Meta ditches Muse Image AI feature because it ‘misses the mark’ on users’ privacy

Meta was criticised for feature launched on Tuesday that automatically lets users generate images using content from public Instagram accounts

Meta has said ⁠it is discontinuing an AI feature launched this week that allowed users to generate images using public Instagram ⁠accounts, after drawing widespread ⁠criticism over ​privacy concerns, including from a Hollywood union.

“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control ⁠over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,” Meta said in a statement.

Blind date: ‘I should have made a move, but I’m not good at that sort of thing’

Abigo, 26, a supervisor in retail, meets Suli, 25, an animation graduate

What were you hoping for?
To meet someone I felt comfortable around and easy to talk to.

Lizzo answers her critics: ‘I’m a fat, black, happy girl – they were always going to try to tear me down’

Three years ago, the pop star was riding high after a sellout tour. But then a slew of shocking accusations from her former dancers changed everything. Where does she go from here?

On 30 July 2023, Lizzo finished a 10-month world tour. She had played 80 shows across North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia, selling more than 853,000 tickets and grossing $86.3m. The rapper turned pop star was on top of the world. Then everything came crashing down.

Two days later, three of her former dancers alleged that they had been subject to sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, religious and racial discrimination and fat-shaming on the tour. Two had been sacked, and one resigned. After the accusations, there was a huge pile-on from mainstream media and social media. And it seems to have gone on ever since. Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, disappeared. We were told that she was busy recording the follow-up to her huge hit album Special. But there were also rumours that she’d had a terrible breakdown.

Tim Dowling: I do have principles. Rule one is to avoid DIY at all costs

I do occasionally contemplate getting my toolbox out. But these are idle urges – I’m only too aware of the harm my past interventions have caused

It would be fair to say that none of the maintenance issues I’ve faced this year have fixed themselves. But many of them have become conveniently irrelevant – a testament to my DIY philosophy: First, Do Nothing.

The collapsed brick wall is now overgrown with ivy, and all but invisible. The partially collapsed pergola remains in the same condition, but the wisteria it was holding up died, so it can carry on collapsing for all I care.

Meera Sodha’s recipe for rollercoaster apple muffins | Meera Sodha recipes

These easy bakes are packed full of the good stuff, and will keep kids fuelled all summer long

My children are mostly vegetarian, which means that at home I’m always searching for what we call “rollercoaster foods” due to their obsession with being allowed on Mandrill Mayhem at Chessington World of Adventures. In other words, food that will help both of them reach the next level on the rollercoaster height chart – that is, food packed full of the good stuff (protein, wholegrains, healthy fats and nutrients). This muffin was created with that in mind: tasty (crucially) without tasting worthy, high in protein (9g per muffin), and mindful of sugar. It’s a mix-in-a-bowl job or, you could say, child’s play.

Europe considering proposals to allow navigational fees in strait of Hormuz

Plans specify tolls must not be compulsory, as US officials urge Iran to make public statement that strait is open and that shipping can safely pass

Europe is studying proposals that may allow the charging of navigational fees in the strait of Hormuz so long as the tolls are not compulsory and have the support of the UN agency that regulates maritime transport.

Britain’s deputy prime minister, David Lammy, said the imposition of compulsory tolls would be disastrous. But some of his cabinet colleagues said they recognised that systems of payments for specific navigational services were permissible in many natural waterways, including the strait of Malacca and the Channel.

Apple sues OpenAI alleging trade secret theft, says scheme was 'at every level'

The two companies entered into a high-profile partnership in 2024 when ChatGPT was integrated into the iPhone's operating system.

Haaland’s hometown hails ‘little boy who grew into a huge Viking’

The people of Bryne are proud of local hero’s rise to the top of world football as Norway prepare to face England

Surrounded by red hats, No 9 shirts and Erling Haaland action toys at her fabric shop in the small Norwegian town of Bryne, Olinda Haaland – no relation but proud to share the now world-famous name – said everybody in the striker’s home town was a football fan these days.

“It’s been pure joy,” she said of her namesake’s rise to the top of world football. “We all love him so much and he’s doing so much for Bryne.”

Bipartisan housing bill becomes law after Trump refuses to sign it

A landmark housing bill automatically became law overnight after President Trump declined to sign it.

Gordie Howe Bridge connecting Detroit, Canada expected to open in late July

The 1.5-mile-long bridge, which spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City with Windsor, Ontario, is expected to open on July 27.

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy creates ‘long-range impact’ command to strike Russian energy sector

New initiative to focus ‘100%’ on damaging Moscow’s ability to wage war; strikes on Kyiv injure six. What we know on day 1,599

Peter Falconio murder 25 years on: new footage shows dying Australian outback killer’s refusal to reveal body’s location

NT police release body-worn camera vision of Bradley John Murdoch denying knowing where UK backpacker’s body is weeks before his death

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Infamous killer Bradley John Murdoch aggressively denied knowing where the body of still-missing backpacker Peter Falconio was during a police interview weeks before he died.

NT police released body-worn camera vision of the interview on Saturday, days before the 25th anniversary of the killing of the 28-year-old British man on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, in July 2001.

