Family of Belfast victim appeals for calm and stresses ‘deeply valuable contribution’ of many migrants – UK politics live

Suspect is remanded in custody for four weeks, as PM tells PMQs resulting disorder is ‘totally unjustified’

• Man charged with attempted murder after Belfast knife attack

• Tell us: how have you been affected by the situation in Belfast?

Hadi Alodid refused legal representation and made no reply to charges which were put put to him through an Arabic interpreter as he appeared in court charged with attempted murder following the Belfast knife attack, the Press Association reports.

The 30-year-old, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court on Wednesday morning.

He is charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie on Monday, with threatening to kill an NHS radiographer on the same day and with the possession of a knife.

Middle East crisis live: Trump accuses Iran of taking too long to make a deal and says ‘it will now pay a price’

New social media threat comes as US military has been striking Iranian targets, including air defences and radar sites

• Trump launches strikes against Iran after downing of US army helicopter

If the US genuinely wants a deal it will have to engage with Iranian demands on sanctions relief, says Danny Citrinowicz, the former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence.

Today’s exchange of strikes shows how easily both Iran and the US can slide towards another round of escalation, says Citrinowicz, who is now a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.

If Washington is unwilling to accept that reality, it should recognize the likely alternative: continued confrontations with Iran that could eventually spiral beyond anyone’s control and lead to military conflict under less favorable conditions.

Even a limited military campaign designed to weaken Iran would not fundamentally alter Tehran’s negotiating position. It has not happened in the past, and there is little reason to believe it would happen now. Iran emerges from the latest exchange of blows convinced that it can absorb pressure and respond to attacks.”

Legal and moral responsibility of all countries in the region (especially those located along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf) to prevent the US military and Israel from using their territory or facilities to plan, organise, execute, or support hostile actions against Iran.

Trump is stripping Americans of their citizenship at a shocking rate | Moustafa Bayoumi

This month, the administration is seeking to denaturalize 17 people, part of an effort unprecedented in modern US history

I still remember my citizenship ceremony from 2011. There was a festive spirit among the dozens of us who were about to become the newest Americans, a kind of joy offset only by the anxiety of having to turn in our green cards first. For years, I jealously guarded that little card, which was not only not green but also something I was repeatedly told by authorities to carry with me at all times. They had to pry it from my fingers that day.

At my ceremony, which I wrote about at the time, a representative from the New York City commission on human rights explained to her captive American audience what civil rights protections we had, and the judge who swore us in as citizens encouraged us to exercise our vote, serve on juries, run for office, and speak out for our rights. We were each given a pocket constitution. The whole thing was a celebration of democratic values. I entered downtown Brooklyn that day as a resident alien. I left as a newly minted American citizen, equal in the eyes of the law to every other American citizen.

How to turn leftover dressed salad into an Asian lettuce omelette - recipe | Waste not

A viral trend based on an eastern classic, this rolled, multilayered dish is a fun way to use up wilting leaves that also looks impressive on the table

When I started looking into the idea of a lettuce omelette, mainly to use up leftover dressed salad, I soon found out that it’s something of a social media trend, as well as a classic Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese dish. In the trending recipe, the egg whites and yolks are often separated, then the whites are mixed with lettuce and cooked first. This is rolled, then the yolks go into the same pan and, once they’re set, they’re rolled around the whites to make a beautiful, multilayered omelette with a white-green interior and a golden outside. It’s a great way to use up dressed salad, but fresh or wilted leaves will work, too, if those are all you have. I prefer bitter and spicy leaves such as mustard, mizuna and rocket, but everything works. Iceberg, for instance, is often used in modern Chinese recipes. Serve this plain, or with crispy chilli oil, soy sauce flavoured with minced garlic and ginger, miso mayo, or all three. To make miso mayo, mix 60g mayonnaise with a tablespoon of white miso paste, then stir in an optional teaspoon of sesame oil, some finely grated garlic and ginger, and a squeeze of lemon.

World Cup 2026 news: latest from the camps; protesters block road to Azteca; Messi’s scoring return – live

• News and buildup as World Cup countdown continues

• Player guide | Bracketology | Wallchart | Mail us here

The US isn’t the only World Cup host where politics and football are colliding messily, albeit that they’re being handled more sensitively. There have been protests in Mexico, where a demonstration blocked an avenue leading to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium for hours on Tuesday, AFP reports.

