Bournemouth v Leeds, Middlesbrough v Sheffield Wednesday and more: football – live

• Live Premier League and Championship updates

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“I know we start next season on -15 points, but looking at the team tonight, it’s a good League One team,” writes Sheffield Wednesday fan Colin Everest. “Let’s hope the takeover goes through smoothly this month.” Amen to that.

Middlesbrough (3-4-2-1): Brynn; Malanda, Fry, Ayling; Brittain, Morris, Whittaker, Targett; Browne, Conway; Strelec.
Subs: Sene, Silvera, Castledine, Bangura, Edmundson, Hansen, Wildsmith, Ibeh, Sarmiento.

Crypto mogul sues Trump family's World Liberty Financial, alleging fraud

Sun alleges that World Liberty Financial froze the digital tokens he had purchased, locking him out of assets worth as much as $1 billion.

Liam Rosenior leaves Chelsea three and a half months into contract until 2032

• Rosenior has taken charge of only 23 matches

• Calum McFarlane in interim charge for rest of season

Liam Rosenior has left Chelsea after Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton. The head coach has gone three and a half months into a six-and-a-half-year contract after taking charge of only 23 matches.

The loss at Brighton was Chelsea’s fifth in a row in the Premier League without scoring and extinguished any realistic hope of finishing in the top five spots that would guarantee Champions League qualification.

New report rankes the cleanest and most polluted U.S. cities

The new report evaluated air quality in different parts of the country by measuring the presence of ozone and particle pollution in the atmosphere.

Donald Trump makes baseless claims that Virginia redistricting vote was ‘rigged’ – live

President also claims that language for referendum was ‘purposefully unintelligible’, adding that he ‘had no idea what they were talking about’

• Virginia voters approve new congressional maps in blow to Trump

• Virginia’s victory good for Democrats but also shows Trump’s redistricting battle could be all for nothing

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Also today, we can expect the Senate to vote on another war powers resolution, to curb the Trump administration’s war in Iran.

Led by Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, this will be upper chamber Democrats’ fifth attempt to pass a resolution.

Louisiana v Callais: A high-stakes voting rights case in which the court’s conservative majority appears poised to gut one of the most powerful provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Trump v Cook: Donald Trump’s case for firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, as he continues to exert greater control over the US central bank.

Trump v Slaughter: A case which examines the legality of Trump’s firing of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member, Rebecca Slaughter.

Burnley v Manchester City: Premier League – live

⚽️ Updates from this 8pm BST KO at Turf Moor
⚽️ Premier League table | Email Simon

Scott Parker has an extremely brief chat. Important sartorial update: he’s gone with a grey cableknit sweater tonight, rather than a cardigan.

There ain’t no time to look in the future or look in the past. There’s a huge challenge tonight in front of the cameras and we’re representing a badge and they’re representing themselves. That’s the main challenge really.

You have to adapt. Huge respect for Burnley, of course. In the Premier League every game you have to do the proper, proper thing. Six games left, we have the opportunity to try to win the three points.

Middle East crisis live: Iran says it has seized two ships in strait of Hormuz after Trump extends ceasefire

State media says the ships have been transferred to Iran’s coast

• Trump announces ceasefire extension

• Why Trump’s erratic commentary is the real block to an Iran deal

If you’re just joining us, here’s the main news of the day. It is 9.30am in Tehran, 9am in Jerusalem and Beirut, and 2am in Washington DC.

Donald Trump unilaterally said he is extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request while awaiting a “unified proposal” from Tehran, even as the US military maintains its blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump made the announcement as ceasefire talks looked increasingly uncertain with a two-week truce set to expire on Wednesday. Both countries had said they were prepared to resume fighting if no deal is reached.

Trump said he would “extend the ceasefire until such time as [Iran’s] proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other”.

Trump later claimed in a Truth Social post that Iran is “collapsing financially” and was losing $500m every day that the strait of Hormuz is effectively closed.

Iran has yet to decide whether to join the negotiations in Pakistan, a foreign ministry spokesman said earlier on Tuesday, and will only take part if Tehran believes the discussions would yield results.

A container ship has reported being fired at by an IRGC gunboat, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. The incident occurred 15 nautical miles north-east of Oman. The vessel sustained “heavy damage” to its bridge, the master of the ship said. All crew members were reported as safe.

Shares were mixed in Asia as markets waited to see if the US and Iran may resume talks. Brent crude edged higher to $98.51 a barrel, while US benchmark crude fell 0.4% to $89.29 a barrel.

One person was killed and two others wounded in an Israeli drone strike overnight on the outskirts of al-Jbour in Lebanon’s western Bekaa Valley, Lebanese state media reported. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire on Friday.

Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon, the Associated Press reported. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 US service members throughout the region have been killed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to prevent oil production in the Middle East if the Islamic republic faced attacks launched from its Gulf neighbours’ territory.

Bessent says 'many' U.S. allies have asked for currency swaps amid Iran war turbulence

The White House on Tuesday said the UAE had not requested a currency swap line.

Divisions emerge in Keir Starmer’s cabinet over his sacking of Olly Robbins

PM under increasing pressure over Mandelson vetting scandal as sources say ministers spoke up at tense meeting

Keir Starmer is looking increasingly isolated over his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal with divisions emerging in cabinet over his decision to sack the Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins.

On another difficult day for the prime minister, the Guardian learned of concerns around the cabinet table, a senior minister refused to say the dismissal was fair and several mandarins called for him to be reinstated. One Labour MP called on Starmer to quit.

