Trump claims CIA director’s surprise visit to Russia is ‘semi-routine’ – live

Trump administration had not formally announced John Ratcliffe’s trip, but various outlets captured the flight tracking data of the US jet and the Kremlin confirmed the meeting

• Darline Graham wins Republican primary for US Senate

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A US military strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean on Tuesday killed four people, officials said.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a post on X that the strike targeted a vessel “operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean.”

Meta reaches $16.7bn settlement with US states over social media harms to children – business live

Agreement reached during California federal trial over claims brought by 29 states

Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, said the government will explore “what more we can do” to help those struggling with high bills, via “fundamental reforms” including investment in renewable energy.

Families will be understandably concerned about the cost of energy bills this winter, which is being driven up by the Iran war.

Energy is an everyday essential and it needs to be affordable for everyone, which is why we have cut VAT on electricity bills from October, to give families some breathing space.

If you look at energy bills, if you look at how much of a family’s finances it is taking up, it is far too expensive.

So, whether that is short-term support that we’re providing to provide a bit of breathing space, which is what the government has done and will continue looking at that, or more fundamental reforms that we need to make to the energy market to drive down bills for good, we are absolutely determined to do that.

At least 22 people dead and hundreds of tourists and locals missing in flash flood on Nepal-Tibet border – latest updates

‘Major casualties’ feared after powerful floods in Himalayan border area sweep away houses, roads and bridges and leave hundreds missing

• ‘Major casualties’ feared after flash floods along Nepal-Tibet border

• Tell us: have you been affected by the flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border?

The British embassy in Kathmandu said it is “deeply saddened” by flash floods in parts of Nepal and urged people in affected areas to follow local advice.

A joint statement with the embassies of Australia, the EU, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland said:

We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas.

Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.

July PCE inflation index held at 3.7% annual pace, hotter than expected

The Personal Consumption Expenditures index was unchanged from June, highlighting stubborn inflationary pressures.

Women using HRT at lower risk of dementia, study suggests

Scientists found those who had used hormone replacement therapy were 10% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia

Hormone replacement therapy may reduce the risk of dementia, a study has found.

Scientists tracked more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK in the largest study of its kind. They found that those who had used HRT were 10% less likely to develop any type of dementia and 16% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the most common form, compared with those who had never used it.

Amazon service Bezos once called 'artificial artificial intelligence' is shutting down

Mechanical Turk launched in 2005 as a way to farm out tasks that are easy for humans to complete but too challenging for computers.

Iran says the U.S. is standing in the way of Hormuz deal amid talks with Oman

Iran and Oman are approaching a deal to secure safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz and future administration of the vital economic artery.

Tribute to Dolly Parton and a tomato festival: photos of the day – Wednesday

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

Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived back in UK, say reports

Harry, Meghan and family expected to enjoy ‘extended stay’ with children Archie and Lilibet already enrolled at school

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived back in the UK, landing at Birmingham airport, according to reports.

Prince Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are expected to enjoy an “extended stay” in Britain, with the children already enrolled at school in the UK and due to start next week.

Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows core prices rose 3.3% annually in July

The personal consumption expenditures price index was expected to rise 0.1% monthly and 3.6% on a 12-month basis, according to economists surveyed by Dow Jones.

Mark Walter's TWG Global blasts 'attacks,' insists 'no fraud' amid federal probe

The empire of billionaire Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter has faced media scrutiny since he said he would sell his majority share of the LA Lakers.

Tell us: have you been affected by the flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border?

Floods and mudslides have swept away houses and roads with many hundreds missing

Hundreds are missing and at least 22 people have died after torrential floods ⁠hit the Himalayan border areas of ⁠Nepal and in ​Tibet in China. An avalanche of ice and rock triggered massive flash floods causing widespread damage to villages and infrastructure.

Officials said 384 tourists, including 291 from countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia, were reported missing.

Josh Tongue reveals Joe Root’s ‘robust conversation’ has reset England standards

• Fast bowler says captain was ‘clear on the message’

• ‘We are very privileged to put on the England shirt’

After eight months of repeated infringements and frequent embarrassment, Joe Root’s “robust conversation” with the England Test squad at Lord’s this week has finally ended any uncertainty about the conduct expected of them, with Josh Tongue saying the penny had “100%” dropped after the Test captain “made it clear what he expects from us”.

“It was a chat that was needed, a very good chat from Rooty” the 28-year-old said. “He was very clear on the message of what it’s like to be an England cricketer. We’re very privileged to put on that England shirt and we want to show kids growing up how good it is to play for England in front of thousands of people. He was honest with us all in the changing room. He said it straight. What has happened in the past is the past, and we need to try to move on from that.”

‘My TikTok was flooded’: Suad Mooge on Ireland’s Rose of Tralee, navigating backlash and celebrating identity

Dublin’s representative in the traditional festival defiantly reckons with xenophobia and balances Gaelic pride with her Somali heritage

Last week marked the climax of Ireland’s Rose of Tralee festival, an annual celebration of Irish women, culture and the Irish diaspora. When Suad Mooge was chosen as Dublin’s participant in the festival earlier this year, she quickly became a symbol of Ireland’s fraught conversation around immigration and what constitutes Irish identity.

I caught up with Suad on a video call a week after the festival’s culmination, and found someone reflective and determined in the face of criticism.

