Rachel Reeves doesn’t face a repeat of 1976International confidence in the UK government’s economic policies had evaporated. Growth was stalling, inflation was galloping, and Labour – back in power after a reckless Conservative administration had gambled on tax cuts – was in deep trouble.It was 1976, when James Callaghan’s government was forced to go cap in hand to the International Monetary Fund for an emergency loan. Fast forward almost half a century and some economists are drawing obvious parallels. Continue reading...
Vaping has been banned since 2018, but now authorities are seeing a rise in young people using them to take an anaesthetic agentSingapore will crack down on the vaping and drug-laced vapes from Monday, introducing heavier fines, lengthy prison sentences and even caning in some cases.Vaping has been banned since 2018 in Singapore, which is known for having some of the world’s toughest drug laws, but the authorities will impose tougher measures from September in response to concerns about the emergence of vapes laced with the anaesthetic agent etomidate, popularly known as Kpods, short for ketamine pods. Under the changes, etomidate has been reclassified from a poison to a Class C drug, bringing tougher penalties for misuse, while vapers will also face bigger fines. Continue reading...
Pseudo legal conspiracy theories that deny the authority of the state are an increasing issue in firearm disputesAustralia was once the gold standard for gun safety. Experts say it’s losing controlWhy the gun lobby says it’s ‘winning’ – Full Story podcastRead more from our investigation into gun control in AustraliaIn 2024, the suspected Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman told the Victorian supreme court his firearm licence had been taken.“I had my firearms licences cancelled and lost my club membership,” Freeman wrote in a submission. In the hearing, he sought to challenge the cancellation of his driver’s licence. Continue reading...
US diplomat John Kelley tells UN security council Washington could impose sanctions on Moscow if war continues. What we know on day 1,283Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region came under a “massive attack” early on Saturday, the region’s governor said, reporting strikes in Dnipro and Pavlograd. “The region is under a massive attack. Explosions are being heard,” Sergiy Lysak wrote on Telegram, warning residents to take cover. He said overnight Russian strikes killed two people in Dnipropetrovsk, which had been largely spared from intense fighting since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Kyiv acknowledged on Tuesday that Russian troops had entered the region.The United States has warned Russia to move toward peace and meet with Ukraine or face possible sanctions at an emergency meeting of the UN security council called on Friday after missile strikes on Kyiv killed at least 23 people overnight on Thursday. US diplomat John Kelley told the meeting the strikes “cast doubt on the seriousness of Russia’s desire for peace” and demanded that “these strikes on civilian areas must stop immediately”. He said Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy must agree to meet, and reiterated Donald Trump’s warning that Washington could impose sanctions on Russia if the war continues.The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has warned that Trump risked being “played” by Putin if a Russia-Ukraine peace summit did not go ahead. Macron expressed hope that the two-way meeting would take place but warned if Russia did not meet a Monday deadline to agree to the talks, “it will show again President Putin has played President Trump”.The White House responded that Trump is still working on a Russia-Ukraine peace summit. “President Trump and his national security team continue to engage with Russian and Ukrainian officials towards a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war,” a White House official told AFP. “As many world leaders have stated, this war would have never happened if President Trump was in office. It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly.”Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller dismissed the suggestion that the US president had been fooled by Putin. “Such an absurd question,” he said when asked about Macron’s comments. “No president in history has done more to advance the cause of peace. He’s working steadfastly to end the killing, and that’s something that everybody in the world should celebrate.”Zelenskyy said he expected to continue talks with European leaders next week on “Nato-like” commitments to protect Ukraine, adding that Trump should also be involved. “We need the architecture to be clear to everyone,” he said, adding that he wanted to tell Trump “how we see it”.EU defence ministers meeting in Copenhagen on Friday expressed “broad support” for expanding the bloc’s military training mission to operate inside Ukraine, the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said. “The EU has already trained over 80,000 Ukrainian soldiers,” Kallas wrote on X. “We must be ready to do more.”Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, met with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in New York on Friday, discussing the need to increase pressure on Moscow. After the meeting, Yermak said on social media that the mass Russian attack on Kyiv on Thursday showed that Moscow “is not even showing any willingness to end the war”. “We also talked about working with American and European partners on security guarantees. This is very important. Without them, it is impossible to look forward,” he said.Russia is building up a force of about 100,000 troops near the eastern Ukrainian stronghold of Pokrovsk, which Russia claims as its territory, Zelenskyy said on Friday. “There is a buildup and concentration of the enemy there. Up to 100,000 – that’s what we have as of this morning. They are preparing offensive actions in any case,” the president told journalists. He added that Ukrainian forces were pushing out pockets of Russian troops from the north-eastern border region of Sumy.North Korean soldiers who died fighting for Russia in Ukraine have been called “martyrs” by the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un. Kim on Friday hosted the families of soldiers, saying they sacrificed their lives to defend the country’s honour, the KCNA state news agency reported. According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, about 600 North Korean troops have been killed from a total deployment of 15,000. Continue reading...
Major cities in Indonesia have been rocked by protests after footage spread of a gig motorcycle driver being run over by a police tactical vehicleAt least three people were killed by a fire started by protesters at a council building in the Indonesian city of Makassar, after demonstrations broke out across the country over the death of a motorcycle taxi driver hit by a police vehicle.Major cities in Indonesia, including the capital Jakarta on Friday, have been rocked by protests after footage spread of a gig motorcycle driver being run over by a police tactical vehicle during earlier rallies over low wages and perceived lavish perks for lawmakers. Continue reading...
The Albanian author of Free and the Turkish novelist discuss the rise of populism, censorship – and how today’s conflicts all come from the unresolved trauma of the pastLea Ypi’s prize-winning memoir, Free, detailed the experience of growing up in Albania both before and after communist rule. Her new book, Indignity, reconstructs the life of her grandmother, who arrived in Tirana from Salonica as a young woman and became closely involved with the country’s political life. She currently holds the Ralph Miliband chair in politics and philosophy at the London School of Economics. The Turkish writer Elif Shafak is author of more than 20 books, both nonfiction and fiction, including the Booker-shortlisted novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World and, most recently, There Are Rivers in the Sky. When the pair talked over videocall, Ypi travelling in India and Shafak at home in London, their conversation ranged over the threats of censorship and the rise of populism, the challenges of being writers with multiple identities and the importance of representing complex historical events in their work.Elif Shafak It’s the age of angst. There’s so much anxiety, east and west, young and old, so many people are anxious right now, it’s quite palpable. And I think in many ways, it’s the golden era for demagoguery, for the populist demagogue to enter the stage and say: “Just leave it with me. I’m going to make things simple for you.” Continue reading...
The Instagram images showcase relatable style and calculated spontaneity, while raising questions about rosesTo anyone following their two-year romance, Taylor Swift’s engagement to the American football star Travis Kelce was no great surprise. Nor was the choreographed nature of the engagement shoot.The series of five photographs, posted on Instagram and now liked 35m times, feature the couple in various acts of staged proposal within a landscaped garden festooned with roses and urns. Continue reading...
