House Democrat to launch challenge to Trump’s ‘Lake America’ order – US politics live

Debbie Dingell plans to introduce her ‘Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act’ today following president’s latest escalation in US-Canada trade war

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Chris Hippensteel

We’re watching today as Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, and Kevin Warsh, the chair of the Federal Reserve, deliver their opening remarks at the G20 meetings in Asheville, North Carolina.

Nepal rescuers race to reach hundreds feared trapped in hydropower tunnels

Workers thought to be stuck in underground areas of 11 plants after last week’s devastating flash floods

Rescue teams are working to reach more than 900 missing hydropower workers, hundreds of whom are feared trapped in the tunnels and underground areas of 11 hydropower plants in Nepal after the devastating flash floods, ​the ⁠country’s disaster ​management authority said ​on ​Monday.

The death toll from the ⁠unprecedented deluge of ice, rock, mud ​and debris on Wednesday last week has risen to 903, with 16 more dead reported in Tibet. Nearly 5,000 are missing on the two sides of the border.

Football transfer deadline day looms: Liverpool sign Barcola, Chelsea target Koné, and more – live

• Men’s transfer interactive | Women’s transfer interactive

• Get in touch: email Dom and follow us on Bluesky

Some slightly lower-key deals for you:

Rotherham United have confirmed the signing of Manchester United youngster Jayce Fitzgerald on loan for the rest of the season.

Barcelona have signed 16-year-old prodigy Mikael Baza from Hamburg – he will join their youth ranks.

Jaden Heskey is to return to Sheffield Wednesday from Manchester City on loan after impressing last season.

A mobile cinema in Gaza and a golden ritual in Thailand: photos of the day – Monday

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

Fiorentina’s Serie A renaissance feels a way off after chastening centenary | Nicky Bandini

The home game against Frosinone seemed a perfect way to celebrate their landmark. It did not work out that way

Fiorentina’s 100th birthday party had been going for four days, starting with a fan procession through the historic centre of Florence on Wednesday night and extending to their home game against Frosinone on Saturday afternoon. The club was founded on 29 August 1926, but a decades-old discrepancy in the reporting of that date has led supporters to celebrate traditionally on the 26th.

This time they started a few hours earlier, gathering in their thousands beneath the marble façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella on the evening of 25 August and building to a firework show beside the river Arno at midnight. The club’s president, Giuseppe Commisso, stopped by to give a speech. At least one former player, Borja Valero, was among the crowd.

‘The whistling on the theme tune? That’s Dickie Attenborough!’ Hayley Mills on Whistle Down the Wind

‘I’d just made two films in America. Shooting on a Lancashire farm was very different. There was mud everywhere – and we’d be eating dripping, jam butties and fried eggs in buns’

Whistle Down the Wind was originally a novel written by my mother, Mary Hayley Bell, about three children living on a farm in Sussex. The children – loosely based on my sister Juliet, my brother Jonathan and myself – discover a man in their barn. Thinking he’s Jesus, they decide to hide him and protect him from the adults because they don’t want the same thing to happen to him as before.

John Galliano's Met Gala exhibit being dropped amid backlash

The Met's decision to highlight the work by designer John Galliano sparked widespread controversy due to his history of antisemitic and racist comments.

U.S., Iran exchange strikes for first time since July as Trump threatens strategic oil hub

The latest attacks prompted oil prices to climb above $90 a barrel, as energy market participants monitored the prospect of renewed supply risks.

Man poses as NFL player, allegedly steals millions in shocking love scam

Daejon Love is a 35-year-old man who posed as an NFL player on dating apps. Now he's accused of scamming unsuspecting victims out of millions of dollars. Tom Hanson reports.

How a South African town cleaned up its polluted river using stones, wood and sand

Scientists say system to treat contaminated wastewater offers a model for ensuring food security in a fast-warming climate

All it took to turn the murky, heavily polluted waters of South Africa’s Stiebeuel River into a resource clean enough for irrigating a community’s vegetable plots was a collection of stones, heat-treated wood and sand.

Without chemicals and using renewable energy, researchers from the University of Cape Town are cleaning 36,000 litres of water, polluted by sewage, chemicals, and traces of drugs and medication, every day to make it usable for growing food in a fast-expanding informal settlement along the course of the river.

Smelling test: children need education in sniffing aromas, scientist says

Exclusive: Dr Will Tullett says better understanding of scents can improve wellbeing and perception of the world

Children need a better education in sniffing aromas, a leading historian of smells has said, noting it may improve their wellbeing and help them understand the world around them.

Dr Will Tullett, of the University of York, said pollution had been found to impair people’s olfactory abilities, while many objects and substances today – from margarines to car interiors and even our own homes – were stripped of their original smells and “reodourised” with synthetic scents.

Readers reply: If all car tyres were filled with CO2, would this cut atmospheric carbon significantly?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions considers a change that might help the environment

This week’s question: Would equal pay create a better society?

If all the vehicles on the planet had their tyres pumped up with CO₂, would this lock up enough carbon to lower the amount in the air significantly? Would there be other issues, such as the carbon cost of trapping it all into the tyres? Chris Coldwell, Lancaster

Send new questions to [email protected].

Anthropic sued over alleged theft of ‘tens of thousands’ of songs

AI company faces multibillion dollar lawsuit over misuse of copyrighted songs to train Claude models

All AI wants for Christmas is a vast back catalogue of songs without paying for it, according to a multibillion dollar lawsuit against the startup behind the Claude chatbot.

Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell, music publishers who manage the copyright of songs on behalf of songwriters and composers, are seeking damages for alleged misuse of “tens of thousands” of copyrighted works by Anthropic.

Ross Fire burns 85,000 acres, leaves destruction across 2 counties

The wildfire, which has torn through Palo Pinto and Jack counties, has forced evacuations, closed roads and disrupted schools.

Can Reform UK recover from its summer horribilis?

Clacton, funding, internal divisions – party prepares for annual conference next week after a season of missteps

Senior Reform UK figures like to boast that the summer time – and parliament’s longest recess – is when the party makes hay.

