BP profit more than doubles as Trump blasts Big Oil for ‘making too much money’

The result come after U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Big Oil for making "too much money" off higher fuel prices amid the Iran war.

Trump warns Iran talks are ‘last chance’ to end war — oil prices rise as Tehran denies negotiations

President Donald Trump has warned that the latest round of negotiations with Iran are the "last chance" to bring an end to the five-month conflict.

Post your questions for Imelda Staunton

She’s acting royalty – literally, having played Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown – but what questions would you ask her?

It is perhaps fitting that Imelda Staunton ended up playing Queen Elizabeth II in the last two series of The Crown, considering she has been acting royalty for years. Her film career has seen her voice champion egg-layer Bunty in 2000’s Chicken Run, followed by roles in Mike Leigh’s 2004 drama Vera Drake and the 2005 comedy Nanny McPhee. In 2014, she played the formidable Welsh miners’ strike campaigner Hefina in Pride. She also plays Lady Maud Bagshaw in the first two Downton Abbey films, and voices Paddington’s beloved Aunt Lucy in all three Paddington films. For a whole generation, however, she will always be Dolores Umbridge in two of the later Harry Potter films, where she somehow made a pink cardigan almost as frightening as Voldemort.

On TV, she has cropped up in everything from Little Britain and Doctor Who to Psychoville, Brassic and a memorable guest appearance in the fourth series of A Bit of Fry & Laurie, where – for reasons known only to F&L – she was introduced as “Snutty”. Whether she’s playing a chicken, a bear or the head of state, there is always something unmistakably Imelda about her performances: warm and calm but with the distinct impression that she won’t stand for any nonsense.

Six mind-bendingly amazing facts about invertebrates

Just in case you hadn’t already realised how extraordinary the gigantic group of creatures known as invertebrates are, we’ve gathered together five facts that made our brains hurt (plus one more, because we couldn’t choose). Tell us your favourite extraordinary fact in the comments below

• The top ten invertebrates revealed

Did you know that the mantis shrimp can accelerate to strike its prey faster than a .22 calibre bullet. They can smash shells, and even crack aquarium glass with the power of the strike. “These impressive animals are armed with one hammer-like dactyl club on each side of its body. These clubs store energy in elastic, spring-like structures, which are held in place by latch-like tendons. When the latch is released, the stored energy, too, is released – propelling the club forward with explosive force,” says Nane Steinhoff.

Nauru, the world's 3rd-smallest country, changes its name to Naoero

The Pacific Island country of Nauru has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, its president said, matching the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.

How gen Z exposed India’s prime-time propaganda machine

The Cockroach movement protesters used memes, mockery and collective action to cut through mainstream media’s refusal to tackle problems plaguing the country’s politics

Hello! Welcome to This Is India from the Guardian. I’m Niha Masih and I’ll be writing to you every week about the stories, ideas and news makers of modern India.

I’ll do a deep dive into one story – from politics and internet culture to tech and entertainment – and round up key events, trends and debates that are dominating the discourse among Indians, especially the youth.

PM to tighten early release rules but men jailed over PC Harper’s death can be freed

Rapists, child abusers and groomers will not leave prison early but some of those serving sexual or violent offences will now leave after half their sentence

Rapists, child sexual abusers and groomers will be excluded from early release plans to ease critical prison overcrowding in a major intervention by Andy Burnham.

The prime minister said on Tuesday that he would delay the planned early release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales by a month until October.

Get in the ring! Inside California’s top boxing club – in pictures

These images of Lee Espinoza’s iconic gym in the Coachella Valley weren’t just about sport – they also helped photographer Darren Vargas deal with the death of his grandfather

The Scottish explorer who fancied an adventure closer to home: hiking the Highlands’ Affric Kintail Way

Globetrotter and TV presenter Alice Morrison trades in her camels and backup team for wild camping in one of Scotland’s most beautiful glens

‘I miss my camels. I miss the sun. I miss the vast emptiness of the desert plains …” These are my thoughts as I trudge through thick conifer plantations and my fifth consecutive hour of rain at the start of the Affric Kintail Way in the Scottish Highlands.

My last big adventure was a world first. I became the first recorded person to walk the full length of Saudi Arabia, north to south, from Jordan to Yemen. It took three years to organise, then 112 days of walking half a marathon a day, and I had a backup team plus Juicy and Lulu, my naughty but nice camels.

Saudi Aramco profits jump 33% in second quarter as Iran war squeezes oil supply

The results come as oil supermajors have reported blowout quarterly profits, benefitting from higher fossil fuel prices amid the Iran war.

Nine Lives, the feral cat that terrorised New Zealand’s rare ducks, is caught after three years

Large tabby cat that wiped out dozens of rare pāteke, or brown teal, has been killed after eluding trappers with its ‘very erratic’ behaviour

A notorious feral cat given the name “Nine Lives” because it eluded trappers for three years has been caught and killed in New Zealand, ending its devastating rampage against one of the country’s rare duck populations.

