The Guardian
Far-right activist Daniel Thomas slashes dinghy in Channel with blade while rescue worker onboard
Thomas called followers to disrupt arrival of asylum seekers in Gosport, but Border Force instead transported them to Dover
Charities have condemned footage of far-right activist Daniel Thomas using a blade to slash an inflatable dinghy in the Channel while a rescue worker was onboard, in a further escalation of organised anti-immigration protest.
Hundreds of protesters gathered early on Tuesday evening at Gosport in Hampshire, aiming to disrupt the planned disembarkation of asylum seekers, but the Border Force vessels carrying them landed instead in Dover.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 22:30
The Guardian
Children as young as 13 being referred to UK hospital suffering from ‘ketamine bladder’
County’s first such clinic, at Alder Hey in Liverpool, treating children suffering from chronic bladder problems with severe cases needing dialysis
Children as young as 13 in the UK have been referred to a specialist clinic for a “devastating” bladder condition linked to sustained use of ketamine.
Medics at Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool opened the first ketamine clinic in the UK for young people amid a surge in urology problems linked to addiction of the drug.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 22:30
The Guardian
Spain allows US extradition case against pro-Palestine aid donor to proceed
Lawyers for James ‘Fergie’ Chambers, wanted over alleged support for Hamas, say client is being persecuted
The Spanish government has decided to allow the Trump administration’s controversial extradition request to extradite wealthy activist James “Fergie” Chambers to continue in the country’s courts.
Chambers, a US citizen and wealthy donor to leftwing and humanitarian projects, is currently imprisoned in Madrid. It is the first known case of the US seeking to extradite a citizen over alleged support for Hamas, an accusation tied to money Chambers has donated to support Palestinians, including the Sameer Project, in Gaza.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 22:16Meta's Muse shopping agent is a hit, as AI commerce starts to take off
Meta's new AI tool now ranks at the top of the App Store. Some retail experts see a "natural evolution from search."
22nd September 2026 22:02
NPR Topics: News
Questions remain after grand jury declines indictment in Nolan Wells' death
The Black Mississippi teen's family questions whether his race contributed to his July 4th death on an island off the Mississippi coast.
22nd September 2026 21:47ICE officer who shot Venezuelan man wasn't wearing body camera, sources say
The ICE officer who shot a Venezuelan delivery driver was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting, sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News.
22nd September 2026 21:43Man shot by ICE being detained with bullet still in his back, lawyer says
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, the 28-year-old Venezuelan national shot by an ICE officer on Sunday, said in a phone call on Monday that he's "not doing well."
22nd September 2026 21:37
NPR Topics: News
Girl accuses Braden Peters, social media influencer known as 'Clavicular,' of rape
The allegations claim Braden Peters, also known as Clavicular, had non-consensual sex with the 17-year-old female victim after plying her with alcohol. Peters' representative denies the charges.
22nd September 2026 21:37
The Guardian
California and New York sue over Trump push to halt wind energy projects
US officials have begun to buy back wind leases as president seek to block renewables in favor of fossil fuels
Democratic attorneys general from California and New York have sued the Trump administration over its plans to buy back offshore wind leases as Donald Trump seeks to discourage the expansion of wind energy in favor of fossil fuels.
California attorney general Rob Bonta said he was suing over removal of a project off his state’s coast planned by Chicago-based Invenergy. The Trump administration said in June it was buying back the company’s US offshore wind leases for four wind projects on the east and west coasts.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 21:35
NPR Topics: News
White House launches 'Trump TV' after ban on major news outlets
Days after President Trump barred reporters from three major news outlets from the White House, the administration has launched a 24/7 YouTube channel promising to put its "biggest moments all in one place."
22nd September 2026 21:31
The Guardian
Trump invades the UN with a brutish speech | Ted Widmer
Gone was any shred of US idealism. It was a spectacle of raw power – a power that is likely to only diminish in the years ahead
Expectations were low for Donald Trump’s address to the UN on Tuesday, and yet somehow it was even worse than expected. He does not perform well in formal settings, like chambers of government, preferring a blingier room, like Mar-a-Lago, or an outdoor rally. For years, he has made no secret of his hostility to the UN, and the very principles of international order that define it.
In recent years, that hostility has deepened into something more like a full-on assault, with frequent attacks on the International Criminal Court (perhaps out of fear that he will someday be indicted), on the UN’s climate agenda, and on Unesco (which the US decided to withdraw from in July 2025).
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 21:30Andreessen Horowitz launches AI school as college alternative
One of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture investors is gearing its new tech academy toward aspiring entrepreneurs focused on building AI.
22nd September 2026 21:25
The Guardian
Iran and US have held talks on sidelines of UN summit, says Donald Trump
Senior Iranian official indicates willingness to reopen strait of Hormuz if US takes steps to ease pressure on Tehran
Iranian officials held three hours of talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Donald Trump disclosed on Tuesday.
He said there would a further meeting in the very near future.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 21:21Qualcomm releases Android chip built for AI as memory shortage weighs on smartphone market
The overall smartphone market is expected to contract 14% in terms of units shipped in 2026.
22nd September 2026 21:09Trump administration removes around 760,000 Obamacare enrollments, alleging fraud
Vice President JD Vance's White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud estimates the action will save roughly $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies.
22nd September 2026 21:07Supreme Court stays out of custody dispute between California couple and surrogate
Justice Elena Kagan declined a request from a surrogate to intervene in a custody dispute with a California couple.
22nd September 2026 20:48
The Guardian
Hats, pencils and baby pacifiers: Yellowstone staffers retrieve record amount of trash from hot springs
The park is the most highly visited and strong winds make trash problem worse, with gusts blowing away items
Hold on to your hats – Yellowstone national park staffers have removed a record-setting 20,100 pieces of trash from hydrothermal areas around the geyser-filled park so far this year
The most commonly found items include 280 hats, 54 camera lens caps, 47 hair ties, 42 pencils, 36 pairs of sunglasses, 20 hotel key cards and 17 baby pacifiers.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 20:46Here's what the hurricane categories mean
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes on a scale from 1 to 5.
22nd September 2026 20:30
The Guardian
Trump made over 1,000 July stock trades worth up to $270m, filings reveal
President made more than 440 purchases and 700 sales despite voter anger over elected officials trading stocks
Donald Trump made over a thousand stock sales and purchases worth between $79m and $270m in July, according to a Guardian analysis of his latest financial disclosure released Tuesday.