Supposedly, it is when Nigel Farage and co can muscle in on the news cycle with provocative statements and new policies, painting “establishment” opponents as workshy layabouts.

Grand Canyon flood evacuee says he "didn't know what was going to happen"

Flash floods ripped through Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend. One body was recovered in the park Sunday night, the National Park Service said, and more than a dozen are still believed to be missing. Matt Gutman reports.

Rosie Mackean’s quick and easy recipe for cucumber rice with fudgy eggs | Quick and easy

An intriguing and refreshing hot-cold combo of eggy rice, butter, cold cucumber sauce and pickles

When cooking on a weeknight, it’s easy to forget that sometimes experimenting with temperature is as important as flavour. Hot things combined with very cold things are exceptionally refreshing in the summer, and also make the mundane more exciting and playful. This dish of hot rice, hot butter, cold cucumber sauce, hot egg and cold pickles might sound, well, a bit weird, but I promise it’s delicious, comforting and also cooling.

Good Time Cooking: Show-Stopping Menus for Easy Entertaining, by Rosie Mackean, is published by Pavilion Books at £26. To order a copy for £23.40, visit guardianbookshop.com

Rise of Chicken Shop Date highlights how YouTube turned the tables on TV

Amelia Dimoldenberg says publicists ignored her interview show for years but she can now be picky over A-list guests

Just a decade ago, Amelia Dimoldenberg found it impossible to drum up any mainstream celebrities to come on her mock date YouTube show, in which she chats awkwardly with guests over chicken and chips.

Even persuading a local actor connected with her London youth club to come on took years of prodding. Managers of A-listers with movies or albums to push instead battled to claim a spot on the hallowed cushions of the primetime TV chatshow sofa.

Countries legally obliged to consider slavery reparations, says UN committee

Guidance says states must implement ‘comprehensive measures’ to address legacy of racial discrimination

A UN committee has said countries are legally obliged to consider reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and take other ⁠measures to address the enduring ⁠legacy of racial ​discrimination.

Guidance published on Monday by the committee on the elimination of racial discrimination (CERD) said the obligations arose from ⁠a legally binding 1965 convention on racial discrimination, not from the legal standards that existed when the slave trade took place.

Elversberg and ‘miracle village’ prove that Bundesliga fairytales still exist | Andy Brassell

German football has long insisted there is more to their elite league than a title race. Now they have a story that shows the world that surprise and wonder does live here too

Friday night was no first day fun for VfB Stuttgart as they got first-hand proof of what the rest of the Bundesliga feared: that Bayern Munich are perhaps mightier than ever. The curtain-raiser, though, didn’t actually set the tone for the the weekend. German football has long insisted there is more to their elite league than a title race, and now they have a story that shows the world that surprise and wonder does indeed live here too.

Bayer Leverkusen arrived into their opening fixture of the campaign thinking their season might contain greater certainty than the last one, a more tranquil voyage after being blown off course by almost €300m of player sales and the ill-fated appointment of Erik ten Hag. Enter SV Elversberg, Bundesliga first-timers and representatives of – a “miracle village” as Bild put it – Spiesen-Elversberg, a town with a population of just over 13,000, situated 15km north-east of Saarbrücken, 30 minutes’ drive from the French border.

Nepal's hesitance to accept foreign help for flood relief under scrutiny

A group of the country's private sector power producers says Nepali authorities lost crucial time in rescuing hundreds of people trapped in hydropower tunnels.

U.S., Venezuela strike oil deal. And, the staggering hidden toll of U.S. heat deaths

The U.S. and Venezuela have entered into an oil deal. And, NPR spent two years tracking heat-related deaths and found that people in the U.S. are dying from heat more than the official counts show.

England ‘not going to ease off the gas’ with 3-0 Pakistan series sweep in sight

• Interim coach Trescothick hopes for unchanged lineup

• England secured series win over Pakistan on Sunday

Marcus Trescothick is determined to sign off as England’s interim head coach with a 100% record and has no plans to meddle with a winning formula in next week’s final Test of the summer, despite securing the series win by beating Pakistan at Lord’s.

Two successful games into a series, the most likely cause of a lineup change would be fatigue, but Pakistan have not forced England to toil unduly over their two wins – last summer the average India innings lasted 107.5 overs; this summer Pakistan’s figure is 43.3. Meanwhile winning the second Test on day four means the players have nine clear days before action resumes at Edgbaston.

Chefs say Michelin Guide at risk of ‘losing credibility’ over suspected lack of inspectors

While Michelin keeps its staff numbers secret, industry insiders say the guide cannot keep up with the thousands of restaurants in the guide

How many inspectors does it take to review the country’s best restaurants – a pinch, a baker’s dozen? For more than a century the answer has been kept secret by the world’s authority on good food: the Michelin Guide.

But the French tyre company’s famous hotel and restaurant reference book has been challenged by chefs, restaurant critics and diners, who question whether the guide has enough of its anonymous inspectors to adequately review and monitor the eateries that are included each year.

Arsenal trying to lure Julián Álvarez after agreeing deals to sell Martinelli and Jesus

• Atlético say they will not allow Barcelona to buy Álvarez

• Jesus poised for Barça and Martinelli for Al-Hilal

Arsenal are running out of time to persuade Julián Álvarez to join them from Atlético Madrid after agreeing to sell Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Fábio Vieira in deals collectively worth more than £70m.

Álvarez has his heart set on Barcelona despite Atlético’s insistence they will not sell to their La Liga rivals and returned to training on Sunday after being left out of their squad for the win over Sevilla. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is understood to have spoken to Álvarez last week in an effort to persuade the former Manchester City forward to return to the Premier League and to have been informed the Argentina international wants only Barcelona.

French high schools rush to put Macron’s phone ban into force

Unions say ban will take time to enact, while president also wants under-15s social media ban as key legacy

French high schools are rushing to put in place a ban on mobile phones this week as Emmanuel Macron pushes for children to spend less time in front of screens.

