US strike on an alleged drug boat kills 3 in the eastern Pacific Ocean

The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 211 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in early September.

Mexico becomes first country to reach knockout stage of World Cup

Mexico took advantage of a defensive blunder by South Korea to win 1-0 and become the first team to advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup.

U.S.-Iran accord hits early snag after Swiss talks fail to proceed as planned

Analysts reckon a lasting resolution to the Middle East conflict will take some time to materialize.

This major Makerfield victory has made it inevitable: it’s now time for Keir Starmer to step aside | Neal Lawson

Andy Burnham’s positive vision has struck a powerful blow to Reform – but the PM risks diminishing the impact by clinging on in No 10

• Neal Lawson is director of the cross-party campaign organisation Compass

That tingle of emotion you felt when you awoke today? That is the long-lost feeling of progressive hope. That it comes from Makerfield is all the more remarkable. Reform has been defeated in a seat that it should have won at a canter – trailing Labour, even when its voteshare is combined with that of Restore. It finished second there in the 2024 election and it recently won all of the council seats. If Reform had faced any other politician, its candidate, Robert Kenyon, would be heading to Westminster.

But Reform was up against Andy Burnham, probably the only Labour candidate who could have held Makerfield. He is the only candidate for the party’s leadership who can defeat Reform, and the causes of Reform, and bring in a new era of progressive government. To say there was a lot riding on Makerfield would be a massive understatement.

‘I’m 90 for goodness sake’: rainforest activist to pedal 104 miles down Thames

Veteran campaigner Robin Hanbury-Tenison is raising money for a research station near his home in Cornwall

Pedalling on water for more than a hundred miles in a heatwave, pushed back by east winds and having to navigate 31 locks would be a challenge for anybody. But when that body is 90 years old, with a bad knee, failing balance and malfunctioning arms and shoulders, it’s a herculean feat.

Rainforest campaigner Robin Hanbury-Tenison, 90, is pedalling 104 miles down the River Thames from Oxford to Richmond on a water-bike to raise money for a unique research station which is being built to study Britain’s temperate rainforest.

Elgar and Dvořák: Cello Concertos album review – Gerhardt’s readings are forthright, refreshing and thoughtful

Gerhardt/WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln/Manze
(Hyperion)
Alban Gerhardt eschews the romantic, heart-on-sleeve interpretations of these famous concertos, and finds nobility and poetry even in the most turbulent music

Alban Gerhardt adopts a back-to-basics approach in these thoughtful readings of cello concertos by Elgar and Dvořák. Determined to counter ideas embedded in the collective musical psyche by the likes of Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovich, there is a straightforwardness here, and a refusal to luxuriate that may not please those used to more heart-on-sleeve interpretations. Nevertheless, by scrutinising the scores – and few composers were as pernickety with their markings as Elgar – he finds much that is refreshing as well as illuminating.

In the Dvořák, he’s less theatrical, more poetic than his Soviet-born predecessor, aided by Andrew Manze, who keeps the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln clipped and generally light on its feet. Gerhardt’s is a noble, cleanly articulated performance that yearns where others prefer to gush and keeps its feet firmly planted in the Bohemian countryside, even when the music is at its most turbulent.

Disability by David Turner review – a revelatory new history

This study of the struggle for rights includes incredible personal stories that we should all be more familiar with

You could take two outwardly contradictory lessons from the historian David Turner’s new book on disability in the UK. First, that alarmingly little has changed for disabled people since the beginning of the modern age (the book’s first few stories, of 17th-century men and women having to prove they were disabled enough to receive parish support to avoid starvation, will be familiar to anyone who has tried to claim the personal independence payment). And second, that absolutely everything has changed - from the closing of asylums to the advent of prosthetics to the eventual, belated enshrining of disability rights in law.

But the central argument of Disability helps to reconcile these two narratives into a coherent whole. Turner, a professor at Swansea University, shows that while public and political attitudes to disability have remained poor, disabled people have challenged them at every stage, wresting progress out of even the most unpromising circumstances. This is not a story of rights and dignity bestowed from on high, but of the people and communities clawing them into being.

The changing face of Mongolia as, beneath the grass, permafrost thaws

The warming caused by climate breakdown in the landlocked east Asian country is transforming its fragile ecosystem

As the climate crisis accelerates, Mongolia is warming rapidly, transforming the country’s cryosphere, including some of the most southerly permafrost landscapes in the northern hemisphere.

Although rarely associated with the Arctic, Mongolia has a remarkably cold climate. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital city in the world, and a substantial portion of the country lies within the Arctic Ocean drainage basin. As a result, many of the physical and ecological processes occurring here resemble those found at much higher latitudes.

People in Khövsgöl province say they have observed an increase in the number of arrivals of migratory birds from China in recent years, consuming large quantities of fish in the region’s lakes. In northern Mongolia, communities closely tied to fishing, herding and tourism are witnessing the visible transformation of fragile freshwater ecosystems shaped by climate breakdown and the changing cryosphere.

Historical surveys conducted in the 1970s suggested that nearly 63% of Mongolia was underlain by permafrost. Today, estimates indicate that only 26% to 29% remains. Unlike the ice-rich permafrost of Siberia, Canada or Alaska, much of Mongolia’s permafrost is relatively warm, thin and dry, making it particularly sensitive to rising temperatures. Climate change is the primary reason for this decline, although local pressures such as overgrazing can further accelerate thaw by removing the vegetation that insulates the ground – Nikolay Shiklomanov, a professor in the department of geography and environment at George Washington University

‘I half expected James Bond to appear with a martini’: readers’ favourite seaside hotels in Europe

From faded grandeur in Greece to designer cabins in the Norwegian dunes, these are your most glamorous coastal discoveries
• Tell us about a memorable Greek holiday – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher

The Hotel Villa Garden, Sant’Agnello is a ravishing but small, friendly, family-run hotel about 25 minutes walk from the centre of Sorrento. The view from the cliff-edge dining terrace over to Vesuvius is breathtaking and the stylish pool is a delight. The decor is crisp and sunny. It’s the kind of place where they bring you a free glass of rosé while you wait for your taxi to the airport. Very Billy Wilder. Very Avanti.
Jan Colley

Andy Burnham wins huge majority in Makerfield byelection, paving way for Starmer leadership challenge

Greater Manchester mayor says result represents Labour’s ‘final chance to change’, after soundly beating Reform UK and Restore Britain

• UK politics – live updates

Andy Burnham has won the crucial Makerfield byelection by a huge majority, paving the way for a challenge to Keir Starmer’s premiership.

