Week in wildlife: a meep-meep roadrunner, a new frog species and Orkney voles

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni tossed out but robust case remains

Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni over the movie "It Ends With Us" were dismissed Thursday by a federal judge who left intact three claims, including retaliation, that will let a jury hear many of the allegations anyway.

Your Friends & Neighbours season two review – Jon Hamm was made for this moreish crime caper

The star returns as wealthy neighbourhood thief Coop in this rich dessert of a show. But as he tackles middle-age malaise, there’s a lot of heart – plus a guest appearance by James Marsden

Does Your Friends & Neighbours love its unhappy, very wealthy characters, or despise them? Does it laugh at the 1%, envy them, pity them? It does all of the above at once and, as we return to the fictional enclave of Westport, New York – an obvious stand-in for real financiers’ playground Westchester – this mischievous US dramedy is still a rich dessert of a show, unhealthy but oh so moreish.

Jon Hamm is Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a role that, if it were given to any other actor, would require them to do their best Jon Hamm impersonation. Sturdy, smooth – this is a man made of oak and mahogany, when the rest of us are bags of twigs and jelly – and seemingly always with a tumbler of $500 whisky in his fist, he is blessed with the ability to charm any man/woman into a deal/his bed. Other men have been handed their place in the banking elite and are now drifting through a life of luxury; Coop is better at playing the game than they are because he is sharp enough to see what a sham it all is. He has that trademark deep Hamm gaze, a tension behind the eyes.

‘It’s the year of gay Brazilian cruising!’ The makers of Night Stage on public sex and their ‘deranged erotic thriller’

Writer-directors Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher talk about the ‘assimilation myth’, why Wim Wenders is wrong and how they’re developing queer western and horror movies

You wait for ever for a visually electrifying Brazilian film featuring scenes in a gay cruising ground, then two come along at once. First, the Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent showed nocturnal trysts in Recife being violently interrupted by a rampaging disembodied leg. Now hedonists in the queer thriller Night Stage flock to a park in the southern city of Porto Alegre where they can openly make the beast with two or more backs. “It’s the year of gay Brazilian cruising!” says Marcio Reolon, mock-triumphantly.

Reolon co-wrote and co-directed Night Stage with his partner, Filipe Matzembacher, who is seated beside him this morning in their Berlin apartment. The couple’s look is best described as exchange-student punk: studded bracelets, silver earrings thick as curtain rings. Reolon, who is 41 with sharp cheekbones and a cockatoo quiff, wears a padlock on a chain around his neck. The 37-year-old Matzembacher, cherubic and curly-haired, sports a barbed-wire tattoo on his left hand.

Chess: Sindarov, 21, takes early 1-point lead as Uzbek star stuns Candidates field

The Uzbek grandmaster has scored 3.5/4, including an impressive victory against the world No 3 and Candidates favourite, Fabiano Caruana

Javokhir Sindarov is already the clear favourite to win the 2026 Candidates in Cyprus and to challenge India’s Gukesh Dommaraju for the world crown after the Uzbek grandmaster, 21, began the tournament with a commanding 3.5/4, including an impressive victory against the pre-tournament favourite and world No 3, Fabiano Caruana. It is the fastest ever start by a player under the format of a double-round Candidates.

Sindarov’s seconds correctly anticipated that Caruana, with the black pieces, might open with the solid Queen’s Gambit Accepted, and prepared accordingly. “I got kind of caught in the opening,” said a subdued Caruana at the post-game press conference. The US champion got into heavy time pressure, and after 20 moves was down to 10 minutes to reach move 40, with no per-move increment.

Middle East crisis live: Iran says it shot down US fighter jet, warns against UN vote on ‘defensive force’ in strait of Hormuz

Iranian foreign minister criticises security council vote on military protection for shipping in the strait a ‘provocative action’

• Full report: Trump warns Tehran ‘more to follow’ after strike destroys Iran’s largest bridge

Iran has said a second US F-35 fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, with the state news agency saying it’s unlikely the pilot survived, Reuters reports.

The incident comes as Iran has been firing on targets across the Middle East, on Friday, including firing missiles at Israel and Bahrain, and setting alight an oil refinery in Kuwait with drone attacks.

The Testaments to Big Mistakes: the seven best shows to stream this week

Chase Infiniti stars in Margaret Atwood’s gripping sequel to the Handmaid’s Tale, plus Dan Levy’s irresistibly goofy new sitcom will thrill Schitt’s Creek fans

This expansion of the Handmaid’s Tale universe is adapted from Margaret Atwood’s 2019 follow-up to her epoch-defining 1985 novel. It’s set several years later, right in the heart of Gilead’s darkness – a preparatory school for elite future wives. Via tentative rebel student Agnes Mackenzie (played with stillness and depth by Chase Infiniti), we see the horrors and the hierarchies in action: the drama meticulously illustrates the ways disempowered people hoard what little agency they have. Agnes is initially at the top of the heap but when she’s given responsibility for enigmatic new girl Daisy, she starts to see Gilead for what it is. Claustrophobic and gripping.
Disney+, from Wednesday 8 April

‘It’s like witnessing a Renoir or Matisse painting coming to life’: readers’ favourite trips in France

From Normandy to Provence, our readers enjoy great art, architecture and outdoor activities in France
• Tell us about a trip to Scotland – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher

Vichy is not on everyone’s radar as a must visit French town, but it really is a delight to spend a few days in. I discovered it while on a bicycle trip around central France, and its famous waters did wonders for my tired legs and muscles. Vichy is a historic spa town famous for its spring waters and its art nouveau and belle époque architecture. A thriving cultural scene means that, whenever you visit, you’ll find concerts, theatre, opera and exhibitions, especially at the town’s opera house and the iconic Grand Casino. Vichy is also a shopper’s paradise, with more than 500 boutique shops in the heart of the town. When all that shopping and walking has worked up a thirst, taste the famous Vichy waters for free at Hall des Sources (listed on the Accidentally Wes Anderson website). The city is easy to explore on foot or by bike, with riverside paths along the Allier River, pretty neighbourhoods with pastel-coloured villas, and plenty of outdoor cafes. Being there felt like witnessing a Renoir or Matisse painting coming to life before my eyes.
Nicoletta

Two lost 1965 Doctor Who episodes released after being found in private collection

Episodes from William Hartnell era are from mostly lost 12-part adventure called The Daleks’ Master Plan

Two episodes of Doctor Who from the William Hartnell era, which have not been seen since 1965, have been released after being discovered in a private film collection.

