5/2: Saturday Morning

Spirit Airlines announced it will cease operations after failing to secure a federal bailout. Meanwhile, President Trump rejected Iran's latest peace proposal.

Banksy confirms new statue installed in central London is his work

The statue in Waterloo Place, which appeared early Wednesday, depicts a man proudly hoisting a flag— but the flag is blinding him.

Arsenal v Fulham: Premier League – live

⚽ Updates from the 5.30pm BST kick-off at the Emirates
⚽ Scores | Premier League table | Read Football Daily

“My thanks to Richard Hirst, but if we’re talking races to the grave, I’m probably a way ahead of him,” writes Charles Antaki. “So should the Arsenal men’s team fail at this Premier League hurdle, the next may be beyond my span. Today, the universe has a chance to right the wrongs of the women’s unsatisfactory performance at Lyon; but given that the universe seems to show absolutely no interest in righting wrongs of any description, and there are a few around at the moment, I’m not particularly hopeful. But, as ever, we shall see.”

Mikel Arteta’s pre-match thoughts

Some of the changes are forced. There are other reasons as well – we need a lot of energy, freshness and quality as well.

[On Myles Lewis-Skelly playing in midfield] He’s been very patient, extremely understanding about the situation and he deserves another chance. Every time he’s played, he’s done really well.

Spirit Airlines shutting down after failed effort at government rescue deal

The budget carrier Spirit Airlines is ceasing operations after failing to land a $500 million bailout from the Trump administration.

Kostyuk claims biggest title of career with victory over Andreeva in Madrid

• Ukrainian wins 6-3, 7-5 at the Caja Mágica

• Title means Kostyuk will break into top 15 for first time

Marta Kostyuk took an enormous step towards fulfilling her potential as the Ukrainian closed out an incredible week by winning the biggest title of her career at the Madrid Open, defeating Mirra Andreeva of Russia 6-3, 7-5.

Although Kostyuk’s run through a WTA 1000 draw was unexpected, this title did not come out of nowhere. Kostyuk won her second career WTA event in Rouen just before Madrid, and has now put together an 11-match winning streak.

Lando Norris wins sprint race at F1 Miami Grand Prix as McLaren roar back

• British driver beats teammate Oscar Piastri into second

• Mercedes drivers fourth and sixth with Leclerc third

Lando Norris won the sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix with a dominant drive for McLaren, beating his teammate Oscar Piastri into second to secure a one-two for the team and deny Mercedes a win for the first time this season.

Charles Leclerc took a strong third for Ferrari but Mercedes, dominant for the opening three meetings, could manage only fourth and sixth for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli had finished fourth but was given a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, a costly error for the championship leader. Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton seventh for Ferrari.

Leinster hold off late charge from Toulon to edge into Champions Cup final

• Semi-final: Leinster 29-25 Toulon

• Leinster will face Bordeaux or Bath in Bilbao final

They made a bit of a meal of it, but Leinster will march on Bilbao in a few weeks for their ninth Champions Cup final. Given that was where they last won this thing, in 2018, for the fourth time, they might consider the omen positive, but this semi-final, their 17th, was not a classic.

Which is not to say it was boring. Leinster are not convincing this season, and one telltale sign of a team with a confidence issue is the offering up of hope to a seemingly defeated opponent. The hosts, enjoying a knockout tie at the Aviva for the umpteenth time, went 18 points clear when Caelan Doris scored their fourth with a little more than 10 minutes to play. And then all hell broke loose.

West Ham’s survival bid rocked by Brentford to open door for Tottenham

Compliments mean little to West Ham at this stage of the season. They hit the woodwork three times, had a goal ruled out for a tight offside and contributed to an entertaining game against strong opposition but none of that mattered when full time arrived and Nuno Espírito Santo faced up to his side missing a huge opportunity to take a big step towards winning their fight against relegation.

It remains too tight to call. This defeat keeps West Ham two points above the bottom three and means they will drop into the relegation zone if 18th-placed Tottenham beat Aston Villa on Sunday night.

Spirit Airlines ceases operations and US transportation secretary announces measures to help passengers

Several US airlines have agreed to cap ticket prices for Spirit customers who need to rebook canceled flights

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox

The US secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, has announced a series of measures to help Spirit Airlines passengers following the low-cost airline’s collapse early on Saturday after running out of cash and the failure of rescue talks with the Trump administration.

Duffy said that larger US airlines, including United, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest, had agreed to cap ticket prices specifically for Spirit customers who need to rebook canceled flights, subject to a Spirit flight confirmation number and proof of payment.

Dig deep! Reform frontbench promotes JCBs after £200,000 donation from firm

Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Robert Jenrick, among others, have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro

Reform UK’s leading figures have repeatedly promoted a new pothole-fixing machine by the construction company JCB, while the party received £200,000 from the British digger maker, the Guardian can reveal.

Several Reform politicians including Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Robert Jenrick, Zia Yusuf and Richard Tice have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro machine.

Trump administration is increasingly ignoring US courts, new analysis shows

Critics warn that respect for rule of law could break down as executive branch flouts judicial decisions

When a federal judge shot down a Trump administration policy of holding immigrants without bond last December, it seemed like a serious blow to the US president’s mass deportation effort.

Instead, a top justice department official insisted the ruling wasn’t binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.

Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner in critical condition

Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was hospitalized after collapsing in prison. Her family says her condition has deteriorated since a March heart attack.

Organisers challenge Starmer’s threat to ban some pro-Palestine marches

PM says there are instances in which he would support bans but organisers say this would ‘strike at root of free speech’

Organisers of pro-Palestine marches have said Keir Starmer’s threat to ban some demonstrations opposing Israel’s actions in the Middle East will “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech” in the UK.

On Saturday morning, the prime minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “there are instances” in which he would support stopping some pro-Palestine protests altogether.