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

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

What Trump’s Bible stunt says about his complicated history with Christianity

On Tuesday, the president read from the Bible in a taped message. Religious scholars were not impressed

• This was originally published in This Week in Trumpland. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday

Donald Trump, who recently posted an image on social media which portrayed him as Jesus Christ (or, rather, “a doctor”), and who seems unable to stop attacking the pope, read the Bible to America on Tuesday night.

Sitting behind his desk in the Oval Office, hands resting on a book that looked like a Bible, Trump stared straight into the camera (presumably there was a teleprompter) as he recited from the book 2 Chronicles. It’s a passage which has become fashionable among the right wing, and which quotes God as saying:

The Guardian view on the Vatican v the White House: Pope Leo is carrying on Francis’s good work | Editorial

The pontiff’s criticisms of Donald Trump’s illegal war in Iran indicate a welcome resolve to follow in his predecessor’s footseps

One year after the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican this week hosted the premiere of a documentary tribute by Martin Scorsese. For a pontiff whose charisma and crowd-pleasing style helped cut through to a secular audience, marking the anniversary with the help of one of the world’s most famous film directors was a nice touch.

Francis’s successor, Leo XIV, is a far less flamboyant personality. In his inaugural year in St Peter’s chair, the first pope to come from the United States has generally taken a cautious, circumspect approach to his role. But it turns out that an aura of mildness and restraint makes him no less effective when criticising the posturing that passes for Christian piety in Donald Trump’s Washington.

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.

Microsoft's LinkedIn names longtime exec Dan Shapero its new CEO

Microsoft said Daniel Shapero will be the new CEO of LinkedIn, reporting to Ryan Roslansky, who held the job since 2020 and now has added responsibility.

UK Football Policing Unit chief says X is ‘hiding behind’ legal processes and delays

• ‘Massive drop-off’ in successful prosecutions

• Police are ‘not getting the information in time’

One of the UK’s leading police officers in prosecuting online harms has said the ability to secure identifying information from the social media company X has become “significantly worse” over the past 12 months.

Mike Ankers, the deputy director of the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU), said there had been a “massive drop-off” in successful prosecutions in 2025, and that the Elon Musk-owned platform was “hiding behind” legal processes that delayed the identification of users posting hateful content online.

Thief who swiped purse of ex-DHS chief Kristi Noem gets 3 years in prison

The man, Chilean national Mario Bustamante Leiva, "came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District," said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.

The tariff refund process has begun for businesses. What about customers?

While shipping companies are pledging refunds for customers who directly paid tariff fees, the situation is much trickier for retailers.

Pentagon asks for $54bn in pivot towards AI-powered war

Budget outlines funding for autonomous drone warfare program as experts say military unprepared for risks

The Pentagon is aiming to increase funding more than a hundredfold for an autonomous drone warfare program, according to budget documents released this week, signalling a major pivot towards AI-powered war.

In its 2027 budget, the Pentagon has asked for over $54bn to fund the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, a 24,000% increase on last year.

‘Tennis is about being fluid’: How Iga Swiatek is drawing on her time with Rafael Nadal to regain No 1 spot

Winner of six grand slams is changing her strategy after a run of poor results, helped by time in Spain with 39-year-old legend

Iga Swiatek had little interest in tennis as a teenager, but the one exception was Rafael Nadal. She spent her formative years idolising the Spaniard, who won 22 majors and, from afar, soon became one of his most avid students.

His influence is evident in the heavy topspin the Pole generates with her forehand, still a singular weapon on the women’s tour, proof of the intensity she demands of herself on every point and her four French Open titles earned by the time she was barely 23.

Roman Abramovich takes Jersey to European human rights court over criminal investigation

Lawyers for oligarch claim freezing of £5.3bn of assets ‘unfair and abusive’ amid row over use of funds for Ukraine

Roman Abramovich has gone to the European court of human rights (ECHR), claiming that a criminal investigation into his financial affairs by the Jersey authorities has breached his human rights, according to reports.

The former owner of Chelsea FC, who is under UK sanctions over his links to Vladimir Putin, is being investigated in Jersey over allegations of corruption and money laundering.

Trump administration, Spirit Airlines in advanced bailout talks, sources say

The negotiation comes after President Trump publicly said he wanted his administration to look at a rescue package for the budget carrier.

The psychic generation: why do a third of gen Z believe they have extrasensory perception?

A survey of US adults reveals many of them think they have extraordinary powers of intuition – especially those in younger age groups

Name: The psychic generation.

Age: You tell me.

Convenience store owner Yesway is stealing customers from fast-food chains, CEO says

Yesway made its public market debut on Wednesday, trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under "YSWY."

The best books to read in April: new paperbacks from Katie Kitamura, Benjamin Wood and Mick Herron

Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some great new paperbacks, from Booker-listed novels to reportage from Ukraine

***

Tesla set to report first-quarter results after the bell

Tesla's stock has underperformed all of its megacap peers so far this year as global competition ramps up in the electric vehicle market.

Iran says it has seized two ships in Strait of Hormuz after U.S. extends ceasefire

The attacks come shortly after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would extend the ceasefire with Iran to allow peace talks to continue.

Nvidia backs AI company Vast Data at $30 billion valuation

The chip giant has increasingly become an investor of companies involved in the AI boom.

Google unveils chips for AI training and inference in latest shot at Nvidia

Google is packing ample amounts of static random access memory into a dedicated chip for running artificial intelligence models, following Nvidia's plans.

Federal judge blocks Trump administration restrictions on wind and solar projects

The injunction pauses policy giving senior Trump official direct sign-off on federal clean energy projects

A federal judge in Massachusetts on Tuesday struck down several Trump administration actions slowing down development of clean energy, including a requirement that all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters be personally approved by the interior secretary, Doug Burgum.