The Greater Manchester mayor beat the Reform UK candidate, Robert Kenyon, by 9,231 votes, and the new hardline Restore Britain party came a distant third.

London Marathon confirms expansion to two-day event in 2027

• Race will be staged over two days on 24-25 April

• Move will enable a record 100,000 runners to take part

The London Marathon has confirmed that next year’s race will be staged over two days to enable a record 100,000 runners to take part and raise tens of millions more for charity.

That will be welcome news for the 1.3 million people who have applied through the ballot, although their chances of getting a place on the start line will still be considerably less than 10%.

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for upside-down blueberry cake | The sweet spot

Forget pineapple and use berries instead, with aromatic five-spice adding its warming fragrance to this darkly delicious take on the classic bake

I grew up thinking the only fruit that was allowed in an upside-down cake was tinned pineapple, so once I discovered that no such rule existed and that I had free rein, upside-down cakes became far more exciting. I’ve since used everything from plums and apples to blood oranges, but today I’ve gone for blueberries. And, thanks to how juicy they are, you don’t even need to make a caramel: just toss the berries in sugar. I always add a pinch of five-spice, too, for a warming fragrance that just works. Trust me!

ICO watchdog opens inquiry into cameras in mental health patients’ bedrooms

Exclusive: Oxevision system used by 40% of NHS mental health trusts being scrutinised by information commissioner over privacy concerns

The information commissioner has launched an investigation into a controversial camera-based system for monitoring patients in their bedrooms, used by 40% of NHS mental health trusts, over data protection concerns.

Oxevision is described by patients as “creepy” and a form of “spying”, and has been blamed by a bereaved mother for contributing to her daughter’s sense of paranoia before she took her own life.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

US-Iran talks in Switzerland abruptly called off, as Israel and Hezbollah trade attacks in Lebanon

JD Vance’s staff were at the airbase ready to fly to summit in Bürgenstock for Iran talks before trip was suddenly cancelled

Talks set to take place on Friday between the US ⁠ ⁠and ​Iran in Switzerland to implement a peace deal were cancelled as Hezbollah targeted Israeli forces and Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes in south Lebanon which killed several people.

The talks were set to begin in the tiny Swiss village of Obbürgen on Friday, two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent understanding over Iran’s nuclear program, while getting oil traffic moving through the strait of Hormuz.

Grammy-nominated music producer Tay Keith, who worked with Drake and Travis Scott, dies aged 29

Hip-hop producer behind Travis Scott’s Sicko Mode and Drake’s Nonstop has been found dead at home during a police welfare check

The Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith, who worked with Drake, Travis Scott and Beyoncé, has been found dead at his apartment in Nashville, Tennessee aged 29.

Keith, whose real name was Brytavious Chambers, was discovered at home after police conducted a welfare check on Thursday afternoon.

‘I’d listen to my body before it screamed for help’: Keith Richards on life as an 82-year-old great-grandad – and jousting with Mick Jagger

He did every substance imaginable – and got punched by Chuck Berry – but Keef’s still going strong. As the Stones knock out another new album, he explains why he’s rejecting AI in favour of ‘the old ways’

Keith Richards has just become a great-grandfather. “This is true! This is true!” he enthuses, video-calling from somewhere in the depths of the Hit Factory, the New York studio first patronised by the Rolling Stones 46 years ago when they were making Emotional Rescue. “It’s been a couple of weeks. It’s a new thing for me. But I’m a fantastic grandad,” he confides. “Great-grandadding is … I try to let them hang with me for as long as humanly possible, then I hand ’em back. I’ve been doing a lot of grandfathering in the last year or so. I’ve got three or four new ones, you know. When I say new, I mean … two or three years old. Or four. Or one, or maybe five.”

Hang on, that seems a little vague. He shrugs and explodes in a wheezy chuckle. “I lose track, you know.”

Tired of Iran, Trump refocuses on Ukraine – podcast

Donald Trump has signed a 14-point agreement with Iran, trying to bring an end to a war he helped start. Satisfied his work is done in the Middle East, Trump now wants to move onto peace in Ukraine. But is it that easy?

Jenna Amatulli speaks to the Guardian’s Andrew Roth about the chances this peace deal will succeed, and why Trump is turning his attention back to Ukraine

Archive: AP, Reuters

Sugar review – Colin Farrell’s detective show is a luxurious labyrinth of noir

Each episode of this PI drama’s second season is a half-hour haze suffused with melancholy and distressed urban beauty. It’s the kind of show that could only exist on Apple TV

Getting a TV show made isn’t easy. OK, so you’ve got an interesting idea and some good scripts – but a network or streaming platform will have many further questions. How much will it cost to make, which age/demographic will enjoy it, can it be distilled in a grabby one-line summary, could it recoup investment by running to multiple seasons? Nobody’s going to take a punt on your kooky pet project and risk losing money.