His two largest sales were of Amazon and Microsoft stock, selling between $5m and $25m each on 20 July. That same day, he also sold up to $5m worth of Oracle and Costco stock, $500,000 to $1m in Nvidia, and bought up to $5m worth of shares in Intuit and Salesforce, among dozens of other transactions.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 20:13What is the White House press pool and how does it work?
President Trump's move to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House has highlighted the role of the press pool.
22nd September 2026 19:51
The Guardian
Trump praises relations with Burnham despite tensions over AI and Iran
US president calls UK prime minister ‘a natural businessperson’ as leaders meet at UN assembly in New York
Donald Trump has asserted his relationship with the UK is “more up” with Andy Burnham than under Keir Starmer despite tensions between the two countries on a range of thorny issues including regulation of artificial intelligence, the Chagos islands and the war in Iran.
At their first face-to-face meeting, the US president praised Burnham, who sat nervously alongside him, as a “natural businessperson”, saying he thought he had “lots of assets on his side” and would be a “great” prime minister.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 19:50
The Guardian
Trump says he backs diesel export ban to curb soaring energy costs
But industry trade group says plan would backfire and lead to even higher prices for gasoline
Donald Trump on Tuesday said he backed the idea of a ban on diesel exports, which some US politicians are calling for as a way to curb the soaring cost of energy.
Diesel prices have rallied in Europe and the US to record highs as wars in Iran and Ukraine sharply cut exports from some of the biggest producers such as Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A gallon of diesel fuel in the US was $6.53 on Tuesday, the highest average on record and over 75% higher than a year ago.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 19:48
The Guardian
Choosin’ Texas unseats All I Want for Christmas as longest-running No 1 song on Billboard Hot 100
Ella Langley’s record-breaking song has spent 23 weeks at the top, surpassing Mariah Carey’s holiday anthem
Ella Langley’s hit song Choosin’ Texas has made Billboard Hot 100 history, spending 23 weeks on the chart and breaking the record for the longest-running No 1 song in the chart’s 68-year old history.
The track, which was released last October as the lead single on the 27-year-old singer and songwriter’s album Dandelion, has surpassed Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, which topped the charts for 22 weeks.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 19:45U.S. to welcome up to 17,500 more White South Africans as refugees
The Trump administration is planning to welcome up to 17,500 additional White Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees over the next 12 months, according to a notice sent to Congress.
22nd September 2026 19:35
The Guardian
First blood to England in ODI series after Will Jacks helps see off Sri Lanka
All-rounder takes five wickets after vital 46 not out
Harry Brook top-scores with 67 in comfortable win
Harry Brook had called on his England players to continue the “high-octane” cricket witnessed during their clean sweep in the Twenty20s but this latest victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international was more of a slow-burn affair.
Gone was the neck-arching carnage of the previous week and in its place, on a tired end-of-season surface, England were bowled out for 265 in 48.1 overs. Brook top-scored with 67 under a warm September sun, before his bowlers rolled the tourists for 176 to take a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s second match at Headingley.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 19:34
NPR Topics: News
Trump's D.C. arch is now a military complex. Here's how that complicates things
The future of Trump's D.C. arch was already fraught. Then he rebranded it as a military complex. Experts say that only raises more legal and logistical questions.
22nd September 2026 19:25
The Guardian
Giants’ Jaxson Dart could reportedly miss rest of season with knee injury
Testing said to reveal injury is worse than anticipated
Quarterback was hurt against Rams on Monday
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will be out for an extended period of time and could miss the rest of the NFL season after suffering a knee injury in Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams, according to reports Tuesday.
ESPN reported that the injury to Dart’s left knee was more severe than initially anticipated. Adam Schefter said further testing has left the Giants and Dart facing the possibility of season-ending surgery.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 19:23Trump signs agreement giving U.S. broad military authority in Greenland
The U.S., Denmark and Greenland signed a new security agreement bolstering the United States' military and security presence on the island.
22nd September 2026 19:21
The Guardian
Hurricane Polo, rapidly intensifying from strong El Niño patterns, rages off coast of Mexico
Polo, with sustained winds of 165mph, is churning 215 miles south of Zihuatanejo but is unlikely to directly hit Mexico
A tropical storm off the south-west coast of Mexico has intensified into a category 5 monster in fewer than 24 hours, fueled by stronger than usual El Niño weather patterns in the Pacific Ocean.
Hurricane Polo was sending out maximum sustained winds of 165mph (266km/h) on Tuesday as its center churned about 215 miles (346km) south of the coastal city of Zihuatanejo, in Guerrero state.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 19:09Trump slams Iran and Cuba, defends AI growth in boastful UN speech
The U.S. "will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere," Trump told the UN leaders.
22nd September 2026 19:00
The Guardian
Will anyone topple Infantino? How Fifa president is trying to cling on after World Cup sell-off debacle
Fifa president continues to lobby for re-election despite no other candidates coming forward to challenge him
For Gianni Infantino there is no international break. The Fifa president is widely expected to make an appearance at the United Nations general assembly this week in New York, where he will lobby heads of state for their federations’ support as he continues his campaign to be re-elected next year.
Infantino has not been idle during the lull since Fifa abandoned its World Cup sell-off plan last month, instead crisscrossing the globe on a private jet provided by Qatar Airways as part of its sponsorship deal with world football’s governing body.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 19:00
The Guardian
Wamser rescues point for Manchester City in WCL fightback at Bayern Munich
Manchester City produced a gutsy performance to fight back and earn a valuable 2-2 draw away at Bayern Munich on their return to the Champions League. José Barcala’s side took the lead through Giulia Gwinn and an unfortunate Kerstin Casparij own goal but Beth Mead and Carlotta Wamser earned the visitors a hard-earned point.
City’s head coach, Andrée Jeglertz, was pleased with the resolve of his side after a difficult first half. “It [a comeback] has happened before because we know the quality is there,” he said. “The mentality of winning and the belief is there. It shows something about this group again.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 18:583 guys hacked OpenAI using a rival Anthropic model. Here's what to know.
Cybersecurity researchers from a small firm called Hacktron in India broke into OpenAI, showing how vulnerable frontier labs are.
