Meta will cut 10% of workforce as company pushes deeper into AI

Meta plans to lay off 10% of its workforce, equaling about 8,000 employees, as the company continues to ramp up investments in artificial intelligence.

Epstein files: DOJ watchdog reviewing release of documents on sex offender

Congress passed the Jeffrey Epstein files law in November after then-Attorney General Pam Bondi reneged on a promise to release the DOJ's investigatory file.

Slovenia to air films about Palestine instead of Eurovision song contest

Ireland and Spain will also not broadcast Eurovision after decision to boycott live event over Israel’s participation

National broadcasters in Ireland, Spain and Slovenia will not air the Eurovision song contest this year, after they decided to boycott the event over Israel’s participation.

Having announced it would not submit a national entry, the Slovenian broadcaster RTV confirmed on Thursday it would implement a broadcasting blackout of the world’s largest live music event and instead show a series of films about Palestine.

Foreign Office unit tracking Israel’s potential breaches of international law closes due to cuts

Exclusive: Officials warn department will also lose access to database of 26,000 verified incidents due to cuts

The Foreign Office unit tracking potential breaches of international law by Israel in Gaza and more recently Lebanon has been closed because of cuts within the department, the Guardian can reveal.

The decision to shut the international humanitarian law cell follows a review by Olly Robbins, the permanent secretary at the Foreign Office dismissed last week by the prime minister over the Peter Mandelson scandal.

Microsoft plans first-ever voluntary employee buyout for up to 7% of U.S. workforce

Microsoft's inaugural voluntary buyouts will be open to workers at the senior director level and below whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or more.

Spirit Airlines lawyer says cash 'not going to last for very much longer,' but government rescue on the table

Spirit Airlines confirmed it is in talks with the Trump administration for a rescue package.

White House warns of 'industrial-scale' efforts in China to rip off U.S. AI tech

The U.S. government has previously accused China of targeting American AI technology and intellectual property.

US justice department watchdog to review release of Jeffrey Epstein files – live

Watchdog to ‘evaluate the DOJ’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required’ by law

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You’ve likely seen that the Senate adopted the plan for the budget blueprint for ICE and border patrol after an all-night “vote-a-rama”.

This is, in fact, not a congressional dance break.

EU formally approves €90bn Ukraine loan and 20th sanctions package against Russia

Ursula von der Leyen hails ‘good news’ after Hungary’s lifting of vetoes allows leaders to sign off on agreements

EU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc completed the agreement along with a 20th sanctions package against Russia.

After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for a summit in Cyprus that began in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

‘Kraken-like’ giant octopuses 100m years ago crunched bones of prey

Study of fossilised beaks shows patterns of wear and suggests some ancient species were up to 19 metres long

Giant “kraken-like” octopuses that used powerful beaks to crunch through bones of prey were among the most formidable predators of the Cretaceous oceans, according to research.

Analysis of dozens of newly identified fossils reveals that some ancient octopus species reached up to 19 metres in length, meaning they would have rivalled – and possibly even preyed upon – apex predators such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts yet again

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted again early Thursday, marking its 45th episode since December 2024.

Thousands call on UK ministers to cut ties with US tech giant Palantir

More than 200,000 have signed petitions urging the government to break contracts amid concerns about the company’s ‘supervillain’ manifesto

More than 200,000 people have called on ministers to break contracts with Palantir in an apparent groundswell of public concern about the US tech company’s role in the NHS, police, military and councils.

Two petitions have attracted 229,000 signatures, one calling for the government to end all public contracts with the company, the software of which is used by Donald Trump’s ICE immigration enforcement programme and the Israeli military, and another urging the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to cancel its £330m patient data contract with the NHS.

DOJ watchdog launches probe into compliance with Epstein files law

The Justice Department's internal watchdog said it will audit the department's compliance with the law that required the release of the Epstein files.

‘Hairdryer or lighter?’: French police look at claim of sensor tampering to win weather bets

Forecasting service raises alarm over data from Paris airport used to settle Polymarket wagers on temperature

French police are investigating alleged tampering with national weather forecasting service equipment after a series of unusual temperature readings coincided with suspicious winning bets made on Polymarket.

Data from a Météo-France weather station at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport was used to settle bets between online gamblers on what the temperature would be in Paris for March and the first weeks of April.

Swiatek leads players’ surprise as WTA head Portia Archer quits after two years

• WTA chief executive appointed only in June 2024

• Tour needs to find new venue for flagship event

A number of top players on the WTA tour expressed their surprise at the abrupt decision by WTA chief executive, Portia Archer, to resign from her role this week after two years at the helm.

“I heard literally two minutes ago, so I really don’t know why now and everything,” said Iga Swiatek after winning her first-round match 6-1, 6-2 against Daria Snigur at the Madrid Open. “We always had a good relationship. I felt like she listened to what we had to say and was really open-minded.”

Private health records of half a million Britons offered for sale on Chinese website

Technology minister tells Commons ‘de-identified’ information from UK Biobank advertised for sale on Alibaba

The confidential health records of half a million British volunteers have been offered for sale on Chinese website Alibaba, the UK government has confirmed.

The “de-identified” data, belonging to participants in the UK Biobank project, was found for sale on three separate listings last week. Ian Murray, the technology minister, told the Commons on Thursday that, after working with the Chinese government and Alibaba, the records had now been removed. It is not believed any sales were made.

The Guardian view on Anthropic’s Claude Mythos: when AI finds every flaw, who controls the internet? | Editorial

Tech can scale cyber-attacks and defences alike, raising questions about private power, public risk and the future of a shared internet

Anthropic announced its latest AI model, Claude Mythos, this month but said it would not be released publicly, because it turns computers into crime scenes. The company claimed that it could find previously unknown “zero-day” flaws, exploit them and, in principle, link these weaknesses in order to take over major operating systems and web browsers. Mythos did so autonomously, writing code and obtaining privileges. The implications are significant. It’s like a burglar being able to target any building, get inside, unlock every door and empty every safe.