At least that’s the theory, but Apple TV seems happy to commission shows having ticked none of the above boxes. Pound for pound – that is, ignoring the overwhelming volume of Netflix shows – it’s probably the best streamer in the game, having gambled and won on Severance, Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, The Studio, For All Mankind and Widow’s Bay. But it also has a stable of oddball charmers that work in a moseying sort of way – Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed and Margo’s Got Money Troubles being two recent ones – and a slew of baffling misfires like Government Cheese and Hello Tomorrow! that have popped up, done a thing nobody understood and disappeared again. You don’t know what you’ll get with a new Apple show, but it’s likely to be something nobody else would green-light, and they’d often be right.

I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro on my hands

I have no legs, so the thought of tackling the nearly 6,000-metre peak seemed crazy. But after reflection, and hard physical training, I decided to give it a go

I was born with a rare genetic disease called sacral agenesis, which meant that my legs didn’t work. When I was five, I had surgery to amputate them. Doctors told my parents that I might never sit up, let alone be a functioning member of society – but as a child I wanted to try everything, and my mum and dad were great at encouraging me.

I learned to navigate the world by walking on my hands. I also had a wheelchair, or I’d get around our neighbourhood in Wyoming by skateboard, just like other kids.

South Korea howler gifts Mexico victory as World Cup co-hosts reach knockout phase

It wasn’t pretty, distinguished by little other than its black v lilac colour scheme, but Mexico became the first side at the 2026 World Cup to secure their place in the knockout stage. They are sure to top their group and stay in Mexico City, opening the path for an apocalyptic meeting at the Azteca in the last 16. The question for Mexico and South Korea after their opening wins was whether they had been good or their opponents bad, and this offered a fairly clear answer: neither is over-blessed with creative edge.

The only goal came after 50 minutes and was a gift from South Korea. Kim Seung-gyu, the goalkeeper, came to claim a looping header, but did so over the top of Lee Ki-hyuk, jarring his elbow on the defender’s head and spilling the ball for Luis Romo, who hooked in his fifth international goal on his 64th appearance. Romo was one of three changes made from Mexico’s line-up for the opener, coming in for Álvaro Fidalgo as Javier Aguirre resisted the popular demand to hand a start to the 17-year-old Gilberto Mora. A remarkable double save from Raúl Rangel in the closing minutes preserved the lead as he got down to parry Cho Gue-sung’s header and had the core strength to twist and gather Yang Hyun-jun’s sliced follow-up.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and how to watch

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

The Tassie devils in my neighbourhood keep stealing shoes and laundry, but I adore them | Kelley Swain

The thievery of these little creatures is endlessly amusing to me, but there have been, I’m told, a few rounds of inconvenience

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

To have your knickers go missing at a music festival may be seen as evidence of having a great time, but what if you’re at a folk music festival in the lush green Huon Valley of Tasmania, where parents stroll around with children in prams, and the wildest thing happening is an 8pm ceilidh?

The thing is, I’m fortunate to live in that lush green valley, but my neighbours are inveterate kleptomaniacs. A guest who was visiting for the Cygnet folk festival this summer had left some laundry out on my landlady’s deck to dry in the sun, and as my landlady turned the corner, she saw the pair of knickers disappearing slowly between the wooden deck slats. She dived to rescue the knickers; the thief scuttled away beneath the deck. I learned early on that leaving shoes out at night was to kiss your shoes goodbye.

Wyndham Clark roars clear at US Open before darkness brings first round to a halt

• 2023 champion sits at six under through 16 holes

• Play suspended at 8.25pm after rain-soaked day

• Clubhouse leader Stevens among group at two under

For much of a Thursday that offered a harsh reminder of Shinnecock Hills’ capacity for chaos, the US Open leaderboard was as congested as County Road 39 at the start of a Hamptons weekend, a gridlocked mass of contenders separated by little more than one or two shots. Then Wyndham Clark found another gear, roaring clear of the traffic to open a shocking four-stroke lead before darkness brought the first round to a halt.

Clark, the 2023 champion, was six under par through 16 holes when the horn blew and play was suspended at 8.25pm, holding a commanding advantage over a chasing group at two under that included the clubhouse leader Sam Stevens. Six other players were also at two under, four of whom had holes remaining. Nine more – including Masters champion Rory McIlroy – sat at one-under.

Luigi Mangione's lawyers withdraw plans for psychiatric defense

In a court filing Thursday, Mangione's legal team said they won't file psychiatric evidence in the 28-year-old's state murder case. The move came a day after his lawyers said they planned to pursue a psychiatric defense.

Tornadoes tear through multiple states across Midwest, Southeast

Tornadoes were reported in Illinois, Iowa and several other states Wednesday as severe weather slammed a large swath of the Midwest​ and Southeast.

For women in China frustrated by sexism, female comics are offering a release

Standup comedy gives women a space to talk about certain topics that have become more sensitive, while performers remain wary of censorship limits

Packed into the upstairs theatre of a small performing arts space in east Beijing, more than 100 people, mostly women, are giddy with anticipation. “Who did you come to see?” asks the MC, fashionably dressed in a faded denim two-piece suit. The answer is bellowed in unison back to him: “Fang Zhuren!”

Fang Shaoli, AKA Director Fang (Fang Zhuren), has built a cult following in China in the past two years. Decidedly less fashionable than the evening’s host, Fang is dressed in a yellow hoodie and dark blue jeans. Her everywoman attire is part of the appeal. With a stout frame and short, sensible haircut, Fang, who was born in 1975, hails from rural part of east China’s Shandong province. Before discovering the art of standup comedy she worked in factories and on construction sites, but mainly lived as a housewife to a difficult husband. Her jokes riff on the deep sexism that permeates Chinese culture, particularly away from the big urban centres like Beijing and Shanghai.

