Grizzly bears to be restored to U.S. region where they were wiped out

There has been no confirmed evidence of a grizzly within the North Cascades Ecosystem in the U.S. since 1996.

U.S., China to hold first AI talks within 'weeks' amid ongoing TikTok stalemate

The U.S. and China will hold their first high-level talks on artificial intelligence within the "coming weeks," U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.

FDA approves Pfizer’s first gene therapy for rare inherited bleeding disorder

The agency greenlit the drug, which will be marketed as Beqvez, for adults with moderate to severe hemophilia B. 

Manchester City turn up heat on title rivals before big weekend: football news – live

• Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
• Sign up for Football Daily | And send Dominic an email

Chris Wilder has been in contemplative mood this morning as the spectre of Sheffield United’s impending relegation (finally) moves in. A loss to Newcastle on Saturday will confirm their place in the 2024/25 Championship.

We’re not saying everything is great. What we are saying is there is a load of optimism about the future of the football club. It’s a poor season, not a poor football club. We’ve been in far more worse positions than this as a football club, certainly over my time as a supporter, player and manager.

So, we’ll come again if the inevitable happens on the weekend. We’ll try our best, as we did, like we did on Wednesday night at Old Trafford, to get a result for our club and our supporters.

I can’t be the only person who thinks the media love-in for Roberto de Zerbi is a little overblown, right? Brighton has played some very pretty football under his management, but then they did under Potter. And the results are no better. In recent months, they’ve looked pretty soft.

If De Zerbi gets a bigger job off the back of an ‘OK’ job at Brighton, then he should really thank the Brighton recruitment team because they’re the real assets at the club.

Bourguignon, burgers and beetroot: Paris Olympics to make history with vegetarian offerings

Chefs have created meat-free dishes for athletes while fans will have greatest choice of vegetarian food of any Games

It will boast the world’s biggest salad bar, offer fans vegetarian hotdogs and bring in up to half a million bananas by boat to meet athletes’ insatiable demand for the fruit while avoiding the carbon footprint of air travel.

As part of its efforts to cut carbon emissions, the Paris Olympics will make history by offering more vegetarian cuisine than in any Games.

Trump advisors are considering plans to dramatically revamp the Fed, WSJ report says

Trump's political operatives are putting together a plan that would give him unprecedented influence over the Fed, the report states.

Middle East crisis live: it could take 14 years to clear Gaza Strip of rubble and unexploded bombs

War has left estimated 37m tons of debris in area, requiring years of work with ‘100 trucks’, says UN official

• See all of our Israel-Gaza war coverage

A premature Palestinian infant, rescued from her mother’s womb by an emergency caesarean section shortly after the woman was killed by an Israeli airstrike, has died, her uncle said Friday.

Associated Press reports Rami al-Sheikh said Sabreen Jouda died in a Gaza hospital on Thursday after her health deteriorated and medical teams were unable to save her.

Barclays accused of greenwashing over financing for Italian oil company

Exclusive: Environmental groups say bank is misleading public over ‘sustainable’ financing for Eni as company vastly expands fossil fuel production

Barclays is being accused by environmental groups of greenwashing after helping to arrange €4bn (£3.4bn) in financing for the Italian oil company Eni in a way that allows them to qualify towards its $1tn sustainable financing goal.

Environmental groups have said the London-based bank is deliberately misleading the public by labelling the financial instruments as “sustainable” at the same time that Eni is in the midst of a multibillion-pound fossil fuel expansion drive designed to increase production.

Justice: Hyperdrama review – an uncertain return to the dancefloor

(Ed Banger/Because)
The French producer duo attempt a return to their roots, but the results are a little too polished

With their self-titled 2007 debut, French production duo Justice – Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay – established themselves as promising Daft Punk successors. Combining arena-sized drum tracks with squealing guitars and a thundering dancefloor pulse, they delivered gargantuan melodic hooks with gut-thumping force. Yet subsequent releases have struggled to elicit the same sense of vitality. Audio, Video, Disco, from 2011, veered into the complicated world of prog, while 2016’s Woman attempted a disco-pop crossover; neither was fully convincing. On their latest album, Justice attempt a return to their club-oriented roots.

Across 13 tracks, the pair find their strengths in the heavier end of the musical spectrum. Generator shudders through raw synths and techno kick-drums, providing an apt soundtrack for a postapocalyptic dancefloor, while the tonal switches on Incognito are delightfully unpredictable, shifting from disco bass to cavernous melody. On softer moments, though, they’re on less steady ground. One Night/All Night drowns out guest vocalist Kevin Parker’s falsetto with a plodding backing, while Saturnine grates in its interplay of chopped guitar lines and high-pitch vocals. Justice are still capable of raw-edged excitement, but on Hyperdrama they find themselves too polished and bright.

A local’s travel guide to Austin: what to eat, see and do in three days

Standout spots include food truck parks, honky-tonk hangouts and Lady Bird’s wildflower sanctuary

Austin has become one of the most popular places in the US to move to, and also to visit. Droves of people descend on the city in March for the South by Southwest tech, film and music festival and in the fall for the Austin City Limits music festival. And Austin is one of the top five destinations in the US for bachelorette parties. Don’t let the bachelorettes scare you away, though. Austin is a great place to spend a few days, so long as you do it like a local.

My family and I moved to Austin 12 years ago, after living in New York for many years. I’ve also lived in Washington DC, the San Francisco Bay Area and Philadelphia. Austin has a feel all of its own: it has a world-class music scene, great food that now goes well beyond Tex-Mex and barbecue, Texas history and fun shopping and museums – all with less hassle than bigger cities in the US.

