Decision on EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine ‘due in next 24 hours’ after Zelenskyy says oil pipeline repaired – Europe live

EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, says there is ‘new momentum’ after Hungarian election as Ukrainian leader says Druzhba pipeline can resume operations

German foreign minister Joseph Wadephul also makes it very clear that he is relieved with the change of government in Hungary, calling it “a breath of fresh air” and a promise of hope for Ukraine.

He urged Hungary to drop its “unusual blockade” for policies for Ukraine “as quickly as possible,” pointing to what he argued was a clear pro-European mandate from the electorate in Hungary (it’s a bit more complicated than that, though).

Hegseth scraps mandatory flu shots for troops

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. service members will no longer be required to get annual flu shots.

Brady’s stadium own goal means her West Ham exit will not be mourned by fans | Jacob Steinberg

Karren Brady, who is stepping down as vice-chair at West Ham after 16 years, leaves a questionable legacy

The “No More BS” campaign led by dissenting West Ham fans needs an update. One half of the double act has left the building but the protesters do not see it as job done. They are celebrating the departure of Karren Brady, who has stepped down as vice-chair after 16 years, and will not stop pushing for change in the way their dysfunctional club is run until David Sullivan has followed her out of the door.

That, though, is not happening yet. No sooner had Brady’s departure been announced than some fans started predicting that Sullivan would not be far behind. But a move by the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky to increase his West Ham stake by lining up a deal to buy a chunk of the Gold family’s shares is not expected to lead to Sullivan going. Kretinsky, it is said, is merely strengthening his hand. Sullivan, who is also planning to buy some of the Gold shares, is not going anywhere. Kretinsky will match the 77-year-old’s old stake, slightly diluting the era of Sullivanism, but the outcome could have been different.

Carney names broad team to advise on tense US-Canada trade talks

Conservatives and former provincial premiers among those PM names to advisory committee on economic relations

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, says his new advisory committee on economic relations with the United States will draw on the “best advice and the broadest perspectives” as the country braces what many expect will be tense trade negotiations with its southern neighbour.

The 24-member advisory committee, announced on Tuesday, shows the prime minister’s eagerness to reach across the political spectrum to ensure Canada is “well positioned to advance its interests” at the looming trade talks.

Trump’s Fed chair nominee says he will maintain independence despite pressure – but won’t say president lost 2020 election – live

Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to chair the Federal Reserve, avoided questions about his $100m financial assets as he faces grilling from Senate Democrats

• Kevin Warsh: Trump’s choice to push Fed to cut interest rates

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Donald Trump said that he does not want to extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran, in an interview with CNBC. “I dont’ want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” the president said. The pause is set to expire tomorrow, and vice-president JD Vance will lead last-ditch talks in Islamabad today, in the hopes of striking a deal with Tehran.

However, speaking to Joe Kernen, Trump said that he plans to resume strikes if negotiations collapse. “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” the president added. “But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.”

Rabbi who boasts of bulldozing Palestinian homes will light torch for Israel’s national day

Human rights campaigners say honour for Avraham Zarbiv endorses ethnic cleansing and war crimes

• Middle East crisis – live updates

An extremist rabbi known for razing civilian homes in Gaza will light a torch at Israel’s independence day celebration on Tuesday, a role human rights campaigners said marked the embrace of genocide as the official ‘spirit of the nation’.

Avraham Zarbiv is one of 14 people chosen for their “extraordinary contribution to society and the state”, alongside a scientist, a Michelin-starred chef, a leading doctor, members of the security forces and entrepreneurs.

New Call of Duty games will no longer be part of Xbox’s Game Pass

Microsoft has also reduced the price of its Xbox Game Pass video game subscription service, Microsoft Gaming boss Asha Sharma has announced

Microsoft’s gaming subscription service Xbox Game Pass will be coming down in price from today, but future Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on the service at launch. Other games from Microsoft-owned studios will still be playable on Game Pass from the day of their release, and older Call of Duty games will remain available, the company has clarified.

Last October, Microsoft increased the price of its top-tier Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription by almost 50%. From today the price will reduce from £22.99/month to £16.99/month in the UK, and from $29.99 to $22.99 a month in the US. PC Game Pass will also drop from $16.49 to $13.99/£13.49 to £10.99 a month.

The snuggle is real: what happens when you can’t fall asleep without your partner?

Experts share why you might sleep better with that special someone and how couples can find healthy sleep dynamics

• Tell us: do you use AI for fitness?

I don’t live with my partner, but when we sleep in the same bed, I doze off almost instantly. When I’m alone in my own bed, I toss and turn throughout the night.

Between talk of “sleep divorces” being key to a healthy relationship and boyfriends being embarrassing, it’s been hard to admit that I sleep much better with my partner.

Microsoft cuts Game Pass subscription prices after new Xbox CEO promises to 'recommit' to gamers

Microsoft's new gaming leader, Asha Sharma, is making the Xbox flagship subscription more affordable. But it won't have every game at launch.

Social media executives deny platforms are inherently addictive to children

UK representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok also tell MPs they believe under-16 ban would be ‘unenforceable’

Executives from three social media companies have denied their platforms are inherently addictive to children and young people in a combative appearance before MPs in Westminster.

Representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok faced robust questioning from the cross-party education select committee about the impact of screen time and social media on children.

Jannik Sinner says Alcaraz’s absence from Madrid Open ‘tough to swallow’

• Injured Alcaraz out of event for second year in a row

• ‘It is different when Carlos and Novak are not in the draw’

Jannik Sinner described Carlos Alcaraz’s injury withdrawal from the Madrid Open as “tough to swallow” for the tournament and believes the absence of his greatest rival will make a big difference as he tries to win a record fifth straight Masters title.

“It’s a very tough thing for the tournament,” said Sinner. “Last year he didn’t play, so twice in a row is tough. And also Novak [Djokovic] is not here, it’s tough to swallow for the tournament. It is always different when Carlos and Novak are not in the draw. I would say [this situation is] unique because we have shared since last year a lot of tournaments.”

Trump tells CNBC he expects U.S. to make ‘great deal’ with Iran

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he expects the U.S. and Israel war against Iran to end soon since it began in late February.