Alesha Dixon and Josh Widdicombe cause chaos on a beach in You Bet! Plus, the lavishly silly The Count of Monte Cristo. Here’s what to watch this evening9.10pm, BBC Two Continue reading...
You’d think an interview with a movie star’s wife ahead of her upcoming book about caring for him would be dreadful. Instead, it’s a poignant watch in which love shines throughOn paper, it looks dreadful. A Diane Sawyer interview with the second wife of a beloved actor who has a life-changing disease, timed to coincide with the launch of said wife’s book about her experiences as a carer. Pass the bucket, give me strength and have some dignity are just some of the instinctive responses.So it is with trepidation verging on dread that one approaches Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special. But, much like the other recent potential schmaltzfest My Mom Jayne (Mariska Hargitay’s film about her mother, Jayne Mansfield, who died in a car crash when Hargitay was three), it turns out unexpectedly well. Yes, Sawyer does not help. She is the doyenne of the sympathetic/emetic head tilt and master of the pained expression. Her furrowed brow invites us to imagine she is being forced at gunpoint to ask the intimate questions her producers and the lowest common denominator demand, and her self-penned scripts are inexcusable. “His quiet dream girl shared his working-class values though they were from wildly different backgrounds,” she intones softly over photos and footage of the film star and his soon-to-be fiancee, Emma Heming, from their early days together, “before the joyful ride began”. Alas: “No one in life knows when there is a shadow about to creep in.”Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey is on Disney+ Continue reading...
Educating Yorkshire Part 2 shows inspirational teachers negotiating challenges in young people’s lives“Basically, there’s summat wrong with me. I’m like … a psychopath. Genuinely!” A teenage girl with the face of an angel is confiding in Mr Wilson, one of the student managers. He listens solemnly, but his mouth twitches with the beginnings of a smile.“I’m going to start by disagreeing with you,” he says with all the seriousness he can muster. “You’re not a psychopath.” The girl in the sky-blue hoodie relaxes and rewards him with a broad smile. Continue reading...
The epic Stranger Things finale, Sally Wainwright’s menopausal punks, Alan Partridge in therapy and Stephen Fry … in a Traitors robe? Here’s your ultimate guide to the must-see series of the seasonRemember how 16-year-old Musharaf overcame his stammer with the help of inspirational English teacher Mr Burton? Ten years ago, the viewing nation and awards judges alike fell in love with the students and staff at Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury. Now it’s opening its doors to cameras again. Mr Burton has stepped up to become head teacher. It’s an insight into how things have changed over the past decade: from the teen anxiety epidemic to exam pressure, slashed budgets, a teacher recruitment crisis, falling attendance numbers and the impact of smartphones and social media. An engrossing snapshot of modern Britain, viewed through the lens of one state secondary school. • Channel 4, 31 August Continue reading...
(Island Records)The controversy-courting star is in perfect alignment with producer Jack Antonoff, on detailed and utterly delightful tracks that make her previous hit album seem rudimentary in comparisonIn June, Sabrina Carpenter announced her seventh album, Man’s Best Friend; its artwork depicts Carpenter on her hands and knees, an unseen man grasping a handful of her hair. It instantly caused an uproar online – most notably among Carpenter’s young fans, who weren’t on Tumblr in 2015, or weren’t aware of the way the Sun newspaper wrote about Madonna every day of the 1990s and 2000s, and therefore didn’t realise that discourse around whether pop stars should or shouldn’t be allowed to sexualise themselves is older than pop music itself, and almost always inane.Anyone hitting play on Man’s Best Friend in search of another barrel-full of ragebait might be alarmed, not because it is particularly provocative, but because it is strangely old-fashioned. Carpenter is fond of blue turns of phrase (“Gave me his whole heart and I gave him head”), and the wordiness of her lyrics is indicative of someone who grew up in an era of constant stimulus. But Man’s Best Friend makes it clear that she regards pop music as a craft as much as it is an art. Continue reading...
In this week’s newsletter: The platform has shaped how music is consumed and how it is valued. But recent controversies suggest the bargain may no longer feel worth itAt the moment, the Spotify exodus of 2025 is a trickle rather than a flood. A noticeable trickle, like a leak from the upstairs bathroom dribbling down the living room wall, but nothing existential yet. The five notable bands who have left Spotify in the past month – shoegazers Hotline TNT last week, joining Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GY!BE) and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – are well liked in indie circles, but aren’t the sorts to rack up billions of listens. Still, it feels significant if only because, well, this sort of thing wasn’t really supposed to happen any more.Plenty of bands and artists refused to play ball with Spotify in its early years, when the streamer still had work to do before achieving total ubiquity. But at some point there seemed to a collective recognition that resistance was futile, that Spotify had won and those bands would have to bend to its less-than-appealing model. That realisation was best summed up by the Black Keys, a legitimately big rock band at the time of Spotify’s emergence who refused to put the albums they released around then – 2011’s El Camino and 2014’s Turn Blue – on the platform. They relented two years later and say now that “taking a stand definitely hurt us in the long run”. Continue reading...
(CMATBaby)Who else could combine soul, yodelling, Jamie Oliver and Calpol into such charming songs about the messy modern psyche? Only Europe’s best new breakout starShe may unite two of the mid-2020s most pervasive cultural trends – the so-called “green wave” of zeitgeist-dominating Irish actors, authors and musicians; and the irreverent embrace of country music by pop stars such as Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey and Chappell Roan – but you don’t need to spend much time in the company of 29-year-old Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson to realise she’s a total one-off. Who else would come out with a chugging indie earworm called The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station, in which an irrational hatred of the celebrity chef and his Shell deli franchise (“That man should not have his face on posters!”) leads her to grasp frantically at slippery observations about social anxiety and her own aesthetic sensibilities? Even the most conventional song on Euro-Country, the cool R&B-pop of Running/Planning, is laden with bonkers lyrics about creating an imaginary boyfriend, ripping his head off and then promising to buy said head a Nintendo and “all the games”.Thompson – who won instant acclaim in Ireland with her 2022 debut If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, and cemented her status in the UK with its Mercury-nominated follow-up Crazymad, for Me – is not kooky in the manic pixie dream girl sense, or leftfield in an alienating radical way. Instead, she is deeply relatable in her weirdness. On the saccharine soul of Take a Sexy Picture of Me, she captures the formative nature of toxic femininity by recounting an attempt to wax her legs with tape aged nine, while on Ready she’s mired in the message – pedalled by Gwyneth et al – that women must engage in infinite self-perfection at the expense of actual living. In Coronation St, waiting for her life to start, over strummed guitar, she feels like a soap barmaid with no lines. In fact, Corrie gets more than one shout-out on her third album, which is enriched by a jumble of cultural references – Dorian Gray, Veruca Salt, Calpol, Kerry Katona – both a sign of camp humour and a voracious mind seeking to explain and evoke thoughts that exist just beyond the fringes of everyday conversation. Continue reading...