Judge vacates convictions of 4 Proud Boys in Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection

A federal judge on Friday agreed to dismiss the convictions of four members of the far-right Proud Boys group for their actions in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Venezuela quake death toll passes 4,000 as scale of recovery effort looms large

Nearly 17,000 injured and thousands more are listed as missing amid calls by UN and president Delcy Rodríguez for financial help

The death toll in Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes has topped 4,000, the government said on Friday.

At least 4,118 people were killed and 16,740 injured in the back-to-back quakes on 24 June that flattened entire districts in the coastal state of La Guaira, Venezuelan parliament chief Jorge Rodriguez wrote on Telegram. Thousands more are listed as missing.

Hegseth frustrated with lack of adherence to grooming rules

Eight months ago, Hegseth told top military leaders there would be "no more beardos" and "fat troops."

A boy's simple habit of waving to his neighbors transformed his community

Roman Butzlaff brought together a group of neighbors who say they would have barely known each other if not for a little boy, who lived in a neighborhood but needed a village.

Graham Platner formally drops out of Maine Senate race

Graham Platner had until 5 p.m. on Monday to formally suspend his campaign or he would remain on the ballot in November.

4-year-old heals "inner loneliness" by bringing his neighborhood together

The old adage "it takes a village to raise a child" was turned on its head when it took a child to unite a village in North Carolina. Steve Hartman goes "On the Road" with the story.

Detainees say ICE officer shot Houston driver through passenger window, lawyer says

Three men who witnessed a fatal shooting involving federal immigration officers in Houston say no officer was threatened, a lawyer who has spoken with them said.

Iran admits to Trump advisers "they made a mistake" in shooting at ships in strait

The White House wants Iran to publicly acknowledge that shooting at the ships was a mistake.

Apache pilots' suspensions lifted after flyby over South Carolina beach

The decision to suspend the pilots quickly led to backlash online and drew the attention of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Apple sues OpenAI, accusing ChatGPT maker of stealing trade secrets

Apple alleges that OpenAI and two of its employees stole trade secrets and engaged in a "pattern of misconduct."

Tuchel fears more Haaland heroics as England seek identity against Norway

Head coach says ‘you can’t avoid focusing’ on the forward, who has form against Tuchel’s sides, before the World Cup quarter-final

The way that Thomas Tuchel remembers it, he was the only choice for the award. He had led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2020-21 so when the German publication Sport Bild named its coach of the season, it had to give it to him. “Yeah, there was no way out,” the England head coach says, with a smile. “Because if Jürgen Klopp won at the same time the Charity Shield they give it to him …”

The line is delivered in trademark style: deadpan, apart from the twinkle in his eye and it is especially funny to imagine Klopp’s reaction when he reads it. What happened next for Tuchel was less of a laughing matter. As a part of the deal, he gave an interview to Sport Bild and during it he joked about how he would have “no problem” bringing Erling Haaland to Chelsea and playing him up front with Romelu Lukaku.

Pete Hegseth lifts Apache helicopter pilots' suspension for low flyover

Four Army helicopters did a low flyover for spectators in South Carolina on the Fourth of July, prompting their suspension by the state's National Guard. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stepped in and lifted the suspension. Charlie D'Agata has more.

7/10: The Takeout with Major Garrett

President Trump says U.S. continuing Iran talks, but ceasefire is "over"; Graham Platner officially withdraws from Maine Senate race.

How American farmers are under pressure from escalating Iran tensions

The ripples of the Iran conflict are starting to appear in unexpected ways. High energy costs are putting new pressure on America's farmers. Mark Strassmann has more.

White House official says it wants Iran to publicly acknowledge "that they screwed up"

The Trump administration said there is still a chance to get nuclear talks back on track with Iran, but only if Tehran publicly states that the Strait of Hormuz is open and that it will no longer shoot at ships. Nancy Cordes reports.

Witnesses dispute ICE's account of deadly shooting of Mexican man

In Houston, eyewitnesses disputed the account of federal officials in the fatal shooting of a Mexican national this week by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Officials admit that the man killed was not the person they were targeting in an immigration operation. Jason Allen reports.

Missouri under state of emergency due to dangerous flooding

Southeastern Missouri was hit by more than a foot of rain on Friday with more expected over the weekend. Dozens had to be rescued from rushing floodwaters. More than 20 million people in at least 14 states from Colorado to Pennsylvania are under flood watches through Saturday. Rob Marciano has the forecast.

Pentagon releases new set of UFO files: "Unlike anything I had seen"

The U.S. military released a new batch of files related to UFOs, including one report from a Navy pilot who said a mysterious object was "unlike anything I had seen" in 28 years of service.

‘It’s good to do nothing’: why hundreds gathered to sit still on one Bangkok weekend

Responding to a Facebook event which promised a chance to ‘escape’ the screen, young people turned out in Thailand’s capital to spend an hour being ‘useless’

Bangkok is a city thrumming with an energy you can feel from its skyscrapers to the street, but an invitation last week to change the pace and do nothing drew hundreds to the lush green oasis in its centre.

On beanbags, fold up chairs and picnic mats in Lumphini Park on 4 July, people laid back looking at the sky, while others sat upright facing the lake. One examined a twig, a few dozed off and only a handful checked their phones.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (July 12)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.