The cat, a large grey tabby, is estimated to have killed dozens of New Zealand’s rarest mainland duck – or 1% of its population – plus a host of kiwi chicks, native geckos and other native wildlife during the three years it was known to be roaming the Purerua peninsula, near the top of the North Island.

Man charged with setting one of the 3 Spokane area wildfires

More than 700 buildings in the Spokane area have been destroyed and 400 more haven't been assessed, officials said as three fires burned in the area and an arrest was made in connection with one of them.

Herby frittata and a knockout fruit and feta salad: Sami Tamimi’s Arabic summer recipes

Levantine summer magic in a herby and moreish Arabic frittata with a peachy fruit, red onion and rocket salad

I’ve always loved food that can be enjoyed at room temperature, or even cold the next day. As the UK, along with many other parts of the world, swelters through another hot summer, these are exactly the kinds of dishes I want to cook and eat. Fresh, light and unfussy, they require little effort, yet never compromise on flavour. This herb-packed courgette and feta ijeh paired with a lush fruit, red onion and rocket salad alongside makes the perfect meal for warm days and relaxed summer gatherings.

Reader Q&A: ask our comedy critic anything ahead of the Edinburgh fringe

The world’s largest performing arts festival returns to the Scottish capital for three weeks – and over 4,000 shows – from this weekend. Brian Logan will be answering your questions about it all today

• Ask a question: log in or sign up here.

Join us at 1pm on Tuesday 4 August, as the Guardian’s comedy critic Brian Logan answers your questions about Scotland’s singular performing arts festival.

In his many years of covering the fringe, Brian has seen it change and grow, and break stars and shows alike. But in a Guardian column four years ago he wrote that “in recent years, my enthusiasm has been increasingly smothered by caveats: that the fringe is too absurdly expensive for artists, to a degree that excludes many; that it’s insufficiently diverse; that it can be overwhelming, gruelling and lonely for many of the people taking part” and that it “must change or die”. Have the past few editions changed his mind? And this year, with dynamic pricing being trialled, will there be questions about who the fringe is for?

GPs’ breast cancer guidelines ‘miss’ 95% of women who will develop disease

Findings prompt calls for review of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence criteria

Young women in England who later develop breast cancer are not being referred for early tests or preventive treatment because current guidelines used by GPs miss 95% of patients, research suggests.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) criteria used to decide who should be referred by family doctors for further breast cancer risk assessment and specialist care is failing to spot the vast majority of women under 50 who will go on to develop the disease in the next 10 years, according to the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR).

Trump raises concerns in call with Rep. Max Miller amid abuse allegations

Ohio Rep. Max Miller's reelection campaign has been upended by allegations that Miller assaulted his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and their 2-year-old daughter.

McDonald's is about to report earnings. Here's what to expect

McDonald's stock has fallen more than 11% this year, dragging its market cap down to roughly $191 billion.

With Russia at the door and the US backing away, Europe has to build its own ‘way of war’

Even in a Europe-focused Nato 3.0, Washington would still want to call the shots. We need an insurance policy

How can Europe defend itself against Russia without the US, or with much less of it? This question sums up the existential challenge now facing the continent.

Russia’s imperial ambitions start with Ukraine, but they don’t end there. Moscow’s hybrid attacks, its political interference in support of Russia-friendly parties and its military sabre-rattling – including a warship’s live-fire exercise 45 miles off the UK coast – all point in the same direction. A kinetic war to defend ourselves against Russia in the coming months or years cannot be ruled out. This is why European defence budgets are rising across Europe, especially in countries closer to the frontline.

Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist

What, no sequinned crooners? How cruises became the home for world class theatre

Forget cheesy acts, these days cruise ships boast the cutting edge tech to stage hip West End productions and Olivier award-winning musicals – and young people are loving it

The phrase “cruise ship entertainment” conjures vivid images, even to those who have never set foot on an oceangoing vessel. Starry backcloths, sequined frocks, tunes and croons from yesteryear, the lite-ent values of the 1970s preserved in aspic. Perhaps those stereotypes held water way back when the singer Jane McDonald ruled the reality TV waves. But – lazy thinking ahoy! – do they still?

Look at the shows currently a-sail on the high seas, from the Olivier award-winning 9/11 musical Come from Away, to hip theatre-maker Emma Rice’s acclaimed Brief Encounter. And look at the onboard production values, which “way surpass what you see in London theatres”, says Susannah Daley of Peel Entertainment, which provides shows for the Ambassador cruise line. “These ships are now being built with theatre in mind, to a really high spec, to hold between 600 and 1,000 people. What can be produced in them is pretty phenomenal.” Producer David Pugh, a veteran of the West End who has collaborated with Cunard cruises, says: “These are probably the most technical theatres, in terms of lighting and sound, that you’ve ever seen outside of the best theatres in the world.”