The Silicon Valley company has so far named 40 organisations as partners under Project Glasswing to help mount a defence – asking them to “patch” vulnerabilities before hackers get a chance to exploit them. All are American, sitting at the heart of the US-led digital system. Anthropic shared Mythos with only Britain outside the US, allowing the AI Security Institute to test frontier models. After seeing it up close, British ministers warned: AI is about to make cyber-attacks much easier and faster, and most businesses are not ready. Banks in Europe are likely to test it next.

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.

Trump claims US has total control over strait of Hormuz after Iran seizes two container ships

US president says Tehran hobbled by infighting as Pentagon reportedly briefs mine clearance may take six months

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump has again said that the US has “total control over the strait of Hormuz”, adding that Iran’s leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge.

But the US president’s claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines.

Starbucks' loyalty program changes are drawing value-conscious customers

Starbucks made some major changes to its long-standing loyalty program last month.

Man arrested on suspicion of planning mass shooting at New Orleans festival

Man from North Carolina arrested at Florida hotel with a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammo, authorities say

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Authorities say a man suspected of planning a mass shooting at a large New Orleans festival was arrested at a Florida hotel with a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The event was not named, but the New Orleans jazz and heritage festival, commonly known as JazzFest, runs from Thursday through 3 May. The gathering celebrates Louisiana’s music, food and culture, and attracted about 460,000 people last year, organizers said.

Author details the spy network that took on America's post-WWII Nazi groups

In The Secret War Against Hate, Steven J. Ross details the racist, anti-Semitic groups that sprang up in the latter half of the 20th century — and the spy network that worked to bring them to justice.

Justice Department eases restrictions on some marijuana products

The order places FDA-approved products containing marijuana and state-regulated medical marijuana products at a lower drug classification.

‘Extraordinary and original poet’ JH Prynne dies aged 89

The maverick writer and scholar was a pioneer in 60s avant garde circles, and emerged as a cult figure despite an aversion to publicity, and poetry that was hard to parse

Jeremy Halvard Prynne, known as JH Prynne, a maverick figure in British poetry, died on 22 April at the age of 89.

“Jeremy was an extraordinary and original human, which is no surprise because he was an extraordinary and original poet,” said Peter Gizzi, the American poet who introduced a reissue of Prynne’s 1969 collection The White Stones. “The word ‘genius’ gets tossed around, but if anyone was, he certainly was.”

Maresca is top candidate if Guardiola does quit Manchester City this year

• Positive talks at City over the former Chelsea manager

• Guardiola called him ‘one of the best in the world’

Enzo Maresca is the leading candidate to take over at Manchester City as they prepare for the growing possibility of Pep Guardiola leaving at the end of the season.

Maresca has been out of work since departing Chelsea in January and it is understood there have been positive talks over him replacing his old mentor this summer. Guardiola has a year on his deal but City know they must be ready for the 55-year-old deciding this is the time to leave.

Is the tide turning for Ukraine in war with Russia? - The Latest

With the EU approving a €90bn loan for Ukraine, a surprise visit from Prince Harry, and data suggesting Russian troops made almost no territorial gains in March - are there reasons for optimism in Kyiv?

Lucy Hough speaks to senior international correspondent Luke Harding

Israeli killing of Lebanese journalist draws international condemnation

Lebanese PM calls attack that killed Amal Khalil a ‘war crime’, with rescuers attempting to free her also targeted

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Israel’s killing of a prominent Lebanese journalist in a double-tap strike has been greeted with international outrage as Lebanon’s prime minister described the attack as a “war crime”.

Amal Khalil, 43, who worked for al-Akhbar newspaper, was buried on Thursday. She was killed in what colleagues described as a sustained attack by Israeli forces, with rescuers attempting to dig her out of the rubble of a building also targeted and prevented from providing life-saving assistance.

Journalist detained in Kuwait acquitted of ‘spreading false information’, says press monitor

Committee to Protect Journalists says Ahmed Shihab-Eldin was found innocent after 52 days in detention

• Middle East crisis – live updates

A Kuwaiti-American journalist, who had been detained in Kuwait, has been acquitted, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who has previously worked for PBS, HuffPost, the New York Times, the BBC and Al Jazeera, was arrested on 3 March during a brief visit to Kuwait.

Can a mentalist trick Trump? Oz Pearlman will try in a room full of journalists

The White House Correspondents' Dinner will be headlined by a mentalist instead of a comedian. Oz Pearlman tells NPR he hopes to unify, delight and puzzle the crowd — but can't reveal how.

The race for Europe: which English clubs can qualify, how, and who needs what

The places up for grabs in Uefa’s competitions next season are a moveable feast, leaving plenty of intrigue right up to the final day

With the end of the season approaching, it’s time again to try to get your head around the ever more complex rules that determine whether your club may qualify for Europe. But there will definitely be eight English teams playing continental football next season, and maybe more. The bad news is that if you own a multi-club network you’re too late to place your shareholding in a blind trust. Sorry, but I don’t make the rules, just attempt to interpret them.

NYT alleges FBI investigated reporter over story on Kash Patel’s girlfriend

Inquiry began in March after report on security arrangements involving FBI director’s girlfriend, NYT says

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The FBI began investigating a New York Times reporter after the newspaper published a story raising concerns about the security arrangements surrounding the girlfriend of Kash Patel, the FBI director, the Times has reported.

According to reporting from the Times on Wednesday, the inquiry into Elizabeth Williamson, the reporter, began in March following an article she reported alleging that Patel used FBI resources to provide protection and transportation for his girlfriend, the country singer Alexis Wilkins.

