The Uplift: The American Dream

We celebrate the United States ahead of its 250th anniversary with stories about American heroes and pastimes. The founder of e.l.f. Cosmetics shares how he made a massive life change to become a Catholic priest.

1 dead, 3 missing after boat sinks near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay

One person died and three were missing in San Francisco Bay on Tuesday after a boat with 20 people on board sank near Alcatraz Island, authorities said.

World Cup 2026: Spain stun listless France to reach final; England v Argentina buildup – live

⚽ All the latest news from a huge World Cup Wednesday
⚽ Spain reach final | Player guide | Golden Boot | Mail us

Over the next three hours – and when I’m subbed off thereafter – we’ll reflect on France 0-2 Spain, and look forward to England v Argentina. England v Argentina in the semi-finals of the World Cup, oh my complete and utter daze days.

Greetings one and all. Anyone got any plans for later?

Hidden Creatures by Dino Martins review – the revolting world of parasites

From maggots to viruses, this gross-out compendium also manages to celebrate the awe and inventiveness of nature

When Craig Venter, one of the mappers of the human genome, set out on a sailboat cruise to map DNA in seawater all across the globe, he found that a teaspoon of seawater contained on average 50m viruses. While this doesn’t sound particularly reassuring, the bad news is mitigated by the fact that most of these are phages that infect marine bacteria and have no interest in us.

Viruses are parasites, and like all their parasitic kind, they get a free ride from living organisms. The whole point of multicellular life is to create a cosy environment for cells to live in, and evolution has invented all manner of stowaways that want this comfort and manage to get on board, either outside or sometimes inside the cells themselves. While it is not generally in the best interest of a parasite to kill its host and be forced to find a new home, some come dangerously close. Most diseases in the developing world are connected in some way or another to parasitic infections.

Shipwrecks of Shackleton and Scott recreated in 3D digital form after deep sea expedition

Canadian scientists visit remains of polar exploration vessels in ‘golden era for shipwreck investigating’

Moments after devouring the final glimmers of light, the seafloor offered nothing but darkness and silt. Then the bow appeared.

More than 1,000ft (305 metres) below the surface of the Labrador Sea, off the coast of Canada, the skeleton of the final ship used by the famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton appeared in its silty grave.

Love and hate collide: England v Argentina is not simply a grudge match | Jonathan Liew

Look beyond the flashpoints and flare-ups and perhaps this is the greatest and most romantic of footballing rivalries

It’s about the ball, right up until the moment it isn’t. On Sunday afternoon Godoy Cruz played Defensores de Belgrano in Nacional B, the second division of Argentinian football, and among the sea of blue home banners were two crosses of St George, apparently expropriated from England fans at the 2014 World Cup. One reads: “Boys & Girls From Oakwell Barnsley.” The other: “Big Al – Y-Bird – South Croydon – CPFC.”

Now I want you to reflect on the levels of pure and gorgeous malevolence – pettiness doesn’t quite cover it, nor does spite – required to travel to Brazil, obtain an English flag, fold it away, bring it home in your luggage, keep it in pristine condition for 12 years, only to unveil it in your second-tier football stadium in the week Argentina play England in a World Cup semi-final. The restraint and optimism required to allow your minor act of territorial banter to fester and mature for over a decade. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a footballing rivalry.

Even at 39, Lionel Messi can still hurt England with his sprinting ability

The Argentina captain conserves his energy for bursts in key moments and his top speed compares favourably with his contemporaries

England’s defenders will face an extreme challenge when they come up against Lionel Messi in their World Cup semi-final. It is not just that he is the greatest player of all time but the almost unique way in which he plays.

The 39-year-old is renowned for ambling around for much of a game, saving his energy for when truly required. It makes him incredibly difficult to defend against. Messi finds pockets of space that appear harmless when the ball is not in his orbit, but he springs to life when an opportunity to produce presents itself.

Trump threatens to expand strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure

US president says he will knock out all power plants and bridges in effort to force Tehran to agree to deal amid impasse over strait

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump has threatened to expand US strikes on Iran next week to target power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to a deal amid a continuing dispute over the strait of Hormuz.

“Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges,” the US president said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday. “We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

Mystery bidder buys T. rex nicknamed 'Gus' for a record $50 million

A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil billed as one of the world's largest and most complete specimens was sold for a record $50.1 million Tuesday to a mystery bidder.

Perverts of the world rejoice! It’s Meta’s new dodgy old mate glasses | First Dog on the Moon

Undetectable, always on and always sending data back to Pervert Headquarters

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Houston prosecutor could bring charges against ICE agents in fatal shooting

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, who is investigating the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, told CBS News ICE's tactics "in no way resemble" the behavior of police agencies he's worked with.

The First House by Avni Doshi review – an intense portrait of marriage and freedom

In the follow-up to the Booker-shortlisted Burnt Sugar, a woman seeks liberation from her controlling relationships

Avni Doshi’s second novel is narrated by an unnamed woman in the suburban US who is shocked to hear her husband announce that he is leaving her. She isn’t in love with him, exactly, but she sees their marriage as a structure or “container” for her existence. Formerly a novelist, her writing has stalled since having children. Her husband controls their finances, and won’t tell her why the credit card keeps failing. She suspects he’s been sleeping around.

In the aftermath of his departure she tries to isolate herself, not only from her ex, but also from her own family, whose well-meaning interference becomes another kind of domination. She’s a practising astrologist – the “first house” of the title refers both to the couple’s home and to the astrological division of the heavens that has a bearing on the body, physical appearance and early life experience: foundations for a self. This self is exposed by abandonment. The First House, as a whole, is the story of its excoriation: a harsh, occasionally bitterly funny rejection of the narrator’s personhood and relationships as they stand. Marriage, she states, requires “a terrible fear of consequences”; “if either person in a couple stopped being afraid, it would certainly break apart”. Her parents bully her. Her cousin tries to set her up with other men. Her daughter just wants a phone. Relationships, like devices, promise connection and deliver alienation. “The tight, airless room of a marriage only created the conditions for us to realise we were alone, always alone.”

