Leon Black refuses to answer questions on NDAs at Jeffrey Epstein hearing, Rep. Comer says

"I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde," Leon Black says about Jeffrey Epstein in his prepared statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Epstein's assistant grilled by lawmakers over Amex travel booked for women or girls

U.S. lawmakers recently grilled Jeffrey Epstein's longtime assistant Lesley Groff about Epstein's use of American Express to book travel for multiple women or girls.

Warsh reaches within the Fed for latest advisory appointments

Warsh has added two more key advisors as he seeks to remake how the central bank approaches the economy and monetary policy.

World Cup 2026: James set to miss Panama match; Schweinsteiger’s comments criticised; Ecuador’s national holiday – live

⚽ Latest news from day 15 | Haaland v Mbappé in data
⚽ Third-place table | Player guide | Bracketology | Mail John

Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland will go head-to-head later on as France take on Norway and they have both scored the same amount of goals so far this tournament with four. They could go top of the Golden Boot standings this evening but who is currently there? Have a look:

Ecuador fans’ nerves will be eased for now but that is not the case for all the nations yet as all of the knockout spots have not been allocated. Here is how the third-place spots are shaking out:

England v New Zealand: third men’s cricket Test, day two – live

Updates from second day at Trent Bridge from 11am BST
Day one report | Read The Spin | And you can mail James

87th over: New Zealand 370-4 (Mitchell 8, O’Rourke 0) Archer’s looking sharp, starting the over with an 87mph inswinger. Though he follows that up with a loose, wide one. The England quick sends down a couple of bumpers and has his first maiden of the innings.

86th over: New Zealand 370-4 (Mitchell 8, O’Rourke 0) It’s Josh Tongue to have a go from the other end … and he immediately looks the part. Mitchell decides late to leave the ball – an inside-edge travels for four. There’s a leg slip in position, with Tongue – like Archer – tailing the ball into the right-hander.

Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty in classified information case – US politics live

Bolton pleads guilty to charges that he unlawfully retained sensitive national security information in agreement that includes $2.25m fine

• Former Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email

Hayes went on:

As national security adviser to the president of the United States, Mr Bolton had access to and was responsible for safeguarding the most sensitive national defense information, including classified material.

Mr Bolton knew how to handle classified information, where it should be stored, how it should be stored, and with whom he could share that information.

Judge in Charlie Kirk murder case finds prosecutor in contempt

The defense team for Tyler Robinson asked that the death penalty be taken off the table following public comments by prosecutors.

UK June heat record broken again, France postpones Pride and Poland warns of wildfires as heatwave grips Europe – live

Estimated 150 million people in Europe could experience temperatures above 35C today

• European heatwave is worst ever and impossible without climate crisis, scientists say

Over in the UK, firefighters are still trying to bring a large wildfire in Derbyshire under control.

The blaze, which has burned over 500 square metres of moorland and woodland on Tintwistle Moor, near Glossop, broke out on Wednesday evening, with fire crews from Manchester and Derbyshire deploying a water-dropping helicopter and six fire engines on Thursday.

Climate sceptics cheering as they melt in record temperatures? This heatwave is where satire has come to die | Jonathan Freedland

Delegates at an ‘anti-woke’ conference disparaged Ed Miliband’s net zero policies. But even they could not ignore the sweat on their foreheads

It was hardly a perfect film, but I keep thinking of Don’t Look Up. In its depiction of a world that stubbornly refuses to heed the warnings of an imminent planetary disaster, it was perhaps too on the nose. But these days, reality itself is too on the nose.

This week served up ample evidence, on both sides of the Atlantic. In Britain, like much of Europe, the all-consuming concern has been intense, intolerable heat, with temperature records shattered and swathes of the country under the highest state of alert. For the first time, red warnings were issued in the UK for three consecutive days. Schools have closed; nights have become sleepless, with the mercury rising to meet the technical definition of “tropical”. There are wildfires in Derbyshire. All this in a temperate country in June.

Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Wimbledon offers Novak Djokovic his last realistic shot at a 25th grand slam

Quicker points help the 39-year-old at SW19, where Jannik Sinner hopes to show French Open upset was a blip

For the 21st time in his long and fruitful career, Novak Djokovic arrived at the All England Club on Monday and began his preparations for another Wimbledon in earnest. The 39-year-old worked his way through his tentative first steps on the grass courts of Aorangi Park, movement exercises complementing his sparring on court. He found his rhythm against local hitting partners and tussled with other champions. His training sessions included a catchup with his old friend Marin Cilic and then he broke in the grass on No 1 Court with the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, iron sharpening iron.

The ultimate goal is the same as it has been for some time: Djokovic, the seventh seed, returns to Wimbledon again seeking to become the oldest grand slam singles champion in history by winning an unprecedented 25th grand slam title. At 39 years old, his chances of achieving this goal naturally lessen with each tournament, but he has repeatedly shown that, if fortune favours him for two weeks, he is more than capable of taking advantage.

Trump says Iran violated ceasefire with drone attacks on Strait of Hormuz ships

The International Maritime Organization earlier paused efforts to evacuate ships and seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo vessel was struck.

John Bolton pleads guilty to retaining classified information

Bolton agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine, pleading guilty to one count of retaining classified national security information.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 28)

Jane Pauley hosts a special program celebrating our nation's semiquincentennial, "These United States - America at 250."

World Cup fans are missing games after their resale tickets fall through

The ordeal has left fans forced to either miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity or scramble to find new tickets, often costing more and for worse seats.

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari on the march with Austria key to title hopes

Victory in Barcelona shows Scuderia are improving and they are looking at another engine advance after the summer break

Beneath the sweltering sunshine that bathes the Styrian mountains surrounding the Red Bull Ring there is at least a breeze of anticipatory air for the Austrian Grand Prix. After the opening to a Formula One season defined by Mercedes dominance, that Ferrari may now be applying their own heat is welcome, more so given it is Lewis Hamilton firing it up.

Hamilton’s victory at the last round in Barcelona, his first for Ferrari and the Scuderia’s first since 2024, was greeted by driver and team with understandable exultation; the seven-time champion has gone from his worst season last year to a potential championship contender.

Carney announces contest to revamp uninhabitable Canadian PM residence

Various issues – including a rodent infestation and mould – have left the historic, sprawling Ottawa estate empty

10 Downing Street has two things: mice and a chief mouser. For more than a decade, an officially recognized feline has kept the residence’s rodent infestation to a minimum.