Jule Brand shatters Arsenal with late winner sending OL Lyonnes into WCL final

Renée Slegers conceded OL Lyonnes were the better team after Jule Brand’s late winner settled an absorbing semi-final to end Arsenal’s defence of their Women’s Champions League title. It will be Lyonnes 12th European final, extending their own record.

With the tie level at 3-3 on aggregate after Alessia Russo’s goal for Arsenal and seemingly heading for extra time, Brand collected Melchie Dumornay’s chipped through ball and tucked a neat finish into the far corner. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but after a three-minute video assistant referee check the goal was given, sparking joyous celebrations by the home supporters.

What will a Spirit Airlines shutdown mean for travelers?

Have tickets to fly on Spirit? Here's what to know about refunds and alternative flights as the budget airline ceases operations.

"This is it tonight": Spirit Airlines pilots sign off on final flights

Air traffic control audio records showed the exchanges between controllers and the pilots of some of Spirit Airlines' final flights

Two buses, three hours and 13 miles: how Americans in ‘transit deserts’ get groceries without cars

As Covid-era funding dries up and bus services are cut, a food insecurity crisis is brewing from Tennessee to Rhode Island

Zen’Yari Winters’ job, at a pet shop in East Memphis, Tennessee, should be a 20-minute trip from her house. She leaves herself three hours to get there. “The bus is always, always late,” she said – if it shows up at all.

It’s not just her work commute that’s affected by the time-consuming guessing game that is riding with the Memphis Area Transit Authority (Mata). The only full-service grocer in the Chelsea-Hollywood area where she lives closed in 2025. To shop for food in person, she could take two buses for a 13-mile (20km) trip to Walmart. But she risks waiting at bus stops for hours with perishables – or shelling out about $24 for an Uber back.

Nato seeks to ‘understand the details’ of US decision to withdraw troops from Germany

German government calls redeployment of 5,000 troops ‘anticipated’ and reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence

• ‘We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troops

Nato is seeking to “understand the details” of a US decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a redeployment ordered by Donald Trump amid a feud with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz.

The German government sought to play down the severity of Trump’s move, describing it as “anticipated”, and a reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence. The US withdrawal, which the Pentagon said would take place over the next six to 12 months, comes after criticism from Merz over Trump’s war with Iran and his handling of subsequent talks with Tehran.

Badenoch apologises after Bloody Sunday footage used in post defending UK veterans

Tory leader says she did not sign off on video attacking Labour’s Troubles legacy proposals

Kemi Badenoch has apologised after footage from Bloody Sunday was used in social media posts criticising a bill on legacy issues in Northern Ireland.

The Conservative leader said on Saturday that she did not sign off on the use of a clip from the massacre, in which British soldiers opened fire on unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Derry, and that it was distributed by “very young people”.

Ford CEO discusses auto industry affordability amid rising gas prices and economic uncertainty

The average cost of a new car is about 30% more expensive than 2019, data shows. Ford CEO Jim Farley spoke with "CBS Saturday Morning" about how the car company is tackling affordability amid economic uncertainty and rising gas prices.

Spirit Airlines shuts down after failing to secure government bailout

Spirit Airlines announced early Saturday morning that it would immediately cease operations after failing to secure a last-minute government bailout.

Ipswich promoted to Premier League in style after rolling over QPR

Ipswich are back in the Premier League. And in what style. Folk in this part of Suffolk have become accustomed to promotion parties under Kieran McKenna and the latest certainly did not disappoint. Two early goals dismissed any fears of shredded nerves to ensure an afternoon of revelry could commence.

By the time a late third was added, the pitch perimeter was already lined with elated spectators ready to engulf their idols at the final whistle. No police presence was ever going to be sufficient to stop their invasion.

Meet the horses running in the Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby will see a field of 19 horses today in the first leg of the 2026 competition for horse racing's Triple Crown.

From Mumford & Sons to ‘free speech’ YouTuber: Winston Marshall’s dramatic career change

GB News owner’s son, who wants Channel to be mined to stop migrants, is latest to have a go at transatlantic rightwing commentary

On a Los Angeles stage in 2011 Winston Marshall, then the banjo player for the folk rock band Mumford & Sons, could scarcely believe what was happening. Not only was he playing at the Grammys, he was playing alongside Bob Dylan, legendary composer of social justice anthems and one of his heroes.

About 15 years later, Marshall once again found himself stateside, this time on a very different stage. Appearing on Fox News in his new guise as a conservative YouTuber, Marshall advocated what he admitted was an “outlandish idea” to stop small boat crossings in the Channel.

‘They don’t belong in our environment’: US vineyards battle spotted lanternflies as invasive insects spread

From Virginia to New York, the bugs drain vines, cut yields and leave growers resorting to one simple fix: squash them

Around grape harvest time about three years ago, an employee at Zephaniah Farm Vineyard in Leesburg, Virginia, noticed bugs, about 1in long with gray and black wings and a bright red underwing, atop some trees.

While the insects were pretty, they were there for the grapevines and not welcome guests at the vineyard, which sits atop a farm that the Zephaniah family has run since 1949.

Police are using surveillance tech to stalk love interests. Dystopia, here we come | Arwa Mahdawi

The tech company Flock has 80,000 cameras across the US – and a report finds some officers are taking advantage

Who would you rate as the world’s most unlikeable tech tycoon? Elon Musk is obviously a major contender. The digital warlord Palmer Luckey is also up there.

While there’s a lot of competition, Garret Langley also deserves a shoutout. The CEO of the tech company Flock may not be a household name, but his controversial surveillance technology is rapidly worming its way into daily life. If you live in the US, there’s probably a Flock product on a highway or parking lot near you. The company, which largely sells its products to law enforcement, makes automated license plate readers (ALPRs) which capture license plate data and help track where a vehicle has been. (If you want to check if your license plate has been the subject of a Flock search you can do so at haveibeenflocked.com)

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

Official lineup confirmed for second series of The Celebrity Traitors

Actors Richard E Grant, Michael Sheen and Bella Ramsey among star-studded cast hoping for victory as BBC’s hit spin-off series returns to screens

Considering the Traitors is a game of murderous treachery played out in a castle, the Shakespearean actors in the cast of the new celebrity spin-off series should be well set.