Denise J Casper, chief judge of the US district court for Massachusetts, ruled that a coalition of plaintiffs representing wind and solar developers were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that the administration’s actions violate federal statute and would cause irreparable harm if the court did not intervene.

Towering tulips and contemplative cows – readers’ best photographs

Click here to submit a picture for publication in these online galleries and/or on the Guardian letters page

I tried to do a press-up – and had an existential crisis | Adrian Chiles

There’s nothing to make you feel old like finding out that something you used to do all the time is now completely beyond you

I decided to do some press-ups. They’re good for you, apparently. A calisthenic classic. This much I picked up in a doomscrolling session. Some algorithm somewhere must have decided I’d be open to the idea and, not for the first time, the algorithm was right.

I used to do lots of press-ups, perhaps 20 or 30, most days. I can recall how this started. It was 1985 and I was spending a gap year working for my dad’s scaffolding company. That I was the boss’s son didn’t stop my workmates from sharing with me their thoughts on my shortcomings. One such shortcoming was identified by a muscly scaffolder called Andy. “Your arms are puny,” he told me. “Do some press-ups,” Andy advised. So that’s what I did, and my arms bulked up a bit. Thank you, Andy.

Iran's military more capable than Trump admin. is acknowledging, sources say

About half of Iran's stockpile of ballistic missiles and its associated launch systems were still intact as of the start of the ceasefire in early April, officials said.

Anthropic investigating possible breach of its Mythos AI model

The AI company behind the chatbot Claude is looking into a report of unauthorized access to Mythos from one of its third-party vendor environments.

Weekly bread rolls and an Irish bender: six readers on gestures that made them feel less lonely

We know what can cause loneliness, from online habits to other cultural shifts – but what makes us feel connected and cared for?

The rise of social media, disappearing third spaces, displeasure with dating apps: in 2026, there are plenty of possible culprits when it comes to loneliness.

But what makes people feel connected and cared for? Below are six stories about the gestures that made Guardian readers feel less lonely.

House Republican proposes small-business tax cut to pair with GOP federal budget package

Some congressional Republicans are hoping to tack on tax and other spending proposals to an effort to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Strait of Hormuz is hosting gunboat diplomacy as US and Iran vie for most effective blockade

Iran’s goal is to maintain chokehold on the global economy, even as some say it could run out of oil storage by Sunday

• Middle East crisis – live updates
  

Donald Trump’s indefinite shelving of the plan to bomb Iran’s bridges and power stations on Tuesday night is being widely described as leaving the conflict in limbo, but that is anything but the truth.

Pakistan insists the prospect of talks in Islamabad has not evaporated, and positive messages are still being exchanged, but in the meantime the site of kinetic activity has switched from land to sea.

United Airlines slashes 2026 forecast as fuel costs surge, but demand remains strong

The carrier's first-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's expectations.

DOJ readies up to $3.5 billion in law enforcement grants, 1 year after steep cuts

The focus on immigration and law enforcement comes one year after the department terminated or delayed funding for victims services, criminal justice researchers and more.

Britain’s military dependence on US ‘no longer tenable’, says former Nato chief

George Robertson says diplomatic tone from White House is at ‘historic low’ and two allies are likely to keep diverging

Britain’s high military dependence on the US is “no longer tenable” and the UK has to become increasingly independent of the special relationship with Washington, a former Nato chief has said.

George Robertson, who last week accused British leaders of a “corrosive complacency” towards defence, said on Wednesday that the traditional allies were diverging over values – and that even after Donald Trump leaves the White House, the separation was likely to continue.

CBS News gas and oil price tracker shows how much energy costs are rising

As the war with Iran continues, CBS News is tracking gas and oil prices. Find out how much more it costs to fill up your tank or heat your house.

Inside Linda McMahon's effort to dismantle the Department of Education

A former pro-wrestling executive, McMahon is now the education secretary Trump tasked with abolishing the agency. New Yorker writer Zach Helfand explains how her WWE experience led her to this role.

EU agrees to unblock €90bn loan for Ukraine after Hungary lifts veto

Agreement for urgently needed loan reached after Ukraine resumed pumping Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia

EU member states have reached agreement on unblocking an urgently needed €90bn (£78bn) loan for Kyiv and a new package of sanctions against Moscow after Ukraine resumed pumping Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, prompting Budapest to lift its veto.

Cyprus, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, said member states’ ambassadors had agreed to launch “written procedures” for the final approval of the loan and the sanctions package, with formal signoff on both due by Thursday afternoon.

I was wrong about the danger of smartphones in schools. It’s far, far worse than I thought | Lola Okolosie

The new ban in England should be welcomed. But teachers like me know that enforcement is time-consuming – and even, sometimes, dangerous

It seems unbelievable now, but a decade ago we were debating the potential positive merits of mobile phones in schools. Back then, some private school headteachers insisted these mini-computers were a “powerful resource” teachers should “harness” rather than fear. To counter what I can now only call a fantasy, in these pages I argued the opposite case. To introduce them into classrooms would widen the attainment gap between rich and poor students. It would also heap more pressure, I wrote, on children whose parents could not afford the eye-watering costs of the latest smartphone. Looking back, both the defence of phones in schools and my rebuttal of it appear painfully naive.