Over a similar period, the official residence of Canada’s prime minister has seen an unchecked explosion of rodents.

New York City will freeze rent for 1m apartments in big victory for Mamdani

City’s mayor has consistently argued that rising housing costs have made it increasingly unaffordable

A New York City housing board has voted to freeze rent for approximately 1m apartments.

In a major victory for Zohran Mamdani, the mayor who campaigned on a pledge to freeze rent, the Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-1 on Thursday to freeze increases on one- and two-year leases. The decision will provide relief to tenants in more than 1m rent-stabilized apartments, representing over 40% of the city’s rental housing.

Senate Democrats push for info on "anti-weaponization" fund, demand hearing

Led by Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, a group of Senate Democrats suggested the Justice Department violated its internal policies with the creation of the "anti-weaponization" fund.

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari says he expects a rate hike this year

Kashkari said he sees a hike likely this year as the economy continues to feel the hit from spiking inflation.

Survivors tell of ‘brutal and fast’ Venezuela quake as hunt for survivors goes on

Worst incident of its kind in country for more than 125 years leaves many searching for multiple family members – and pleading for international help

• Scenes of destruction after deadly earthquakes in Venezuela – visual guide

Nearly all of Ligia Level’s family lived in a trio of apartment blocks along Hotel Avenue, a seafront sweep of palm-specked resorts and high-rise condos along Venezuela’s Caribbean coast.

When a powerful “doublet” of earthquakes jolted the region on Wednesday afternoon, those buildings and the lives within them came crashing down.

Too cool for school? Why some men keep wearing jeans – even in a heatwave

As Andy Burnham stuck to his ‘cool dad’ look while the UK sweltered, many in the Paris fashion pack did the same

For many, dressing for an extreme heatwave means wearing as little as possible. But for some men, not even record-breaking temperatures can dissuade them from pulling on their favourite pair of jeans.

This week as temperatures in the UK rose sharply on the back of the climate crisis, Andy Burnham stuck to his tried and tested “cool dad” combination of dark jeans with a dark blue (not black as he pointed out to Kemi Badenoch) T-shirt as he made his way to London to be sworn in as MP for Makerfield.

How content creators are bringing fans an added dimension to this World Cup

YouTubers reveal how they are challenging traditional broadcast coverage of the tournament with their own audience interaction

For decades, the World Cup belonged to broadcasters. Fans gathered around the television, watched the game live or caught the highlights later that evening. In the UK, BBC and ITV acted as gatekeepers, deciding which stories were told and how audiences experienced football’s biggest tournament.

That world still exists. Millions watch live matches on television, and broadcasters remain dominant when it comes to rights and access. But alongside them, another layer of football media has emerged.

Ex-Trump advisor John Bolton pleads guilty to retaining national defense information

John Bolton is one of several foes of President Donald Trump who has been indicted since Trump regained the White House.

Jalen Brunson's mom on teaching him to be a leader: "It's how you respond"

The Second Round Foundation, founded by Sandra and Jalen Brunson, aims to help provide young people with what they need to thrive in the future.

Palestinians grieve for a father-to-be shot by Israeli troops the day his son was born

Nayef Samaro, 25, was killed in an Israeli military raid on Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, as he prepared to meet his wife at the hospital for the birth of their first child.

Newsom proposes federal billionaire tax and AI "public equity" fund

As California Gov. Gavin Newsom eyes a 2028 presidential bid, he's calling for a national tax on billionaires and a public stake in AI, though he opposes a state ballot measure to tax billionaires.

Micron sinks, continuing a whipsaw week of trading

Micron Technology's shares tumbled on Friday amid a global sell-off in technology stocks.

The cost of owning a home is soaring. Here's how to save money on your next project.

The price of buying a home is higher than ever, but the expenses don't stop there. Most homes will need repairs. Kelly O'Grady provides money-saving tips for your next project.

Red Lobster's Ultimate Endless Shrimp promotion described as a 'car crash' for the company, lawsuit says

"Thai Union doubled down on a campaign to squeeze out every drop of value that it could," creditors said

Andy Burnham’s long coup: the chaotic year-long project to return him to Westminster

Efforts of campaign groups, supporters and party figures coalesced after May elections as MPs’ views began to change

The third coming of Andy Burnham began in earnest on the dancefloor of the Ministry of Sound. It was the annual conference of the centre-left pressure group Compass on an unusually hot spring weekend in May 2025. Keir Starmer, a year into his premiership, was deep in the trenches of the welfare battle, and the event’s keynote speakers were Burnham and Louise Haigh.

Under the hot pink lights, the mayor of Greater Manchester joked that he was doing the “rally the troops” slot, inappropriate for a pessimistic Evertonian. But he said there was one reason to still be cheerful.

Billionaire Leon Black to appear before House panel over ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Scrutiny of Black’s association with Epstein has intensified after DoJ released millions of files last year and this year

The billionaire financier Leon Black is scheduled to appear before the House committee on oversight and reform on Friday morning as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The interview will be conducted behind closed doors, though the committee is expected to release a transcript at a later date, as it has done with previous interviews.

Elliot Anderson’s journey from Bristol Rovers loanee to most expensive British player

England midfielder’s remarkable rise started off in League Two with his £116m move to Manchester City confirmation of his relentless progress

At Bristol Rovers the players would fight over being on Elliot Anderson’s team in training five-a-sides because they knew they would be victorious. Even as a teenager, the midfielder was a cut above his more experienced peers, becoming an integral part of the club’s promotion to League One, the first step on his journey to becoming the most expensive British player after Manchester City agreed to pay £116m for his services.

The Rovers loan was not the start of a rapid rise for Anderson, who returned to his boyhood club, Newcastle, to find the squad stacked with talented midfielders and struggled to cement a place. In the end, his main contribution at St James’ Park was helping the club avoid financial penalties, his homegrown status helping when he left for Nottingham Forest in 2024 in a deal that in effect valued him at £15m. It is at the City Ground where he has established himself as one of the country’s best midfielders, causing pain to Geordies.

Ukraine unleashes one of its heaviest drone bombardments, as Russia strikes Ukraine

Ukraine launched a major nighttime attack on a dozen Russian regions, Russian-held Crimea and the surrounding seas, and Russia attacked various regions of Ukraine, as their war grinds on.

Plane crashes into Beijing's tallest building; damage reported

The cause of the damage could not be independently verified, and authorities did not immediately issue a statement on the incident.