22nd September 2026 18:53
The Guardian
UFC champion Sean Strickland in ‘real bad place’ after ATV crash while not wearing helmet
Middleweight shows injuries to head and shoulder
Fight says friend was in hospital after crash
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is recovering after being involved in an all-terrain vehicle accident while not wearing a helmet.
Strickland said in an Instagram video that the accident happened on Monday night in Las Vegas.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 18:37In U.N. speech, Trump threatens to "annihilate" Iran and defends foreign policy
President Trump said he could "annihilate" Iran while predicting that Tehran would make a deal to end the war after the U.S. midterm elections.
22nd September 2026 18:24Diesel prices just hit a new record. Would a U.S. export ban bring relief?
Some lawmakers want to halt U.S. diesel exports as prices top $6.50 a gallon. But such a ban could have unintended consequences, experts say.
22nd September 2026 18:19
The Guardian
Ella Baron on Andy Burnham’s visit to the United Nations – cartoon
Donald Trump has praised the UK prime minister as a ‘natural businessman’ after their first meeting at the UN general assembly
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 18:17
The Guardian
EU removes two oligarchs from Russia sanctions list as deadline looms
Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman delisted in what Ireland’s EU presidency calls ‘a difficult compromise’ for the bloc
The EU has agreed to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list, while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting the war on Ukraine for the next three years.
With an end-of-Tuesday deadline looming to preserve the Russia blacklist, the EU’s 27 member states found a compromise that meant delisting the two oligarchs in spite of very few countries wanting this outcome. EU sanctions have to be approved unanimously.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 18:07Autonomous trucking company Aurora looks to accelerate toward profitability
Aurora's founder and CEO told CNBC the company is targeting positive free cash flow by 2028, driven by a substantial increase in the number autonomous trucks.
22nd September 2026 17:57
The Guardian
Trump v the media: US networks unite in boycott - The Latest
In what is probably one of the biggest battles yet between the press and Donald Trump, major TV networks have united in a boycott of pooled coverage of his administration. It comes after three news organisations – CNN, MS Now and Politico – were denied access to the White House because of Trump’s concerns about their coverage. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s international news editor Paul Owen
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 17:41
The Guardian
Mikel Arteta agrees contract extension expected to keep him at Arsenal until 2030
Manager’s current deal to expire at end of the season
Spaniard can expect big increase on £10m-a-year salary
Mikel Arteta has agreed a long-term contract extension with Arsenal that includes a hefty pay rise in recognition of his success last season and could take his reign as the manager beyond a decade.
The three-year deal he signed in September 2024 expires at the end of this season and talks have been ongoing since May when Arsenal ended their long wait to be champions. Negotiations were put on hold during the summer transfer window but the Spaniard has reached a verbal agreement to extend his stay for a second time.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 17:36Trump snaps at CNN at United Nations: 'You should not be here covering me'
CNN, MS NOW and Politico are challenging Trump's ban of them from the White House with a lawsuit alleging he violated their First Amendment rights.
22nd September 2026 17:32
The Guardian
Trump calls on allies to enforce ‘complete economic isolation of Iran’ in UN speech
US president threatens to ‘annihilate’ Tehran and dismisses threat from AI as a ‘hoax’ in bellicose address
Donald Trump has called on nations to unite to isolate Tehran and bring down global energy prices, as he gave a bellicose defence of his administration’s foreign policy and decision to strike Iran.
“I call on all nations to help to enforce the complete economic isolation of Iran,” Trump said in a speech to the UN general assembly on Tuesday. “If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51-year menace of Iranian terror … and oil prices will come plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict.”
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 17:05
The Guardian
Real Madrid call for La Liga president’s removal over his response to derby complaints
Javier Tebas accused club of ‘permanent conspiracy’ talk
Real Madrid hit back at president’s ‘intolerable’ behaviour
Real Madrid want a new La Liga president in light of what they called “intolerable” comments from the incumbent, Javier Tebas, who said on Tuesday that claims of officiating bias against the club belonged to “another galaxy”.
After losing 2-1 to Atlético Madrid on Sunday, Real headlined the match report on their website: “Terrible refereeing decides the derby.”
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 17:02
The Guardian
Are you embracing low-tech ways to enjoy music and movies?
Perhaps you’ve ditched algorithmically curated playlists for vinyl and enjoy DVDs rather than streaming
Are you turning your back on hi-tech forms of entertainment to escape algorithmically curated content?
Perhaps you are enjoying listening to vinyl rather than the constant flow of music playlists. Or maybe you have ditched streaming services to watch DVDs instead.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:51
The Guardian
US fighter jet crashes at air base in western Germany
Officials say one pilot safely ejected as F-16 believed to have crashed on approach to Spangdahlem after training drill
An F-16 fighter jet assigned to the US air base Spangdahlem in western Germany crashed on Tuesday, the US military said, adding that one pilot had ejected safely and was receiving medical treatment.
The cause of the incident is under investigation, the military said in a statement, with emergency response personnel at the scene of the crash.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:49Hayden Panettiere died from accidental overdose, autopsy finds
An autopsy by the Greenville County Coroner's Office determined Hayden Panettiere's death was due to an accidental overdose of several drugs, including fentanyl.
22nd September 2026 16:49
The Guardian
The great iced coffee debate: is it wrong to take a beverage into a job interview?
It might seem a perfectly natural thing to do. But, on TikTok, a recruiter has expressed her dismay at gen Zs showing up with a takeout drink – and it’s caused a ruckus
Name: Iced coffee.
Age: Colonial troops in Algeria invented a sweetened cold coffee beverage known as Mazagran in around about 1840. However, in Japan, a cold brew was popular among sailors even earlier, in the 17th century.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:37Where the Trump administration's lawsuits seeking voter data stand
The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia in an effort to force them to hand over their unredacted voter rolls containing voters' sensitive information.
22nd September 2026 16:31GOP senator asks Senate committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., Hunter Biden
GOP Sen. John Curtis of Utah asked a Senate panel to subpoena Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden for testimony as part of a probe into the "use of presidential family relationships" for private financial benefit.
22nd September 2026 16:31
NPR Topics: News
Inside a 'modern slavery situation' where cyber scammers are victims themselves
Wired's Andy Greenberg explains how a cybercrime operation in Southeast Asia trapped computer engineers into defrauding victims of billions of dollars. Plus, he discusses the scam involving Fresh Air.