Urban flats for sale in Great Britain for less than £500,000 – in pictures

From a modern development in the heart of Edinburgh to a Grade II-listed townhouse in Ramsgate

Pet Shop Boys: Nonetheless review – a great, fan-pleasing album

(x2/Parlophone)
The duo’s first LP in four years finds them refining and updating their late-80s heyday sound, with a new producer in tow

Cultural gravity makes certain events inevitable, such as Sean Lennon and James McCartney writing songs together. Or Britain’s most successful pop duo returning to refine and update the sound of their late-80s imperial era. Nonetheless is Pet Shop Boys’s first album since 2020’s Hotspot, which concluded their Stuart Price-produced trilogy. New producer James Ford takes 1986 debut Please’s simplicity and the lush orchestration of 1990’s Behaviour and applies both to this fan-pleasing collection.

For those who wish the pair’s albums came with a reading list concealed inside a clutch of club flyers, there’s Dancing Star, a lovely three-minute biopic of Rudolf Nureyev – the Russian joining the vast dinner party of historical figures, including Casanova, Debussy, Hitler and the Queen, featured elsewhere in Neil Tennant’s lyrics.

Digested week: Trump’s McDonald’s bill is big, but its prices have ballooned | Emma Brockes

‘Coastal elites’ feel the pinch of fast-food price hikes too. Plus: Liz Truss bars Guardian journalists from book launch. Lol

Donald Trump’s appearance in criminal court on Monday has raised many questions, constitutional and otherwise, but on the evidence of the first day I find myself most curious about the former president’s McDonald’s order. During jury selection last week, the Daily Mail reported on a $700 (£560) McDonald’s order put in by Trump staffers that included 27 orders of fries, 27 quarter pounders, a bunch of nuggets and no drinks. A McDonald’s employee complained anonymously that they didn’t leave a tip – in line with everyone who eats at McDonald’s – but still.

Black man's death in police custody probed after release of bodycam video

A Black man in Ohio, Frank Tyson, seen handcuffed and facedown on a bar floor in the video, died in police custody. Officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Cause of death revealed for doctor found dead in Arkansas lake

The case fueled social media speculation about whether his disappearance had been tied to his cryptocurrency dealings.

‘Real hope’ for cancer cure as personal mRNA vaccine for melanoma trialled

Excitement among patients and researchers as custom-built jabs enter phase 3 trial

Doctors have begun trialling in hundreds of patients the world’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma, as experts hailed its “gamechanging” potential to permanently cure cancer.

Melanoma affects about 132,000 people a year globally and is the biggest skin cancer killer. Currently, surgery is the main treatment although radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used.

British succulent society chair quits over row about taking specimens from wild

Group banned plants ‘removed from habitat’ from its shows – causing uproar from enthusiasts

A furious row has blown up in the UK’s leading succulent society over the practice of taking desirable specimens from the wild, with the chair resigning in protest over the behaviour of his fellow enthusiasts.

Succulents have risen in popularity in recent years: they are attractive and hardy.

Is Connor Hubbard the most boring man on the internet? | Arwa Mahdawi

His viral TikToks of his generic 9-5 life in a Texas suburb have become a Rorschach test of sorts

Connor Hubbard might be the most boring man on the internet. The 29-year-old dresses like a generic white guy, lives in a nice but unremarkable house in the Dallas, Texas, suburbs and works a 9-5 in insurance. He “lives for” his morning coffee and loves going to the gym after work and watching TV in the evening. He is perfectly happy with his mundane existence – which includes a wife, a dog and a baby on the way – and does not aspire to anything more. The internet is obsessed with him.

Every few months one of Hubbard’s slice-of-an-ordinary-life videos goes viral eliciting extreme reactions. A Rorschach test of sorts, half of the viewers seem to think his world is morbidly depressing (“what is the point of even living?” one person asked), while the other half thinks it is hugely aspirational. Under the comment section of the latest video to go viral, people are having heated debates about whether the man is a role model or a cautionary tale.

Trump's immunity arguments and the experiences of the justices who might support it

Five of the six conservatives spent much of their lives in the Beltway, working in the White House and Justice Department, seeing their administrations as targets of unfair harassment by Democrats.

The pro-Trump Arizona fake electors scheme: what’s in the charging document?

The indictment details the steps to push the concept of alternate electors in an alleged effort to overturn Biden’s victory

The indictment against the slate of fake electors in Arizona and the Trump allies who advanced the scheme there includes a host of public statements and private exchanges that show how the group intended to overturn the state’s electoral votes for Joe Biden in 2020.

Arizona’s Democratic attorney general Kris Mayes announced Wednesday that a state grand jury charged the 11 false electors and seven others with nine felony counts of fraud, forgery and conspiracy. The indictment from Mayes’ office is sure to be a talking point in this year’s elections , nearly four years after the acts themselves occurred.

‘People think I hate pop’: super-producer AG Cook on working with Beyoncé and honouring his friend Sophie

As the boss of PC Music, the godfather of hyperpop confounded critics but won over Beyoncé and Charli XCX. Now, with a supersized new solo album, he’s continuing his mission to make pop more unpredictable

Everything about AG Cook is exhausting. As a producer of elasticated outre pop his output is as varied as it is frenetic, taking in everything from bass-rattling electronic workouts for cultural behemoths such as Beyoncé to celestial dreamscapes for underground newcomers, via collaborations with Caroline Polachek and longterm partner in crime, Charli XCX. Having initially steered clear of solo albums to focus on running his divisive yet hugely influential label PC Music, Cook’s debut, 2020’s 7G, featured 49 tracks and more than two hours of music ranging from face-melting dance experiments to a lo-fi Sia cover. Apple, a more streamlined, but no less polarising followup arrived a month later.