UK and EU close in on agricultural deal to reduce Brexit barriers

Lords told sales of Scottish shellfish among areas that may benefit – but agreement will not erase all paperwork

• Europe live – latest updates

A new agriculture agreement with the EU would not wipe out all Brexit paperwork but may greatly increase sales of Scottish langoustines and oysters, the House of Lords has heard.

The UK and EU are close to finalising a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to reduce Brexit trade barriers, and while it will have “modest” impact on the UK economy the agreement will be significant, peers on the European affairs committee were told on Tuesday.

Senate GOP unveils budget resolution, kickstarting process to fund ICE

Senate Republicans unveiled a budget resolution to begin the process of funding immigration agencies under DHS without help from Democrats.

Ethics panel to decide penalty for Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick over theft allegations

The Florida Democrat is accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds for her campaign.

Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie: was this the moment pop culture shattered into a billion pieces?

When DeGeneres posted her A-list snap at the 2014 Academy Awards, it made a splash. But it was probably the end of monoculture – and now we’re all alone in our TikTok bubbles

Name: The Oscars selfie.

Age: Once upon a time (2 March 2014, to be precise), at the Oscars, the actor Bradley Cooper, who was nominated for best supporting actor, took a selfie with the host, Ellen DeGeneres, and a whole load of A-listers …

Kevin Warsh testifies that the Fed will remain "strictly independent"

Warsh, nominated by President Trump to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell, also said he'll work with the White House on some matters.

Trump says US likely to resume bombing Iran as ceasefire nears end

The US president rejects extending truce as Tehran warns of response and negotiators head to Islamabad

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Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he expects to resume bombing Iran, as a fragile 14-day ceasefire approaches its deadline Wednesday with no deal in sight.

“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” Trump told CNBC’s Squawk Box. “We’re ready to go. The military is raring to go.”

Jon Stewart on Trump’s strategy in Iran: ‘Malignant narcissism and impulsivity’

Late-night hosts discussed Trump’s inability to articulate a coherent war aim and a new report on Kash Patel’s drinking

Late-night hosts examined Donald Trump’s incoherent strategy on Iran and a new bombshell report on the FBI director Kash Patel’s alleged excessive drinking.

Tim Cook turned Apple into a $4 trillion juggernaut by not trying to be Steve Jobs

Tim Cook's 15-year tenure at the helm of Apple was highly profitable for Wall Street, as the company's market cap swelled from $350 billion to $4 trillion.

Newcastle’s PIF owners to question Eddie Howe next week on poor run of form

• Club’s chair to fly in from Riyadh to meet manager

• Board to also debate possible transfer of Anthony Gordon

Eddie Howe will discuss Newcastle’s declining form with the club’s Saudi Arabian majority owners when a high-powered contingent from Riyadh flies into the north for a scheduled board meeting next week.

The delegation, led by Newcastle’s chair, Yasir al-Rumayyan, from the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will quiz Howe face-to-face on his team’s run of eight defeats in 11 Premier League games. Before the meeting, Newcastle, who sit 14th, visit Arsenal on Saturday evening. Regardless of the result, Howe is expected to be afforded the chance to detail his recruitment and training plans for this summer. And while Rumayyan’s backing for Howe remains typically opaque, there are no indications the 48-year-0ld will not be given the season’s remaining five games to try to turn things around before an in-depth performance at the end of the season.

UnitedHealth tops quarterly estimates, hikes profit outlook as insurer manages high medical costs

The nation's largest private insurer expects 2026 adjusted earnings of more than $18.25 per share, up from a previous outlook of greater than $17.75 per share.

Leon Smith of Pennsylvania named 2026 National Teacher of the Year

"CBS Mornings" exclusively revealed Leon Smith, who teaches at Haverford High School in Pennsylvania, as the 2026 National Teacher of the Year.

The Hours won awards for Nicole Kidman’s fake nose – and hearts as a queer classic

Stephen Daldry’s 2002 film, which secured Kidman an Oscar for her depiction of Virginia Woolf, is a groundbreaking depiction of queer sexuality across the 20th century

Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer prize-winning book The Hours – inspired by Virginia Woolf’s seminal 1925 novel, Mrs Dalloway – imagines one day in the lives of three women separated across time periods. The triptych follows Woolf in the throes of writing Mrs Dalloway; Laura Brown, a depressed housewife who is reading Woolf’s novel in postwar America; and Clarissa Vaughan, a New Yorker who acts as a contemporary embodiment of Woolf’s titular character.

Cunningham’s 1998 text, though widely acclaimed, was initially deemed unadaptable due to its nonlinear structure and stream-of-consciousness approach that paid homage to Woolf’s pioneering style. However, since its publication, The Hours (which takes its name from Mrs Dalloway’s working title), has been reinterpreted as an opera and, most notably, a 2002 film directed by Stephen Daldry.

Ketamine, psychedelics, GHB: is the US falling out of love with cocaine?

Use of the illicit drug has plummeted in recent years among gen Zers, compared with their parents’ generation

Ever since cocaine first emerged as a popular party drug via the shores of Miami in the early 1970s, use of the stimulant has been inextricably entwined with the very essence of capitalist excess and what it is to be American: brash, bombastic and brazen.

The wide-scale use of cocaine in the US has left a trail of destruction in its wake, largely thanks to the illegal nature of the trade and the resultant US government policy of a “war on drugs”.

Trump says 'maybe' government should help struggling Spirit Airlines

Trump told CNBC's "Squawk Box": "I think I'd love somebody to buy Spirit, as an example."

Kevin Warsh faces lawmakers in Fed chair confirmation hearing today

Senators are likely to press Warsh, President Trump's nominee to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed chair, on his views about inflation and interest rates.

Trump says 'I'll remember' companies that don’t seek tariff refunds

Trump said he was "not happy with the Supreme Court" for ruling IEEPA tariffs were illegal, and for not allowing the U.S. to keep tariffs already collected.

Alan Osmond, eldest of the Osmonds family band, dies at 76

Alongside siblings Donny and Marie, the musician was a 1970s teen idol with family hits such as Crazy Horses

Alan Osmond, the eldest sibling of the Osmonds family band, has died aged 76. A spokesperson confirmed that he died at 8.30pm local time in Salt Lake City, Utah. His wife and eight children were by his side.

“My brother has now stepped into the presence of our Father in Heaven with honor and peace,” Merrill Osmond, his brother, wrote on Facebook. “He gave everything he had to the Lord, to his family, and to all of you … He truly was a saint.”