Oscar-winner Richard E Grant, acclaimed actor Michael Sheen and The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey will be among the thespians vying for victory this year, all of who have the Bard on their CV.

At 41, LeBron James is turning back the clock and taking the Lakers on a storybook playoff run

The veteran star’s days as the No 1 option once appeared behind him. Against the favored Rockets, he put Father Time on the ropes and his team on his back

The date is 12 March, and the Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a run that’s garnering a lot of well-deserved attention, in a month that sees them lose just two contests and win 15. The spirit of the locker room is at an all-time high, and it’s clear in talking to LeBron James, the 41-year-old storied veteran and greatest-of-all-time candidate who recently put his ego aside to accept a role as the team’s third option, that he believes what many around the NBA are starting to as well: his Lakers have a real shot at contention.

“As you get older, you appreciate the moment more than anything. When you’re younger, you think about what you’ve done in the past, or what’s to come in the future,” he tells me when I ask how he’s been able to be so present of late, in light of the ups and downs of a topsy-turvy Lakers season. “But the only thing that we know for sure is happening is the moment.”

Opinion: The everyday tragedy of gun violence

The White House Correspondents Association Dinner was one of several incidents of gun violence in the U.S. last week. Others ended in injuries and fatalities.

Spirit Airlines shut down. Here's what travelers need to know if they have tickets

What travelers who are ticketed on Spirit Airlines need to know.

Rescuers release humpback whale that was stranded off German coast

Calf was transported by water-filled barge in operation deemed ‘inadvisable’ because of low chance of survival

Rescuers have released a young humpback whale that became a national sensation after it was beached in shallow waters off the coast in Germany, although marine experts have said its chances of survival are low.

The whale, variously nicknamed Timmy or Hope, was released into the North Sea off Denmark after being transported there in a water-filled barge by rescuers.

‘We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troops

American soldiers have been part of life in Landstuhl since 1945, giving the area a unique US-German identity

• Germany says it expected Trump’s withdrawal of US troops – live updates

Despite Donald Trump’s frequent bluster, Nadine Firmont said the US president’s move to pull American troops out of Germany had hit her town like a bombshell.

“I have to tell you I was honestly shocked,” said Firmont, 45, who works at a high school in Landstuhl, south-west Germany, the heart of the largest American military community outside the US.

The UK and US are boorish in their own ways. But I often wish I were British | Dave Schilling

The king’s US visit reminds me how glorious it would be to live in a country where sunshine is a novelty and For the Love of Dogs is on TV

The so-called “special relationship” between Britain and the United States has never seemed more tenuous. At times, it looks like the US-UK alliance is a geopolitical version of a slowly disintegrating celebrity relationship where neither side wants to admit it’s actually over, so someone has to do a crazy thing like cheating in the most high-profile manner possible to wrap things up. Like Klay Thompson (allegedly) stepping out on Megan Thee Stallion, America has been making goo-goo eyes at Israel for the last year, and King Charles is starting to get jealous.

So the king popped into the White House for a tour of all the changes Donald and Melania have foisted upon the grounds. Have you seen the gaping hole where the East Wing used to be? And what a hole it is. To your left, you’ll see the beehive.

Zambia cancels world’s largest human rights and tech summit days before start

Government blocks RightsCon 2026 conference saying it did not ‘align with national values’

The world’s largest conference on human rights and technology has been cancelled just days before it was due to start after the Zambian government told organisers it did not align with “national values”.

Zambia’s government had originally welcomed the RightsCon 2026 summit on “human rights in the digital age”, due to be held in the capital, Lusaka, on 5-8 May, but Thabo Kawana, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Information & Media, said last week that the conference would not go ahead to allow time to ensure the gathering “aligns with Zambia’s national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations”.

To give young people wings: The Lost Words duo reunite for book of birds

Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane give the Guardian exclusive extracts as they aim to open eyes to the wonder of Britain’s declining and endangered species

When the artist Jackie Morris collaborated with the writer Robert Macfarlane to celebrate the names of plants and animals controversially removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary, they never imagined their book, The Lost Words, would become a cultural phenomenon.

Grassroots crowdfunding ensured the book was bought and donated to more than three-quarters of primary schools in England, Wales and Scotland and to every hospice in the country.

‘Go inside, he will kill you’: Israeli militants step up West Bank school attacks

Education is being targeted across Palestine, with the murder of 14-year-old Aws al-Naasan only the latest in a spree of violence

The Israeli reservist shot 14-year-old Aws al-Naasan in the head just outside the western gate of the Mughayyir boys’ secondary school, where he was studying in ninth grade.

Aws collapsed instantly, bleeding heavily. More shots rang out as his friends ran to his side, picked up his now-limp body and rushed him out of the line of fire, their path along the school wall marked by a trail of their classmate’s blood.

Trump says US navy like ‘pirates’ while seizing a ship in Iranian blockade

US president says ‘we took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business’

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump has said the US navy acted “like pirates” as he described an operation seizing a ship amid the tit-for-tat American blockade of Iranian ports.

“We … land on top of it and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” said Trump at a rally in Florida on Friday.

Can Trump's latest pick for surgeon general make it through confirmation?

Nicole Saphier, a breast cancer radiologist, is the president's third nominee for surgeon general. Will she get confirmed?

Americans aren't sleeping enough. Here's what could help

Nearly a third of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep a night. A lot of us struggle to get to bed as we power through tasks or get lost in endless scrolling. Here's help.