The ultimate guide to travel etiquette: how to handle 36 tricky situations, from manspreaders to smelly armpits

It’s easy to lose your cool when you’re crammed into a train, bus or plane with a bunch of strangers and one of them is playing music without headphones or fighting you for the armrest. Here are the rules everyone should be following

Public transport can be a hot, noisy, cramped and stressful environment – and that’s before you add in people with pungent food, questionable hygiene and giant backpacks. Most of us know the general rules – though we don’t all follow them – about letting people off first, not putting bags on seats, where to stand on escalators and offering your seat to others. But what about the vaguer conventions? How can you avoid chatty passengers? Or manspreaders? Is it sometimes OK to put your feet on the seats? (Spoiler: it’s not.) Here, three etiquette experts show us the way to public transport propriety.

Can you tell if someone is filming you with Meta glasses? – video

Meta glasses - they're everywhere, and people have a lot of opinions. Mostly about their ability to take photos and videos.

Rafqa Touma speaks to Guardian Australia's technology reporter, Josh Taylor, lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, and the Human Technology Institute's responsible technology policy specialist, Lauren Perry.

Sen. Moreno says ex-son-in-law Max Miller shouldn't serve in Congress

GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio said his former son-in-law, Rep. Max Miller, shouldn't serve in Congress amid swirling abuse claims, as Miller vowed to stay in the race for another term and strongly denied all allegations of misconduct.

8/3: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Trump says he's giving Iran a "last chance" at diplomacy; Blanche one step closer to confirmation as attorney general.

Seoul braces for heatwave sweeping South Korea as death toll reaches 16

Trucks are dousing capital’s roads with water and nurses are checking on vulnerable people as heat heads westwards

Seoul is bracing for its first ever “severe heatwave warning” on Tuesday, as South Korea reels from a deadly heatwave that has seen the country record its highest ever temperature.

The south-eastern city of Yangsan reached an all-time national record of 42.5C on Sunday afternoon – the highest temperature measured in 122 ​years ​of weather observations – and now the heat is shifting westwards, approaching the densely populated capital of more than 9 million people, which is forecast to hit 38C on Tuesday followed by three sweltering days of 37C.

Trump says Jeanine Pirro "choked" in dropping Reflecting Pool cases

"She folded like an umbrella," President Trump said of Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

Latest on In-N-Out Idaho shooting that killed 3 as police search for motive

Three people were killed by a 24-year-old gunman at an In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday. Lilia Luciano breaks down what we know.

Twin Falls In-N-Out shooting suspect identified after 3 killed, 7 wounded

The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

More Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool charges dropped by Pirro's office

Since Friday, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office has dropped charges against three more people accused of vandalism.

Japan’s prime minister tours earthquake-hit sites as recovery efforts hampered by soaring temperatures

Prime minister Sanae Takaichi visited Kumamoto prefecture almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 quake hit, killing 38 people

Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has visited the south-western prefecture of Kumamoto, where recovery efforts are being hampered by heat and a lack of water supplies, almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake killed dozens and caused widespread damage.

Thirty-eight people died during the quake, including one person who died of apparent heatstroke while taking shelter in a car in hot weather, officials said on Monday.

UFC flyweight Allan Nascimento dies aged 34 after apparent heart attack

• UFC says Nascimento died in his sleep

• Brazilian flyweight was 34 years old

• Last fought in split-decision loss in June

UFC fighter Allan Nascimento has been found dead at home at the age of 34, the organisation has announced.

The Brazilian flyweight was pronounced dead after suffering an apparent heart attack in his sleep.

Ariana Grande pulls out of musical over "endless, ongoing public scrutiny"

Ariana Grande had been due to star alongside her "Wicked" co-star Jonathan Bailey in a production of "Sunday in the Park with George" in 2027.

"My Favorite Person" trend making social media users tear up

A social media trend encouraging users to share what they love about their favorite person is bringing light to TikTok and other platforms.

Cornyn, Tillis back Blanche for attorney general after deal on DOJ fund

GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina formally announced their support on Monday for Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general.

Senate candidate El-Sayed questions assumption Michigan voters are moderates

Populist Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens top the Democratic field going into Tuesday's Senate primary. Former Rep. Mike Rogers is running unopposed for the GOP nomination.

Acting attorney general issues order rescinding "anti-weaponization" fund

The order came after Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn threatened to block Blanche's confirmation for Attorney General if the fund was not rescinded in writing.

Justice Dept. moves to dismiss Jan. 6 class action lawsuit

The Justice Department argued that the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters had until Jan. 6, 2023, to sue the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, missing the deadline to file a lawsuit by over two years.

Senate pushes ahead with plan to fund government through midterms

The Senate is moving ahead with a plan to keep the government funded and avoid another shutdown before the midterm elections.

Analysis: Federal Reserve may be pulled into Bessent’s effort to support Japan’s yen

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wants to defend the yen without selling Treasurys into a sensitive U.S. bond market. The Federal Reserve could help.