22nd September 2026 16:29
The Guardian
From paleo to intermittent fasting: are any diets actually good for us?
As diet trends proliferate on social media, it can be hard to work out which are backed by science and which should be ignored. From paleo to keto, raw food to intermittent fasting, each attracts a tribe of ardent followers. Now Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological sciences at Harvard University, has written a book to try to cut through the noise. In Fed Up, he uses his background as an evolutionary anthropologist to scrutinise the evidence, turning himself into a guinea pig in the process and trying various diets. In this podcast, he tells Ian Sample which one has remained part of his routine
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:29
The Guardian
Skirts given star billing as Prada swerves trousers and dresses in Milan
Combination of Miuccia Prada with Belgian designer Raf Simons once again spins gold for fashion house
Miuccia Prada’s style formula is simple: begin with a great skirt. Her personal uniform is a knee-length skirt, A-line or pleated, most often with a plain sweater and kitten heels.
The Prada collection that opened Milan fashion week made a compelling case for her favourite outfit, with a skirt the star of every one of the 63 looks – no dresses, no trousers. It won the room over, so expect to see the personality skirt on a high street near you soon.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:26Have an Apple iPhone 15 or 16? How to file a claim for up to $95.
The claims window is open until Dec. 21, 2026. To file a claim, iPhone users must enter basic personal info and their iPhone's serial number.
22nd September 2026 16:26
The Guardian
Charlotte Church accuses Ed Sheeran of ‘choosing capitalism over doing the right thing’
Church, a prominent supporter of Palestinian causes, criticises Sheeran over removal of Macklemore from US tour
Charlotte Church has accused Ed Sheeran of choosing “consumerism and capitalism over doing the right thing” over the removal of his friend and support act Macklemore from his US tour.
Sheeran’s tour was thrown into crisis after Macklemore made “free Palestine” declarations on stage. After a significant backlash, including pressure from the owners of stadiums hosting scheduled shows, the rapper was removed from the tour. Shortly afterwards, Sheeran’s other support acts quit in solidarity.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:20
The Guardian
Former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood charged with two more offences
Westwood, 68, accused of indecently assaulting teenage girl in 1991 and sexually assaulting 18-year-old woman in 2004
The former BBC DJ Tim Westwood has been charged with two additional offences dating back to 1991 and 2004.
The 68-year-old will appear at Westminster magistrates court on a date to be fixed accused of indecently assaulting a girl aged 16 or 17 in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in 1991, the Metropolitan police said.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:19
NPR Topics: News
This 'fire amoeba' pushes the limit of what's possible for complex life
Scientists have found a species they've named the fire amoeba, which is capable of reproducing at 145°F and continuing to move up to temperatures of 147°F — a record for complex eukaryotic life.
22nd September 2026 16:17
The Guardian
Earl Spencer apologises to Piers Morgan over ‘incorrect assumption’
Brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, says ‘accuracy is important’ as he responds to broadcaster’s threat to sue over claims made in memoir
Earl Spencer has apologised to Piers Morgan for incorrectly claiming in his new book about Diana, Princess of Wales, that the former tabloid editor was behind the publication of intrusive photos of the late royal in the mid-1990s.
Morgan had earlier threatened to sue Spencer over “fabricated inaccuracies” and “examples of brazen falsity” in the book, which was published on Tuesday.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:03
The Guardian
Why you should quit and not look back: ‘Saying yes to everything is saying no to what matters’
In her new book, The Case For Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out, Lindsay Crouse discusses the costs and traps of never giving up – and how she set herself free
Lindsay Crouse used to define herself as not a quitter.
She went to Harvard University, where she learned to become even more high-achieving and ambitious, then landed an assistant job at the New York Times and worked her way up to become an opinion writer and producer. On the weekends, Crouse ran marathons and did endurance sports, clocking new personal bests throughout her thirties.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 16:00How big business takes advantage of vulnerable gamblers with online betting
The U.S. has seen an explosive rise in online betting in recent years, with more platforms available than ever before. But behind the surge is one of the darker sides of big business, one that takes advantage of vulnerable gamblers. Jim Axelrod reports.
22nd September 2026 15:41
The Guardian
The Pentagon has unveiled its secret weapon: two idiotic influencers | Arwa Mahdawi
Jake and Logan Paul were invited to give a motivational speech. Just don’t let them get involved with military policy
We’re now approaching month seven of a war against Iran that Donald Trump repeatedly assured us would be over in a matter of weeks. Prices are rising, troop morale is plummeting, and there is little evidence things will improve.
The situation is so desperate that the decision makers at the Pentagon have decided to bring out the big guns. I’m not talking about nuclear weapons, although Trump recently threatened to “blow the entire nation [of Iran] up”. No, I’m talking about influencers Jake and Logan Paul, who are famous for doing idiotic stunts on YouTube and getting hit in the face during boxing matches. Last Thursday, Pete Hegseth’s Department of Defense or whatever they’re calling it these days (the Department of War Crimes?) welcomed the Paul brothers to Washington DC “to meet with our warriors” and deliver a motivational speech. In response, former Republican congressman and air force officer Adam Kinzinger wrote, “We aren’t a serious country at the moment.” That about sums it up.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 15:28
The Guardian
Activists and leaders reflect on Standing Rock a decade on: ‘I would do it again’
Tribal leaders and organizers return to reservation 10 years after demonstrations against Dakota Access pipeline
Ten years after major demonstrations against the Dakota Access pipeline, tribal leaders and Native American organizers returned to the Standing Rock Sioux reservation this week to honor the movement and its lasting impacts.
In the rural reservation area of Fort Yates, a four-day encampment that centered on the phrase “mní wičóni” – “water is life” – brought together about 150 tribal members and allies for meals, drum circles, sacred ceremonies and memorials.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 15:17
The Guardian
Great Britain exit Billie Jean King Cup after Czechia triumph in quarter-finals
Defeats for Kartal and Boulter condemn Britain to loss
Men will play Germany in quarter-finals of Davis Cup
Great Britain’s stay at the Billie Jean King Cup finals lasted only one match as they lost against Czechia in the quarter-finals in Shenzhen. Anne Keothavong’s side were bidding to reach the last four for the fourth time in five years but were considerable underdogs and defeats for Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter sealed their fate.