The Day She Returns review – another Hong Sang-soo round of slow, reflective boozing really hits the spot

No film-maker shows more day-drinking than Hong, and this study of an actor returning from a career break is the same again – as mysteriously addictive as ever

It will not surprise fans of the prolific lo-fi Korean master Hong Sang-soo that his new film in black-and-white – which might be described as “experimental” by those who don’t quite realise that they all look like this – features long scenes, shot from a single, static camera position, featuring a conversation in a restaurant. Nor will they be surprised that one of these scenes contains a sudden, unobtrusive zoom-in to a closer position, for no obvious reason.

It will not be startling for them that the film features someone playing a female screen star of a certain age philosophically pondering her career and life-choices (a key Hong trope). And it certainly won’t be a shock that the film has a character ordering a beer or two before the sun is technically over the yardarm. There is no one in the movies, or in any of the arts, or any aspect of public life, anywhere in the world, who is more utterly dedicated to day-drinking than Hong Sang-soo.

Trump will speak on elections in Thursday primetime address

The speech comes as President Trump has escalated calls for Republicans to pass tighter federal voting rules for November's midterm elections.

Before the gold rush: a South African story – in pictures

Robin Bernstein’s debut book Mapalakata takes us to the edge of the South African frontier to tell a story inspired by folk tales and historical artefacts

A moment that changed me: I started yoga – and saw my scoliosis in a surprising new light

As a teenager I declined a painful operation to straighten my spinal curvature, and it was a decision I sometimes regretted. But through daily stretching and exercise, my relationship with my body was transformed

I was 13 when a spinal surgeon gave me unsolicited career advice. “Scoliosis won’t ruin your life,” he said, peering over his spectacles, “unless you want to do bikini modelling.” As a young teenager, I hadn’t thought much about job prospects, let alone modelling, but his words stung. It also curdled my situation into a lose-lose scenario: either have a painful operation to fuse metal rods with my spine, or endure a lifetime with an abnormally twisted back.

Until this point, I’d perceived my spinal curvature in terms of the inward experience: pain. Now, I became aware of an external dimension: a disfigurement. Something to be hidden. This did me no favours as a teenager in the age of Instagram. While I declined the operation due to the risks and the extended leave from school, the surgeon’s blithe remark burdened me with shame.

Ebola is spreading faster in eastern Congo than it can be tracked, as deaths pass 700

Eighty percent of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, according to WHO, a sign the outbreak is spreading faster than health officials can track.

Labour must stop just writing a cheque for benefit claimants, says McFadden

Exclusive: Work and pensions secretary signals possible reform to welfare as ministers await key reviews

Labour must stop “simply writing a cheque” for health and disability benefit claimants and will provide more job support instead, the work and pensions secretary has said.

Pat McFadden said the government was preparing to launch a renewed effort at welfare reform with a focus on encouraging more people with health conditions to get into work and off benefits.

Green-led council plans to ban cooperation with Home Office on immigration raids

Exclusive: Lewisham council’s move marks first step in Greens’ plan to create a corridor of sanctuary boroughs across London

A Green-led London council is planning to ban its officials from working with the Home Office on immigration raids, after uncovering evidence suggesting government officials wanted to use environmental health data to target restaurant workers.

Councillors on the Lewisham borough council are due to vote next week on a motion that would review its systems with a view to ending any cooperation with the government’s attempts to deport people without the right to remain in the UK.

Marie Frank’s recipes for strawberry shortcakes and cardenales with apricot compote

Not a ‘cake person’? Loaded with fruit and whipped cream, these luxurious pastries are sure to hit your sweet spot

Strawberry, or any berry, shortcakes are the perfect dessert to make for those in your life who are not cake people. I’m married to a “not cake” person, so I would know. For me, the contrast between the salty, slightly warm shortcake (which is more like a biscuit), whipped cream and macerated fresh fruit is perfection, and hits enough of the sweet spots still to feel like a dessert without actually being cakey. But, first, the cardenal, a truly elegant, light-as-a-feather cake that’s made with alternating rings of genoise sponge and meringue all sandwiched with whipped cream. Though the building blocks are simple – meringue, sponge and cream – when combined, they turn into something really special.

Japan officials hunt bear that raided couple’s fridge amid string of break-ins

Officials set up traps and electric fences after 14 break-ins recored in one town in two weeks, amid fears of a repeat offender

Authorities are searching for a bear that sneaked into the home of an elderly couple and raided their fridge amid concerns it may be behind 14 break-ins across a Japanese town in the past fortnight.

On Monday evening, Mitsuo Matsubara, 87, was confronted by a large Asiatic black bear when he went to investigate a noise in his kitchen. His fridge was open, and food was strewn across the floor. His wife called the police.

Flights grounded at D.C.-area airport due to security concerns for Iraqi leader

The Iraqi leader was in Washington to meet with President Trump.

Every ICE arrest team will now have an agent with a body camera, DHS says

Every ICE arrest team will have at least one law enforcement officer equipped with a body-worn camera going forward, DHS said Tuesday, after two fatal shootings by agents who didn't have cameras.

Melbourne council votes to scrap Lime ebikes for failing to meet ‘bare minimum standards’

City of Yarra councillors end trial, claiming the company has not done enough to stop dumping and misuse of share bikes

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Shared ebikes will disappear from some inner-city Melbourne streets after a council scrapped its agreement with Australia’s largest electric bike operator.

The City of Yarra on Tuesday voted to end its memorandum of understanding with Lime, terminating its almost six-year-long trial.