His hard drive somehow still not yet full, Cook is now back with his third album Britpop, a three-part, 24-song opus split into Past, Present and Future sections. As part of its promotion he’s been busy creating TikToks and launching his own parody website Witchfork, billed as “the least trusted voice in music”. “It’s obviously embracing some troll behaviour, which has always been a bit of a thread for me personally,” he laughs.

Resist the urge to fill all gaps in your borders, but if you must, sow hardy annuals

Raid the garden centre for established plants – or better yet, sow your own into trays or pots for a riot of colour by summer

The ritualistic morning garden inspection returned in earnest about a month ago. Taking a look every day offers a chance to pick slugs off things or unearth unwanted volunteer plants (weeds, if you prefer), but I gain more from noticing what’s growing: the perennials that have popped up overnight, what’s filling out, what’s in bloom, what’s going over. We have yet to reach the full-on helter-skelter of May, but we’re not far off: things are changing every day.

It can also be a challenge to that most crucial of gardening tools: patience. My grandfather always advised us to wait until June to see if a plant was going to do anything or not – namely, return. But even heeding that I understand the temptation to fill in the gaps in a bed.

Trump trial moves to cross-examination of first witness

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker will field questions from former President Donald Trump's defense team.

Will Deadpool & Wolverine mark the real introduction of the X-Men into the MCU?

The collaboration between the merc with a mouth and the clawed crusader has to work hard to mashup the alternate realities, but it could open portals to a lot of multiversal fun

It is somewhat ironic that just when the Marvel Cinematic Universe is entering its most intriguing phase, with the introduction of the multiverse and superheroes jetting in from all sorts of weird and wonderful corners of the Hollywood studio system, it has also begun to deliver its biggest duds. Chloé Zhao’s Eternals and Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania all seemed dull and listless compared to the endlessly colourful and imaginative episodes that populated the comic book macro-saga’s earlier phases.

Is it any coincidence that these movies only lightly tinkered around the edges of multiversal goings on, while two of Marvel’s more successful episodes of recent times, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home, doubled down on the concept of alternate realities? It is almost as if Marvel has become so enamoured of the creative possibilities introduced by other universes (who could blame them when it’s possible to port in Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin or Patrick Stewart’s Professor X with just a flick of one’s magical, multiversal wrist?) that its film-makers struggle to get out of first gear when there is only one boring old single reality to play with.

China warns relations with US could slip into ‘downward spiral’ if red lines crossed

Wang Yi tells Antony Blinken ‘disruptions’ could arise amid threat of sanctions over China’s support for Russia’s defence industry

China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, has warned the US that the recent improvements in the two countries’ relations were being jeopardised by “disruptions” that could take them back to a “downward spiral” leading to rivalry, confrontation and even conflict.

Wang was speaking at the start of a meeting in Beijing with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, at a time of renewed tension in the relations between the superpowers. The US, he said, should not step on China’s “red lines”.

What to know about a possible Israeli military offensive in Rafah

In Gaza's southernmost city, where more than a million Palestinians have sought shelter and where aid groups have centralized operations, worries have grown over a possible Israeli military operation.

More than 500 people have been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests at colleges

Students and others are protesting Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza and, in some cases, their school's investments in Israel. Presidents at several schools face calls to resign amid the protests.

Weather tracker: heavy rainfall causes flooding and death in east Africa

Rain in Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi kills at least 90 people and damages farmland and infrastructure

Eastern Africa has experienced heavy rain in recent weeks, with flooding in Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi. About 100,000 people have been displaced or otherwise affected in each country, with 32 reported deaths in Kenya and 58 in Tanzania, alongside damage to farmland and infrastructure.

There are also fears that large areas of standing water could give rise to outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog – and goat – in new book

South Dakota governor includes bloody tale in campaign volume – and admits ‘a better politician … wouldn’t tell the story here’

In 1952, as a Republican candidate for vice-president, Richard Nixon famously stirred criticism by admitting receiving a dog, Checkers, as a political gift.

In 2012, as the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney was pilloried for tying a dog, Seamus, to the roof of the family car for a cross-country trip.

United Methodist Church begins reorganization over LGBTQ+ issues

The United Methodist Church has voted to restructure itself in a way that could allow for LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex weddings.

A year later, Florida businesses say the state's immigration law dealt a huge blow.

Florida passed in 2023 one of the strictest immigration laws in the country, and now businesses struggle to find workers in several sectors of the economy

Former tabloid publisher details actions on behalf of Trump ahead of 2016 election

David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, told prosecutors he killed stories that potentially could have hurt Donald Trump during his run for the White House in 2016.

A Baltimore teacher is accused of using AI to make his boss appear racist

This wild case emphasizes the serious potential for criminal misuse of artificial intelligence that experts have been warning about for some time, one professor said.

The Cass review of gender identity services marks a return to reason and evidence – it must be defended

Its author has had to fend off criticism and misinformation, but the report offers hope for a realistic conversation

As the dust settles around Hilary Cass’s report – the most extensive and thoroughgoing evidence-based review of treatment for children experiencing gender distress ever undertaken – it is clear her findings support the grave concerns I and many others have raised. Central here was the lack of an evidential base of good quality that could back claims for the effectiveness of young people being prescribed puberty blockers or proceeding on a medical pathway to transition. I and many other clinicians were concerned about the risks of long-term damaging consequences of early medical intervention. Cass has already had to speak out against misinformation being spread about her review, and a Labour MP has admitted she “may have misled” Parliament when referring to it. The review should be defended from misrepresentation.

The policy of “affirmation” – that is, speedily agreeing with a child that they are of the wrong gender – was an inappropriate clinical stance brought about by influential activist groups and some senior gender identity development service (Gids) staff, resulting in a distortion of the clinical domain. Studies indicate that a majority of children in the absence of medical intervention will desist – that is, change their minds.