Want to lighten your mental load? First, let go of these gender myths

"Men can't see the mess." "Women are better at chores." These myths position women to take on more emotional thinking, says researcher Leah Ruppanner. She shares what works to reclaim your headspace.

Tucker Carlson says he regrets backing Donald Trump and is ‘tormented by it’

Podcaster admits he ‘misled’ supporters as his rift with the US president deepens over the Iran war

• US politics live – latest updates

Tucker Carlson, a conservative podcaster, has said he is “tormented” by his support of Donald Trump, issuing in an extraordinary mea culpa that called for “a moment to wrestle with our own consciences”.

Carlson delivered that comment in a conversation with Buckley Carlson, his brother and a former Trump speechwriter, on The Tucker Carlson Show on Monday that reviewed the sidelining of traditional conservative values in a Republican party now dominated by the president.

Shaun Murphy hits back after sweary heckle at World Snooker Championship

• Player lost concentration after spectator’s criticism

• Trump edges in front of Wilson after early reverses

Shaun Murphy has criticised an audience member who berated him for one of his shots during the opening session of his first-round match against Fan Zhengyi at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

Murphy said he lost concentration after a spectator in the front row muttered “shit shot” during a gruelling battle which the former champion edged 5-4, going into Tuesday evening’s conclusion.

This report will be updated later.

Southern Poverty Law Center facing DOJ probe over use of paid informants

The Justice Department is investigating the Southern Poverty Law Center in connection with a now-defunct program that used paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.

What went wrong in Israel? A genocide scholar examines ‘what Zionism became’

In his new book, Omer Bartov tracks how a liberatory strand of Zionism transformed into an extremist ideology that he sees as responsible for genocide in Gaza

Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, when asked to explain the apparent about-face that led him to advocate the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, quoted a beloved Israeli pop ballad. “What you can see from there, you can’t see from here,” he said, referring to the shift in perspective he had supposedly undergone since coming to power.

Although the 2005 Gaza disengagement was perhaps less a change of heart than one of strategy, as his senior adviser later admitted, the lyric became a byword of Israeli politics, an oft-cited reminder that perspective is everything.

‘Is it life? We can’t tell’: Nasa’s Curiosity rover finds organic molecules on Mars

Scientists think they are looking at chemical building blocks of life preserved for 3.5bn years

Nasa’s Curiosity rover has detected organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth.

Five of the seven molecules identified in a dried lakebed near the equator had never previously been observed on the red planet. The analysis performed by the robotic rover cannot establish whether the organic compounds are linked to potential ancient life on Mars or were delivered by meteorites or formed through geological processes. However, the finding implies that if microbial life once thrived on Mars, chemical fingerprints should remain there today.

"CBS Mornings" exclusively reveals 2026 National Teacher of the Year

"CBS Mornings" exclusively revealed Leon Smith, a social studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania, has been selected as the 2026 National Teacher of the Year. Smith discusses the honor, how he starts his class each day and his tips for young teachers.

How young professionals can find meaningful and successful work in the age of AI

Award-winning journalist Jodi Kantor addresses how young professionals and students can find a career path in the age of artificial intelligence while pursuing their dreams and finding meaning in their work.

Tariff refund portal off to bumpy start as some businesses report glitches

Some U.S. importers reported problems filing tariff refund claims after Customs and Border Patrol launched its dedicated portal on Monday.

Kremlin forcing big firms to join ‘witch-hunt’ against internet rebels, claims report

Campaigners say banks and web platforms are being told to collect data on customers visiting blocked sites

Major Russian companies have been conscripted into a “witch-hunt” against users trying to circumvent online controls, researchers have said, as the Kremlin continues trying to cut its citizens off from the global internet.

Banks and web platforms are collecting data on users of virtual private networks (VPN) tools, which obscure an individual’s real location and allow them to access sites blocked in Russia, according to an investigation by RKS global, an advocacy group for internet freedoms.

How Trump's messaging on Iran has shifted since saying they "agreed to everything"

Less than 48 hours after President Trump said Iran has "agreed to everything," he threatened the whole country would get "blown up" without a deal soon.

Olly Robbins says he faced ‘constant pressure’ to get Mandelson in post

Sacked civil servant discloses he overturned vetting ruling without knowing full extent of national security concerns

• UK politics live – latest updates

The sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he started working at the Foreign Office to get Peter Mandelson in post as soon as possible.

He said the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to allow Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US without the usual vetting process but the Foreign Office pushed back and the vetting eventually went ahead.

It’s a nightmare on Downing Street: Starmer has no one left to blame for this Mandelson horror show | Marina Hyde

Olly Robbins’s testimony will have been painful for the PM. The No 10 omnishambles was publicly laid bare – and Keir’s fresh out of scapegoats

‘How dare Olly Robbins not have made me look like a chaotic, unprincipled plonker?” is an interesting defence for a prime minister to go for. But we are where we are. Never mind “this is the future liberals want”: this is the past that Keir Starmer wants. What follows is the alternative branch of history the endlessly victimised PM apparently wishes we’d lived through instead.

In this version, he chooses a career liability to be US ambassador, who is well known to have been big pals with a notorious sex trafficker of underage girls and to have spent years involved in questionable business associations, some with Russian and Chinese firms. He immediately announces the appointment. When that guy is deemed a risk by the famously stringent developed national security vetting process – seriously, who’d-a-thunk-it?! – then Starmer has to go out and tell the public that the wrong ’un isn’t actually going to be his US ambassador after all, for “reasons”. Not to be one of the many people who has to explain how basic politics works to the PM, but after that notional fiasco, we’d have spent a very long time indeed talking about his bad judgment. Just like we are now. It’s almost as if all branches of history lead to a discussion about Keir Starmer’s bad judgment. The only person who doesn’t judge this to be the situation is Keir Starmer, which is another instance of his bad judgment. Monday found him chuntering away at the dispatch box like an arsonist complaining about the price of matches.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Raging Florida wildfires strand hundreds of Amtrak passengers

Multiple wildfires in northern Florida have disrupted Amtrak's rail service, impacting at least three train routes, the company says. Some passengers were stranded for more than 30 hours. Cristian Benavides reports.

Bears chase, bite visitors at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed after visitors encountered aggressive bears over the weekend.

Brits fled to Dubai for low taxes — now war is making some rethink the deal

The U.K. is seeking to lure British residents back from the UAE as war in the Middle East rattles confidence in Dubai’s safe‑haven image.