‘I catch the signs a lot earlier now’: Amanda Anisimova on burnout and bouncing back

World No 10 is one of the best players yet to win a major and heads to Flushing Meadows in fine form after learning to embrace being uncomfortable

Amanda Anisimova can see the signs now. It is just over three years since the American announced she would be taking an indefinite break for mental health reasons. A brilliant junior, she was a semi-finalist at the French Open in 2019 and seemingly destined for the top, only for her world to be rocked by the sudden death of her father, Konstantin, a few months later. Struggling for motivation and burned out, in May 2023, she revealed she would be stepping away from the sport.

It turned out to be the best decision she ever made. “I learned how important it is to have a great balance on and off the court,” Anisimova says in an interview from New York, ahead of the US Open, where she will try to go one better than last year and win her first grand slam title.

Carly Pearce recalls when Dolly Parton invited her to be an official member of the Grand Ole Opry

Grammy-winning country music star Carly Pearce joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss her relationship with Dolly Parton and her start at Dollywood at 16 years old.

Highlighting Dolly Parton's philanthropy

Dolly Parton's philanthropic legacy rivals her musical one, especially with her book-gifting program, "Dolly Parton's Imagination Library." Adriana Diaz reports.

Fans at Dollywood mourn and celebrate Dolly Parton: "There's a piece of my heart gone"

Dolly Parton fans across the U.S. are mourning and celebrating the icon after her death at 80. Skyler Henry reports.

Goodbye, Dolly Parton: a gay icon whose appeal reached across age, class and politics, and into the Maga heartlands | Emma Brockes

Straight women loved her, so did Eminem. Even Donald Trump found something nice to say. Her allure had no boundaries and was truly unique

I was at the National Theatre in London on Tuesday night, at a production of Pride, which tells the story of the unlikely alliance between gay activists and Welsh miners during the 1984 miners’ strike, when news broke of Dolly Parton’s death. Well. Against the sadness, one couldn’t help smiling. At a very gay production, attended by a majority gay audience, I half expected them to stop the show or call out a team from St John Ambulance bearing stretchers. In the script for Pride, references to Judy Garland and Ethel Merman serve as shorthand for gay sensibilities, but it could just as easily have been Dolly Parton. The queen of country and crossover pop was beloved by so many communities – many antagonistic to each other – but it was perhaps her gay fans who claimed her most vociferously and publicly.

When we got home my friends and I danced around to 9 to 5, and on Wednesday morning it was Here You Come, Again (“looking better than a body has a right to” – oh, Dolly) on a loop, along with her 1971 hit Coat of Many Colors.

Dolly Parton's life and legacy

Dolly Parton died at 80 years old after a brief battle with cancer. Anthony Mason reports on her life and legacy.

Vholume review – a headlong rush of parkour perfection in a brutalist wonderland

PC; Nathan Grange, Léonard Lemaitre, Niels Tiercelin, IronEqual
Race across impossible dystopian cityscapes in this exhilarating game of wall-runs, death-chancing leaps and split-second improvisation

At first, Vholume seems like a quick rush through some smartly selected references. Has this breathless yet austere parkour game been designed or ingeniously curated? The urban gymnast moveset comes from Mirror’s Edge. Level names use terms like conapt, first coined by Philip K Dick. And the environments themselves are dystopian and surreal, Half-Life 2’s City 17 colliding with the blasted avenues and mute archways of de Chirico. Many games have influences. Vholume has actual taste.

All the surface stuff fades away when the game is in motion, however. Vholume’s an on-foot racing game in which you hoof it through spectacularly odd environments, moving from one beam of concrete to the next. You’re clipping your wall-runs and power-slides together to bridge seemingly impossible gaps between buildings, forever in search of the next stretch of track, the next turn, the next jump that gets you to the level’s exit and the worldwide leaderboards. And once that’s done, you have a choice: onwards to another gauntlet, or back to the start of this one again to slice a few microseconds off your score? Or maybe you’d rather head over to multiplayer to race against the ghosts of others?

8 dead, hundreds missing as Nepal avalanche triggers flash floods

The disaster is linked to climate change, with experts noting the region's vulnerability to extreme weather.

Ross Fire explodes to over 80,000 acres, forces evacuations in North Texas

The Ross wildfire has burned more than 80,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, forcing evacuations, closing roads and disrupting schools.

How to turn the dregs of a ketchup bottle into a classic Marie Rose dressing – recipe | Waste not

Shake up the remnants of a bottle of ketchup with a splash of sprits, a heap of mayonnaise and a few other simple additions, and turn it into one of the culinary world’s most famous sauces

My new favourite preparation for sauces, marinades and dressings is in a near-empty jar, tub or bottle, so I can upcycle all the remains. Rather than washing it and putting it in the recycling, I instead add a few store-cupboard ingredients to create a dressing or sauce, often re-exploring classics such as a retro Marie Rose sauce or my yoghurt-pot chicken. It’s a convenient way to use up the last dregs of a ketchup bottle, for instance, which often seems to harbour exactly the right amount of sauce.

My Marie Rose recipe is inspired by the one in Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham’s 1997 The Prawn Cocktail Years. It’s wonderfully simple, with the sophisticated addition of a dash of cognac, though other recipes use brandy. I had neither, however, but I did have some sweet vermouth left over, which worked exceptionally well, so feel free to experiment with whatever spirits you have to hand – vodka, for instance, works brilliantly, and gives the sauce a nice kick.

‘You can taste the ash’: surviving in America’s wildfire smoke capital

A magical corner of Oregon has the highest US rate of wildfire smoke deaths. How do residents live with the haze – and grief?

Driving into the county, you can’t miss the sign.

“IT’S THE CLIMATE”.