‘The world wasn’t ready for me’: Del LaGrace Volcano on photographing S&M scenes, leather-clad lesbians and a drag king self-portrait

Their scandalous work was once banned. Now it’s in museums. The photographer talks about a lifetime defying conformity – and their ‘very active’ sex life

The peaceful Swedish city of Örebro is not where you might expect to find Del LaGrace Volcano, the US photographer known for their subversive images depicting LGBTQ+ communities, drag kings and sexual desire. Yet this is the place they have called home for the last two decades, having moved with their ex-partner, Matilda Wurm, an associate professor at the city’s university. Now, their days are punctuated by walks around a nearby forest and trips to the local outdoor swimming pool with the pair’s two children. It is a far cry from the life they Volcano previously had in London, where they lived in squats, attended S&M fetish parties and documented lesbian cruising culture.

“I do miss it. I think London will always be my city,” Volcano tells me when they pick me up from my hotel in Örebro’s (virtually empty) city centre. Halfway between Stockholm and Gothenburg, the former trading hub known for is medieval castle is “not a queer city”, the photographer admits. Most of their neighbours don’t even know they are queer. Volcano, 68, is intersex and calls themself a “hermaphrodyke” – but these days they “pass as apparently a little old man”, they say with a grimace.

‘When she turns eight they will take her’: rising number of Afghan girls being sold into child marriage

Afghanistan is seeing a resurgence in underage brides and mothers as desperate families sell their children in order to eat

Sima* is 18, but has already given birth four times. Her youngest is a newborn, the eldest is four. Sitting with her children in their mud-brick room in Badghis province, Sima says: “After the Taliban entered the country, I had just finished the sixth grade and was supposed to start the seventh. But two months later, my father pressured me immensely to marry my cousin. After being beaten by my father several times, I was forced to accept.”

At 13, Sima became a bride inside the compound where she still lives, and where she has given birth to her children. One child died of pneumonia aged one. She does all the housework: fetching water, tending the cows, baking naan in a tandoor. All the while, her children cling to her legs, crying.

What do new ‘buy now, pay later’ protections mean for you?

Treasury says shoppers will get a ‘fairer deal’ as new rules for BNPL credit are introduced on Wednesday

Millions of shoppers will enjoy more rights and protections from Wednesday as new rules for “buy now, pay later” take effect in the UK.

The government said it was delivering on its commitment to end the buy now, pay later “wild west”.

‘Diego, give us a hand’: Argentina v England revives historic tensions

Decades after the Falklands war and Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal, the fixture is once again being discussed as far more than a game

When Argentina’s national football team burst into the dressing room after beating Switzerland 3-1, they celebrated by singing The Fourth Star, the country’s unofficial World Cup anthem.

“For Malvinas, for Diego,” Lionel Messi and his teammates chanted, invoking both the Falkland Islands – known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina – and their football legend Diego Maradona.

China has detained US nuclear seismology expert since 2024, family reveals

Beijing may be using Youlin Chen’s knowledge to devise ways of staging nuclear tests without detection, advocates for his release from spying charges suggest

An American seismologist has been detained in China on espionage charges since 2024, his family has revealed, saying Donald Trump’s direct appeal for the scientist’s release to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, went unanswered.

Youlin Chen – who has researched how to detect underground nuclear tests using seismological data – was detained on 5 November 2024, according to a statement from the NGO Global Reach, which is working with his family to secure his freedom.

Supreme Court Justices give chilling accounts of threats to their safety

Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett spoke with lawmakers about funding for security and other needs for the court on Tuesday.

Singapore court orders Bloomberg to pay ministers $356,000 in defamation case

Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, stands by reporting, saying ministers who sued ‘imposed an extremely strained meaning on what was a solid ​story’

Bloomberg News and one of its reporters have been ordered to pay S$460,000 (US$355,734) in damages after an article it published was found to have defamed two Singapore government ministers, the city-state’s high court said in a judgment released on Tuesday.

Bloomberg and the reporter, Low De Wei, are liable to jointly pay S$230,000 to each minister, comprising S$170,000 in general damages and S$60,000 in aggravated damages, ⁠the judgment said.

Security video captures moments after man was fatally shot by ICE in Maine

A home security camera captured the sound of five gunshots when Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a Colombian national, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Ukraine war briefing: Spotlight on ‘hundreds’ of alleged PoW executions by Russia

Ukraine attacks deter Russian shipping in Sea of Azov; loudest cheers for Kyiv’s troops at Bastille Day parade in Paris. What we know on day 1,603

The Russian army has executed hundreds of Ukrainian PoW since 2022 under a deliberate policy, Kyiv says, with the exact number of victims unknown. A Ukrainian intelligence official told Agence France-Presse they have tracked “more than 900 military personnel” killed in “more than 340” incidents since 2022. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they added this might represent 25%-40% of such cases. Under the Geneva conventions, soldiers are considered PoW – and afforded protection – from the moment they issue a clear surrender.

A UN report from June cited 129 verified executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war, with the organisation sounding the alarm last year over a “marked increase” in cases. Andriy Atamantchuk from the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said that to date Kyiv has opened 116 investigations into the killings of 306 Ukrainian servicemen since 2022. “This stems from a Russian policy that has effectively encouraged and enabled such crimes, with commanders then issuing orders to that effect,” he said. The accusations are rejected by Moscow and Agence France-Presse said Russian authorities did not reply to an AFP request for comment.

Russia’s transport ministry admitted it may have to divert cargo ⁠away from the Sea of Azov as Ukraine continued to pound Russian shipping there. The commander of Ukraine’s drone forces said on Tuesday that Ukraine had hit “116 vessels over the past nine days”, including several tankers and cargo ships, in the Azov sea. He said the aim was to damage Russia’s “shadow fleet” and to limit Russia’s petrol supplies to Moscow-controlled Crimea.