FDA expands access to drug helping pancreatic cancer patients

Former Sen. Ben Sasse, 54, called daraxonrasib "a miracle drug" that was allowing him to live longer and with less pain.

German museum to return rare Irritator dinosaur skull to Brazil

Spinosaurid fossil bought by Stuttgart institution in 1991 has been the subject of a long restitution campaign

It is a 113-million-year-old bone of contention.

After Stuttgart’s museum of natural history bought a fossilised dinosaur skull in 1991, researchers found it was the most complete spinosaurid skull known to date, belonging to a previously unknown genus of the huge meat-eating dinosaurs.

‘Was she going to an appointment, maybe even a romantic one?’: ASA’s best phone picture

The Corsican photographer’s patience paid off when they captured this stunning silhouette of a young woman

Anonymity has been an intriguing concept for ASA since they first took up photography. They shot this image in their home town of Bastia, on the French island of Corsica. This was 2018, in the height of summer, “when the sun was at its strongest. I like working when the light is very strong and the facades are burned by the sun,” ASA says. “Shadows fall very sharply, shapes become clearer, colours become stronger and people turn into silhouettes.”

After positioning themselves unobtrusively on one side of the street with their iPhone X, ASA waited patiently for some time as strangers passed through their frame. “This woman was walking with a certain lightness, almost cheerful. When I looked again afterwards, I had the feeling she might be going to an appointment, maybe even a romantic one. But at the time, I simply saw a young woman moving, carried by her own energy.”

New Netflix documentary reexamines Winnie Mandela's divisive legacy

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is one of the most revered — and controversial — women in South African history. In a new documentary her granddaughters examine the liberation icon in all her complexity.

LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau denies ‘completely untrue’ PGA Tour talks claim

• Former major winner ‘committed to making team golf work’

• Rebel tour now working on a junior golf initiative, he says

Bryson DeChambeau, the two times US Open champion, has denied reports he is seeking a way out of the beleaguered LIV Golf, the rebel series whose future looks bleak after Saudi Arabian backers indicated they are pulling their multibillion-dollar sponsorship at the end of the 2026 season.

LIV Golf is seeking to secure fresh backers in the wake of the decision by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to scrap its $5bn (£3.68bn) investment in golf, as part of a general retreat from sports sponsorship. There is every prospect the 2026 season will prove LIV’s last.

After Assad's fall, Syria's Kurds are left in limbo, feeling abandoned by the U.S.

Caught in limbo after the fall of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Kurdish families struggle with cold, loss and uncertainty — feeling abandoned by the U.S. allies they once fought alongside.

The Devil Wears Prada is back – and oh, those fat jokes are wearing thin | Chloe Mac Donnell

There has been much talk of the long-awaited sequel making the most of body diversity. The reality seems to be one plus-size actor and gags worthy of the 00s

During the two-month endurance test that was The Devil Wears Prada 2’s global press tour, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway hinted that the long-awaited sequel to the 2006 hit would champion body diversity. In interviews, both actors explained that while attending Milan fashion week they were surprised by how “alarmingly thin the models were”. As a result, Hathaway made “a beeline to the producers”, Streep said, to ensure that “skeletal” models wouldn’t feature in the film. At one premiere, Hathaway said she “thought the scene would be so much more enjoyable for the audience if we had just a wider range of bodies on display”.

Spoiler alert: only 15 minutes into the sequel the first weight gag lands, and it becomes clear that all the chatter around size inclusivity was, in fact, just simple size-washing. That means there’s just enough for the producers to tick the inclusivity box – mainly in the casting of the comedian Caleb Hearon as Miranda Priestly’s second assistant, and a quick glimpse of a couple of plus-size models including Ashley Graham in a catwalk montage – but not enough for any actual credibility. Then there are several wisecracks about weight, although remarkably only one reference to the weight-loss drug Ozempic. Now, that is groundbreaking!

Chloe Mac Donnell is the Guardian’s deputy fashion and lifestyle editor

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.

The football chant mystery: where do fans’ favourite songs come from in the first place?

Belting out terrace anthems is part of the experience of watching a match, but why do supporters do it? And would I be able to get a chant going?

A notification on my smartwatch warns me that I’m in a loud environment, and I’m not surprised. Casemiro just played an impudent no-look pass into the penalty area. His Brazilian compatriot, Matheus Cunha, receives the ball on the half-turn and wallops it with a vengeance into the top corner. I’m at Old Trafford, and Manchester United just went 2-0 up against Fulham.

The match-day crowd has become a sea of twirling scarves and flailing limbs, and I’m swept along with it, hugging strangers while shredding my vocal cords. As the celebrations die down and the teams head to the centre circle for the restart, a momentary lull falls over the Stretford End. There’s a popular song that fans at Old Trafford sing at glorious times like this. It goes: “We’ve seen it all, we’ve won the lot, we’re Man United, and we’re never gonna stop.”

Juliet Stevenson: ‘My biggest disappointment? I never got a role in Harry Potter’

The actor on struggling with body image, her U-turn on marriage and her obsession with Instagram dogs

Born in Essex, Juliet Stevenson, 69, studied at Rada and made her film debut in Drowning By Numbers. Her other film work includes Truly, Madly, Deeply and Bend It Like Beckham. On stage, she has performed for the RSC and the National. She received an Olivier in 1992 for her role in Death and the Maiden and the 2019 Critics’ Circle best actress award for The Doctor. She is current touring By a Lady, a show about Jane Austen which is at the Buxton Opera House 10 May. She is married with two children and lives in London.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I talk too much.

2026 Senate races to watch: From most likely to flip to Democratic long shots

Democrats could have a narrow path to winning the Senate, with these specific states on the table.