Michael Tilson Thomas, award-winning conductor and composer, dies aged 81

Renowned artist, who won 12 Grammys, died at home after being diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain cancer

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Michael Tilson Thomas, a leading American conductor for a half-century who headed orchestras in Buffalo, Miami, London and San Francisco while also composing, died on Wednesday. He was 81.

Tilson Thomas had surgery for a brain tumor in 2021 and resumed his career, then said in February 2025 that the tumor had returned. He conducted his final concert with the San Francisco Symphony in April 2025 and died at his home in San Francisco, spokesperson Connie Shuman said.

Southern US wildfires force residents to flee: ‘I don’t know if I have a house standing or not’

Fires that spread during drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smoke

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Wildfires tearing through the south have forced hundreds of Georgia residents to flee in minutes, leaving them distraught about the homes and animals they left behind.

The fires that spread this week during an extreme drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smoke, leading to more air quality warnings on Thursday across the south-east.

Vafaei calls Crucible snooker’s answer to Wimbledon after branding it ‘smelly’ in 2024

• Iranian’s 10-3 win sets up match against world No 1 Trump

• Former champion Murphy in strong position against Xiao

Hossein Vafaei has claimed the Crucible must be respected and called it snooker’s answer to Wimbledon two years on from his scathing criticism of the world championship venue.

In 2024 the Iranian described the Crucible as “smelly” and compared the practice facilities to “like playing in a garage”. But after last month’s announcement that snooker’s showpiece will remain in Sheffield until at least 2045, Vafaei highlighted the importance of the Crucible to the sport.

RFK Jr. says he would support a potential ban on junk food TV ads

A ban on TV junk food ads would likely draw fierce backlash from major food manufacturers. 

PSG have the edge in the Ligue 1 title race but face seven matches in 23 days

PSG’s win against Nantes gives them a four-point lead on Lens, but now have a gruelling schedule to play through

By Get French Football News

“The title is still in play. Lens aren’t giving up,” warned Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos after his team’s comfortable 3-0 win over Nantes on Wednesday night. Nantes put up a fight early in the match, and even had what would have been an equalising goal ruled out for offside, but they eventually caved to defeat at the Parc des Princes.

With five rounds of games to play, PSG have a four-point lead over Lens, who they meet in the penultimate fixture of the campaign. “This is a tough league but we haven’t had a challenger like this in other years,” added the Brazilian defender. “Lens are really having a great season. It’s good for us. It keeps us working hard and focused until the end of the season. We don’t have time to dwell. We’ll be playing every three days.”

‘I felt like I’d stumbled on a cheat code’: what is the burned haystack dating method?

Being on dating apps can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack – so Dr Jennie Young devised a technique to burn it down and find better matches

It was 2023, and Dr Jennie Young was sick of online dating. She was looking for a partner, and instead all she found in the apps were inappropriately sexual come-ons and conversations that went nowhere. It felt like looking for a needle in a big, rancid haystack. So one day, frustrated and totally out of ideas, she Googled “how do you actually find a needle in a haystack?”

The answer: burn it down.

American Airlines says soaring price of jet fuel will cost it $4bn this year

Fuel crisis from Middle East conflict could push carrier into loss as it looks to offset costs with higher fares

The soaring price of jet fuel will cost American Airlines another $4bn this year, the carrier has said, wiping out forecast profits.

The airline, the world’s largest by passengers flown, said the fuel crisis from the US-Israel war on Iran could push it into losses during 2026, having forecast profits approaching $1.8bn before bombing started.

Alan Osmond obituary

Oldest member of the family pop group that had Top 10 hits in the US and UK in the early 1970s

For the first half of the 1970s, the Osmonds enjoyed the kind of pop-idol adulation enjoyed by the Beatles or the Jackson 5. Raised in a devout Mormon household, the Osmond siblings combined a formidable collective work ethic with an extraordinary amount of natural talent. Alan Osmond, who has died aged 76 after suffering from multiple sclerosis since the late 80s, made crucial contributions to the group as songwriter, musician and producer. He co-authored many of their biggest hits, including Down by the Lazy River, Hold Her Tight and Wild Horses.

In a social media tribute, his brother Donny wrote that “Alan was our leader in every sense of the word. His tireless work helped build everything we became … I owe him more than I can ever fully express.”

Trump to nominate David Cummins as TSA administrator

President Trump intends to nominate David Cummins to lead the Transportation Security Administration, according to a person familiar with the decision.

How mosquitoes — and malaria — helped shape the whereabouts of early humankind

A new study looks at an unexpected force that played a critical role in shaping the lives of ancient humans.

Millions under wildfire alerts in central U.S., as warmth, winds fuel risks

A combination of heat, dry air and strong winds are fueling "extreme" wildfire risks for millions across the middle of the country.

JetBlue used customers' data to set ticket prices, lawsuit alleges

New lawsuit accuses JetBlue of using consumers' browser activity and other personal data to set airfares.

Olivia Dean review – soul-pop superstar shimmies into a classy and commanding first arena tour

OVO Hydro, Glasgow
The glam set design, gleaming brass and Motown moves are knowingly retro, but Dean’s performance is immediate, vulnerable and natural – the work of a singular artist

When the stage’s cream curtains pull back, Olivia Dean and band are already in full flow. Hands reaching out to the audience in welcome, she shimmies behind a silver mic stand in a floor-length candyfloss-pink dress, her band side-stepping on curved, softly carpeted risers. The swinging, sighing soul-pop single Nice to Each Other is bright with optimism for an on-off relationship, while soft-focus camera footage makes a collage out of gleaming trumpets, glamorous backing singers and Dean’s beaming face. With the air of old-fashioned music TV, it is knowingly retro and deeply romantic – everything you’d expect from the 27-year-old singer who is breathing fresh air into British soul.