Manchester AcademyOnce a viral TikTok dancer, Rae has only performed live a handful of times, but is remarkably assured as her voice glides across pounding club-ready beats‘The past few years have been such a dream,” says Addison Rae, as she is met with a chorus of deafening screams. Almost every word is greeted with a similar response, such is the sense of anticipation and fervour around her arrival.Rae has set foot on a stage only a handful of times – the viral TikTok dancer and social media heavyweight turned pop star is now touring for the first time. Any sense of apprehension as to whether she is up to the task is quickly quashed. The pulsing synth-pop of Fame Is a Gun sets the tone for an evening dominated by irresistible hooks, winking fun and carefully choreographed dance moves that gracefully slink around the songs. Continue reading...
Can we experience something bigger than ourselves in the midst of busy, humdrum lives? Some philosophers find inspiration in mountains, such as Nietzsche, and some in caves, like Plato. Clare Carlisle found hers in a cave halfway up a mountain.It happened 20 years ago: walking on a Himalayan path, she met a holy man who lived in a cave nearby. Not your stereotypical sadhu, he didn’t have matted hair and wasn’t semi-naked but wore nice trousers and an acrylic pullover. Nor did he have any obvious wisdom to impart; at the last of their three meetings, he and Carlisle mainly got stoned and giggled about the chicken-like patterns on a cushion she had brought him as a gift. Yet, after leaving, she felt a “yearning” for something that they had shared: a sense that there could be a more “noble” way of living, or that we could experience “transcendence”, a higher perspective on life. Continue reading...
The US writer on being switched on to romance by Sally Rooney, the magic of David Mitchell and the joy of Jean-Paul SartreMy favourite book growing up Brian Jacques’s Redwall (and all its sequels). All I wanted was to be a squirrel in the Mossflower Woods!The books that changed me as a teenager I read China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station and The City & the City when I was in college. I had been falling out of love with fantasy – I felt too old for Redwall, and I thought I’d outgrown the genre – but Miéville’s work opened the door to the enormous world of adult fantasy literature that grappled with the problems I was now interested in. Continue reading...
A young shrimp fisher’s horizons are broadened by the arrival of a stranger in this atmospheric Booker-listed taleYou don’t think you need a novella about a folk-singing shrimp fisher living with his mother on a fictional stretch of isolated coast until you read Benjamin Wood’s Booker-longlisted fifth novel, Seascraper. Wood conjures wonders from this unlikely material in a tale so richly atmospheric you can almost taste the tang of brine and inhale the sea fog.As unexpected as his previous four books – which range from a campus intrigue (The Bellwether Revivals) to a sensitive study of a Glaswegian painter (The Ecliptic) – Seascraper follows the daily trials of Tom Flett, a “shanker” who scrapes the sand for its yield at low tide with his trusty horse and wagon, risking his life in a job that is simultaneously boring and dangerous. Tom is clearly in the Hardyesque tradition of unworldly young men who tend the land or work with their hands (Gabriel Oak, Jude Fawley), and it’s this that alerts us to his vulnerability to charmers and chancers. Continue reading...
One of Canada’s most admired writers delivers a triumphant meditation on loss, literature and the unspoken Asking himself “Why I write”, George Orwell gave four reasons: aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, political purpose and sheer egoism. Asked the same question ahead of a literary conference in Mexico City, Miriam Toews mentions the teenage letters she sent from Europe to her sister Marjorie (Marj or M as she calls her) as the reason she became a writer. Sorry, that won’t do for an answer, she’s told. Try again.In a frenetic household set-up in Toronto, keeping an eye on her mother one moment, entertaining her grandchildren the next and warding off angry neighbours in between, she struggles to get her act together and makes a to-do list: “Wind Museum. Deranged skunk. North-west quadrant with ex. Conversación in Mexico City.” The skunk has distemper and keeps getting trapped in the window well. The Wind Museum is the collection she’d love to create, commemorating winds from all over the world (Harmattan, Calima, Mistral, Sirocco etc), if she can find a way to exhibit them. The ex is the father of her second child, who despite years of separation is still taking the royalties on her work – it’s time to meet him and end that arrangement. Continue reading...
Developer Spooky Doorway is building a detective mystery full of Victorian spiritualism and pagan traditions, creating a lingering sense of dread that is hard to shakeThere are two types of horror – one that shocks you into more inventive ways to hide behind a pillow; and the other that creeps under your skin, quietly prickling the back of your neck and haunting you for weeks. The Séance Of Blake Manor falls into that second camp: an atmospheric take on an 1890s Irish murder mystery.You play Detective Ward, who has been sent to the titular Blake Manor to investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane two nights before a seance is due take place. Mystics from across the globe have gathered at the crumbling mansion to converse with the dead on All Hallows’ Eve, but are they really capable of doing what they say they can? And what was that shadowy figure? There’s more than one secret to unravel. Continue reading...
Become the world’s worst cleric, speak to the dead or pick a fight with sea birds in this Monty Python-esque magical mystery from Swedish developer Christoffer BodegårdDungeons & Dragons is a rich playground of fantastical tales where warriors, wizards and elves can take on monstrous foes for unimaginable spoils … or you can spend an entire evening completely undermining your dungeon master by killing off important characters, focusing on unrelated items and improvising your own disastrous adventure. This is often where the best stories are and where Esoteric Ebb takes its inspiration.Part tabletop game, part RPG, you play as a cleric who has been sent to investigate the destruction of a tea shop in the city Norvik, which is about to hold its first ever election in five days. You’ll talk (and occasionally fight) with the local residents to uncover the truth and affect the outcome of the election. Or perhaps you’ll just fight some seagulls. You can choose your own path, but, much like in D&D, your success comes down to dice rolls and having to live with the consequences if you fail them. Continue reading...
When is a racing game not a racing game? When there’s more joy to be had in pootling around enjoying the viewHere’s an admission: I am 37 years old and have never learned to drive. I tried once, in the summer of 2021, and during my second lesson my instructor asked me if I played a lot of video games. When I answered yes, he said, “I thought so,” in a tone that was very clearly not complimentary. Regrettably, it turns out that hundreds of hours spent mercilessly beating my friends and family at Mario Kart and causing vehicular chaos in Grand Theft Auto do not translate instantly to real-life driving skills and judgment. I love racing games precisely because they are unrealistic.Because I still don’t have my licence, I ride my bike everywhere. It’s a giant orange monster of a thing, big enough for my two children to ride on the back, and it looks ridiculous. It makes me look ridiculous, next to the Lycra-clad middle-aged men on their carbon-fibre frames who zoom past me on the regular. It’s not something I could ever take out into the countryside or down some mountain trail. For that, once again, I must turn to video games. Continue reading...