Phones have proved far worse than either side of the debate could have conceived. Schools know all too well the threat phones pose to pupils’ attention. But it’s more serious than just classroom disruption. Smartphones, and their symbiotic relationship with social media apps, have proved themselves the tobacco of our age. The government’s announcement on Monday that it would turn its existing guidance in England on phones in schools into a statutory ban sounds less like a bold intervention and more like a simple recognition of reality.

Iranians are leaving the country just to access the internet

Iran has cut off its access to the global internet. To find an internet connection, some Iranians are traveling across the border with Turkey — even just to make video calls and then go back home.

People once cited romcoms to describe the love they hoped for. Now the doomscroll has replaced the meet-cute | Lisa Portolan

The search for connection persists but it’s seen as a task to be completed rather than a story waiting to unfold

When I first researched dating apps and intimacy almost a decade ago, participants would regularly reach for romantic comedies to describe the kind of love they were hoping for. Eyes meeting across a crowded room, accidental encounters in parks, coffee spilled on strangers who would later become soulmates … the standard tropes. The references were remarkably consistent; Meet Joe Black, 10 Things I Hate About You, Bridget Jones’s Diary. Participants would even name actors as shorthand for the kind of luminous, serendipitous romance they imagined for themselves – and Jennifer Lopez was somehow always in the mix.

Then came the reality check; these encounters only happen if you look like Lopez. For everyone else romance took place somewhere far less cinematic, the dating app. By comparison it’s a sterile interface, a place framed as the domain of the romantically ordinary. One participant summed it up bluntly: “Rom-com love is for hot people. The dating apps are for the rest of us.”

AI-powered robot beats elite table tennis players

In feat hailed as milestone in robotics, Sony AI’s Ace wins three out of five matches played under official rules

An AI-powered robot has beaten elite players at table tennis in a significant achievement for a machine faced with human athletes in a real-world competitive sport.

Named Ace, the robotic system developed by Sony AI, won three out of five matches against elite players, but lost the two it played against professionals, clawing back only one game in the seven contests.

Gene therapy for a rare type of deafness shows lasting results

Researchers say a gene therapy allowed deaf children and adults as old as 32 to hear for the first time. The benefits have persisted for more than two years for some patients.

Democrats demand FBI director, Kash Patel, take alcohol abuse test

Amid growing congressional scrutiny of his conduct, Patel has claimed he has ‘never been intoxicated on the job’

• US politics live – latest updates

House judiciary Democrats have launched a formal inquiry into the alleged drinking habits of the FBI director, Kash Patel, demanding he complete a standardized alcohol abuse assessment and submit the results to Congress.

In a letter sent on Tuesday, led by Jamie Raskin, a Maryland representative, Democrats on the committee called on Patel to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit) – a 10-question World Health Organization screening tool used to identify harmful patterns of drinking – along with a sworn statement attesting to his answers. Lawmakers also requested all security clearance questionnaires Patel has completed since taking the role.

Family influencers make the lifestyle look good. But kids pay the price, new book says

What does it mean to monetize your offspring? To turn their childhood into content? In Like, Follow, Subscribe Fortesa Latifi explores what drives parents to become family influencers.

Trump recounts Tim Cook call to 'kiss my ass,' in stark look at White House dealmaking

Tech executives from Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta have dined with Trump and donated millions to his inauguration fund and the White House ballroom.

Ryder Cup tickets hit record Europe high at £434 a day in Ireland next year

• Prices almost double those in Rome three years ago

• Organisers promise ‘enhanced onsite experience’ for fans

Ryder Cup Europe has doubled the cost of a ticket to attend next year’s marquee event when the US will seek to regain the trophy at Adare Manor in County Limerick.

Organisers will charge fans €499 (£434) for a daily ticket when a batch are released to those living in Ireland, where the centenary event is being held, on Friday. That is almost double the €260 face value spectators paid in Rome three years ago.

Trump Media replaces CEO Devin Nunes as its losses top $1 billion

The company behind Truth Social has lost more than $1 billion since going public two years ago, while its shares have tumbled 58% during the past 12 months.

DOJ charges Southern Poverty Law Center with fraud

A federal grand jury indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on wire and bank fraud-related charges on Tuesday, the Justice Department says, accusing it of paying members of extremist groups as part of its efforts to investigate them.

Trump extends ceasefire in Iran, citing 'seriously fractured' Iranian government

Trump's announcement came after an expected trip by Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan for a peace talks with Iranian officials was put on hold.

Trump approval slips as polls show warning signs for Republicans ahead of midterms

Reuters-Ipsos, AP-NORC and NBC polls show approval in mid-30s, with economy, Iran and immigration concerns

• US politics live – latest updates

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A trio of political polls indicate public approval of Donald Trump’s management of the US economy, immigration and the Iran conflict is slipping, flashing warning lights for Trump-aligned Republican candidates with six months to go until the US midterm elections.

Polls by Reuters-Ipsos poll, Strength in Numbers-Verasight and AP-NORC had the president’s approval rating hovering in the mid-30s, at 36%, 35% and 33% respectively, which are near his lowest numbers.

Condom maker warns prices may rise due to Iran war supply disruptions

Karex, which calls itself the "world's largest condom maker," could hike the company's prices by 20% to 30%, its CEO told Reuters.

Will gas dip below $3 a gallon this year? Here's what experts think.

It could take months for U.S. gas prices to recede to their level before the outbreak of war in Iran, economists and energy experts say.

Boeing CEO says 'all systems are go' to increase 737 production as company narrows loss

Boeing expects certification of new Max 7 and 10 models later this year, with deliveries starting in 2027.