The two episodes, released on Friday and starring Peter Purves as the Doctor’s companion, are parts one and three of a mostly lost 12-part adventure called The Daleks’ Master Plan, written by the Dalek creator Terry Nation and broadcast as part of the third series of Doctor Who in November 1965.

Friday briefing: Why does your Easter egg feel smaller? Because it is

In today’s newsletter: Cocoa shortages, climate shocks and global conflicts have collided to ​make chocolate pricier than ever before

Good morning. Today is Good Friday – if you are following the western church calendar, at least – which still leaves time to panic-buy Easter eggs. While you are doing that, you will almost certainly leave with the impression that you are paying more for less. Why?

Shrinkflation is the answer. The chocolate economy has been hit by a series of shocks over the past few years, meaning the pound in your pocket now buys a lot less cocoa than it once did.

Middle East | Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s inconsistent pronouncements on the Iran war and Nato, saying if “you want to be serious” it was better not to come out with something different every day.

UK politics | Yvette Cooper said coordinated action was needed as more than 40 countries gathered to discuss “every possible diplomatic, economic and coordinated measure” to pressurise Iran into reopening the strait of Hormuz.

NHS | The NHS is bracing for the longest strike yet by resident doctors after last-ditch talks failed, prompting Wes Streeting to accuse the medics of suffering from “delusion”.

Reform UK | Reform UK’s housing spokesperson has been sacked from his role after he described the Grenfell Tower fire as a “tragedy” but said that “everyone dies in the end”.

Weather | The UK is bracing for Storm Dave over Easter with winds up to 90mph expected.

Artemis II astronauts rocket towards the moon after breaking free of Earth’s orbit

Spacecraft’s engine fired up for six minutes to propell astronauts on their three-day voyage towards Earth’s natural satellite

The four Artemis astronauts have fired up their spacecraft’s engine to break away from Earth’s orbit and zoomed towards the moon, a milestone that commits Nasa to the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century.

With enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway-driving speed in less than three seconds, the Orion capsule engine blasted on Thursday the astronauts on their trajectory towards the moon, which they now will loop as part of the 10-day Artemis 2 mission.

Pakistan says a new round of peace talks with Afghanistan is underway in China

Pakistan confirmed it was holding peace talks with Afghanistan's Taliban government in China, where Beijing is trying to broker a lasting ceasefire after weeks of fighting.

Cuba releasing 2,010 prisoners as the US pressures the island's government

The Cuban government said the pardons were a "humanitarian gesture" in connection with Holy Week and didn't mention mounting pressures with the U.S.

Helen Goh’s recipe for ricotta, rum and raisin cake | The sweet spot

Gently scented with orange and vanilla, lightened by ricotta, and studded with rum-soaked raisins

This is a cake for the long, ambling tail-end of an Easter lunch. It’s gently scented with orange and vanilla, lightened by ricotta, and studded with rum-soaked raisins that bring bursts of sweetness to each slice. Ideally, they’d be soaked overnight to plump them into something luscious, but if time gets away from you, take a shortcut: put the raisins and rum in a microwave-safe bowl, zap for 20–30 seconds, then leave to cool and absorb. The chocolate glaze is optional; on days when you want something simpler (or lighter), a generous sifting of icing sugar is all this cake needs. Serve with a small glass of grappa or something similarly warming for a quietly perfect way to bring a feast to a close.

Pope Leo’s first Easter: one year in, what do Catholics think of the new pontiff?

Some would like Leo to be more vocal on world conflict, but others say he uses his influence discreetly

As Leo marks his inaugural Easter as pontiff, almost a year after his predecessor’s death, some Catholics are still trying to work out what kind of pontiff he is.

The feast – the most important in the church’s calendar – comes against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, sparked by the US-Israeli strikes in Iran.

‘I’d introduce aliens to shito sauce.’ Items our panel would take into space

Artemis II’s astronauts packed their wedding rings, notebooks and a supply of maple syrup. Here’s what our writers would fly to the moon

Bodycam of Tiger Woods arrest shows golfer being handcuffed

Body camera video has been released of Tiger Woods' arrest, after a car crash in Florida. He has been charged with driving under the influence.

ICE detention deaths are on a record pace. One Texas facility bears the brunt

ICE inspectors in February found 49 violations to detention standards at Camp East Montana, including failure from staff to"accurately document required checks to prevent significant self-harm and suicide."

Experience: I climbed the tallest tropical tree in the world

It was a slow ascent: I needed to check for wasps, snakes and scorpions

I was born in Tawau, a Malaysian city on the island of Borneo, and grew up around logging camps – my dad worked in the industry. In the early 90s, a lot of the forest here started being cleared for commercial use. At the time, I just thought that was the way things were.

That changed when I began working in conservation as a teenager at the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership in the nearby Danum Valley. My job was to plant seedlings in places where the forest had been cut down. I began to learn about the importance of keeping the forest safe.