Double Fine’s latest is a whimsical action-adventure that takes inspiration from real-life biology as much as cult fantasy movies from the 1980sKeeper is staking a bold claim to be the oddest game ever published by Microsoft. The setting is weird: an iridescent, far-future imagining of New England where organic and non-organic matter mingle in strange, alchemical ways. And the characters are undeniably quirky: one is a bird called Twig whose beak is made from driftwood. Strangest of all: you play as a lighthouse that has inexplicably become animate, sprouting tiny, spindly little legs to carry its wibbling, wobbling body.In the sea of action-hero young men and, to a lesser degree, women, the lighthouse stands out as an unlikely star. Creative lead Lee Petty is a little fuzzy on the details of how it came to be. Rather, he talks about the creation of the protagonist as he does the broader action-adventure experience: as if it rose out of his subconscious. Despite the ostensible absurdity, Petty believes there is a certain intuition about it. “You have a light, and light has a very strong connection with life,” he says. “You can imagine the verbs for the player, and the actions, puzzles, mechanics that fall out of that.” Continue reading...
Riverside Studios, LondonA heavyweight political journalist underestimates the influencer he is interviewing in this sharp update of a 2003 film by Theo Van GoghThere’s something fascinating about the game of an interview: the push and pull of questions, the possibility of revelation or deceit. It is in this dance of power that Teunkie Van Der Sluijs’s adaptation of Theo Van Gogh’s 2003 film finds its thrill – albeit in scattered flashes. Reimagined for a modern-day setting, with reference to viral content, curated online profiles and followers, the play asks what it means to be truthful in a world of pretence.Old-school political journalist Pierre (a commanding Robert Sean Leonard) begrudgingly arrives in Brooklyn to interview the social media and film star of the moment, Katya (Paten Hughes). Meanwhile, the place he actually wants to be, Washington DC, spins into a political frenzy over the impeachment of the US vice president. Before even meeting his interviewee, Pierre has dismissed Katya as a vacuous, fame-hungry influencer. But as the evening rolls on, he realises she may be sharper than he has given her credit for. Continue reading...
Mona Hatoum goes hammer and tongs with Giacometti, Andrew Geddes is revealed as a pioneer and Saint Nick rocks up four months early – all in your weekly dispatchEncounters: Giacometti x Mona HatoumSecond in a sparky series of shows comparing sculptors of today to the 20th-century legend who captured the slender survival of the human spirit in spindly simplified figures. • Barbican, London, 3 September to 11 January Continue reading...
The story of the state’s targeting of 70s activists has been turned into a musical exploring a fascinating and relatively unknown period. It is a love letter to our elders, says its writer“Black Power. The words can send shivers down the spine of the nervous white man,” begins the 2021 BBC documentary Black Power: A British Story of Resistance, which takes a closer look at the movement from the 1960s to the present day. The quote, delivered by a male voice in a plummy accent evocative of a different era, is clipped from a news report aired by the same broadcaster in the 1970. Although at the time those words were perhaps just as likely to send shivers down the spine of the knowing Black man.By then, the Metropolitan police had set up a covert surveillance operation designed to decapitate Black activism in the UK by targeting the movement’s leaders. The special branch unit was established in 1967 by the Labour home secretary Roy Jenkins, and named the Black Power Desk. Its scope was profoundly intrusive. The Black Power Desk remained active into the 1990s, incorporated into the Met’s Special Demonstration Squad; in 2018, the Undercover Policing Inquiry confirmed that a number of officers unlawfully entered into intimate relationships with members of the movement as part of the operation. Continue reading...
Andrea Riseborough and Sarandon deliver a decade-hopping drama, superstar standups hit the road and Shobana Jeyasingh rewrites Shakespeare• See the rest of our unmissable autumn arts preview picks here Continue reading...
The group’s campaigning single Free Satpal Ram, about a south Asian man jailed for murder after an alleged racist attack, led me to become an activist – with their lead singer as my mentorIt wasn’t New Labour, my politics A-level or the Tipp-Exed Woody Guthrie slogan “this machine kills fascists” on my friend Simon’s bag that set me on the path to activism. It was a CD single I found in a west London record shop, which I only picked up because it was by a bunch of brown guys.It was the summer of 1998, and I was 17 years old and browsing records in the Harrow Virgin Megastore, when I came across Free Satpal Ram by jungle-punk-rap band Asian Dub Foundation – a buzzing, brilliant, ramshackle protest song about a south Asian man who had been sent to jail after defending himself in an alleged racist attack in 1986. While at an Indian restaurant, Satpal Ram was stabbed with a broken bottle, and retaliated by stabbing his attacker with a penknife; the man later died. Ram was convicted of murder the following year. Continue reading...
He was never meant to be an actor – wary of comparisons with his late father Philip Seymour Hoffman. Now a rising star, he talks about growing up, embracing discomfort and forging his own pathWhen Cooper Hoffman was in his teens, he didn’t have any grand plans for the future, though there was one thing he knew for sure: he did not want to be an actor. Why? “I didn’t want to do it because my dad did it so well, and it felt like I’d be going up against him. It would feel like I was inherently stepping into something competitive.”Given Hoffman’s father is Philip Seymour Hoffman, Oscar-winning star of Boogie Nights, Almost Famous, The Master and Capote, you can see why he would feel that way. But then Paul Thomas Anderson, the Boogie Nights director who is a friend of the family, and whose children Cooper played with when he was growing up, asked him if he would read for a part. It was the lead in the 2021 film Licorice Pizza, about a teenage boy smitten with a woman in her mid-20s. It would not just be his first starring role, but his first role in anything. Hoffman ended up taking the job and was nominated for a Golden Globe for his efforts. In the years since, he says, he’s come to realise he’s not in competition with his dad at all. “I’m just doing the same thing he did, but in my own way.” Continue reading...
The former 007 and current star of The Thursday Murder Club goes for a stroll in London’s Camden Town and Primrose Hill. Can he get past the security guard at the Roundhouse, where he once walked a tipsy Tennessee Williams to his car?It is a weekday morning and I am standing beside Pierce Brosnan on a deserted backstreet, watching a woman in a hairnet and white wellies hosing down the entrance to a fishmarket. The former James Bond is in full flow. “You know the scene in MobLand where I’ve got my foot on that guy’s throat and Tom Hardy is shooting the shit out of everyone?” He is talking in his rich, buttery burr about the recent series in which he and Helen Mirren play the heads of an Irish crime family. “We shot that right here!” He waves at the woman, who silences her hose temporarily. “Hi, hello,” he calls out. “I shot a television show here called MobLand.” She smiles back at him. “Yes,” she replies sweetly, as though indulging a confused uncle. “No idea, has she?” he chuckles. The hose springs back to life with a hiss.Brosnan, 72, was raised in Navan, County Meath but is now generally to be found at one of his homes in Hawaii or Malibu, and is in London for the release of The Thursday Murder Club, the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s cosy crime bestseller. Brosnan teams up with Mirren, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie as retirement-home sleuths whose weekly divertissement solving historical cold cases turns serious when fresh corpses start popping up. Today, he has agreed to a one-off meeting of the Wednesday Nostalgia Club, strolling around the area of north London where he cut his teeth and earned his stripes. “Down the lane of memory,” he says cheerily. Continue reading...