The Bafta games awards showed me again that honouring art over commerce is a win for all

From mega hit Clair Obscur to the genius Blue Prince, the winners at this year’s event help me refocus on why games really matter

The 22nd Bafta game awards were on Friday, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took the biggest game prize. This makes it only the second game ever (after Baldur’s Gate 3) to win top prize at all five of the main awards shows: the Dice awards in Vegas; the Game awards in LA; the public-voted Golden Joysticks in the UK; the Game Developers Choice awards in San Francisco; and now London’s Baftas, the final event to celebrate the gaming output of 2025.

I’ll be honest: I was hoping for a different winner. Blue Prince, an eight-year project by the visual artist and former film-maker Tonda Ros, is the most extraordinary thing I played last year. It’s the game where you inherit a sprawling mansion that changes shape every day, and you must navigate its ever-shifting blueprint to find its secret room. I went so deep on this game that I was still playing it and thinking about it weeks after solving its initial mystery, piecing together bits of opaque lore from Reddit threads. I think it deserved at least one best game award (apart from ours).

Going bald? There’s a subreddit for that – and it’s weirdly wonderful

Being hairless on top has never been in style, but r/bald members encourage one another in the face of insecurity

I was sitting in a cafe a few weeks ago when I overheard a rare bit of sunny talk about advances in medicine and technology when a woman said: “Nobody will be bald in the future.” The way she said it made me think of people in the 1950s imagining the 21st century as a world with flying cars, sassy robot maids and no wars; a world where everybody has hair on their heads is possible.

Bald has never exactly been in style, but these days, it feels like going bald is tougher than ever. It can feel lonely watching all those clumps fall out when you’re in the shower. Yes, there have been plenty of advances in hair restoration, and treatments have been proven to help some people avoid getting to the point where they need a doctor to surgically redistribute the follicles from the back to the front of their heads. But it won’t work for everybody, and people will still lose their hair as long as genetics and hormones have a say.

Emma the joke-telling robot cracks up the care home: Paula Hornickel’s best photograph

‘The first resident that Emma – a social robot – was introduced to was called Peter. After that, Emma assumed they were all called Peter, which everyone found hilarious. Then she broke down’

One morning in July 2025, I arrived in the small, quiet town of Albershausen in south-west Germany. It has only around 4,000 inhabitants. I went to visit a care home where they were piloting a social robot named Emma. A group of residents sat in a circle while Emma stood in the middle. She’s the height of a toddler, with big googly eyes, and was wearing a red hat knitted for her by one of the careworkers. The first resident she was introduced to was called Peter and, after he introduced himself, Emma assumed they were all called Peter, which everyone found hilarious. Then Emma broke down suddenly and the illusion was shattered.

Later on, Emma was working again, and I found her in the dining room with Waltraud, the resident in this photo. It was a calmer, more focused moment. I decided to sit them across from one another at eye level, Waltraud facing Emma. There was a soft light in the room and they both seemed very present with one another. There are also paradoxes in the picture: the large windows showing the landscape outside, contrasting with the inside, which is ordered and clinical. In the middle you have an encounter between an elderly woman and a machine designed for companionship. They began speaking about picking flowers, about their favourite flowers – Waltraud is passionate about them, and Emma has an endless amount of knowledge due to her artificial intelligence. She can remember past conversations and recognise faces, too.

Greetings from an Islamabad park, a peaceful vantage point in an uncertain world

The park, near the venue where inconclusive Iran-U.S. peace talks took place this month, provides respite to those who visit it.

Florida drought fuels wildfires as chunks of ice smash into Michigan homes after major flooding

Several wildfires are burning thousands of acres in Florida while the state faces its worst drought in more than a decade. Meanwhile in northern Michigan, huge chunks of ice are smashing into homes following historic flooding. Rob Marciano reports.

How new grads can navigate a challenging job market

Since last year, the hiring rate for entry-level jobs has declined 6%, according to a study from LinkedIn users. Career expert Catherine Fisher joins "CBS Mornings" to provide tips for recent college grads in a more challenging job market.

What have I done? I forced my kid to listen to Usha Vance's podcast - now she's a fan | Arwa Mahdawi

The second lady has launched a serviceable children’s podcast. That seems strategic given JD Vance’s potential presidential run

I know that child labour is generally frowned upon but, in this economy, sometimes you’ve got to put your kid to work. Last week I gave my four-year-old an important assignment: she had to watch all four episodes of Usha Vance’s new video podcast and provide a detailed review. Forty minutes later, her verdict was in: “I love it, mama.”

To be fair, my kid loves pretty much anything on a screen. Still, I didn’t hate Usha’s new children’s podcast either. Launched a couple of weeks ago, Storytime With the Second Lady is aimed at promoting literacy. In the first instalment, Usha reads The Tale of Peter Rabbit; in subsequent episodes, a celebrity guest reads their favourite book.

Judge dismisses Kash Patel's defamation lawsuit over claim he frequented 'nightclubs'

The lawsuit against Frank Figliuzzi was dismissed a day after FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic magazine over claims he abused alcohol.

Restrictions on obesity drug coverage force patients to pivot

Twelve million people lost coverage for Zepbound over the last year. The same number of people lost coverage for Wegovy, according to an analysis by GoodRx, a drug discount website.

Video shows car crashing through Philadelphia police station

Surveillance video shows the moment a car came crashing through a police station in Philadelphia. Five people were taken to the hospital and police say they believe the incident was intentional. Shanelle Kaul reports.