Ukraine’s ⁠military said it ​struck two Russian ⁠oil refineries in ⁠the ​Bashkortostan ‌and Krasnodar ‌regions, causing fires at ​the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat ⁠complex as ​well as ​the ​Afipsky ​oil ‌refinery. Russian ​authorities confirmed a fire at the Afipsky refinery in Russia’s ​southern Krasnodar region, ‌and at Salavat in the Urals region of Bashkortostan.

Sevastopol, one of the largest cities in ⁠Russian-controlled Crimea, was limiting power supplies after Ukrainian attacks, local authorities ⁠said on Tuesday. Crimea ⁠has ​already introduced restrictions on gasoline usage because of fuel shortages caused ⁠by Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries and logistics infrastructure. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor ⁠of Sevastopol, said electricity would ​be supplied for ‌two hours, followed ‌by six-hour outages.

Ukraine’s air defences managed to shoot down five out of eight ballistic missiles that Russia fired overnight into Tuesday – an increased interception rate – along with 108 out of 135 drones, the Ukrainian air force said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, said Russian attacks still damaged 16 sites in the capital, including a school and a business, while city officials reported ⁠several fires. Zelenskyy said Russian attacks injured ‌seven people in Ukraine’s ‌eastern Kharkiv region and three in the northern Chernihiv region. He called on European allies to pass their latest sanctions package this week.

Kyrgyzstan’s government on Tuesday indefinitely banned exports of ⁠gasoline, diesel fuel and oil in response to fuel shortages in Russia, from which ⁠the Central Asian ⁠country ​sources the vast majority of its fuel needs. Kyrgyzstan has appealed to ‌neighbours for help in making up for Russian fuel supplies, and sought diesel and jet fuel from Belarus and China.

Ukrainian troops marched down the Champs-Élysées as part of the Bastille Day parade in Paris. Kyiv’s troops got the biggest cheers of the day from crowds on the tree-lined avenue. Ukrainian co-pilots trained in France were on board two French Mirage 2000B fighter jets that flew over. Zelenskyy watched as guest of honour alongside Emmanuel Macron, the French president.

Ukraine’s prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, formally resigned in parliament on Tuesday as part of a government reshuffle previously announced by Zelenskyy. The parliament is expected to vote for a replacement on Thursday. Opposition lawmakers have called for Zelenskyy to further explain the overhaul of his government.

‘Den of spies’: why has Japan been easy prey for Russian espionage, and what is Tokyo doing about it?

Postwar rules limit state collection of intelligence and prosecution of illegal operatives, but the government of Sanae Takaichi is beefing up its capabilities

• Japan admits growing need to counter espionage after Russian ‘den of spies’ report

After eight decades as arguably the most welcoming environment for foreign spies in the democratic world, Japan – where espionage is technically not illegal in many cases – is racing to build its own spying and counterintelligence capabilities.

Reports that Japan has become a hub for Russian operatives procuring technology for the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine come as Tokyo undergoes its biggest postwar rethink of its security services.

LGBTQI+ artists have been targeted for ‘insulting Christianity’. To queer people, this feels particularly cruel | James Thorpe

A theatre pop-up in a former Sydney church has been accused of ‘offensive trade’. But if causing offence can lead to eviction, every artist is vulnerable

• Arts venue faces eviction from former Sydney church after religious groups protest LGBTQ+ events

A priest and two nuns walk into a bar. In Sydney this week, this wasn’t the setup for a bad joke but for a fiery culture war.

The bar in question is within a long-deconsecrated church, and the City of Sydney is considering an application for its redevelopment into luxury apartments. Divine Playhouse, which opened to the public last Wednesday, is a year-long queer-friendly and inclusive arts pop-up, supported by the New South Wales government and the City of Sydney.

Florida executes one of its oldest prisoners in state’s 10th lethal injection this year

Man who was 74 was one of three older prisoners scheduled for execution within the span of a month

Florida put to death one of its oldest prisoners in its state history on Tuesday, a 74-year-old convicted murderer who was one of three older prisoners scheduled for execution within the span of a month in the nation’s busiest death penalty state.

Dennis Sochor was pronounced dead at 6.16pm after a three-drug injection at Florida state prison near Starke. He was convicted of killing Patricia Gifford on 1 January 1982, just hours after meeting the 18-year-old woman at a New Year’s Eve party.

Cyclospora outbreak leaves consumers guessing which foods are safe

Officials are still searching for the source of the outbreak, prompting consumers to seek advice on social media about which foods to avoid.

ICE halts most vehicle stops following deadly shootings, sources say

Neither of the victims of the ICE shootings in Maine or Texas were the target of enforcement operations, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and how to watch

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

Spain reaches World Cup final with dominant 2-0 win over France

In a match Tuesday featuring two of soccer's biggest heavyweights, Spain put in a masterful performance, frustrating France to the tune of a 2-0 win to advance to Sunday's World Cup final​.

Granddaughter wears late grandmother's wedding dress with no changes: "Why would I fix perfection?"

The eldest granddaughter in a Pennsylvania woman's family long wanted to wear her grandmother's dress for her own wedding. When the dress fit perfectly, Catherine Michelle Bartlett walked down the aisle in it, exactly as is. Tony Dokoupil has the story.

State board: Musk may have broken election law by offering $1M checks to voters

The Wisconsin Elections Commission found billionaire Elon Musk may have violated the state's election bribery law by offering $1 million checks to voters during an election last year.

Torrential rain triggers flash flood emergency in Texas

Heavy storms caused chaos in Central Texas this week, triggering a flash flood emergency, and more than a foot of rain swelled rivers. Jason Allen reports and Rob Marciano has the forecast.

CDC looking into several items potentially linked to cyclospora parasite

As of Tuesday, nearly 7,000 people in 34 states reported symptoms tied to a parasitic illness that, so far, has no official source. Carter Evans reports on what's suspected of being behind the cyclosporiasis outbreak.