Here's what to expect from Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh's Senate hearing Tuesday

In a much-anticipated hearing before the Banking Committee, the former Fed governor will face questioning over a variety of subjects

FBI investigating deaths, disappearances of staff at government labs

The disappearances and deaths of 10 government workers tied to nuclear or space technology have sparked speculation online. President Trump said the cases are "hopefully, coincidence."

Seven more arrested after arson attacks on London Jewish sites

Seven held over alleged plot to commit another attack and man held over drone incident near Israeli embassy

Seven more people have been arrested after a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London.

The Metropolitan police said the suspects were arrested in the past 48 hours over an alleged conspiracy to commit a further arson attack, although the specific target is not yet known.

Amazon 'strong-armed' Levi's, Hanes to hike prices on rival sites, California AG says

Amazon allegedly coerced major vendors into convincing rival retailers like Walmart, Target and Home Depot to raise prices

Kevin Warsh would be the first tech bro Fed chair. How Silicon Valley shaped him

The nominee to lead the Fed is an AI optimist who counts tech titans Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen among his friends.

What really controls our appetite – hunger, stress or habit?

Knowing the difference between hunger and appetite, and understanding the sensory cues behind them, can help us make better decisions about what we eat

Imagine you’re in a meeting room when someone brings out the biscuits – a packet of Jammie Dodgers, perhaps, or a nice little plate of custard creams. Maybe you want one and maybe you don’t, but the chances are the people around you are all responding differently: someone will grab a couple straight away, someone else will eat one without seeming to notice, another will barely be aware the biscuits exist, and someone will spend the whole meeting wanting one but not taking it. Our appetites and responses to food vary wildly – but what’s going on behind the scenes to govern them? And has modern food somehow hijacked the process? Grab a biscuit (or don’t) and settle in.

“First, it’s important to distinguish between hunger and appetite,” says Giles Yeo, a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge and the author of Why Calories Don’t Count. “Hunger is a feeling – it’s what happens in the run-up to you deciding you need to eat something. Appetite is everything that surrounds why we eat – including hunger, fullness and reward, or how you actually feel when you eat. Those three sensations all use completely different parts of the brain, but they all work together.”

Michael review – cliched Jackson biopic is bland, bowdlerised … and bad

Rammed with every music-movie cliche, an almost mute supporting cast and a Michael who only produces endless smiley blandness, this is a frustratingly shallow film

Antoine Fuqua’s demi-biopic of Michael Jackson gives you the chimp, the llama, the giraffe … but not the elephant in the living room. It’s like a 127-minute trailer montage assembling every music-movie cliche you can think of: the producers’ astonishment in the recording studio, the tour bus, the billboard chart ascent, the meeting with the uncool corporate execs in their offices.

The film skates through Jackson’s life from the early days of the Jackson Five, terrorised by belt-wielding dad Joe, to his emergence as a stunningly original, globally adored solo act, culminating in the colossal Wembley Stadium concert in 1988, at which stage he was 30-years-old. And there we leave it, with the baffling surtitle flashed up on screen before the end credits roll: “The story continues”. It certainly does. Does this mean a second, darker movie is in the works? Maybe. Producer Graham King and the Jackson family estate are reportedly considering a “Michael 2”; if this happens, they will have to find a very different film-making style, something other than this bland, slick, corporate hagiography. And there is certainly no clear commitment to anything. All concerned might well think it’s best to exit here, and avoid the controversy, like the stage show MJ: The Musical.

Half Man review – more brave, brutal, blazing TV from the maker of Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd’s at it again. His unforgiving new drama tackles the damage men do to each other head on, by pulling out his insides and smearing them everywhere. Every man should watch this queasy masterpiece

We have known for some time, I think, that men are not OK. Richard Gadd’s new drama, conceived before his astounding, semi-autobiographical creation Baby Reindeer sent his reputation stratospheric, and now broadcast in the slipstream of that success, is a fiercely intelligent, unforgiving, harrowing attempt to show us how and why.

Half Man begins in the present, with two men circling each other in a dark barn. One, Niall (Jamie Bell), is in full Scottish wedding fig. The other, Ruben (Gadd), is stripped to the waist and has his hands wrapped like a sparring boxer. The fight that is surely about to come does not seem a fair one.

A Shinto spring festival and a stranded whale: photos of the day – Tuesday

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

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO after 15-year tenure

Tim Cook, who has been with Apple for nearly three decades and has served as the company's CEO for 15 years, will step down in September and stay on as chairman. The tech giant announced Monday who will replace Cook. Jo Ling Kent reports.

2 Southwest planes come within 500 feet of each other in close call

An investigation is underway after two Southwest planes avoided a potential midair collision at Nashville's airport. The FAA says air traffic control instructions put one flight in the path of another. Kris Van Cleave has more.

FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic over its story on his alleged drinking

FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over an article on his alleged drinking and absences. Sources told the magazine that Patel "has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences." Patel has denied the allegations.

As the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline looms, here are the main sticking points

The status of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear enrichment program are among the biggest obstacles to reaching a deal.

A typical Social Security strategy could cost you $182,000

Americans "have to change their thinking" about the government benefits program to get the most out of it, one expert says.

‘We feel unsafe in our own homes’: women in Brazil’s favelas learn to fight back amid rising violence

Demand for martial arts classes grows as women face increase in gender-based attacks

In a martial arts studio at the entrance to one of Rio de Janeiro’s beachside favelas, a muay thai instructor teaches a group of young women how to avoid blows, protect their head while falling and break free from an arm grab. “Women are vulnerable,” Ana Paula Lima tells them, “but we don’t have to be helpless.”

Sabrina Fortunato, a law student, is one of the 30 women who turned up for this free self-defence class on a Saturday, organised by the civil rights organisation Instituto de Defesa da População Negra and Rio city hall after a flood of gender-based violence grabbed headlines in Brazil.

How do I get texture and that umami hit without meat? | Kitchen aide

Smoky peppers, spices, soy and oil all help with that fatty, salty, deeply savoury flavour, breadcrumbs and mushrooms add texture

I’ve recently given up eating pork, but I’m struggling to compensate for its umami. How can I recreate the taste and texture in, say, carbonara or my beloved chorizo dishes?
James, by email
For Joe Woodhouse, author of Weeknight Vegetarian, there’s just something about white beans: “Whether cooked from dried, then dropping chopped onion, garlic, sage and thyme into the broth, or just dumping a jar or tin into a pan with fried garlic and sage, the smell that fills the kitchen is like that of sausagemeat,” he says. “It tastes a bit like it, too – or at least the memory of it, bearing in mind I haven’t eaten the stuff for 30 years.”

