Turkey v Paraguay: World Cup 2026 – live

⚽️ Kick-off time: 8pm local/1pm AEST/4am BST/11pm EDT
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Sam

A surprise start for attacker Isidro Pitta, who was so certain he wouldn’t be called up to Paraguay’s squad for the World Cup that he had already booked a holiday to Spain with his family during the tournament.

Nicknamed ‘Viking’ due to his long hair and big ginger beard, he’s found form at Red Bull Bragantino and is described as “a fighter, a tireless worker and a constant nuisance for opposition defences” in the Guardian’s World Cup player guide.

‘That penalty changed my life’: Panenka’s pride 50 years on from special spot-kick

Czech’s audacious defiance of Sepp Maier in Belgrade has slipped into football folklore: ‘The only disadvantage is that I don’t get any royalties from it’

Antonin Panenka laughs like a bear might, a low rumble, suggesting mischief among the memories. He is sat in an office at Bohemians football club in Prague, recounting the story of his impudent, revolutionary penalty that not only won the 1976 European Championship for Czechoslovakia against West Germany but soured his relationship with the goalkeeper his spot-kick humiliated, Sepp Maier. “He went 35 years without uttering a single word to me,” he smiles.

But the feud went much deeper. “I read some articles that he even had a shooting target in his garage with my face on it that he used to fire darts at. We get on well enough now though.”

I don’t like the World Cup hydration breaks but trust me – they help the coaches | Emma Hayes

Nobody wants more stoppages in the game but it allows us, whether on TV or the touchline, to analyse what we see

In the NFL or NBA, a head coach can sometimes affect momentum in the game during a timeout. Even as a head coach in American football you get three timeouts per half. In most cases in soccer, players have to problem-solve and think on their feet.

I’m not a fan of the hydration breaks that have been introduced at this World Cup, but they’re here for now and it is fascinating from a coaching perspective because the momentum has swung straight after several hydration breaks. That could suggest coach involvement has helped teams to tweak things.

Cold War Steve on … the arrival of the World Cup superheroes

The second in a special series of World Cup 2026 themed collages made for the Guardian by the celebrated satirist

‘I hope it works’: Tim Henman on Raducanu’s coach and vice-captain duties at Laver Cup

Former world No 4 backs best man at his wedding to reignite Raducanu and hopes to entice Jannik Sinner to join Team Europe at the O2

“Tennis is in a good place, but I think it could be better,” says Tim Henman when asked about the state of the sport that has consumed most of his life. He will soon outline ways tennis could be improved but, first, it helps to remember that the 51-year-old played in six grand slam semi-finals, including four at Wimbledon, won an Olympic silver medal and became No 4 in the world despite constant gripes from part-time tennis supporters who wrongly said he lacked the grit of an elite player.

Yet grit filters through Henman’s memories and explains why he loves tennis while always striving to reach a better place. We meet at the Queen’s Club and the elegance of the venue provides a stark contrast to the series of cheap B&Bs where Henman lived, down the road in Earl’s Court, for two years at the outset of his career. Money was tight then and sometimes four young players could share a single room.

Brazil sweep into form as Cunha’s quickfire double sparks World Cup win over Haiti

Matheus Cunha scored twice as Brazil moved top of World Cup Group C with a 3-0 win over Haiti. Vinícius Júnior netted the third, with all of the goals coming in a first half during which Brazil looked markedly improved from their insipid opening draw against Morocco.

The result means Haiti, who lost to Scotland 1-0 in their first game, can no longer reach the knockout phase.

Anthony Albanese says Australia’s first mainland case of deadly H5N1 bird flu ‘concerning’

Tests taken in Western Australia suggest a second bird was also infected, but there is no evidence poultry or agriculture systems are affected

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The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has arrived on the Australian mainland with test results confirming a migratory seabird found on the Western Australian coast was positive for the disease.

The agriculture minister, Julie Collins, confirmed a brown skua – found unwell last Sunday at Cape Le Grand national park near Esperance in southern WA had died from H5N1.

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy to Belarus – remove Russian relay stations or ‘we’ll do it’

Zelenskyy says a week should be enough time for Belarus to remove stations, calls for a stop to refined oil supplies to Russian army. What we know on day 1,578

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a week should be enough for the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, to remove equipment from Belarus used by ⁠Russia in its attacks on ⁠Ukraine. “If he doesn’t do it, we’ll do it,” said the Ukrainian president, without elaborating. Zelenskyy said signal relay stations were located in two Belarusian regions bordering Ukraine that were used by Russian forces to help with attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Ukraine has been beefing up its defences along its northern border after signs that Vladimir Putin may be trying to make greater use of Belarus in the conflict. Recent exchanges of threatening language between Kyiv and Minsk culminated in Lukashenko apologising to Zelenskyy for past remarks and saying Belarus wanted no part in the war. Zelenskyy said on Friday: “What’s the point of saying he [Lukashenko] doesn’t want to be in the war? Let him remove this equipment, let him switch it off. I think a week will be enough for him to do that.”

Zelenskyy also alluded to Belarus’s oil refining industry, saying it had become a major supplier ​for Moscow and that Lukashenko could put a stop to it. “Today he ‌is the main supplier, or one of ‌the main suppliers, for the Russian army. Specifically, Lukashenko, specifically Belarus,” he said. “Can this be stopped? I’m sure it’s within his power. And he’s the one controlling ‌it.” Ukraine has been intensifying its attacks on the Russian oil sector as part of efforts to put pressure on Russia’s war capability after more than four years of conflict.

EU chief António Costa on Friday defended diplomatic outreach by his office to the Kremlin, saying the bloc needed to “listen” to Moscow, despite pushback from some member states. “It is precisely because we need also to support Ukraine through diplomatic means that we need to have a direct diplomatic channel with Russia,” Costa said after a summit of EU leaders. However, he said there were so far no “credible signs” that Russia wanted to engage.

Russia ⁠said on Friday it was open to dialogue with European countries but would not accept ultimatums. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said common sense dictated the need for such contacts because of the “enormous number” of complex issues on the agenda, but he said the Europeans needed to change their approach to Russia.