David Bell is a retired psychiatrist and former president of the British Psychoanalytic Society

Do 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.

The new power sleeve? It’s the one that isn’t there at all

Sleeveless knits work brilliantly over a sleeved dress or blouse – the conversation between the two pieces is where the magic happens

Bishop. Puff. Raglan. Leg-o’-mutton. Lantern. Kimono. Bell. It’s a thing, these days, that if you want the world to know that you are wearing Fashion, as opposed to just clothes, you wear a sleeve with an unusual shape and a name to match. The statement sleeve has an origin story in the Zoom dressing lockdown era, but continues to go from strength to strength in 2024, with Bella Baxter’s bonkers sleeves helping power Emma Stone to an Oscar for Poor Things.

But the most fashionable sleeve of all is a sleeve that isn’t there at all. The no sleeve is the new power sleeve. To be specific, what we are talking about here is the unstoppable rise of the sleeveless knit and the sleeveless jacket. Sleevelessness as a fashion statement works best on a jumper or a jacket precisely because they usually have sleeves. When you see a jumper without sleeves, or a blazer, the sleevelessness feels like a daring creative decision, whereas a shift dress without sleeves is just, well, a shift dress.

My undying love for the painfully uncool Amiga

It may have looked like something you’d see a bank teller use, but it withstood heavy battering. And it ran the coolest games

I have told my wife that I want a Mini Amiga for Christmas. I know it’s only April, but I do this with things I want in the hope that when it suddenly appears in the house next week, my wife will think she bought it for me. I have slipped the purchase of seven games machines, a stuffed tarantula and an air fryer under the radar this way. In an inconsistent world, I like the way this institution of marriage works.

I read the reviews and was surprised at the appearance of two words I never associated with the original Amiga: cool, and love. It might seem strange to say the Amiga wasn’t loved, because a lot of people bought and used one. But people use things every day that they don’t love: electric shavers, patience, door handles, the train.

Where can you call an artist on a lobster? Find out in the quiz

Plus, Tesla's next move, Taylor's new record and why zoo animals (sometimes) get weird during eclipses.

China's influence operations against the U.S. are bigger than TikTok

Intelligence officials and lawmakers describe the Chinese-owned social media app as a national security threat. But they haven't shared that evidence with the public.

Ukraine agriculture minister detained in multimillion-dollar corruption inquiry

Mykola Solskyi accused of illegally seizing land worth more than $7m when he was head of major farming firm and an MP

Ukraine’s agriculture minister, Mykola Solskyi, has been detained after being named as a formal suspect in a multimillion-dollar corruption inquiry.

Blighted by corruption scandals since the fall of the Soviet Union, Kyiv has pledged to bolster its anti-graft efforts as part of its bid for EU membership.

Two men charged in connection with deaths of five people in Channel

Yien Both, from South Sudan, and Tajdeen Adbulaziz Juma, from Sudan, charged with immigration offences in UK

Two men have been charged with immigration offences in connection with the investigation into the deaths of five people, including a child, who were trying to cross the Channel.

Yien Both, a 22-year-old from South Sudan, has been charged with assisting unlawful immigration and attempting to arrive in the UK without valid entry clearance.

UK minister appears to mix up Rwanda and Congo on Question Time

Chris Philp gets confused over neighbouring countries when discussing government’s Rwanda deportation policy

• UK politics – latest updates

The policing minister, Chris Philp, appeared to confuse the countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on BBC Question Time on Thursday.

When discussing the government policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, the MP for Croydon South responded to an audience member’s question during the BBC One programme by asking: “Rwanda is a different country of Congo, isn’t it?”.

Chess: Gukesh, 17, shocks favourites to become youngest challenger for title

The Chennai teenager won the Candidates by just half a point and will take on China’s Ding Liren for the world crown in a 14-game series later this year

Gukesh Dommaraju became, at 17, the youngest ever Candidates ­winner and world championship challenger on Sunday after edging out the favourites Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Ian Nepomniachtchi in a marathon six-hour final round in Toronto.

Gukesh will now meet the holder, China’s Ding Liren, in a 14-game series for the world crown from 20 November to 15 December. The world No 1, Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, abdicated his title in 2023 after a 10-year reign.

You be the judge: should my flatmate stop setting the clocks fast – even if I am always late?

Fatima has taken drastic action to cure Sade’s chronic lateness. Sade says she doesn’t need her hand holding. You decide whose time is up
Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

I know I’m perennially late but by changing the clocks, Fatima makes me feel infantilised

Sade hasn’t changed all the clocks back. I think on a subconscious level she knows it actually helps her

Week in wildlife – in pictures: a lazy leopard, a moonwalking elephant and hitchhiking ducklings

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

New EU nature law will fail without farmers, scientists warn

Open letter calls for green policies that empower farmers, after months of protests jeopardise future of flagship biodiversity deal

The EU’s nature restoration law will only work if it is enacted in partnership with farmers, a group of leading scientists has said, after months of protests have pushed the proposals to the brink of collapse.

In an open letter, leading biodiversity researchers from across the world said that efforts to restore nature are vital for guaranteeing food supplies – but farmers must be empowered to help make agriculture more environmentally friendly if the measures are to succeed.

Mount Fuji view to be blocked as tourists overcrowd popular photo spot

Fujikawaguchiko town official says choice to erect huge barrier is ‘regrettable’ and last resort

A huge barrier to block views of Mount Fuji will be installed at a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.

Construction of the mesh net – 2.5 metres (8ft) high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20 metres – will begin as early as next week, an official from Fujikawaguchiko town said on Friday.

Police allegedly use rubber bullets and teargas at university protest in Georgia

Multiple arrests at crackdown on Emory University campus encampment focused on Palestine and Cop City

Police have carried out multiple violent arrests at Emory University in Decatur, Georgia, in what appears to be the first campus crackdown in recent days to involve rubber bullets and teargas after students set up an encampment in solidarity with Palestine and against Cop City.