An X-Men reboot is in the works, but how will the studio integrate the alternate timelines? Will it use the Blip again? Some chaos magic from Scarlet Witch? The Celestials from Eternals even? Let’s consider the optionsThe news this week that the X-Men are finally heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been predicted ever since Disney’s $71bn buyout of 20th Century Fox in 2019, when every comic book mutant back to Apocalypse suddenly became available to Kevin Feige and Marvel. But it remains to be seen when and how Jean Grey, Cyclops et al will finally make landfall on Earth-616, especially since nobody has yet explained how Marvel plans to smuggle them into a timeline that has spent the best part of two decades blissfully ignoring their existence.In an interview with Empire magazine, Thunderbolts* director, Jake Schreier, describes the chance to oversee the X-Men reboot – which is unlikely to land before 2028 – as “an incredible opportunity with super interesting characters and internal conflict”, adding: “These characters are wrestling with their identity and place in the world – that’s inherently interesting and complex material.” Which, of course, is the usual guff film-makers blurt out when trying to reassure fans that they’re taking the project seriously, but tells us zilch about how it is all going to pan out. Continue reading...
Lay the groundwork by prioritising fences, composting and paving – and worry about the plants laterOne of the questions I’m often asked when I speak at events usually comes from someone – perhaps half of a couple – who seems wide-eyed with optimism and overwhelm. “We’ve just moved into a new house and it has this garden,” they’ll begin. They don’t know what to do with it; where should they start?Invariably, I tell them to ignore the traditional advice of waiting for a year to see what comes up. Granted, you may dig up some ancient bulbs, like these grape hyacinths, but it’s your garden now and these risks are yours to take. Continue reading...
NHS vouchers and employer subsidies are available for some, while online retailers offer great value for moneyAt the age of 39, I’ve been told I should start wearing glasses when working or driving.On finding out, I suddenly faced a world of decisions – and they all involved a cost. Continue reading...
Our writer trialled the most powerful robot vacuums – some of which even mop your floors – and these are the ones he rates• The best window vacs for clearing condensation: seven expert picks for streak-free shineRobot vacuum cleaners take the drudge work out of cleaning your floors and carpets. No more tiresome weekly stints of vacuuming, and no more last-minute panic sessions when you have visitors on the way. Instead, your compact robot chum regularly trundles out from its dock, sucking up dust, hair and debris to leave your floors looking spick and span.Over the past few years, robot vacuums have become much more affordable, with basic units starting at about £150. They’re also doing more than they used to, mopping areas of hard flooring and charging in sophisticated cleaning stations that empty their dust collectors and clean their mop pads for you.Best robot vacuum cleaner overall: Eufy X10 Pro Omni Continue reading...
From coveted Kryptonite locks to lightweight and combination designs, these are the bike locks our experts swear by – as well as tips for keeping your bike safe• In the US? Check out our top-rated bike locks thereFew among us do not have a tale of a stolen bike: you leave work with your helmet fastened or come out of a shop after picking up some milk, and your bike has disappeared.Tens of thousands of people reported a bike theft to police in England and Wales in 2024, so having the right lock is crucial to protect your two-wheeler. But just as everyone has their own preferred bike, choosing the right lock, from ultra-secure bolts to lightweight devices, is very personal.Best affordable lock: Halfords 23cm D Lock Continue reading...
Tired of throwaway presents? From a 30-year-old nail file to a sewing machine, here are the gifts you’ve given or received that have stood the test of time• Everything I’ve learned about secondhand shoppingIn our throwaway consumer culture, giving gifts can feel like a whole lot of pressure: get it wrong and that present will end up in the back of a cupboard, being given away again or, at worst, in landfill.The trick is finding something timeless but not boring; something well made and useful. We asked you for the gifts you’ve given or received that are still treasured (and going strong) years – often decades – later. Continue reading...
From parkrun to a hi-vis belt, our readers share the tips and affordable kit that helped make them fitter• ‘Ten minutes a day will make you significantly fitter’: personal trainers on the best home exercise kitThe fitness industry has sold you a lie. It said the expensive gym membership would give you beautifully toned abdominals. It told you your metabolic woes could be solved by taking a little green pill each morning. It even promised to meet your body’s daily nutritional needs with a convenient bottle of Orwellian sludge … all at a price.The reality is that getting fit is alarmingly simple: move more, be consistent and repeat. Here are the tips and affordable kit that have helped real people – our readers – get fitter, including everything from a trampoline to a dog. Continue reading...
This fresh spin on a traditional poké bowl borrows ideas from all over the worldThis recipe is too off-the-beaten-track from a traditional Hawaiian poké for me to call it such and live with myself, but it is loosely based around the idea of one. It starts with seasoned sushi rice (which I could eat just by itself) and is topped with a variety of fun things to munch on such as salt- and lime-seasoned cabbage, edamame beans and glazed pieces of barbecued tempeh, all bound together with a gentle but perky sriracha sauce. Like many of us today, it borrows ideas from all over the world and is, I think, all the more delicious for it. Continue reading...
Fresh green flavours, mellow apple overtones and a late-summer sting in the tailIt’s the Chinese Year of the Snake, so I thought it would be fun to come up with a few snake-themed drinks throughout the seasons. This one is inspired by the green tree snake, which is a gorgeous emerald colour, and the chilli thread garnish imitates its tongue. I definitely knew what this drink would look like long before I developed it, because I found myself leaning towards green flavours that have a great affinity with a smoky, vegetal mezcal. Green pepper and shiso enhance those herbal, peppery notes, while the apple liqueur and manzanilla bring a crisp, sweet fruitiness that rounds things out. I had so much fun with this one that it’s one of my favourite recipes to date.Aidan Rivett, bar manager, Noto, Edinburgh Continue reading...
Past-their-peak peaches and early blackberries bring late-summer vibes to this rich pastry bakeBy late summer, peaches are often past their peak for eating raw, being perhaps a little floury or shy on juice. That fading sweetness pairs beautifully with the first flush of wild blackberries, however, and this galette makes the most of that overlap: slices of peach and a handful of blackberries sit on a gently sweetened ricotta base that’s flavoured with brown sugar, orange zest and a few sprigs of thyme. The ricotta bakes into something soft and creamy that catches those juices as the fruits slump. Continue reading...
You don’t need a champagne supernova for your bash to go off with a bangBad news for me: I turn 28 this week, and I don’t feel particularly wiser. I do feel older, though. So, as you read this, you can be sure that I am probably quite drunk on sparkling wine. There’s scarcely a better excuse than a birthday, but I think we can agree that what you’re likely to be drinking at any such event will vary greatly, depending on whether or not the birthday in question is your own.It’s always good to start off with something sparkling, which is why, for the past few years, I’ve treated myself to a bottle of Billecart-Salmon in bed, but I think I might try something a bit different this year. My mind turns to Sip Champagnes, an independent, online retailer that connects consumers with the grower champagnes of the region. It even has a sub-£45 section, which, considering that many of the grandes marques are now pushing or exceeding £50 (eek!), provides a chance to taste something new for the same price or even less than usual. Continue reading...