Meanwhile, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, told reporters on Friday that Europeans would be at the table when and if there were peace talks about Ukraine, stressing they were not mediators, because they were firmly on Ukraine’s side. But he also said the question was not who would negotiate on behalf of the EU with Russia, but to clarify and define the bloc’s position first.

Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki, said he would strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country’s top honour after the Ukrainian president caused outrage by renaming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) – nationalists who ⁠massacred Poles during the second world war. The decision ​could unleash a severe diplomatic crisis between the neighbours a few days ahead of a conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction in the Polish city of Gdansk. The Ukrainian foreign ⁠minister Andrii Sybiha said Poland had committed a “strategic” ⁠error that ‌ “only ​benefits ​Moscow”.

Russian shelling killed ⁠three civilians in Ukraine’s frontline city ⁠of Kramatorsk ⁠in ​the eastern Donetsk region, a local ⁠official said on Friday. Six ‌others had been injured in two attacks on the city, with strikes occurring ‌near a high-rise apartment building and a ​car park, said the governor ⁠of Donetsk region, ​Vadym Filashkin.

French authorities detained and charged a Belarus-born man on suspicion of spying for Russia on a French drone manufacturer, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. The 48-year-old was reportedly arrested on 3 June “while filming a drone prototype belonging to a company that supplies the French and Ukrainian armed forces”. France’s domestic intelligence agency found he “allegedly sent a video to a contact in Russia”.

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.

Socceroos aggrieved by referee’s ‘stinker’ in World Cup defeat to USA

• German official Felix Zwayer faces criticism for perceived injustices

• Tony Popovic encouraged by much improved second-half performance

Referee Felix Zwayer has come in for criticism from the Socceroos, who labelled the German’s performance a “stinker” after what they believed was a series of injustices in their 2-0 defeat to the USA in the World Cup match in Seattle.

The co-hosts’ second goal was awarded by the video referee, and it was contentious given what appeared to be an offside player in the proximity of goalkeeper Patrick Beach when he tried to recover from a misdirected shot.

Wyndham Clark carries four-shot US Open lead as big names gather in chasing pack

• American’s revival continues after controversy 12 months ago

• Rory McIlroy still in contention despite ‘bit of a battle’ on back nine

Everyone was chasing one man on a windswept Friday in the Hamptons as Wyndham Clark continued his extraordinary revival, posting the lowest 36-hole score ever recorded in a US Open at Shinnecock and carrying a four-shot lead into the weekend.

The 2023 champion backed up his opening-round 64 with a one-under 69 to reach seven under par, breaking the previous halfway record of six under set by Phil Mickelson and Shigeki Maruyama in 2004. Clark’s total left him four strokes clear of Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Sam Stevens and Tom Kim at three under, while Collin Morikawa hurled himself into contention with the day’s low score of 65 to sit alone at two under on a sun-splashed but blustery afternoon in Southampton.

Kennedy Center still weighing "partial closure," Trump admin. tells judge

The Trump administration told a federal judge that the Kennedy Center is still weighing whether to offer a full slate of performances or more limited programming over the coming months.

Israel and Hezbollah renew ceasefire after deadly flareup disrupts opening of Iran talks

JD Vance pulls out of US-Iran meeting in Switzerland on implementation of peace deal after clashes in southern Lebanon

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after 24 hours of intense violence that posed an early challenge to the new agreement between the US and Iran to end their conflict.

A meeting that was scheduled to take place on Friday between Washington and Tehran in Switzerland to discuss implementation of the new deal was cancelled when Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley that killed at least 47 people.

Given 8 months to live, a teen beat cancer thanks to an extraordinary friendship

In 2022, at the age of 14, Dylan Mwaniki was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer. Four years later, he graduated from high school.

James Burrows, co-creator of "Cheers" and prolific director, dies at 85

James Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of television, including every episode of the original "Will & Grace."

Saibari strikes after 70 seconds as Morocco puncture Scotland’s World Cup party

Scotland would have taken this outcome after 70 seconds. Ismael Saibiri had fired this highly-rated Moroccan team ahead. Men in kilts gulped under the blazing Massachusetts sun. Scotland may even privately have taken this outcome before a ball was kicked. Avoidance of a comprehensive defeat against Brazil will leave them with at least a fighting chance of becoming the first Scotland team to progress to the knockout phase of a major tournament.

Easier said than done, of course, but a scenario where history remains within the grasp of Steve Clarke and his players. Onwards to Miami, for what promises to be quite the spectacle. The value in beating Haiti by a goal or only losing this by the same will all be apparent by full-time on Wednesday. The Tartan Army need calculators in hand.

"Cheers" co-creator James Burrows dies at 85

Director James Burrows co-created the landmark comedy "Cheers" and directed more than 50 pilot episodes. He died at 85 on Friday.

U.S. clinches spot in World Cup knockout round with dominant win over Australia

In front of a roaring Seattle crowd, the U.S. men's soccer team​ on Friday defeated Australia in its second World Cup match, clinching a spot in the Round of 32 in the process.

Doctor goes above and beyond for her cancer patient, ending with a big surprise

Steve Hartman goes "On the Road" with a story of a teen battling for his life and the doctor who made him a promise.

Trump unveils new Air Force One, a $400 million plane gifted by Qatar

"This is considered the world's most luxurious plane," the president said in front of the enormous new jet.

New problems arise for the Reflecting Pool after Trump's renovations

All week, Americans have heard about the stubbornly green Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Now, the Trump administration said the water is a "crystal clear" blue. Mark Strassmann double-checks.

Trump unveils new Air Force One, gifted from Qatar

President Trump unveiled what's meant to become the new Air Force One, a gift from the government of Qatar. Plus, new fighting erupted between Israel and Lebanon before they signed a new ceasefire. Nicole Killion has all this and more from the White House.

Investigators release final report on Camp Mystic flood disaster

Texas investigators gave their final word on the deadly flooding disaster at Camp Mystic that occurred on July 4, 2025. The camp's leadership failed in every way, from basic safety and emergency response, to reunifications with family members, according to a 115-page report. Jason Allen reports.