I’m welcoming ​in spring ​with ​big ​Mediterranean ​flavours

​The changing season brings a renewed appetite for bold, sunlit flavours​. Plus, my food highlights

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A combination of the warmer weather, dusting off my sunglasses and the impending release of my new book, MEDesque (out on Thursday!), has got me fully focused on sunshine food and Mediterranean flavours. OK, so I’m not quite in rosé-in-the-garden territory just yet, but it’s close. And I am counting down the days. At home, I am leaning heavily on recipes from the queen of all things Med, Claudia Roden, to get my fix. Big hitters such as her bean stew with chorizo and bacon and chicken traybake with olives and boiled lemon deliver on all fronts, and immediately transport me to my favourite region. And gone are cold, slow days spent labouring over a lasagne. Instead, I am gravitating towards lighter pasta dishes such as Georgia Levy’s broccoli and anchovy farfalle, Giorgio Locatelli’s pasta con le sarde (with sardines, anchovies, fennel, raisins and pine nuts) and Yotam Ottolenghi’s straccetti with red mullet, harissa and black olives – all effortless yet flavoursome. If you’re not quite ready to give up on wintry ragu and bolognese just yet, then Anna Tobias’s lamb shanks and orzo are a joy – it’s how many pasta dishes are cooked in the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa, where the pasta is stirred through the meat and absorbs all those juices and flavours. It’s my favourite way to eat pasta.

While I’m not quite ready to eat outdoors, I have started cooking outdoors, and last week I reawakened our wood oven. It was heated out of its winter slumber especially for Greek Orthodox Easter, because my yiayia (grandma) had requested kleftiko for Sunday lunch. Nothing screams summer and Med cooking as much as when I get that wood oven going, and not just for pizzas (although they do taste pretty elite when cooked outdoors). Nigel Slater’s pizette recipes are a great place to start if you are giving homemade pizza a go, and The Ultimate Wood-Fired Oven Cookbook, by Genevieve Taylor, was a bible when we first got acquainted with our new toy. I’m yet to dust off the barbecue, but that will undoubtedly be the next step, and I cannot wait for the smell of perfect pork souvlaki and charred, spiced adana kebabs to waft through the garden.

‘Reparations take many forms’: what the UN’s landmark vote on enslavement means for restorative justice

As the United Nations recognises the transatlantic slave trade as a crime and calls for reparations, a growing ‘global diasporic movement’ is pushing for action

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Just under a month ago, a landmark vote was passed. The United Nations voted to describe the transatlantic chattel slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs”. This was the culmination of a long journey and decades of work. But it is by no means the end.

I spoke to Ebony Riddell Bamber, director of the Scott Trust’s Legacies of Enslavement programme, about what the vote means, and the Guardian’s role in the global effort.

Secretary Duffy says "AI is a tool" but won't replace air traffic controllers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said "we do not replace humans," as he discussed pushing for a new AI system that he says will help air traffic controllers. Kris Van Cleave has more.

‘This is our moment as British Muslims’: MCB leader takes inspiration from New York mayor

Muslim Council of Britain under Wajid Akhter wants to replicate Zohran Mamdani’s grassroots voting drive

Zohran Mamdani’s victory to become New York’s first Muslim mayor took place thousands of miles from the UK. But at the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the campaign was being closely studied.

“We actually spent some time with his campaign team to work out what the secret sauce was,” said Dr Wajid Akhter, who took over as secretary general of Britain’s largest and most diverse national Muslim umbrella body last year.

Florida investigates OpenAI over ChatGPT's alleged role in college shooting

OpenAI and ChatGPT are under investigation by Florida officials after a deadly shooting last year at Florida State University. Prosecutors allege the AI bot offered "significant advice" to the suspect just days before the shooting. OpenAI says its chatbot is not responsible. Jo Ling Kent reports.

‘In two years, nobody will care’ if actors are AI or not, predicts La Haine director

Mathieu Kassovitz, who is currently working on an AI-enabled film, also dismisses concerns over copyright

His hit film was a masterpiece capturing the gritty truth of the Paris suburbs, but the director of La Haine is now sold on an AI-generated future for cinema.

Mathieu Kassovitz has called the technology the “the last artistic tool we need” and dismissed concerns about AI stealing other artists’ intellectual property, telling the Guardian: “Fuck copyright.”

Louisiana shooting exposes "dangerous gaps" in domestic violence, gun laws

After the mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, advocates are urging policymakers to reform domestic violence and gun control legislation.

‘A well-known secret’: inside Toronto’s violent tow truck wars

A string of violent incidents, including shootings and trucks set on fire, has been linked to Toronto’s towing industry

When Cameron moved his family to a suburb north of Toronto last year, neighbours told him it one of the safest streets in the area. The roads were lined with cream-brick houses and manicured lawns. In summer, kids played between driveways; in winter, they dug tunnels through snowbanks.

But any hope of a peaceful life on Allison Ann Way was shattered when a house across the street was shot at four times in five months. The most recent attack came in early February, as Cameron was leaving for work. Moments after his children had headed out for school, gunfire tore into the neighbour’s garage and a dark SUV sped off.

Susan Choi and Lily King shortlisted for Women’s prize for fiction

The US writers join four debut authors in demonstrating ‘the complexity and beauty of the female experience’, said chair of judges Julia Gillard

Acclaimed US novelists Susan Choi and Lily King are among the writers shortlisted for this year’s Women’s prize for fiction, in a lineup dominated by debut authors and independent publishers.

The six titles contending for the £30,000 award range from a US campus love story to a coming of age tale set in 1960s Bradford, but are connected by their consideration of “the complexity and beauty of the female experience”, said the former prime minister of Australia and judging chair Julia Gillard.