The quest for that umami savouriness could start with soy sauce, Woodhouse says (“or Slow Sauce’s oat shoyu”), while chef Mike Davies’ first port of call would be Totole’s Chinese mushroom seasoning powder: “It’s super-effective in replacing the richness and fattiness that comes from cooking with any meat, and especially pork,” says the chef-director of the Camberwell Arms, south London. “Honestly, it’s such a cheat-code ingredient.”

Martin Scorsese’s film about Pope Francis to receive world premiere in Vatican City

Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis is being screened to commemorate the first anniversary of Francis’s death

Martin Scorsese’s documentary about Pope Francis is to have its world premiere in the Vatican today as one of a set of events commemorating the first anniversary of Francis’s death.

The screening of the film, titled Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis, is being staged by Scholas Occurrentes, an international organisation aiming to “to encourage social integration ‎and the culture of encounter through sports, arts and technology”, which was set up in Argentina by Francis in 2001 while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and made into a foundation when he became pope in 2013.

U.S.-Iran ceasefire nears its end. And, Fed chair nominee faces tough hearing

The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire tomorrow. Peace talks between the countries remain uncertain. And, Trump's pick to lead the Federal Reserve faces a tough confirmation hearing today.

Has the manosphere ruined dating? | The Global Dating Crisis: episode 1

Globally, the number of single people is on the rise. Rates of marriage and cohabitation are on the decline, and in some countries, even sex itself is down. In this new series we're on a journey around the world to find out why people seem to be coupling up less, and what could be causing this dating crisis. In this episode, we’re in the UK

Midtjylland footballer Alamara Djabi seriously injured after stabbing in Denmark

Incident occurred over the weekend in Herning, the central Danish town where the Superliga club are based

The Midtjylland midfielder Alamara Djabi is in a stable condition after being stabbed and seriously injured, the Danish top-flight club said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred over the weekend in Herning, the central Danish town where the club is based, according to Midtjylland. The 19-year-old, a product of the Benfica academy, joined the Danish Superliga club in 2023 and has made two senior appearances.

Here is the biggest problem Washington faces: Iran sees no need to compromise | Sina Toossi

The US has failed to bomb Iran into submission. Now, from the strait of Hormuz to nuclear concessions, Tehran senses its position strengthening

Iran’s delegation to the first round of post-ceasefire talks with the US in Islamabad arrived on a plane named Minab 168 after the people – mostly young schoolgirls – killed in a US bombing early in the war. The name signalled both grievance and resolve, framing the talks as part of a conflict in which Tehran has already absorbed immense costs.

That framing helps explain how Iranian officials approached the talks and how they view the current impasse. Rather than negotiation from a position of weakness or urgency, they see diplomacy as an extension of a battle they believe they endured without losing their core advantages. With the ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday and no diplomatic breakthrough in sight, the risk of a return to war is sharply rising.

‘We were terrified they were going to kill us’: fishers who survived US boat strike speak out

An Ecuadorian fishing crew describe their ordeal as victims of Trump’s purported war on ‘narcoterrorists’

By 4pm, the light was softening over the Pacific, and the crew of the Don Maca were finishing a long day hauling in lines of swordfish and albacore. Down in the hold, the mood had settled into the familiar rhythm of a fishing day drawing to a close.

“We were just working, waiting for the last trawler to return,” Jhonny Sebastián Palacios, one of the fishers, told the Guardian. “Everything was perfectly fine.”

Women’s culture goes dark: why aren’t there more ‘femcel’ movies?

Male incels have been plentifully depicted on screen, while few film-makers have explored the varied controversies of toxic female radicalisation and the ‘womanosphere’. But a handful of movies have been treading a brave path

Most people would agree that mainstream media has now comprehensively (if not entirely successfully) covered “incel” culture. The small screen has delivered the likes of Adolescence and Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere; the movies have offered multiple meditations on male radicalisation such as The Beast, Manodrome, Don’t Worry Darling, Joker and even Barbie’s Kens.

The irony of women being overlooked feels almost too obvious to flag, yet we are definitely suffering a dearth of onscreen “femcels”. This lack of representation is all the more glaring amid the rise of tradwife culture and the wellness to “alt-right” pipeline – largely made up of female influencers dubbed the womanosphere – and the fact that around 50% of white US women voted for Donald Trump in 2024.

‘Unwanted from day one’: Dijon Women fight on despite feeling abandoned by club

Players have hit out at ‘confused and careless’ management off the pitch, despite their success on it

Dijon are punching above their weight yet again and are fifth in the French top flight going into the final straight. This might be it though. Despite another fine campaign, they could lose their professional status in a few months. The financial crisis at the club has hit the women’s side hardest. The team have been up for sale since the arrival of the new president a year and a half ago, but no buyer has been found.

On 9 April the players at Dijon’s women’s side published a statement saying they felt “unwanted from day one”, denouncing what they call the abandonment of the women’s section by the club. Four days earlier, Dijon had announced plans to scale back their ambitions for the women’s side owing to a lack of resources, going as far as to consider jettisoning the professional team next season. “In the absence of a buyer, no guarantees can be given regarding the level of competition for the teams next season,” the club said, also casting doubt on the future of the women’s academy created in 2024.

Ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran ends Wednesday

The ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran ends Wednesday. President Trump says a U.S. delegation is going to Pakistan for talks, but Iran hasn't confirmed their attendance.

Sam Neill says New Zealand goldmine supporters have threatened him with violence

Actor, who has publicly objected to plans to fast-track project near his farm, says he has received personal abuse

The actor Sam Neill says he has received threats of violence from supporters of a controversial goldmine that could be opened several kilometres away from his farm in New Zealand’s Central Otago district, after he publicly objected to the government’s plans to fast-track the mine.

The Australian mining company Santana Minerals is pushing to expedite a 85-hectare (210-acre) open-cast goldmine, called Bendigo-Ophir, in the Dunstan mountains, an area described as “outstanding natural landscape” by the Central Otago district council.