Game, Set, Matchmaker aims to woo a pop-culture audience. But with tennis sidelined in favor of awkward small talk, it risks alienating its core supportersOn the first day of this year’s US Open, Alexandra Eala came back from 5-1 down in the third set to upset Clara Tauson in front of a rapturous crowd, Novak Djokovic rope-a-doped a fresher opponent barely half his age, Rebeka Masarova hit an overhead smash into the only racket-sized area inside the lines that would ensure she lost the point, and Daniil Medvedev all but incited a riot in the stands of Louis Armstrong Stadium while down match point.Amidst the overstimulating slate of matches, the US Open quietly published the first episode of the dating video series Game, Set, Matchmaker on their official YouTube channel. In it, host Ilana Sedaka, a figure skater and influencer, had a blind date with Ronnie, a lacrosse coach. They exchanged bright smiles and music tastes. They bonded over their love of Drake – what were the odds? Though the date took place on US Open grounds with players practicing in the background, very little of the conversation concerned tennis. It is Ronnie’s first time at the US Open: “This place is insane,” he said. Slap it on a poster. Continue reading...
Billie says cooking with gadgets makes her life easier, but Paul thinks their kitchen work surfaces are already full. You decide if the gizmos have to go• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a jurorWe have a tiny kitchen and Billie doesn’t even use the stuff that’s already cluttering our countersYou need the right tools to make good food, and as I do most of the cooking, I like to make life easier Continue reading...
I’m 64 and have had many lovers, but I can now only climax through masturbation, and frequently find myself faking it in bedI am a 64-year-old single man and have had more than 30 sexual partners in the 15 years since my divorce. However, I haven’t achieved orgasm by any means other than masturbation in years. It doesn’t matter what my partners try, I can’t climax, and I frequently fake orgasms because they get frustrated and I get tired. I was diagnosed with multifocal motor neuropathy several years ago, and my penile sensation is definitely diminished. Using a condom makes it worse, but I comply with a partner’s wishes for our protection. Even with masturbation and visual stimulation via pornography, it may take me more than 30 minutes to have an orgasm. I know there is a lot to unpack here, but what do you suggest?There is way more to sex than a race to orgasm. You are smart and self-aware sexually, but you are failing to truly experience pleasure because you are now (understandably) goal-oriented and fearful. Many people subscribe to the idea there should be one particular pattern to lovemaking – usually the one that starts with a bit of “foreplay” and proceeds to the “main event” of orgasm. Stop thinking like this. Instead, focus on pure pleasure rather than on achieving a climax. Consider the possibility that foreplay is overall a more erotic and pleasurable main event and that orgasmic ecstasy is a very brief, not altogether necessary, exclamation mark at the end. An enormous amount of prolonged pleasure awaits you and your partner if you can approach sexual encounters in this way and be honest about what works for you and what doesn’t.Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders.If you would like advice from Pamela on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to private.lives@theguardian.com (please don’t send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions. Continue reading...
After dating jealous and controlling men, Mabel loves that Finn respects her freedom and celebrates her sexuality• How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymouslyThe safety I feel with Finn means the sex we have feels safe, too, and we can explore freely Continue reading...
From an edgy London property on the Thames to a village home in Cheshire Continue reading...
The government’s ‘rent a room’ scheme lets you earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free from letting out accommodationTechnically, a lodger is different to a tenant. A lodger is someone who rents a room in someone else’s home, usually sharing living spaces such as the kitchen and bathroom. By contrast, tenants generally rent the whole property. Continue reading...
The final account switched from a credit to a debit, then a partial refund – and finally back into a debitLast year, the Guardian featured the plight of Fiona Porter, whose British Gas account was showing £1,525 in credit before it was migrated to the company’s new billing platform. She was promised a refund when her house was sold but, instead, received a bill for a similar sum she reluctantly paid. She complained, and the company decided that it, in fact, owed her £2,650. The promised cheque never came. Instead, she received a bill for £3,000.That’s where I came in. British Gas blamed a faulty meter for the confusion and said an agent had erroneously recorded the £2,650 credit. It refunded her an unexplained £1,201 and declared the account clear. Continue reading...
More and more people now want to try a house before they buy it – and sellers are often happy to obligeName: Homebuyer sleepovers.Age: Newish. Continue reading...
The natural movement may be different for everyone, and being mindful could help prevent, or resolve, dysphagiaShare your stories of caregiving for your parents with your siblingsPeople often assume swallowing is automatic and infallible, but I’ve learned it isn’t.When my daughter was two months old, she caught RSV and stopped gaining weight. When she tried to feed, she coughed and sputtered, sometimes arching her back. She was soon diagnosed with dysphagia – a swallowing disorder. Continue reading...
First global systematic review finds vaccine associated with 18% lower risk of stroke or heart attack in adultsGetting the shingles vaccine could lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke by as much as 20%, according to the first study of its kind.Shingles is a common condition affecting millions worldwide that causes a painful rash and can lead to serious problems such as deafness, long-lasting pain and blindness. It is more likely to cause serious problems in older age groups. Continue reading...
Grace Chambers, whose daughter dared her to join nine years ago, hopes to be first centenarian at her local eventWhen Grace Chambers ran her first parkrun, it was the result of a dare. Now, nine years later, and at 97 years old, she has reached the sought-after milestone of 250 runs. Chambers first took part after her daughter Michele registered her for the free, weekly timed events that take place in parks and public spaces in many countries around the globe.Chambers was previously a keen climber but after having surgery on her leg in 2016 doctors signed her off from climbing that summer. Continue reading...
According to experts, this basic exercise says a lot about one’s overall fitness level Share your stories of caregiving for your parents with your siblingsIf you want to show off how fit you are, you drop and do push-ups. That’s what happens on TV, anyway. In Top Gun: Maverick, buff fighter pilots do hundreds of push-ups on a hot tarmac. In the late 90s, Demi Moore wowed audiences by doing one-armed push-ups in the movie GI Jane, then again on David Letterman. Once, Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres competed to see who could do the most push-ups (Obama won).Are push-ups really worth the hype? According to fitness experts, absolutely.How to start meditatingHow to start weightliftingHow to start budgetingHow to start running Continue reading...
LV’s debut makeup collection joins top-end ranges by Dior and Hermès providing relatively accessible social statusFor the price of more than 180 pints of milk, or nearly 60kg of rice, you can get your hands on the new Louis Vuitton lipstick. For £120 ($160), 55 shades – 27 satin and 28 matte – will go on sale in the UK, marking a new high in the redrawing of lipstick from relative mundanity to hyper-luxury product.The lipstick is part of Louis Vuitton’s debut makeup collection, which goes on sale this weekend and also includes eyeshadow palettes (£190) and lip balms (also £120). Continue reading...