James Slipper answers SOS for coach Joe Schmidt’s last three Wallabies Tests

• Veteran prop out of retirement for Nations Championship Tests

• Three uncapped players in line for potential debuts against Ireland

Veteran prop James Slipper and uncapped trio Declan Meredith, Lachlan Shaw and Miles Amatosero have all been included in the Wallabies squad for next month’s Nations Championship Tests in Australia.

After retiring last November, 37-year-old Slipper could surpass All Blacks great Sam Whitelock as rugby’s second most-capped player in history after answering an SOS call from coach Joe Schmidt.

Remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur flood homes and force evacuations in Gulf states

The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur were battering parts of the southeastern U.S. with heavy rain, sparking flash flooding.

Scottish Conservatives win Aberdeen South, ousting SNP

Tories’ Douglas Lumsden says city has spoken ‘loud and clear’ in support of the North Sea oil and gas industry

• UK politics – live updates

The Scottish National party (SNP) has lost the formerly safe seat of Aberdeen South in a shock loss to the Scottish Conservatives.

The Scottish Conservatives’ Douglas Lumsden beat the SNP’s Richard Thomson by 6,050 votes, with a 14.69% swing away from the SNP. The Tories vote share was 49.51%. Lumsden’s vote tally was 14,308, with Thomson on 8,258.

Dangerous weather hits multiple parts of the U.S.

In the Midwest, a batch of tornadoes touched down, part of a line of storms that shredded buildings and toppled trees. In the South, flash floods stranded folks in their homes and vehicles. Jason Allen reports on water rescues and Rob Marciano has the forecast.

US military kills three people in boat strike in Pacific Ocean

Attack brings to at least 211 number of people killed as Trump administration targets alleged ‘narcoterrorists’

The US military attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing three people, as the Trump administration wages a months-long campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.

The latest attack brings the number of people the US military has killed in boat strikes to at least 211 since the Trump administration began targeting people it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

Key FDA committee unanimously recommends its first vaccine since 2023

All nine members of the committee unanimously voted to recommend Moderna's new mRNA influenza vaccine for adults 50 and over.

Canada rout nine-man Qatar but Koné injury sours first-ever World Cup win

At full strength, Canada can go toe-to-toe with any opponent in the Americas. After steady climbs up the Concacaf charts and a credible run to the 2024 Copa América semi-final, all hope was that a talented squad could find their stride at a home World Cup.

That belief came to life on Thursday, as Jesse Marsch’s side played a dominant 6-0 win over Qatar before a crowd of 52,497 for the country’s first-ever victory at a men’s World Cup. Jonathan David’s hat-trick led the celebration of the program’s progress over the past decade, marred only by a horror leg injury suffered by midfielder Ismaël Koné in the second half.

NYC celebrates Knicks NBA championship with ticker-tape parade

The New York Knicks went up New York City's famous Canyon of Heroes for a massive ticker-tape parade celebrating the 2026 NBA champions.

In photos: The Knicks celebrate their first NBA championship in more than 50 years

The New York Knicks celebrate their NBA championship win with a ticker tape parade in Manhattan.

JD Vance tells Iran deal critics in Israel: Trump is your only ally left in the world

In a sharp rebuke to critics of Trump’s deal with Iran, the vice-president referenced the billions in defence aid Israel recieves from the US

• News: Iran announces plans to bring in maritime fees for strait of Hormuz

• Analysis: Iran peace deal makes clear how far US has been forced to retreat since 2025

US vice-president JD Vance has lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump is Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid ⁠the country receives from America.

Vance was defending the deal ⁠reached this week to end the war ​with Iran that critics in the US and Israel have slammed for failing to curb Iran’s missile program and providing no clear path to dismantling its nuclear facilities, while constraining Israel in its war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Even after a brain tumor altered this artist's sight, he crafted his greatest work yet

After artist Vincent Serritella underwent surgeries to remove a brain tumor on his optic nerve, he found a way to overcome his change in vision. Tony Dokoupil has the story.

Obama Presidential Center opens: "We wanted it to be a vibrant, living celebration of community"

Former President Barack Obama formally unveiled his presidential center in Chicago on Thursday, calling it an "expression of thanks" to the city and a monument, not to his story, but to the U.S.'s story. Caitlin Huey-Burns reports.

Ukraine launches drone attack on Moscow: "If Ukraine burns, then your Moscow will burn as well"

Ukraine hammered Russia with the largest attack on the capital city of Moscow since Russia invaded its neighbor more than four years ago. A massive swarm of Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery there, among other targets, on Thursday. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was a retaliatory act. Aidan Stretch reports.

Star-studded opening for Obama library in Chicago delivers implied rebuke to Trump

Musical stars and retired politicians from less polarised era seeming antidote to cage fights on White House lawn

The Barack Obama presidential center opened in Chicago on Thursday after more than a decade in the making amid a musical fanfare and paeans to democratic principles that evoked a previous age, all while delivering an implied rebuke to Donald Trump.

Featuring appearances by a cast of musical stars and retired politicians from a less polarised era, it was a seemingly perfect antidote to the crass spectacle of cage fights on the White House lawn.

How Trump's rhetoric on Iran has evolved over the course of the war

Many of President Trump's stated reasons for going to war with Iran are left unresolved in the initial deal with Iran, and many of the president's goals for the war haven't been met. But what has changed in just a few months is his rhetoric. Margaret Brennan reports.

Democrats and some Republicans fuming at Trump's Iran deal

Vice President JD Vance defended President Trump's deal with Iran, which he signed on Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France. Weijia Jiang has more reaction and details.

‘When Real come for you it’s very difficult to say no’: Cucurella explains Chelsea exit

• Full-back moving back to Spain in £52m deal

• Player reveals he had telephone call with Mourinho

Marc Cucurella has admitted that he had not expected to leave Chelsea and that his £52m signing for Real Madrid was done in a day and a half. The Spain left-back also defended himself against the backlash from Barcelona fans, insisting that although he was born and raised in Catalonia and joined the Barça academy aged 14, he could not turn down Real Madrid. “I am very happy,” the 27-year-old said – if maybe not as happy as his wife, Claudia, whose entire family are Madrid supporters.