Compost tomatoes and community are teaching me valuable lessons in the face of an uncertain future | Kelley Swain

As datacentres dry and fry the planet and society rapidly turns unsustainable, focusing on the small things we can change might get us through

Thanks to the Hobart gardening legend Hannah Moloney sharing a video about the green tomatoes in her greenhouse, I went outside in the glorious winter solstice sunshine today, down in the Huon Valley, and rummaged around in the crazily overgrown tomato plant that has been taking over my neglected compost heap. I came away with a basket full of unripe cherry tomatoes. This will be an experiment: leaving them in the sun to ripen, if they will. I wouldn’t dare to say “I grew tomatoes”. These plants grew themselves: more than one friend has said that volunteer tomatoes, those self-seeded, are the most determined (or obstinate).

It puts me in mind of how adamant I was when hiring a professional builder to not say it was me doing the building – more accurately, I would say I was having a tiny house built. These are subtle and incredibly important nuances to language, which of course imply ownership and ability. I cannot grow tomatoes, and it would be awfully strange if I could. Perhaps I can put more effort into intentionally creating the conditions in which tomatoes would like to grow, but based on last year’s experiments, that is currently in question. The only tomato plants to bear fruit under my gaze in the southern hemisphere are self-seeded, and my gaze wasn’t really upon them until Hannah’s cheerful greenhouse clip made me think about going to check out the plants growing in superabundance out of the compost.

John Bolton, former Trump national security adviser, pleads guilty in classified documents case

Bolton pleaded guilty to one count of retaining national defense information while he was a national security adviser during President Trump's first term, saying: "And I am sorry for it."

Anna Funder: ‘I clearly didn’t know what I was doing … but always knew I was going to write’

The writer and newly installed University of Sydney professor on the lure of Berlin, authors versus AI, and writing ‘from a place of admiration’

Anna Funder is mere days into her new role at the University of Sydney when we meet there on an overcast Friday afternoon; she waves vaguely in the direction of her new office and says she hasn’t yet unpacked. So, with her encouragement, I gamely agree to play tour guide around my alma mater and continue to until, about halfway through the interview, she starts telling me about the architecture – at which point it becomes clear how her easy and self-effacing manner can function as a smokescreen for the sharpness of her mind.

As we set off past the beds of majestic fig trees and the manicured lawns surrounding the university’s sandstone quadrangle, passing backpacked students and fresh graduates posing for photos, I ask the newly installed professor of practice in creative writing what her own experience of studying creative writing was like. She looks stricken: “We’re starting with a confession.

Trump eases pressure on Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh as inflation tops 4%

President Donald Trump's economic advisors are giving Warsh space, as the new Fed chairman, on interest rates as the president repeats calls to cut.

Football Daily | Animal instinct and maths boost Netherlands’ hopes of World Cup glory

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When Paul the Octopus sadly died at an aquarium in Germany in 2010, there was a massive void to fill in the World Cup prediction space. It seemed a huge ask to find a tipster on the same level as the eight-legged maverick one-off. Others tried but Leon the Porcupine, Anton the Tamarin and Petty the Pygmy Hippopotamus were all woefully wide of the mark; this was no golden generation of animal oracles. Things turned dark in 2018 when a new octopus, Rabio, appeared on the scene but was killed by a Japanese fisher despite the sea-dwelling savant getting it right with all three of the Samurai Blue’s group games.

Big Website still has a lot of players ‘writing themselves into the history books’. Surely given the state of books (and history) we need to come up with a new term like ‘entered themselves at the datacentre’ or ‘input themselves into a field on a spreadsheet on the Opta supercomputer’?” – Michael Hill.

Given that the (somewhat logical) German words for semi-final, etc are worthy of a letter o’ the day (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), here by contrast are the somewhat odd Finnish terms. A final is an ‘end match’ (loppuottelu) but recently the boring ‘final’ (finaali) is often used. A semi-final is a välierä, where erä is round and väli is intermediate. So a rather vague ‘intermediate round’. So far so good, perhaps, but a quarter-final is a puolivälierä = a half välierä or in other words a ‘half intermediate round’. The round of 16 is then a ‘a quarter intermediate round’, a neljännesvälierä” – Mike Walsh.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

Grab your Stetsons! How country music is taking over the UK

With country music festival attendances soaring and US artists selling out tours, are British and Irish audiences ready for “the full Southern experience”?

“There’s a certain magic with country music in the UK right now,” says Anna-Sophie Mertens, smiling in hi-vis from the build at State Fayre, the UK’s newest festival for country fans. It is located in Chelmsford but styled like the American South – think clapboard, rusted metal and water points disguised as retro gas stations – and this weekend, the gates will open to 50,000 country devotees.

Country is the UK’s fastest-growing genre, according to data from the Country Music Association (CMA), and has been for three years in a row. Until 2023, UK tastes leaned towards legacy acts, but now modern megastars such as Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Cowboy Carter-era Beyoncé have taken the wheel, reflecting a changing of the guard.

How Sail 250 will celebrate America

Sail 250 is a parade of dozens of tall ships and naval vessels from more than 20 nations in honor of the United States' 250th birthday. The ships make their way from New Orleans to New York Harbor for the Fourth of July weekend. Rob Marciano has more.

Adapting to the heat: four ideas from European cities

From checking on older neighbours to greening spaces, some cities are stepping up efforts to keep people safe

• Europe live – latest updates

Extreme heat has seared Europe this week, with the UK smashing its top heat record for June for three days in a row, and France sweltering through its hottest day and night on record.

As fossil fuel pollution bakes the planet, making heatwaves hotter and longer, some places are adapting better than others. What have European cities done to stay safe when it gets too hot?

Judge throws out Andrew Tate’s legal claim to be told names of accusers

CPS says decision to withhold names is due to fears Tate and his brother could identify alleged victims online

Andrew and Tristan Tate’s legal claim to be told the names of their female accusers has been thrown out by a high court judge who ruled that prosecutors had acted reasonably in treating the brothers as “notorious”.

Mr Justice Chamberlain on Friday rejected an attempt to compel the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to inform the Tates of the identities of the women whose allegations have formed the basis for charges against the men of rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.

Big Tech is spending trillions on AI. Investors want proof it'll pay off.

Technology companies are betting trillions of dollars that consumers will open their wallets for AI services. But what if Big Tech is wrong?

OpenAI staggers AI model release after Trump administration request

Sam Altman announces limited preview of GPT 5.6 in move that echoes launch of Anthropic’s Mythos

• Business live – latest updates

OpenAI is staggering the release of its latest AI model after a request from the US government, in a move echoing the launch of Anthropic’s Mythos product.