Trump unveils new Air Force One, a converted Qatari 747

New craft, called VC-25B Bridge, had provoked protest since $400m jet wildly exceeds limit on unsolicited gifts

Donald Trump unveiled the new, temporary Air Force One at a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, a day after White House officials bid farewell to one of two Boeing 747s used to transport presidents for more than 30 years.

The new jet, designated VC-25B and decked out in a punchy red, white, dark blue and gold livery, was gifted to Trump by the Gulf emirate of Qatar, provoking howls of political protest since the $400m jet wildly exceeds the limit on unsolicited gifts of $50 in value in a single calendar year from the same source.

Gary O’Neil set to leave Strasbourg and take over as Ipswich head coach

• 43-year-old led French side to Conference League semis

• Burnley pushing to bring in Craig Bellamy as head coach

Gary O’Neil is poised to become Ipswich’s new head coach, with the 43-year-old expected to return to England from Ligue 1 Strasbourg.

There are only minor details to sort with O’Neil primed to succeed Kieran McKenna, who announced his wish to depart Ipswich after leading them to the top flight for a second time.

U.S. defeats Australia in World Cup, clinching spot in knockout round

For the first time since 1930, the U.S. Men have won their first two matches of a World Cup. They not only beat Australia, but also clinched a spot in the knockout round. Nicole Valdes has more.

6/19: CBS Evening News

The U.S. Men's soccer team advances in the World Cup; a deadly train collision occurred in London.

Judge blocks DOJ from releasing Biden's conversations with biographer for 3 weeks

A judge on Friday cleared the way for the DOJ to disclose former President Joe Biden's conversations with his biographer to the Heritage Foundation. Later in the day, she blocked the release for three weeks.

Train driver dies and 89 people injured after two trains collide near Bedford

Eleven people suffer ‘very serious’ injuries, with emergency services still at the scene into the night

A train driver has died and 89 people have been injured after two trains collided in the Bedford area, with emergency services working into the night.

Of those injured, 11 people suffered “very serious” injuries and 22 were seriously injured, East of England ambulance service said, while a further 56 people had minor injuries and were treated at the scene or taken to hospital.

Questions swirl after 1-year-old boy fatally shot by police in Mississippi

A police shooting in Senatobia, Mississippi, that left a 1-year-old child dead has ignited simmering tensions between police and Black residents in the small town.

James Burrows, director of classic shows 'Cheers' and 'Friends,' dies at 85

Burrows spent his career behind the camera specializing in situation comedies. Few viewers recognized him or knew his name, other than to see it flash quickly on the screen in the opening credits. But they knew his work.

See the full U.S. men's soccer schedule for the 2026 World Cup

The U.S. men's national soccer team kicked off its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on Friday.

Air Force One, gifted to Trump from Qatar, arrives at Joint Base Andrews

The luxury Boeing 747, initially valued at $400 million, arrived ahead of schedule on Friday. The jet caused controversy as one of the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government.

6/19: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Israel and Hezbollah reach a ceasefire in Lebanon; Reflecting Pool facing new issues despite President Trump's recent renovation.

George W. Bush gifts Michelle Obama mints in an ode to their friendship

The Altoids were a callback to a viral moment between former first lady Michelle Obama and former President George W. Bush.

Italy's Meloni, once Trump's closest ally in Europe, says he made up a story about her

"Italy and I do not beg," Meloni said in a video rebuke posted on social media Friday. Italy's top diplomat, meanwhile, said he was cancelling a visit to the U.S because of the alleged remarks.

England ‘haven’t got key moments right’ against New Zealand, admits Fisher

• Tourists take 352-run lead into day four of second Test

• Fisher applauds ‘resilient’ Baker in 53-run partnership

After being left with a run mountain to climb if they are to take anything from the second Test, England have conceded they once again stumbled in the game’s key moments. Just as they did throughout the winter they have allowed their opponents to take control. The upshot is that New Zealand go into day four with a lead of 352 and seven second-innings wickets remaining.

Since the Ashes Brendon McCullum, the England head coach, has spoken of the need to “be slightly smarter in those significant moments”, and to “identify moments where games can be won or lost and win more of those than not”. But in dressing-room conversations he has admitted that ambition remains unfulfilled.

DOJ rebuffs judge's demand to state "anti-weaponization" fund is dead

A senior Justice Department official called a judge's demand for a declaration on the status of the "anti-weaponization" fund "unnecessary."

Man released on bail after boy, three, critically injured in zoo crocodile enclosure

Cambridgeshire police say 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder is not fit to be interviewed

A man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure has been released because he is not fit to be interviewed, police have said.

The 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been bailed while detectives from the major crimes unit conduct further inquiries, Cambridgeshire police said.

Here's who qualifies for the Trump adminstration's student loan rate cut

The temporary discount applies to eligible federal Direct Loan borrowers who use automatic payments.

First pelicans in 360 years hatch in St James’s Park London

Birds have been in the park since the Russian ambassador gave King Charles II two in 1664 – but none ever bred there

They arrived in the royal park shortly before the Great Fire of London, when the Russian ambassador presented a pair to King Charles II as a gift.

But although pelicans have been living in St James’s Park since 1664, none ever learned the art of courtship – until now, when for the first time in more than 360 years, chicks have been born.

Global framework for reparatory justice adopted at landmark conference in Ghana

Ensuring fair compensation for those affected by legacies of enslavement and measures to address debt burdens, part of 18-point strategic roadmap

More than money: the logic of slavery reparations

A global framework for reparatory justice has been adopted at a conference in Ghana.

Heads of state and government and other officials formally approved the strategy on Friday at a gathering in a hotel in the capital, Accra, which was the first major meeting since the adoption of the landmark United Nations (UN) resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 21)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.

Martin Rowson on Andy Burnham’s victory in Makerfield – cartoon

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Lady Ramsay of Cartvale obituary

MI6 spy on the ‘Moscow watch’ who was involved in the audacious escape of the double agent Oleg Gordievsky

Meta Ramsay described herself in her latter years as an “international affairs consultant”, while her former career was summarily defined in Who’s Who as having been a member of HM Diplomatic Service. In reality, Ramsay, who has died aged 89, was the spy who perhaps should have been appointed the first woman “C”, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6.