“It was all very fast,” Cucurella said from Spain’s training base in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “I got a phone call one morning. My people told me the two clubs had the terms mostly agreed and that I had to decide if I wanted to go there. I had no doubts. It is a big step for me, very important in my career. It all happened in roughly a day and a half. For me, that was the best thing, so it could be all done and I could keep my focus on the World Cup.”

Voicemails for Isabelle review – Netflix romcom picks creepy over cute

Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson stumble in this mushy, overlong story of a woman leaving voicemails for her dead sister

There’s a fine line between romantic comedy and creepy thriller, and while redefining the genre’s lovelorn leads as often incredibly oddball stalkers is nothing new (see the Sleepless in Seattle trailer recut as a horror movie 20 years ago), an online deluge of memes and thinkpieces have elevated post-movie bar jokes to commonly accepted theory. Some film-makers have slowly tried to catch up and capitalise – last year’s dark comedy I Love You Forever showed how epic acts of romance can be rooted in manipulation while a great deal of what makes current box office record-breaker Obsession so effective is its horror movie perversion of the day-to-day realities of all-consuming true love.

Netflix’s latest romcom Voicemails for Isabelle is made with some awareness of how unsettling its premise is, as if it was originally written in the 2000s and then dusted off and tweaked for the 2020s (the film was originally set to star Hailee Steinfeld back in the 2010s). It’s the story of Jill (Zoey Deutch) who, in the throes of grief for her late sister, starts leaving voicemails on her old phone as a way to feel like she’s still a part of her life. But the number now belongs to a stranger, Wes (Nick Robinson), who decides to not only listen to them but to use the information to track Jill down and insert himself into her life, eventually winning her heart while refusing to be honest about why they’ve met.

Trump awards Medal of Honor to 3 veterans of the Vietnam, Afghanistan wars

In a ceremony at the White House, the president paid tribute to retired Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr., retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery and Marine Col. John W. Ripley, who died in 2008.

Mangione lawyers abandon psychiatric defense over health CEO’s killing

Legal team of alleged gunman, 28, reverses position on ‘extreme emotional disturbance’ defense after one day

In a stunning reversal, Luigi Mangione’s legal team said on Thursday they would no longer pursue a psychiatric defense in his upcoming state trial over the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Just one day earlier, Mangione’s lawyers told Judge Gregory Carro they would pursue a defense claiming the 28-year-old was suffering an “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of Thompson’s killing on 4 December 2024.

Bending forwards a lot at work in early pregnancy may increase miscarriage risk, study suggests

More walking and standing in the workplace also associated with higher risk, according to Danish research

Bending forwards and walking a lot at work in the early stages of pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage, a study suggests.

Miscarriage affects about 15% of women. Risk factors include parental age, smoking, night shift work and exposure to air pollution and various chemical compounds.

6/18: CBS Evening News

Life-threatening flash floods hit the South; White House hits critics over the Iran deal.

States not required to give community-based care for those with disabilities: DOJ opinion

The Office of Legal Counsel opinion released Thursday said states aren't required by law to integrate mentally disabled patients with their peers by providing community or home-based care.

President of Wisconsin’s largest mosque released from ICE custody

Judge’s order finds officials probably retaliated for Salah Sarsour’s advocacy for Palestinian rights

A federal judge has ordered the release of the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, after finding that immigration officials probably detained him in retaliation against his public advocacy for Palestinian rights, suppressing his first amendment rights in the process.

The US district judge James Patrick Hanlon’s order on Thursday marked a sharp rebuke against Trump officials, including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who had tried to paint Salah Sarsour as a national security threat.

Chairman Warsh drastically alters Fed rate statement. Here's what's changed

This is a comparison of Wednesday's Federal Open Market Committee statement with the one issued after the Fed's previous policymaking meeting in April.

England finally exorcise the Southgate era and unleash fun football | Barney Ronay

You don’t win World Cups by running riot for 10 minutes in mid-June but this felt like the start of something new

Walking away from Dallas Stadium, feet throbbing in the heat of the late-evening Texas tarmac, it was tempting to picture the scene inside England’s dressing room three hours earlier, the score 2-2 at half-time against a perky Croatia, with Thomas Tuchel’s side in danger of slipping into a familiar tournament pattern of entropy and angst.

What exorcism was performed here? Did England’s players burn a ceremonial John Lewis merino wool slim-fit quarter zip? Did Tuchel deliver his calm, tactically focused half-time speech while simultaneously sawing the head off the lifesize Gareth Southgate effigy the team still carries around with it, before inviting his players to whack it like a piñata, open letters tumbling from the waistcoat pockets, leadership mottoes and worries about penalties scattered across the floor as its bearded and frowning head steadily deflates, a moment of pure era-shedding catharsis?

Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines

Reports say Texas recruits ill from outbreak, which comes weeks after defense secretary made flu vaccine optional

An influenza outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 150 recruits in training at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas.

The outbreak comes just weeks after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers.

Waymo recalls about 3,900 robotaxis after some drove into 'freeway construction zones'

After some Waymo robotaxis drove into closed construction zones, the company implemented a recall to fix underlying software issues.

Air Force unit faces flu outbreak weeks after vaccine mandate dropped

Dozens of service members at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have fallen ill with the flu in the weeks since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rescinded the vaccine mandate, sources familiar confirmed to CBS News.

U.S. lifts blockade on Iranian ports as 60-day clock for a final deal starts ticking

The U.S. is allowing ships to enter and exit Iranian ports and coastal areas as the countries move to a new phase of negotiations over the next 60 days.