Education unions warned that banning mobile phone use in lycées – where children are aged 15 to 18 – would be hard to implement quickly.

Russia's jet-powered drones bring empty Kyiv supermarket shelves and rattle Ukrainians

Russian forces relentlessly battered Kyiv and cities in the region around the Ukrainian capital for a fifth straight day, leaving some supermarket shelves bare after repeated strikes on warehouses.

Morocco not to blame for Ceuta border breach, says Spanish PM

Pedro Sánchez says two countries are cooperating after mass incursion by 70,000 people into north African enclave

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has said there is no evidence to suggest the Moroccan government was behind last month’s massive border crossing into Ceuta.

As many as 141 people are thought to have died trying to enter the Spanish enclave at the end of July. The influx of about 70,000 men, women and children unleashed a political crisis, a humanitarian emergency and reignited tensions within the EU over immigration.

1 dead, about 15 missing after Grand Canyon hit by flash floods

Violent flash floods hit the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area, the National Park Service said, leaving more than a dozen people missing.

Attacks flare between the U.S. and Iran after a monthlong pause

U.S. threats erupt into attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran retaliates against U.S. targets in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan in the first exchange of fire since July 29.

As US-Canada tensions flare, who’s calling the shots in Trump’s trade team?

US trade representative Jamieson Greer has a level-headed reputation but commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and White House adviser Peter Navarro also have key roles

Having reportedly read Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, in French, during a military tour of duty in Iraq, Jamieson Greer considered himself an unlikely target for accusations of francophobia.

But Donald Trump’s US trade representative, hitherto one of the president’s less high-profile cabinet members, found himself in that uncomfortable position amid the acrimonious collapse of bilateral trade talks with Canada that now threatens to degenerate into an all-out trade war between the two close trading partners whose economies are tightly intertwined.

Do you have a bespoke ‘dirty zone’? | Emma Beddington

Apparently a dedicated mud room will make you less stressed. But I have a very different approach

I was excited to learn that the latest interiors essential, according to the Washington Post, is a “dirty zone”. I’m ahead of the curve – I’ve already got a dirty zone by each main door (and also one directly outside the back door, where, rudely, a mystery animal has defecated). The fridge drawers are dirty zones thanks to the windfall apples I thought I would cook, but predictably left to liquefy. There’s a dirty zone next to the washing machine and a mildewy one inside it. There’s the festering compost bin I’m too chicken to tackle post-heatwave, plus the cupboard under the stairs, which we don’t talk about. Good luck finding a clean zone, basically.

Does this make me kinda chic? Unfortunately not: the Post is actually preaching the benefits of confining the sordid ephemera of life to carefully delineated and hidden areas: storage benches, monogrammed totes or even a “mud room” (for coats, shoes, skis, lacrosse sticks and dog-washing sinks – I think posh Britons call it a boot room). A 2021 study in the Netherlands found that participants who did chores in chaotic environments had higher levels of the stress marker salivary alpha-amylase. I always wonder what’s brewing in my mouth as I fall over piles of filthy shoes yet again while running to answer the door.

The pet I’ll never forget: Jerry, the king of dogs, who taught me how to live

After a burglary, my parents decided we needed extra security. Jerry was the answer – and this hungry, handsome hound helped us all in countless ways

Jerry came into our lives because a burglar had broken in. My mum had woken in the middle of the night to find an intruder in our kitchen. He scarpered, but the psychological damage was done. Two days later, my dad came home with the cutest little rescue puppy, with traces of beagle and labrador in him. He was two months old, had a black, brown and white coat, and big, bashful eyes. We called him Jerry because we had a cat called Tom. “I’m not sure how he’ll protect us,” I said. “He will,” my dad replied.

Jerry was very laid-back and Zen. He became part of the family straight away. He also became the therapy dog we hadn’t realised we needed. With two teenagers in the house (me and my older brother) and a hyperactive younger brother, someone was always in a strop and needing to let off steam by taking him out for a walk. Each time, Jerry obliged. I’d bore him with my latest teen-romance trauma; he was a very good listener. Sometimes, he’d have five walks a day, with both of my parents taking their turn. He certainly got his steps in.

Parasomnia review – sleep-schedule horror conjures up a succubus on the loose in waking nightmare

Debut director James Ross II shows promise in this gore fest, but the fear factor suffers from an overly complex plot

Sleep has been part of the horror genre repertoire since The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, and the anxieties around it are spiking as the “sleep economy” becomes a thing. This ambitiously structured gore fest about a woman suffering from waking nightmares comes with an all-black cast, but race isn’t a central preoccupation here. Instead, as night terrors burst the banks into reality, debut director James Ross II concentrates on maintaining an appropriately scrambled and claustrophobic experience – perhaps to the detriment of the fear factor.

On her 15th birthday, Riley (Jasmine Mathews) is paralysed in a waking/sleep state at her foster home, able to observe but powerless to intervene to stop a care worker going berserk. Since this massacre, Riley keeps a strict sleep protocol as an adult, making sure anyone under the same roof drops off before her, which apparently protects them from the malevolent presence invading her nights. Old foster home pal David (Stephen Barrington) accepts an invitation to the house where Riley’s dad murdered her mum, but gets the willies when a pallid demon begins manifesting in the small hours. It turns out that Riley’s boyfriend, Cam (RJ Brown), has been lax in letting her fall asleep before him – and now her resident succubus is on the loose again.

House returns with vote expected on Senate bill to prevent shutdown

Lawmakers could also vote on condemning socialism and censuring GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards.

Coupang dispute fuels new U.S. tariff pressure on South Korea

South Korea's dismissal of Congress' allegations that it discriminated against U.S.-based Coupang is straining the country's ties with the U.S., sources said.

Nearly 20 people still missing after ferry capsizes ⁠off northern Cyprus

Divers join search teams scouring deep waters for ⁠any survivors, with eight people so far confirmed to have died

Nearly 20 people are still missing after a ferry capsized ⁠off northern Cyprus, killing at least eight, as divers join search teams scouring deep waters for ⁠any survivors.