To browse all books in the 2026 Women’s prize for fiction shortlist, visit guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

EU plans to cut electricity taxes to shield households from Iran war energy crisis

Brussels will relax state aid rules to allow member countries to offer ‘targeted and temporary’ support

The EU will cut electricity taxes and provide consumers with fresh incentives to ditch fuel-burning cars and boilers, the European Commission has announced, as the energy crisis from the Iran war speeds a shift to a clean economy.

The plan, which foresees tweaking rules so that electricity is taxed less than oil and gas, aims to bring down bills while encouraging the move away from polluting devices that prolong reliance on foreign fuels.

Sailboats, seals and football supporters: photos of the day – Tuesday

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

Mortgage rates sink again, and homebuyers jump back in

Mortgage demand continues to rebound as rates move slightly lower.

Man charged for having gun used by Louisiana shooter says it was stolen

The assault-style rifle used to kill eight children in a Louisiana mass shooting was stolen from a truck, the gun's previous owner said.

Parents of slain Loyola student Sheridan Gorman say it was "a preventable murder"

The parents of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman who was fatally shot last month, are speaking publicly for the first time.

Gaza’s yellow line creeps forward as Israeli forces expand zone of control

Residents waking to find line has moved overnight and they are now in free-fire zone as army takes more territory

Israeli forces have been moving an agreed truce line in Gaza westwards over the six months since the ceasefire, expanding their zone of control and making the state of limbo ever more dangerous for Palestinians.

The “yellow line” agreed in the US-brokered ceasefire in October was supposed to be temporary pending further Israeli withdrawals, but the partially observed truce has stalled after its first phase amid disagreements over the disarming of Hamas, and continued Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

Trump taught us to prioritize our own wallets. Now he’s paying the price | Jamil Smith

The reckless Iran war shows up for most Americans as a number at a gas pump, not as images or moral reckoning

The airport in Las Vegas last Friday afternoon was what you might expect for a WrestleMania weekend. Packed terminal. Delays stacking up. Nobody going anywhere. Then we heard why.

Air Force One was on the ground. Everything stopped. No one was taking off until the president finished doing his business.

Agon review – ice-cold, machine-tooled inspection of the dark side of athletic perfection

Three sportswomen undergo the various ordeals of competition in a spare, sometimes harrowing drama suffused with a chilly vérité detachedness

Here is a fascinatingly experimental debut feature from Italian film-maker Giulio Bertelli, son of fashion designer Miuccia Prada; a machine-tooled movie, intensely designed and controlled. It’s a kind of Martian’s-eye-view documentary about something that doesn’t actually exist; it is ice-cold and detached, almost without dialogue in the conventionally dramatic sense, other than the subdued exchanges which we, as audience, overhear rather than listen to. It accumulates its own kind of desolate force.

Bertelli’s film intuits the military roots of three Olympic sports: judo, fencing and shooting. These originally were considered the accomplishments of a soldier in a preindustrial age and shows how the lineaments and forms of violence still exist in these activities. (In fact the film is inspired by the grisly accidental death of the Soviet fencer Vladimir Smirnov in 1982.)

Parents of slain Loyola student call for accountability: "It was … preventable"

The parents of Sheridan Gorman, the Loyola University student who was gunned down allegedly by an undocumented immigrant, spoke exclusively to CBS News, saying this is a heartbreak they truly did "not know existed." They say while they don't want their daughter's death to be about politics, they do want accountability.

Ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz. And, VA voters approve redistricting effort

Two ships came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran. And, Virginia voters approved a measure allowing Democrats to redraw the congressional map.

How Bolivia’s cacao farmers took on the gold-mining industry – and won

As rising gold prices fuel environmental destruction, communities in the country’s biodiverse heartland are passing laws against mining

Mahogany trees tower above Herminio Mamani as he tends his cacao farm in Bolivia’s biodiverse north-west. A former president of El Ceibo, the country’s largest organic cacao co-operative, he says the agroforestry model used by its 1,300 members is vital not only to maintain the quality of the cacao they grow, which is used for chocolate and other products, but also for keeping gold mining at bay.

“We cacao producers would never kill an animal here,” he says, parrots squawking nearby. “The parcels [of land] can never be monocultures – all the crops grow together.”

Meta failed to protect social media users from scam ads, lawsuit alleges

The Consumer Federation of America accused Meta of allowing scam advertisements to "proliferate on its platforms."

This Is a Gardening Show review – Zach Galifianakis’ charming new series feels like perfect TV

Part lesson, part lark, these 15-minute episodes are a total joy. They have such a deliriously light touch they will make you want to run outside and plunge your hands into the soil

This might sound like heresy to some, but I can comfortably assert that the reason I am not a skilled horticulturist is Gardeners’ World. When I was growing up, Gardeners’ World – appointment television as mandated by my father – felt like the longest, dullest 30 minutes of the week. When the theme tune came on, I could feel my life force draining away. How different things could have been if This is a Gardening Show had been around back then.

Hosted by Zach Galifianakis, there are moments when This Is a Gardening Show feels like the perfect programme. Part lesson, part lark and part warning, the series’six 15-minute episodes have such a deliriously light touch that it makes you want to run outside and plunge your hands into the soil.

‘Take in the moments or they just pass you by‘: Aden Durde, the first British coach to win a Super Bowl

The Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator is preparing for the NFL draft later this week. On a recent trip home to London, he reflected on his extraordinary journey

A middle-aged man pulls down his baseball cap, walks across Leicester Square and heads to Greggs for lunch before taking the Piccadilly Line home to Southgate. It’s only two months since he won the Super Bowl but none of the thousands of tourists milling around central London recognise him. Aden Durde should be a British celebrity.