On retirement from MI6, as required at the age of 55 in 1991, she was the most high-ranking woman in the service, yet it would still be more than three decades until the first female “C”, with Blaise Metreweli securing that distinction only last year. Ramsay went on to play an active part in Labour politics when her old friend John Smith was leader, and subsequently in the House of Lords during Tony Blair’s government.

Venetian Sun shines at Royal Ascot as Brighton’s Bloom lands another bargain

• Commonwealth Cup winner was bought for £250,000

• Ryan Moore steers Precise to Coronation Stakes triumph

Alexis Mac Allister for £7m. Just £4m for Moisés Caicedo. And £250,000 for Venetian Sun, a Group One winner here on Friday in the Commonwealth Cup. Has anyone ever had an eye for a sporting bargain quite as sharp as Tony Bloom’s?

There were some huge sums changing hands for yearlings at Tattersalls’ Book 1 sale in October 2024. The football super-agent Kia Joorabchian alone signed for £25m-worth of bloodstock, while Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai’s Godolphin operation was close behind with a £23m spend. Bloom, meanwhile, picked up a daughter of the young stallion Starman for just 240,000 guineas (£252,000), and she is now a Group One winner at both two and three with more than £800,000 banked in prize money alone.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

Ukrainian strikes on a Moscow oil refinery, protests at the G7 summit, wildfires in Spain and Messi at the World Cup – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

Warning: this gallery contains images some readers may find distressing

What's open and closed for Juneteenth 2026?

Juneteenth will affect banking, mail service and financial markets, although retailers and restaurants are largely staying open.

Exeter threaten Northampton’s title ambitions in final where underdogs thrive

Despite finishing third in the regular season table Exeter Chiefs are confident they can cause an upset at Twickenham

Prem finals do not always unfold as anticipated. Six of the last seven editions have been settled by six points or fewer and favourites are not guaranteed to have it their own way. Remember Freddie Burns’ late drop-goal to edge Leicester past Saracens in 2022? Or Harlequins coming from behind against Exeter the previous year? In Twickenham’s summer heat – it’s uncanny how often the weather plays ball – the best of plans can easily go awol.

In 2024 Bath were undone after Beno Obano’s first-half red card and 12 months ago Michael Cheika’s Leicester came within a couple of points of causing a big upset. The common denominator? Finals can be unpredictable occasions and, under pressure, what looked a dead cert last week becomes as relevant as last year’s lottery numbers.

The Guardian view on Labour after Makerfield: change must mean more than a new leader | Editorial

Andy Burnham has shown Labour can beat Reform. He must show that his promise of change is a programme, not another slogan for power

Andy Burnham’s triumph in the Makerfield byelection leaves the prime minister with only two options: fight openly for the Labour leadership, or leave office cleanly. The former Greater Manchester mayor easily saw off Reform UK’s candidate – winning 55% of the vote to his rightwing rival’s 35%. He won largely because he changed the political meaning of voting Labour in Makerfield. With Mr Burnham, the party went from being the unpopular incumbent to being the vehicle for change.

The prime minister’s implicit claim that it was Starmerism that beat Reform is not credible. The polling by Persuasion UK in Makerfield shows that Labour won because of Mr Burnham’s personal brand, anti-Starmer signalling and leftwing economic message. Significantly, Mr Burnham’s victory rally speech on Friday connects with the data. He was offering, in rhetoric, economic security through a visible state. This is not just redistribution, but the state as buyer, planner and manager. That would be a welcome shift, but how would he deliver cheaper essentials, more public control, fiscal expansion, industrial renewal and fairer rules on housing, work and migration? Mr Burnham’s programme needs to be more than slogans.

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 John Williams and Steven Spielberg: a partnership that changed cinema | Editorial

Over more than 50 years and 30 films, the composer-director duo have created some of the most memorable movie experiences of all time

Which living artist has been nominated most times for an Oscar? The answer isn’t Steven Spielberg (with 24 nominations), but his long-term collaborator composer John Williams, with a record 54. The Fabelmans, Spielberg’s most personal film, seemed a fitting finale for the duo in 2022. But Spielberg persuaded Williams, now 94, to write the music for his latest sci-fi blockbuster Disclosure Day, their 30th film together.

Williams has worked with other directors, creating scores for era-defining franchises from George Lucas’s Star Wars (who would Darth Vader be without The Imperial March?) to Harry Potter. But it is his partnership of more than 50 years with Spielberg that has changed cinema history, with hits including Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List. “John Williams has been the single most significant contributor to my success as a film‑maker,” Spielberg has said.

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.

Has Burnham’s win in Makerfield sealed Starmer’s fate? - The Latest

Andy Burnham’s resounding win in the Makerfield byelection has set the stage for a leadership battle with Keir Starmer. The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester received more votes than Reform and Restore combined, and the nature of the victory has prompted speculation he could replace Starmer as prime minister within weeks, if not days. Annie Kelly speaks to political correspondent Alexandra Topping

Cabinet loyalists tell Starmer he has the weekend to set out timetable for exit

Ministers say PM faces being forced out by party if he does not act, with one calling his departure inevitable

• How quickly could Burnham become PM?

Cabinet ministers loyal to Keir Starmer have told him he faces being forced out of office by his party if he does not set a timetable for his departure by the end of the weekend.

Andy Burnham, who won a compelling majority in the Makerfield byelection overnight, is expected to travel to London on Monday to meet MPs in the expectation of becoming prime minister within weeks. One cabinet minister – who has not previously told the prime minister to go – said his departure was now inevitable.

Lib Dem MP Cameron Thomas arrested on suspicion of assault

Thomas, 43, a former military police officer, has whip suspended during investigation into the allegations

A Liberal Democrat MP suspended by the party has been arrested on suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour and assault, the Guardian understands.

Cameron Thomas, the MP for Tewkesbury, was arrested by Gloucestershire police on Wednesday. The Liberal Democrats said the 43-year-old had had the whip and membership of the party suspended.