Nuns who broke back into their Austrian convent ‘are step closer to being able to stay’

Plan for three nuns who escaped from care home last year to go to Rome thought to be positive sign of Vatican’s decision

Three nuns who escaped from a care home to return to their convent in a castle close to Salzburg where they had spent most of their lives are a step closer to being able to stay there, sources close to them say.

Sisters Bernadette, Regina and Rita, who are in their early to late eighties, broke into their convent home in Elsbethen last September with the help of former pupils of the Catholic school at which they had taught and other supporters. Their case became a cause célèbre, attracting attention from around the world.

A day in the life of Asia’s fuel crisis

From farms in New Zealand to factories in Delhi, the effects of the oil crisis triggered by the Iran war are rippling across Asia

Canadian woman held with daughter by ICE is released after nearly three weeks of detention

Tania Warner is fitted with ankle monitor and released along with seven-year-old daughter Ayla Luca after being deemed not a flight risk

A Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter, who were held for nearly three weeks in a notorious detention center by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were released on Thursday evening after posting a bond of $9,500.

Tania Warner and her daughter Ayla Luca, originally from British Columbia, are both Canadian citizens. Warner moved to the US in 2021 when she married Edward Warner, a US citizen. “Very happy to have my family home … it’s been a whirlwind day,” said Edward Warner.

‘Food security timebomb’: a visual guide to the Gulf fertiliser blockade

UN says record numbers of people could face acute hunger if conflict continues

The world has become well versed in the importance of the strait of Hormuz to the world’s energy flows, but attention is increasingly turning to its vital role in another market – the fertiliser on which harvests depend.

A third of the global trade in raw materials for fertiliser passes through the maritime choke point, which is also the route for 20% of shipments of natural gas, which is required to make it.

The families torn apart by the Minab school bombing – podcast

Tess McClure reports on the US bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Iran, and the families who lost loved ones in the attack

On 28 February, during the first US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran, there was a strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab.

“The impact of dropping a 2,000-plus pound bomb on a primary school full of children mostly seven to 12 years old and their teachers is just unimaginable,” Tess McClure, the Guardian’s editor for rights and freedom, tells Nosheen Iqbal.

Hegseth says he will let troops take personal firearms onto military bases

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he will allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations.

Alana King spins Australia to crushing win over West Indies to seal ODI series sweep

• West Indies 135; Australia 137-1 | Australia win by nine wickets

• Leg-spinner rips through hosts with 5 for 19 from 10 overs in St Kitts

Alana King has spun Australia to a commanding nine-wicket victory over West Indies as the tourists completed an ODI series sweep in St Kitts.

The leg-spinner ripped through the hosts with a stunning spell of 5 for 19 from 10 overs as the West Indies collapsed after a bright start to be bundled out for 136 in the third and final ODI in the series.

Trump news at a glance: president gives his loyal enforcer the boot

US attorney general Pam Bondi failed to please a president fixated on prosecuting political enemies – key US politics stories from Thursday 2 April at a glance

Spring cleaning has begun at the White House.

Donald Trump on Thursday fired Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, dismissing a loyalist who reshaped the justice department but still failed to please a president fixated on prosecuting political enemies and frustrated with the politically explosive release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Hospice with 97% survival rate accused of defrauding Medicare for $7.45M

They were the first in a series of arrests planned Thursday, federal officials told CBS News.

Tiger Woods called Trump after DUI crash, he told cop on bodycam video

President Trump called Tiger Woods a close friend after the golfer's auto crash in Jupiter, Fla., last week. Woods is dating the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.

Pete Hegseth allows troops to carry personal firearms on military bases

Defense secretary signs memo letting members request permission to carry firearms on military installations

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday that would allow military service members to request permission to carry their personal firearms on military installations such as bases, naval yards and recruitment centers, claiming the new policy will allow soldiers and other military personnel to defend themselves in case of an attack.

While the full text of the memo has yet to be made public, it appears to loosen the current policy that allows for personnel to get permission to have their weapons on base on a case-by-case basis, and requires that they are registered with the base’s authorities and stored in a secure device.

Judge dismisses Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni

A federal judge in New York has tossed out actor Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against actor Justin Baldoni over their roles in the movie "It Ends With Us," but left intact a claim for retaliation.

Microsoft executive touts Copilot sales traction as AI anxiety weighs on stock

Analysts have said adoption of the $30-per-month Microsoft 365 Copilot is in the early stage.

Maui doctor accused of trying to murder wife takes stand, claims self-defense

A doctor on trial on allegations he attempted to murder his wife on a hiking trail in Hawaii last year took the stand in his own defense.

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy offers expertise on keeping waterways open amid Middle East conflict

‘Ukraine has expertise concerning sea waterways, and the defence and reopening of maritime traffic,’ says president. What we know on day 1,500

Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered on Thursday to provide Ukraine’s expertise in dealing with freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to those countries considering how to keep the strait of Hormuz open amid the conflict in the Middle East. The Ukraine president, speaking in his nightly video address, said the foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, had taken part in a virtual meeting devoted to reopening the strait of Hormuz, attended by about 40 countries. “Ukraine has relevant expertise concerning sea waterways, and the defence and reopening of maritime traffic,” he said. “If [our] partners are ready to act, we will consider how we can strengthen them, how we can apply our expertise, knowledge and technological potential.”

Russia’s army recorded no territorial gains on the frontline in Ukraine in March, for the first time in two and half years, AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) showed. The Russian army’s advances have been slowing since late 2025 due to Kyiv’s localised breakthroughs in the south-east, and losing ground in March and February on the southern section of the frontline, between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, the analysis showed. Across the entire frontline, Ukrainian forces managed to recapture 9 sq km in March.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, gave “field guidance” at the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations, which is under construction , state media KCNA said. The museum in Pyongyang will be a place to commemorate the fallen soldiers sent to support the Russian army in the war in Ukraine. The construction of the museum is almost complete and Kim said the opening ceremony would be held in mid-April, marking the first anniversary of the deployment of the North Korean soldiers.