On this opening night of two sold-out arena shows in Glasgow, ahead of six nights at London’s O2, Dean breezes through two more of her biggest songs as if it’s no big deal. Lady Lady, about moving out and growing up, is bassy and rich, while So Easy (To Fall in Love) is free, flirty and radiant: “This is a song to remind you that you’re fab,” she crows, now dancing at the stage’s footlights.

Europe's summer travel is on the line as airlines' jet fuel supply dwindles

Europe faces jet fuel shortages as the Middle East supply is cut off. Airlines may have to cut flights and raise fares ahead of peak summer travel.

Cannes did camera: how the film festival loves to watch itself

From An Almost Perfect Affair to Mr Bean’s Holiday, there’s nothing the festival enjoys more than seeing itself on screen. The next season of The White Lotus is tapping into that rich tradition – can it capture the Côte d’Azur’s peculiar magic?

Some years ago, the Guardian decided to boost its Cannes coverage by having a video crew accompany its regular festival reporters. At the meeting prior to the festival, I explained why this bright idea wouldn’t work. Cannes was a fortress and it wasn’t going to let us shoot anywhere. The security was too tight, the bureaucracy too byzantine. It would be a colossal waste of time and money. You couldn’t just run around Cannes pointing a camera at people.

It turned out I was wrong. Cannes didn’t care. It let us shoot everywhere. We shot on the street, on the beach and on the roof of Le Palais des Festivals. We dragged a sand-smeared rubber dinghy into the five-star Carlton hotel and asked famous actors to sit in it for an interview. We filmed on the carousel in the park and in the pavilions by the sea. The only resistance we encountered came from the steward of a billionaire’s yacht. The steward was perfectly happy to allow us free run of the deck, but he wanted his palms greased with a few hundred euros.

The Foreign Office should have intervened to stop Mandelson’s deeply flawed appointment | Richard Dearlove

If Olly Robbins stood firm the government could have avoided this disastrous episode of bad political judgment that could cost the PM his job

• Richard Dearlove is the former head of the British Secret Intelligence Service

The restricted compartments of the UK’s national security infrastructure are clearly defined and closely controlled. To work across them requires “a developed vetting certificate”. The primary qualification for holding a “DV” is integrity, honesty and transparency in one’s personal and professional life. To lie about or hide potential vulnerabilities is an immediate disqualification. Staff who do not meet the DV requirements for whatever reason are barred from positions that demand DV clearance. There are no grey areas or soft edges.

The role of British ambassador in Washington is one of those posts. It sits across a number of highly classified compartments. It is no ordinary diplomatic job. The extensive security acreage of the special relationship includes, for example, the UK’s nuclear deterrent, the intelligence relationship, the UK-US alliance which ties together the National Security Agency and GCHQ by treaty, and other domains of great sensitivity. The ambassador has access to these even though their need to become involved in them in normal times is limited. The British staff that comes under the ambassador’s authority is extensive and stretches beyond those working in the embassy. The ambassador’s access to the US administration is also usually highly privileged, such is the nature of the special relationship.

Richard Dearlove is the former head of the British Secret Intelligence Service

Apex review – Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton cat-and-mouse game is slick but soulless

This empty-calorie Netflix flick, about a steely woman being hunted by a scary local in the Australian wilderness, is shot like a Mountain Dew commercial

Charlize Theron plays the latest in a long line of movie characters to confront the harsh realities of the Australian landscape, in Netflix’s empty-calorie action drama Apex – only to discover that the real terror lies in the locals. Just ask John Grant from Wake in Fright or the backpackers in Wolf Creek. In Apex, director Baltasar Kormákur depicts neither the land nor the locals in particularly interesting ways, bathing the former in the glossy, sun-lit sheen of a Mountain Dew commercial and serving up a villain barely distinguishable from the usual backwoods bogeymen.

The film opens by firmly establishing its popcorn survival movie credentials, leaning into “pretty but dangerous” imagery as Theron’s protagonist, Sasha, wakes up in a tent dangling off the side of a mountain. Her unfazed reaction tells us that this vertigo-inducing choice of accommodation was intentional. In the tent, next to her, is hubby and fellow adrenaline fiend, Tommy (Eric Bana), though he’s not long for this world, soon to tumble like a ragdoll into the great beyond.

Trump administration eases rules on some marijuana categories. Here's what to know

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he is immediately moving medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, which includes drugs like ketamine, Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids.

BP board suffers triple climate rebellion from shareholders

More than 50% of voters at first AGM under new leadership oppose plans to scrap climate reporting

BP’s board has suffered a triple climate rebellion in its first shareholder meeting since appointing new leadership to steer the embattled oil company.

More than 50% of shareholders voting at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) came out against its plans to scrap its existing climate reporting, and its resolution to replace in-person annual shareholder meetings – a lightning rod for climate protest in recent years – with online-only events.

Trump’s war has backfired spectacularly: Iran is now more influential than ever | Fawaz Gerges

Tehran has shown that its grip over the strait of Hormuz is its most potent deterrent – arguably more consequential than its now defunct nuclear programme

• Fawaz Gerges is professor of international relations at the London School of Economics

Donald Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran will be remembered as a grave strategic miscalculation – one that has reshaped the region in unintended and destabilising ways. With the ceasefire now extended indefinitely, we can see more clearly how the war has undermined the US’s standing in the world and failed to achieve its core objectives: it has neither brought about regime change in Tehran, nor forced Iran to submit to American demands. Far from it.

By inflicting economic pain far beyond the region and slowing the global economy, Iran has demonstrated that its grip over the strait of Hormuz constitutes its most potent deterrent – arguably more consequential than its now defunct nuclear programme. Control of the strait will be Tehran’s most powerful source of leverage in the years ahead.

Mysterious "golden orb" found in deep sea in 2023 is finally identified

Scientists spent over two years identifying a mysterious object found off the coast of Alaska in 2023.