Sam Altman, the chief executive of the company behind ChatGPT, told staff this week that GPT 5.6 would be released in a limited preview to a small group of partners, according to the tech publication The Information.

Think your parent is neurodivergent? Here’s what you need to know

Up to 97% of autistic people over 60 are undiagnosed. Experts offer up advice for family members on how to support this ‘neglected generation’

There has been a huge shift in awareness around neurodiversity recently, with improved provision for children in schools and increased middle-age diagnosis and detection in women. Still, one group has remained underserved when it comes to support; adults over 60. A recent study estimated that 89-97% of autistic people over 60 are undiagnosed, leading experts in the field, such as Dr Louise Rutter (who last year co-authored a report on the subject for the British Psychological Society) to brand them a “neglected generation”.

It’s an issue facing adult children who might be caring for older parents and recognising traits of autism and ADHD. You may be wondering where to find support – or whether that’s the best course of action (the experts say it is). Here’s a guide.

‘Fork in the road’: CEO of Amazon-backed Rivian on why carmakers need to invest in EVs

RJ Scaringe says firms focused on selling fossil fuel engines risk being ‘woefully behind’ on technology by end of decade

Carmakers that focus on selling fossil fuel engines are at risk of being “woefully behind” on technology by the end of the decade, according to the boss of Rivian, an Amazon-backed US electric carmaker.

RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and chief executive, said the car industry has reached a “fork in the road” in the choice between short-term profits and the heavy investments, particularly in software, that will be required to survive.

U.S. team suffers first 2026 World Cup loss, heads to knockout round

The U.S. men's team had already clinched its spot in the Round of 32, the knockout round, with its 2-0 win over Australia on Friday.

O what a tangled web: unweaving the weirdest fan rumours surrounding Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Will X-Men’s Jean Grey be in the fourth Marvel Spidey film? What about Spider-Girl? Which Hulk will we see? Who is the real villain? And is Marvel fuelling the internet’s frenzied rumour machine on purpose?

It’s hard to pinpoint when Marvel trailers stopped being mere hype and started teeing up their own conspiracy theories, but it was probably around the time that early footage from Spider-Man: No Way Home appeared to show the Lizard getting thumped by thin air – and the internet correctly pointed out the recently deleted digital ghost of Andrew Garfield. Since then we’ve had Patrick Stewart’s voice hinting at a Professor X cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Wakanda Forever revealing a new Black Panther suit while declining to mention that Shuri was inside it.

Now it’s happening again with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. With the fourth Marvel Spidey film out next month, the internet is abuzz with predictions. “This movie is a real mystery,” Tom Holland told Esquire. “And for a large portion of the film even Spider-Man is a little bit at odds and lost and is like, ‘What is going on?’ We’re just trying to find ways to make this movie feel like a detective movie.”

Australia plans to strengthen laws banning children from social media

Observers said on Friday the government is responding to evidence that the ban on young children holding accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube had failed since it came into force in December year.

State functions, offices and tourists: plans for revamped Buckingham Palace

Despite £369m upgrade, King Charles will never live in palace but aides stress it will remain ‘buzzing hive’ of activity

Not all modern British monarchs have viewed the prospect of moving into Buckingham Palace with unalloyed joy. So in announcing he will never live there, after the completion of its £369m upgrade next year, King Charles has at least grasped that nettle.

Queen Victoria was initially dismayed by the damp, dingy and disorganised building that greeted her and her husband, Prince Albert, in 1837. It was Albert who refashioned it into “Monarchy HQ”. After his death in 1861, Victoria retreated mainly to Windsor, Balmoral and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

Trump administration moves to restart LGBTQ+ suicide hotline it initially ended

The Trevor Project non-profit that helped pioneer LGBTQ+ ‘press 3’ option for 988 hotline is being shut out as it restarts

The Trump administration is moving to restart the specialized LGBTQ+ option for youth who contact the 988 crisis intervention hotline – but the group that helped pioneer the idea is being shut out.

The Trevor Project, the New York-based leading non-profit for suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ young people in the US, may not be allowed to offer the service it had helped develop for the 988 Lifeline just a few years ago.

South Korean ex-first lady sentenced to 7 years for bribery scandal

The former first lady had previously been sentenced to four years in a separate case involving the Unification Church.

World Cup scouting report: the lowdown on England’s next opponents Panama

Did you enjoy England’s stalemate against Ghana? Panama are just as seasoned in the art of footballing nihilism

Panama apparently have nothing to play for when they face England in New Jersey on Saturday. After an attritional 1-0 loss to Ghana in their opener, and a slightly unlucky 1-0 defeat by Croatia, there is no path to the knockouts for Los Canaleros.

There is, however, something else at stake: a first point at a World Cup at the sixth attempt. Panama lost all three matches on their debut appearance at the 2018 edition, so getting anything against England would be a statement result.

Ex-Apollo CEO Leon Black says Jeffrey Epstein duped him out of more than $60 million

Metallica review – metal legends break out the pyrotechnics … and a Proclaimers cover

Hampden Park, Glasgow
Armed with four drum kits, an arsenal of hits and a 50,000-strong snake pit, Lars Ulrich and co deliver a masterclasss on their marathon world tour

Metallica are welcomed to the stage in Glasgow by relentless heatwave sun and a blast of Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy of Gold. It’s a striking start to the closing leg of a three year-plus world tour, which started with the release of the metal legends’ solid 2023 album 72 Seasons. Much of the tour has comprised mini-residencies, with back-to-back “no repeats” shows offering the promise of deep cuts while betting on completists’ deep wallets. This stop in Glasgow is for one night only, meaning a guarantee of both hits and lesser played gems.

The 15-strong setlist showcases the range of the band’s catalogue, from the heavy, pyrotechnics-laden Fuel and Kill ’Em All’s incredible opener Hit the Lights to the moodiness of The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters (“I see people crowd surfing,” says singer James Hetfield, bemused. “Whatever it takes, man”). The title track from 72 Seasons is the only song from the band’s newest album to make the setlist, but it still gets two mini circle pits going in the standing area. There’s even a moment of light entertainment during the regular spot for a cover of a local song, courtesy of bassist Rob Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett; tonight, it’s an arguably too easy pick of The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles.

Sports quiz of the week: heat, animals, money and a big week at the World Cup

Have you followed the news in football, cricket, tennis, rugby, golf, athletics and cycling?