‘Completely hollow’: critics denounce Blanche deal to halt Trump slush fund

Democrats say agreement – which clears way for Blanche’s confirmation – makes promises president can easily reverse

A compromise between Todd Blanche and two Republican senators that potentially cleared the way for Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general is weak, Democrats and several experts said, as it makes promises Donald Trump can easily reverse.

Blanche, the acting attorney general, posted two documents on Sunday evening showing he was withdrawing an 18 May order allowing for the creation of a $1.8bn weaponization fund and clarifying that broad tax immunity the justice department granted to Trump only applied retroactively to the president, his sons, and businesses.

House Ethics recommends censure for GOP lawmaker in sexual harassment probe

The House Ethics Committee released a report detailing the findings of an investigation into GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards, concluding that there is "substantial reason to believe" he violated House rules.

‘This quarter was otherworldly’: Palantir earnings surge past expectations

Shares soar as yearly revenue up 93%, even as opposition grows to company’s role in Trump immigration agenda

In a sea of companies reporting mixed financial results this quarter, Palantir stands out. Although Palantir was not immune to the AI jitters that caused industry-wide drops in share prices earlier this year, the AI and analytics company reported that its overall revenue grew 93% year over year to $1.94bn. That’s well over the $1.8bn Wall Street expected Palantir to bring in for the second quarter.

The glowing financials sparked a 10% surge in share prices in the immediate aftermath. Despite growing opposition to Palantir’s work with various governments including the crucial role the company plays in the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, Palantir’s revenue from US government contracts grew 90% year over year to $809m.

These are some of the last pristine ocean ecosystems. Now, they're losing protections

The largest conservation areas in the U.S. are in the Pacific Ocean, where tiny islands are epicenters of biodiversity. The Trump administration is now opening their waters to commercial fishing, sparking a battle over some of the country's most pristine ecosystems.

8/3: CBS Evening News

Spokane wildfires force thousands to evacuate; Michigan reports two cyclosporiasis deaths.

Lindsay Clancy's diary excerpts read at trial: "I feel like I'm drowning"

The Lindsay Clancy trial​ resumed with excerpts from her diary and testimony from doctors who treated Clancy and her children on the night of the murders.

Snap's stock jumps 8% on earnings beat and strong sales forecast

Snap beat analysts' estimates across the board in its second-quarter earnings report.

25 states sue Trump administration over latest round of tariffs

New U.S. tariffs are hurting consumers and businesses, California's attorney general said in filing suit to block levies on 60 countries.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz, first Latino winner of PEN/Faulkner award, dies aged 71

Celebrated writer, poet and novelist for young adults drew upon his sexuality and life on US southern border

Benjamin Alire Sáenz, an award-winning fiction writer and poet who drew upon his sexuality and his life on the southern border, has died at age 71. He was the first Latino to win the PEN/Faulkner prize.

Sáenz, who produced a story collection that won the PEN/Faulkner prize and a young adult novel that received acclaim from readers and reviewers and condemnation from censors, died on 28 July in El Paso, Texas, after a lengthy illness, according to a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster.

Trump administration finalizes AI framework, official says

The order asks AI companies to share previews of powerful new models with the government before they are released to the public.

House Ethics panel recommends censure for Chuck Edwards after harassment allegations

After a months-long investigation, the ethics committee recommended censure for Edwards because of "persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers."

Trump says oil companies should cut gas prices after making "too much money"

President Trump said U.S. oil companies made "too much money" from high oil prices. "I'm not happy about it," he added.

Michigan health officials report 2 deaths among cyclosporiasis cases

Two Michigan residents who had "significant underlying health conditions" have died after contracting cyclosporiasis, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.

Trump sours on Pirro over Reflecting Pool case, won't say her job is safe

President Donald Trump said Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, "choked" and "folded like an umbrella" in the Reflecting Pool case.

FAA clears smallest Boeing 737 Max to fly after years of delays

Airlines can finally start flying passengers soon after planes are certified, but it can take them months to work them into schedules.

Athens suitcase death: suspect admits hiding body but denies murder

Police are focusing on Elisabeth-Jane Ross’s final hours in hope of discovering motive for her killing

Greek authorities are investigating what may have motivated a 26-year-old Afghan man to kill a Scottish charity worker found dead in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens last month.

Inquiries have focused increasingly on Elisabeth-Jane Ross’s last few hours alive and police believe they hold the key to revealing why the 38-year-old was targeted.

Fresh US-Iran talks are ‘last chance’ for Tehran to avoid war escalating, Trump says

US president expects negotiations to begin in next day or two but Iran says it is not reviving talks with Washington

New talks between Washington and Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of US strikes on the country, Donald Trump said on Monday.

Trump said he expected negotiations to begin in the next day or two to reopen the strait of Hormuz and create a pathway for Iran to address the US’s concerns about its nuclear programme.