Hyundai has grown more than any automaker in the U.S. — and it's not done yet

The South Korean automaker wants to keep going by ramping up production at a new $7.6 billion plant in Georgia to capture more sales and market share.

‘National scandal’: extreme heat linked to 40,000 deaths in England between 1988 and 2025

ONS data shows rising toll of climate crisis, with officials warning this summer on track to set further records

More than 40,000 extra people died on the hottest days in England between 1988 and 2025 than would be expected in normal temperatures, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday.

The figures do not include this summer, when England has sweltered under a succession of heatwaves and is on track to record its highest ever number of heat-related deaths. The UK Health Security Agency announced on 30 July that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves alone. The total is almost double the figure for the whole summer in 2025.

Mortgage rates hit highest level in 3 weeks, weakening demand further

Mortgage rates rose again last week causing demand for both refinances and purchase loans to drop. Rates climbed to their highest level in three weeks.

Enes Kanter Freedom banned from home games of WNBA's Chicago Sky

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound former NBA player was removed from Sunday's game after he was confronted by Sky guard Natasha Cloud.

The great Snowdon queue-skipping row – is it really OK to jump the line if you’re not taking a selfie?

The crowds at the top of Yr Wyddfa, the highest mountain in Wales, are now so huge that seasoned hikers and climbers are simply walking past them. Is everyone just making a mountain out of a molehill?

Name: The Snowdon queue.

Age: A decade and a half, give or take.

Uefa poised to lift boycott threat after Fifa promises no World Cup sale repeat

• Uefa has received guarantees after ill-fated Infantino plan

• European sides likely to go to under-20 Women’s World Cup

Uefa is poised to drop its threatened boycott of Fifa competitions after receiving concrete guarantees that the global governing body will never attempt a repeat of Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The Guardian understands European teams are likely to be cleared for participation in the upcoming under-20 Women’s World Cup, along with subsequent tournaments, after Fifa provided the binding assurances that no equivalent of its president’s ill-fated scheme will be put on the table.

Is Natalie Portman really the subject of Rachel Cusk’s new novel? Nine things you need to know about the literary hoo-haa

Fiction sleuths are obsessed with the idea that the book, Life of M, is a flagrant riff on the actor’s life. And despite being a firm Cusk fan, Portman is reportedly not happy

Life of M, the latest book by the critically acclaimed author Rachel Cusk, is being billed by its publisher, Faber, as a “blazing interrogation of fame, power, beauty and truth” – and openly alleged as a thinly veiled portrait of Natalie Portman. For weeks before publication, speculation has swirled that its movie-star main character is based on Portman – to her reported displeasure.

With the book out this week, readers and critics alike are judging it as literature and gossip. Don’t want to read it yourself, but want to have an opinion? Here’s your crib sheet.

Canada to hit U.S. with retaliatory tariffs. And, remembering music legend Dolly Parton

Canada has announced it plans to hit the U.S. with countertariffs that mirror its actions "dollar for dollar." And, remembering the legacy of country star and icon Dolly Parton, who died at 80.

Secrets of the gut microbiome and how it impacts our long-term brain health

Dr. Laura Cox, an assistant professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, explains how our dietary patterns play a significant role in our gut and long-term brain health.

On scraps of land and under constant threat, Gaza farmers struggle to survive

Efforts to rebuild domestic food production face severe challenges and have come at deadly cost

As Gaza’s population of 2.1 million has been hemmed into an ever smaller slice of the territory, farmers are using every last remaining patch of unspoiled earth, no matter how tiny, in their struggle to survive.

With severe shortages of water, fertiliser and pesticide, and with more than 80% of greenhouses ruined, it has taken inventiveness and determination to clear land of debris and coax new seedlings into life. Moreover, venturing out into the open to tend to plants can be deadly.

Fake US thinktank set up and funded by Israel sought to game AI for propaganda

In effort to prime chatbots to make pro-Israel arguments the site published 124 reports, over 560,000 words in nine days, Guardian analysis shows

A pro-Israel messaging website badged with the name of a thinktank that does not exist has published more than half a million words in nine days, built on a commercial platform that promises to optimize content so that AI chatbots will cite it.

The site gives Israel’s position on subjects including the torture of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli war crimes and whether Israel has deliberately starved Palestinians in Gaza, all presented as neutral research.

This is the question Democrats should ask voters in order to win this November

They should ask the question Reagan asked at the end of his debate against Jimmy Carter: ‘Are you better off now than you were before this presidency?’

The midterm elections are already upon us, and every Democrat and Independent running against a Republican should ask voters the question Ronald Reagan asked on 28 October 1980, at the end of his televised debate against Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off now than you were before this presidency?”

Unless you’re very, very rich, the answer is obviously: “No, I’m worse off.”

Energy bills have increased three times faster than the rate of inflation while Trump has been president. The national average monthly utility bill reached $280 in early 2026, a 12% increase since the end of 2024, just before the second Trump administration took office.

Bill Gates calls for ‘human-reserved’ jobs in face of AI takeover

In 6,000-word essay Microsoft co-founder also expresses concern governments not prepared for technology’s impact

• Business live – latest updates

Bill Gates has called for “human-reserved” jobs in certain sectors to prevent AI replacing them, and expressed concern that governments are not prepared for the impact the technology will have.

In a 6,000 word essay titled The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make are critical, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder likened the need to spare roles from digital encroachment to how nature reserves operate to protect the environment.

Russia says CIA chief met intel counterparts on secretive Moscow visit

The Kremlin spokesman says CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian counterparts during a secretive visit to Moscow, but it's unclear what came of the talks.