Kent van driver praised for giving lift to armed officer chasing suspect

Bodycam footage captures moment motorist pulls over to help police officer and calls: ‘Get in the back’

A van driver in Kent has been praised after giving a lift to an armed police officer who was chasing a suspect.

Bodycam footage from the officer captured the moment the motorist pulled over to help the police on 16 June and called out: “Get in the back. Get in the back.”

Luigi Mangione's lawyers discussed possible plea deal in federal trial, but talks fell apart

Luigi Mangione's attorneys and federal prosecutors were discussing a possible plea deal in his federal case, but talks fell apart. Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024 and has pleaded not guilty.

Murderer of Henry Nowak shown in new footage lying about facing racist attack

Police bodycam footage also shows Vickrum Digwa claiming student was wounded from punch or falling over

The murderer of Henry Nowak, the student whose death sparked riots in Southampton, is seen lying to police officers about being racially attacked in newly released bodyworn camera footage.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years this month for stabbing the 18-year-old five times in December last year.

Massive wildfires grow across Utah as conditions worsen

Large wildfires in Utah continue to grow as dangerous winds and severe drought make them more difficult to fight. Rob Marciano reports.

Alpine heat and jubilant Japan fans: photos of the day – Friday

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

‘Make people dream’: how to build an economy for the common good

Economist Prof Mariana Mazzucato says governments must ‘get back their mojo’ and believe they can change the world

Good governments have a vision. They know what they want to achieve, can articulate why, and work out in public how to get there. They don’t just spout slogans about economic growth – because growth is meaningless unless we know what it is for. They understand that there is no trade-off between solving social problems and boosting the economy, and aim to do both, while avoiding rigid fiscal rules that defeat their own purpose by strangling public investment.

If this sounds like a critique of what went wrong with Keir Starmer’s government, it is also a lot more. Mariana Mazzucato, a professor in the economics of innovation and public value at University College London, is a world-renowned economist, adviser to governments, chair of international commissions, prolific author, and PhD supervisor to at least one poet. She was the thinker who inspired Starmer to fashion his political project around five key “missions”, now largely forgotten in the mire of scandals, U-turns and infighting that beset his premiership.

‘Have more joy! Believe in yourself!’ Legally Blonde is back – as a life-affirming TV prequel

Reese Witherspoon’s 00s movie is a beloved cult classic – and now she’s using a spinoff to battle these dark times. The creators of Elle talk miniskirts, car phones and why people need to take teenage girls more seriously

If there’s a young adult romance on TV, we millennial women will watch it. Throw in a love triangle or an emotionally available hockey player having an open conversation about consent, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a cultural phenomenon. Cover it in girlhood nostalgia and serve it to us every summer for our inner teenager to swoon over.

Teen girl-centric dramas have taken streamers by storm in 2026, with love stories reminiscent of a Taylor Swift song that leave viewers smitten for boys half their age. The likes of hockey romance Off Campus or poetically charming drama Every Year After take a sensational soundtrack and add some coming-of-age pains, friendship dramas and relationship dilemmas.

Initiation stones, buried recordings, and Ringo Starr’s drumkit: inside the visionary world of reggae master Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry

The late production genius’s chaotic reputation has always preceded him. But could two new books, a posthumous album and a flurry of classic reissues change all that – and put the focus back on his music?

David Katz’s introduction to the world of Lee “Scratch” Perry was bewildering. The Jamaican producer had been living in London for several years, and Katz, a Jewish reggae historian who had fallen in love with the music as a teenager in San Francisco, had moved to the UK capital in 1987 and wanted to interview the notoriously evasive artist.

Katz tracked him down to a recording studio in Rotherhithe, just over the river in south London. Perry welcomed him before insisting he present him with “13 stones from your country” with no further explanation. When Katz informed him he could hardly just pop back to the west coast, Perry told him to “go down to the River Thames and get me 13 stones!”.

At last, an economic policy we can all get behind – doubling the royal family’s funding | Marina Hyde

But with rumours about a certain workshy Windsor circulating this week, are we actually encouraging joblessness with an overly generous safety net?

Finally, some part of our struggling state is getting a massive budget increase – and it’s not even the welfare bill, like normal. Or maybe it is? The monarchy’s core funding is going to double to £100m. Also mentioned under cover of the same info dump is the fact that the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace is currently coming in at £369m, but the King and Queen don’t want to live there when it’s done.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the gaiety the Windsors add to this nation, willingly or otherwise, but I do worry: are we enabling a culture of dependence that isn’t actually great for any of the people involved? Does the royal economy need rebalancing, if it is simply impossible to own an absolutely vast private network of land and high-end properties without somehow still needing a top-up from the state? You’ve heard of the poverty trap – will no one think of the royalty trap?

Marina Hyde’s new book, What a Time to Be Alive!, is out in September (Guardian Faber Publishing, £20). To support the Guardian, order your signed copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Russia preparing possible ‘provocation’ in Baltic states or Poland, sources say

Kremlin may attempt to test Nato cohesion as Russia comes under growing pressure from Ukraine, according to sources from two countries

Two countries on Nato’s eastern flank have warned that Russia is preparing a possible “provocation” in the Baltic states or Poland in an effort to test the cohesion of the western military alliance.

Western sources also fear there could be danger on the horizon because the Kremlin is coming under pressure from Ukraine’s campaign of long-range attacks on targets near Moscow and St Petersburg.

'The cult of Elon': SpaceX investors grapple with volatility amid big swings

SpaceX stock has seen big spikes and drop in its opening two weeks as a public company.

Volkswagen plans to cut 15% of its workforce and close four German plants, report says

Auto giant Volkswagen is reportedly planning to cut 100,000 jobs and end production at four German plants over the coming years.

Rescuers scramble to find Venezuela earthquake survivors. And, SCOTUS rules on asylum

Rescuers are searching for thousands of people missing after two earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday. And, the Supreme Court says the U.S. can turn away asylum seekers at the border.

Paramedic and football coach among 13 men charged with abusing woman ‘drugged by husband’

Co-defendants in case against Stockport man in his 60s can be revealed after reporting restrictions were lifted

The identities of 13 men charged in the UK alongside a man accused of drugging and raping his wife can be revealed after reporting restrictions were lifted.

The main defendant in the case is due to go on trial in September. He stands accused of drugging and sexually assaulting his wife over a period of 20 years and conspiring with other men to engage in abuse.