Six Ukrainian children will be returned from Russia to their families in Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday, citing efforts by Melania Trump to expedite their return. A seventh Ukrainian child will also be returned to their family later this month, the first lady’s office said in a statement. Ukraine says almost 20,000 children have been illegally sent to Russia and Belarus, where they are sometimes subject to military training and forced to fight against their own country’s troops.

Russian strikes across Ukraine on Thursday killed at least two people and wounded dozens, officials said, as Moscow stepped up its attacks amid stalled peace talks. In the south-eastern Kherson region, Russia attacked “with artillery, mortars and UAVs”, the regional prosecutor’s office said on social media. A 42-year-old man was killed when a drone hit a civilian car, and 16 others – including a teenage boy and three police officers – were wounded in air attacks and artillery shelling, it added. In the Chernihiv region, north of the capital Kyiv, Russia attacked with a ballistic missile, the head of Chernihiv’s military administration, Dmytro Bryzhynsky, said on Telegram.

Russian forces maintained a daylong barrage of drone strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, on Thursday, injuring at least two people, local officials said. Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, posted reports on Telegram throughout the day and well into the evening, noting strikes in four city districts. One city official said there had been at least 20 drone strikes. He said some had triggered fires and two people had been injured in an evening attack, including an eight-year-old girl.

Russian forces carried out 129 attacks on Ukrainian gas and heating facilities during the recent 151-day heating season, the state oil and gas firm Naftogaz said on Thursday. “The Russians hit pipelines, gas production, underground storage facilities, heating systems – everything that Ukrainians depend on for heat and gas,” it said in a statement.

4/2: The Takeout with Major Garrett

President Trump fires Attorney General Pam Bondi; Artemis II gets green light for translunar injection burn.

Hegseth ousts Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George

One of the sources said Hegseth wants someone in the role who will implement President Trump and Hegseth's vision for the Army.

Warner, Schiff probe potential insider trading in government

The lawmakers also cited a recent report that a Pete Hegseth-linked broker sought to make a multimillion-dollar investment in a defense-linked ETF in February.

‘I will not yield’: Taiwan convulsed by 17-year prison sentence for populist opposition figure

The opposition Taiwan People’s party stands by founder Ko Wen-je despite sentence, alleging prosecutors were pressured by ruling DPP party

Opposition figure Ko Wen-je put on a defiant display in front of tens of thousands of supporters outside Taiwan’s Presidential Office, two days after being handed a 17-year prison sentence on corruption charges.

“I will not yield! I will not surrender!” Ko shouted on Sunday in Taipei, as he turned towards the grand, red-brick Japanese colonial-era building in order to directly address President Lai Ching-te.

Bystanders cheer for baggage handlers after they finally fold baby stroller

Baggage handlers went viral after a struggle to fold a stubborn baby stroller. Tony Dokoupil has more.

Trump fires Bondi as attorney general, installs Blanche as acting AG

President Trump has ousted Pam Bondi as attorney general, saying she will be taking a job in the private sector.

Maui doctor accused of trying to kill wife takes stand at trial

Maui anesthesiologist Dr. Gerhardt Konig took the stand, hoping to persuade a jury that hitting his wife repeatedly with a rock was self-defense. Jonathan Vigliotti has details.

Arizona girl who vanished 32 years ago found alive, sheriff says

Christina Marie Plante was last seen on May 19, 1994, after leaving home on foot to go to a stable where her horse was kept.

Arizona girl who vanished 32 years ago has been found alive, sheriff says

An Arizona girl who vanished in 1994 has been found alive, the Gila County sheriff said. Tom Hanson reports.

Artemis II crew gears up to break away from Earth orbit

NASA's mission management team cleared the Orion capsule and its three-man, one-woman crew for a critical rocket firing evening to break out of Earth orbit and head for the moon. Mark Strassmann has more.

Bodycam video released of Tiger Woods' arrest

Body camera footage of Tiger Woods' arrest has been released, less than a week after the golf icon was taken into custody following a car crash in Florida and charged with driving under the influence. Nicole Valdes has the latest.

Sam Kerr edges toward Chelsea exit after reportedly signing with US club Denver Summit

• Striker expected to return to NWSL and join ambitious new club

• Australian pours doubt on transfer with cryptic social media post

Matildas captain Sam Kerr will reportedly leave Chelsea at the end of the Women’s Super League season to return to the United States and join expansion club Denver Summit.

Kerr’s future at Chelsea has come into doubt in recent weeks with the striker’s contract set to expire at the end of the season and with little talk of a new deal.

United raises bag fees, becoming second U.S. carrier to up the price this week

United did not say why it was raising its prices, but the move follows JetBlue also hiking its checked bag fees earlier this week, citing "rising operating costs."