Prediction markets are betting on celebrities to boost their brands

Kalshi has enlisted Lionel Messi and Timothée Chalamet as prediction markets compete to attract new users and cement their place in the mainstream.

Macron calls for vigilance as western Europe faces second heatwave of year

More than half of France’s population under severe weather warning with temperatures expected to exceed 40C

More than half of France’s population is under a severe weather warning as large swathes of western Europe endure the second extreme heat event of the year, with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F).

The French president called for “extreme vigilance”, urging people to “take care of our oldest and most vulnerable people” and follow government advice. “We are going through difficult days,” Emmanuel Macron said.

A losing streak? Makerfield shows mounting dangers for Nigel Farage

From Restore and tactical voting to questions over that £5m gift, the Reform leader faces challenges on several fronts

As those around Nigel Farage are fond of pointing out, Reform UK has now led in more than 300 consecutive national polls. When it comes to byelections, though, it is fair to say the party’s results are more mixed.

Yes, Robert Kenyon came second in Makerfield to a popular regional mayor backed by a Labour campaign so relentless that the main risk was annoying voters by knocking too often on their doors. Kenyon also increased his and Reform’s share of the vote from the 2024 general election.

‘You can’t unsee it’: how hot pink became the unofficial colour of the World Cup

Move over Barbie, ‘electric fuchsia’ is now dominating football’s biggest stages. But why has the sport embraced the colour?

Any fashion-conscious England fan watching the World Cup this week would have appreciated the moment the attack reached the Croatian end – and not just for the potential goals.

It offered another glimpse of goalkeeper Dominik Livaković in hot pink, a shade fast becoming a visual signature this tournament. Forget Barbie pink – welcome to the World Cup’s hot pink summer.

Algae clouded Trump's vision for the Reflecting Pool. But scientists aren't surprised

The shallow, sunny waters of the reflecting pool are an ideal incubator for algae growth in the summertime. Experts say the recent renovation may have helped accelerate it.

What's missing from the Epstein files? Here's what we found

The Justice Department says it's released "every document required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act," but CBS News has identified numerous gaps.

Heathrow third runway GDP yield may be 90% less than previous estimates

Department for Transport analysis suggests tiny economic boost would be outweighed by up to £62.5bn in trade-offs

The economic boost from a Heathrow third runway could be a tiny fraction of previous estimates, government analysis shows, while the overall trade-off from the bigger airport could set the UK back by as much as £62.5bn.

As ministers promised to speed up expansion of the London airport in the name of economic growth, documents prepared by the Department for Transport said the runway was expected to boost GDP by only up to 0.05% – 90% less than the 0.5% previously stated.

ICC prosecutor suspended by UK barristers’ watchdog amid sexual misconduct inquiry

Bar Standards Board forbids Karim Khan from practising in England and Wales, following suspension by ICC

Karim Khan, the international criminal court prosecutor, has been suspended from practising as a barrister in England and Wales by the UK’s Bar Standards Board (BSB).

It comes less than two weeks after Khan was suspended as ICC chief prosecutor as part of a disciplinary process triggered by sexual abuse allegations against him. Khan has repeatedly denied the claims.

The many forms of Vishnu: the Hindu god depicted across 15 centuries of art – in pictures

Fifteen centuries of south and south-east Asian art has been devoted to Vishnu. The Hindu god is depicted in many forms, from the man-lion Narasimha to blue-skinned Krishna.

Sydney’s Art Gallery of NSW is displaying hundreds of ancient and modern interpretations of Vishnu’s image through a landmark exhibition, Avatar: Forms of Vishnu, running from 20 June to 5 October.

Students share their dreams for U.S. as they reflect on Juneteenth

"CBS Mornings" co-host Nate Burleson sits down with a group of students to discuss what Juneteenth means to them, when they learned about it and their hopes for the future.

U.S. opens tariff probe targeting Germany’s drug pricing policies

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Germany's proposal to reduce spending on medicines was "a serious step backwards."

Justice department says it will investigate MLB amid Pride hats controversy

• League referred to EEOC for religious discrimination

• San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses on hats

• MLB had warned players over violation of league rules

The US justice department has launched a civil rights investigation into Major League Baseball after the league criticized three San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their hats during the team’s Pride Night.

Most of MLB’s 30 teams celebrate Pride month with a themed game to acknowledge the LGBTQ community and its baseball fans. During a 12 June game against the Chicago Cubs, pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses on their hats, which featured the Giants’ logo in rainbow colors, while pitcher Sam Hentges chose not to wear the themed cap at all.

Italy PM Meloni ‘stunned’ by Trump’s claims she begged him for a photo

US president provokes outrage as PM says he ‘totally invented’ story in interview with Italian media

Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has said Donald Trump “totally invented” a story about her after the US president claimed she begged him to take a photo with her during the G7 summit.

The two former allies had appeared to be getting their relationship back on track by having several one-to-ones on the sidelines at the gathering in Évian after falling out in April over the US-Israeli war in Iran.

How Refugee Week film festival brings migrants’ experience home

From one hostile environment to another, the documentaries and dramas ranging from Nigeria and Syria to British immigration give vivid life to an experience that can feel very remote

As World Refugee Day approaches on Saturday, this year’s Refugee Week offers a multitude of events taking place across the UK, including a film festival that takes audiences from Ain el-Helweh – Lebanon’s largest refugee camp for Palestinians – in Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours and to an immigration removal centre in Dreamers, directed by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor.

The UK’s asylum system is the focus of Allies in Exile, a first-person documentary from Syrian film-makers Hasan Kattan and Fadi al-Halabi that premiered on Tuesday at the BFI Southbank, which explores the labyrinth facing asylum seekers. Meanwhile, refugee charity Choose Love, in partnership with Tarot productions, curated a selection of four short films that together chronicle different stages in the search for asylum, from the difficulties of everyday life in a person’s home country through the perilous journeys made over land and sea, and arrival in a hostile environment marked by ostracism and ongoing trauma.The event, which took place on Thursday at Picturehouse Central, London, was entitled Fearless Stories and showcased films that “challenge division”.Josie Fernandez-Marelli, chief executive of Choose Love, says: “The UK wouldn’t be what it is today without all the incredible people and cultures that make it up. As division is growing, it’s more important than ever to work together to make sure that refugees are seen as human beings, with hopes, dreams and ambitions.”