Alex Zanardi, former F1 driver and Paralympic champion, dies at 59

• Italian driver lost both legs in high-speed cart race crash

• He went on to win four Paralympic golds as a para-cyclist

Alex Zanardi, the former Formula One driver who lost both legs in a racing crash and went on to win Paralympic gold medals, has died at the age of 59, his family said on Saturday.

Zanardi, from Bologna, made his F1 debut in 1991 and later achieved success in the Cart series in the United States, winning back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998. His life took a dramatic turn in September 2001 when he was involved in a high-speed crash during a Cart race in Germany that led to the amputation of both legs.

‘One of the most profound encounters of my life’: could existential therapist Emmy van Deurzen change the way you think?

Her philosophical approach to therapy has become a global phenomenon, and inspired a new book. Could a session with her change Sophie McBain’s life?

The existential therapist Emmy van Deurzen moved to the UK inspired by RD Laing, the Scottish anti-psychiatrist who said insanity is a “perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world”. It was 1977 and Van Deurzen, who is Dutch and had studied philosophy and psychology in France, found work with the Arbours Association in London, a therapeutic community based on Laing’s ideas, in which people in crisis, psychiatrists and therapists lived together as equals. It was a rude awakening.

Arbours aimed to create space for people to “explore their madness”. “Now that was a very interesting idea,” Van Duerzen says, “but in practice it meant that people self-medicated, with alcohol and pot, and it was not a happy situation.” The residents were often very depressed or psychotic, and it was common to be woken up at night because someone was seeing things or had become suicidal. Van Deurzen came to believe that anti-psychiatry had “lost courage”: it had proposed a different way of thinking about madness, but having released people from asylums and taken them off neuroleptic drugs, it was “kind of leaving them to it”. “And this is what I realised wasn’t good enough,” she says. When people are experiencing a mental health crisis, they need help to make sense of what has happened to them, and to find their way to healing. “From that moment on I just knew: nobody’s doing this. I’m going to have to do it myself,” she says.

‘Such huge consequences’: pressure mounts on France to act on enslavement reparatory justice

As a Mast of Fraternity and Memory is unveiled in Nantes, calls are growing for Macron to announce framework for discussions

In the French port city of Nantes, once France’s largest departure point for ships that trafficked enslaved Africans across the Atlantic, a new wooden mast rises 18 metres into the sky from the waterside.

The Mast of Fraternity and Memory, inaugurated this month, marks a turning point in France’s complicated relationship with the legacy of its history of enslavement – just as the French president, Emmanuel Macron, comes under pressure to make key announcements on a process of reparatory justice.

Yoko Ono trademark challenge leaves sour taste for John Lemon beer maker

Breton brewer forced to stop selling craft beer after Beatles singer’s widow registered lemon name to stop him being mocked

A Brittany brewer is in a squeeze after Yoko Ono ordered him to stop selling a bestselling craft beer labelled John Lemon.

The Japanese-American artist and widow of the Beatles star John Lennon claimed it was a breach of a trademark she had registered a decade ago to stop her late husband being mocked, his name misused and his reputation sullied.

Britain pioneered the comfortable retirement – but that golden age is coming to an end | Helen McCarthy

The once inexorable rise in retiree living standards since the second world war has broken down. Can we keep the dream alive for future generations?

When you think of retirement, what comes to mind? Perhaps it is images of older people enjoying a well-deserved period of leisure and comfort in the final stretch of their lives. Cruise ships, garden centres, golf clubs and bungalows by the sea. The truth is that this image is now, in large part, the artefact of a bygone age. A long and comfortable retirement starting at 60 or 65 is beginning to look like a collective social experience whose moment has passed. The political and economic forces it relied upon appear to have run their course – and it’s time to start thinking about what comes next.

Retirement in Britain has a surprisingly short history, underpinned by dramatic improvements in older people’s quality of life over the past 50 years. Large public and private bureaucracies first started to enrol long-serving employees into pension schemes from the mid-19th century. In 1909, Britain introduced an old age pension funded by the state and targeting the poorest, who could claim it from the age of 70. But it was only after the second world war that a period of leisured old age become an ordinary expectation for most British workers.

Helen McCarthy is a historian and the author of Double Lives: A History of Working Motherhood

This article was amended on 2 May 2026. An earlier version said that in 1909 Britain was the “first country to introduce an old age pension, funded by the state and targeting the poorest”. In fact, Denmark introduced a state-funded pension targeting the poorest in 1891.

Spirit Airlines could shut down as soon as Saturday

Negotiations over a $500 million dollar government aid package for Spirit stalled after bondholders balked at the terms.

Spirit Airlines ceases operations after escalating financial struggles

The low-cost carrier, which had been struggling for years, announced it will cease operations. Spirit had been seeking a $500 million lifeline from the White House, but talks failed to yield a deal.

What links Igor Tudor, Eric Ramsay and Brian Clough? The Saturday quiz

From carpetbaggers to Melodifestivalen, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz

1 What theatrical legacy did Mathew Prichard receive on his ninth birthday?
2 What conditions does the Tdap vaccine protect against?
3 The bestselling book in the US in 1981 was a guide to solving what?
4 What is selected each year at the Melodifestivalen?
5 Carpetbaggers were profiteers in the aftermath of which conflict?
6 The confectionery lokum is better known as what?
7 In 1996, which UK sport moved from a winter to a summer season?
8 Who founded the Peripatetic school of philosophy?
What links:
9 Thomas Tyers; Hester Piozzi; John Hawkins; James Boswell?
10 Admiralty Islands; New Britain; New Hanover; New Ireland?
11 Millbank, 1897; Merseyside, 1988; Cornwall, 1993; Bankside, 2000?
12 Sodium (1); carbon (2); oxygen (3); sulphur (4); tin (10)?
13 Kelpie; melusine; naiad; nixie; rusalka; selkie?
14 Igor Tudor at Spurs; Eric Ramsay at WBA; Brian Clough and Jock Stein at Leeds?
15 Made in America; -30-; Felina; Person to Person; The Iron Throne?