On Thursday, Emory students set up multiple tents on the campus’s lawns in protest against the university’s ties to Israel, as well Atlanta’s Cop City, a police and fire department training center that is being constructed on a 171-acre plot in a forest south-east of Atlanta.

Protests over Israel-Hamas war lead to hundreds of arrests on campuses

Hundreds of people have been arrested in California, New York, Massachusetts, Texas, Georgia and other states during the tense protests on college campuses.

David Crowell: Point/Cloud review – minimalism that sparkles with joy

(Better Company Records)
The New York multi-instrumentalist, who has played with Philip Glass and Steve Reich, shows great flair for making minimalism rich and harmonically complex

Crowell has been an in-demand musician around New York for more than a decade – playing saxophone, flute and guitars with the likes of the Philip Glass Ensemble, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Steve Reich and in his own outfits Empyrean Atlas, Spirit Stout and Eco-Tonal – but Point/Cloud foregrounds his work as a composer. Here he delegates performance duties to several very different ensembles – other guitarists, a percussion troupe, a singer and cellist – to create a diverse suite unified by a singular vision.

Minimalism is often robotic, repetitive and melodically stunted, but Crowell’s minimalism is wonderfully rich and harmonically complex: busy arpeggios sketch out dense, extended chords that constantly mutate and move in unexpected directions. The three-part title track, like Pacific Coast Highway, is a piece of baroque flamenco with Daniel Lippel multitracking multiple electric and nylon-strung guitars: it’s apparently inspired by Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint, but also nods to Vini Reilly and John Fahey.

Private Revolutions by Yuan Yang review – an intimate account of how China is changing

A social and economic revolution observed through the lives of four women in their 30s

Yuan Yang, the former Financial Times China correspondent, has written an engrossing new book that meticulously reports on a country in the throes of change, using the lives and choices of four women from her own generation as a lens.

Leiya, Sam, June and Siyue, born in the late 80s and 90s, all hail from different regions and social classes – but they share the trait of being “unusually accomplished idealists”. Lieya, who drops out of school to work in a factory, later goes on to run a childcare collective. Sam, “born into a special sliver of her generation: the urban middle class”, is drawn into the world of labour activism after interviewing an injured factory worker for a university sociology course. June is just 13 when her mother is killed – crushed on a conveyor belt in a coal mine. She becomes the only one of her village primary school classmates to make it to high school, and then university. Headstrong Siyue’s stressful childhood is characterised by the rising and falling fortunes of her parents, who try their hands at various business ventures (repairing Nokia handsets, for example). Later, as a single mother, she is adamant about parenting her daughter differently – and giving her own mother (who she tricks into going on her first ever holiday, to Bali) a new outlook on life, too.

Wave of exceptionally hot weather scorches south and south-east Asia

Warnings of dangerous temperatures across parts of Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh and India as hottest months of the year are made worse by El Niño

Millions of people across South and Southeast Asia are facing sweltering temperatures, with unusually hot weather forcing schools to close and threatening public health.

Thousands of schools across the Philippines, including in the capital region Metro Manila, have suspended in-person classes. Half of the country’s 82 provinces are experiencing drought, and nearly 31 others are facing dry spells or dry conditions, according to the UN, which has called for greater support to help the country prepare for similar weather events in the future. The country’s upcoming harvest will probably be below average, the UN said.

‘Ahead lay cypress-lined Tuscan roads waiting to be discovered’: readers’ best road trips

Our tipsters navigate Alpine passes, serene backcountry and dramatic coastlines across Europe, stopping off for the odd hike, cycle or dip in the sea

Driving through the Tuscan hills, the sun beginning its slow descent in the hazy, glowing heat on an August evening was one of the most exquisite experiences I have ever had. Travelling slowly along small, winding roads near Siena in our old Polo, we settled in to the rhythm the locals live by. The peaceful embrace of the Tuscan way of life was felt at every turn, with every smile we saw and every vineyard we gazed across. The cypress trees lining other, yet-to-be-discovered roads in the distance added to our awe at our surroundings.
Lotta

Portugal commemorates the Carnation Revolution – in pictures

Thousands in Lisbon celebrated the 50th anniversary on Thursday of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution, which toppled the longest fascist dictatorship in Europe and ushered in democracy. The almost bloodless revolution was conducted by a group of junior army officers who wanted democracy and to put an end to long-running wars against independence movements in African colonies

Hanging in there and a dichroic shopper: Photofairs Shanghai 2024 – in pictures

A selection of highlights from the ninth instalment of Photofairs Shanghai, the contemporary art fair for photography

• Shanghai Exhibition Centre | April 25-28, 2024

Pandabuy: police raid ‘20 football stadiums’ worth of alleged fake goods warehouses

Arrests as Chinese authorities working with UK police and international trademark agencies seize millions of parcels bound for customers worldwide

Chinese authorities have targeted a major online sales platform accused of supplying counterfeit goods, raiding warehouses holding millions of packages destined for overseas buyers.

Earlier this month police raided the Hangzhou office and several warehouses of Pandabuy after reported legal action by 16 brands over copyright infringement. More than 200 public security branch officers, 50 private sector investigators and local police were involved, according to reports.

The cost of living crisis has made the UK a poorer, more anxious nation – and worse is yet to come | Andy Beckett

Instead of buy-one-get-one-free offers, everyday life now involves carefully comparing prices and feeling increasingly powerless

Under capitalism, prices are supposed to be the centre of everything. They are the key agreement between buyer and seller. They are the one clear and reliable piece of information, on which the whole often opaque and unstable system depends.