Trump reverses course on U.S. acting as "guardian of the Hormuz Strait"

The U.S. hit Iran with heavy airstrikes for the fourth night in a row, aimed at preventing the regime's new attacks on oil and cargo ships. After President Trump floated the idea of the U.S. acting as a "guardian of the Hormuz Strait" on Monday, he reversed his decision. Ed O'Keefe has the details.

Why so many fatal ICE shootings have happened in Trump's second term

During President Trump's second term, at least 11 people have been shot and killed by federal immigration officers, and many others have been caught up in high-profile public incidents. Camilo Montoya-Galvez looks into why there seems to be many such cases.

Federal officials suspend most vehicle stops during ICE operations after deadly shootings

After U.S. federal agents killed two men in less than a week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement told its officers to stop pulling over vehicles in most cases. Lilia Luciano reports.

Meta used AI to tag workers who took leave to be laid off, lawsuit claims

Lawsuit filed by dozens of employees says people who took maternity or disability leave were disproportionately selected for layoffs

Dozens of Meta employees have sued the social media company over claims that it used artificial intelligence tools to tag workers for mass layoffs. The workers allege that those AI tools targeted them after they asked for protected or maternity leave or disability accommodation.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in the northern district of California, points to Meta’s workforce reduction of about 8,000 employees earlier this year. Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The suit alleges that Meta used a “constellation of internal artificial intelligence systems”, including AI performance ratings and keystroke- and activity-monitoring data, to pinpoint who to lay off.

Thomas Tuchel: ‘Argentina will be fuelled by history – but we are ready’

• Falklands conflict adds ‘emotional’ edge to semi-final

• Manager has ‘no problem’ with Bellingham after outburst

Thomas Tuchel believes England will face an Argentina team “fuelled by history” in their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday. It will be the sixth time that the nations have met at the tournament with the previous three coming after the Falklands war of 1982.

The most controversial game was in the 1986 quarter-finals when Diego Maradona scored his “Hand of God” goal and Argentina won 2-1 en route to the title. Argentina triumphed on penalties in the last 16 in 1998 when David Beckham was sent off. Beckham gained a measure of revenge four years later when he scored from the penalty spot for a 1-0 group-stage victory. England won 3-1 at the group phase in 1962 and 1-0 in the quarter-finals in 1966, when they went on to become champions.

Spain moves on to World Cup final after defeating France on a national holiday

Spain advanced to the World Cup final on Tuesday, after stunning France on the country's most patriotic national holiday. Nicole Valdes has the recap.

7/14: CBS Evening News

More than 20 inches of rain are forecasted for parts of Texas; Immigration and Customs Enforcement changes its tactics after deadly shootings.

House passes bill to make daylight saving time permanent

The measure also allows states to opt out if they take action before the federal law is enacted.

Thousands flock to see brief and rare blooming of corpse flowers in California

‘Enchanted’ visitors queued for hours to see two of largest – and smelliest – plants flower in San Marino

Two corpse flowers have bloomed at a southern California research institution, where thousands of visitors had the rare chance to watch two of the world’s largest – and most odorous – plants flowering at the same time.

The two titan arums, named Odorysseus and Odora, attracted more than 7,000 people on Monday at the Huntington library, art museum and botanical gardens in San Marino, about 12 miles (19km) from downtown Los Angeles, after they bloomed over the weekend.

Current and former employees sue Meta, alleging discrimination in using AI to conduct layoffs

The lawsuit filed by current and former Meta employees underscores rising concerns about AI's impact on jobs and people with disabilities in the workforce.

Zipline adds ex-Tesla, Uber, Waymo execs to make drone delivery mainstream across U.S.

Zipline is growing its drone delivery business in the U.S., and has hired former Tesla, Uber Eats and Waymo executives to help it scale up in new markets.

Consumer prices rose 3.5% annually in June, less than expected as energy prices eased

The consumer price index in June was expected to increase 3.8% from a year ago.

Spain reach World Cup final after Oyarzabal and Porro sink sorry France

Let this be a lesson for everyone foolish enough to cast Spain as underdogs. How they enjoyed dishing it out here, reducing France to passengers and surely guaranteeing nobody will make the same mistake twice. They will be favourites to win Sunday’s final, whether that turns out to be a rerun against England or a time-bending meeting of Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi, and those minded to back against Luis de la Fuente’s side will need a mightily compelling reason.

France never came close to finding one. Kylian Mbappé had one last go in added time, shooting harmlessly over, and his forlorn expression upon glancing up to check the clock said more than enough. He knew the game was up but, in truth, that had barely been in question since midway through the first half. Spain smothered France but outplayed them too, picking their moments to penetrate and adding a beautifully worked goal from the rampaging Pedro Porro.

7/14: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Latest on ICE scrutiny after fatal shootings in Texas and Maine; aide to Rep. Ro Khanna on moment he says he was detained in the West Bank.

Spain sparkles to shock France 2-0 and advance to the World Cup final

Spain is back in the men's World Cup final for the first time since 2010. That's also when Spain won its only World Cup title. France had hoped to reach the final for the third straight tournament.

Darline Graham, sister of Lindsey Graham, sworn in to fulfill his Senate term

Lindsey Graham’s younger sister appointed by South Carolina’s governor three days after senator’s death

• Darline Graham Nordone: Lindsey Graham’s sister and interim US senator

Darline Graham, the sister of the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham, was sworn in to temporarily fill his Senate seat on Tuesday, just three days after his sudden death.

Graham was appointed by Henry McMaster, South Carolina’s governor, to fill the remainder of her brother’s current term.

Supreme Court Justices Barrett and Kagan discuss security funding on Capitol Hill

Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett met with lawmakers on Tuesday for a regular budget hearing.

Scammers are using FaceTime to steal bank account passwords

The scheme begins with fake fraud alerts before shifting to a FaceTime call, where victims are tricked into exposing sensitive banking information.