The hidden power keeping wages low

For decades, economists gave short shrift to the idea of monopsony — a power employers can have to suppress wages. Now a wave of research suggests it's everywhere, and a new book argues it's key to understanding today's inequality.

Java script error: why The Devil Wears Prada 2’s Starbucks tie-in leaves a strange taste

A theatrically released movie about glossy magazines, released at a time when there are minimal audiences for either, has ordered up a no foam, extra shot, venti facepalm

It might, of course, turn out to be a masterpiece. Yet there has been something intangibly depressing about The Devil Wears Prada 2 ever since it was first announced. Somehow, the timing of the film and its subject matter have combined in such a way that you can’t help but feel bummed out to the point of exhaustion just to think of it.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is, of course, a theatrically released movie about glossy magazines, released at a time when nobody goes to see theatrically released movies or buys glossy magazines. And just to really sell the point that the film exists in a vacuum of unrealistic nostalgia, it has just announced a brand partnership with Starbucks.

David Squires on … Manchester City, Arsenal and an epic clash of the titans

Our cartoonist looks back at Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad as the title race got even hotter

• Buy this cartoon | David’s favourite works of 2025

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Hotel Exile by Jane Rogoyska review – the remarkable story of a wartime institution

From a haven for intellectuals fleeing Hitler to the HQ of the feared Abwehr, the changing fortunes of a Parisian icon

The word “hotel” is cognate with “hostel” and “hospital”, and for a few short years in the middle of the 20th century, one Paris establishment functioned as all three. Hôtel Lutetia sits on the city’s Left Bank and exudes a certain nonconformist swagger. Opened in 1910 and built in a style that bobbed between art nouveau and art deco, it soon attracted an artistic and bohemian crowd. Hemingway hung out there in the 1920s, as did Picasso, Matisse and André Gide. James Joyce, resident in the city for 20 years, wrote a chunk of Ulysses sitting at one of its tables.

In this outstanding book, which has been shortlisted for the Women’s prize for nonfiction, Jane Rogoyska reports that by the mid-1930s the Lutetia had become headquarters to German political dissidents fleeing Hitler. “The Lutetia Crowd”, as the Nazis disdainfully dubbed them, comprised the intellectual cream of the Weimar Republic. Heinrich Mann, novelist brother of the more famous Thomas, was the head of the organising committee that worked to bring down the Nazi regime from a distance. To this end, fake tomato-seed packets were sent into Germany containing a diatribe against the Third Reich and The Communist Manifesto was rebound into classic literature and pumped into the Fatherland.

Nine lessons for the US from Viktor Orbán’s defeat | Kenneth Roth

As US elections approach, the Hungarian prime minister’s loss is a reminder that history does not march relentlessly toward autocracy

Viktor Orbán’s electoral loss was a slap in the face for Donald Trump and JD Vance, who had enthusiastically endorsed Europe’s most visible autocrat but proved unable to salvage his candidacy. But Hungarian voters’ 12 April rejection of Orbán also holds important lessons for Americans who hope to resist Trump’s own autocratic tendencies. As the November midterm elections approach, here are a few takeaways:

Prioritize opposition unity. Orbán was defeated by a broad coalition led by Péter Magyar under the banner of his new Tisza party. The opposition’s unity mattered. As some Democrats remain wedded to purity tests, refusing to make common cause with people who reject one or more progressive tenets, Hungarians from across the political spectrum joined hands in the shared goal of defeating Orbán. For them, the debate between right and left paled in importance compared to the need to redeem Hungary’s democracy. Some political parties even refrained from fielding candidates, sacrificing their immediate interests to avoid dividing the anti-Orbán vote.

How can you make a student happy? Drop them at university – and make a lightning-quick exit | Zoe Williams

The impulse is to hang around meeting their friends, and their friends’ parents, and checking out their room. Maybe you’ll all go to a restaurant in the evening ... But be aware: no teenager or twentysomething wants this

I was driving my niece to university, and my son asked what time I’d be back, which was itself inherently sad. When they’re little and you’re leaving them with a babysitter and they ask in a plaintive tiny voice for your estimated time of return, and your heart is gripped in a vice of guilt and impatience, all you long for is the day when they don’t care whether you go to the pub or not. Then, wham, they’re 18, and they ask in a hopeful, slightly shifty tone, as if wishing for the answer “I’ll be back at 2am, or maybe never”.

You cannot fathom why your absence would be such a benefit – will they have an impromptu party? Start a fire? But that is because you’re avoiding its unspoken centre: it is much more relaxing for them when you’re out of the house.

The Breakdown | Erin King looks to lift Ireland: ‘It was tough some days to keep showing up’

After overcoming a debilitating injury, the Ireland captain is relishing the prospect of a grudge match against France

Twelve months ago Erin King was not only told she may never play rugby again but faced the possibility of being unable to even run. Fast forward to now and the 22-year-old is ready to lead Ireland in their revenge mission against France this Saturday after their rivals knocked them out of last year’s Rugby World Cup in King’s absence.

King, who transitioned from sevens rugby after the 2024 Olympics, had sustained a serious knee injury against England at the 2025 Six Nations which ruled her out of the global showpiece. It was a blow for Ireland’s campaign with the back row going from strength-to-strength in the 15s game. In 2024 she had been named the World Rugby breakthrough player of the year after standout performances that included scoring two tries in the team’s historic win over New Zealand at the WXV tournament.

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US ‘restricts intelligence sharing with South Korea’ after minister identified suspected nuclear site

Washington reportedly limits satellite data after minister spoke publicly about suspected facility in North Korea

The US has partly restricted intelligence sharing with South Korea after the country’s unification minister publicly identified a suspected North Korean nuclear site, according to reports in South Korean media.

Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in March that North Korea was operating uranium enrichment facilities in Kusong, a north-western area that had not previously been officially confirmed as a nuclear site alongside the known facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson.

Houseplant hacks: should I let tap water stand before using it for watering?

‘Overnighting’ water in a wide-mouthed container does get rid of chlorine, and your sensitive plants will thank you for it

The problem
Rainwater is the gold standard for houseplants, but not everyone has a garden, a water butt, or the inclination to collect it. For those relying on tap water, the question is how to make it as plant-friendly as possible. Chlorine is added to tap water as a disinfectant, and sensitive plants like calatheas, ferns and carnivorous varieties can show it in their leaf edges and general mood.