Prince’s death made me upend my life and move to his home town

The star’s potent sexuality made him my ‘secret friend’ but, with my career in the arts stalling, his death led me to the life-changing decision to move to Minneapolis and maintain his legacy

I distinctly remember the first time I heard Prince. I was a dreamy, artistic child growing up in 80s rural Australia, feeling completely out of place. One day, I turned towards the cassette radio in my bedroom, hearing something totally different to the rock music I had grown up with – something electric and alive. It was Prince. My body moved. From that moment, he became my secret soul friend, his music carrying a powerful mix of sexuality and spirituality that I didn’t yet have the language for. Songs such as Controversy and Purple Rain felt like permission to be fully expressive, and fully myself.

My love for Prince remained as I grew up. I moved to New York to pursue a career in the arts, but never quite fully managed it, ending up as an arts administrator. I supported other artists, organised programmes, lived alongside creativity rather than inside it.

‘The air resounds with a Babel’s Tower of languages’: why I wrote a novel based in Victoria Square, Athens

It once housed the fanciest shops and restaurants in Greece’s capital city – then it crashed. Now the area is reborn as a vibrant, multicultural neighbourhood

After my father’s will banned me and my siblings from his funeral, I wrote a novel about some brothers and sisters stealing their dad in his coffin. The emotions were drawn from my painful experiences, but I invented the characters and the tragi-comic narrative in Stealing Dad. Despite growing up in England, I’ve lived in and written about Athens for 25 years, and it came naturally to create several Greek characters. Alekos is a wild sculptor who dies in London, and his daughter Iris (one of seven dispersed half-siblings) lives off Victoria Square – one of Athens’ most fascinating corners.

In the 1960s, Plateia Viktorias was a fashionable neighbourhood with the fanciest restaurants, shops and theatres. Townhouses from the interwar period were being demolished and Athenians were occupying the new six-storey apartment blocks so fast that construction dust and the constant drilling were the main problem. Today, through wrought-iron and glass doors, elegant, marble-lined halls reveal concierges’ desks and traces of a vanished bourgeois life.

‘People can see it – but can’t use it’: mystery of completed East-West Rail line that has no passenger trains

The East West Rail project linking Oxford to Milton Keynes was finished in 2024. There’s just one hitch: no services

The rumbling noise in the night, still enough to waken the unhabituated, is what really goads some people living in Winslow, Buckinghamshire. Freight trains running through the new station since late 2024 prove this stretch of railway is operational. But the long-promised passenger services have yet to appear – and there is no sign of any arriving soon.

Welcome to East West Rail, open or not. For well over a decade, ministers have talked up a new railway linking Oxford to Cambridge via Milton Keynes to accelerate the drive for housing, jobs and growth – an arc of tech industry hailed as the UK’s answer to Silicon Valley.

Air Force says former Qatari 747 will be ready to fly as Air Force One this summer

The U.S. Air Force has finished modifying and testing a Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One and expects to have it ready for President Trump to use this summer.

The king went to Washington to save Britain’s bacon. He may also have shown the US how to save itself | Simon Tisdall

Charles III’s subtle, much needed history lesson delivered the US some tough love. But will Trump get the message?

Of the many jokes cracked by King Charles during his visit to Washington, the one recalling the definitive 18th-century Anglo-French contest for dominion over the New World was the most pointed. Speaking at a state banquet in the White House, Charles turned to Donald Trump and said: “You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French!”

Did Trump get it? Who knows? Broadly speaking, history, even their own, is not most Americans’ favourite subject. A forward-looking people, they do not dwell on the past, nor hanker after the illusory felicities of former glories. While generations of Britons still wallow in nostalgia for Spitfires, Churchill and Vera Lynn (and beating the French), Americans typically seek new metaphorical mountains to climb. Theirs is a positive outlook, on the whole. Except, under Trump, it has twisted into a revived, ugly version of US “manifest destiny” imperialism.

Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator

‘It’s super weird, super odd, super rare’: meet the twins who have different dads

When DNA test results shattered everything Lavinia and Michelle thought they knew about their family history, they also revealed something never before documented in the UK

I like being a twin. It defines who I am,” Lavinia Osbourne tells me on the 49th birthday she shares with her sister, Michelle. “It’s amazing to have a twin and have a built-in friend for ever,” Michelle says. “I’ve been really blessed to go through this journey with someone else.”

Lavinia and Michelle know that those of us who haven’t shared a womb with a sibling can be fascinated by twins: their similarities, how they differ, whether there’s any kind of mysterious synergy between them.

The tipping point: what happens when deaths outnumber births?

The social and economic impact of people living longer and having fewer babies is hitting countries worldwide. Adaptation is key

In Japan, there are now companies that specialise in cleaning the apartments of elderly people who have died alone and gone undiscovered for weeks or months, while adult incontinence pads have outstripped nappy sales for more than a decade. In Italy, depopulating villages are selling homes for €1 to attract new residents and keep services running. In the UK, falling pupil numbers are already closing schools and classrooms in parts of London.

These are not isolated curiosities, but signs of a broader shift taking place across much of the developed world. “In the EU in 2024, 21 of 27 countries had more deaths than births,” said Prof Sarah Harper, the director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. Across Asia and the Americas, too – from Japan and South Korea, to Cuba and Uruguay – many countries are seeing the same pattern.

Blind date: ‘What would I change? Nothing. It was perfect’

Josh, 30, a video game designer, meets Hannah, 31, an architectural lighting designer

What were you hoping for?
A fun evening and easy chat with an interesting and unique human being.

Gaga, Dior and $24 tweezers: how The Devil Wears Prada 2 turns rags to riches

From celebrity cameos to lucrative brand partnerships, The Devil Wears Prada 2’s approach to maximising revenue is worthy of Runway’s finest

For a film that serves as a commentary on the perilous economics of today’s media landscape, it’s fitting that promotion for The Devil Wears Prada 2 has been so frank about its finances.