The double-hulled ⁠ferry ​with 267 people onboard took in water and flipped over on Sunday just off the port city ⁠of Kyrenia, leaving survivors clinging to the upturned hull. They were rescued by passing vessels and members of the coastguard.

Watkins faces Toney clash as strikers push for Saudi supremacy and Tuchel’s attention

Al-Hilal’s signing from Villa is thrown straight into big game against Al-Ahli and faces the highest of expectations

Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney spent 33 minutes on the pitch together a few weeks ago in Miami as England beat France 6-4 in a game for third place at the World Cup. They will be reunited on Tuesday in Riyadh for Al-Hilal v Al-Ahli, the first big clash between title hopefuls in the Saudi Pro League season.

Aston Villa fans will be hoping that, starting against Arsenal on Monday, Nicolas Jackson can quickly help them forget their departed talisman. That’s what Toney did at Brentford back in 2020 when he replaced Watkins. It may not only be supporters in the West Midlands and west London who will be curious to see how their alumni get on in west Asia. England’s heach coach, Thomas Tuchel, will surely tune in (or even turn up?) to get a look at the two forwards battling to become the clear understudy to Harry Kane as a new international cycle starts.

AI could cause global economic downturn, Bank of England governor tells G20

Andrew Bailey, in role as financial stability watchdog chief, warns advanced models risk destabilising system

The Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, has joined the throng of figures warning about the global risks posed by the most advanced artificial intelligence technology.

In a two-page letter sent to international finance ministers and central bank governors as part of his role as chair of the international Financial Stability Board (FSB), Bailey said “frontier” AI models were “showing increasingly sophisticated autonomy and problem-solving abilities, as well as threat capabilities”.

‘I organised my spices – and feel happy every time I cook!’ 12 readers on their most rewarding tiny accomplishments

Forget writing that novel: the most satisfying tasks are often the smallest. From batch cooking and bird feeding, to filling a kettle with meticulous precision, our readers reveal their favourites

Sometimes, it’s the smallest accomplishments that bring the biggest feelings of joy. You don’t need to run a marathon or write a novel to get a sense of achievement; something as simple as reorganising your cutlery drawer or repairing a garden fence can prove surprisingly satisfying. Here, readers share the modest achievements that have brought them great pleasure.

I really enjoy cooking and have a large collection of spices. Recently, I bought a few dozen glass bottles and organised my herbs and spices in a drawer, with labels on the lids and sides. Every time I cook, I feel pleasure from being able to instantly put my hand on the requisite spice without fumbling through piles of little boxes, and having to open and smell them to be sure which is which. Anna Smith, musician, Utrecht, the Netherlands

The one change that worked: I stopped listening to podcasts – and my mind flooded with ideas

For decades my life was soundtracked by comedy duos, mostly male, discussing their friendships. When I gave them up, I felt as if I was having a mental reboot

I have always loved podcasts. The genre of audio I have come to think of as Two Men Talking (In Excessive Detail About Their Lives) has been one of my favourite forms of entertainment for decades. It started with a semi-religious devotion to a Sunday morning XFM show hosted by Jimmy Carr and the comedy writer Iain Morris, but as the years progressed and podcasting boomed, I was soon spoilt for choice. Eventually there were enough comedy duos candidly discussing their hopes, fears and awkward social interactions to fill every moment of my day.

I was initially drawn to these podcasts because they made me laugh, but from the start I also found them hugely comforting: there was a period in my teenage years when I couldn’t fall asleep without mainlining episodes of Adam and Joe’s BBC 6 Music show, waking up each morning relieved I hadn’t been strangled by my iPod earphones in the night.

‘Sometimes you just need a good cry’: why Little Women is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers highlighting their go-to comfort films is an ode to the teary 1994 adaptation of the classic novel

I have an ongoing argument with some friends about how I refuse to watch Interstellar again, despite considering it a beautiful and well-crafted film. It’s just so sad, I tell them, even with its hopeful ending. A desperate, choking lump forms in my chest as soon as I hear the futuristic swells of Hans Zimmer’s score and I have to remove myself before I am overtaken by emotion.

But at the same time, the movie I choose as my feelgood film is one that has reduced me to a sobbing, snotty mess time and time again, whether I’m watching it curled up with my cat on the couch, swaddled in blankets while sick in bed or jostling with my seatmate for the armrest on an airplane. And just like with the score from Interstellar, the moment I hear Thomas Newman’s wistful little oboe intro of the 1994 version of Little Women, I can feel my eyes well up with tears.

Hit shows from Edinburgh's Fringe festival are coming to America. Here are our top picks

The annual "anything goes" performing arts festival featured more than 4,200 performances this year. These are the ones we're still talking about.

The U.S. Venezuela oil deal won't lower your gas prices. Here's what you need to know

The Trump administration announced a deal Friday to develop a vast amount of Venezuela's oil reserves, with the U.S. taking a majority stake. Energy experts say there are many reasons to be skeptical.

British Museum hosted Palantir founder Peter Thiel in private viewing of Bayeux tapestry

Concern among staff that fragile artwork’s scarce ‘light hours’ given to someone with no known interest in museum

The British Museum privately hosted the Donald Trump-supporting tech billionaire Peter Thiel in the exhibition space of the Bayeux tapestry earlier this month, the Guardian understands.

The museum’s director of development, Charlotte Appleyard, hosted the PayPal founder at a VIP viewing of the tapestry, which is yet to open to the public, on 18 August.

Morning news brief

Trump says U.S. struck a deal to take control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil, U.S. and Iran resume exchanging strikes, funding at the top of the agenda as House reconvenes.

Bhutan hosts first ‘conscious food summit’ amid threats to global supplies

Organisers say people must revive spiritual relationship with food amid double threat of climate crisis and conflict

Mending the broken food system under the threat of climate-driven weather extremes will require more than economic fixes and intensive agriculture, according to the organisers of a pioneering summit this week, who say the world must revive its spiritual relationship with food.