ICE pauses vehicle stops after deadly shootings in Texas and Maine

Deaths of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo prompt calls for independent investigations

Federal immigration officials have been instructed to stop pulling over vehicles until further notice, according to a homeland security source, following two recent deadly shootings in Texas and Maine during which officials shot and killed immigrants in vehicles.

Other news outlets, including Fox News and CNN, confirmed that officials nationwide received the instructions, with the former reporting some vehicle stops would be allowed to target “the most egregious criminal aliens”.

How do young people feel about AI? 7 teens weigh in

What's it like to grow up and learn in the age of AI? NPR put that question to seven teenagers across the country.

In the aftermath of deadly shootings, ICE pauses most traffic stops

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will pause non-urgent vehicle stops after two deadly shootings in less than a week, Maine U.S. Sen. Angus King's office tells NPR.

Supreme Court Justice Barrett says the threat level against judges 'is really high'

Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan are testifying about the high court's budget request, which includes higher spending for security.

Supreme Court pushes Congress for more security: "Threats have come very close"

Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett urged Congress to provide additional funding to enhance protection for the justices as they face a rise in threats.

England rue selection errors after Patel and Sundar lead India to comfortable win

• England 258 lost against India 262-4 by six wickets

• All-rounders share century stand to secure victory

A recent ascent to No 1 in the men’s T20 international rankings saved one half of Brendon McCullum’s job as England head coach and yet half of that half – one-day international cricket – continues to be a struggle.

A six-wicket defeat by India in the series opener at Edgbaston was England’s 13th ODI loss since McCullum took charge of the white‑ball teams at the start of last year. Just six wins have come in this time – including three against lowly West Indies – and they have now slipped to eighth in the world overall.

Caribbean calls for return of British Virgin Islands – and for King Charles to back decolonisation

At London briefing, Caricom Reparations Commission decries fact region remains ‘most colonised part of world’

The main reparations committee for Caribbean nations has called on the UK to return the British Virgin Islands and for King Charles to commit to decolonising Britain’s remaining overseas territories, warning of a “resurgence of colonisation” around the world.

In a visit to the UK this week, the Caricom Reparations Commission – the body seeking reparative justice for enslavement, colonialism and their legacies on behalf of the alliance of Caribbean states – decried the fact that the Caribbean remained “the most colonised part of the world”.

Derision at US chain Chipotle’s plan to sell its Mexican food in Mexico

One social media user described the opening of its first outlet in Monterrey as ‘like the dog teaching a duck to fly’

A US chain’s plan to sell its version of Mexican food to Mexicans with a first branch south of the border has prompted bemusement, skepticism and anger among local people.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, known for its customisable burritos, tacos and bowls, has more than 4,000 locations worldwide and announced on Tuesday that it was expanding into Mexico in what it described as a significant milestone.

‘We’re all going to die’: Scottie Scheffler keeps things in perspective before Open defence

• World No 1 not interested in his legacy in the game

• Scheffler missed first cut in 79 events at Scottish Open

Something about the Open Championship seems to bring out the philosopher in Scottie Scheffler. Last year the world’s best golfer questioned the meaning of life before claiming his fourth major title. This year, though, it was his legacy that was more on his mind.

Scheffler was in an ebullient mood, despite missing his first cut in 79 tournaments at the Scottish Open last week. So when talk turned to his comments at Portrush – when he famously asked ‘What is the point of it all?’ – he couldn’t help but smile when he found himself saying “at the end of the day I am going to live my life and it’s going to end” this time around.

Youri Tielemans targets ‘biggest trophies’ after joining Manchester United

• Midfielder signs from Aston Villa for about £35m

• Villa to have Visit Rwanda as front-of-shirt sponsor

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Youri Tielemans for about £35m on a five-year deal, with the midfielder stating he wants to help “push for the biggest trophies”.

The 29-year-old will join from Aston Villa and follows United’s recruitment of another midfielder, Andrey Santos, who is 22, from Chelsea for £48m plus a possible £2m in add-ons on Monday.

Ann Widdecombe killing: police investigating possible leftwing motivation

Detectives examining whether hatred of Widdecombe’s strong views or of Reform party were factors in killing described as a ‘targeted attack’

The police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe is examining whether a leftwing or single-issue cause may lie behind her killing, the Guardian has learned.

Among issues detectives are investigating are whether a hatred of Widdecombe’s strong views, such as on homosexuality, was a factor. They are also examining whether extreme hostility to the Reform UK party played a role.

E. Jean Carroll receives $5.6 million from Trump in sexual abuse and defamation case

The payment comes three years after a jury found President Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer.

Ella Baron on the US, Iran and the strait of Hormuz – cartoon

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Pilot known for ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ river plane landing reveals Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Chesley Sullenberger, 75, safely landed a US Airways flight carrying 155 people in New York’s Hudson River in 2009

Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger – the pilot known for the “Miracle on the Hudson” after safely landing a US Airways flight in New York City’s Hudson river during a 2009 emergency – announced on Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey,” Sullenberger, 75, said in a statement. “This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service. And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.”

Dua Lipa calls Albanian protests against Jared Kushner-backed resort ‘inspiring’

Pop star, whose parents are Kosovan Albanian, expresses admiration for demonstrations, which are entering their sixth week

Albania’s “flamingo revolution” has won its most prominent supporter yet after the pop star Dua Lipa expressed admiration for the protest movement against a Trump family-backed resort in the Balkan state.

As demonstrations against the €1.6bn (£1.36bn) real estate project entered a sixth week, the London-born singer, who was partially raised in Pristina, home to her Kosovan Albanian émigré parents, described the civic unrest as “inspiring”.