FA Cup quarter-finals: things to look out for this weekend

Chelsea dare not lose, West Ham and Leeds play out a survival dress rehearsal, while Phil Foden urgently needs to make an impact

Phil Foden made two starts for England over the international break as Thomas Tuchel experimented with how the Manchester City attacking midfielder could be used at the World Cup. He played in a couple of positions but was ineffective in two collectively subpar performances from the Three Lions. It means he has one assist and no goals in his past 22 appearances for club and country in what has been an underwhelming campaign for the 25-year-old. He has dropped below Rayan Cherki in Pep Guardiola’s pecking order and has not completed a full 90 minutes since January. In the Carabao Cup final, Foden was permitted a late cameo, and it feels like this is the time when he should be making a difference in the final stages of the season. There are still trophies to be played for, even if winning the Premier League title would involve a huge turnaround against Arsenal. This means the FA Cup is the most promising prospect and Foden should be desperate to start and remind everyone of the world-class player he could be, especially against a Liverpool side who often struggle against smart No 10s. The next six weeks could be make or break for Foden’s City and international career, so he must seize every opportunity. WU

Manchester City v Liverpool, Saturday 12.45pm (all times BST)

Chelsea v Port Vale, Saturday 5.15pm

Southampton v Arsenal, Saturday 8pm

West Ham v Leeds, Sunday 4.30pm

Sororicidal by Edwina Preston review – a tale of two sisters tinged with danger

The author deftly captures the intricacies and subtle violence of a sibling relationship. As both girls age, our sympathies shift again and again

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“Everyone is very sure that Mary never tried to kill me,” says one of the protagonists of Sororicidal at the beginning of the book. “This is because Mary was always careful not to look as though she were trying to kill me.” The speaker here is Margot, Mary’s younger sister, and she is reflecting on her early childhood and the dangerous games they played, largely at Mary’s insistence.

The pair are in their early pubescence at the book’s opening, in 1915, growing up in a prosperous family on the outskirts of Adelaide. Mary is a gifted painter, and her creativity is encouraged by the girls’ parents, fuelling Margot’s mingled envy and admiration. Beside Mary, Margot feels lumpish, awkward and untalented, and decidedly overlooked. Margot and Mary exist almost entirely within a closed milieu – they have a governess, rather than attending the local school, and are largely left to their own devices by their parents, existing within a shared imaginative world that is intense and often tinged with danger.

Sororicidal by Edwina Preston is published by Picador Australia ($34.99)

Planning commission approves Trump's ballroom and East Wing design

The commission, which is chaired by a White House staffer, voted 9 to 1 to approve the design, which includes a ballroom with seating for 1,000 guests.

4/2: CBS Evening News

Pam Bondi is out as attorney general; police release body camera footage of Tiger Woods' arrest.

President of Wisconsin’s largest mosque detained by US immigration agents

Attorneys for Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-born US green card holder, say he was targeted for criticizing Israel

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The president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque was detained by federal immigration agents, drawing accusations from local officials and religious leaders that the arrest was motivated by his statements against Israel.

Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-born legal permanent resident of the United States, was taken into custody by nearly a dozen US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Monday in Milwaukee after he left his home, according to the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.

United Airlines hikes checked bag fee by $10 as fuel prices continue to climb

United Airlines became the second U.S. carrier in a week to raise check bag fees as the industry grapples with a more than 80% jump in jet fuel costs.

Federal judge throws out most of Blake Lively’s claims against Justin Baldoni

Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including claim of sexual harassment

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A federal judge has thrown out the majority of Blake Lively’s claims against Justin Baldoni.

In a court ruling on Thursday, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of the 13 claims in Lively’s lawsuit against her co-star and director of the domestic violence film It Ends With Us.

Trump threatens 100% tariff on US drug makers that don’t strike deals to lower prices

New tax will hit branded drugs and active ingredients while exempting generics for at least one year

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Donald Trump is threatening 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical companies that have not struck deals to lower US drug prices.

The new tariff will only apply to branded drugs and their active ingredients. Generic drugs, which make up more than 90% of medicines sold in the US, will be exempted from tariffs for at least one year. Orphan, veterinary and other specialty drugs are exempt if they are from trade deal countries or meet urgent public health needs.

Mortgage rates are surging, foiling homebuyers' best-laid plans

Interest rates for a typical home loan jumped Thursday to 6.46%, the highest level since September 2025. House-hunters aren't pleased.

Stocks erase early losses as investors monitor Iran war developments

Stocks rebound after sliding in early-day trade, with investors buoyed by reports that Iran and Oman could monitor ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump administration sets up to 100% tariffs on some imported drugs, with many companies exempt

The Trump administration is preparing to impose new tariffs on drugmakers that have not struck deals with the president to lower their U.S. drug prices.

Atlanta attorney fatally shoots wife in SUV -- was it an accident or cold-blooded murder?

A wealthy labor lawyer shoots his high-profile wife from the backseat of their SUV -- he says it was an accident -- prosecutors say otherwise

Trump fires Attorney General Pam Bondi

President Trump was said to be unhappy with Pam Bondi's handling of DOJ files about Jeffrey Epstein and the DOJ's failure to prosecute his political enemies.

Tesla's stock suffers steepest drop of 2026 on disappointing deliveries report

Tesla is coming off a year of declining deliveries due in part to increased competition from rivals in China offering lower-cost models.

The March jobs report will be released on Friday. Here's what to expect

The U.S. economy is projected to show job gains of 59,000 in March, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.4%.

Race Across the World review – still reality TV gold and a total pleasure

From a chalk-and-cheese duo obsessed with custard creams to in-laws who didn’t get on until a family death – brace yourself for another journey of big feelings

There is ice. A bear lopes across a vast white tundra, weaving footprints in the snow. Closeup of a snow leopard. Crisp crunch of boots in thick snow. Heavy breathing … Running … Screaming … Is it the latest Paul Greengrass thriller? No. The words “51 Days Earlier” appear. Volare starts playing. And now we’re in sunny Palermo, Sicily: the southern Italian city conquered more than any other in Europe. Where else could we be but at the starting line of Race Across the World?

You know when a BBC series has gone stratospheric because the opening gets suitably hysterical and starts to think it’s a Bourne spin-off. And so it comes to pass with the sixth series of the BBC flagship show, now such a powerful harbinger of spring on these small isles that it has replaced daffodils. The premise, for the stubborn percent who haven’t succumbed, is simple and brilliant; a formula that, like the cometh of spring, will never get old.