Delegates from more than 60 countries and the UN will gather for the next five days in Paro in the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan for the world’s first “conscious food summit”, which will bring together governments and farmers, mindfulness experts and yoga therapists.

Venus Williams bows out after 2am following latest start in US Open history

• Kenin wins 6-2, 7-6 (6) in late-night contest

• Williams loses 15th straight tour-level match

• First-round clash finally begins at 12.13am

Sunday had become Monday by the time Venus Williams finally emerged beneath the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, her entrance pushed deep into the night after Novak Djokovic’s bruising defeat by Argentina’s Mariano Navone went the five-set distance. The first ball was struck at 12.13am, the latest start to a match in US Open history, yet several thousand spectators remained to watch a player who has been part of this tournament for as long as the building itself.

At 46 years old, ranked 611th in the world and making her record-extending 26th US Open singles appearance, Williams has grown accustomed to making history simply by showing up. Even by those standards this latest installment was, as she would later describe it, “completely insane”.

Bel review – the powerful life force and haunting absence of a traumatised singer-songwriter

Beldina Odenyo alchemised the pain of exile, loss and racism into music as Heir of the Cursed before her death in 2021, as this attentive tribute explores

Instead of an artist in a booth, a lone amplifier plays the music of singer-songwriter Beldina Odenyo for a cluster of microphones to pick up during the posthumous recording of her debut album. It is a haunting encapsulation of the absence and presence at the heart of Louise Lockwood’s documentary, which makes a commendably thorough exploration of the mental illness that led to Odenyo killing herself in November 2021, and its roots: exile, loss and racism.

Performing under the moniker Heir of the Cursed, a translation of the Tetela name of assassinated Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba, Odenyo was on the verge of bigger recognition at the end of 2021 after a successful performance at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. But hemmed in by successive Covid lockdowns, the 31-year-old is clearly unwell in a discomfiting backstage interview. Squirming, monosyllabic, she seems to be regressing to the non-verbal state of shock in which she arrived in Dumfriesshire from Kenya as a young child.

The Future Starts With Us by Gordon Brown review – the ex-PM’s recipe for beating populism

Global crises are tightly linked to how we treat each other at the local level, argues this optimistic book

In times of crisis, there is one person to whom the left still turns for guidance.

More than a decade and a half after leaving government, Gordon Brown has mellowed into the Labour party’s favourite wise elder; one who has never disappointed the faithful by going off to make a ton of money, remaining quietly committed to public service and deeply engaged with the world’s knottier problems. Having successfully led the global response to the financial crash of 2008, and advocated powerfully during the pandemic for global cooperation against the virus, he was never going to simply sit back and shrug as the world spiralled into conflict and chaos under Donald Trump.

Russia preparing 'massive strikes' on Ukraine's energy sites after deadliest attack of the year

Russia's Defense Ministry has announced preparations for "massive strikes" on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Pacing and patience: heavyweight lessons Itauma must learn after harsh reality check | Donald McRae

The 21-year-old had never gone past six rounds before Hrgovic defeat and his corner should have adapted strategy

The end, when it came for Moses Itauma, was as shocking as it was worrying. Late on Saturday night, moving into the championship rounds of his first world heavyweight title fight, the 21‑year‑old had dictated the pace and dazzled Filip Hrgovic with his speed and skill. The 34‑year‑old Croat admitted that he believed Itauma had won each of the first eight rounds. And yet, in the fateful ninth, Itauma stumbled and weaved across the ring like a dazed and drunken kid. He looked lost and utterly spent.

Exhaustion had reduced him to the point where, as the experienced Hrgovic tore into him, Itauma also resembled a rag doll on the ropes. With the final two punches Hrgovic sunk a right into Itauma’s sagging body before nailing him with a pulverising left cross. It was so clearly over in that desolate moment that three things happened almost simultaneously.

Is it true that … mental health is affected by inflammation?

Studies have found that anti-inflammatory drugs can improve your mood. But what does that mean for conditions such as depression and anxiety?

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to injury or infection. If you cut yourself and the area becomes red and swollen, that’s inflammation: immune cells are rushing to fight germs and repair tissue.

But inflammation can also occur in the body during illnesses, and a low level of inflammation can arise from obesity or ageing. “A marker of that inflammation tends to be elevated cytokines in people’s blood,” says Prof Daniel M Davis, head of life sciences at Imperial College London and author of Immune Health: A Myth-Busting Guide. “They’re the molecules immune cells use to communicate with each other.”

‘Breakthrough’ as Turkmenistan starts fixing ‘mindboggling’ methane mega-leaks

Secretive state begins repairs on ageing facilities after being revealed as worst country for leaks of potent greenhouse gas

Turkmenistan has started plugging the mega-leaks of methane that spew from its ageing oil and gas facilities, the latest UN data shows, in a move hailed as a breakthrough.

Methane, also called natural or fossil gas, is a potent greenhouse gas. It traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide and causes 25% of global heating today. Stopping leaks can be quick and cheap and, because methane breaks down in the atmosphere far quicker than CO2, this has a rapid impact, with some experts calling it the climate “emergency brake”.

Can you solve it? The fin-tastic fish puzzle

Can you think in 3D?

Today’s puzzle concerns a fish swimming in a tank that is two metres high, one metre across and one metre deep.

The image below shows one path the fish swam.

Switzy by Emma Cline review – this Booker-listed account of a man’s last days is profoundly moving

Struggling with Alzheimer’s, the central character sets out on his final journey to a euthanasia clinic

The word “Alzheimer’s” never appears in Switzy, Emma Cline’s third novel, which arrives pre-endorsed as a Booker prize longlistee. But we can be certain that it is the disease afflicting its central character, David Hastings – certain in a way he finds it increasingly hard to be about anything.

When the novel begins, David and his assistant Cody are aboard a private jet flying from his home in the US to the UK. Landing at London City airport (which the book, experiencing its own senior moment, situates in the countryside), they visit David’s daughter and her family before travelling on to Zurich (hence “Switzy”). One more appointment, a catchup with an old boarding school roommate called Tom, awaits just over the French border, after which David will be euthanised at a facility resembling Dignitas.