IBM shares drop as company beats but opts to maintain guidance

Investors have been attuned to mainframe disruption threats from artificial intelligence, but IBM posted 51% growth in Z mainframe hardware revenue.

Trump administration in advanced talks for Spirit Airlines rescue package, sources say

The Trump administration is preparing to rescue ailing budget carrier Spirit Airlines.

American Airlines CEO says merger with United would be 'bad for customers'

United CEO Scott Kirby floated the idea of a merger with American to a Trump administration official earlier this year, according to sources.

Cotton pushes bill to help critical infrastructure defend against drone threat

Cotton says current law leaves U.S. power grids, wastewater plants, and other high-risk sites exposed to emerging drone threats.

‘A history of the Earth’: Twelve Apostles revealed to be as old as 14m years

Tectonic plate movements over millions of years have lifted and tilted the layers, with records of ancient earthquakes in the rocks

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Microscopic fossils embedded in limestone have helped reveal the true age of Victoria’s Twelve Apostles, as 8.6 to 14m years old.

The conclave of giant golden pillars is visited by 2.8 million tourists each year, a highlight for those travelling along the Great Ocean Road south-west of Melbourne.

Timothy Ridout: Alto Appassionato album review – engaging and smartly curated viola and piano programme

Ridout/Ware
(Harmonia Mundi)
Accomplished violist Ridout and pianist Jonathan Ware add bristling imagination and rich emotional layers to music by Franck, Fauré and more

Friends and colleagues working side by side in the musical melting pot of fin-de-siecle Paris form the connective tissue in this attractive and smartly curated programme by violist Timothy Ridout and pianist Jonathan Ware.

They open with Léon Honnoré’s engaging Morceau de concert, premiered in 1904 by viola pupils at the Paris Conservatoire where, remarkably, the instrument had only been admitted to the curriculum 10 years earlier. Criticised at the time for requiring the violist to play harmonics – supposedly the exclusive purview of the violin – itemerges here as a zesty showpiece with a melodic heart and more than a hint of Beethoven. It pairs nicely with Henri Büsser’s moody C-sharp minor Appassionato, dispatched with a stormy flourish by Ridout whose playing throughout bristles with imagination.

Severance star Adam Scott: ‘There’s nothing wrong with being told that you resemble Tom Cruise’

The Parks and Recreation actor on working with Martin Scorsese, chatting about cinema with the pope and delivering calzones to stoners

The way your face changes in the Severance elevator is incredible. Are you thinking about anything in particular when you do it? Lott49
We worked on that for a long time, trying to figure out what specifically happens in the elevator. We must have tried 100 times before we landed on it. Eventually, Ben [Stiller, the director] suggested a subtle fluttering of my eyelids as my character goes through the shift between his “innie” and “outie” personas.

How intimidating was it working on The Aviator? PatHobby
I was pretty freaked out at first. But once you’re there, you realise these are just regular people who happen to be actors figuring out a scene. Everyone was extremely kind and generous to me and made me feel comfortable straight away.

The cinema lab: brain activity tracked to find secret to creating immersive films

Bristol University project aims to help directors make better movies and take greater risks – with one already onboard

At first glance, it looks like any high-end cinema: booming surround sound, a razor-sharp 4K projector and rows of reclining seats. But instead of clutching popcorn, a headset records my brain activity and a heart rate monitor wraps around my arm while infra-red cameras capture every blink and fidget.

I’m sitting in a one-of-a-kind cinema at the University of Bristol where researchers are studying how people respond to what they see on screen. By combining viewers’ physical reactions with verbal feedback on the parts of the film they found most compelling, the team hopes to understand which moments truly grip attention – and whether that insight could help film-makers create better movies and take greater creative risks.

‘Worth a thousand words’: Trump photo obscuring women’s tennis team sparks backlash

• Georgia players celebrated championship at White House

• President shakes hands of men, not women in video

• Former tennis star Navratilova leads criticism

A White House photo celebrating a champion women’s sports team has drawn backlash due to the positioning of Donald Trump and a group of men, who overshadowed the female athletes by lining up in front of them.

The University of Georgia women’s tennis team was one of several collegiate teams to visit the White House on Tuesday to mark a recent NCAA championship win. In a photo shared by press aide Margo Martin, Donald Trump and five Georgia staffers and coaches took up the front row of a stage setup, with 11 women standing in the background on a riser.

A papal mass, wildfires and the last post: photos of the day – Thursday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Maps show how Virginia, Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina and Utah redistricting could affect congressional seats

See maps of how Virginia, Texas, California, Missouri and North Carolina redistricting pushes could play out, based on the 2024 election results.

American Airlines cuts 2026 earnings projections after surge in jet fuel

American Airlines cut its 2026 earnings forecast, becoming the latest airline to lower its outlook after a surge in fuel costs added billions to its expenses.

Italian sports minister dismisses plan for Azzurri to replace Iran at 2026 World Cup

• Special envoy to Donald Trump suggested the idea

• ‘Firstly not possible … secondly not appropriate’

The Italian sports minister, Andrea Abodi, has described a proposal for his country to replace Iran at the World Cup as “not appropriate”, rejecting any idea that the Azzurri will be granted a last-minute berth at this summer’s tournament.

On Wednesday it emerged that Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy to Donald Trump, had suggested Italy should be fast-tracked to the World Cup despite their shock defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in last month’s playoffs. Zampolli proposed the four-time winners Italy replace Iran and said they would “have the pedigree to justify their inclusion”. But Abodi said football’s showpiece tournament should remain meritocratic.

Eighteen wolves found dead in Italian national park in suspected poisoning

Criminal investigation under way after carcasses found across Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise national park within a week

The carcasses of 18 wolves have been found in an Italian national park within the space of a week in an apparent series of poisonings described by conservationists as the most serious crimes against wildlife in Italy in a decade.