A botanist searches for the seeds of the rare Death Valley Sage

For more than 15 years, botanist Naomi Fraga has been trying to collect seeds from the rare Death Valley sage, for safekeeping in a vault of native California seeds.

Trump administration sues three states over attempts to regulate prediction markets

The suits are the most ambitious effort to date that the Trump administration has gone to try to override state laws and set the rules for the fast-growing and increasingly divisive betting industry.

Trump fires Pam Bondi, a loyalist and ally, as attorney general

Bondi earned president’s ire over handling release of Epstein files and failing to prosecute his political enemies

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Donald Trump has fired Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, dismissing a loyalist who reshaped the justice department but still failed to please a president fixated on prosecuting political enemies and frustrated with the politically explosive release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: “Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.”

Louis CK to headline Hollywood Bowl for Netflix festival

Headlining set for Netflix Is a Joke festival marks first outing with major streamer since misconduct allegations in 2017

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Netflix is welcoming Louis CK back into its fold.

The comedian, long subject to questions regarding rehabilitation and so-called “cancel culture”, will headline a show at the Hollywood Bowl next month as part of the streamer’s Netflix Is a Joke festival – his first major outing with a streamer since allegations of sexual misconduct at the height of the #MeToo movement. Later this summer, Netflix will also premiere CK’s new special, Ridiculous, which he directed and executive-produced.

HHS announces national program to study effect of microplastics on humans

The Environmental Protection Agency also added microplastics to its contaminant candidate list for the first time.

Alleged maple syrup scam in Quebec uncovered by Canadian broadcaster

A Radio-Canada reporter noticed his maple syrup tasted odd; testing revealed it was adulterated with cane sugar

An investigation by Canada’s national broadcaster has found that a major Quebec producer has been diluting its maple syrup with cane sugar and selling the fraudulent product to grocery chains.

In a sting operation that involved false identities and covert recordings, journalists from Radio-Canada’s Enquête programme found that a low-cost syrup sold in major grocery store chains was heavily diluted.

Amazon to add 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for sellers as Iran war drives up energy prices

With the Iran war now in its fifth week, Amazon said it's adding a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for third-party sellers in the U.S. and Canada.

DOJ says Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional

The opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel said that because it believes the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional, President Trump does not need to comply with it.

Trump’s surreal speech on Iran shed no light on his goals | Kenneth Roth

The US president couldn’t give a single coherent reason for why this aggressive war of choice must still be prosecuted

Donald Trump’s self-congratulatory speech on Iran on Wednesday night was as puzzling as it was divorced from reality. I had hoped he would declare victory and end the war. Some feared he might provide cover for a ground invasion. Instead, he told us in essence to be patient, that he is almost done, but he was utterly unclear about what more there is to accomplish.

If there was ever a purpose to the war, it was to curtail Iran’s capacity to develop a nuclear weapon. Trump harped on that goal repeatedly in his speech, noting that he had long vowed that he “would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon”. But he didn’t mention that Iran has long agreed to eschew a nuclear weapon. If that is the only goal, this entire war has been pointless.

EPA flags microplastics, pharmaceuticals as contaminants in drinking water

There is public concern about health risks from the chemicals, especially from the Make America Healthy Again movement. The agency's move doesn't in itself guarantee regulation.

Chelsea’s precarious project further rocked by Cucurella and Fernández comments | Jacob Steinberg

Difficult spell for Liam Rosenior’s side has not been helped by interventions from two of their senior players

Trust the process. Ignore the haters. Promise that the trophies will come. Stay on brand. Disappear on international duty and issue a brazen come-and-get-me plea to Real Madrid. Suggest a move to Barcelona would be difficult to reject. Don’t silence the noise. Increase the noise. Question the club’s transfer policy. Say you miss the previous manager. Say Madrid is your favourite European city. Say it more than once. Hang on. Have we gone off-message here?

These have been a turbulent few weeks for Chelsea. Humbled in Europe by Paris Saint-Germain, and in danger of allowing their Premier League campaign to spiral out of control, they could have done without two of their biggest players creating a PR storm during the international break. Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernández did not get the memo, though. Fernández is clearly after a summer move – “I really like Madrid, it’s similar to Buenos Aires,” the Argentina midfielder said this week. Meanwhile Cucurella did not hold back during a recent interview with the Athletic, saying Chelsea have “paid the price” for their inexperience, questioning Enzo Maresca’s mid-season departure and saying the heavy defeat by PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League has left players “discouraged”.

To a world at a loss as to how to handle Trump, I say this: the only answer may be to wait him out| Simon Jenkins

A great effort will be needed to undo the damage once the US president has gone. But with the constitution unable to bring him to order now, that is what we must do

The US is extraordinary. One day it goes to the far side of the moon and revives the space age. On the same day, its president is looking to the far side of the Earth and says he will take Iran “back to the stone ages”. It may be a giant leap for mankind, but in what direction?

There can be no point other than prestige in sending humans to the moon, which is why more than 50 years have passed since they last went there. Robots can perform all we need in space. Returning the Iranians to the stone age is a different matter. The last time the US made the same boast was against Vietnam in a typical threat (much misquoted) by Gen Curtis LeMay. Vietnam crushed the US in the ensuing war.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

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.

Attorney General Pam Bondi out at DOJ

Bondi's departure comes amid simmering frustration over her leadership and handling of the Epstein files. President Trump says Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will be acting attorney general.

Iran's war propaganda homes in on Trump with Lego memes

Iranian propaganda is also homing in on the war's destabilizing impact on the global economy and energy prices, which have shot up in the U.S.