JD Vance, once an ‘angry atheist’, is America’s most powerful Catholic. How will he wield his faith?

In his new memoir, the vice-president covers his conversion and politics – at a time when hardline Catholicism is ascendant in the US

When JD Vance became Roman Catholic, he wondered what his dead grandmother would think.

His grandmother Mamaw did not have anything against them, but growing up in Ohio he had sometimes heard that Catholics were servants of the antichrist. And although the people he knew as a child professed personal relationships with Jesus, most rarely went to church. The Church of Rome – with its rituals and costumes, foreign leadership, veneration of Mary and the saints – seemed exotic, even alien, to his family from Appalachia.

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

The White House said Vice President JD Vance was no longer traveling to Switzerland, citing unresolved logistical issues surrounding the negotiations.

The UK’s social media ban for under-16s has just empowered big tech | Taylor Lorenz

Age verification means that the sector’s biggest players will now have access to information that will only make them richer and more powerful

This week, the UK announced a wide-ranging ban on social media that will soon block users from communicating or accessing information on apps such as X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat unless they prove that they’re over the age of 16.

The prime minister, Keir Starmer, called the policy “a line in the sand”. “Tech giants had their chance and failed,” he said, “but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.” All internet users, especially children, should be protected from exploitative systems online, but this new law will only foster more harm and help the largest and most powerful tech companies consolidate power and influence over everyone’s lives.

Taylor Lorenz is a technology journalist who writes the newsletter User Mag and is the author of the bestselling book Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet

Luca Guadagnino’s Sam Altman movie dropped by Amazon after it announces OpenAI partnership

The web giant announced that Artificial, a biopic about the controversial tech executive, ‘will be better served if it were released by a different studio’

Artificial, Luca Guadagnino’s controversial Sam Altman biopic, which is poised for an awards run next year, has been dropped by its distributor, Amazon.

In a statement first reported by Puck, Amazon said that it believes “that Artificial will be better served if it were released by a different studio and are working closely with the film-making team to find the film a new home”.

Read a book? Join a club? Stare at a wall? Social media alternatives for under-16s

Amid UK government proposals for a ban, experts discuss what other activities might really serve children well

When a Lancashire schoolgirl was asked what she would do if the social media ban for under-16s came into effect, her answer hit a national nerve: “Stare at a wall,” she deadpanned. The clip went viral, not least because it distilled a question many parents have been asking themselves about the consequences of the government’s plan.

The answer, says Arran Wilson, of The Wildlife Trusts is not simply to tell children to go outside, read a book or join a club. “It’s not as simple as that,” Wilson says. “We need to think about the world we’ve been raising them in.”

Bill Pulte assumes role of US acting director of national intelligence

Head of Federal Housing Finance Agency who investigated Trump’s enemies takes over top intelligence role

• Timeline of Bill Pulte’s appointment as acting director of national intelligence

Bill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, became the acting director of national intelligence (DNI) on Friday, following a tug-of-war between Donald Trump and Washington lawmakers over the short-term future of the cabinet intelligence post.

Tulsi Gabbard, the outgoing DNI, initially planned to leave her post on 30 June, but Trump shortened her tenure to Friday. Senators planned to confirm Jay Clayton, the president’s DNI nominee, by Friday, which would have denied Pulte an opportunity to serve as acting director. But Trump abruptly called off on Wednesday a Senate confirmation hearing for Clayton and directed him not to appear in front of Senate lawmakers.

Digested week: Struggling bees and the G7’s hot mics may speak volumes

Are we in the opening scenes of a disaster movie? There’s something going on with insects

It’s the start of the G7, guaranteeing us a week of either serious commentary or hot mic moments that may, in their way, prove more revealing than all the thousands of words of analysis. Previous summits have delivered a steady flow of off-the-cuff remarks from world leaders, including President Obama, at the G20 in 2011, grousing to the then French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, about Benjamin Netanyahu (“You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day”), and Jacques Chirac, who, at a European summit in the early 2000s, said of the UK: “You cannot trust people who have such bad cuisine. It is the country with the worst food after Finland.” Rude!

Binface, foxes and raving loonies: the UK’s proud history of costumed candidates

British love of silliness comes to the fore when politicians stand shoulder to shoulder with satirical rivals

When world leaders are elected, it is usually a solemn moment, but when the Labour party veteran Andy Burnham found out he had won the Makerfield byelection, increasing the likelihood he could become the next prime minister, he was standing next to a man with a bin on his head.

The newest Labour MP was also flanked by a man in a fox costume. Robert Pownall, the founder of the campaign group Protect the Wild, decided to run as a fox in order to demand an end to trail hunting.

Record amount of sargassum seaweed found on Florida coast: "It stinks"

A record amount of sargassum seaweed has washed ashore on Florida beaches, bringing with it an unpleasant smell. Cristian Benavides shows how it's impacting coastal communities.

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.

Post your questions for Vini Reilly of the Durutti Column

Ahead of the band’s first new album in 16 years, the hugely influential guitarist will be taking your questions for the Guardian Film & Music reader interview

At the end of July, the Durutti Column will release their first new music in 16 years: the stunningly beautiful Renascent. It’s a prime time for Vini Reilly, Bruce Mitchell and Keir Stewart to return as the Durutti influence is everywhere: sampled by Blood Orange on his latest album Essex Honey; cited by Harry Styles on his new LP Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, as well as by Mark William Lewis and Yung Lean; played on The Bear.

Not that the group need the endorsements: since 1978, they have been one of the UK’s most distinctive acts, their dreamy instrumentals offering a sunlit alternative to the crags of post-punk, as last year’s reissue of their debut, The Return of the Durutti Column reminded us. The record’s deviation from the norms of the era, wrote Alexis Petridis in a five-star reappraisal, “ultimately worked in its favour: other than the sound of the primitive rhythm tracks, there’s nothing to tie the music here to a specific era, which means it hasn’t dated.”