‘Chock full of incredible animals’: marine expedition uncovers 31 new species in two weeks

Experts worked in ocean midwater off Brazil at near-record speeds thanks to cutting-edge tech

A marine biology expedition in international waters off the coast of Brazil has discovered 31 new species in just two weeks.

The researchers believe the speed at which the species were found and identified may be a record, in part because of the cutting-edge technology designed and built by the science and engineering team. For the first time on board a ship, the researchers were able to observe the living 3D cellular structure of microbial life thanks to a technological breakthrough nicknamed the Squid.

Behold, the most realistic golf game ever | Dominik Diamond

Normal Golf Game takes a tiresomely easy genre and makes it infernally difficult. Which deserves a round of applause

I have always struggled playing golf. I wish I didn’t. It’s a beautiful game in concept. A leisurely walk in the sunshine, slapping a ball around, sandwiches and beer consumed during and after play. Sure, you have to dress like Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch, and getting membership of an actual club is more complex than joining the Freemasons (although many offer a two for one deal with this), but you don’t have to be fit, you don’t have to even run. It is the only outdoor sport where a fat dad can be the best in the world.

The premise couldn’t be simpler: get the ball in the hole. But there is nothing worse in sport than knowing what you have to do and not being able to do it. Just ask amateur parachutists.

Trump forced to drain the reflecting pool swamp | Politics Weekly America

The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington DC will have to be drained again. Donald Trump has blamed vandalism for the failure to keep the water 'American flag blue'. But what if this small body of water is proof that the president can’t outrun the truth?

Jonathan Freedland speaks to Arwa Mahdawi about why this project, which has cost the taxpayer millions of dollars, is proving to be such an embarrassing failure for a man obsessed with image

Children and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels

A mouse detective; a fresh take on the Odyssey; a dangerous wish; and the world’s most watched reality TV show

My Dad Can by Stephen Lightbown, illustrated by Claire Sahara Lemp, Quarto, £7.99
Iris’s dad can turn into dinosaurs, unicorns, anything she imagines – though some people see Dad’s wheelchair and believe he can’t do anything. This soft-smudged, colourful picture book celebrates the playfulness and creativity of parenthood.

The Fluffy Futon by Yuichi Kasano, translated by Cathy Hirano, Gecko, £12.99
When Grandma spreads a futon on the sunny porch to air, it’s so fluffy that kittycat, Grandma, hen, chicks and the whole household join each other for a nap in this delightful picture book, perfect for enjoying at bedtime.

California’s landmark anti-plastics law sparks anger as 17 states move to sue

Ambitious plan to phase out single-use plastic opposed by chemicals industry – while green groups say law too timid

A groundbreaking California law that compels packaging producers to phase out single-use plastics is already sparking anger from the chemicals industry and environmental groups just weeks after going into effect.

The law, which was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022 but only took effect in May, requires plastic and packaging companies to use less single-use plastic, and ensure by 2032 that all packaging is either recyclable or compostable. The big idea is to incentivize producers of plastics to consider the end of their products’ life in order to create better, more sustainable bottles, containers and wrappings.

Exonerated man's widow calls settlement in yogurt shop murders "blood money"

The city of Austin agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement to be split among four men — including to the widow and daughter of Maurice Pierce — who were wrongfully accused of murdering four teenage girls in a Texas yogurt shop.

Aid worker says hundreds remain trapped after Venezuela earthquakes

After earthquakes shattered much of the capital in Venezuela, Project Hope's Cesar Jimenez says rescue crews are racing to save hundreds trapped as international aid arrives and hospitals struggle to cope.

Whereabouts of nearly 300 people with Ebola unknown in DR Congo

Fears over ‘huge community transmission’ as modelling predicts thousands of deaths in DRC by September

The whereabouts of almost 300 people who have tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is unknown, according to Africa’s top public health official.

The humanitarian crisis amid the conflict in the affected areas means more than 1 million people are living in camps to which health workers have no access, Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on Thursday.

Midsummer isn’t the best time for planting, but it’s great for planning

Figuring out how to best use a shady nook or sunny patio is easiest when the light is strongest

The summer solstice is behind us: where did the year go? But the next few weeks are still a good time to work out where your sunny spots actually are, and where they’re not. And that’s helpful for plotting out everything you might want to do and grow in your garden.

Last June, I was desperate to peer at our future garden so I could figure out just this. We hadn’t exchanged contracts on the place yet and my husband pointed out that the young people who were then renting it would probably refuse me access on the grounds of being weird. Perhaps they would! But I still wanted to see where the sun fell.

Why did Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene leave the Republican party? | Geoffrey Kabaservice

Disillusioned America firsters, like Carson and Greene, are angry at Trump’s foreign interventions, may sit out the midterm elections

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and former Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene – once among Donald Trump’s most prominent champions – announced recently that they have left the Republican party.

Both rightwing superstars had feuded with the president throughout his second term, but their split was provoked by Trump’s war with Iran and what they viewed as his elevation of foreign affairs over domestic concerns like inflation and high gas prices. Although both have said that they will not support Democrats, their defection points to serious divisions within the Republican party that could weaken its prospects in the midterm elections and beyond.

Geoffrey Kabaservice is the director of political studies at the Niskanen Center in Washington, as well as the author of Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party

Shipping rebounds in Strait of Hormuz one week after U.S.-Iran deal – but fragile confidence threatens recovery

Shipping traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz is recovering one week after the U.S. and Iran signed an interim peace deal.

'We are with you, Venezuela': Houston community rallies after deadly earthquakes

Venezuelans living in the U.S organize donation drives in response to the devastating earthquakes.

‘A beauty pageant in athletic form’: how cheerleading show America’s Sweethearts became a Netflix megahit

The film-makers and stars of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders docu-series explain the sisterhood and fights for fair pay behind the pompoms

It’s been 30 years since the Dallas Cowboys – who have long billed themselves as America’s Team – won the Super Bowl. But now, thanks to Greg Whiteley’s Netflix docu-series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the most reliable and globally recognizable arm of the Cowboys brand may no longer be the men playing football, but the women dancing on the sidelines.

“The footballers are gonna break your heart,” one fan says in the Season 3 finale. “But the cheerleaders are gonna leave you with a smile.”

‘I’m a soldier. I don’t have a gun, but I have a pen and a camera’: Mahnaz Mohammadi on fighting the Iranian regime

The director and activist on her fictional drama Roya, drawing on her experience of imprisonment and torture, and why even in Europe she feels unsafe

Mahnaz Mohammadi is a survivor. The Iranian film-maker and women’s rights activist has been arrested on many occasions and imprisoned several times. In 2011, she was held for months in solitary confinement and tortured. In 2014, she was sentenced to five years and spent several months in prison. A few years ago, she met one of her first interrogators, from an early arrest.