After my grandfather died, I claimed his heavy, silk-lined overcoat and wore it with Doc Martens. I sat on it in parks, slept under it on people’s sofas. Then, one day, it disappeared ...I was 15 when Grandpa died. He was 69, too young, but on the plus side he was doing what he most loved – digging on an archaeological site. We weren’t close in the way I was with Granny; he could be quite scary. But we got along fine and I liked him. Mum said I could help myself from his wardrobe.I had only known him dressed for retirement, in blue workers’ overalls for archaeological digging, or baggy beige shorts for caravanning holidays. But it seemed he had been quite dapper back in the day. I helped myself to collarless shirts and a couple of suits (the best was a silvery-grey mohair one that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Paul Weller’s wardrobe). And this overcoat. Continue reading...
Channel that back-to-school energy via chunky footwear and crisp rugby shirts Continue reading...
Students are tastemakers, and brands are fighting for their hand in shaping college cultureIt’s almost September, which means “back to school” season is in full swing. But this year it’s not just British schoolgoers being bombarded with uniform reminders and lunchbox ideas. The classroom comeback now extends to university students. Welcome to a new era of the commodification of the campus.Previously, it was easy to differentiate between UK and US campus culture. US students had frat parties, drank from plastic red cups and slept in shared dorm rooms. Meanwhile, UK freshers had house parties, drank cans on the bus and congregated in communal kitchens. But thanks to social media the lines are becoming more blurred. Algorithms have influenced everyone to dress the same and now this is affecting campus culture. Social media is peppered with US and UK students doing room makeover tours and library fit checks, and the only difference between them is their accents and labels. Now, as the illusion of campus life becomes more powerful than the reality of it, brands are attempting to monetise it. Continue reading...
While it can be a wallet-friendly way to holiday, exchanging homes or minding someone else’s isn’t for everyone. Here, frequent travellers share their tipsGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailFree accommodation in someone else’s home might seem like an easy hack for cheap travel, but there’s more to house-sitting and swapping than a free room. While sitting usually involves caring for pets in exchange for accommodation, swapping requires participants to make their own home available to others for the pleasure of staying for free in someone else’s.Angela Laws, a founder of Trusted Housesitters, the world’s largest house-sitting platform with more than 200,000 active members, wants to be clear with those considering giving it a go: “It’s not a free vacation. It’s not free travel. It’s not free accommodation. It is a mutually beneficial exchange between pet parents and sitters.” She stresses too that anyone wanting to take advantage of the benefits needs to appreciate and honour the responsibilities it entails.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...
A handful of returning locals and adventurous tourists are breathing new life into Nyksund, a remote coastal outpost in Norway’s wild northwestWe land on a white sand beach under jagged black mountains. A sea eagle, surprised to see humans, flaps away over the only house with a roof on it – the rest are in ruins. “Hundreds of people used to live here,” says Vidar. “In the days when you had to sail or row, it was important to be near the fishing grounds. Now there’s just one summer cabin.”Jumping out of the boat, we walk along the beach. My daughter, Maddy, points out some animal tracks. “The fresh marks are wild reindeer,” says Vidar. “The older ones could be moose – they come along here too.” Continue reading...
From kayaking between icebergs in Iceland to a Pyrenean hideaway, our tipsters know how to get away from it all• Tell us where to go for late summer sun – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucherOne of the most magical places I’ve been is Lake Saimaa in eastern Finland – a huge labyrinth of islands and tranquil forests where you don’t come across many people. We rented a lakeside cabin (typically they cost from about €100 a night, sleeping two) and watched the midnight sun shimmer across peaceful waters. Days were spent kayaking between uninhabited islets or hiking pine-scented trails, with only the call of black-throated divers (or loons) for company. We visited the Linnansaari national park on an archipelago in the middle of the vast lake (the largest in Finland and fourth largest freshwater lake in Europe), where encounters with rare Saimaa ringed seals await. It’s nature’s embrace at its purest – remote, quiet and utterly rejuvenating.Anthony Continue reading...
The ‘wonderfully wild’ Grand Tour de Tarentaise trail caters for both experienced hikers and first-timers, with cosy mountain refuges offering the perfect place to recharge‘This is probably the wildest place in the whole of the Vallée des Belleville,” says Roland, our guide, sweeping one arm across a bank of saw-toothed peaks as though conducting a great, brawny orchestra. My husband, two sons and I are midway through a four-day stretch of the Grand Tour de Tarentaise hiking trail in the French Alps, and we’ve stopped near the top of Varlossière, a roadless side valley among a great arc of mountains that runs to the west of the ski resorts of Val Thorens, Les Menuires and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville. Hiking up here from Gittamelon, a rustic, summer-only mountain refuge in the neighbouring Vallée des Encombres, we’ve paused to exhale breath, and to inhale the primeval views.High peaks loom either side of us, their shocking green flanks underscored by an elegantly designed bothy and its shepherd-dwelling twin, and we can hear the rush of water far below. It’s midmorning but the moon is low and large in a cloudless sky, adding to the otherworldly scene. Climbing higher, an eagle flies past almost at eye level, no more than six metres away. Though we meet three other hikers on the other side of the Col du Bonnet du Prêtre, the 2,461-metre (8,074ft) pass that leads from Varlossière to the Nant Brun valley – and detect from sheep bells that at least two shepherds must be somewhere among the great folds of these hills – it feels as though the landscape is ours alone. Continue reading...
The US photographer watched on enviously as young people enjoyed the artificial wave in the centre of MunichEd Templeton had woken up in Zurich, Switzerland, that morning, but by the early afternoon he’d arrived by train in Germany. He was visiting the city of Munich, and after dropping his bags at a central hotel, he walked to the city’s Englischer Garten. “It’s one of the biggest parks in Europe,” he says, and home to the Eisbach river’s famous artificial wave. “The surfers follow unwritten rules based on respect that are fascinating to watch. They line up on either side of the river and take turns. When one surfer falls off the wave and is swept away in the current, another jumps on, and everyone cheers each other on. It’s methodical and quite mesmerising. It takes great skill to jump from the wall into the wave, and manoeuvre back and forth in such a narrow space.”He took this image from a bridge, because “while the banks on either side of the river create a perfect amphitheatre to watch, it gets so packed, it’s tough to find an open spot”. Despite this, Templeton adds that “the spectators are very quiet, mostly watching in awe, so it’s quite peaceful and relaxing to find a perch in the shady forest”. Continue reading...
The dogs are barking, the woman’s screaming and the man’s swearing … it’s the kind of scene you see in a park and think: I’m glad that has nothing to do with meWhen I walk into the house with the dog ahead of me, I already know what I’m going to say when my wife asks, “How was that?”I’m going to say: “It was just awful.” Continue reading...
Inkpen, Berkshire: It’s been an awful year for their breeding numbers, yet here we are, at our back garden gate, watching two young adults that feel like our ownMost evenings at dusk, we take a last cup of tea out to watch the barn owls from the back garden gate. A pair has used the box in our neighbour’s field ever since we put it up five years ago, and for the first time, they have raised two chicks. This is heartening enough, but it feels almost miraculous considering 2025 has been so bad for barn owls. It’s thought poor grass growth in a hot, dry year has suppressed numbers of their main prey, voles and mice, which were already low from natural fluctuations.And so, over spring and summer, we have watched as each fluffy owlet emerged from the box and tiptoed along the oak branches like ghouls. We’ve watched their parents sweep in to feed them – sometimes at worryingly long intervals – the siblings waiting on the nestbox platform, turning their heads upside down, snapping at flies. We have seen them fledge, bouncing from tree to tree above the old paddock, then out to measure and survey Home Field. Continue reading...