So it struck me as strange when some of my local London shops stopped displaying the prices of some goods a couple of years ago. It started with upmarket fishmongers, and I wondered whether this was because wealthy customers didn’t need to count their pennies. But then the practice spread to corner shops and greengrocers, with a wider clientele, and to everyday purchases such as fruit and vegetables. There was a cost of living crisis going on, the worst in Britain for 40 years, but parts of Hackney seemed to be in denial.

Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist

What does Taiwan get from the foreign aid bill and why is the US economy among the biggest winners?

The sweeping foreign aid package passed by congress has drawn the ire of China, but billions of dollars will actually stay in the US

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen has praised the US Congress for passing a sweeping foreign aid package this week which included arms support for the island, and has drawn the ire of China.

After months of delays and contentious debate, the bill was signed into law by Joe Biden on Wednesday. Described as $95bn in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, the legislation actually contains provisions that broadly affect many parts of the Asia-Pacific, while also spending billions of dollars at home in America.

‘We got no heads up’: Kirk Cousins surprised by Falcons’ Penix Jr selection

• Atlanta selected the Washington QB with No 8 pick in the draft
• Cousins signed $180m contract with Falcons this offseason
• Bears tap Caleb Williams with No 1 pick as six QBs go in top 12

The Atlanta Falcons provided the shock of the first round of the NFL draft by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr with the No 8 overall pick on Thursday night.

The Falcons extended their recent trend of selecting offensive skill players in the first round by drafting Penix one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180m contract with $100m guaranteed. Using a draft slot normally targeted for players expected to make an immediate impact, the Falcons picked Penix as the apparent long-term successor to the 35-year-old Cousins. The Falcons had been expected to use the pick to boost their pass rush.

2024 NFL Draft: Day 1 recap of first-round picks

An unprecedented six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks, an NFL Draft record.

Solidarity and strategy: the forgotten lessons of truly effective protest – podcast

Organising is a kind of alchemy: it turns alienation into connection, despair into dedication, and oppression into strength. By Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix

Is there humour left in the White House? – podcast

The annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner returns this Saturday for a night of comedy ‘roasting’ – where the great and the good are ruthlessly mocked in celebration of the freedom of the press.

In recent years, however, the night has taken on a different tone, with the atmosphere of warm self-deprecation and bipartisan bonhomie replaced by something more scathing and serious.

This week Jonathan Freedland is joined by Jeff Nussbaum, a former senior speech writer to Joe Biden, to discuss the art of writing gags for presidents and whether there is still space for humour in US politics.

The evolution of man: how Ryan Gosling changed stardom, cinema and society

The actor’s feminist credentials, a wholehearted embrace of comedy and being one of the most memed actors on social media has seen Gosling’s auto-satirising alpha male become white-hot box office in 2024

In Hollywood, there are no accidents. Ryan Gosling’s role in stuntman pic The Fall Guy, hard on the heels of his show-stopping Oscars rendition of I’m Just Ken, is perfectly timed to confirm his ascension to the very top tier of stardom. Not only is it a four-quadrant entertainment turbo boost – covering all audience bases with action, romance, a legacy franchise for the oldies, John Wick-slick for the kids – it is shrink-wrapped to his public persona. His role as stunt veteran Colt Seavers, saving the skin of the idiot megastar he doubles for, caps off the stance Gosling has upheld on talkshows and memes over the last decade: stardom and celebrity as a delectable facade, an in-joke between star and audience to be played with the lightest of ironic touches.

But of course Gosling is a bona fide star, one of Hollywood’s most important. His confused, toxic himbo Ken stole the Barbie limelight from Margot Robbie. Tunnelling into classic archetypes of masculinity with modern self-awareness is the on-screen niche he has made his own – giving us a new, uniquely supple male star for the post-#MeToo era. His mainstream roles – getaway drivers, daredevil motorcyclists, venal bankers – have often been ultra-macho, but the actor himself comes with rounded metrosexual edges. Men want to be him, with his debonair cool and inexhaustible supply of swanky jackets (the leather Miami Vice stunt-team number in The Fall Guy being the latest). As far back as 2017, Morwenna Ferrier noted that Gosling clones, sporting a certain “turbo cleanliness”, were now on the loose in cities everywhere.

Thank You, Goodnight review – Bon Jovi’s surprisingly devastating ode to lost youth

There’s plenty of great stuff in this documentary to keep super fans happy – but you only need to know 80s banger Livin’ on a Prayer to get emotional as the ageing band break down before your very eyes

Every pop biography has the same dilemma: fans of the artist want to know all the details, while viewers with only a passing interest just want to get to the good stuff. You can tell which side of the line Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story falls on by looking at the running time. Its four episodes are all well over an hour long.

By far the strongest instalment is the opener, which can be watched in isolation as an evocative charge through the period leading up to the band’s formation and breakthrough. The best rockumentaries have the power to pitch us into a past moment we wish we could hang out in – the place and time here that crackles with fantastic potential is New Jersey in the back half of the 1970s.

Married at 10, abused and forced to flee without her children: an Afghan woman on life under the Taliban

Now living in comparative freedom in Iran, 26-year-old Mahtab Eftekhar describes facing motherhood at 12 and explains why seeking justice for other women means she no longer fears death

At the age of 10, while still in the third grade, I received news from my mother and stepfather that we would travel to Helmand province for my brother’s wedding. Little did I know, it was to be my own wedding, as my family had arranged my marriage to my cousin and sold me for 40,000 Afghanis [£500], without my knowledge or consent.

That night, after the wedding, I went to sleep beside my mother and little brother, only to wake up next to my cousin. Trembling from confusion and fear, I fled the room in tears and screams. But my mother and her sister coerced me back into that room. It was then that I was told I had been married to my cousin.