Trump admin. to back tariffs on Russian oil in effort to end Ukraine war, sources say

The war in Ukraine is now in its fifth year. A bipartisan bill would impose heavy financial penalties on purchasers of Russian oil,

7/10: CBS Evening News

Millions are under threat of dangerous flooding; a Mexican man was stopped by ICE officers before he was fatally shot.

Parents of teen found dead on island don't believe he chose to stay behind

Christine and Elmore Wonsley said they don't believe their son would've stayed on the island when his friends left by boat.

Belgium’s old guard fought valiantly but World Cup exit is end of their golden generation | Jeff Rueter

Defeat by Spain will surely prove World Cup swansong for multiple members of Belgium’s best batch of talent to date

Nothing gold can stay, indeed, but Belgium’s greatest generation did themselves proud in a North American swansong. The manager, Rudi Garcia, and his players recovered from a thorny group stage to give Spain a stern test in this quarter-final, with Belgium only bowing out after their vital veterans were forced out of action.

Friday’s warm-up compounded Garcia’s struggles to pick his ideal team. Amadou Onana entered the stadium on crutches, the victim of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the last-16 win over the USA. Zeno Debast was omitted as Belgium and Sporting disagreed on whether the defender was fit enough to play, having made the bench only once this summer. Minutes before kick-off, the big blow: Youri Tielemans was erased from the teamsheet after suffering an injury in the warm-up.

The AI race is shifting from bigger models to cheaper, smarter systems

Companies are starting to choose AI models by task, cost and control, not just leaderboard rank.

Graham Platner makes it official in Maine, submitting paperwork to leave Senate race

In his withdrawal notice, Platner said "people are desperate for change" and that's why they made him the Democratic nominee. Now, Maine Democrats have to pick someone to replace him by July 27.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and how to watch

With 104 World Cup games being played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, it's like "a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks," U.S. team captain Tim Ream told CBS News.

Merino puts Spain into World Cup semi-finals as Belgium rue costly Courtois injury

Mikel Merino’s amazing moment arrived once more, an entire country circling the corner flag with him as football, which somehow always finds a way, provided another absurdly tall tale. The man who came on to score the late, late goals that took Spain into a European championship semi-final two years ago and a World Cup quarter-final four days ago, only went and did it again. And this time it was even better, his two-month old son Marco, who he has hardly seen, in attendance here. “As he wasn’t there for the quarter-finals, I had to do it in the semi-final too so he could experience it as well,” Merino said.

It is some experience, some hat-trick, some story. What Merino did doesn’t make any sense. For this to happen once is dramatic enough, for it to happen twice messes with your mind, for it to happen a third blows it to bits; what is this sorcery? It was 1-1, the seconds were slipping from them and Spain were desperately seeking a way through when he was introduced as a sub again.

Household staff can earn up to $300,000 working for America's rich

Good help is hard — and expensive — to find, according to a recruiting firm for private chefs, chauffeurs and other household workers.

Rapper Pitbull and fans set ‘bald cap’ Guinness World Record at London show

Crowd of more than 22,000 people – and the musician himself – filled Hyde Park with the ‘largest gathering of people wearing bald caps’

A tight plastic cap is not an attractive option for protective headwear in 30C (86F) heat. Yet 22,141 people opted for just that – along with a white shirt, black tie and aviator sunglasses – in Hyde Park, London, on Friday afternoon. It was both a homage to the rapper Pitbull, the night’s headliner at the BST festival, and part of setting a Guinness World Record for the “largest gathering of people wearing bald caps”.

“I’m speechless. Who would have thought a first-generation Cuban would be record-breaking and record-making?” said the rapper, accepting the award in an all-black suit.

Former Afghan general charged with drug and firearm offenses in U.S.

A former member of Afghanistan's National Assembly was arrested and charged with conspiring to illegally import heroin and methamphetamine into the U.S.

SK Hynix rises 13% in Nasdaq debut. Chairman tells CNBC 'demand is enormous'

SK Hynix has soared to a trillion-dollar market cap by serving some of the biggest names in technology, including Nvidia and Apple.

Michigan's cyclosporiasis outbreak grows to more than 1,500 cases

Michigan health officials say the state's cyclosporiasis outbreak has grown to more than 1,500 cases.

Charlie Kirk's family cites "overwhelming evidence" against alleged killer

Charlie Kirk's family said the end of Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing "marks an important step forward in the pursuit of justice."

Patriotic art gets the spotlight as NEA funding shifts. Cue 'The Ronald Reagan Overture'

Patriotic art and music is taking center stage this year under the Trump Administration, as funds shift away from DEI. For some orgs, like the Reagan Presidential Library, this is their wheelhouse.

The ETF market is pushing the limits of the leverage it can handle. SK Hynix is the latest example

The original ETF boom was about low cost, tax-efficient core index funds. Now single-stock ETFs are upping risk, with leverage getting 'a little carried away.'

King Charles understood to have met Prince Harry’s children at Highgrove

Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet believed to have had private reunion with king

King Charles has enjoyed a private reunion with the grandchildren he has not seen for four years, it is understood.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, were hosted by Charles and Queen Camilla at the king’s private residence, Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, on Friday afternoon.