Led by the Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the entire Czech team is ranked higher than any of Britain’s players, and it was Noskova who sealed victory with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) win against Boulter. That followed a lengthy struggle between Marie Bouzkova and Kartal lasting a minute short of three hours, which the Czech eventually won 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 14:59
The Guardian
Mississippi grand jury decides not to charge anyone in death of Nolan Wells
Jury report says ‘no credible evidence’ points to criminal conduct related to death of Mississippi teen after boat outing with friends on 4 July
A grand jury made a unanimous decision on late Monday night to not bring criminal charges against anyone in the mysterious death of Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teen who died after a boat outing with friends on 4 July.
The Jackson county, Mississippi grand jury, which met from 14 September to 18 September, issued 132 subpoenas during its investigation, considered evidence from 43 witnesses and investigators, and reviewed an independent investigation by Wells’s family. They also considered physical and digital evidence, including mobile phone data and forensic reports, photographs, videos and GPS data.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 14:55
The Guardian
Hayden Panettiere’s cause of death confirmed as fentanyl overdose
South Carolina medical examiner says ‘no signs of trauma’ and ‘the manner of death has been ruled accident’
Hayden Panettiere died from a fentanyl overdose, according to the Greenville county coroner’s office.
Medical examiners in South Carolina confirmed the 36-year old actor’s cause of death on Tuesday, saying: “The cause of death has been ruled as toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine.”
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 14:43
The Guardian
‘We didn’t set out to make a show for animals!’ The Netflix seal cartoon that’s a huge hit … with pets
Videos of cats and dogs transfixed by Netflix kids’ show Sealook – or pawing at its characters – are everywhere. We tried to find out why … and asked a goldendoodle for its verdict
Ozzy the four-month-old goldendoodle isn’t normally allowed on the sofa. But today he has been granted special privileges because I’ve come round specifically to watch TV with him. We’re not watching Paw Patrol, Scooby-Doo, or even Crufts. We’re watching Sealook, the Netflix kids’ cartoon about a colony of seals that dogs and cats online are supposedly obsessed with. But is this really a thing? And will Ozzy care?
I hit play. A gang of wide-eyed pastel-coloured seals are in a slapstick scrape. There’s no dialogue: they mostly lie around on the ice, and try to annoy each other by doing silly things like making funny noises, throwing snowballs or keeping each other awake. Ozzy seems more interested in chewing his pizzle stick – which I discover, slightly too late, is the dried penis of a bull. Then again, perhaps this is just canine second-screening: Sealook on the telly, bull penis in the mouth.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 14:41Flight disruptions ease at Newark, Philadelphia airports following equipment outage
Flight delays continued Tuesday but were far fewer compared with Monday, when an FAA flight data system failed and a damaged cable severed a backup system.
22nd September 2026 14:32
The Guardian
Never mind Trump – if Europe wants to save Nato, it must win over the American people | Leslie Vinjamuri
Mark Rutte has the right idea – go beyond Washington and make the case for the transatlantic alliance to the public. They may well have a willing ear
At a moment when Europe is focused on persuading Donald Trump to remain committed to Nato, it needs to convince Americans, too. So the presence this evening of the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, in front of a public audience in Des Moines, Iowa, is significant. This is the home town of Trump’s ambassador to Nato, Matthew Whitaker, and the visit brings the debate over Nato’s future directly to a midwestern audience in a red state that operates far from elite foreign-policy circles in Washington. Rutte’s appearance is long overdue.
Russia’s war in Ukraine and uncertainty over the US commitment to European security have forced European leaders to confront their dependence on Washington. While some are pressing for building European capabilities as a means to separate from the US, others see greater European defence spending as essential to keeping the US engaged. Either way, European governments can’t rely solely on meetings with Trump to secure the alliance’s future.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 14:30
The Guardian
Can a ballerina do a stomp? Natalia Osipova on making her fearsome, foul-mouthed acting debut
Osipova plays the wife of bisexual economist John Maynard Keynes in a new play. The ballerina talks about the allure of her Russian character, dismissed as a ‘frivolous foghorn of a chorus girl’
When Natalia Osipova started rehearsals for her first ever play, it didn’t go well. “I cry. I’m shaking. I’m stressed and completely lost on the first day,” she reports. “I think, ‘I’m a piece of shit!’ I want to take a taxi and run away.”
It’s the second week of rehearsals when we meet, and Osipova is still here. The Royal Ballet principal plays a Russian ballerina from a previous age: Lydia Lopokova, who danced with Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, then in 1925 unexpectedly married British economist John Maynard Keynes, who is the protagonist of James Graham’s The Standard of Living – a play about, among other things, taking risks and imagining a brave new future.
Acting is central to ballet’s appeal for Osipova. “Maybe I’ll never be super perfect for classical ballet because I love stories so much,” she says. Even so, she demurred when former colleague Edward Watson suggested she audition. “You’re stupid!” was his retort. “You need to try because it’s amazing opportunity.”
A delicate silver necklace shines beneath frank brown eyes. Osipova requested a translator in our previous interviews, but today speaks in an idiosyncratic gallop not unlike Lopokova’s own. Entering Nicholas Hytner’s rehearsal room, joining a classy cast led by Rory Kinnear, she felt like Lydia among Keynes’s sneery Bloomsbury friends. “I left rehearsal and cried,” she says, “because I feel, ‘Oh my god, I’m so bad.’ But you learn and listen and every day, step by step, I do better.”
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 14:27
The Guardian
‘Literally state-run TV’: Trump launches YouTube channel amid boycott by US networks
White House press coverage row continues while anchor-less channel of the administration’s ‘latest and greatest’ streams propaganda for the Maga faithful
Donald Trump’s previous television career centred on his role on The Apprentice, but the US president’s latest media venture is a rather lower-budget affair: the launch of Trump TV in the wake of his ban on several outlets from covering the White House.
With major US networks agreeing to not cover the president while the dispute continues, on Monday the White House announced the new 24/7 YouTube live stream, which it promised would feature “top past moments, announcements, and the latest and greatest from the administration all in one place”.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 14:25"Looksmaxxing" influencer Clavicular charged with rape in Massachusetts
Online personality "Clavicular," whose real name is Braden Peters, faces two felony charges and one misdemeanor charge. He denies the allegations.