Manzambi double inspires Switzerland rout of 10-man Bosnia and Herzegovina

The hype around Johan Manzambi will only heighten after his star turn from the substitutes’ bench helped Switzerland out of a hole and got their World Cup truly up and running. The 20-year-old managed to excel despite Freiburg’s comprehensive Europa League final defeat against Aston Villa last month and, with 73 minutes gone and 166 seconds after entering as part of a transformative triple substitution here, his superb volley put an end to a sterile contest, hooking a right-foot shot into the Bosnia and Herzegovina net.

Until that point Switzerland had another eight fruitless shots to file with the 26 they mustered in their disappointing opening draw against Qatar, their sole goal a Breel Embolo penalty. Things kept unravelling in the final third. But Manzambi brought great poise and scored twice, his first when he lashed Amar Memic’s headed clearance past Nikola Vasilj and the second understated but sumptuous. It was also Manzambi’s feathery pass that released Embolo on goal, prompting the defender Tarik Muharemovic to lunge in and leave Bosnia and Herzegovina with 10 men, before Rubén Vargas and Granit Xhaka, with the final kick, completed the scoring.

NBA to begin naming winning bids for Europe teams in the coming months, deputy commissioner says

The NBA plans to begin naming winning bidders for 12 permanent European teams in the next 60 to 90 days, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum told CNBC.

6/18: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Vice President JD Vance warns Israel to abide by initial U.S.-Iran deal; Obama Presidential Center holds star-studded grand opening ceremony.

SpaceX stock sinks for a second day as company slips below Amazon in market cap

Investor bullishness showed signs of waning on Wednesday, as shares sank 5%.

First named storm of 2026 Atlantic hurricane season forms, drenching parts of Texas, Louisiana

Tropical Storm Arthur formed on Wednesday off the Gulf Coast of Texas and drenched parts of the state as it strengthened. Arthur also caused flooding in parts of Louisiana. Jason Allen has more.

Vance says U.S. isn’t giving Iran ‘a cent’ as he defends Trump peace deal

"The only way the Iranians get any of these resources ... is if they comply fully" with the terms of the deal, Vice President JD Vance said.

How a furiously contested friendly set the stage for USA v Australia at the World Cup

After Mauricio Pochettino’s passionate half-time speech last October, the USA shaped up and started on the path to a rematch against the Australians in Seattle

Haji Wright’s finish was cool, but Mauricio Pochettino’s reaction was cooler. It was the 35th minute of the US men’s national team’s friendly against Australia last October, and the Coventry City striker had just equalized after Jordan Bos put the Socceroos up earlier in the half. Wright celebrated by walking calmly away, while his coach had a blank expression on the sideline.

Pochettino’s mind may have been on Australia’s aggressive approach, including one challenge that forced Christian Pulisic out of the match midway through the first half. Or he may have been focused on his team’s reaction.

Amazon investigating engineers who criticized AI data center expansion

Five Amazon employees testified at Seattle City Council meetings where officials sought feedback on a year-long data center new construction pause.

Trump administration reverses decision to scrap ocean monitoring system

Move to dismantle $368m sea observatory initiative faced opposition from experts and lawmakers

The Donald Trump administration has reversed its decision to dismantle a $368m deep-sea observation system following an outcry from lawmakers and ocean experts.

On Thursday, the National Science Foundation announced that it would halt plans to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, stating: “effective immediately, [it] will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance”.

Gas prices fall below $4 a gallon for the first time in nearly 3 months

The national average for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. drops to $3.99, the lowest since March 30.

Here are the five big takeaways from Kevin Warsh's first meeting as Fed chairman

The Federal Reserve and Chairman Kevin Warsh on Wednesday followed the script on interest rates closely.

GOP congressman, missing for months, set to return on June 30

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey will return to Congress on June 30, his spokesperson said, after being away since March in an unexplained absence that has confounded Capitol Hill.

Clarke warns Scotland: ‘We must be at our best – Morocco are the real deal’

• Head coach says 2022 semi-finalists are now even better

• Scotland could deploy back three against Group C rivals

Steve Clarke has warned Scotland the Morocco team they will face on Friday are superior to the one that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2022.

Scotland kicked off their tournament with a 1-0 win over Haiti, which came hours after Morocco impressed during a 1-1 draw with Brazil. Clarke answered with a firm “absolutely” when asked whether Morocco would pose as stern a threat as Brazil to his side in Group C.

Naomi Campbell called unfit to run a charity in her appeal against ban

Supermodel ‘completely abdicated’ her trustee responsibilities at Fashion for Relief, Charity Commission tells hearing

Naomi Campbell showed herself to be unfit to run a charity after the supermodel “completely abdicated” her responsibilities as a trustee of her now defunct Fashion for Relief project, according to the charity watchdog.

The Charity Commission told a tribunal that Campbell, who is trying to overturn a five-year ban on running a charity, was “highly culpable” for mismanagement and misuse of funds at Fashion for Relief, the former charity she founded in 2015.

Trump DNI pick Pulte poised to get access to U.S. intelligence despite congressional bid to thwart

With President Donald Trump halting his nomination of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte is set to take on the role.

New Zealand claim upper hand after Phillips century and late wickets jolt England

• Second Test, day two: New Zealand 391; England 222-6

• Debutant Jordan Cox left to shepherd hosts’ tail

For all that the job wore him down over a five-year period, Joe Root was only ever going to say yes when England found themselves needing a sensible stand-in captain in the wake of Ben Stokes and that late night after Lord’s.

But there will surely have been a few doubts in Root’s mind when the call from Rob Key came in; flashbacks to the final throes of his reign, when even a personally celestial last 12 months with the bat could not prevent the team’s overall slide.