Houston neighbors started seeing more ICE agents around. Then came a fatal shooting.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was a 52-year-old Mexican national who worked in construction for more than three decades. The father of three was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after they attempted to pull him over.

Judge to decide if Charlie Kirk case will go to murder trial after five-day hearing

Tyler Robinson is accused of shooting the far-right activist at Utah Valley University last year

A five-day preliminary hearing to determine whether the case against Tyler James Robinson, the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk, will advance to trial came to a close on Friday.

Final arguments are set to take place in September. US district judge Tony Graf will sift through the evidence presented by the state and Robinson’s defense team before issuing a ruling.

White House considering plan to add permanent fencing on Pennsylvania Ave.

In the plan under discussion, the Secret Service and the White House would be able to open and close sections of the fencing, sources said.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

The US’s 250th anniversary, the funeral of Ali Khamenei, another brutal heatwave in Europe and the World Cup – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

Help, my sunscreen stings! What should I do?

The discomfort is no reason to give up sun protection, and is not uncommon – not everyone tolerates every formula well

No good deed goes unpunished, as they say. For instance, when you responsibly apply sunscreen to your exposed skin, it sometimes stings.

“Complaints of sunscreen stinging are not uncommon,” says Dr Aditi Senthilnathan, board certified dermatologist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. “We also hear about sunscreen causing burning or stinging around the eyes after sweating.”

Sophie Ecclestone and women’s cricket make history at Lord’s as England bowl out India

• Only Test, day one: India 285; England 21-1

• Ecclestone becomes England’s leading women’s wicket-taker

The opening day of the first women’s Test match at Lord’s started with a nod to the historical injustice of the long, slow journey to reach this moment – a group of former women players, denied the chance themselves to play a Test at the home of cricket, given the chance to ring a ceremonial bell on the outfield marking five minutes before the start of play. There were more than a few tears shed in the Long Room before play even started.

The day ended with India bowled out for 285, England 21 for one, and this match poised for an intriguing second day.

Trump purges Election Assistance Commission members, months before midterms

The White House said the Supreme Court's ruling allowing President Trump to fire FTC Commissioner Louise Slaughter provided the precedent for the removals.

Cutting off Erling Haaland is key but Norway are not just a one-man team | Emma Hayes

England need to be wary of a united Ståle Solbakken side who know their strengths before the World Cup quarter-final

England fans are going to have to be really patient on Saturday night because this World Cup quarter-final against Norway will feel like a grind and I would not be surprised if the match goes the full distance and we see 120 close-fought minutes. Let me be clear: this will not be an easy game and do not expect it to be played at a fast pace.

With a weapon like Erling Haaland, Norway are a dangerous team to face. The crucial thing England have to do, tactically, is try to starve Haaland of service, because if that ball arrives in his proximity and he is given half a chance, you know it is going into the back of the net. He doesn’t need many chances because he’s so clinical. England have to work so hard to deny him service.

Police arrest man on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s murder

Body of former MP, 78, found with serious injuries at her Dartmoor home on Thursday morning

A man is being held on suspicion of the murder of the former MP Ann Widdecombe as political leaders across the spectrum express shock and horror at her alleged killing.

Widdecombe’s body was found with “serious injuries” by the ambulance service at her home in Haytor, Devon, at 11.40am on Thursday, Devon and Cornwall police said.

Sinner dismantles Djokovic’s dreams of 25th slam in one-sided Wimbledon semi-final

• Defending champion triumphs 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

• Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final

Novak Djokovic returned to Centre Court, one of the venues that has most defined his legendary career, desperately hoping that he had enough left in the tank to conjure up another miracle. His run to another grand slam semi-final at 39 years old was an immense achievement, but he wanted more. He always wants more. The question was whether his ageing legs would allow it against the best player in the world.

The answer to that question came swiftly and decisively. Jannik Sinner ensured that there would be no repeat of his defeat to Djokovic in their Australian Open semi-final at the beginning of the year, avenging that loss with a ruthless, efficient performance that moved him back into the Wimbledon final with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory. Sinner, the top seed, will face the second seed and recent French Open champion Alexander Zverev in the final after the German defeated Arthur Fery 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4.

Senate Democrats want hearings on Trump’s crypto holdings and foreign investors

Democratic Senators cited $1.4 billion in Trump family crypto income, unidentified investors and a reported UAE-backed stake in World Liberty Financial.

George and Fiona Cottrell understood to have been interviewed under caution by Met police

Exclusive: Interviews of Farage aide and his mother believed to be part of investigation into donations to Reform UK before 2024 election

Nigel Farage’s aide George Cottrell and his mother, Fiona Cottrell, have been interviewed under criminal caution by Scotland Yard detectives, the Guardian understands.

The interviews are understood to form part of an ongoing investigation into donations to Reform UK before the general election in July 2024.

Gas prices start climbing again as U.S.-Iran tensions flare

Prices at the pump sank following a June ceasefire. But renewed conflict in the Middle East and other factors are driving fuel costs back up.