“Do you know what he said to me?” she says. “He said he told his colleagues that after doing all those things, if I were going back behind the camera, it meant they couldn’t do anything with me. When I heard this from his mouth, I thought: ‘He’s right! Nobody can hurt me.’”

From cheap transport to football geekery: how Zohran Mamdani won the World Cup

The New York City mayor has made his mark on the tournament to cap an extraordinary run of sporting success over the last few months

A stunning evening sun was setting behind Union City on Wednesday. It made it slightly harder to see the giant screen that had been set up for the Brazil v Scotland watch party in Hudson River Park, but not enough to ruin the vibe of a New York City World Cup evening. Partly it didn’t matter because the clutch of Brazilians watching the game, kitted out in canary yellow and “100% Jesus” headbands, were already in full samba mode, given how comfortable their 3-0 win was. But mainly it was because this was a beautiful World Cup moment.

This is my eighth World Cup. The outdoor screening, combined with the gentle breeze off the Hudson – I had already navigated the hubbub in Times Square, colonised by chanting Germans and flag-waving Ecuadorians – was as captivating as anything I’ve experienced in Marseille, Seoul, Cape Town or Rio de Janeiro. New York City is perhaps the only place in the world where a World Cup may go unnoticed but the tournament genuinely feels like an intrinsic part of life in large parts of the city, certainly since the Knicks’ victory parade finished. In fact, the feelgood endorphins seem to have segued seamlessly into World Cup fever for many in the city.

Candomblé: Sacred Rhythms in Brazil review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month

(Flee)
A treasure trove of field recordings are reshaped into pulsating floor-fillers and sparse baile funk by a range of producers

The Brazilian religious and musical tradition of candomblé is a rhythmic barrage. Originating in the 19th century among enslaved west Africans, candomblé manifested in music as a ritual practice of drumming circles, where polyrhythms were hammered out to induce possession by spirits. Athens-based archival label Flee presents a treasure trove of this ceremonial music from a community in Salvador in the late 1980s, alongside a series of ingenious remixes made by contemporary artists.

Side one of the album hosts the field recordings. Hazy, unbalanced and full of tape hiss, the 10 ritual compositions pull listeners into the frenetic environment in which they were recorded. It is as if we are sitting next to the tape recorder witnessing the overlapping, joyous voices glimpsed in the distance on Ossaim or the singular male voice that wails movingly before disappearing on Xangô. The experience can feel frustratingly fragmented, but if melody is fleeting, the drumming is not. Clattering, clave-style hits produce infectious movement on Ogum, while bells and a mid-tempo swing create the feel of undulating waves on Entrada dos Orixás.

Mexico’s new UK ambassador from ‘party of poor’ has 10 houses and £1m of jewellery

Alejandro Gertz Manero’s cars and properties contrast starkly with Morena party’s long association with austerity

With his million-dollar jewellery collection and his two Rolls-Royces, Mexico’s new ambassador to the UK will fit right in with the Mayfair crowd.

Former attorney general Alejandro Gertz Manero was appointed to the post by President Claudia Sheinbaum last year, but only recently disclosed his financial assets.

Chess: Carlsen’s four defeats in a row – just a blip or the start of a career downturn?

The word No 1 has had difficult periods previously, but at 35 and a wealthy family man, could he now be tempted towards a more relaxed lifestyle?

Magnus Carlsen’s four defeats in a row during the World Team Rapid in Hong Kong last week, coupled with his disappointing fourth place among six grandmasters in Oslo last month, have sparked discussion about whether the Norwegian, now a wealthy 35-year-old with a baby son, might be tempted towards a further reduction in his chess activities and a more relaxed lifestyle.

Carlsen had not previously lost four games in succession since Gausdal 2002, when he was 11 years old. The four defeats came after Carlsen had begun well, with a draw and then two victories, one against a historic rival, the Ukrainian veteran Vasyl Ivanchuk. That win was achieved in a classic example of a style and technique which Carlsen has made his own, a prolonged squeeze and grind maintained despite acute time pressure, as was his next victory against China’s Xu Xiangyu.

How much? The hidden costs of restaurant dishes

Two chefs lift the lid on the expensive business of creating menus they love

You pay: £21
Restaurant profit: £1.65

Child malnutrition in Nepal has reached ‘alarming’ levels since aid cuts, survey finds

Fears hard-won gains in reducing child mortality over 20 years are at risk after end of USAID funding for nutrition programmes

Child malnutrition in Nepal has reached “alarming” levels, according to the largest ever survey of under-fives in the country.

The new figures came just over a year after USAID, the former US flagship agency closed by the Trump administration in 2025, stopped funding work on child nutrition in Nepal.

Strung review – far-fetched thriller awkwardly mixes Blumhouse and Tyler Perry

There are flashes of low-rent fun to be had here but a busy script makes it feel like a limited series inelegantly cut down to movie length

Strung is a cautionary tale about following your gut. Directed by Malcolm D Lee – the under-heralded virtuoso behind Girls Trip, Barbershop and other fine franchises – the Peacock suspense thriller stars Chloe Bailey as Laila, a classical violinist with her sights set on a seat in the city philharmonic. A substitute music teaching gig leaves that dream feeling farther away than ever until Laila meets Lynn Whitfield’s Audra – who not only offers more stable and lucrative work as a private music tutor for her granddaughter, but also an inside track to the philharmonic.

Of course, Laila is too bright-eyed, too bubbly and too overwhelmed by the opulence she’s suddenly crossed into to see that it’s all too good to be true. Audra’s daughter, Imani (DC Titans’ Anna Diop), is icy and unmoved by this childcare lifeline, even as she’s well into her third trimester. The prized pupil, Zuri (Romy Woods), is a modern problem child: hyper-allergic, emotionally withdrawn and forever hiding behind a Dahomey warrior mask. The pupil’s antisocial behavior, and its eerie echoes of another young Black girl who looms large in Laila’s imagination (her sister, we later learn), is supposed to set Zuri up for the classic killer kid role. But Lee abandons that tension fairly quickly, and instead traces the girl’s quirks back to the murder of her rapper father. It isn’t until Imani’s husband, Marcus (Emily in Paris’s Lucien Laviscount), re-enters the picture – he and Laila hooked up before she was hired to tutor his stepchild in another coincidence, more inconvenient this time – that Strung really starts to get wooly.