Manchester City confirm Bouaddi signing as Marmoush and González head out

• Spurs to take Marmoush on loan with obligation to buy

• City agree £52m Nico González sale to Newcastle

Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for €95m (£81.4m) plus €5m, with the 18-year-old midfielder agreeing a five-year contract.

Bouaddi’s arrival comes after City struck deals to loan Omar Marmoush to Tottenham for the season, with an obligation to buy for an initial £50m, and sell Nico González to Newcastle for £52m.

New data shows record number of arrests and deportations of immigrants in the US

Trump administration has moved away from high-profile, militarized raids as its deportation spree has ramped up

The Trump administration arrested and deported a record number of immigrants in July, according to newly released government data – apprehending an average of 1,500 people and removing 1,100 people daily.

This latest data confirms what attorneys and immigrant advocates have been seeing across the US – although the administration has moved away from the high-profile, militarized raids that came to define its immigration enforcement approach last year, it is quietly ramping up its operations.

Angel Reese is turning trolls and talk of ‘mebounds’ into fuel for a breakthrough

The star known as Bayou Barbie is shining in Atlanta. The longer her haters dwell on her lowlights, the more they miss her transformation into an all-around force

On 16 August, the Atlanta Dream faced the Indiana Fever in the WNBA’s showcase matchup, and Angel Reese had a chance to don the cape. Tied at 81, the Dream had possession with five seconds left in regulation when Rhyne Howard launched a deep three-pointer. Reese was perfectly positioned under the basket, snagging Howard’s air ball with an outstretched hand. But in the rush to win the game, Reese forced a shot off the backboard that caromed off the front rim – and Naz Hillmon’s putback fizzled as the buzzer sounded. After Indiana escaped with a 95-91 overtime victory, Reese beat herself up over the loss.

“I didn’t sleep,” she told reporters days later. “The competitor in me wanted to win that game so bad. I replayed that play so many times.” Reese vowed to shrug the game off and do better. Damned if she hasn’t proved herself to be a woman of her word.

Americans say they lose weight in Europe – and I think I know why | Arwa Mahdawi

Is it because of differences in the flour that’s being consumed? Or something to do with the European approach to getting around?

It’s not just the mass shootings you have to watch out for in the US, it’s also the lettuce – a dodgy bit of iceberg could leave you sick with cyclosporiasis. And then there are the frozen blueberries, recently recalled because of a “reasonable probability” they could “cause serious adverse health consequences or even death”. And the alfalfa sprouts that may harbour salmonella. And the fruit bars that may be contaminated with glass. I could go on: there’s been a surge in foodborne illnesses in the US this year and food recalls have been getting a lot of attention.

Europe obviously isn’t immune to foodborne illnesses either. More than 200 people have become sick in the UK this summer and one person has died because of a salmonella outbreak tied to imported eggs. Still, Europe is widely seen as having far more robust regulations and food policies than the US. There’s endless anecdata online from Americans who claim that American bread and pasta makes them feel bloated and sick, but they can eat whatever they want in Europe and feel great.

De Gaulle: Résistance review – a galloping bromance for Churchill and France’s wartime hero

This biopic of the great Gallic general – which culminates at Bir Hakeim, in advance of a second film – is a fine, quietly amusing romp with a touch of classic 60s war films

Perhaps because it is based on a biography by an Englishman – Julian Jackson’s A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle – this very enjoyable and gallopingly eventful biopic, directed by Antonin Baudry, has an element of amused detachment. The first of two parts, it offers a good-humoured, though naturally sympathetic, perspective on France’s great wartime hero, played with martyred and faintly preposterous hauteur by Franco-Armenian actor Simon Abkarian.

De Gaulle is the lofty exile in London, refusing to accept the dishonour of the Vichy government and its capitulation to the Nazis, symbolised by Marshal Philippe Pétain (Alain Libolt) and Adm François Darlan (Mathieu Kassovitz). For reasons that will later become clear, De Gaulle’s own story is mysteriously intertwined with that of a hothead young patriot, Fernand Bonnier de la Chapelle (Florian Lesieur), who is De Gaulle’s biggest fan. A tiny touch of comedy is part of what makes this resemble an old-fashioned 60s war film, although it has evidently taken until 2026 for French cinema to come to terms with its contentious national icon. No one here is cheeky enough to comment on the nominative determinism of a Gallic hero being called “De Gaulle”.

The Spin | England’s troubles with spinners is leaving a generation behind

Dom Bess is one of many in a long line of England spinners to struggle for a sustained run in Test cricket. Why is there no lasting solution?

It is the eighth over of South Africa’s first innings in Gqeberha in January 2020 when Joe Root tosses the ball to 22-year-old Dom Bess. Three overs later, the decision pays off.

With the final ball before drinks, Bess takes a return catch to dismiss Pieter Malan. In the final over before the close, he has Zubayr Hamza caught at short leg. The next morning, Bess removes Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen to become the first English spinner to take the first five wickets of an innings since Derek Underwood in 1975.

Dolly Parton remembered by fellow stars, politicans: "A true loss for millions"

President Trump said that he would be "lowering the American flag" throughout the nation for one week in Dolly Parton's honor.

COMIC: 7 lifestyle habits that may boost your chances of getting pregnant

This illustrated guide has evidence-backed advice on how to support fertility for both men and women, including which foods to eat and which activities to avoid.

She got an electric bill for $1,373. She's not alone

The price of electricity is soaring in the summer heat, when fans and air conditioners are working nonstop. In Tulsa, Okla., people are having their power cut when they can't pay their bills.