Olympians often say there is a massive comedown after they win gold medals. Some think: ‘Now what?’ How have you felt after winning the Super Bowl? “I wouldn’t say it’s a comedown, but there were moments after you win it, like at the parade, I felt numb. The little letdown is, while you might get another chance to create it, you’re not going to do it again with that group of people. You realise that this special thing that we had is over. I thought that on the bus going back to the hotel from the game.”

1 of 6 missing crew found dead after typhoon flipped U.S.-flagged ship

The crew of the Mariana notified the U.S. Coast Guard on April 15 that the 145-foot vessel lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

Stern warning: one man’s mission to clear the rotting boats poisoning Cornwall’s creeks

Unwanted vessels left to decay release fibreglass shards into the water, harming marine life. Steve Green – with his trusty van Cecil – is determined to clean things up

Steve Green, a boat engineer from Cornwall, was pulled over by the police just before Christmas. He was driving a decrepit-looking VW campervan and towing an even more dilapidated yacht up to Truro. He hadn’t broken any laws, but he admits that Cecil the campervan, which runs on donated chip oil from local pubs and has a crane and a winch on the front, “wasn’t quite what VW intended”.

Green (and Cecil) are on a mission to rid the beautiful hidden creeks of Cornwall’s Helford and Fal rivers of 166 abandoned fibreglass yachts, which are leaking plastic and toxins into the predominantly marine waters. Marine biologists have likened the thousands of shards of fibreglass they have found embedded in the flesh of sea-creatures in areas with wrecks such as these to asbestos, a substance known to have a noxious effect on humans.

Green uses a detachable crane system at the front of his van to move around bags of plastic after they have been weighed. Cecil is upholstered in recycled denim

World food systems ‘pushed to the brink’ by extreme heat, UN warns

Severe heatwaves in commonly hot regions could leave farmers unable to work outside, with livestock mortality rates expected to rise

Extreme heat is threatening the world’s food systems, with farmers unable to work outside, livestock experiencing stress and crop yields falling, putting the livelihoods of more than a billion people in peril, the UN has warned.

Experts said food supply in some areas was being “pushed to the brink” by increasingly common and severe heatwaves, on land and at sea, in a major report written jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Warren presses Trump administration for answers on evacuation of Americans amid Iran war

Thousands of Americans were stuck in the Middle East at the start of the Iran war; some said they did not receive support they needed from the U.S. government.

Iran says it seized ships in Strait of Hormuz as U.S. blockade continues amid ceasefire

Three vessels came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. and Iran failed to meet in Pakistan for talks to end the war and as President Trump extended the ceasefire but kept the blockade.

Am I a deluded attention-seeker? Why I’m running the London Marathon dressed as a badger

Isn’t running 26.2 miles difficult enough? Not for some. Whether it’s dressing up as a helicopter, a lobster or a pair of testicles, wearing a novelty outfit spurs many competitors on

Delusion. That’s the crucial prerequisite for running a marathon in fancy dress, according to the ultramarathon competitor and cancer survivor Jonathan Acott, who is attempting the fastest marathon dressed in a clanking suit of armour.

So that’s what it was when I decided to run this year’s London Marathon dressed as a badger. I’ve run a marathon once before, 19 years ago. I hated the suffering. I injured myself. And now I’m 51. Why was this a good idea?

Dave Mason, co-founder of Traffic who had a star-studded solo career, dies aged 79

British singer and guitarist wrote and performed Traffic classics including Feelin’ Alright? before platinum-selling solo albums and work with Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac and more

Dave Mason, the co-founder of rock band Traffic who also collaborated with Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac and many other A-list musicians, has died aged 79.

A statement from his representative said he died peacefully on Sunday at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada, having settled in the US in 1969. “Dave Mason lived a remarkable life devoted to the music and the people he loved,” the statement added.

Hakeem Jeffries says Virginia redistricting assures a 'free and fair midterm'

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Trump's effort to try to rig the midterm elections has been "thwarted," after a major victory for Democrats in Virginia.

‘Get back to work’: Amazon faces fresh scrutiny over workplace safety record

Workers and labor advocates say the company’s injury rates and how it treats injured staff remain a problem

Amazon, one of the world’s largest employers, has for years faced scrutiny over its safety record. When Billy Foister, a 48-year-old worker, died after a heart attack inside one of the tech giant’s warehouses in September 2019, managers were accused of telling staff to “get back to work”.

When another worker died this month at a distribution center in Troutdale, Oregon, an Amazon spokesperson claimed they had collapsed from an “existing medical issue”. They denied a report that a nearby employee was told: “Please get back to work.”

Should Barron Trump be drafted – or left alone to keep building his $150m fortune? | Arwa Mahdawi

Prominent Maga bros have suggested the 20-year-old son of the US president should be called up this year. Why does this seem so vanishingly unlikely?

It can’t be easy being the youngest son of a man who compares himself to the son of God. Rather a lot to live up to, isn’t there? Still, Barron Trump seems to be taking it in his stride. Rather than rebelling and becoming a socialist, the 20-year-old is shaping up to be just like dad: Barron is already worth $150m, according to a 2025 Forbes calculation. That’s largely from World Liberty Financial, a Trump family cryptocurrency company he co-founded. (Reportedly it’s Barron who got the president into crypto.)

Barron isn’t just trading alt-coins. The university student has also launched a yerba mate brand called Sollos. (Yerba mate is a caffeinated herbal tea from South America). And he’s been engaged with politics behind the scenes. Barron is widely credited for boosting his dad’s most recent election campaign by connecting him to manosphere influencers such as Adin Ross and Theo Von.