Residents still have concerns about Flint's water

It's been a decade since the Flint water crisis began. Residents told CBS News the scandal still weighs heavily on the city.

Former Tesla SVP Drew Baglino is selling $181.5 million worth of stock, SEC filing says

Drew Baglino, who announced he'd be leaving Tesla on April 15, is selling 1.14 million shares of the electric car company, according to a filing on April 25.

The US college protests and the crackdown on campuses - podcast

Police have arrested dozens of students across US universities this week after a crackdown on pro-Palestine protests on campuses. Erum Salam and Margaret Sullivan report from New York

As the Israel-Gaza war grinds on amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, the world’s attention this week was captured by a battle on the campuses of elite US universities. Pro-Palestine student protesters were arrested en masse by New York City police at the prestigious Columbia University, prompting outrage that spread across other college sites.

Guardian US reporter Erum Salam tells Michael Safi that the scene on Columbia’s campus was one of orderly drum circles and organised anti-war demonstrations, not the all-out violent chaos that might have been imagined.

US troops begin construction of Gaza aid pier as questions remain over distribution

About 1,000 US troops will support the military construction efforts, but Joe Biden has ordered them not to set foot on the Gaza shore

US troops have begun construction of a maritime pier off the coast of Gaza that aims to speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory, the Pentagon has said, but the complex plan to bring more desperately needed food to Palestinian civilians is still mired in fears over security and how the aid will be delivered.

“I can confirm that US military vessels, to include the USNS Benavidez, have begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj Gen Patrick Ryder told reporters.

India election: fears that Modi’s BJP will polarise voters in fight for key state

Muslims worry Modi’s party will rely on familiar tactics of drawing on religious divisions as it battles Congress to to retain seats in Karnataka

The sun scorched the carpeted car park at Mudipu Junction outside Mangalore in Karnataka state as volunteers arranged rows of red plastic chairs and placed mounds of biryani and fruit on the table for a public iftar, the moment Muslims break their fast during Ramadan.

But this was no ordinary iftar. India is in the midst of a general election during which prime minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are seeking a third term, and factionalism is rife.

Astronauts confident Boeing's Starliner is finally ready for crew flights

Astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams say they have complete confidence in the Starliner despite questions about Boeing's safety culture.

Microsoft says cloud AI demand is exceeding supply even after 79% surge in capital spending

Microsoft has more demand than supply for running artificial intelligence models in the cloud.

Trump trial hears new details about alleged "catch and kill" scheme

Former National Enquirer boss David Pecker appeared on the stand for the third day, detailing an agreement the tabloid made with a former Playboy model.

Intel shares fall after company provides weak forecast for the current quarter

Intel's report was the first since the company revealed that it had restructured its financial reports to make Intel Foundry a separate line item.

New York's highest court overturns Harvey Weinstein verdict

The New York State Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that disgraced former media mogul Harvey Weinstein did not receive a fair trial in a 2020 case in which he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women. In a 4-3 decision, the appeals court determined that the judge in the case "erroneously" admitted testimony from women whose claims were not part of the charges. Jericka Duncan has more on the decision and what could come next.

Pro-Palestinian protests roil colleges nationwide

Hundreds of arrests were made this week as pro-Palestinian protests continue at universities across the U.S. Police tore down tents at Emory University in Atlanta Thursday morning, while officers used batons to disperse a large crowd of protesters at USC in Los Angeles Wednesday night. Jason Allen reports on the chaos.

Ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker continues testimony in Trump "hush money" trial

David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, took the stand Thursday for the third day in former President Donald Trump's "hush money" trial in Manhattan. Pecker told the jury that he declined to purchase Stormy Daniels' story himself, but he advised then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen "to buy this story and take it off the market." Robert Costa reports.

Supreme Court hears Trump immunity case

The Supreme Court on Thursday heard three hours of arguments over whether former President Donald Trump should be immune from criminal prosecution for official acts he took while in office. A decision, which is not expected until June, will have ramifications on the federal case that accuses Trump of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Jan Crawford has details.

Why U.S. law enforcement struggles to combat online romance scams

Local and federal authorities face challenges in investigating and prosecuting romance scammers because the scammers are often based overseas. Jim Axelrod explains.

My partner concealed he had more than one ex-wife. Should I be nervous about our future? | Leading questions

This omission demonstrates a troubling facility with concealment, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. To move forward, you need to be satisfied there are no more big surprises

After several months of dating, my partner revealed he had another ex-wife and three teenage children. He’d only ever mentioned one ex-wife and two small children. He explained his rationale and I decided to continue with the relationship. I had been single for 15 years and I feel I’ve really connected with him.

We have the best time together, and although he’s away a lot with work, he’s communicative, considerate and has given me the sort of relationship I never thought I’d find. I feel he genuinely loves me and wants the best for me. He’s always saying how much he appreciates me. But I am nervous about the future as he has so many commitments (I don’t have children but hope to one day, and he’s on board).

"CBS Evening News" headlines for Thursday, April 25, 2024

Here's a look at the top stories making headlines on the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell."

American arrested in Turks and Caicos after ammo found in luggage out on bail

Ryan Watson, who faces a possible 12-year prison sentence after ammo was allegedly found in his carry-on, said he feels " incredibly blessed that people have been responding in such a powerful way."

Luke Littler silences Liverpool boo boys with Premier League darts win

• Teenager beats Rob Cross 6-2 at the M&S Bank Arena
• Manchester United fan enjoyed some lively banter

Luke Littler silenced the boo boys by claiming a sweet Premier League victory in Liverpool. The 17-year-old was on the receiving end of jeers at the M&S Bank Arena but turned them into cheers as he hammered Rob Cross 6-2 in the final, where the hostile crowd could not help but watch in admiration.