ICE detainee reveals video of drinking water apparently contaminated with worm-like creatures

‘Disturbing’ footage shared by California detainee surfaces amid wider complaints about conditions in ICE detention

Attorneys for a man detained in a California immigration detention center have released footage showing him holding up a bottle of water from inside the facility that appeared to be contaminated with worm-like creatures.

The footage came from a video call with Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a Los Angeles man who has been detained for months at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, north-east of LA.

Ripple effects: Three people have Reflecting Pool charges dropped after Hearn request

Federal prosecutors moved to drop their case against David Hearn, blaming Reflecting Pool damage on a "botched installation" rather than vandalism. That has implications for others who were charged.

More European countries’ FAs withdraw support for Infantino as pressure intensifies

• FA no longer endorses Fifa president for re-election

• Wales and Serbia join Finland in withdrawing backing

European countries began turning their backs on Gianni Infantino as moves intensified across the globe to end his crisis-hit tenure as Fifa president.

The Football Association was the highest-profile of several Uefa member associations to drop its support for Infantino’s proposed re-election next year. It will write to Fifa confirming it no longer endorses Infantino for a fourth term in charge after the intense controversy surrounding his failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.

What to know about Taylor Farms amid the cyclospora outbreak

The nation's largest recent cyclospora outbreak has put one of America's biggest produce suppliers under renewed scrutiny.

With U.S. doors shutting, Cubans turn to Brazil for asylum

For years, many Cubans hoping to leave the island looked to the United States. Now, with legal pathways largely closed, a growing number are heading to Brazil instead.

Man who returned fire at In-N-Out gunman had done firearm training after 2021 mass shooting

Police credited Jordan Salinas with limiting number of victims in attack on restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho

A healthcare worker returning fire on a 24-year-old gunman who killed three people and wounded several others an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, has said his impulse to confront the attacker was “automatic” and “mechanical”.

That description from 35-year-old Jordan Salinas came in an interview with the Idaho Statesman that was published on Sunday, providing a detailed account of actions that police credited with limiting the number of victims in the attack a day earlier.

Photos: Wildfires in Spokane lead to thousands of evacuations

Wildfires in Spokane have destroyed hundreds of homes and led to evacuation orders for 60,000 people.

Senate appears ready to advance Todd Blanche for attorney general after Cornyn strikes deal

President Donald Trump's attorneys continue to fight in court against a judicial order that said the settlement deal is legally baseless.

What to watch for in SpaceX's first public earnings report this week

SpaceX will release its first earnings report as a public company on Tuesday in a key test for the company's stuttering stock price.

Michigan confirms first two deaths in cyclospora outbreak

The Michigan Health Department said that both individuals had underlying health conditions.

Wildfires rage across Washington as drought and heat fuel painful summer: ‘It’s not normal’

Hundreds of structures damaged as firefighters battle to contain 15 major wildfires amid extreme heat and drought

Firefighters in Washington state are battling wildfires that have forced 60,000 people to flee and destroyed hundreds of buildings as drought and extreme heat fuel an “extraordinary” fire season in the Pacific north-west.

Fifteen major blazes are raging across the state, David Upthegrove, the head of Washington’s department of natural resources, told reporters over the weekend.

Sigrid Haugset stuns Tour de France Femmes favourites by storming to stage win

• Norwegian breaks clear in stage three to take overall lead

• Haugset: ‘I never thought it was possible, it’s unreal’

Sigrid Haugset, the Norwegian national champion, shocked the established order in the Tour de France Femmes, breaking away alone for 90km, to take the overall lead after winning stage three to Poligny.

“I never thought it was possible,” she said, after realising she had taken the biggest success of her career and the overall lead in the sport’s biggest race. “It’s unreal. I was so dizzy at the end. I know my boyfriend would be so angry at me for not celebrating, but I couldn’t. I could not lift my arms off the bike. It was impossible.”

Was Sylvie Cachay's death at Soho House an accident or murder?

An Oscar winner’s son is accused of killing his swimsuit designer girlfriend at a trendy NYC hotel.

Two people in Michigan have died after becoming ill with cyclosporiasis

They are the first reported deaths linked to a massive outbreak of the intestinal illness that began in May.

Apple launches legal challenge against UK government demand to access data

The Home Office has made a fresh request for ‘back door’ access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users

Apple has launched a new legal challenge against a UK government demand to access its customers’ highly encrypted data, a year after the Home Office agreed to abandon its previous request.

The US tech company launched the legal complaint last month at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent court that has the power to investigate claims that the UK intelligence services have acted unlawfully.

The Guardian view on events in Ceuta: chaos and tragedy are weaponised by the far right | Editorial

Instead of finger-pointing at Spain, mainstream EU leaders should be showing solidarity with its prime minister, Pedro Sánchez

At least 72 people are believed to have died late last week, most of them drowned or crushed as they joined tens of thousands of others in attempting to swim from Moroccan waters to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. Yet the scale of that human tragedy has barely registered, as Donald Trump has decried an “invasion” while European politicians exploit the crisis to serve their own agendas. If further evidence were needed of the way that the radical right increasingly distorts the terms of the migration debate in the EU, the last few days have furnished it.