Jed York’s trailer park arrest exposed inequality in America | Lee Escobedo

The San Francisco 49ers owner’s arrest in Ohio over the weekend was quickly put behind him. Others are not so lucky

The Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community sits off state Route 170, on the edge of East Palestine, Ohio, a town most Americans only learned about because a train derailed there in February 2023 and released toxic chemicals into the creek. I grew up in a trailer park like this one, and know the sights. The grid of aluminum boxes in rows. Skirting the color of old teeth, some of it buckled, some patched with a piece of lattice. The window units huff and puff in August, dripping dark condensation on to the gravel.

I’m sure there were drugs on my street. I’m sure somebody was selling sex. I never saw it. What I saw were families raising kids in 800 square feet and people the country had already written off, living next to each other and mostly getting along.

Shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of heart attack and stroke, study finds

Researchers say benefits of two-dose Shingrix vaccine could be comparable to taking daily blood pressure medication

The current shingles vaccine appears to significantly lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to scientists who say it could help prevent thousands of deaths each year.

The research, based on records of 70,000 people in the US, found that those who had received Shingrix had a 12% lower risk of a cardiovascular diagnosis in the following three and a half years. If confirmed, this benefit would be comparable to taking a daily blood pressure-lowering medication, the scientists said.

Moringa lattes and tigernut kebabs: the Ghanaians ‘taking back the power’ of their food

In Ghana, a grassroots movement is championing nutritious, homegrown, climate-resilient produce, rather than western imports

After three years at catering school, Abiro Wisdom was certain of one thing – he did not want to go into catering. At least not the route that he might be expected to take. His course at Accra Technical University had prepared students for working in international hotels, focusing on French, Italian and Mexican cuisine. The nutritious, homegrown food that Wisdom had eaten while growing up in Bolgatanga, northern Ghana, did not feature at all.

“I didn’t see myself there,” he says of the big chain hotels. “I felt I wouldn’t be myself working there – I wouldn’t be able to talk about the food from where I come from.”

Hollywood's summer box office is glowing, but the numbers come with startling caveats

Theaters have had something for everyone this summer, and fans are paying top dollar for premium formats like IMAX. There are also fewer moviegoers, fewer movies and fewer screens than there were pre-COVID.

Raheem Sterling charged with dangerous driving and nitrous oxide possession

• Former England forward crashed on M3 in late May

• Sterling is also accused of failing to provide a specimen

The former England forward Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide after a crash involving a Lamborghini on the motorway, police have said.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary said the charges followed a single-vehicle collision on the M3 southbound, near Minley interchange, on 28 May. The 31-year-old is accused of dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen.

Celebrity tributes pour in for Dolly Parton: ‘a gift to the world’

Lily Tomlin, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Céline Dion and Oprah Winfrey are among those remembering the queen of country after she died aged 80

• Alexis Petridis on Dolly Parton’s peerless career that turned country music cliches inside out

• Dolly Parton – a life in pictures

• Country music legend Dolly Parton dies aged 80 – latest updates

Tributes have poured in for Dolly Parton, the country singer, songwriter and actor, after her death aged 80.

News of her death was shared by her nephew on social media. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” he said.

Martin O’Neill puts Champions League collapse among most painful Celtic nights

• Celtic lose against Lask in qualifier from 4-0 up on aggregate

• ‘That’s my team and that’s my responsibility,’ O’Neill says

Martin O’Neill has admitted that Celtic’s Champions League qualifying collapse from 4-0 up ranks as one of his most painful nights as the club’s manager.

Celtic held a four-goal aggregate lead against Lask on Tuesday when Callum McGregor scored in the 21st minute in Austria, building on a 3-0 first-leg victory, and appeared to be cruising into the league stage. But they lost 5-1 on the night after extra time to go out in extraordinary fashion.

Hospital nursery fire kills 14 newborns in Pakistan's capital, officials order immediate inquiry

A fire erupted early Wednesday in a nursery for newborns at a major government hospital in Pakistan's capital, killing 14 babies, according to hospital officials and the government.

Test your global economic knowledge with this quick Planet Money quiz!

Every country tells a different economic story. It's time to test your knowledge of the big ideas we've collected on our World Tour. Eight questions stand between you and your Summer School diploma.

At least 14 newborn babies die in fire at Pakistan hospital’s maternity ward

Authorities at biggest state hospital in Islamabad say 15 babies were in the ward when fire broke out

At least 14 newborn babies have died in a fire that broke out in the maternity ward at one of Pakistan’s most prominent state hospitals.

The blaze began in the early hours of Wednesday and engulfed the ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the biggest state hospital in Islamabad.

After Dom Ballard’s backheel, what is the earliest goal of the season? | The Knowledge

Plus: player-managers earning international caps, out-of-position goalkeepers sent off and footballers called up to jury service

• Mail us with your all of your questions and answers

“After watching Dom Ballard’s backheel volley for Bristol City against Birmingham in game week two of the Championship, it begs the question: what’s the earliest in a season a goal has gone on to win goal of the season?” asks Ricardio Sentulio.

There is no doubting Dom Ballard’s outrageous flick for Bristol City at Birmingham City should be a Puskás contender, especially with his finish kissing the crossbar on its way in, and has a very good chance of being the best goal scored in the 2026-27 Championship season, even though there is a long way to go.