The Guardian view on Homer: The Odyssey is more modern than we might like to think | Editorial

The universal themes addressed by one of humanity’s greatest storytellers more than merit Hollywood box-office treatment

The Magasphere’s endless appetite for culture wars is wearily familiar. But who could have foreseen that Greek literature would become the new casus belli? Ahead of its much-anticipated general release next week, Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey has triggered Elon Musk and other supposed defenders of western civilisation. Directorial decisions such as the casting of the Kenyan-Mexican actor Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, Mr Musk ranted incoherently, amounted to “pissing on Homer’s grave”.

The absurd insistence on the white skin of a mythological figure reveals nothing we didn’t already know about the owner of X. The rest of us can move on and look forward to a lavish cinematic take on a story that has inspired artists for almost 3,000 years. Homer’s account of Odysseus’s 10-year struggle to return home from the Trojan wars has been reworked by Virgil in the Aeneid, relocated to Dublin in James Joyce’s Ulysses, and given a feminist treatment by Margaret Atwood in her Penelopiad. Now for the 21st-century Hollywood treatment.

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Trump not expected to veto housing bill, U.S. official says

President Trump said Friday he won't sign the law, but a U.S. official said he isn't expected to veto it either.

Tadej Pogacar’s Tour de France mastery leaves rivals in his wake and asking: ‘What now?’

• Tim Merlier powers to win on stage seven in sprint

• Pogacar keeps overall advantage over Vingegaard

Tim Merlier of the Soudal-Quick Step team won the seventh stage of the Tour de France in a classic sprinter’s finish on the banks of the Garonne in Bordeaux.

As the Tour headed away from the Pyrenees, through Gascony towards the Atlantic coast, a lull settled over a shell-shocked peloton as it came to terms with the demonstration of domination from Tadej Pogacar in Thursday’s mountain stage to Gavarnie-Gèdre.

Fast-spreading wildfire kills at least 12 in southern Spain

Twenty-three people missing and four Britons thought to be among those who died trying to flee Almería blaze

• ‘I had an incredible escape’: British woman tells of close encounter with wildfire

At least 12 people have been killed and 23 are unaccounted for after one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires broke out in the south-eastern province of Almería as the country endures its second heatwave of the summer.

The regional government of Andalucía said the victims, four of whom are believed to be British, had died while trying to escape the flames near the village of Bédar in the municipality of Los Gallardos.

Burnham will have to master something Starmer couldn’t: the art of dealing with Donald Trump | Gaby Hinsliff

The new PM will need a superb foreign secretary and the ability to get like-minded countries on board. Early signs suggest he may have the right skills

It’s all starting to feel very real now. Or so Andy Burnham said on the day he in effect became Britain’s official prime minister-in-waiting; a moment both heady and sobering.

The papers are signed, the die cast. Keir Starmer has yet to leave the building, but his party is already talking about him as if he somehow couldn’t hear. On Friday, Burnham made his first brutal break with his predecessor, apologising over Starmer’s head for Labour’s handling of the war in Gaza. The government should, he said, have called for a ceasefire earlier, and should now be increasing pressure on Israel.

Gaby Hinsliff 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.

Trump accused of trying to ‘rig’ elections after firing federal commissioners

President’s dismemberment of Election Assistance Commission called a ‘brazen attempt’ to control elections

• US politics live – latest updates

Donald Trump has been accused of trying to “rig” the upcoming US midterm elections after he fired the last three members of an independent federal commission.

Trump’s extraordinary move to paralyze the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) wipes out the only federal agency devoted solely to election administration months before the US midterm elections.

Berlin’s mayor abandons reelection campaign after ‘tennis-gate’ outcry

Kai Wegner admits poor communication in handling of power blackout overshadowed his other political work

Berlin’s embattled mayor has abandoned his campaign to stand for reelection after failing to recover from a row over his decision to play tennis while large parts of the German capital were hit by a power blackout in January.

Kai Wegner announced on Friday afternoon that he would not run in Berlin’s 20 September election after coming under huge pressure to step down from his party, the Christian Democrats (CDU). Some members wrote an open letter to Wegner this week in which they appealed to him to withdraw his candidacy.

The Guide #251: From Oasis to Harry Styles, music is mad for football merch

In this week’s newsletter: After a slow burn for many years, the football shirt has crossed over into the world of music fandom in a big way

Something sartorially strange is happening at gigs across the country. Where once there might have been a sea of (often black) cotton T-shirts across the audience, now a note of heavy polyester has been added to the mix. Last month at Outbreak, the UK’s biggest hardcore punk festival, a sizeable minority of attendees were wearing football shirts – though often not in support of any particular team. Instead, in place of club crests and sponsor logos were names of bands at the festival – Fiddlehead, Alexisonfire, Love is Noise – or for the festival itself.

This isn’t a phenomenon restricted to the hardcore scene. On the tube in London, a day after returning from Outbreak, I saw a gaggle of Harry Styles fans returning from one of his Wembley shows, all sporting bright pink football kits with the One Direction man’s name in place of the shirt number. Practically every band or musical subgenre going is represented with a football shirt. Dua Lipa has one. Deftones have one. Gorillaz have one. OutKast, despite not being a going concern for at least a decade, have one, in collaboration with football mag Mundial. Future Islands have two, including an absolutely gorgeous Napoli-inspired number. Oasis – naturally – have one. (And that’s not to forget the host of bands, from Kneecap to Bring Me the Horizon, with their logos emblazoned on actual football kits, a trend that stretches back to the 90s when Wet Wet Wet were sponsoring Clydebank and the Super Furry Animals were lending their name to Cardiff City’s fetching Welsh cup kit.)