Bodycam footage shows Tiger Woods’s shock after crash: ‘I’m being arrested?’

• Golfer has pled not guilty to DUI charges in Florida

• Woods tells police he was on phone with ‘the president’

• Hydrocodone pills found in pocket following arrest

Bodycam footage of Tiger Woods’s arrest for DUI shows the golfer looking surprised when he was handcuffed by police officers at the scene of a vehicle crash last week.

“I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI,” Martin County Sheriff’s deputy Tatiana Levenar told Woods after officers conducted a series of field sobriety exercises on the 50-year-old.

Man charged in connection with "Texas Killing Fields" deaths

Prosecutors have charged a man allegedly connected to two deaths tied to the "Texas Killing Fields," a site where dozens of bodies have been found since the 1970s.

Grocery shock on the horizon for approaching U.S. elections as Iran war drags on

"It just pisses them off more," said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, said in an interview when asked about how voters will react if food gets more expensive.

Ziggy Stardust and Hacky Sack: What life was like the last time we went to the moon

The Artemis II mission is the first time humans have headed to the moon since 1972. That year also marked the debut of The Godfather and the Egg McMuffin.

Relief for astronauts as fault fixed on Nasa’s $30m Artemis II toilet

Mission control confirms ‘toilet go for use’ after glitch sorted

A blinking fault light on Nasa’s Orion spacecraft signalled an unwelcome setback at the start of the historic Artemis II mission: the toilet was out of order.

Fortunately for the four astronauts on board for the 10-day mission, the issue was quickly resolved, with mission control confirming: “Happy to report that toilet is go for use. We do recommend letting the system get to operating speed before donating fluid, and then letting it run a little bit after donation.”

TikTok pulls Israeli ultranationalist’s account for breach of hate speech rules

Dozens of videos have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram showing harassment of Palestinians and activists

TikTok has removed an account belonging to an ultranationalist, pro-settlement Israeli influencer for breaching hate speech and bullying rules after the Guardian flagged videos showing him harassing activists in the occupied West Bank.

The Guardian has reviewed dozens of videos posted by various social media figures that have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram documenting the harassment of Palestinians as well as physical attacks on Israeli and international activists.

Orange skies over Crete as Storm Erminio sweeps Saharan sand across Greek island – in pictures

Storm Erminio has caused widespread destruction in parts of Greece, including the Attica region where a man died in Nea Makri. On the island of Crete, skies turned an eerie orange as winds of up to force 9 on the Beaufort scale carried dust from North Africa, forcing several flights to be rerouted

‘Slavery bounded his life’: Thomas Jefferson’s views on race – in his own words

A new book by historian Annette Gordon-Reed explores the former US president’s writings on race throughout his life

Thomas Jefferson’s interactions with enslaved people bookend his life. The third US president and a founder of the United States was born into a slave-owning family in a society upon which slavery was the bedrock. A Black woman was probably his earliest nursemaid – evidence shows that his mother did not breastfeed her children, so it is probable that a Black woman was also Jefferson’s wet nurse. His earliest memory, which he relayed to his grandchildren, was of being carried on a pillow via horseback by a man his family enslaved on a 50-mile journey to Tuckahoe, Virginia.

Given his status as an enslaver – Jefferson owned more than 610 people in his lifetime – those he held in bondage may have been the last people Jefferon saw before he died. An enslaved man, John Hemmings, built his casket. The omnipresence of slavery in his life and its clear contradictions with regards to his views on liberty, create a point of which much of the existing literature on Jefferson must attempt to make sense. Scholars have long tried to analyze and parse the juxtaposition of bondage and freedom for the former president. But in a new book by Annette Gordon-Reed, a Pulitzer prize-winning historian and a pre-eminent Jefferson scholar, Jefferson speaks for himself.

Protein chips, sex chocolate: what are ‘functional foods’, and do they actually boost health?

If a food is labeled ‘functional’, what does that mean? Not much, experts say

You’re at the grocery store, looking for a sweet snack. But these days, the chocolate aisle promises so much more than that: mental clarity, a stronger immune system, PMS relief and even sexual stamina – all in a few squares.

Chocolate is hardly the only treat to be reborn as a wellness product. Supermarket shelves now boast chips with added protein, gut-friendly sodas and collagen oatmeal – all part of the fast-growing “functional foods” market, which is expected to reach $586bn globally by 2030.

Award-winning Iranian human rights lawyer arrested in Tehran, says her daughter

Activists accuse Iran’s regime of crackdown on civil society as whereabouts of Nasrin Sotoudeh are unknown

• Is Iran using the war to hide a surge in executions?

The prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arrested in Tehran, according to her family, as activists accused the regime of cracking down on civil society under cover of the war with Israel and the US.

Sotoudeh’s daughter Mehraveh Khandan said her mother was taken from her home in Tehran late on Wednesday and that her whereabouts were unknown. Khandan suspected the arrest may be related to recent interviews about the war, in which Sotoudeh criticised the government.

Senate takes first step toward ending DHS shutdown as Trump vows to pay workers

President Trump said he would sign an order to pay all DHS employees as a plan to reopen most of DHS and pursue additional funding moves forward in Congress.

Higher gas prices have cost drivers an extra $8.4 billion, Democrats say

With gasoline topping $4 a gallon, it now costs almost $145 to fill up a Ford F-150 pickup truck, a new analysis finds.

Starbucks to award bonuses to baristas, expand tipping to promote turnaround efforts

Starbucks is in the middle of a turnaround focused on improving both the customer and employee experience.