The hack
Plenty of plant owners leave jugs of tap water on the counter overnight, and the chlorine evaporates, leaving something softer and kinder for your roots. It costs nothing, requires no equipment and has been passed around plant communities for years.

Why are respected film-makers suddenly embracing AI?

From Soderbergh to Aronofsky, esteemed Hollywood directors are starting to find ways to include artificial intelligence in the production of their films

In Steven Soderbergh’s beguiling new movie The Christophers, a reclusive artist (Ian McKellen) tangles with the quiet art forger (Michaela Coel) who his greedy children have hired to secretly finish further entries in a well-known painting series. The movie is smart and provocative about the nature of artistry and authorship, exploring what it means to create – and to stop creating. It’s especially fascinating coming from Soderbergh, who has made movies with workhorse dependability (The Christophers is his third theatrical release of the past 18 months) and also spent four years retired from directing features entirely.

It also provides particularly jarring context for Soderbergh, in interviews promoting the film, to voice his interest in something that a lot of great artists have pointedly refused to embrace: using AI in films. Soderbergh mentioned in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine that he used what sounds like generative AI to produce “thematically surreal images that occupy a dream space rather than a literal space” for his upcoming documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He also said that a movie he’s hoping to make about the Spanish-American war would use “a lot of AI”. In a subsequent conversation with Variety, Soderbergh didn’t sound like an AI evangelist, but nor did he back down: “I don’t think it’s the solution to everything, and I don’t think it’s the death of everything. We’re in the very early stages. Five years from now, we all may be going, ‘That was a fun phase.’ We may end up not using it as much as we thought we were going to.”

Experts call for restrictions on pet flea treatments that harm UK songbirds

Chemicals known to affect brains of common garden birds, and to kill unborn chicks, found in most feather samples

Conservationists have called for restrictions on pet flea treatments after research found songbird feathers widely contaminated with substances that can damage the birds’ brains and kill unborn chicks.

Almost every feather sample tested from five common species of UK garden birds contained either permethrin, imidacloprid or fipronil – all insecticides that are banned for agricultural use but still common in pet tick and flea treatments.

The surprising origin of 4 features that superglue kids — and adults — to screens

Taken together, these four features can create a trancelike state that can keep us stuck on social media apps or video games for hours. Children are particularly vulnerable.

She raised concerns about her company's contracts with ICE. Then she lost her job

Billie Little had worked for Thomson Reuters for about two decades. She was fired after questioning whether federal immigration agents unlawfully used their products.

‘Muslim kids are really underrepresented’: the animated movie where medieval maths meets eager young minds

Time Hoppers: The Silk Road is a time-travel adventure whose child heroes must save the legacy of Islamic scholars who shaped modern science. Its makers reveal their inspiration, and reflect on their success

‘Some people said it doesn’t exist – that it’s a fantasy.” So says Flordeliza Dayrit of the silk road, the vast network of trade routes that once connected Asia, Africa and Europe – and the starting location for Time Hoppers: The Silk Road, the animated feature she co-created with her husband, Michael Milo.

Speaking from their home in Edmonton, Canada, the couple describe a project that started with personal intrigue and grew into something far more ambitious. With its theatrical release in UK cinemas, Time Hoppers turns this sense of curiosity into a fast-moving children’s adventure: a story in which four young protagonists travel back in time to the medieval Islamic world, meeting the scientists and scholars whose discoveries shape our current everyday lives.

‘The witches are back’: first look at Practical Magic 2 as Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return for spooky sequel

The Kissing Booth’s Joey King and Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams star alongside the original cast members as the next generation of the cursed Owens family

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The midnight margaritas are officially back on the menu. Within 24 hours of its debut, the first official teaser for Practical Magic 2 has surged into the Google Trends top 10, attracting millions of views and signalling an enthusiastic appetite for the return of the Owens family and all things witchy.

Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman will return as sisters Sally and Gillian, with Kidman sharing a video of her and her fellow star on set last year, captioned: “The witches are back”.

See You on the Other Side by Jay McInerney review – the clumsy finale of a classic New York series

The bright young things of 1992’s Brightness Falls are now in their 60s in this verbose, clunky novel that seems more interested in lifestyle than inner lives

More than 40 years ago, Jay McInerney’s debut novel, Bright Lights, Big City, captured the glamour and desperation of 1980s New York. The book’s spectacular success launched its author’s career, earning him comparisons to F Scott Fitzgerald, another midwesterner with a complicated relationship with the US’s fantasies of wealth and social mobility. In 1992, Brightness Falls introduced readers to a fresh cast of young New Yorkers, but was primarily focused on a central couple, Corrine and Russell. McInerney returned to these characters in two subsequent novels; See You on the Other Side completes the tetralogy.

The book opens at the start of 2020 with the bright young things now in their 60s, coping with erectile dysfunction and marital woes, and fretting about the job prospects of their twentysomething children. In addition to the eternal problem of ageing, Corrine and Russell are about to confront the events of that tumultuous year: the pandemic, protests for racial justice and a bitterly fought presidential election campaign. Russell is the book’s main character, although we spend time with Corrine and make excursions into the points of view of their daughter, Storey, an aspiring chef, and her biracial boyfriend, Mingus.

Wardriver review – bank scammer Dane DeHaan goes for the triple cross in venal neo-noir

Thriller from director Rebecca Thomas paints a convincingly hoodlum world where every table is turned

“I’m gonna fucking doxx you” is the tech equivalent of “I’m going to get medieval on your ass” in this brisk neo-noir crime thriller, starring Dane DeHaan as a hacker with a heart of gold. DeHaan never quite broke through to the top echelon as he promised to in the mid-2010s but, constantly kojaking a lollipop here, he shows scuzzy self-assurance as Cole, a petty scammer who skims people’s security credentials from unsecured wifi networks and empties their bank accounts.

Cole is on a hot streak until restaurant doorman and considerably more scary hoodlum Oscar (Mamoudou Athie) gets wise to him and arrives at his home to administer a beatdown. Oscar has plans for the geek: to use him to fleece Sarah (Sasha Calle), a glamorous member of his clientele who has boasted about the $800k sitting in her current account. But after they siphon it off, Cole gets scammer’s remorse when criminally affiliated lawyer Mark (Jeffrey Donovan), for whom Sarah is holding the cash, threatens to kill her if she doesn’t return the loot.