Authorities of the national park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise said eight wolves were found dead in recent days in three different areas of the vast park, adding to the 10 carcasses discovered last week. Three dead foxes and a buzzard were also found.

"A breaking point": Inside the 68-day DHS shutdown

In a department built to respond to catastrophic threats, employees have been reduced to bartering for office supplies.

St Vincent and Grenadines government pauses constitutional amendment bills after public backlash

Bills are seeking to change section that opposition says makes Godwin Friday, a dual citizen, ineligible to be PM

The St Vincent and the Grenadines government has delayed a controversial effort to amend a section of the country’s constitution that the opposition says renders the prime minister ineligible for his position in parliament.

Two bills, among six listed for the parliament session on Tuesday this week, were aimed at clarifying a section of the 1979 constitution governing the citizenship eligibility of members of parliament.

No food, no shelter, no blankets: inside Burundi’s fast-growing refugee camps – in pictures

Since early 2025, clashes have intensified in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), displacing hundreds of thousands of people across the region. Tens of thousands have fled to Burundi, one of the world’s poorest countries, where more than 80,000 Congolese refugees are seeking safety in overcrowded camps such as Busuma and Musenyi

‘Can I have some, please?’: has Trump opened the door to a psychedelic future?

Order to speed hallucinogen research hailed as ‘threshold moment’ but concerns remain over access and protections

The scene seemed so far-fetched you could be forgiven for thinking you might be hallucinating.

On the weekend in which psychonauts celebrate “Bicycle Day” – the anniversary of the first LSD trip – Donald Trump was in the Oval Office double-checking that he was correctly pronouncing the name of a lesser-known psychedelic, ibogaine, as he signed a landmark executive order to accelerate research into hallucinogens, and to increase access.

Real Sociedad suffer hangover from hell but it still can’t dim the joy of cup glory

The celebrations after la Real won the Copa del Rey have continued all week, even if Getafe briefly calmed the party

Imagine you win the Copa del Rey. It is the fourth time in history, the biggest explosion of joy in 40 years, maybe more, maybe ever. It needs 120 exhausting minutes and a nerve-shredding penalty shootout, so it’s nearly midnight Saturday when Pablo Marín – a ballboy the last time you reached the final – takes you over the line and after 2am Sunday before you leave the stadium. You get back to the hotel at 2.39am, a disco set up on the second floor. Taxis come at 4.45am, the celebrations going on someplace else, and the bus is waiting to depart at 10.15am, the partying guests at the NH Collection up again already. Or just not going down at all.

En route to the airport someone realises one of you did not make it, another cab hurriedly called. You fly 1,000km north, drinks trolley emptied, touch down about two, carry the trophy across the runway in Hondarribia, and do it all over again. The song that accompanied you on your most joyous journey, the soundtrack to the best days of your lives borrowed from Bad Bunny, demands coffee in the morning, rum in the evening, and so it goes, although the manager prefers gin and tonic and admits that “maybe there was an extra beer or two”. A crowd waits at Zubieta – not so much a training ground as a concept – to welcome you home and that’s nothing compared to what awaits beyond.

Judge approves $425 million Capital One settlement. Here's what to know.

The settlement stems from claims Capital One paid lower interest on older savings accounts while offering higher rates on a similar product.

U.S. forces board Iran-linked vessel amid tit-for-tat ship interdictions

U.S. forces have intercepted and boarded another "stateless" vessel linked to Iran, the U.S. military says.

Trump administration moves to ease federal restrictions on marijuana

Marijuana had the same classification as heroin, LSD and others before being reclassified for lower potential for abuse

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The Trump administration has moved to reclassify marijuana, more than four months after Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to move it from schedule I to schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

The schedule I classification meant marijuana was alongside heroin, LSD, MDMA and synthetic opioids, whereas a schedule III classification put it in the same category as ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.

What’s missing? Everything But the Girl’s 20 greatest songs – ranked!

With their sublime confection of heartbreak and dancefloor power, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt have never sounded like anyone else. Thirty years since Walking Wounded, here’s the duo’s very best

Releasing a version of the Cole Porter standard – previously recorded by Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald – as a debut single should have been an act of hubris. But Everything But the Girl’s (EBTG) version is fantastic, dolefully understated, effectively relocating the song to a grim bedsit in early 80s Britain.

Getting teeth pulled out, punching cars and obsessing about salad – the weird ways actors get into character

Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac decided to wear earbuds so they could listen to music while acting in Beef – resulting in massive VFX costs. But they’re the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wild onset choices…

Come awards season, you probably wouldn’t think that the second season of Netflix’s Beef would be a contender for many visual-effects gongs. After all, while it is tight, tense and sublimely acted, it is ultimately a small ensemble piece grounded in some form of reality.

But you might be wrong, since it has emerged that VFX artists had to painstakingly paint out earbuds worn by Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan throughout the shoot. On a recent podcast appearance, the show’s creator, Lee Sung Jin, told Isaac and Mulligan that digitally erasing the earwigs, as they are known, “cost a fortune”.

A close look at the U.S.-Mexico border as crossings hit 55-year low

Illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen to a 55-year low after skyrocketing several years ago. It comes amid a violent crackdown this year by the Trump administration in some major U.S. cities. Camilo Montoya-Galvez reports.

After bonfires, bulbs and a dog called Win, will Arteta get Arsenal going again?

No stone has been left unturned in Arsenal’s search for success but the manager must find a way of inspiring his team to play with freedom

Despite all the gimmicks, Mikel Arteta is still searching for answers. The Arsenal manager’s latest innovation involved lighting a fire at their London Colney training ground last week in the buildup to facing Manchester City, although that resulted only in the Watford coach Dan Gosling losing his voice. “Our training ground is across the hedge from Arsenal,” the former Newcastle midfielder said. “There was smoke and you could smell it, it was so strong.”