More needs to be understood about the drivers behind a shocking episode. Misinformation on social media – orchestrated or otherwise – appears to have played a big part, following a Spanish supreme court ruling that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily turned back. Moroccan authorities seemingly did little to prevent the chaotic exodus, which echoed previous smaller incidents and focused international attention on a territory whose sovereignty Rabat contests. If there were online indications that such an incursion was a possibility, no alarm was sounded.

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.

Sheriff in Nancy Guthrie case contradicted himself on ransom note

Investigators in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie released two ransom notes, including one contradicting what the Arizona sheriff overseeing the case told CBS News.

The body snatchers: how a young Nigerian man was lured to London in an organ-trafficking plot

Daniel was working at a market in Lagos when he was given the chance to start anew in the UK. He had no idea what was expected of him in return

• The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order

Daniel arrived in Lagos for the first time in 2016. He had come from a village in Ebonyi, a state in south-eastern Nigeria. He was 15 years old, the eldest of nine siblings, and his parents were farmers. When he was a boy, his father became sick and Daniel started working to assist his family, helping to cut trees and clear land. A few years later, he decided to seek his fortune in Lagos.

In Nigeria’s commercial capital, Daniel spent his days in the open-air Ikotun Market, where thousands of people shop every day for everything from tomatoes and fabric to suitcases and electronics. He sold cellphone accessories out of a wheelbarrow under a wide umbrella, making less than £10 a day. After living with a relative, he moved into a room with friends, including a young man named Chukwudi, who also worked in the market. Daniel had grown up in the same village as Chukwudi. A photo from their early childhood shows the boys together, Daniel in a red sportswear shirt.

Designer John Galliano to get unvarnished Met retrospective in May

Decision to stage solo exhibition comes 15 years after conviction over racist and antisemitic remarks

The controversial designer John Galliano is to get an unvarnished retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York next May.

Galliano, who is widely considered to be one of the most influential designers of the past four decades, was exiled from the industry in 2011 after he was filmed making a series of racist and antisemitic comments. He was fired from his position as creative director of Dior, a post he had held for 15 years, condemned by the media and later convicted and fined by a French court.

Are Americans ready to embrace tiny 'cars'? These companies think so

Electric low-speed vehicles, or LSVs, are a step above a traditional golf cart but below a typical light-duty car or truck sold in the U.S.

Maguire survives missed cuts and controversy to headline Solheim Cup wildcard picks

• Irish golfer one of four wildcard picks for Europe

• Rookies Ramirez, Nadaud and Rhodes also selected

Leona Maguire has retained her place in Europe’s Solheim Cup team despite a disappointing 2026, with the Irish golfer one of four wildcard picks named on Monday by Anna Nordqvist.

Maguire joins three rookies – Julia López Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes – in completing the Europe side who will attempt to reclaim the trophy in the Netherlands next month.

Manufacturing survey shows inflation worries 'worse than pandemic era,' adding to Fed pressure

The commentary pointed to a highly volatile environment in which purchasing managers were struggling to stay ahead

Mauricio Pochettino’s US return is risky, expensive and probably unnecessary | Leander Schaerlaeckens

In giving the head coach another World Cup cycle, US Soccer is tempting fate for negligible benefit

Mauricio Pochettino and US Soccer enjoyed their time together.

Or, rather, they enshoyed it, as Pochettino would pronounce it in his thick Argentinian accent, which charmingly carries over when he speaks English.

‘A rug helps anchor all the pieces’: how to start decorating your home

Designers share tips on creating a space you love, from mixing eras and colors to not getting in your head

Home is where you sleep. It’s also where you eat, work, cry, laugh, socialize and celebrate. It is a spatial extension of the self – which can make home decorating daunting to some.

“People get in their heads about decorating their space,” says Drew Michael Scott, interior designer and founder of the lifestyle and decor brand Lone Fox. It can be hard to know where to start, what you can afford or accomplish, or if you’re getting it wrong.

Did you solve it? Are you a match for the world’s smartest teen?

The solution to today’s puzzle

Earlier today I set you the following puzzle, suggested by Briton Alex Chui, the most successful ever candidate at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Last month Alex, who is a pupil at Tonbridge School in Kent, became the first person to win a medal at the olympiad for seven years in a row. Bravo!

Anti-war politician flees Russia amid pre-election crackdown on dissent

Boris Nadezhdin, who gained prominence after standing against Putin in 2024, says he is now in France

The prominent Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin has fled to Paris as Moscow tightens its grip on dissent before parliamentary elections later this year.

Nadezhdin, a veteran liberal politician, gained international prominence during Russia’s 2024 presidential election when his long-shot campaign against Vladimir Putin unexpectedly gathered momentum before electoral authorities barred him from running.