The Guardian view on Brazil’s sovereignty: Trump turns autonomy into a trade offence | Editorial

Donald Trump’s tariff threat recasts Brazil’s attempt to protect its democracy as unfair commercial practice – and gives Bolsonarism a Washington stage

Last June, Brazil’s supreme court responded to the online lies that helped fuel Jair Bolsonaro’s failed far-right coup attempt in 2023. It ruled that social media platforms could be held liable for some users’ posts, forcing firms such as Elon Musk’s X and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to remove hate speech and anti-democratic content. A month later, Donald Trump proposed a 25% tariff on Brazilian imports, complaining that the judges had made US tech firms take down “political” material.

At a hearing held at the US International Trade Commission last week, an extraordinary platform was given to Mr Bolsonaro’s son, Flávio. He is the opposition candidate running to be president in this year’s election while his father serves a 27-year prison sentence. His message to Washington was that the US’s problem with his country’s unfair trade practices was down to the president, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, who has clashed with Mr Trump.

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.

E. Jean Carroll receives $5M from Trump in abuse, defamation case

A jury concluded in 2023 that Trump should pay Carroll $5 million in damages.

Warsh pledges Fed policy 'regime change' to rid inflation 'tax' on American people

Warsh pledged Tuesday to "get monetary policy right" and defeat the inflation that has bedeviled the central bank for the past five years.

Watch: Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh testifies to House Financial Services committee

In remarks prepared for the appearance, Warsh promised a vigilant fight to return inflation to the Fed's 2% target.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says Broadway in ‘dire danger’ as Cats musical announces early closing

The legendary composer warned theaters could soon meet the same fate as Hollywood’s ‘empty soundstages’

Andrew Lloyd Webber has spoken out about the precarious state of Broadway in the wake of the early closing of his revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

“Broadway is more than a street or a collection of buildings. It is an idea – and one of the greatest cultural ideas America has given us,” the composer wrote in a lengthy X thread on Tuesday morning.

Manchester United close to agreeing club-record sale of Melvine Malard to Chelsea

• Fee for forward could be as high as £850,000

• The 26-year-old has one year remaining on contract

Chelsea are closing in on a deal to sign the France forward Melvine Malard from Manchester United for a fee that would be a club-record sale.

It is understood the transfer fee could be as high as approximately £850,000, although some sources have suggested the deal will be closer to £750,000. The discussions are understood to be at the final stage and the move is expected to go through.

‘I have haters’: Pogacar brushes off boos after solo burst extends Tour de France lead

• Slovenian wins stage 10 on Bastille Day to go further clear

• Evenepoel finishes second, 32 seconds behind

Tadej Pogacar extended his lead in the Tour de France with another imperious solo victory on the 10th stage to Le Lioran, in the Massif Central. The Slovenian now leads the Tour by more than a three and a half minutes from longtime rival Jonas Vingegaard, who wilted and lost more time to the other podium contenders.

Over a stage with seven categorised climbs, including the first category Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol and Col de Pertus in the final hour of racing, Pogacar again asserted himself over the peloton with a trademark attack on the penultimate climb.

U.S. trade official says 'very few' Nvidia H200 AI chips have been shipped to China

The remark is a sign that H200 shipments to China have restarted, potentially boosting Nvidia's sales even higher.

Environmental groups sue government to stop a big change to the Endangered Species Act

By altering the definition of the word "harm" as used by the Endangered Species Act, the Trump administration may limit how wildlife is protected in the United States. Environmental groups are suing.

‘A frightening piece to perform’: can Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece still shock?

Sixty years after its first staging, performance artist MPA is restaging the provocative piece in Los Angeles

Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, a traveling retrospective on view at Los Angeles’s The Broad museum, features black and white footage of Ono’s 1964 Carnegie Hall performance of Cut Piece projected on to one of its walls. It was a landmark event in performance art history, in which the artist, aged 31, sat motionless on the stage as strangers took turns with a pair of scissors to cut away pieces of her clothing. As an emblem of the Fluxus artistic tradition, Cut Piece “relies on the audience’s actions to complete the performance”, says Sarah Loyer, curator and exhibitions manager at The Broad. This is precisely the work’s inherent risk: it leaves the artist’s body totally vulnerable to the viewer’s unpredictable whims. Consequently, as Ono herself told the art historian Ina Blom in a 1992 interview, “It is a frightening piece to perform.”

The tension in the footage is palpable, particularly as Ono struggles to retain her composure while a young man snips away at the straps of her undergarments. But as Loyer points out, “Looking at documentation of Cut Piece in the gallery, we are a step removed.” In order to convey the full impact of the piece, the museum is staging Cut Piece live twice at the Redcat theater on 17 and 18 July to be performed by the Los Angeles based artist MPA.

‘Anti-ageing is anti-life’: why longevity culture is just ageism in a lab coat

Rapid scientific progress has given us the tools to stop time more convincingly than ever – but lurking behind these claims is the same fear of ageing

Andrea holds a PhD in literature and works for a non-profit in Dallas. She’s in her late 40s and tells me that the pressure to remain youthful in her city is palpable. Almost completely irresistible.

“You don’t know what it’s like here,” she said. “Everyone has a facelift if they can afford one and everyone has had some work done. I’m a feminist to the core, but if I had the money, I would get a deep-plane facelift in a heartbeat. I’m saving up to get my neck done.”

We’d like to speak to maritime, port workers, their friends and family about how the Middle East conflict is affecting them

We want to hear from those working or living at sea, including maritime workers, sailors, port staff and family about how the situation is affecting their work

The conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt shipping across the region, including in the strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.

Donald Trump has once again threatened to take control of the strait of Hormuz, as he announced the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iran and demanded a 20% tariff on all cargoes shipped through the key maritime passage.

United Airlines' new upsell: Keeping other travelers out of the middle seat

United Airlines will allow customers to pay more to keep the middle seat open on its Airbus A321XLRs

E Jean Carroll receives $5.6m owed by Trump after court releases damages

Funds released from escrow account after president’s efforts to block sexual abuse and defamation award fail

A Manhattan federal court has released more than $5.6m that Donald Trump owes E Jean Carroll in her successful 2023 sexual abuse and defamation trial against him, records reveal.