Ex-cricketer Will Pucovski takes legal action against former school over concussion

• Batter claims 2014 head knock was mismanaged by Brighton Grammar

• Pucovski retired from cricket aged 27 after long history of concussions

A private school football coach allegedly directed students to “go in hard” against each other during a training drill a Test cricketer claims left him with the first of a series of career-ending concussions.

Former Test cricketer Will Pucovski has launched legal action against his school Brighton Grammar over its handling of a concussion he suffered during an Australian rules football training session in 2014.

Passage by Colin Thubron review – mortality and memory in a gem of a novel

A terminally ill woman makes a final trip to Egypt in an exquisitely wrought portrait of end-of-life reckoning

Virginia Woolf said of Middlemarch that it is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people. In the shallow and infantilising age through which we are living, Colin Thubron dares to assume that his readers are adults. Passage is a very beautiful, very moving, authentic work of art. Hardly more than a novella, it sits lightly in the hand, but its emotional and aesthetic weight overtips the balance.

Thubron began his career as a travel writer and a large part of the action of Passage is set in a vividly but economically evoked Egypt. This is not the teeming Egypt of Cairo or Alexandria, but of the countryside, the villages, and the great immemorial tombs and ancient monuments. The best travel writers know that “abroad” is most convincingly evoked not by awed exclamations at the world’s wonders, but by an attitude of relaxed familiarity. Thubron is obviously an old Egypt hand, or at least has the skill to convince us that he is.

From Jolene to Islands in the Stream: Dolly Parton’s 10 best recordings

The late star created some of the most beloved country and pop songs in American music

• Alexis Petridis on Dolly Parton’s peerless career that turned country music cliches inside out

• Dolly Parton – a life in pictures

• Country music legend Dolly Parton dies aged 80 – latest updates

The death of Dolly Parton today at age 80 has the world mourning one of America’s most beloved entertainers: a generation-spanning performer and country music icon who took as much pride in her music as she did her sparkling appearance. Parton’s impressive musical output across a 60-year career and a whopping 50 albums was built on a foundation of her undeniable knack for songwriting: ranging from heartfelt lyrics to catchy hooks. Here are just 10 of Parton’s greatest contributions to the American musical lexicon.

Hanging By a Wire review – cable car rescue documentary dangles viewers on the edge of disaster

The extraordinary fate of eight people trapped above a chasm in Pakistan makes for a tense, skilfully assembled survival story with unexpected flashes of comedy

Survival documentaries are a weird little genre of nonfiction film-making that recount the stories of accidents and natural catastrophes – and more often than not, the daring rescues of people caught up in them. Eyewitnesses and the loved ones of those endangered are top of the interview list, to keep the sense of danger and emotional stakes at the top of everyone’s mind. Survivors can also have their say, and more adventurous film-makers might care to recreate the action with actors or the actual survivors themselves.

This account of how eight people – six teenage boys and two adult men – were left suspended over a chasm in northern Pakistan in 2023, when a wire on the cable car they were travelling on broke, is a pretty conventional example of the form. For obvious reasons, no one tries to recreate the situation, but since it was quite recent there is no shortage of news footage and amateur clips to fill out the particulars. The downside of doing a story that’s so recent is that some of the audience may remember what happened anyway, but still there’s plenty of nail-nibbling suspense here, and sequences that will give anyone with acrophobia the heebie jeebies – especially the drone shots that zoom close on the terrified faces of those trapped inside the dangling car.

Target faces renewed backlash for Halloween costume with 'minstrel show features'

Retailer Target pulled a children's Halloween costume from its shelves after widespread social media backlash, apologizing for selling a garment critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures.

A moment that changed me: I sought out rejection. Instead, strangers met me with profound generosity

As I turned 21, fear was holding me back. So I decided to face it headfirst. It taught me that courage leads to connection – and people who owe you nothing can be astonishingly kind

In May 2024, I decided to spend 30 days getting rejected on purpose.

At first, it sounded ridiculous. After all, most people spend their lives actively trying to avoid rejection – and I was deciding to walk, full force, towards it. But it had become obvious, as I turned 21, that my terror of being rejected was holding me back.

More than 50 kidnapped as violent gang attack in Haiti leaves 47 dead

It is believed to be one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years, and one gang leader is threatening to kill the hostages if authorities kill any gang members as they try to secure the community nestled in the hills above Port-au-Prince.

Sand overextraction weakening riverbanks as concrete demand soars

Research finds demand has more than doubled since 2000 and 80% of current demand comes from Asia

A booming demand for concrete has resulted in sand and gravel being extracted from riverbeds faster than nature can replenish it. A study published in Reviews of Geophysics shows that the demand for sand and gravel has more than doubled in the last two decades, with overextraction leading to weaker riverbanks, lower groundwater levels, coastal salt intrusion and poorer water quality.

In 2024, city-building and infrastructure projects around the world turned 28bn tonnes of sand and gravel into concrete. Researchers reviewed data on sand and gravel extraction going back to 1974 and have shown that since 2000 demand has more than doubled, with more than 80% of current demand coming from Asia, supporting urban development and road-building across China and India in particular. They found much of the material was being extracted from rivers across Asia and Africa. Data on extraction is scarce but where it does exist the researchers showed that extraction often exceeded natural sediment replacement severalfold.

National lottery faces questions over new boss’s record in gambling industry

MPs tell regulator they are ‘deeply concerned’ over interim CEO Phil Walker’s roles at William Hill and Game Nation

The national lottery is facing questions over its new boss’s record in the gambling industry, including a lucrative role in the 24-hour slot machine sector singled out by the prime minister as a blight on British high streets.