Performance and belonging: Rio de Janeiro’s ballroom scene – photo essay

A look at the ballroom scene across Maré, Lapa, Gamboa and the city centre. The photographer Juliana Bizzo has documented a movement born from Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ communities in the US that has more recently evolved in Rio, growing from the city’s first ball in 2016

My first encounter with Rio de Janeiro’s ballroom scene was in 2023, during Noite das Estrelas, an artistic occupation that moved through the streets of Maré. From the top of a sound truck, the performer and drag queen Preta Queen B Rull, of the Kiki House of Mamba Negra, sang as people followed her through the neighbourhood. Before we had even reached our destination, the procession had changed the rhythm of the street.

Preta Queen B Rull performs from a sound truck during Noite das Estrelas.

One dead and 15 people may be missing after flash flood in Arizona’s Grand Canyon

Dozens evacuated after flash-flood event near Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch, officials say

One person died and about 15 people were missing or unaccounted for after a major flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon national park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Park Service.

The flash-flood event occurred in the area of Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch, where park staff and the Arizona department of public safety had evacuated more than 60 people as of Sunday morning.

‘It was like fighting a dinosaur’: Sydney shark attack survivor recalls left hook that helped save her life

Leah Stewart, who was bitten while swimming at Coogee beach, says she asked herself ‘which limb am I willing to lose’ as she fought back

An Australian woman who lost an arm after a shark attack at a Sydney beach has described delivering a “left hook” punch to the four-metre great white as its open mouth came within centimetres of her face.

Leah Stewart, 34, a teacher and mother of a one-year-old, was attacked by the shark while on a morning swim at Coogee beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on 13 June.

Squash salad and chocolate mousse: Dean Parker’s recipes for early autumn

Celebrate the flavours of the coming season via this rewarding salad and rich dessert to share

As the days start to shorten and the temperature drops (finally!), the produce becomes richer, sweeter and more comforting, and the onset of autumn is a time of year that naturally brings people together around the table, which is something I’ve always loved about food. At the restaurant, we try to let the ingredients do the talking, and we work closely with growers and producers to make the most of whatever’s in season. Today’s recipes celebrate some of my favourite seasonal flavours: the salad is simple but deeply satisfying, balancing sweet roast squash with bitter greens and a punchy black olive tapenade. For dessert, meanwhile, chocolate mousse with poached fruit is my idea of autumn in a bowl, not least because quince has a beautiful, floral character that develops as it cooks, and pairs perfectly with dark chocolate and the nutty richness of browned butter. The creme fraiche adds freshness and balance, and brings everything together. Both dishes are rooted in the philosophy that guides my cooking: celebrate the season, respect great ingredients and create food that encourages people to slow down and enjoy each other’s company.

The Nepal floods seem a world away – but make no mistake, climate breakdown will affect us all | Nesrine Malik

Richer countries might have more resources to deal with catastrophe, but this problem grips the entire planet, however much leaders may want to deny it

Climate breakdown is happening on one Earth, but two different worlds. In one, its impacts increasingly encroach on everyday life; longer periods of discomfort and shorter periods of sharp pain. Endless, hotter summers, and within them sudden wildfires, evacuations, homes burned to cinders in a matter of hours. In another, catastrophe. This summer has been a snapshot of that split-screen. The hottest day on record in parts of Europe, and a wave of water, mud and ice in Nepal that so far has claimed more than 750 lives. Thousands of people are still missing.

The difference is also one of resources. The climate crisis has an economic cost, but some places can absorb it better than others. Responses to this summer of wildfires in Europe included a rapid scrambling by the French government to provide everything from tax breaks for businesses affected by the fires to relocation costs and aid to rebuild homes. The UK government had deployed almost £100m before the summer to strengthen wildfire resilience.

‘We want to find a better future’: teenage girls on why they risked their lives to reach Spain

More than two dozen teenagers stuck in the Spanish territory of Ceuta shared their reasons for joining the treacherous mass crossing in July

For Fatin, one of the teenage girls now living in limbo in a makeshift camp in the Spanish city of Ceuta, the decision to leave her home in Morocco began to form when she had to give up school.

She wanted to continue studying, she says, but at home she was expected to take responsibility for the housework instead. As classes and learning gave way to domestic chores, the future she had imagined for herself began to feel increasingly distant.

Ailing Novak Djokovic falls in US Open first round for earliest grand slam exit in 20 years

• Mariano Navone wins 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

• Djokovic vomits numerous times and endures cramps

The first night session of the US Open this year was approaching the three-hour mark when Novak Djokovic walked briskly to the corner of the vast Arthur Ashe Stadium court, bent down and vomited the contents of his stomach straight into the towel bin.

This was neither the first nor the last time that Djokovic threw up during an excruciating four hours and 36 minutes of suffering, and his miserable night ended around midnight with the 24-time grand slam champion in tears as he was defeated 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 by Mariano Navone in the first round.

‘Everything’s smashed to bits’: Ukrainians turn anger on those storing weapons near their villages

As Russia hits another ammunition warehouse, killing at least 38, locals put blame on poorly placed depots

It is a day and a half since a Russian jet-powered drone smashed into an ammunition dump in Myla, a village 15 miles outside central Kyiv. Volodymyr, 61, a security guard, leads visitors from his family’s badly damaged home, its roof blown off, back windows shattered, through the garden towards the impact site 300 metres away.

The garden, like so many in Ukraine’s villages and suburbs, is a sizeable allotment. But today the greenhouse is shattered, a vegetable patch is blackened and crisp underfoot. Several metres of grapevine have been destroyed. Even so, Volodymyr finds two surviving bunches to hand to the Guardian.

Forbidden planet: was Pluto’s 2006 demotion a big mistake?

Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting the decision – and they’re only getting more passionate

Twenty years ago, Pluto got demoted. After a vote by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in August 2006, Pluto was relegated from major planet to dwarf planet status. Our solar system dropped from nine planets to eight. At the time, many scientists were unhappy with the decision. Two decades on, the debate is, if anything, even more polarised.