Arteta has tried pretty much everything since, days after his appointment in December 2019, he planted a 150-year-old olive tree outside his office to symbolise the history of the club and the responsibility “to look after the roots every single day”. From using a lightbulb during a pre-match team talk to “create energy and electricity”, to hiring professional pickpockets during a pre-season dinner and adopting a chocolate-coloured labrador called Win after reading that petting a dog can help to reduce stress levels, no stone has been left unturned.

Southwest Airlines forecasts quarterly earnings below estimates on higher fuel

The airline reported that revenue in its first-quarter period rose nearly 13% to $7.25 billion.

Police seek 17-year-old suspect in shooting near University of Iowa

Iowa City police are searching for a 17-year-old suspect charged in connection with a shooting that injured five near the University of Iowa over the weekend.

Families concerned over disappearance of 2 doctoral students: "It's very unusual"

Police in Tampa are searching for two doctoral students at the University of South Florida who haven't been seen for a week. Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both from Bangladesh, were last seen on April 16. Their families spoke to Cristian Benavides.

Army soldier's wife still faces deportation to Mexico after confusion over possible release

The wife of an Army soldier, who has been detained by ICE for more than a week, told her husband she was going to be released. But the family's attorney said ICE was instead processing the woman for deportation. She remains in custody and faces deportation to Mexico, since she's legally protected from being sent to her native El Salvador.

Massive wildfires in Georgia destroy dozens of homes

Wildfires in southeast Georgia have burned through homes and neighborhoods. Nearly 100 firefighters are battling the Pineland Road Fire, which has exploded to more than 29,000 acres. Meanwhile, in Brantley County, Georgia, more than 50 homes have been lost and 1,000 more are threatened.

Trump administration in discussions with Spirit Airlines over possible bailout

The Trump administration is in advanced discussions with budget carrier Spirit Airlines over a possible bailout worth up to $500 million, sources familiar with the negotiations say. Kris Van Cleave reports.

Philippines’ ex-president Rodrigo Duterte to face trial for crimes against humanity

ICC judges say there are substantial grounds to believe Duterte guided anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousands

The former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, will face trial at the international criminal court (ICC) after judges unanimously confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his “war on drugs”.

Pre-trial judges concluded on Thursday that there were substantial grounds to believe Duterte was responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder in relation to anti-drugs crackdowns that led to the killing of thousands of people.

Republican lawmakers attempt to shield big oil from climate lawsuits in ‘alarming’ bills

Climate experts and advocates warn House and Senate bills will protect polluters at the cost of the climate

Republican lawmakers are attempting to shield big oil from having to pay for its contributions to the climate crisis, alarming environmental advocates.

New House and Senate bills, led by Harriet Hageman, a Wyoming representative, and Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, respectively, would give oil and gas companies broad legal immunity from policies and lawsuits aimed at holding the industry accountable for damages caused by its emissions.

​Folded​, whipped or baked into something golden, ricotta ​i​s brilliant and adaptable

This soft, whey‑born staple slips effortlessly from savoury suppers to indulgent celebratory desserts while keeping its cool, milky charm

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My record for making ricotta and lemon ring cake is three minutes and 42 seconds. That doesn’t include heating the oven or baking, or finding a recipe, which is in my head. It does include getting out the utensils (bowl, spatula, grater, scale, ring tin) and the ingredients (ricotta, olive oil, flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, lemons), then speed-mixing everything in one bowl, scraping the batter into the tin and getting the tin in the oven via a discus throw. The timer is stopped as the oven door is closed. This is not relaxing cooking, it is entertaining cooking. And it is gratifying, having proved my partner wrong when he said it would take me at least five minutes.

I was disappointed, then, to find myself on terrible form the other day, when a chocolate-chip version of the same ring cake took me five minutes and 19 seconds. In my defence, I had difficulty getting the glass bowl out of an impractical stack, and we had run out of chocolate chips, which meant I had to find a knife and chop up a bar instead. Even so, it was an absymal performance. There was some consolation in the cake itself, which is not only the quickest, but one of the best cakes I know. The ricotta adds creamy depth and the olive oil provides fat, and together they make for a tender, moist, everyday cake that is best eaten warm, when the bits of chocolate are still hot enough to be little pools.

Chelsea players want new manager to be big character who can command respect

• Squad viewed Rosenior as too inexperienced

• Iraola and Fàbregas are potential candidates for job

Chelsea’s players feel Liam Rosenior’s successor needs to be a big character who can command the respect of the dressing room and keep strong egos in line.

With the search under way for the sixth permanent manager of the BlueCo era, it is understood the squad are keen for a shift in focus after failing to connect with Rosenior before his time at Stamford Bridge ended three months into a six-and-a-half-year deal.

Tensions rise in two ceasefires in the Middle East. And, the Navy secretary ousted

Tensions are rising in the Middle East as shaky ceasefire agreements between the U.S., Israel and Iran, and Lebanon and Israel, are tested. And, the Secretary of the Navy is out of the role.

The U.S. seizes another oil tanker as peace talks with Iran remain in limbo

President Trump says he ordered the Navy to "shoot and kill any boat" putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. ramps up minesweeping there.

Russell Brand says he had ‘exploitative’ consensual sex with girl, 16, at height of his fame

Brand, who will be tried in October over allegations of rape and sexual assault, tells podcast he slept with 16-year-old when he was 30

Russell Brand said he had “exploitative” consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl at the height of his fame.

The comedian, actor and podcaster, 50, will be tried in the autumn over allegations of rape and sexual assault made against him by six women. Brand denies all the charges, which date from 1999 to 2009. Speaking about his past actions in an appearance on the YouTube show of the US journalist Megyn Kelly, Brand described himself “selfish” and an “exploiter of women”.