Allwyn UK, which holds a licence to run the Lottery until 2034, said last week that it had appointed William Hill’s former UK and Ireland boss Phil Walker as its interim chief executive, replacing Andria Vidler.

Is the Trump Treasury panicking over the level of US debt?

With the federal deficit near 6% of GDP and the national debt over $40tn, America’s fiscal position looks increasingly precarious

• Bessent ‘will lose’ battle with bond markets, ex-mentor warns

Are we seeing the first signs of panic in Donald Trump’s Treasury? The US is by far the world’s biggest debtor, and the steady rise in global long-term interest rates – which I have long argued was inevitable – is starting to cause real pain.

Until now, the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has dismissed concerns about US debt, which recently surpassed $40tn, as a big nothingburger. Growth, in his telling, will be so spectacular the US will easily be able to meet its interest obligations without any significant tax rises or spending cuts, while the rest of the world will happily keep feeding it money. But if Bessent really believes that, why is he trying to strong-arm the bond market by fiddling with the maturity structure of government debt?

Country diary: A farm that’s a pocket rocket of rewilding – and a success in the face of opposition | Amy-Jane Beer

Asturias, Spain: Wild Finca is thrilling in its ecological abundance, and was created in just eight years despite countless obstacles

On a rocky 13-hectare pocket in the foothills of the Picos de Europa, Luke Massey and Katie Stacey are raising children, dogs, cattle, chicken, ducks, geese and eyebrows. In their eight years here, the farm they call Wild Finca has become a mass of scrub, with scattered large trees and dozens of clearings that Luke calls fields, but which look more like tiny irregular glades, riddled with trails and hemmed all around by the blackthorn, gorse and bramble that has sprung up around the tumbled remains of drystone walls.

If Wild Finca is a forever home to the Massey-Staceys, it is a whole world to nature. Witness the butterflies and wasp spiders, the snakes, lizards, hedgehogs and sparrows, and the thousand-piece cricket orchestra that performs each evening as the glow-worms light up. It offers denning and roosting sites for foxes, pine martens, badgers and 17 species of bat, feeding opportunities for roe deer and wild boar, several species of eagle and vulture, and a pit stop for others such as the nightingale I heard singing in early morning mist.

Man on trial for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder claims he was framed

Yorgen Fenech tells jury he had nothing to do with killing and alleges top adviser to Malta’s then PM was instigator

A businessman on trial for the murder of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has spoken about the charges for the first time in court since his arrest seven years ago, telling the jury he was framed by police and had nothing to do with the killing.

During four days of questioning by defence and the prosecution lawyers, Yorgen Fenech, 44, accused the most senior adviser to Malta’s prime minister of giving the go-ahead for the murder.

‘We met Princess Margaret and she was paralytic!’ My wild life onboard the Adam and the Ants Antmania rollercoaster

With their twangy sound, madcap outfits, lusty yodelling and pirouetting pirate frontman, the band became global superstars almost overnight. But, as their guitarist Marco Pirroni recalls, the thrill ride soon hit the buffers

‘The essence of pop is, one, brilliant fucking songs – and the rest is sex, subversion, style and humour. And that was us.” So Adam Ant told me in 1995, describing the reconstructed Adam and the Ants, which formed in early 1980 with the arrival of guitarist/songwriter Marco Pirroni, who was sitting next to him. “We’re responsible for bringing back dressing up, going mad and screaming your head off.”

“That’s it!” grins Pirroni when I remind him of this, as we sit in the shabby-chic lounge of London’s 21Soho venue. Back then, I didn’t tell them I was 15 in 1980, forever sprinting across dancefloors pretending to be Adam Ant, chiffon scarves tied to knees, limbs flailing like a whirling Cossack. Pirroni hears this today and laughs. “That’s what it’s all about,” he hoots. “When I was 13, watching Bowie, Roxy, T Rex, you just go, ‘I wanna do that.’ It’s exciting, sexy, about looking good, Top of the Pops. I can’t imagine anyone saying, ‘Wow, I desperately want to be in Cabaret Voltaire. They must be earning no money, look boring and nobody likes them – that’s the band for me!’”

Iran faces strait of Hormuz paradox as strategic value of chokehold erodes

Internal calls to end war get louder as Gulf neighbours plan alternative pipelines to cut reliance on waterway

Is the strait of Hormuz, recently cited by the office of the Iranian supreme leader as “the pillar of Iran’s new security order”, and as transformative as possessing a nuclear weapon, in reality becoming a fast-diminishing asset, leaving Iran increasingly vulnerable to the new planned US wave of economic sanctions?

It is the key debate that is raging inside Iran, with many different conclusions being drawn for Tehran’s negotiating strategy. Those who warn the strait’s value as a chokehold on the world economy will erode, leaving the country without foreign exchange reserves, argue that Iran’s negotiators should seek a deal soon.

Dolly Parton, country music legend, dies at 80 after brief cancer battle

Dolly Parton became an icon over her six-decade career as a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, movie and TV star and theme park owner who donated millions to help others.

Philadelphia's Chucky-style masked man arrested in Las Vegas

U.S. Marshals say 22-year-old Zymire Hughes was arrested Tuesday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Judge delays custody decision in surrogacy fight over newborn with heart defect

Dallas judge has delayed a custody decision, extending a temporary restraining order another two weeks as the legal fight over custody of a baby with a rare heart defect born to a surrogate continues.

College student fatally shot by police after knocking on wrong door

Glenn Pysher was trying to find his friends when he accidentally knocked on the door of the wrong house. The homeowners called 911 to report an attempted break-in.