“The definition of a planet they created, you can’t use it at all,” says Philip Metzger, the director of the Stephen W Hawking Centre for Microgravity Research and Education at the University of Central Florida. “It makes the definition of a planet completely non-useful in science.”

Properties in UK national parks command 24% premium, study finds

Nationwide research also shows average 14% premium for housing in national landscapes of England and Wales

Housebuyers are paying a premium of almost a quarter to own a property located within a UK national park, with the New Forest the most expensive national park to live in, according to Britain’s biggest building society.

Nationwide found that a property located within a national park cost 24% more on average than a similar property elsewhere, while buyers were also stumping up a 6% premium for homes within three miles of a national park.

Gems, ghosts and GTA VI: the biggest video games for autumn 2026

There are juggernauts and indie gems aplenty for when the nights draw in, from an ingenious puzzle game to blockbusters such as Marvel’s Wolverine and Call of Duty
• See all of our unmissable autumn arts recommendations here

After 20 years away, Capcom’s hyper kinetic action adventure returns, pitting skilled samurai Miyamoto Musashi against hordes of warriors and demons in Edo-period Kyoto. Master the complex combat then prepare for flashing blades, disembodied limbs and geysers of spraying blood.
• 4 September; PC, PS5, Switch 2, Xbox

Nicolás Maduro shares photos from New York prison: "We are standing firm"

In the two photographs, Venezuela's deposed leader Nicolás Maduro is wearing a gray tracksuit and making peace signs with his hands.

Youth program teaches tennis, academics for the "skills to be champions in life"

The U.S. Open officially began on Sunday, but the tournament is just one reason a record number of Americans are picking up a racket. Jarred Hill reports on the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, helping young players succeed on the court and beyond.

A look at NASA's Roman Space Telescope, heading into deep space

NASA's next-generation telescope blasted off atop a SpaceX rocket at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday. The $4.3 billion Roman Space Telescope is on a journey to peer at distant stars and galaxies. Mark Strassmann has more about what some call "the discovery machine."

Connecticut senator says ICE made arrests at school bus stops, border czar rejects claim

White House border czar Tom Homan rejected claims that ICE officers arrest parents at bus stops in Connecticut. But there is no argument that arrests are up nationwide. Lana Zak reports from Stamford, Connecticut.

Trump says U.S. deal with Venezuela will boost oil reserves

President Trump said the U.S. will begin "topping out" its strategic petroleum reserve with Venezuelan oil under last week's agreement. But that's unlikely to provide much relief to Americans facing sustained high gas prices. Olivia Gazis has more details on the unprecedented agreement.

Several missing, dozens evacuated amid sudden Grand Canyon flooding

Dozens of people have been evacuated after sudden flash flooding struck the Grand Canyon. Torrents of water raced through, washing out footbridges over a creek that leads to the Colorado River. The National Park Service said approximately 15 people are missing or unaccounted for. Andrew Kozak has more.

NSW may not be able to prosecute large-scale water theft due to doubts about licences for billions of litres

Successful legal challenge raises questions about hundreds of floodplain harvesting licences issued by former Coalition government

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

The New South Wales water regulator has cast doubt over its ability to prosecute potential water theft due to uncertainty about the validity of licences governing billions of litres of water entitlements in the state’s north.

It follows a successful legal challenge brought by a group of irrigators in the state’s north-west which found 11 floodplain harvesting licences issued by the former Coalition government were invalid.

Women’s Super League 2026-27 preview No 10: London City Lionesses

Ballon d’Or winner Putellas leads influx of superstar names at independent club aiming to bridge gap to very best

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Suzanne Wrack’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 6th

8/30/2026: The Cap Arcona; Presenting the Kanneh-Masons

First, a report on the sinking of the Cap Arcona Nazi ship. Then, the Kanneh-Masons: Meet the musical siblings.

8/30: CBS Weekend News

Nepal warns of new flooding amid ongoing devastation; President Trump says the oil deal with Venezuela will boost U.S. oil reserves.

Aon nears $17 billion deal to buy insurance broker USI from KKR, WSJ reports

Aon is nearing a roughly $17 billion deal, including debt, to acquire insurance brokerage USI from KKR, the Journal reported.

Trump criticizes NBC over election comment as Treasury denies some NYT, WSJ and Bloomberg reporters G20 credentials

Trump's attack on NBC comes after the Treasury barred journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg from attending the G20.

Man killed by falling sign at Christian festival named as church pays tribute

Robert Guanco, 41, a pastor at Jesus Living Water church in Eastbourne, described as having ‘touched many lives’

A 41-year-old man who died after a large wooden sign fell at a Christian festival on Friday has been named as Robert Guanco, a pastor at a church in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

A tribute from his church on Sunday described him as a respected pastor who was a “loving husband” and “a devoted and caring father”.

Google updates maps to show "Lake America" in U.S. after Trump order

Google announced that it had begun rolling out changes to how its maps display Lake Ontario's name, after President Trump signed an executive order changing it to "Lake America."

AI bursts to the front of Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary

The fight over AI and its associated data center infrastructure has spilled into election-after-election this year.

Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Aug. 30, 2026

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. John James join Margaret Brennan.

Trump-promoted Freedom Fuel stations sold gas a distributor says went unpaid for

A federal lawsuit claims that fuel distributor KRSM failed to pay for $4 million worth of fuel, some of which the company sold to the Freedom Fuel network.

Blumenthal urges House to pass Russia sanctions amid "extreme urgency" in Ukraine

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut urged the House to approve the Senate-passed Russia sanctions bill amid a "moment of extreme urgency" in the war in Ukraine.

Indianapolis Colts player Keenan Allen arrested on drunken driving charges

Keenan Allen, a longtime NFL player who recently signed with the Indianapolis Colts, was arrested early Sunday for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, police said.