Trump's lack of focus on economy is spooking Republicans as 2026 election looms

President Donald Trump has been posting a lot on social media about his White House ballroom, the Iran war, and Pope Leo XIV. Not much about rising gas prices.

Noah Kahan: The Great Divide review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

(Mercury)
All but repeating the formula of his breakout album, Kahan seems torn between whether success is sustainable or even repeatable on songs defiantly rooted in small-town life

Last week, Netflix released a feature-length documentary about Noah Kahan called Out of Body. Over its 90 minutes, we learn that the 29-year-old Stick Season singer-songwriter is a worrier – about his weight, his career, his parents – and prefers his home state of Vermont to his new home in Nashville. He is self-deprecating, likable and perhaps not someone you can make a 90-minute documentary about at this stage of their career without recourse to padding.

That someone has tried says a lot about Kahan’s vertiginous rise over the last three years, a firm rebuttal to the idea that the privations of lockdown had changed the face of pop: that listeners were now after glitzy escapism rather than the dressed-down, earnest introspection of the post-Ed Sheeran troubadours this newspaper dubbed “the ordinary boys”. In fact, a new wave of dressed-down introspection was about to become a thing: Myles Smith is playing arenas, Alex Warren’s single Ordinary spent 13 weeks at No 1; Teddy Swims’ I’ve Tried Everything Except Therapy spent more than two years in the UK album chart. And the biggest thing of all is Kahan, who used to introduce himself on stage as “the Jewish Ed Sheeran”, has a thing for the stomp-clap rhythms of Mumford & Sons and stirs a little heartland rock – Springsteen via Sam Fender – into his sound. He was catapulted to success by Stick Season in 2022: a sweet, sad shiver of autumnal wistfulness written from the perspective of someone left behind in their home town when their friends and ex-girlfriend head off to university. It sold 10m copies, the first of eight huge hits from an album of the same name.

This serial killer exhibit made me want to hurl - has our true crime obsession gone too far?

The ‘experience’ in New York sensationalizes history’s most gruesome murders – and pays little respect to the victims

It occurred to me the second I idly tapped “submit” on the waiver required to enter Mind of a Serial Killer: the Experience – perhaps I should have read this one more closely. Just what were they going to do to me in there?

I was entering an exhibit about the (mostly) men who committed some of history’s most gruesome murders: Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, John Wayne Gacy and others. The extravaganza just hit New York after opening in Dublin earlier this year. Though it looks like a low-budget haunted house, the exhibit purports to examine the motives of murder via crime scene recreations, wall texts and psychological profiles.

Taraji P Henson: ‘It’s exhausting to have to fight for my worth’

The Oscar-nominee on Hollywood burnout, Black resilience and her Broadway debut in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

On a Wednesday evening in midtown New York, generations X through Z spill out of the Ethel Barrymore Theatre to cluster around the venue’s side stage door. They’re waiting for Taraji P Henson.

“I feel like I’m Cardi B on tour,” Henson jokes. When we talk over a video call this April, the actor is one week out from the opening night of her Broadway debut in the revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Throughout the show’s preview period, Henson has made an effort to make it out to street level after performances to shake hands, take pictures and sign playbills. “It’s good to see my fans like this, up close and personal,” she says.

Two startlingly different views on long-awaited data on America's anti-HIV efforts

After a year without data, the State Department released figures on PEPFAR, the program launched by George W. Bush and credited with saving millions of lives. How did Trump's aid cuts affect it?

Peace talks between U.S. and Iran at a standstill as Trump extends ceasefire

President Trump has extended the ceasefire, but Iran says it's not enough if the naval blockade is still in place.

Why are White House journalists partying with Trump? | Margaret Sullivan

The White House correspondents’ dinner has always been a questionable affair. It’s even more worrying under an anti-press administration

Even in the pre-Trump era, I had reservations about the annual black-tie celebration in Washington that some have dubbed “the nerd prom” but is more formally known as the White House correspondents’ dinner.

Was it really a wise idea, I wondered, for Washington DC journalists and their bosses to chum around with the very government officials that they were supposed to be covering? Shouldn’t reporters maintain some critical distance? What about the “optics” of this much-publicized event (and the week of gala festivities surrounding it) that made journalists appear frivolous about holding the government accountable to the public? Given the American public’s rock-bottom trust in traditional media, hasn’t this annual, televised display worsened that problem?

The international right has CPAC. Has the left finally found its answer? | Owen Jones

Spain’s PM, Pedro Sánchez, hosted the inaugural meeting of the Global Progressive Mobilisation. Keir Starmer and other social democrats were notable by their absence

Can progressives push back the rising tide of authoritarianism? Thousands of people gathered in Barcelona this weekend in search of an answer. The occasion was the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation – an ambitious initiative backed by the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez – which drew an impressive cast: Brazil’s Lula, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, alongside many activists and civil society organisations. There was no shortage of targets in the discussion panels and speeches: Donald Trump, fascism, war, corporate power and Israel’s genocide.

What was striking, though, was who wasn’t there. Europe’s leaders were largely absent. That was inevitable, given that Spain stands alone as the only major European country governed by a meaningfully progressive administration. Keir Starmer’s failure to attend – even if his deputy, David Lammy, turned up – was hardly surprising. Indeed, the political distance between Starmer and a leader such as Sánchez is striking. Once little known beyond his own country, the Spanish PM’s outspoken opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and his unequivocal condemnation of the Iran war have won him respect among European publics and governments across the global south alike.

Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

The 2026 NFL Draft is tonight. Here's when and how to watch.

Here is what to know about where and when to watch the 2026 NFL Draft.

AI's a suck up. Research shows how it flatters and suggests we're not to blame

The AI models and chatbots that we interact with tend to affirm our feelings and viewpoints — more so than people do, with potentially worrisome consequences.