Speaking ahead of the New York premiere, Meryl Streep revealed she initially turned down the role of withering fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly in the 2006 original in a bid to extract more money from its producers.

Bard College President Leon Botstein retiring after Jeffrey Epstein ties detailed

Bard College's long-time leader Leon Botstein has faced pressure since the DOJ released documents about his communications with Jeffrey Epstein.

Ukraine war briefing: Russian oil hub of Tuapse hit for fourth time as environmental disaster mounts

Ukrainian drone attacks on refinery in Black Sea port cause toxic clouds and oil slicks on resort’s coastline; Kyiv to reform army. What we know on day 1,529

Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse on Friday for the fourth time in 16 days as authorities struggled to cope with a growing environmental disaster from toxic black smoke clouds and oil leaking into the sea. Ukraine’s SBU security service said drones had again struck the seaport and refinery that make Tuapse an important hub for Russian oil exports. Local Russian officials said a major operation was under way to put out a fire at the port but no casualties were reported. The refinery has been hit and set ablaze at least twice since 16 April, halting production, in attacks that have thrown up dense black clouds over the town and caused oil slicks along the coastline, ruining the beaches of the popular resort.

Russian authorities had so far cleared more than 13,300 cubic metres of fuel oil and contaminated soil along the coast, they said on Friday. State TV showed a reporter standing on a blackened beach and using a spade to show how deep the oozing filth had seeped.

Russia launched almost 410 drones at Ukraine in a daytime attack that including injuring 10 people in the western city of Ternopil, Ukrainian officials said on Friday. Air force units downed or neutralised 388 of them in the north, south, centre and west of the country, Ukraine’s air force said. In Ternopil, about 150-200km from the Polish border, 10 people were hurt in the attack, which hit industrial and infrastructure facilities, the city’s mayor said.

In central Ukraine, 19 drones were downed over the Cherkasy region, the regional governor said, reporting damage to a nursery, a school, seven private houses and a power line. A woman was hurt in the central Vinnytsia region, the local governor said, adding that a building was destroyed. Near the southern city of Odesa, which had come under the overnight attack, another daytime attack damaged the roof of a shopping centre and caused a fire, the regional governor said, while Zelenskyy said at least five people were wounded in the region.

Ukraine has announced plans to carry out reforms of the army this summer to address problems with infantry shortages and the discharge of the longest-serving soldiers, four years into the war with Russia. Manpower shortages have become an even more pressing issue as enthusiasm for service has waned amid reports of poor training and support, as well as heavy-handed draft officers. “Now, in May, all key details will be finalised,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Friday. “In June, the reform will begin – and the first results must already be delivered in June.” He promised higher pay for the infantry, saying: “A Ukrainian infantryman who holds the front line must feel that our state truly respects him.” Ukraine had to be ready to fight on if a peace deal could not be reached, Zelenskyy said. Mykhailo Fedorov, who was named defence minister in January, said the changes announced amounted to a “systemic” transformation of the army.

Public prosecutors in Peru said they were investigating an alleged trafficking network offering fake jobs in Russia to Peruvians before forcing them to fight in Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Individuals including former military personnel and police officers were allegedly recruited through social media with deceptive offers of well-paid work as security agents and other jobs in Russia, the attorney general’s office said. According to information provided to the police, “victims were reportedly taken to Russia and, once on foreign soil, forced to take part in combat operations in the context of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine”, it said. Thirteen Peruvians had died in the Ukraine war, a lawyer for the victims’ families told local media.

Bard College president to retire after revelations of his ties to Epstein

The longtime president of Bard College announced his retirement, months after it was revealed that he had a much deeper relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than was previously known.

Kumanjayi Little Baby’s relatives share grief at ‘child ripped away’ as NT chief minister foreshadows charges

Gurindji families mourn ‘a life so precious, gone far too soon’

• Warning: This article contains images of and references to Indigenous Australians who have died

Kumanjayi Little Baby’s relatives have released a statement saying they felt “helpless” when they heard she was missing, and hope their community can unite in grief.

“A life so precious, so full of innocence, gone far too soon,” the Gurindji families said of the five-year-old Warlpiri girl, who was found dead in Alice Springs on Thursday evening – five days after she had gone missing from her bed in the Old Timers town camp.

Gerry Conway, creator of the Punisher in Spider-Man comics, dies at 73

Marvel praises ‘undeniable and indelible impact’ of celebrated comic book writer who also worked for DC

Gerry Conway, a renowned comic book writer who helped create characters and stories for Marvel and DC, including the Punisher character in the Spider-Man comics, has died. He was 73.

In a Monday statement announcing his death, Marvel described Conway as a legendary comic book writer with a prolific career. He died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday in Thousand Oaks, California, his wife, Laura Conway, told the Associated Press.

Tennessee, Alabama take steps to redraw House maps in wake of Supreme Court ruling

The Republican governors of Tennessee and Alabama called state lawmakers into special sessions on Friday, initial steps in what could be a scramble to redraw congressional maps after the Supreme Court narrowed the Voting Rights Act.

After a fire torched their Nebraska ranch, anonymous donors came to their rescue

Mike and Kayla Wintz lost their entire 11,000-acre ranch to a wildfire in the span of about two hours. They have since been gifted about $80,000 worth of hay, mostly from anonymous donors.

ICE reports 18th detainee death in 2026, putting agency on track for new record

ICE reported the 18th death of an individual in its custody so far this year, putting the agency on track to record a new all-time high in detainee deaths.

Body found in Tampa Bay identified as 2nd missing doctoral student

Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon were last seen​ in the Tampa area on April 16. Limon's roommate has been charged with their murders.