Sunn O))): Sunn O))) review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

(Sub Pop)
The doomy duo strip back their sound to tectonic guitars and feedback, conjuring an immersive, strangely euphoric listening experience recorded in the wilds of Washington

Nearly seven years on from Sunn O)))’s last two albums, the Steve Albini-produced companion pieces Life Metal and Pyroclasts, the drone metal pioneers’ 10th album presents itself as a return to basics. Eponymously titled and released on Sub Pop – the label that put out drone metal’s ur-text, Earth’s 1993 debut Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version – it strips away Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson’s penchant for collaboration (Scott Walker, Merzbow) and much of the expanded musical palette that came with it. No church organ, no dulcimer, no vocals, no radical reassembly of their material courtesy of Nurse With Wound’s Steven Stapleton: closer Glory Black features a brief burst of piano, and there are apparently synthesisers somewhere in the mix, but for the most part, the album seems to deal almost exclusively in heavily distorted down-tuned guitars and feedback, the core of Sunn O)))’s sound since they formed in 1998.

But clearly the notion of a back-to-basics album should not be confused with that of an understated one. It’s not really an adjective that fits something that lasts the best part of 90 minutes, comes wrapped in a sleeve featuring two Mark Rothko paintings – by permission of the painter’s estate – and features somewhere between 130 and 180 tracks of guitar per song. (The latter comes thanks to a studio procedure that involved producer Brad Wood miking up not just the duo’s amplifiers but each amplifier’s individual speakers, and setting up what he called “the world’s largest stereo array of room mics” to capture ambient textures.) It also comes complete with sleeve notes from nature writer Robert Macfarlane, which variously quote the Greek stoic Epictetus, Walter Benjamin, 19th-century naturalist John Muir, author Patrick White and indigenous American environmentalist Robin Wall Kimmerer.

How a lush Miami park was designed to keep flooding at bay – in pictures

As the climate crisis intensifies the storms lashing south Florida, it is imperative to design spaces that soak up the water. The 19.4-acre Bayshore Park is an example of how to design spaces that protect from and connect residents to nature

Italian football in crisis as FA chief resigns and Ceferin issues Euro 2032 warning

• Exit could spell end of Gennaro Gattuso’s tenure

• Ceferin: ‘Infrastructure is among the worst in Europe’

The crisis engulfing Italian football has deepened with the country’s football federation president, Gabriele Gravina, resigning and the Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, warning that it risks losing its co-hosting rights for Euro 2032.

Gravina announced his resignation at an emergency meeting of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) general council two days after Italy failed to reach a World Cup finals for the third successive time, losing on penalties to the outsiders Bosnia and Herzegovina. He had come under heavy scrutiny since their exit in Zenica, the country’s minister for sport, Andrea Abodi, intensifying the pressure by calling for “a renewal of the FIGC leadership”.

Starbucks offers $1,200 bonuses to baristas who offer top customer service

The coffee chain said it will also pay its workers weekly to provide more financial flexibility.

DHS shutdown: Senate advances deal to fund agency with TSA, waits on House

The Department of Homeland Security shutdown that sowed chaos in airports across the country could draw to a close as GOP leaders coalesced around a deal.

Artist files war crime case in Paris over Israeli strike that killed parents in Lebanon

Lebanese-French man Ali Cherri demands investigation into Beirut bombing as possible war crime against civilians

A Lebanese-French artist has filed a legal complaint in a Paris court about an Israeli bombing of his family home in Lebanon that killed his parents and a domestic worker, claiming the attack could constitute a war crime.

The suit, filed with the French war crimes unit on Tuesday, is a rare instance of an individual pursuing war crimes charges for an Israeli bombing. It is also the first time a French court has taken a case over Israel’s bombing of Lebanon.

Analysis: Trump's Iran speech ignores the risks of a return to the 1970s

Oil shocks crippled past presidencies. The Iran war is putting Trump into the danger zone.

My husband doesn’t want to give up his mistress. Should I settle for half his heart? | Leading questions

It sounds like you are so concerned about losing him, you are considering losing yourself, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. This bit is the mistake

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I just discovered by chance, and to my complete surprise, after more than 20 years of what I thought was a happy and faithful marriage, that my husband has had a year-long and passionate affair with an accomplished, charming, brilliant career woman whom I also regarded as a friend. I am accomplished too, but not nearly at her level, and I am also a bit older and I have less panache than her. I don’t think I can compete with her, and in any case I feel too proud to try.

Here is the thing: he says he doesn’t want to give her up, though he also says he does not want to marry her (she is in any case married though, it seems, in an open marriage). He also says he loves me and wants to remain married to me. I think if I demand he gives her up, he will end up unable to love me. I also think I will barely, or possibly not at all, be able to bear the pain of him continuing to see her. I am so unsure what to do or indeed what I can bear doing. I so don’t want to lose him. I have been deeply in love with him ever since we first met. Do I give him the world in return for half his heart?

Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry audiobook review – an extraordinary chronicle of terminal illness

The author’s father-in-law died just nine days after his cancer diagnosis, inspiring this moving and sharply observed account of his last days

Novelist Sarah Perry’s memoir of her late father-in-law, David, chronicles the period from his first signs of illness, when he began to have trouble swallowing, to his diagnosis of oesophageal cancer, to his death at the age of 77 just nine days later.

We first meet David, a retired chemist from Norwich, on a day trip with Perry and her husband in the summer of 2022. The three of them have gone to Great Yarmouth where, seemingly in good health, David gleefully eats four hot doughnuts. She reveals him as an unassuming man who lives in a bungalow, drinks Yorkshire Tea, delights in telling bad jokes, and likes doing sudoku and watching Antiques Roadshow on TV. But right at the start, Perry notes that David’s death was only weeks away. Though his illness was mercifully short, the speed at which it progressed caught his family unawares, leaving precious little time to prepare.

Tokyo cherry blossom and Holy Week processions: pictures of the day – Thursday

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