22nd September 2026 14:23
The Guardian
The amazing life of 101-year-old art warrior Ce Roser: ‘We made noise. We closed the streets’
Sick of her friends getting nowhere, she co-founded The Women in the Arts Foundation and they protested across New York. Ahead of a UK show, Roser talks about escaping wartime Shanghai – and still painting three a day
In January of 1971, the American art historian Linda Nochlin published a landmark essay, Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? It was a provocation and a call to arms that was to send shockwaves through the arts establishment.
“It wasn’t just a problem for artists,” says Ce Roser, more than half a century on. “My older friends could not get shows, although they had had brilliant careers before, and that happened also to all of my friends who were poets or writers. Nobody seemed to be able to establish themselves as career artists. So we got together, we complained, and I decided we should have a meeting and really talk seriously about it.”
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 13:44
The Guardian
British banks warned not to invest in planned Israeli settlement before UK trade ban begins
MPs send out letter as Israeli government seeks bids for construction of large E1 settlement in West Bank
British banks and financial institutions are receiving written warnings from MPs that they should not invest in Israel’s E1 settlement project even though new UK laws banning trade with illegal settlements are unlikely to be in place for months.
A letter was sent to banks on Tuesday by the all-party Britain-Palestine group of MPs saying the onus was now on banks to review their obligations not to cooperate with new settlements.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 13:43
The Guardian
High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds
EVs with 90,000 to 120,000 miles on the clock are more likely to pass MOTs than petrol models of the same age
Motorists buying a secondhand car with a lot of miles on the clock are likely to find an electric vehicle (EV) ultimately more reliable than a petrol vehicle, according to a study.
An analysis of 47.4m MOT tests found that after cars were driven 90,000 to 120,000 miles, EVs were about 25% less likely to fail than petrol models of the same age (based on a failure rate of 16.5% versus 22.1%).
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 13:37
The Guardian
Superpowers cannot solve world’s problems, UN chief says in final general assembly address
António Guterres says humanity faces unprecedented convergence of threats but mechanisms for collective action are under growing strain
The world’s fault lines have turned from cracks into canyons as superpowers show that they alone do not have the military, economic and technological power to guarantee security or solve the world’s problems, the outgoing secretary general of the United Nations has said in his final address to the general assembly.
In a speech laced with despair but also glimpses of defiant hope, António Guterres said that over the last decade, largely spanning his 10-year period in office, “wars erupted with devastating consequences and dragged on with despicable cruelty. Civilians were targeted. Human rights trampled. Hunger weaponised. Humanitarians killed. International law cast aside.”
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 13:30
NPR Topics: News
Sri Lanka court convicts 15 over deadly 2019 Easter bombings
The Islamic State group-inspired attacks were among the deadliest in Sri Lanka's history, killing 42 foreigners.
22nd September 2026 13:30
The Guardian
Great to see what Tom Cruise’s belly button looks like, but it’s the stuff he is never asked about that interests me | Marina Hyde
Most stars, and especially women, are endlessly expected to explain the past: the lessons learned and all the regrets. But not Tom – it’s Hollywood’s free pass
There really is no press tour like a Tom Cruise press tour – which is why there have not really been any Tom Cruise press tours for a very long time indeed. We’re now at the stage of this one where even the interviewers have been forced on to the interview circuit to defend their interviews.
Anyway: Cruise. The guy has one child with ex-wife Katie Holmes who dropped his surname as soon as she was legally allowed, and two Scientologist children widely reported to be effectively estranged from their mother, Nicole Kidman. The divorces from Kidman and Holmes were clearly deeply strange and traumatic events for both women, and have remained shrouded in unusually watertight and presumably contractual secrecy. Yet you can currently find Tom Cruise promoting his latest movie not being asked about any of this stuff, or indeed any of his other extensive “stuff” – as always – but instead doing things like giving Travis and Jason Kelce’s podcast a lecture on the benefits of VistaVision. Hate to say it, but a woman could never.
Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist. Her new book is What a Time to Be Alive! To support the Guardian, order your signed copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
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.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 13:16
The Guardian
The Patagonia town where Nepal’s deadly glacier flood could be repeated – and what they’ve learned
The risk to El Chaltén in Argentina has been known for years but recent findings and the Nepal disaster have brought planning for the worst-case scenario into sharp focus
The images from Nepal stopped Daniela Schmidt in her tracks. A geologist at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, she watched the deadly flash floods on 26 August tear through everything in their path, people running for their lives as the water and debris swept over the landscape.
“I had never seen anything like it,” she says. “This was one of the most catastrophic events on a global scale related to these glacial floods.”
The aftermath of the Nepal floods in Nuwakot district, 26 August. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 13:00
The Guardian
‘It’s my duty to tell the truth’: UN chief on the climate crisis, capitalism and reasons to be hopeful
Before his final general assembly, António Guterres speaks about why he put climate at the centre of his UN tenure
António Guterres, who will finish his second term as UN secretary general on 31 December, has spoken out more strongly on the climate crisis than any of his predecessors. He has criticised “immoral” fossil fuel companies for their “grotesque greed”, warned that we have “opened the gates of hell” and hailed the new “clean energy age”.
Before his last UN general assembly, we asked him about making the climate crisis one of the top priorities of his tenure.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 13:00
The Guardian
The viral Hyrox horror: is the ‘go hard or go home’ attitude to exercise finally over?
When an athlete soiled herself at a hybrid fitness event, it sparked a debate about a culture that pushes people to ignore their body’s signals at real cost
How far would you go to secure an impressive marathon time, or a Hyrox personal best? Maybe you’d turn down a boozy night out in favour of eight hours’ kip the night before? Or perhaps you’d swap sugary treats for protein shakes, and commit to a gruelling training plan in the run-up? It’s not uncommon for athletes to want to give it their all come race day – but few of us would go as far as the Australian Hyrox competitor Joanna Wietrzyk, who continued to take part in the hybrid fitness event a little over a week ago, despite having noticeably soiled herself.
Wietrzyk’s immediate response appeared to be one of defiance. “Go hard or go home … a win is a win,” she said in a now-deleted Instagram post, having been allowed to finish and win the event in Beijing. Hyrox organisers initially seemed to back her position, posting a statement (also now deleted) which said: “We ask our athletes to push themselves to the highest levels. At times, they will go beyond what even we thought was possible.”