Japan scraps ban on lethal weapons exports in major shift of pacifist policy

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that "no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone."

King Charles pays tribute to late mother on 100th anniversary of her birth

Monarch says Elizabeth II would have been troubled by recent events but she believed ‘goodness will always prevail’

King Charles has said his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, would have been troubled deeply by current affairs as he paid a heartfelt tribute to her on what would have been her 100th birthday.

In a video message to honour the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, he said she had “remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served”.

Music executive behind K-pop group BTS faces arrest in South Korea

Police seek warrant for Bang Si-Hyuk over allegations he illegally gained millions in investor fraud scheme

South Korean police are seeking to arrest Bang Si-Hyuk, the chair of the agency behind the K-pop band BTS, as they expand an investigation into allegations that he illegally gained more than $100m (£74m) in an investor fraud scheme.

The Seoul metropolitan police agency confirmed it had asked prosecutors to request a court warrant for the arrest of Bang, the founder and chair of HYBE.

Unchosen review – Asa Butterfield’s creepy cult show is a total waste of all this talent

It’s got amazing names attached, from Christopher Eccleston to Siobhan Finneran – but the new Netflix drama starts off workmanlike then goes downhill. Why would these stars ever sign up?

Unchosen is set in the world of a Christian splinter sect. Everyone lives simply in grace and harmony, following Christ’s teaching of peace and love for all humankind, with men and women sharing equally in domestic and other labour. They exist as shining lights for what is possible when you set aside the patriarchal nonsense and other accretions that gather around religions. Every episode is a delight and nothing much happens because everyone is living such a good and godly life.

I jest! Unchosen is not here to break new ground. It is here to deliver by-numbers drama that has inexplicably attracted the talented likes of Siobhan Finneran and Christopher Eccleston to its cast and you should proceed with your expectations lowered.

Hope, love and trumpets: young Venezuelans – in pictures

She left after being held up at gunpoint. Now Silvana Trevale wants to show a different side to the ‘wounded’ country – with a photography project about the resilience of its youth completed last year

How to holiday as a single-parent family? A back-to-nature retreat in west Wales worked for us

Tucked away in a remote valley, these cosy off-grid cabins come with a wild-swimming pond, loads of wildlife and a farm where kids can run free

Holidaying as a single parent is a tricky balance. You want to ringfence the kind of extended one-on-one time that can be difficult to find during term time; but too much of that and you know you’ll drive each other a little crazy. Kids need other kids, and you could do with some adult company too. You also need a break. It’s a nice idea to pack the car with camping gear and head out into the wilderness, but it can be a lot of work – and you end up in a field, attempting to put up a tent, alone.

Friends of mine have suggested holiday parks, some of them with bars and restaurants and a daily schedule of kids’ activities. That all sounds a bit overstimulating. I’d been dreaming about sinking into a quiet landscape. But would there be enough to do?

‘Will they kill us too?’ Murder of leading feminist has chilling effect on Iraq’s activists

Yanar Mohammed’s assassination comes amid a number of killings as fellow campaigners warn women’s rights are going backwards

In early March, two unidentified gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on Iraq’s most notable women’s rights activist, Yanar Mohammed, as she stood outside her home in the north of the capital, Baghdad. She had long been the target of death threats from Islamic State and other armed groups.

Her death was the latest of several killings of well-known female figures in Iraq in recent years, who were either prominent advocates for women’s rights or notable individuals. In early April, soon after Yanar’s death, a female lawyer known for supporting girls was also murdered.

Speaking to the Guardian and Jummar Media, women in Iraq say the murders have had a chilling effect on their ability to speak out at a time when women’s rights and freedoms in the country are going backwards.

Gunman shoots several tourists at historic pyramids in Mexico

A man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacan pyramids opened fire on tourists Monday, killing one Canadian and leaving at least 13 people, authorities said.

Cuba confirms meeting with US officials on island, wants energy blockade lifted

Cuba's government confirmed that it had recently met with U.S. officials on the island as tensions between the two sides remain high over the U.S. energy blockade of the Caribbean country.

‘I’m not the boss’: Lando Norris is articulate, open and intelligent – when he’s allowed to be

F1’s latest world champion speaks with deep candour about overcoming his insecurities but questions about Max Verstappen and regulations? Off limits

There are always complications and difficulties in Formula One, as there are in life and even in this interview. On a beautiful evening at a lavish golf club in Surrey, Lando Norris and I are tucked away in an anonymous yet brightly lit room crammed with a television crew and representatives from his management team and Laureus, the global organisation driven by a belief that “sport has the power to change the world”.

At first Norris talks thoughtfully and honestly about his struggles with profound insecurity before becoming world champion last year. But we reach a low point when a young man from his management company feels sufficiently empowered to answer questions on the 26-year-old’s behalf, as a way of controlling our interview.

Palantir manifesto described as ‘ramblings of a supervillain’ amid UK contract fears

Alarm caused by posts of Alex Karp, tech firm’s CEO, championing US military dominance and of AI weapons

The US spy tech company Palantir published a manifesto extolling the benefits of American power and implying some cultures are inferior to others – in what MPs have called “a parody of a RoboCop film” and “the ramblings of a supervillain”.

“Some cultures have produced vital advances; others remain dysfunctional and regressive,” wrote Palantir in a 22-point post on X over the weekend, which also called for an end to the “postwar neutering” of Germany and Japan.

Mexican magic: Santiago Lastra’s recipes for cheesy mushroom costras and beetroot tostadas

Poppadoms masquerade as tortillas in these tostadas topped with a striking pink mole, and grilled mushroom tortillas smothered in melty cheese and a sharp salsa

Costra, meaning ‘crust’ in Spanish, is a classic dish from the north and centre of Mexico that’s traditionally made with tender cuts of beef and finished with a melted crust of semi-hard cheese (usually Chihuahua or manchego mixed with Oaxaca cheese for texture). The cheese is grated on a plancha grill and allowed to melt and crisp up, and is then draped over the meat. Here, though, I have substituted the steak for mushrooms. Then, tostadas are traditionally made with crisp corn tortillas that are either baked or deep-fried, a technique that was first invented to preserve the tortillas for longer. They’re commonly used to serve lean, light preparations, like ceviches, aguachiles and salsas. Here, I’ve used poppadoms to achieve a similar texture and starchiness; use ready-cooked ones to make this even quicker.