‘I can out-dance Bowie and Jagger!’ Martha Reeves on Motown, Dancing in the Street and smashing crockery with Dusty Springfield

Now 84, the voice of Heat Wave and Jimmy Mack is releasing a new album. She answers your questions on Marvin Gaye, popularising the roundabout and why she hates cover versions of her songs

You were part of perhaps the richest and most exciting era of music since the German and Italian classics of the 19th century. How was it for you and what made it all tick? eamonmcc
William Stevenson discovered me after I had won an amateur contest. It was like a dream come true that a producer would come and approach me and say, “You have talent, come to Hitsville, USA.” I took his advice and showed up the next day unannounced and was immediately placed in a position as secretary [at Motown Records]. It felt real good that I was at the right place at the right time. It was magical to me and it’s all been just a glorious ride.

The Motown production line is sometimes compared to the production line of cars in Detroit. Is there anything to that, do you think? mesm
Motown and Ford are synonymous. My dad worked for Ford and [Motown founder] Berry Gordy worked there as an employee. It taught Berry Gordy the way to represent and how to manage and how to give people assignments. He called it Motown or Motortown. So, it’s all combined: Motor City, Detroit, manufacturing, making music as an assembly line.

A little bird told her: scientist wins $100,000 prize for decoding birdsong

Julie Elie worked out how zebra finches announce who they are, what they are doing and use individual signatures

A scientist who decoded the vocalisations that a bird uses to communicate has won a $100,000 prize for making progress towards a world in which humans can talk to the animals – without being met with a blank response.

Dr Julie Elie at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded the 2026 Coller-Dolittle prize for two-way interspecies communication after working out the 11 core calls in the zebra finch vocabulary and their meanings.

U.S.-Iran peace deal grants access to Tehran's nuclear sites, UN watchdog says

"The technical work has started, and we hope to be there soon," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said at a news conference in Japan on Friday.

Pochettino chides press for questions after 3-2 loss to Turkey: ‘We won the group’

• US manager says his team deserve congratulations

• Plays down talk of momentum and focuses on positives

Mauricio Pochettino criticized questions over his team’s performance in a 3-2 loss to Turkey on Thursday, telling journalists he expected to be congratulated for leading the US to a first-place finish in the group and found their questions about the dead-rubber loss “weird”.

The US had secured top spot in Group D on the back of two historic performances – a 4-1 opening win against Paraguay in which the team scored more goals in a World Cup match than ever before, and a 2-0 victory over Australia that secured a first six-point opening to a World Cup.

Behold the sunbrella, fashion’s stealth accessory for a heatwave

Brollies are becoming year-round must-haves, as designers from Burberry to Blunt cater to people ducking out of the sun

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A bottle of water and a handheld fan are regularly deployed to keep cool while out and about in hot weather. With temperatures reaching record levels for June, though, a new heatwave accessory has emerged: the sunbrella.

On high streets around the country, people wielding umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun have become a common sight. On Thursday, as the Austrian Grand Prix declared a heat hazard, Lewis Hamilton was spotted in the paddock holding a Ferrari red umbrella that matched his race suit. And they’re popping up on catwalks, too. At the Dior show during Paris fashion week on Wednesday, guests including the actors James Marsden and Mike Faist were handed large cream umbrellas to help ease their discomfort as temperatures hit 38C.

The Mission review – a surgeon saves lives in war-torn Gaza in a visceral portrait of human endurance

Mohammad Tahir and his colleagues operate through bombing and blackouts in barely functional hospitals – but there are moments of relief amid the documentary’s tragedy and gore

What this documentary might lack in film-making finesse it makes up for with sheer visceral and emotional impact. British nerve surgeon Mohammad Tahir and his colleagues, who also work the cameras, toil in Gaza’s barely operational hospitals during some of the worst days and nights of the war in the winter of 2024-25. Supported by US-based charity FAJR Global, who provide medical care to the world’s most in need, Tahir operates through bombings and blackouts with a bare minimum of medical supplies, sometimes treating patients lying on the floor in puddles of blood because there are no gurneys. This is often hard to watch, and not just because of all the gore; many of the victims are children, out of whom Tahir and the others dig bullets as well as tiny tungsten cubes, new-fangled shrapnel designed to cause maximum damage.

With his matinee-star good looks, rock-steady composure and air of unruffled competence, Tahir makes an excellent guide to all this mayhem. For the most part he soldiers stoically on, but the cool melts when, for instance, he discusses how he had to remove a random jawbone embedded in a patient’s wound. Later on, he treats a little girl who has lost an arm in a bombing; he manages to reattach it after the family find the severed limb in the rubble of their home. The film could have easily started to feel like a numbing, endless procession of tragedy and bloodshed but the film-makers wisely offer a few moments of respite, such as a sequence where Tahir and his fellow medics enjoy a day out at the beach. Likewise, a scene where he teases a medical student bent over her textbooks briefly lightens the load of gloom.

Incredible panoramas, wildflower meadows and the odd wild horse: readers’ favourite walks in Europe

From cliffside views of Lake Garda to post-hike saunas in Sweden, you share your most memorable walking trips

• Tell us about a cooler European coast – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher

If you have a head for heights, then you can “walk with the gods” on the Sentiero degli Dei. It’s cut into the vertiginous hillside high above the Amalfi coast, offering heavenly views all the way to Capri and beyond. Ten breathtaking kilometres later, you’ll rejoin the earthly hordes of Instagrammers in the undeniably beautiful but crowded Positano. A super-convenient combined bus and ferry ticket from Travelmar takes you from any of the coastal towns to the start of the walk, in the lovely hamlet of Bomerano, in Agerola, and from Positano back to your base.
Brian

Migrating swifts loyally return every year to nests in buildings, study finds

Conservationists emphasise importance of protecting nesting sites used by ‘strongly faithful’ red-listed species

Migratory swifts loyally return every year to their nests in buildings, according to a study, underlining the importance of providing the endangered birds with hollow nesting bricks if traditional nest sites are lost to renovations.

The swift, which is on the red list of conservation concern, is one of Britain’s most threatened species, having declined in number by 70% since 1995 because of the loss of nesting sites, often when old buildings are re-roofed or given better insulation. While Scotland this year made the installation of swift bricks – a simple hollow brick – a legal requirement in new buildings, the government in England has repeatedly refused to oblige builders to include a £35 swift brick in every new home.