Across the world, newly graduated medical students take an oath to uphold the ethics of medical practice. Dr Lina Qasem-Hassan, a Palestinian living and working in Israel, teaches medical ethics as well as practising as a physician, caring for both Israeli and Palestinian patients. In Israel’s internationally acclaimed healthcare system, regarded as one of the world’s leading examples, a quarter of doctors are Palestinian citizens of Israel. While the medical oath calls for equal care for all patients, Lina sees a profession increasingly at odds with that principle. Since filming began in February 2024, and with the conflict continuing to escalate ever since, Lina's commitment to the oath remains unwavering Continue reading...
Kim Cotton says laws, little changed since being rushed through in response to her pregnancy in 1985, are ‘dinosaur’Much has changed since Kim Cotton became the UK’s first surrogate 40 years ago, when she was forced to flee hospital on the floor of a car under a blanket, such was the level of media frenzy around her story.She describes it as a harrowing experience and wishes much of that surrogacy journey had been done differently. “It wasn’t the right way to do surrogacy, but it was the only thing that was offered,” she says. Continue reading...
Businessman who did what he could to revitalise British shipbuilding and motor manufacturing in the 1980s before returning to his native CanadaSir Graham Day, who has died aged 92, was a tough Nova Scotian with a strong sense of public duty who struggled to “save the saveable” from the wreck of two of the UK’s lame duck industries, shipbuilding and motor manufacture. Described by Margaret Thatcher as a “superb chairman”, he took the helm at five major British companies, including British Shipbuilders and British Leyland, before returning to business and academia in his native Canada.In 1970, as an international troubleshooter for the transportation company Canadian Pacific, he found himself supervising the delayed completion of two ships at the strike-torn Cammell Laird shipyard on Merseyside. Day noticed that the pickets went home at night, so he hired tugs and had the ships towed away for completion in Ireland. Continue reading...
When the streaming giant began making films guided by data that aimed to please a vast audience, the results were often generic, forgettable, artless affairs. But is there a happy ending?When the annals of 2025 at the movies are written, no one will remember The Electric State. The film, a sci-fi comic-book adaptation, is set in a world in which sentient robots have lost a war with humans. Netflix blew a reported $320m on it, making it the 14th most expensive film ever made. But it tanked: though The Electric State initially claimed the No 1 spot on the streamer, viewers quickly lost interest. Today, it doesn’t even feature in the company’s top 20 most viewed films, a shocking performance for its most expensive production to date. It became just another anonymous “mockbuster”, crammed with the overfamiliar, flashy signifiers of big-screen film-making: a Spielbergian childhood quest, a Mad Max post-apocalyptic wasteland, Fallout-style retro-futuristic trimmings.Another way of classifying The Electric State is as an example of the “algorithm movie”, the kind of generic product that clogs up streaming platforms and seems designed to appeal to the broadest audience possible. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, whose style might be politely described as “efficient”, specialise in this digital gruel; they also made the similarly forgettable action thriller The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling. Continue reading...
We would like to hear people’s experiences accessing NHS dental treatment amid fears of ‘dental deserts’People living in deprived or rural communities are more likely to experience “dental deserts” with a lack of NHS dental services, according to analysis of NHS England data from the Local Government Association.For instance, Middlesborough, one of the most deprived local authorities in England, has just 10 NHS dental practices per 100,000 people, compared to Richmond upon Thames, among the least deprived, which has 28 per 100,000. Continue reading...
We want to hear from people in their 60s, 70s, 80s or even 90s who are actively dating other people over the age of 60We’d like to hear from both single people and members of couples who very recently met the love of their life on a date. What is the best and worst date you’ve been on? Any funny or shocking anecdotes to share?How do relationships compare to the ones you had at a younger age? How much does companionship or sex factor? What about exes – your’s and your partners’ children and grandchildren? Are you using apps and websites or relying on word of mouth? Have you been on a lot of dates? What about ghosting? Continue reading...
We’re interested in hearing about club closures in your town – and about any signs of growthNew figures have revealed that one in four late-night venues in the UK have closed since 2020: almost 800 in total, with closures accelerating this year. Lobbyists have warned about the potential for “night-time deserts” without urgent tax cuts for nightclubs and music venues, and music industry figures have said that the UK’s next music superstars may have nowhere to hone their craft if gig venues continue to shut.We want to hear from you. How many venues and clubs have closed in your town in recent years? Are there any left at all? What opportunities are there for going out to dance or listen to live music? Continue reading...
We would like to hear from people on how they feel about food inflation and if it’s affected their shopping habitsFood inflation in the UK has hit 4.2% this month with there being a “significant increase” in the cost of staple foods such as butter and eggs. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said prices had risen at their fastest pace for 18 months.Those on low incomes are most affected by food price inflation because they spend disproportionately more of their monthly budgets on the essentials of life compared with the wealthiest, who have more room to cut discretionary spending. Continue reading...
Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they meanScroll less, understand more: sign up to receive our news email each weekday for clarity on the top stories in the UK and across the world.Explore all our newsletters: whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you Continue reading...
A weekly email from Yotam Ottolenghi, Meera Sodha, Felicity Cloake and Rachel Roddy, featuring the latest recipes and seasonal eating ideasEach week we’ll send you an exclusive newsletter from our star food writers. We’ll also send you the latest recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigel Slater, Meera Sodha and all our star cooks, stand-out food features and seasonal eating inspiration, plus restaurant reviews from Grace Dent and Jay Rayner.Sign up below to start receiving the best of our culinary journalism in one mouth-watering weekly email. Continue reading...
Kick off your afternoon with the Guardian’s take on the world of footballEvery weekday, we’ll deliver a roundup the football news and gossip in our own belligerent, sometimes intelligent and – very occasionally – funny way. Still not convinced? Find out what you’re missing here.Try our other sports emails: there’s weekly catch-ups for cricket in The Spin and rugby union in The Breakdown, and our seven-day round-up of the best of our sports journalism in The Recap.Living in Australia? Try the Guardian Australia’s daily sports newsletter Continue reading...
The best new music, film, TV, podcasts and more direct to your inbox, plus hidden gems and reader recommendationsFrom Billie Eilish to Billie Piper, Succession to Spiderman and everything in between, subscribe and get exclusive arts journalism direct to your inbox. Gwilym Mumford provides an irreverent look at the goings on in pop culture every Friday, pointing you in the direction of the hot new releases and the best journalism from around the world.Explore all our newsletters: whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you Continue reading...
Russian airstrikes on Kyiv, mourning in Gaza, wildfires in California, and the Notting Hill Carnival: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalistsWarning: this gallery contains images that some readers may find distressing Continue reading...