The Guardian view on the rise of Germany’s AfD: mainstream parties must deliver a bolder response | Editorial

The far right is close to winning a state election for the first time since the second world war. A different economic approach is needed to combat it

The early autumn has become a time of foreboding and angst in German politics. In the eastern states that have become strongholds for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, it has regularly made headline-grabbing advances in September elections. Only the refusal of mainstream politicians to form coalitions with one of Europe’s most extreme movements has kept it out of power.

This year, the lights are flashing red. Next weekend, when voters in Saxony-Anhalt cast their ballots, the signs are that the traditional firewall may not be enough. In polling, the AfD is currently scoring above 40% in the state, which could win it enough seats to govern on its own. Compared with the last election in 2021, its support has doubled; backing for the closest challenger, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has tumbled by almost 15%.

The Guardian view on rare earths: it’s common sense to secure essential supply chains | Editorial

Outsourcing the industry to China cannot continue, but Europe knows it can no longer count on the US for a solution

The alarm sounded 16 years ago. In 2010, China blocked exports of key rare earths to Japan in a row over disputed islands in the East China Sea. The critical minerals are essential to everything from advanced weaponry and iPhones to electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines, so the rest of the world took note. But it didn’t take much action. China still accounts for about 70% of rare-earth mining globally and 90% of separation and processing.

Then, last year, Beijing forced Donald Trump to back away from his trade war – not with its retaliatory tariffs, but the curbing of rare-earth exports. A scramble for new supplies began in earnest. The year-long trade truce is due to expire in November. The price of erbium, an element essential to communications infrastructure, has already jumped because of fears that export controls will soon be renewed.

The datacenter backlash is bringing the entire political spectrum together – against big tech billionaires

The movement against datacenters is uniting Americans because they perfectly illustrate how a few individuals hold all the power to control decisions that affect our lives

Bryce Gustafson has been knocking on doors in Indiana for more than a decade. The lead organizer with Citizens Action Coalition (CAC), a consumer and environmental organization, he usually encounters a mix of reactions when he’s out canvassing; whatever issue he’s talking about, there’s always at least a few people on the other side. But at a recent festival in the rural town of Monrovia, Indiana, he was struck by an unusual spirit of unity.

He was there about a proposed datacenter, a 550-acre (222-hectare) Google project in this small town of 1,600 people. “I had 50 people I talked to,” Gustafson told me. “Nobody wanted that datacenter in their community. And at least a half a dozen people came up to me to say, ‘Hey, I voted for Trump. What the heck’s he doing, supporting these things?’”

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Aug. 30): "By Design"

"Sunday Morning" presents its annual edition touching on all aspects of design, hosted by Jane Pauley.

He beat Big Tobacco. Will the same playbook work against Meta and social media?

Mike Moore beat Big Tobacco. Will the same playbook work against Meta and social media?

Nicola Jennings on Donald Trump, fossil fuels and climate disaster – cartoon

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The kindness of strangers: My car had been towed and my kids had no shoes, then a man made a wonderful offer

‘Can you help me?’ I asked. ‘I think my car’s been towed away, and my children don’t have any shoes’

• Read more in the kindness of strangers series

One of the first things we did after moving from the UK to Vancouver was buy a car. Unfortunately, I didn’t acquaint myself with the new road rules quite as quickly.

Which is to say, I didn’t know you aren’t allowed to park on busy streets after 3pm in Vancouver. Unaware and in a carefree summer mood, I parked outside an ice-cream shop and took my barefoot children in for a treat. We emerged a short time later, sticky and splattered in drops of raspberry, mint and chocolate, and found my car wasn’t there.

Nature: Chanticleer Garden

We leave you this Sunday at Chanticleer Garden just outside Philadelphia. Videographer: Jim Zurich. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

8/30: Face The Nation

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who is recently back from the Ukraine region, joins to discuss the latest. Plus, with five years having passed since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a former Afghan general shares his story of the dramatic flight from the country.

Ghislaine Maxwell has virtually run out of legal routes to overturn conviction, experts say

The Jeffrey Epstein associate’s apparent last hope would be a Hail Mary from Donald Trump – a presidential pardon

Ghislaine Maxwell seems to be all but guaranteed to have run out of legal avenues to challenge her conviction for her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of girls and young women with perhaps her lingering hopes of freedom resting on a pardon from the Trump administration.

Paul Engelmayer, a Manhattan federal court judge, last week rejected Maxwell’s contention that her constitutional rights were violated at trial and sentencing for her crimes. “Maxwell’s claims are all meritless and all or almost all are frivolous,” Engelmayer wrote in his ruling on the former British socialite’s legal gambit.

Adobe construction: What's old is new again

For thousands of years, civilizations around the world have built houses out of earth – whether it be mud brick, wattle and dab or rammed earth. But adobe (the practice of making mudbricks) has now become today's "it" building material, from museums around the world designed using adobe, to do-it-yourselfers constructing homes from the very dirt beneath their feet. Correspondent Conor Knighton looks at the history of adobe, and how ancient adobe materials are being merged with 3-D printing techniques. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

The appeal of soft pretzels

The twisty, crunchy, doughy treat is a tradition in Philadelphia, and the Center City Soft Pretzel Company churns out tens of thousands of pretzels a week. Correspondent Susan Spencer checks out their salty allure. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Longwood Gardens' jewel of nature

After industrialist Pierre S. du Pont bought a small farm outside Philadelphia to save its trees from being sold for lumber, he spent the rest of his life creating his dream oasis. Today, the 1,700-acre Longwood Gardens, recently expanded, continues its mission of providing "joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning." Jim Axelrod reports. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Philadelphia architect Frank Furness' enduring spirit

Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, a former Army captain during the Civil War, translated his fearlessness into the designs of about 1,000 buildings – elaborate structures whose oversized arches, asymmetrical facades and eccentric decorations broke free from the polite Victorian era-style. "Sunday Morning" national correspondent Robert Costa takes a tour of Furness' Philadelphia with Wall Street Journal architectural critic Michael Lewis, who explains why the architect's reputation has gained a reappraisal. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]