Sydney Dance Company’s 40 years at the Wharf – in pictures

Sydney Dance Company is marking four decades since it made its home at the Wharf theatres at Walsh Bay. As part of the celebrations, the company is presenting an exhibition in the foyer of its Wharf home, developed in partnership with Museums of History NSW. With photographs, oral histories and archival material, Wharf Stories explores the people, stories and spaces that have shaped the company and the wharf precinct itself

From military alliance to economic partnership: How Trump is redefining U.S.-South Korea ties

Trump last Sunday instructed the Pentagon to cut military drills because they were "costly" and send "inappropriate and hostile" signals to North Korea.  

Typhoon Narra: record flood waters submerge homes and force mass evacuations in China

Heavy rain expected in parts of Vietnam and southern ‌China, as another storm system, Typhoon Saudel, heads for Japan and Taiwan

Widespread flooding triggered by Typhoon Narra has submerged homes and forced mass evacuations in southern China, as another storm system tracked towards Japan and Taiwan.

Authorities in Chongzuo, in China’s Guangxi region – famous for its giant waterfalls and karst limestone mountains – on Tuesday evacuated more than 15,000 people after water ⁠levels surpassed a record high set in 2008.

Sen. Darline Graham, Trump's pick for South Carolina Senate, wins GOP primary

Sen. Darline Graham on Tuesday defeated Rep. Ralph Norman, winning the GOP nomination for a South Carolina Senate seat.

Dolly Parton: Her music, personality and fan tributes

"CBS Evening News" pays tribute to the life and legacy of Dolly Parton. She died at 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her team announced on Tuesday.

Dolly Parton on her life and road to stardom (2016)

From May 2016, Dolly Parton speaks with Gayle King about her road to country music fame, Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You," her marriage and more.

Why Dolly Parton is so beloved

A 2026 YouGov poll for The Times found that Dolly Parton is the celebrity who best represents the American dream. Tony Dokoupil explores why.

College student shot by police after knocking on wrong door, investigation underway

The parents of a 22-year-old college student who was fatally shot by police after knocking on the wrong door spoke out on Tuesday. Tom Hanson has more details.

Canada announces tariffs of up to 50% on $20 billion in U.S. goods

Canadian government officials said they are also providing aid for workers and businesses that could be hurt by U.S.-imposed tariffs.

Trump threatens to change Lake Ontario's name as trade war with Canada heats up

President Trump said the U.S. is considering changing the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid an escalating trade fight with Canada.

Reno residents grapple with Hawk Fire: "We have no idea if our house survived"

After the Hawk Fire burned out of control for two days in Reno, Nevada, the smoke cleared to reveal black hillsides and charred neighborhoods. Tens of thousands are still not allowed to return home, with some brush reigniting. Jason Allen reports on the damage.

Canada imposes tariffs of up to 50% on billions in U.S. imports

A deepening trade war between the U.S. and Canada is once again driving up the cost of goods crossing the northern border. After the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on many Canadian products, Canada hit back with import taxes on billions of American-made goods. Nancy Cordes reports.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe visits Russia, on what was a secret trip

A U.S. military plane landed at an airport in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe was among those on board. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Dolly Parton spent a lifetime giving back: "Inspiring kids to read became my mission"

Musical icon Dolly Parton's influence on music and pop culture is clear. But beyond that, she was also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Carter Evans takes a look at Dollywood, her Imagination Library and countless other donations.

How Dolly Parton took Nashville by storm

Dolly Parton helped to change Nashville and the country music industry by taking absolute ownership of her music, doing cross-over collaborations with artists in other genres and building a massive empire. Nicole Valdes reports on how Parton took Music City by storm.

A look at Dolly Parton's life from a Tennessee girl to country stardom

Dolly Parton, the beloved singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist, has died at age 80, her family announced on Tuesday. Anthony Mason takes a look back at her music, movies and larger-than-life personality.

Here's why markets are starting to care about the 2026 election 10 weeks out

Wall Street analysts are tuning in 10 weeks ahead of the Nov. 3 election with concerns about risks to investors depending on how the U.S. results turn out.

‘So hacked off’: as election nears, New Zealanders despair at the main parties – and Opportunity knocks

National and Labour have passed government back and forth for years but many voters are no longer content with politics as usual

For decades, Mattie Wall mainly voted for Labour, one of New Zealand’s two major political parties. A former diplomat and project manager, the South Island-based retiree felt that the party with working class origins aligned with what was important to her: a thriving country, and the environment.

This year she is among the New Zealanders who are peeling away from the Labour and National parties – which swing in and out of power every few terms – to vote for an untested party that has never held a parliamentary seat.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri testifies in defense of Meta in child safety trial

The social media giant is being sued by four states who allege it designed Facebook and Instagram to hook kids — and lied to the public about the risks.

Instagram chief Mosseri says in social media addiction trial he doesn't tell team to 'hide anything'

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified during a federal trial that he doesn't direct employees to withhold information that could pose legal risks to Meta.

8/25: CBS Evening News

Country music legend Dolly Parton died at 80; CIA Director John Ratcliffe took a mysterious trip to Russia.

SpaceX plans to build a $100 billion spaceport in Louisiana

SpaceX plans to establish its Starbase, LA in Vermilion Parish, which will "support thousands of launches annually."

Canada unveils retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion of U.S. goods

Canadian trade negotiators left the U.S. last week after failing to clinch a trade deal that would stop President Donald Trump's new tariffs from taking effect.