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 12:38Novo defends diversification push as CEO eyes deals beyond obesity
Novo CEO Mike Doustdar told CNBC that it is considering M&A opportunities as it faces growing competition in the weight-loss market.
22nd September 2026 12:32
The Guardian
The secret to making jackfruit curry that actually tastes of something | Kitchen aide
Jackfruit is a blank canvas that absorbs flavour brilliantly – it’s all about seasoning it generously and giving it enough time for the aromatics and spices to do their work
I’ve just made yet another disappointing jackfruit curry. Any tips for making it more flavourful?
Sally, by email
“The trick with jackfruit is not to rush it,” says Eroshan Meewella, founder of Sri Lankan street-food joint Adoh! in central London. “It absorbs flavour brilliantly – spice, curry leaves, coconut milk, tamarind – so you just need to give it time.” Don’t be shy with those flavours, either, because, as Sally has discovered, jackfruit is something of a blank canvas. Sanjana Modha, author of Modern Masala, suggests treating it a bit as you would tofu: “You really have to build flavour around it. Think of jackfruit as a sponge that’s going to absorb your masala. And I cannot emphasise enough how you’ll need more onions than you think.” And she ain’t kidding: for a curry to feed four to six, Modha uses “at least” four large onions. “You must spend time caramelising them properly, so start by getting those onions really golden by frying them with a couple of cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom pods.” That will take a good 45 minutes. “Then add ginger, garlic and chillies – don’t be afraid to season generously with all your ground spices.” You’ll want some acidity, too: “Lemon, lime or tamarind towards the end to balance everything.”
On to the jackfruit itself, which Luke Larsson, head chef at Khao Bird in London, always uses fresh from an Asian supermarket: “It’s just a hundred times better [than tinned], and it’s such a delicious fruit when fresh.” Modha, meanwhile, tends to go for tinned young green jackfruit in brine: “Drain and rinse it really well, then pat it completely dry using kitchen towel.” She fries it first in neutral oil (rapeseed, sunflower), until golden and slightly caramelised: “This gives it much more flavour, then I marinate it in ground spices and a spoonful of mustard oil for a few hours, or even overnight, before adding it to my curry.”
Got a culinary dilemma? Email [email protected]
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 12:00
The Guardian
Using AI to ‘talk to animals’ might make us feel clever – but what, if anything, does it do for them?
As animal behaviorists increasingly use AI in their research, they grapple with how to wield the technology responsibly
I’m sitting in a small boat in Shark Bay, Australia, eavesdropping on a conversation between some of Earth’s most intelligent beings. The motor is off, the turquoise sea is glassy, and Stephanie King and I are motionless, transfixed by the whistles, clicks and squeezy, whirring noises made by the dolphins swimming below us.
If anyone could tell me what these big-brained social mammals are saying, it would be her. Based at the University of Bristol, she co-leads Shark Bay Dolphin Research, one of the longest-running wild dolphin research projects in the world. She has spent thousands of hours watching and listening to this population.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 12:00What is an "AI swarm," and why is it giving tech experts nightmares?
AI "agents" show a remarkable ability to share information and knowledge with other bots. That should worry us.
22nd September 2026 11:57
The Guardian
Robot fashion models and freediving with turtles: photos of the day – Tuesday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 11:47Converse pulls sneaker ad after critics say it uses racist imagery
Nike-owned Converse acknowledged that an ad for its Chuck Taylor sneaker is "deeply upsetting."
22nd September 2026 11:34
The Guardian
Prison Letters: the teenager writing letters to jailed climate activists – documentary
A teenager struggling with climate anxiety searches for hope in an unexpected place – writing letters to imprisoned activists. Max, 14, is on a quest to understand the human stories behind direct action and why so many climate protesters are in prison. As replies begin to arrive, a dialogue bridging generations unfolds and connection transforms despair into purpose. When Max writes to the judge presiding over a high-profile trial, he is surprised to hear the letter referred to in the judge's closing remarks
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 11:26
The Guardian
Poorer nations will be among the last to benefit if global emissions cut to net zero
Scientists found unequal impact of the climate crisis would not be reversed even if implicit goal of the 2015 Paris agreement is achieved
The unequal impact of the climate crisis on the world’s poorest people, including those in tropical areas, has been highlighted by new research that finds they will be among the last to feel the benefits if global greenhouse gas emissions are cut to net zero.
Temperatures have risen more significantly in tropical areas relative to their historic range than at higher latitudes, including in wealthier countries in Europe and North America.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 11:13
The Guardian
Swan Song by Charles Spencer review – a furious exercise in score-settling by Diana’s brother
Amid genuinely touching passages about his sister, the earl can’t help but put himself and his grievances centre stage
Charles Spencer’s Swan Song, a memoir of his relationship with his sister, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is a fascinating document that tells us a little about Diana and a great deal about Charles Spencer – perhaps more than we needed to know. If that sounds snarky, after 400 pages of score settling, chest thumping, wild indiscretion and some truly touching passages about his late sister, the reader is left with a head-spinning story of the world that created Diana and a certain sourness at the manner in which it is told.
Let’s start with the headlines in last week’s Daily Mail, the newspaper to whom Spencer sold serialisation of a book which includes a line describing tabloid journalists as “those who inhabit the murky swamps of malevolence, and who need to suck their victims dry of their souls”. Perhaps he meant a different set of hacks. Anyway the top line in the Mail was that, shortly after Diana’s death, King Charles insulted her in a phone call to Spencer: “‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough.’” Your take on this quote will likely dictate how you receive the book, and here’s mine: I’m willing to believe the king behaved badly, but “hissed” is a red flag, one of those embellishments, like “snarled” or “flounced”, that writers tend to use to make those they’re writing about appear worse. Spencer, always the injured party, has so many axes grinding away in this book that at times it’s impossible to hear what he’s saying.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 11:09
NPR Topics: News
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump. And, Paramount settles in massive merger lawsuit
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have sued Trump after the networks were suspended from the White House. And, Paramount makes concessions to resolve a lawsuit over its massive Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
22nd September 2026 11:01
The Guardian
‘I’m afraid they’ll bomb the cafe where I work, or bomb me’: a day in the life of a 12-year-old boy in Gaza
This week, as the war in Gaza approaches its fourth year, the Guardian follows five ordinary Palestinians as they go about their lives. Each tells the story of their day, revealing the terrible toll of the conflict. Ramadan lives in a tent on the beach and works to support his family
As the war in Gaza approaches its fourth year, this week, the Guardian follows five ordinary Palestinians as they go about their lives. Each will tell the story of their day, revealing the terrible toll of the ongoing conflict.