Tay Keith, Grammy-nominated producer, found dead in Nashville at 29

Record producer Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville home by officers performing a welfare check, police said.

‘People think I’ve vanished’: Mary Earps on signing for London City and feeling forgotten

Former England goalkeeper discusses why it was time to leave Paris, the lure of her new club and when she will know it is time to stop

When Mary Earps signed for Wolfsburg eight years ago, shortly after they had played in the Women’s Champions League final, there was no club photographer available for her unveiling, meaning her agent popped out to buy a scarf from the club shop before taking a makeshift announcement image. So when the former England goalkeeper’s latest club, London City Lionesses, announced her Women’s Super League return with a glamorous photoshoot on a boat on the Thames in front of landmarks such as Tower Bridge, she was struck not only by how much the women’s game and her life have been transformed, but by the bold scale of her new team’s ambitions.

“The energy and effort put into the shoot, I would never have imagined this even five years ago,” says Earps, whose move to London City from Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed on Friday. “All I keep saying is ‘I’m so excited,’ but that shoot just poured petrol on the excitement fire. Wow, if that’s what they do just to say ‘Hey, by the way, Mary’s arrived,’ then imagine hopefully what we can do [in the future].”

Midwives on frontline of childbirth deaths crisis denied visas for key summit

Outcry as experts from African and Asian countries – where mortality is highest – prevented from attending Portugal conference on prevention

Visa rejections have threatened progress on mother and baby health after experts from struggling countries were barred from talks, global midwife leaders have said.

Politicians, donors and UN agencies convened this week at the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) congress in Lisbon, Portugal, a key conference to discuss the millions of avoidable mother and baby deaths every year.

Emily Maclean is a midwife

‘People like me needed Sinéad O’Connor’: how the singer and activist inspired a new dance work

Tony-winning choreographer Sonya Tayeh was ‘broken up’ when she heard about the Irish singer-songwriter’s death three years ago. Now she and a group of over-40s female dancers are paying homage: ‘People love her, people need her’

Sonya Tayeh remembers watching Saturday Night Live in October 1992, at home in Detroit, when a young, shaven-headed woman behind a microphone tore a picture of Pope John Paul II into pieces, while saying: “Fight the real enemy.”

“I felt like the entire world paused,” remembers Tayeh, still in wonder at Sinéad O’Connor’s protest against abuses in the Catholic church, and the defiance in “those eyes that just seep through your soul and burn … It was like I could feel the world vibrate under my feet. I was overcome,” she says, on our video call from New York. I can see Tayeh has one side of her head shaved – a long curtain of dark hair sweeps down the other.

New research links prenatal exposure to Pfas to later development of PMOS

Study suggests exposure to ‘forever chemicals’ may be a main driver of disease, formerly called PCOS, authors say

New research for the first time links prenatal exposure to Pfas “forever chemicals” with the development of polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) later in life.

PMOS, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is estimated to impact about 13% of women. Many cases are undiagnosed, and the disease’s cause largely remains a mystery.

‘It’s time for it to end’: Ebon Moss-Bachrach on the final, delicious season of The Bear

It turned its cast into global stars, triggered fashion crazes and even made an omelette go viral. As The Bear bows out, ‘cousin’ Ebon Moss-Bachrach talks obsessive fans, fork tattoos and why he’s ‘dumbly proud’

Ebon Moss-Bachrach is currently starring in an acclaimed Broadway production of Dog Day Afternoon, but after he takes his bow, there’s only one thing audience members want to talk about. “Every time I leave through the stage door, there’s a couple of hundred people yelling ‘Cousin!’” he laughs.

That’s his catchphrase as cranky maître d’ Richie Jerimovich in The Bear, of course. And now the culinary comedy-drama is back on the menu. One of the decade’s most influential TV shows is about to return for its fifth and final season. It seems the right time to reflect on how this scrappy creation became a surprise smash hit and cultural sensation.

Memory crisis hits such extremes that 'even Apple can't be safe'

Apple appears poised to take the rare step of increasing prices to deal with what CEO Tim Cook called an "unsustainable" memory shortage.

Venice’s new mayor seeks to raise day-tripper fee to up to €50

Simone Venturini says proposal aimed at discouraging arrivals in ‘periods of heightened tourist pressure’

Venice’s new mayor has said he hopes to raise a controversial entrance fee for day-trippers to the lagoon city to as much as €50 (£43).

Simone Venturini, the rightwing former tourism councillor who was elected as mayor in late May, said the proposal was aimed at further discouraging arrivals “during periods of heightened tourist pressure”.

US-Iran talks in Switzerland canceled. And, DHS to give police facial recognition app

The U.S.-Iran talks that were set to happen in Switzerland have been canceled. And, the Department of Homeland Security has plans to give some local police access to ICE facial recognition technology.

Reform’s genius plan is finally coming into view: field terrible candidates then lose | Marina Hyde

The unstoppable Nigel Farage is looking increasingly stoppable in the wake of Makerfield. The actual prime minister, meanwhile, has gone into hiding

You’ll note Keir Starmer is in full bunker mode – and we’ll get to him – but after this Makerfield result, why isn’t Nigel Farage? Why isn’t Nigel ranting madly at his generals and refusing to admit that actually, everything that went wrong for Reform here flowed directly from his personal character, and is going to keep happening in one way or another because people don’t change. Nigel’s gonna Nigel.

Nobody fetishises plain speaking like Farage, so we owe it to him to honour that and observe that Reform really shat the bed. Makerfield is among the party’s top 10 target seats for a general election, and Reform strategists’ decision to field yet another inadequate liability, whose past social media activity they simply couldn’t be arsed checking, seems to have proved something of a turn-off – for example for women, who strangely didn’t feel minded to vote for someone who had said: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.” Rob Kenyon will no doubt be back on his plumbing rounds next week. So, Makerfield ladies, make sure your husband’s home to be consulted as to whether you really want your sink unblocked. It’ll honestly be cheaper to replace it.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Anya Taylor-Joy will make a brilliant elf assassin in Hunt for Gollum. But it’s a movie we don’t need

Andy Serkis has picked the perfect actor for the next iteration of the Lord of the Rings franchise. But if Tolkien didn’t linger over this subplot, should we?