New Fed task force members share Chairman Kevin Warsh's embrace of AI

The three members of a task force advising the Fed on artificial intelligence are strong proponents of the technology.

‘He stole the show’: do Oscars beckon for Robert Pattinson, star of four of the year’s biggest films – and Batman?

With a standout role in The Odyssey, the Twilight idol turned leading man for arthouse auteurs has become one of the most charismatic and unpredictable actors of his generation

Today, former teen idols can no longer disown those projects, no matter how tacky, that turned them into stars. In an age in which even harrowing dramas are promoted by social media reels of actors competitively guzzling chicken wings or cuddling puppies, any mention of a cheesy breakout role must be gamely embraced, before thanks are again offered to the fans, and for the opportunity.

What A-listers angling for awards do not do, however, is actively raise such skeletons. Leonardo DiCaprio did not secure his Oscar for The Revenant through allusions to his late-80s sitcom Growing Pains. Likewise, Joaquin Phoenix rarely brings up SpaceCamp, and Jacob Elordi keeps pretty tight-lipped on The Kissing Booth 3.

One million women lost access to humanitarian support in past 18 months, UN report says

‘Organizations that have kept women and girls alive through the world’s worst crises risk becoming another casualty of war’ a UN Women chief says

At least one million women and girls have lost access to humanitarian and other critical support over the past 18 months, according to a United Nations agency, after “the steepest annual decline” in foreign aid on record.

The report by UN Women, which focuses on advancing women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, found 84% of women’s organizations reported increased demand for their services since January 2025. That month, Donald Trump re-entered the White House and implemented sweeping cuts to US foreign aid.

Arles photography festival review: who needs big names when you’ve got cute animals and alien abductions?

It’s the world’s most prestigious photography show, but Les Rencontres de la Photographie really flies thanks to the jaw-dropping work of eccentrics, amateurs and complete unknowns
• The best of Arles 2026 – in pictures

On 16 June 1963, a mechanic from Albuquerque named Paul Villa was allegedly invited – via telepathic messages from an alien crew – to photograph their spaceship. The result was an image of the flying object in the sky. Villa’s account is similar to that of a Swiss man, Billy Meier, who saw his first flying saucer aged five, and has taken more than 1,400 photographs of them since. One of Meier’s flying saucer photographs features in the famous poster that hangs in Fox Mulder’s office in the X-Files. Added to Meier’s image are the words: I Want to Believe.

We Are Not Alone: Alien Images is one of the standout shows of Les Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles this year, the world’s most prestigious photography festival. The show draws on dozens of examples from private and public archives that present visual “documents” of UFOs, unexplained phenomena and close encounters with aliens. Most of the photographs were made between the 1960s and 1980s, when reports of UFO sightings were at a peak – and in the US, the place that boasted the highest number of UFO sightings in the last century. Of course, all of the pictures turn out to be the result of rudimentary tricks (dangling a dish on a string in front of the camera), cases of misidentification or uncanny accidents of the analogue film. They might be amateur and faked, but they still pull you in thanks to their fascinating, idiosyncratic storytelling.

Arthur Fery’s magical run ends with crushing Wimbledon defeat by Alexander Zverev

• German beats British wildcard 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4

• Zverev advances to final at SW19 for first time

For around 45 minutes of this unfathomably enormous occasion in Arthur Fery’s otherwise understated career, the second-lowest ranked Wimbledon men’s semi-finalist in the open era handled business supremely well. Faced with tackling the sport’s newest grand slam champion, Alexander Zverev, he served well, gave very few errors away and demonstrated his sweet hand skills and court sense throughout. The one time he lost his serve, he snatched it back with anger. Fery reached the first set tie-break filled with confidence.

But then, in a flash, the match escaped his grasp. Fery just seemed to briefly lose focus at the start, spraying a double fault and then a loose forehand on his first two service points. Suddenly, he was down 0-3. Then 0-5. Then he was sitting on his chair wondering where the set had gone.

AI, data center fears could be key in closely watched Michigan Democratic Senate primary

Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens will face off in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary on Aug. 4.

How ‘space balls’ launched a sleepy Queensland beach town into the global spotlight at warp speed

Shop owner Lisa Scobie says Forrest Beach is usually a place where ‘kids go fishing before school’. Then six mysterious objects washed up

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When pieces of mysterious space debris washed up on the beach at her sleepy coastal community in north Queensland, Lisa Scobie’s first thoughts were about making sure everyone was safe.

But days later the local takeaway shop owner had settled on another reaction to what had become international news.

Will those responsible for global warming ever face the heat? | Fiona Katauskas

They’ve got a chance in hell

• See more of Fiona Katauskas’s cartoons here

Largest housing affordability bill in decades becomes law without Trump's signature

President Trump refused to sign the bill without Congress first passing his sweeping voter ID bill.

These are America's 10 cheapest states for 2026, where you can still beat inflation 

These are America's cheapest states to live in for 2026, where residents can still beat inflation.