July was driest month in southern England since records began

England and Wales provisionally record driest July in nearly 200 years, Met Office says

July 2026 was the driest month in southern England since records began nearly 200 years ago, the Met Office has said.

England and Wales also provisionally recorded their driest July since records began in 1836. Wales had its joint warmest July on record for mean temperature, and England recorded its second warmest July.

Vampire-obsessed man detained after dumping animal corpses outside churches in New Forest

Benjamin Lewis, who believed drinking blood would prolong life, will be kept in hospital for treatment

A man fascinated with vampires and graveyards who apparently believed he would live for ever if he drank blood has been detained in hospital after being caught dumping animal corpses outside churches in a British forest.

Benjamin Lewis, 48, left the bodies of sheep and deer on the doorsteps of churches in the New Forest in Hampshire, frightening parishioners and upsetting farmers whose livestock he stole and slaughtered.

Yoga, kabaddi and the cut-price plan for Commonwealth Games survival | Sean Ingle

Glasgow proved that a streamlined programme could hold the key to reviving the prospects of a seemingly doomed event

How good are you at judging a sun salutation or scorpion pose? I ask because yoga is under consideration as a sport at the next Commonwealth Games in India. Less surprisingly, so is kabaddi. But if Amdavad 2030 really wants to find experts in landing seemingly impossible manoeuvres, or holding their breath in tricky situations, they should take the next flight to Scotland.

Let us be frank. Glasgow 2026 has saved the Commonwealth Games, at least for now. After Victoria pulled out in 2023, the event was in limbo. Some feared it would never find a way out. Then Glasgow stepped in, less a knight in shining armour, more one that was a little dented and rusty, to put on an event from scratch in barely 20 months.

Children using social media at younger age appear to do worse in school tests

Pupils who open accounts aged 11 to 12 score lower in some subjects than those who wait a few years, study finds

Children who open social media accounts at the start of secondary school appear to perform worse in tests than those who delay, with researchers suspecting that the constant checking for updates is a major distraction for many students.

Pupils who opened their first social media account aged 11 to 12 scored lower in mathematics and reading tests than those who waited a few years, with scores at age 16 differing between the groups by the equivalent of about six months of learning, the study found.

Federal workers sour on government work, decrying eroding job security

Nearly two-thirds of current and retired U.S. government workers said they wouldn't re-enter public service, according to a recent survey.

Vinícius Júnior to Arsenal doesn’t make sense. That’s why it may work | Jonathan Wilson

Mikel Arteta’s team and the Brazilian star could be a perfect match. It also could be a risk that ends in disaster

Sometimes what is needed is something different.

There is a long history in football of counterintuitive thinking being successful, of the benefits of creative tension, of adding grit to the oyster to generate the pearl, but even so, the news that talks between Vinícius Júnior and Arsenal on personal terms are progressing comes as something of a shock. Mikel Arteta’s great followers of a blueprint adding a free spirit like the Brazilian? Really?

This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian. Subscribe for free here.

Lonely planet: why are we addicted to the social media scroll when it is so clearly harming us? | Paul Daley

I am hanging on to a product that makes people I loathe more super-rich while they trash the world

There is so much talk of all the lonely people in the world right now that the pervasive state of loneliness is being called an epidemic.

I don’t think that is an overstatement. I see loneliness around me all of the time. Everywhere. Not just in the faces of rough sleepers who look up at passers-by in the hope of finding eye contact and a little empathy – but also in the faces of those who rush past avoiding them, their heads wired or aired to their phones.

Romania blasts rock to divert water from drought-hit Danube to nuclear reactor

Hungary and Romania face energy crisis as record-low river levels force atomic power plants to reduce output

Romanian naval forces carried out a controlled explosion to help redirect vital cooling water from the drought-hit Danube to the country’s last working nuclear ⁠reactor, while neighbouring Hungary ​said it may be able to eke out two more days of power from its only atomic plant.

Hungary and Romania have been forced to shut down nuclear reactors cooled by the Danube for the first time, as record-low water levels deepen fears of an energy crisis across the region.

Washington wildfires destroy homes, force thousands to evacuate

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown says nearly half of the city's neighborhoods have either been evacuated or are at risk as the fires remain uncontained.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day: new characters, new flaws, new tech and brain-exploding future consequences – discuss with spoilers

Now you’ve seen the new Spidey, let’s talk about new baddies (or are they goodies?), X-Men alumni, painful relationships and a potential Spidey-pig

• This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day

There was a danger that Spider-Man: Brand New Day might amount to little more than a palate cleanser between the multiversal excesses of No Way Home and the all-star chaos of Avengers: Doomsday. Why not just keep it small: a more grounded tale of New York crime-fighting, to keep the Marvel machine rolling before the inevitable return of world-ending stakes? Instead, the studio, once again in partnership with Spider-Man rights holder Sony, has produced a gamechanging comic book epic whose effects will continue being felt for years to come.