The tent is pitched on a platform set in the sloping sand dunes, above a long expanse of golden coastline. Rats have chewed holes in its canvas sides, and tendrils of pale sand blow in through the gaps. Inside, on the torn mattress he shares with his siblings, 12-year-old Ramadan Ghaban blinks the sleep from his eyes. The sun has just risen but it is already hot.
I wake up every morning at 6.30am. Sometimes, the heat wakes me up, and sometimes it is the sound of the birds, which are everywhere because we live near the sea.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 11:00McDonald's is hosting an investor day as its U.S. business struggles. Here are 4 things to expect
The presentation comes as McDonald's U.S. business disappointed in its most recent quarter.
22nd September 2026 11:00
NPR Topics: News
Houthis try to push deeper into western Yemen, upending life, witnesses tell NPR
As the U.S. conflict with Iran drags, the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have opened a new front, taking new territory and displacing more than 100,000 people.
22nd September 2026 10:59
The Guardian
‘The choice was prison or exile’: journalists who fled Russia publish grim portrait of Putin
Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin, who were forced to move abroad in 2021, tell of president capable of ‘limitless cruelty’
At 6am on 29 June 2021, the Russian journalist Roman Badanin was woken by a knock on the door of his family’s Moscow apartment. “Come quickly, someone has scratched your car in the courtyard,” a voice shouted from outside. As he opened the door, masked men pushed their way in.
Across the city, a similar raid was happening at the home of Badanin’s colleague Mikhail Rubin. The masked men were officers of the FSB, the Russian intelligence service, instruments of the “climate of fear and violence” that the journalists say Vladimir Putin has imposed on Russia in their forensically detailed biography of the Russian president.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 10:58
NPR Topics: News
A journalist once barred from the White House says this media ban is different
Jim Acosta has already been through a White House press-pass fight. Now, three news organizations are barred, and he says the press is showing solidarity that should have come sooner.
22nd September 2026 10:47
The Guardian
‘Our job was not to attack’: how do you make a documentary about America’s culture wars?
Oscar-winning film-maker Barry Levinson’s docuseries Bucks County, USA examines the political divide in one town in a revealing and infuriating manner
Like many teenage best friends, Evi and Vanessa have a penchant for finishing each other’s sentences. Whether enmeshed on a couch or telling a story, one, a red-headed musical theater nerd with a personality nearly as boisterous as her signature puffy skirts, collides with the other, darker in hair and disposition, their speech bubbling with indecipherable affirmations and giggles. In a heady chorus of “duuude” and “no, you!”, it can be difficult to tell where one girl ends and the other begins.
Except, that is, at their respective homes. Evi’s mother, Lela, who like her daughter, espouses views considered left of liberal in the US context, speaks in support of LGBTQ students at local school board meetings and advocates for fact-based history lessons. Vanessa’s father, Paul Martino, is a right-leaning venture capitalist who likes to brag about installing school board members by spending $500,000 on local campaigns, an effort triggered by what he saw as unjustified school closures in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 10:00
The Guardian
Heresy review – feminist folk horror summons something scary in the woods with supply of fresh blood
A childless woman flees into the forest and emerges with a swollen belly in director Didier Konings’ short, sharp fable
Before fertility tourism, the only option for your average medieval serf struggling to conceive was heading to the nearest foreboding woods and summoning weird, antlered dryads. Or so it seems from Didier Konings’ short but memorable folk-horror debut, in which wide-eyed villager Frieda (Anneke Sluiters) flees into the trees after escaping an attempted rape by local butcher Gelo (Léon van Waas). He has already told her, after scoffing a pig foetus, that he likes his meat weak and defenceless.
The dryads beat IVF hands down. Previously chided for her lack of childbearing by husband Hikko (Len Leo Vincent), Frieda emerges with a swollen abdomen. But the villagers fear it is the devil’s work, especially after finding Gelo in the woods, dismembered but freakishly still conscious. That’s about the extent of the story here, but Konings pares the focus effectively down to the essentials of this obscurantist hole: the crawling fear of evil among the villagers, and the necessary projection of it on to everything outside their control – female bodies and emotions, the natural world. Though her character verges on symbolic, Frieda – as well as the “wise women” of the forest, as per the original Dutch title – allow this fable’s feminist credentials to howl out unmistakably.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 10:00
The Guardian
AI is generating a new wave of US populism. It could be a tipping point | Robert Reich
It’s becoming obvious to many Americans that corporations have been raking it in while workers take it on the chin
Last week, the unlikely duo of Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon spoke before a Washington group demanding a stop to AI and its datacenters.
Notably, both lambasted the corporate oligarchs behind AI.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 10:00
The Guardian
John Green wanted to be famous. Now what? – Stateside with Kai and Carter
John Green is probably as famous as an author can get. His 2012 young adult novel The Fault In Our Stars sold more than 20m copies, got adapted into a Hollywood hit film, and catapulted to a level of success that he’d always longed for. And yet, all that left him feeling empty. Now, after nearly a decade away from fiction, Green is back with his first novel for adults, Hollywood, Ending. In a very meta conversation with Carter Sherman, Green explains how interviews can be maddening, explores his own insecurities around fame, and argues that social media has trained all of us to sell our private lives as products. Carter and John also talk about his success as a pioneering YouTube creator alongside his brother Hank Green and Hank's recent dustup over his use of AI.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 09:45
The Guardian
Houseplant Hacks: can mirrors and foil boost low sunlight?
The theory is your plants will perk up if you reflect some extra light their way over the long winter months
Most houseplants are hungry for sunlight, which is in short supply during a UK winter. Plants on a shelf or coffee table often get insufficient light, so they stretch, lean and thin out. Not everyone can move their plant to a south-facing sill, so the hunt is always on to make the most of what little light there is.
Continue reading... 22nd September 2026 09:00