Let’s be honest: Anya Taylor-Joy would make a great elf. If any human being could flit from tree to tree as if woven from gossamer and starlight, or appear on a moonlit branch looking as though she had just been summoned by a haunted lute, it would be the star of The Queen’s Gambit, The Witch and Furiosa. She is perfect for Lord of the Rings, and it is no surprise whatsoever that she has been cast as the elf Seren in the forthcoming Andy Serkis-directed The Hunt for Gollum, as confirmed this week by the Hollywood Reporter.

You’ll probably have heard about the movie: Serkis is back as Gollum, Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf, and the whole thing is about a barely mentioned, if crucial, section of LotR in which Aragorn is charged with chasing down the snivelling, one-time owner of the One Ring before Sauron’s forces can get to him.

Add to playlist: the wild club-pop of Zara Larsson cowriter Helena Gao and the week’s best new tracks

The Chinese-Danish artist wrote nine 10ths of Larsson’s breakout album then got a Grammy nod. It’s a fine springboard for her own revelatory pop

From Aarhus, Denmark
Recommended if you like Caroline Polachek, Zara Larsson, Grimes
Up next Debut project coming later this year

You could hardly make a better professional songwriting debut than co-writing nine 10ths of a moment-defining album – namely Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun – then getting a Grammy nod for it. It’s an enviable springboard for the relaunch of Helena Gao’s solo career. Over the past few years, the Chinese-Danish artist has released a handful of singles and EPs – standout God’s Favourite split the difference between NewJeans and R&B, and comes with an excellent Sims-referencing video – but her new music feels like a real flourishing, sidelining her older sweetness for a freakier braid of heavy bass, stuttering trance and a pitch-bending falsetto to rival that of Caroline Polachek, singing in English and Mandarin.

Over-reliance on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, study finds

Depending on AI can also potentially decrease the ability to discern misinformation, research says

A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the latest research to find that relying too much on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, and potentially decrease our ability to discern misinformation for ourselves.

As AI tools are becoming more sophisticated and accessible, manipulated images and misleading headlines are becoming more common. AI can be part of the solution, and has proved useful in helping users identify fake content – but there’s a cost to using it this way, the new research suggests. An over-dependence on AI to help figure out what’s real on the internet can lead to trouble making those judgments.

The best recent crime and thrillers – review roundup

The Pinnacle by Abir Mukherjee; A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper; Murder on the Red River by Marcie R Rendon; The Devoted by Catherine Cho; The Repentants by Kate Foster

The Pinnacle by Abir Mukherjee (Harvill, £16.99)
In the eponymous Mumbai apartment block, the immensely rich and those who serve them exist side by side but worlds apart. Fading American actor George Abercrombie, married to superstar Sweety Sahota, finds himself advertising Indian whiskey while his younger wife’s acting career continues its stellar trajectory. Waking on the sofa with a hangover and only hazy memories of the night before, George discovers Sweety stabbed to death in the marital bed and one of his shirts, blood-stained, in the laundry basket. He knows he will be the prime suspect, but not only have Sweety’s phone and laptop disappeared, so has his assistant, Amit … Told from the points of view of George, Amit and Sweety’s put-upon PA Gemma – with Amit and Gemma both having secrets of their own – and laced with dry humour and social commentary, this is a tense, fast-paced tale of class, power and corruption.

Musk's SpaceX stake is worth over $1 trillion. Here are the other billionaire shareholders

SpaceX shares were up 37% after its historic debut last week, which offered shares at a set price of $135.

The BBC could be our best weapon against Trump, Musk and fake news. Here’s how that could work | Jane Martinson

A dynamic new strategy would allow the BBC to redefine what trusted news means, as it is still valued highly in this age of anxiety

Timing is all, and the timing of last week’s brutal job cuts at the BBC News could have been better. Not just because the director general Matt Brittin was reportedly on holiday, but because the announcement came straight after a new report showed social media platforms and AI chatbots had now overtaken traditional TV channels and websites as people’s first port of call for news.

The same Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism report also noted higher levels of global uncertainty and anxiety – caused not just by geopolitical instability, economic and environmental fears, but by a loss of trust in institutions, and in the news itself.

Jane Martinson is a Guardian columnist

What you need to know about the preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement signed by Trump

Here's a look at the preliminary agreement between the U.S. and Iran, and the challenges that remain to find lasting peace.

Russia threatens escalation after Ukraine hits Moscow with largest-ever drone attack

Russia has pledged to carry out frequent and "massive group strikes" against Ukraine shortly after Kyiv launched a barrage of drones on Moscow.

Summer’s here and the time is right to direct sow vegetables in your garden

Starting your crops where you will harvest them avoids transplant shock and can speed growth. Just beware of hungry animals!

I like to think of myself as a fairly laissez-faire food grower. I see the prescribed sowing windows as guidance mostly, and have been known to bung a healthy seedling in a bed alongside a different plant family even if it goes against my crop plan. But when sowing seeds, I am all about control. I’m a devoted user of modular seed trays, preferring to keep my seeds compartmentalised so that I can monitor their germination and growth before choosing the ideal moment to plant them out.

Yet some crops lend themselves to being sown directly in the spot where they’ll grow until harvested. Quite a few crops can be sown outdoors now, in early summer’s generally friendly weather.

How the world’s voracious appetite for shrimp is destroying Ecuador’s mangroves

As demand soars, the country’s mangrove forests and the livelihoods of shellfish gatherers are under threat from encroaching farms and unchecked pollution

At low tide, Johana Carolina Cruz Potes steps into the mudflats around Isla Costa Rica, in Ecuador’s Jambelí Archipelago. Holding a bucket and a short metal hook, she probes the tangled roots of a mangrove patch, searching for concha negra, black-shelled cockles, buried beneath the sludge.

Cruz Potes has done this work since she was nine, when she first followed her father into the mud. But earning a living from shellfish gathering – often the only income for families here – has become harder as grounds shrink and catches decline.

Shouting at the Texting Man is a West End smash: the Stephen Collins cartoon

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