The film’s biggest twist is significant enough on its own, but Brand New Day keeps widening the implications long after the initial shock has started to wear off. Characters who seemed to exist for one purpose gradually reveal another. Throwaway conversations acquire unexpected significance. New gadgets, strange abilities and apparently routine subplots all hint at much broader shifts taking place beneath the familiar web-slinging adventure. By the time the credits have rolled, the film has answered some longstanding questions, raised several more, and left audiences with a surprisingly clear idea of where the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) could be heading next.

‘The obsession with endless growth can only end in tears’: your questions on extreme weather this summer answered

From Europe’s deadly heat to floods in Asia, it’s been a terrifying summer. Environment writers Jonathan Watts and Ajit Niranjan answered Reddit users’ questions about their work – and their sources of hope

Extreme weather supercharged by the climate crisis is fuelling an explosive wildfire season in Europe and extreme rainfall across Asia this summer.

Global heating made hot, dry and windy weather stoking wildfires at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France. EU officials have said wildfires could still be burning until early November in what threatens to be a record-breaking year for the area of land burned.

Ceuta leader accuses Morocco over ‘atrocity’ of mass border crossing

Juan Jesús Vivas says influx seen as ‘at least encouraged or permitted’ by Rabat, as Spain demands EU solidarity

• Explainer: why is Ceuta a migration flashpoint?

A growing chorus of voices has accused Morocco of helping to fuel the crisis in Ceuta, with the leader of the Spanish enclave describing last week’s border crossings as an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity that was seen as being “if not orchestrated, at least encouraged or permitted by Morocco”.

Spanish officials ⁠said on Monday that an estimated 69,500 people who had arrived late last week in Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa, had returned to Morocco in recent days. About 2,500 people who had made the crossing were believed to still be in Ceuta.

U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino will stay through 2030 World Cup

Pochettino came on in 2024 to right the ship ahead of this year's World Cup, in which he led the team to a record three wins and helped ignite enthusiasm in millions of fans before a round of 16 exit.

Why the U.S. stepped in after decades to prop up Japan's yen — and what's at stake

Washington's decision to join Japan in supporting the battered yen has prompted questions over what motivated the rare coordinated intervention.

SpaceX's post-IPO plunge sets tense backdrop for first earnings report

Two weeks after Tesla's earnings report was panned by Wall Street, Elon Musk faces investors again, but this time to discuss SpaceX's results.

Single shark bite led to death of woman off California coast, autopsy shows

Erica Fox left Lovers Point near Monterey in December alongside group of swimmers but never made it back

A single, devastating shark bite was fatal for an ocean swimmer whose body was found on a California beach in December, a new autopsy report confirmed.

Erica Fox, 55, drowned after that shark bite broke her pelvis and severed a major artery, according to the findings of the autopsy, which were first reported on by California’s Monterey Herald newspaper.

The right’s exploitation of the Ceuta migrant ‘crisis’ almost guarantees that it will happen again | Ruben Andersson

The EU’s panic and the lack of solidarity emboldens smugglers and the far right – and makes Spain even more vulnerable

For the European hard right and the White House, it seemed almost too good to be true: left-liberal Spain punished with a migration crisis of its own making.

The histrionics came right on cue. As thousands of mainly Moroccan citizens streamed into the tiny Spanish enclave of Ceuta at the tip of north Africa, Spain’s far-right party Vox decried a migrant “invasion”, blaming Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez’s regularisation and leftist politics. The Trump administration did the same. A senior Israeli diplomat goaded Madrid over its “colonial” territories while Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, called for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen area. Denmark and Finland backed Italy’s move and, by the weekend, 22 EU leaders had penned a letter pointing an implicit finger at Madrid over its presumed failure to “relentlessly combat illegal migration”.

ICE agents descended on a cannabis farm. The lives of an army vet, a farm worker and professor changed for ever

Raids on Glass House Farms in California became a ‘litmus test’ for how much violence agents could inflict during Trump’s deportation campaign

On a sunny morning last July, hundreds of heavily armed immigration agents in camouflage stormed a greenhouse complex in Camarillo, an hour north of Los Angeles. They came with face masks, guns, chemical munitions and armored tactical vehicles, blocking access along a road lined by produce fields.

What unfolded next would irreversibly transform the lives of many there that day.

Nolan’s film could make The Odyssey the most sought-after book in the US

The nearly 2,700-year-old epic poem is flying off shelves at bookstores and libraries after the blockbuster film came out

Christopher Nolan’s new movie The Odyssey has already broken several records, but its most significant accomplishment might be turning a nearly 2,700-year-old epic poem into the most sought-after book in America. Libraries and bookstores alike are experiencing a rush.

At the popular independent bookstore Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, New York, last week, evidence sat just inside the front entrance. A display stacked with more than a dozen editions of The Odyssey – from Emily Wilson’s acclaimed translation to graphic novels and children’s story versions – was drawing a steady stream of browsers, many of them Gen Z readers who became interested after seeing Nolan’s latest blockbuster.