The disbursement, made public in a 14 July entry on Carroll’s case docket, indicates that the funds were released by a court-held account on 9 July – one day after judge Lewis Kaplan ordered the release of this money.

TikTok policy chief defends safety measures amid EU push to limit children's social media access

TikTok's policy chief defended the platform's safety measures as the European Union pushes ahead with restricting children's access to social media.

‘I’m back’: Suni Lee announces return to gymnastics two years before LA 2028

• Six-time Olympic medalist resumes training

• Tokyo all-around champion targets LA 2028

• Latest Paris gold medalist planning comeback

Suni Lee is making a run at a third Olympics.

The America gymnastics star announced she is returning to the sport on Tuesday, about two years out from the Los Angeles Games.

Watching Australian sport embrace Modi broke my heart – and showed inclusion is still just a strategy | Rana Hussain

When the AFL and Cricket Australia target India and the diaspora but only engage with convenient perspectives, trust begins to erode

For most of my life, being Indian, Muslim, Australian and devoted to sport has never felt like a contradiction. Until now.

When I saw AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon and Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh smiling alongside Indian prime minister Narendra Modi last week, I wasn’t simply watching a diplomatic engagement. I was watching two institutions I love celebrate a leader whose name carries deep pain for many people like me.

Confessions of a Shopaholic: a charming Isla Fisher romcom worth taking to the checkout

The PJ Hogan-directed film may not have the polish of The Devil Wears Prada but it has new relevance in the buy now, pay later era

The year was 2009. The global economy was enduring the final throes of the worst financial crisis since the second world war and Isla Fisher, clad with an American accent and a shopping addiction, played a financially illiterate New Yorker with more than $16,000 in personal debt; an auburn-haired Marie Antoinette of the late oughts.

Confessions of a Shopaholic was awarded a measly two stars by this outlet when it was released. The film, based on the Sophie Kinsella novel series of the same name and directed by the Australian film-maker PJ Hogan, was practically doomed from the start. Financially battered audiences weren’t exactly chomping at the bit to watch a plucky fashionista make terrible spending decisions for 104 minutes. It was also just as romcoms’ box office dominance was coming to an end, replaced by a new era of unsaturated and action-packed superhero franchises. But while Confessions of a Shopaholic isn’t exactly groundbreaking, it is charming now – and arguably ahead of its time in regards to its depiction of overwhelming personal debt.

‘It wasn’t a dream, it was a threat’: the film festival celebrating pan-Africanism’s rich and complex history

Project a Black Planet: Film, a new season of screenings at the Barbican in London exemplifies how the movement was an act of solidarity, resistance and fierce creativity

Algiers, 1969. What had, for seven years, been the metropolis of a newly independent country became, over the course of 12 days in July, the cosmopolitan centre of an entire continent. That summer, Algeria played host to the first Pan-African Cultural festival (Panaf) and the capital’s streets were transformed into a vista of energising performers, flanked by placards announcing each country’s delegation: Ethiopia, Liberia, Mali.

Picture an Olympics-style opening ceremony, then discard it, for the images captured in William Klein’s documentary of the event, The Pan-African Festival of Algiers, hint at the very dissolving of barriers between spectacle and spectator – an act that brings to life a quote, shown on screen, from Guinea’s first president Sékou Touré: “We must make this revolution with the people … and the songs will come.”

The truth about Pete Hegseth's strange campaign against beards | Arwa Mahdawi

His facial hair fixation might seem perplexing – but it is part of an aestheticisation of politics that is central to the Trump project

The year is 2018 and Pete Hegseth has just come back from his summer holidays. Hegseth, who is still just a Fox News host, not a defense secretary keen on ordering possible war crimes, has grown a nice little beard during his time off. He is hoping his bosses at Fox might let him keep the facial hair, even if it’s just the moustache. He seems to think it makes him look quite dapper. Alas, some of his viewers disagree.

A woman called Patti writes in to Fox & Friends urging him to get that “fur” off his face. A viewer called Mary bemoans the fact that “all American cute” Pete now looks “awful”. People on the internet joke that he looks like a duck hunter. And then a final humiliation: Hegseth’s co-hosts cackle as his vacation beard is lopped off by a barber live on daytime TV. “A man without a beard is like a lion without a mane,” a Fox fan called Michael commiserates. “That’s how I feel!” Hegseth wails.

Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis calls for U.S. to spearhead AI standards body

Tech giant's AI boss said "urgent action" was needed as AI capabilities advanced.

California faces highest shark numbers in years as great whites head north

El Niño climate phenomenon heating waters off Mexico but incidents with humans remain a rarity

California is set to see one of its sharkiest summers in a decade, with large numbers of juvenile great whites already on a reverse vacation from the warm waters of Mexico to cooler pastures along the western United States.

The marine predator has become more common along the west coast in recent years, with stories of surfers seeing underwater behemoths closer to shore and scientists saying swimmers and ocean-lovers alike are probably already sharing their favorite beaches with great whites, whether they know it or not.

‘Fun, propulsive, full of queer joy’: readers’ favourite albums of 2026 so far, from Muna to Raye and J Cole

After the Guardian’s music critics chose their best of the half-year, we asked you for your picks – from Brian Jackson and Arlo Parks to Maya Hawke, Flea and more

• The best albums of 2026 so far
• ‘I saw it seven times in the cinema’: readers’ favourite films of 2026 so far

The album is a fun, punchy dance record that will definitely be the soundtrack of my summer. It’s propulsive, full of queer joy, cheeky lyricism, and relatable insecurities as they ruminate on “being past their prime” as pop stars in their early 30s. It will undoubtedly be an amazing live show and is a testament to the importance of artists taking breaks, going out and living and resting before coming back with new things to say and experiences to detail. Jane Tytla, New England, US