Trump tells Congress "hostilities" with Iran have "terminated"

President Trump on Friday told Congress that hostilities with Iran have "terminated," addressing a critical 60-day deadline.

Donors pitch in to help Nebraska ranchers who lost everything

The largest wildfire in Nebraska history burned about a thousand square miles of ranchland, including the Wintz's entire 11,000-acre ranch. When they and others faced the threat of losing their livelihoods, thousands of anonymous donors stepped up from across the U.S.

Missing Florida doctoral student's body found

A body found in Tampa Bay has been identified as the second missing student from the University of South Florida, according to the sheriff, who called their killings a "monstrous crime." Cristian Benavides reports.

New video shows correspondents' dinner suspect before shooting

According to investigators, a gunman was inside the D.C. Hilton last Friday, waiting for his chance to assassinate President Trump and members of his Cabinet. New video offers the clearest view yet of what happened just before the attack. Nicole Sganga reports.

Trump says Iran hostilities are over despite continued military presence, blockade

Over 50,000 U.S. military personnel remain deployed across the Middle East and a naval blockade is crippling the Iranian economy. But in a letter Friday, President Trump told lawmakers that "the hostilities that began" in late February "have terminated." Ed O'Keefe has more.

Appeals court blocks mailing of abortion pill mifepristone in U.S.

A federal appeals court has restricted access to one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. by blocking the mailing of mifepristone.

Investigators believe stolen vape pen caused Washington state high school stabbings

After multiple stabbings on Thursday at a high school in Tacoma, Washington, a student is facing multiple assault charges. Five people were wounded, including the suspect, and investigators believe it all started over a stolen vape pen.

Spirit Airlines poised to cease operations as soon as Saturday, barring last minute intervention

Spirit Airlines is essentially out of available cash, so barring last-minute intervention, the company is poised to cease operations as soon as Saturday morning, potentially stranding thousands of fliers. Kris Van Cleave reports.

Fierce winds, pounding rain sweep through Texas

Fourteen million Americans across the South are under threat as severe weather stretches from New Mexico to Louisiana. Some of the worst of it hit Texas, parts of which have seen deadly flooding, torrential rain and hurricane-force winds. Rob Marciano is tracking it all.

Ford CEO says company is focusing on making vehicles more affordable

Ford CEO Jim Farley tells CBS News, "Most of our new models are going to be more affordable versions."

18-year-old facing federal charges in deadly Kentucky bank robbery

Kentucky State Police said a man went to a U.S. Bank in Berea, Kentucky, and shot and killed a man and a woman, both employees at the bank.

More Americans are quitting their U.S. jobs to work abroad, study finds

Since 2021, the share of U.S.-based employees who have left their jobs to work in another country has more than doubled.

Could the FCC really yank ABC's TV licenses amid Trump spat with Kimmel?

Federal telecom regulators can revoke broadcast licenses, but legal experts say the FCC would face a tough road in forcing ABC to go dark.

Trump tells Congress hostilities in Iran 'have terminated' as war powers deadline hits

Trump said there "is tremendous discord" among Iran's leaders, which has complicated efforts to end the war that the United States began in late February.

5/1: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Spirit Airlines prepares to end operations after failing to secure government rescue deal; Trump tells Congress hostilities in Iran have "terminated."

Apple's stock gains as company execs cite iPhone, Mac demand in boosting guidance

On its quarterly earnings call, Apple said revenue growth in the current quarter would be between 14% and 17%, well above analysts' estimates.

Ancient Roman gravestone found in New Orleans back yard returned to Italy

Nearly 2,000-year-old artifact handed over by FBI matches piece missing from museum near Rome for decades

A nearly 2,000-year-old Roman grave marker discovered in a New Orleans backyard has now been returned to Italy.

The marble epitaph – dating back roughly 1,900 years – was officially handed over to Italian officials in Rome on Wednesday during a ceremony led by the FBI. The event also marked the repatriation of another antiquity recovered in the US, the agency said.

Atlassian stock soars 29% after earnings show strong cloud, data center growth

Atlassian's stock has been hit hard in the "SaaS-pocalypse" sweeping software names as AI threatens to disrupt their business models.

Pope appoints former undocumented immigrant as bishop of West Virginia

Leo, who has criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policy, selected Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as state’s new bishop

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox

Pope Leo XIV has appointed a man who had once entered the United States as an undocumented immigrant, hidden in the trunk of a car, as the new bishop of West Virginia.

The pope approved the resignation of Bishop Mark E Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and selected Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, of Washington to take his place, reported OSV News.

Fed dissenters explain 'no' votes, saying they disagreed with hinting next move would be a cut

Federal Reserve officials who voted this week against the post-meeting statement said they didn't think it was appropriate to signal that the next interest rate move would be lower.

Florida prosecutors launch criminal investigation into deaths of 31 sloths

Sloths were set to be displayed at controversial new theme park but report revealed mammals died in warehouse

Prosecutors in Florida said on Friday they had launched a criminal investigation into the deaths of dozens of sloths from South America that were set to be displayed at a controversial new theme park.

A Florida fish and wildlife commission (FWC) report revealed last week that 31 mammals taken from rainforests in Peru and Guyana by the owners of Sloth World, a forthcoming tourist attraction in Orlando, perished in an unheated warehouse between December 2024 and February 2025.

Video shows Cole Allen scouting hotel, storming checkpoint in alleged Trump assassination attempt

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said there's no evidence that a Secret Service officer shot at the Washington Hilton was the victim of friendly fire.

Pirro keeps pressure on Fed's Powell despite dropping probe

The U.S. attorney is expected to imminently appeal a ruling blocking her investigation of the Fed's cost overruns.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

The Washington Hilton shooting, the crisis in the Middle East, a funeral in Kyiv and the London Marathon – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

UK exports to U.S. plunge by 25% after Trump's 'liberation day' tariffs blitz

The U.K. is now running a trade deficit with its largest trading partner.