BBC pulls Ashley Cain documentary over abusive and misogynistic remarks

BBC says vetting process ‘clearly failed’ after Guardian reveals presenter’s past comments about women

Warning: this article contains sexually explicit, offensive language

The BBC has pulled a documentary series with its controversial presenter Ashley Cain after revelations over his history of abusive and misogynistic comments about women.

In a statement late on Thursday, the BBC said its vetting requirements had “clearly failed” in the case of Cain, who was lauded by executives at the corporation for his ability to connect with young men. It added the BBC had “no plans” to broadcast a new series of Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone, a BBC programme that was filmed earlier this year at various locations across the world.

Professional baseball team cancels game after players refuse to wear Pride jerseys

• York Revolution were celebrating Pride Night

• MLB players have also pushed back on Pride

A professional baseball team has chosen to forfeit a game after some of its players refused to participate in the club’s Pride Night.

York Revolution had arranged for players to wear uniforms with rainbow sleeves during their game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Thursday as part of the team’s 11th annual Pride Night. However, the Revolution said several players had refused to wear the jerseys and the club cancelled the game. The team instead made the night “a free and fun celebration of recognition and inclusion”.

The Guardian view on Trump and Iran: a president’s wishful thinking gives way to uncomfortable realities | Editorial

The memorandum of understanding signed in Versailles lays bare US failure and the pointlessness of this illegal war

Donald Trump’s wishful thinking, as much as Benjamin Netanyahu’s persuasion, was responsible for their illegal war on Iran. The US president wanted regime change, the eradication of Tehran’s ballistic missiles programme, to prevent it from ever building a nuclear bomb, and demilitarisation of its proxies. He announced that he would accept nothing less than unconditional surrender.

The memorandum of understanding with Iran which Mr Trump signed on Wednesday – in Versailles; perhaps not the best augury of lasting diplomatic achievement – was evidence that even he can only deny reality for so long. Given the human and broader costs of the war, a deal to end it has been long overdue. But the text exposes the sheer pointlessness of this conflict. Continuing the war might have led to “worldwide depression”, the US president said, though his concern is for the impact on the pockets of his voters rather than the poorest and hungriest globally. A disgruntled base and the looming midterms have forced him into compromises loathed by Republican hawks. Mike Pence, his former vice‑president, said that it “smacks of appeasement”.

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

The Guardian view on OnlyFans: revelations of abusive middlemen merit MPs’ attention | Editorial

Reports of agents taking 50% of women’s earnings undermine the company’s rhetoric of empowerment

Since its launch a decade ago, and throughout its journey to becoming one of the UK’s most successful internet startups, OnlyFans – which was valued at more than £3bn in April – has presented itself as a vehicle for content creators’ empowerment. Revelations of the role played by middlemen in transactions on the website, which is dominated by pornographic content, undermine such claims and require a response from parliament.

A Guardian investigation and a BBC documentary uncovered details of male-run agencies that seek out young women, persuade them to film sexual material, and take 50% of their earnings (all OnlyFans creators also pay a 20% commission to the website). The reporters heard from women who faced pressure to make their content more explicit, and about online networks where managers sell contracts with performers to each other. The BBC interviewed a woman in Wales who was physically attacked in her home.

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.

Ben Jennings on Trump’s ceasefire deal with Iran – cartoon

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Waymo recalls robotaxis after some vehicles entered construction zone

The recall follows multiple incidents in which Waymo robotaxis drove past ramp-closure signs and into freeway construction zones.

Markets are set for a much more hawkish Warsh Fed than expected

Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh's tough talk on inflation Wednesday reverberated through financial markets.

The billionaire hidden behind the curtain inside Trump’s Pentagon

Media-shy financier Stephen Feinberg has quietly amassed extraordinary influence over US military spending

The only available video over the last 15 months of the official who really wields power in Donald Trump’s Pentagon is a cartoon animation. Released in May on X by the US government, it shows a silver haired figure in a grey suit lighting up a cigar and sitting at a massive wooden desk with a nameplate: DEPSECWAR FEINBERG.

Stephen Feinberg, the 66-year-old billionaire founder of the private equity giant Cerberus Capital Management, has served as the deputy secretary of defense since March 2025. His boss, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, makes frequent appearances working out with troops or insulting reporters at press conferences, and posts often on social media. But Feinberg does not show his face. He has been obsessively media shy for decades, and is so reclusive that since his confirmation hearing he has not testified to a single committee on Capitol Hill, has held no press conferences and given no interviews. His press spokesperson left the government months into his tenure and has not been replaced.

UK could keep special pre-Brexit terms if it rejoined EU, Michel Barnier says

Exclusive: Former chief Brexit negotiator says staying out of euro and Schengen area would be ‘perfectly possible’

• ‘Cynical to get power’: Michel Barnier on Boris Johnson, Brexit and the EU’s future

Michel Barnier has said Britain could regain its special terms if it rejoined the EU and claimed it was becoming clearer every day to the British people that they would be stronger in Europe.

In an interview before the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum next week, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator said he could not see any obstacle to the UK keeping the pound and remaining outside the passport-free Schengen travel area should the country rejoin.

Less than half of Americans can afford quality healthcare, Gallup finds

Gallup found that only 49% of Americans were "cost-secure" last year, with concerns about medical bills and prescription costs rising across income groups.

Hegseth announces review of U.S. forces in Europe, blasts "shameful" NATO allies

The Pentagon is launching a six-month review of U.S. forces and bases in Europe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday at a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

Barbados prime minister announces manifesto for slavery reparations

Updated document, which emphasises harm done to African women, is being considered by other Caribbean countries

Barbados’s prime minister, Mia Mottley, has announced a new manifesto from Caribbean leaders asserting the “moral, ethical and legal case” for reparations over damage caused by hundreds of years of enslavement.