The bulging in-tray of challenges Andy Burnham faces upon entering No 10

From welfare and defence spending to cost of living and geopolitics, we look at the key issues left over from Starmer

Andy Burnham is expected to become prime minister in less than two weeks and has promised to significantly change Labour’s agenda and deliver improvements for all parts of the UK.

But he will arrive with a bulging in-tray of challenges and issues left over from Keir Starmer – from geopolitics to the cost of living. Here is what Burnham can expect to find behind the Downing Street black door.

Ryanair passenger almost sucked out of shattered window during flight

Serbian man reportedly saved by wife hanging on to his legs after window shattered on journey from Greece

A passenger on a Ryanair flight was reportedly almost sucked out of a window after it shattered in mid-air during a journey from Greece.

The man was said to have been lifted out of his seat into the plane’s slipstream and hung headfirst out of the window after an engine failure resulted in parts smashing the acrylic window, according to local reports.

Muchova and Noskova latest in line of Czech talent to contest women’s Wimbledon final

Muchova is more experienced with one major final to her name but her fearless compatriot has youth on her side

It feels somehow fitting that at the end of one of the most open women’s singles events in history, two Czech players should find themselves fighting it out for the biggest title in the game. Saturday’s clash between Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova is the first all-Czech Wimbledon final, but it is also the latest example of a long line of Czech players who have found grass the surface on which to show their best.

Martina Navratilova, perhaps the greatest female player of all time, started the ball rolling when she won the first of her record nine Wimbledon titles in 1978 (she was officially a US citizen by the time she played Hana Mandlikova in the 1986 final).

Meet SK Hynix, the trillion-dollar South Korean chipmaker debuting on U.S. markets

Following a more than sevenfold rally in its stock price over the past year, South Korea's SK Hynix is listing on the Nasdaq.

How not to be rude in 2026

Do you keep your headphones on at the checkout? Or chat people up then never follow through? You need our expert guide to the new social faux pas – and how to avoid them

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These are America's 10 most expensive states for 2026, where inflation is punishing residents

These 10 U.S. states are the most expensive places to live in America in 2026, with inflation punishing residents to an extreme degree.

Erling Haaland has already won one prize: the most viral player of the World Cup

Norwegian striker’s following keeps growing, more for the content he creates off the pitch than his scoring record

He is in the running for the Golden Boot, the trophy awarded to the World Cup’s top goalscorer. But Norway’s Erling Haaland has already earned one prize: the most viral player of the competition.

The striker went into the tournament with legions of fans in Norway and in Manchester – or at least in the blue half of the British city.

Protests engulf Indian state after rape and murder of 11-year-old girl

Innocent man lynched by mob in West Bengal as police killing of suspect further escalates tensions

Protests have engulfed the Indian state of West Bengal after the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl, the subsequent lynching of an innocent man and the police killing of one of the accused.

Outrage erupted on Sunday after the body of a missing girl was recovered from a pond in a town just outside the state capital, Kolkata.

Michael Edwards quits as football chief for Liverpool’s owner Fenway Sports Group

• Edwards’ move linked to multi-club plan being shelved

• Sporting director Hughes may also leave in September

Michael Edwards has quit as chief executive of football for Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group. The hugely influential Edwards informed FSG in autumn 2025 of his intention to step down once he felt plans for Liverpool’s future were in place. FSG confirmed his exit on Friday, having wanted him to stay.

Edwards’ decision is linked to FSG abandoning plans to add a second club to its football portfolio. He was enticed back to Liverpool in March 2024 to oversee the transition from the Jürgen Klopp era, having been given a much broader remit than he had as the club’s first sporting director, a position in which he flourished from 2016 to 2022.

Ukraine escalates attacks on tankers near Crimea as Russian fuel shortages bite

The drone strikes form part of Ukraine's campaign designed to choke off supplies and transportation routes in and out of Crimea.

The Batman Part II rumours hint he’s flying into even darker and weirder territory

Introducing a new sadistic psychopath and a corrupt secret society of Gotham grandees would mean Harvey Dent takes a backseat to Victor Zsasz and the Court of Owls

Matt Reeves’ The Batman was a strange beast from the beginning. Perhaps not comic-book weird in the usual sense – no cosmic portals or rubber nipples here – but strange all the same. This was a Gotham where Bruce Wayne seemed to have been styled by the ghost of Kurt Cobain, the Riddler appeared to have escaped from a David Fincher evidence locker, and the whole city looked as if it had been left to soak overnight in rainwater and civic corruption. The expectation was that Reeves would begin rolling back the bizarre in part two, perhaps leaving us with a more orthodox Batverse populated with mobsters and corrupt lawyers. Sebastian Stan seemed central to this, with rumours suggesting he would portray Harvey Dent/Two-Face, perhaps alongside Scarlett Johansson as his wife, Gilda.

In the last week, however, there have been suggestions that the sequel might just be priming itself for something a fair bit freakier. Hollywood industry veteran Jeff Sneider is reporting that the main antagonist this time around could be the Court of Owls, a sinister secret society of Gotham grandees who look at first glance like a murder-bird upgrade on the League of Shadows, but are really something nastier: the city’s masked, devious ruling class, living out of secret rooms and exploiting a property portfolio that probably goes back to the Pilgrims.