The 17-year-old has been a fans’ favourite since bursting on to the scene at the world championship over Christmas but his antics on social media have not been well received on Merseyside. Littler is an avid Manchester United fan and has enjoyed goading bitter rivals Liverpool in recent weeks as their quadruple hopes have crumbled.

Premier League: 10 things to look out for in this weekend’s football

Liverpool await a dead-ball salvo, Luton have to keep their chins up and things could get spicy at City Ground

David Moyes will surely have taken note of Liverpool’s struggle to defend set pieces against Everton. Jürgen Klopp, who must be delighted with a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, should prepare his team for another bruising test when they visit West Ham. For Moyes, this is a chance to repair the sizeable damage to his reputation caused by last weekend’s collapse at Selhurst Park. West Ham were 4-0 down to Palace after 31 minutes and are preparing to part company with Moyes at the end of the season, but they should take heart from how Everton unsettled Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. Everton scored twice from set pieces and West Ham pose a similar threat from dead balls. James Ward-Prowse’s deliveries towards Tomas Soucek, Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio will have Klopp’s defenders sweating. Jacob Steinberg

West Ham v Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Fulham v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Newcastle v Sheffield United, Saturday 3pm

Manchester United v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

Microsoft cloud growth accelerates on back of AI push

Microsoft saw a pickup in the segment containing video games after buying publisher Activision Blizzard in October.

Nevada parents arrested after boy found in makeshift "jail cell"

Misty Scanlan, 46, and Jeffery Scanlan,41, were taken into custody and each booked on one count of child abuse and neglect.

Paramount and Skydance inch closer to a merger as key hurdle looms, sources say

Paramount Global and Skydance are getting closer to final terms on a merger agreement, sources told CNBC, but a renewal with Charter remains an obstacle.

Man who hoped to be first Black astronaut in 1960s finally heading to space

In 1961, Ed Dwight was selected by President John F. Kennedy to enter an Air Force training program known as the path to NASA's Astronaut Corps. But he ultimately never made it to space.

Rise in all-cash transactions turbo charge price gains for luxury homes

Some 46.8% of luxury homes were bought entirely with cash in the three months ended February 29, the highest share in a decade, according to Redfin.

Trump trial: Defense attorneys begin cross-examination of David Pecker

The New York criminal trial of Donald Trump resumed with testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

Trump immunity case suggests new role for supreme court: kingmaker

Oral arguments over former president’s claim of immunity seem to have left Trump happier than the justice department

“Well,” said one reporter to another as they left the supreme court chamber, sometime after noon on Thursday. “Looks like we’re getting a king.”

Notwithstanding a certain mordant hyperbole on a momentous day in American history, the sentiment seemed within bounds.

Cost of buying a home in America reaches a new high, Redfin says

The median mortgage payment jumped to a record $2,843 in April, up nearly 13% from a year ago, a new analysis finds.

Southwest cuts growth plans, warning effect of Boeing airplane delays will last into 2025

Southwest Airlines is one of Boeing's biggest customers and flies only 737s.

FCC votes to restore net neutrality. Here's what that means.

U.S. regulators are reviving a rescinded rule, laying the groundwork for for a major court fight with the broadband industry.

Open seating no more? Southwest CEO says airline is weighing cabin changes

Southwest stands apart from other large airlines because it does not have seat assignments.

Hollywood reacts to overturning of Harvey Weinstein rape conviction: ‘Beyond disappointed’

Surprise reversal of producer’s New York conviction led to anger from stars and accusers, including Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino

Hollywood has reacted with shock to the news that the disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction has been overturned by a New York court.

The fallen movie mogul was sentenced to 23 years in 2020 for two sex crimes, a decision that a court of appeals has now called the result of an unfair trial.

Venice becomes first city to charge a daily tourist fee

Visitors will have to pay five euros, a fee designed to offset some of the costs of accommodating tourists.

Red Bull stunned by shock news F1’s top designer Adrian Newey is to leave

• Newey believed to be unhappy with events this season
• News deals blow to Red Bull hopes of keeping Verstappen

Red Bull’s chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, is expected to leave the team, it has been reported. Newey is the most successful designer of the modern Formula One era and has been an instrumental part of Red Bull’s success but is said to have become uncomfortable with his ­position at the team since the team principal, Christian Horner, was cleared after an investigation into accusations of inappropriate behaviour by a female employee.

The 65-year-old Newey has been with Red Bull since 2006, only one year after the team was formed. He has since designed cars that have won seven drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships for Red Bull and his talents have long been sought after by rivals across the paddock. Losing him would be an enormous blow to the team.

Few small popular SUVs succeed in new crash prevention test

Only one vehicle of the 10 small SUVs tested earned a good rating.

Rafael Nadal prolongs Madrid farewell by dispatching teenager Darwin Blanch

• Spaniard eases to 6-1, 6-0 victory over 16-year-old wildcard
• Veteran to face Alex de Minaur in second round of Madrid Open

As Rafael Nadal prepared to enter the Estadio Manolo Santana for what could have been his final match on home soil, like every one of his matches this week could be, much of the 12,400 capacity crowd filled out the walkway around the stadium. He emerged to a prolonged standing ­ovation, necks craning to catch a fleeting glimpse of his entrance.

It was a moment. The start of a final homecoming for the greatest athlete from these lands, but it remains to be seen if he has more to give. Against an extremely young opponent out of his depth, Nadal moved into the second round of the Madrid Open with ­efficiency and ease, dismantling Darwin Blanch – 21 years his junior – 6-1, 6-0 in an hour. “At least two more days,” said Nadal afterwards. “In the end, I’m happy.”

Amazon Ring customers getting $5.6 million in refunds, FTC says

PayPal payments are being made to 117,044 consumers whose videos may have been accessed by unauthorized users.