Mottley was speaking at a “historic” conference in Ghana to advance the push for reparatory justice after the United Nations adopted a landmark resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

Americans say they're reading fewer books. Here's what they're doing instead.

Many people are spending more time on screens, but also doing more physical activities, a new CBS News poll finds.

Aidan O’Brien saddles century of Royal Ascot winners and shows no sign of letting up

• Scandinavia beats Trawlerman in compelling Gold Cup

• ‘Very special day for myself and everybody in Ballydoyle’

For all the talk of fierce rivalries here this week, the fact of it is that no current trainer has even come close to Aidan O’Brien’s achievements at this meeting since Harbour Master, at 16-1, gave him his first Royal Ascot winner in 1997. Almost three decades later, O’Brien became the first trainer to saddle a century of Royal Ascot winners as Scandinavia clawed his way past Trawlerman in the closing stages of a compelling Gold Cup, and there is little sign that he is even pondering when it might be time to call it a day.

One hundred Royal Ascot winners, and one in 10 of those has now come in the showpiece event of the week, after the moment of generational shift when the eight-year-old Trawlerman, the defending champion, finally yielded to his four-year-old rival within sight of the line.

Student loan borrowers will get an interest rate cut if they sign up for auto pay

The Trump administration wants to jumpstart student loan repayment, with federal student loan debt approaching $2 trillion.

Trump bid to fire Fed's Lisa Cook cost her more than $1M in legal, security costs: Filing

A financial disclosure from Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook details large legal and security expenses

Trump hits back at critics as Iran peace deal fuels debate over U.S. concessions

The deal sees both sides commit to further talks to reach a final agreement over the next 60 days and includes a $300 billion plan for Iran's reconstruction.

Intel gains 10% after Trump says company will partner with Apple on U.S. chip design

The boost continues Intel's recent rally as the chipmaker bounces back from years of headwinds.

Thousands of Knicks fans celebrate big win with joyous New York parade: ‘We family now’

Parents and their kids, new and old fans and a few celebrities gathered to honor the team’s NBA championship

Thousands of Knicks fans – decked out in blue and orange jerseys, shorts, hats, necklaces and more – gathered in downtown New York City on Thursday to celebrate the team’s NBA championship in a lively ticker-tape parade.

All along Church Street, the street running parallel to the parade route, fans lit joints, threw back shots of Fireball whiskey and drank Coronas, within view of bemused and outnumbered New York City police officers. Some fans climbed atop police cruisers and posed for photos.

Supreme Court sides with man who challenged law barring drug users from having guns

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favor of a Texas man who challenged a federal law that bars certain drug users from having firearms.

Read the full text of Trump's preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war

Here is the text of the memorandum of understanding that was signed Wednesday by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as Pakistan's prime minister.

Photos show celebrations at Obama Presidential Center opening ceremony in Chicago

The Obama Presidential Center, museum and library opens in Chicago with a star-studded grand opening ceremony and public watch party on Midway Plaisance.

South African men sentenced in ‘world’s largest’ rhino horn trafficking case

‘Mastermind’ Dawie Groenewald given fine of 2m rand or four-year jail term almost 16 years after arrest

Two traffickers of rhino horns have been sentenced by a South African court in what police said was the world’s largest such case, partly bringing to an end an almost two-decade legal saga.

Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus had faced more than 1,700 charges ranging from illegally hunting and dehorning rhinos to racketeering and money laundering.

Ukraine hits a Moscow oil refinery and other sites in a large-scale drone attack

Ukraine launched a wave of drone attacks on Russia early Thursday — one of the largest attacks on Russia's capital since the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.

Trump thinks his freshly signed ceasefire deal is a victory. It is – for Iran | Simon Jenkins

With sanctions-relief and a US promise to avoid further meddling, the conflict has been settled on Tehran’s terms

Donald Trump is running fast to escape the catastrophic war on Iran that he and Benjamin Netanyahu started four months ago. He is saying anything that appears to suit the moment. In fact, he clearly feels he can now ditch his friend, the Israeli prime minister. He is offering Tehran’s military regime a $300bn rebuilding fund, an end to economic sanctions and a promise not to interfere in its internal affairs. All this is declared a “major win”. If so, fine. The next 60 days of negotiations will be tortuous and unpredictable. But at least they are pointing in a plausible – and hopefully irreversible – direction.

For once, a US president seems ready to accept defeat in a potentially forever war before it gets out of hand. Iran is not to be another Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq. More than that, in the course of the past week, Trump seems to have soured on America’s closest ally. Furious at Netanyahu’s ceaseless bombing of Lebanon, he remarked: “You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody” – somebody to kill, that is – because “there are a lot of people in those apartment houses and they’re not all Hezbollah”. For all this moral grandstanding, Trump’s military forces, along with Israel, have killed more than 3,300 Iranians, according to the country’s authorities – among them more than 100 children in a girls’ school – and injured many more.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

You're probably using too many skin care products. Here are the 3 essentials

We asked half a dozen skin care experts: Which products do you really need to keep your skin healthy and attractive? Here's what they said.

The ‘midlife crisis’ is overblown – it’s actually an opportunity

We often think of midlife as terrible or uneventful. This psychologist says we can be optimistic

For years, midlife has been associated with one word: crisis. Margie Lachman wants us to see opportunity instead.

Lachman, a lifespan developmental psychologist, has been studying what goes on between the ages of 40 and 60 for more than 30 years, as an investigator on the landmark Midlife in the United States study. The study has tracked thousands of adults since 1994, exploring how their lives, health and perspective changed. Before joining the project, Lachman was about to turn 40 herself. “I went through midlife as we were studying midlife,” she says.

U.S. plans expansion of denaturalization push, aiming for 250 cases by fall

The Trump administration expects to try to revoke the U.S. citizenship of more than 250 foreign-born citizens by October, a Justice Department official said.