Pacific gray whales facing ‘catastrophic’ die-off as climate crisis hits food supply

Trump administration urged to relist a species in ‘very, very serious trouble’ under Endangered Species Act

Climate change is driving a gray whale “catastrophic mortality event” in the Pacific Ocean as melting sea ice depletes food sources and the animals starve, environmental groups warn.

Meanwhile, a range of other issues, like ship strikes, oil spills, microplastic pollution, algal blooms and Russian harvesting are also probably contributing to the die-off that has nearly halved the whales’ estimated population. It fell from 20,000 in 2019 to fewer than 13,000 this year, and the deaths appear to be accelerating.

‘We didn’t develop heads until we’d evolved an arse. I like that’: Chris Packham’s epic ode to evolution

His superpower has always been speaking his mind – and his majestic new BBC show aims to shatter our ideas about life itself. The presenter talks mass extinction, spiders who dream and why people get sick of him holding up rocks

It’s impossible to meet Chris Packham without getting into a good mood. This is largely down to his contagious enthusiasm for the natural world, but on this occasion may also be his canary yellow polo shirt and stand-up-as-if-electrocuted hair. His new five-parter, Evolution, tells the story of the single cell that is all living things’ first common ancestor. Known as Luca, it is the indivisible connection between you and your cat, me and an elephant. (That’s an acronym, not poetry, by the way – Last Universal Common Ancestor, the single-celled organism from 4.2bn years ago that branched into everything that now lives.) “There is still a physical connection between me and you, and a cell that existed billions of years ago,” he says. “I find that absolutely brilliant.”

The show seeks to shake up all our preconceptions: “We tend to stop at GCSE and are left with a legacy of thinking that evolution is laboriously slow, we are its be all and end all, and its story is over.” I mean, these aren’t all misconceptions – it is pretty slow, no? “There would have been billions of years when we just had cells floating in a broth in the sea,” he concedes. “We looked at it more as the turning points in evolution’s life, the periods when it moved very rapidly.” Evolution tells the story of different processes via specific animals. It explains breathing through the elephant, reproducing through the ostrich, eating through the bat, thinking through the dolphin, and running through the horse. “I don’t like to use the C word,” Packham says in the opener, watching a tree hyrax that is the improbably close genetic relative of the elephant, “but they are incredibly cute.”

Cocktail of the week: Empire Empire’s cardamom and lemon (or lime) gimlet – recipe | The good mixer

This spicy gin and citrus combo has a kick that belies its modest size

Gimlets may be on the small side, but they tend to make up for that by packing a pretty decent punch. This gently spiced, citrus-forward example is no exception, and makes for a gloriously summery aperitif.

Harneet Baweja, owner, Empire Empire, London W11

Democrats need to rethink their image of a ‘man of the people’ | Judith Levine

For progressives too, working-class heroes are bearded, buff white guys. Their treatment of women can be overlooked

Ana Marie Cox’s New Republic profile of the Maine oyster farmer and former Democratic senatorial candidate Graham Platner begins with an encounter on the shore with a salt in rubber boots. Learning that she’s looking for Platner, the guy says: “Good man.”

In the 2025 article, Cox is charmed by Platner, who’s as voluble as this guy is terse. She’s impressed by the oyster, calling it a metaphor for “how labor, science, and regulation can still stitch together a community and economy.”.

Delta expects higher airfare to last, bringing 2026 profit goal in reach, CEO says

Delta is the first of the U.S. airlines to report second-quarter results.

Argentina continue to show ‘heart’ but flaws are apparent before Switzerland clash

Close calls against Cape Verde and Egypt show Scaloni’s side are vulnerable, despite all the brilliance of Lionel Messi

It is among the defining moments of this World Cup: Lionel Messi wandering the pitch in Atlanta with tears rolling down his face. Minutes earlier, Argentina had been down two goals to Egypt and on the brink of elimination in the last 16. Messi had missed a penalty and was set to bear blame for the result. Instead, the Argentina legend created the same magic he always seems to, spearheading a miraculous, three-goal swing in just over 10 minutes and pushing the Albiceleste into the quarter-finals.

And now he was crying. And so were his teammates. And so was his head coach, Lionel Scaloni, who could not contain his emotion in a post-game interview. His own players, the coach says, have taken to calling him el llorón. The crybaby. “I can’t even look at you,” Scaloni told a touchline reporter, in tears. “I’m sorry. I’m obviously very emotional. What a group of players, brother. I’m sorry. That’s it, I have to go.”

Meta found to breach EU laws with 'addictive' Instagram, Facebook designs

Instagram and Facebook's "addictive" designs have put Meta in breach of the European Union's digital laws, the EU concluded Friday in a preliminary report.

U.S.-Iran fighting appears to pause. And, life inside Israel's military zones in Gaza

Fighting between the U.S. and Iran appears to have paused after two days of clashing amid a shaky ceasefire. And, a look at what life is like inside Israel's expanding zone of control in Gaza.

The Tech Download: Teen social media bans miss a key part of the puzzle: AI chatbots

Teenagers are increasingly becoming dependent on AI chatbots, echoing a familiar problem with social media in the 2010s.