Teacher protests in the capital have been ongoing and thousands took part in Tuesday’s protest, which was led by a breakaway group of the CNTE union following a week of demonstrations that President Claudia Sheinbaum has called a “provocation.” “As if to say, ’Look at how bad the situation is in Mexico,’” she told a press conference.

Hayes describes ‘experience I will never forget’ as Brazil given eight red cards in loss to USWNT

• Wilson sparks winner as US beat Brazil 1-0

• Players and staff for Brazil handed eight reds

• Riot police surround match officials

United States manager Emma Hayes said she had “an experience I will never forget” after her side’s bad-tempered 1-0 win over Brazil in Fortaleza saw the home team handed eight red cards.

Brazil head coach Arthur Elias and three members of his staff were dismissed towards the end of the second half before police in riot gear surrounded the match officials on the pitch at full-time after further flashpoints.

Trump says Iran will 'pay the price' and claims they have 'taken too long' to agree to a deal

The president's comments came after U.S. forces on Tuesday evening launched strikes against Iran.

Weekly mortgage demand surges nearly 11% higher, despite volatile interest rates

Mortgage demand from both current homeowners and potential buyers rose sharply, even though interest rates climbed as well.

July 1 brings big student loan changes. Here's what you need to know

A popular (and generous) repayment plan ends, two new plans begin and many borrowers will see new loan limits.

U.S. and Iran exchange strikes. And, House passes ICE and Border Patrol funding

The U.S. and Iran have exchanged strikes after a helicopter was downed Monday near the Strait of Hormuz. And, House Republicans have passed a bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through Trump's term.

FTSE 100 joins global stock market fall as US and Iran exchange fire - business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

European stock markets are taking a more decisive turn downwards now – the UK’s FTSE 100 has fallen 0.5%. The German Dax is down 0.6% and the French Cac 40 is down 0.3%.

The Europe Stoxx 600 is down 0.4%.

Cars burn in Belfast, bricks fly in Southampton – and the ubiquitous cry of ‘civil war’ goes up again | John Harris

For most, what we see in real life is mundane. But those who wish to fan the flames of anti-immigrant feeling share a different image online

It was the summer of 2024 when it all decisively started, with the horrific murders in Southport, countrywide violence and Elon Musk’s observation that a British civil war was somehow “inevitable”. A year later came a hot season of flags on lamp-posts, protests outside hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers, the ubiquitous use of the word “tinderbox” and constant predictions of widespread riots that never actually materialised. Now here we are again, in the aftermath of the awful murder and treatment by the police of Henry Nowak and frightening violence and arson in Belfast, and the civil war predictions seem to be increasing by the hour.

The archive of such material is already bulging. In August 2024, amid the riots, a YouGov poll found that 32% of people thought a UK civil war was either “very” or “somewhat” likely. A year later, Dominic Cummings said the UK was only “random viral posts away from riots and prairie fires getting out of control”. Even Labour’s Lisa Nandy offered the opinion that the north of England was so tense “it could go up in flames”.

John Harris is a Guardian columnist

Rep. Nancy Mace fails to advance in GOP primary for South Carolina governor

Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson are heading to a runoff on June 23 in South Carolina's Republican primary for governor.

UK’s stem cell transplant system may be putting lives at risk, report by MPs finds

System not fit for purpose due to poor infrastructure and planning, with minority groups particularly at risk, MPs say

The UK’s stem cell transplant system is potentially putting the lives of blood cancer patients at risk as a result of inadequate infrastructure and a lack of long-term planning, a parliamentary report has found.

A hematopoietic stem cell transplant, often referred to as a bone marrow transplant, is a medical procedure in which stem cells from a healthy donor are transplanted into a patient.

‘A big pouffy dress is not really me’: the brides who got wed in a suit – long before Dua Lipa

When the singer got married in London last month, her skirt suit made headlines. But she was hardly the first to reject tradition. Here are the stories behind some other beautiful but unconventional outfits

For some people, wearing a big white dress on their wedding day feels as key as the rings. For others, less so.

When Dua Lipa wore a Schiaparelli couture white skirt suit as she wed the actor Callum Turner in London last month, she joined a long line of women who have opted for a suit. Not least Bianca Jagger, whom Lipa was speculated to be emulating – the model and activist caused a stir when she got hitched to Mick Jagger in 1971, wearing a Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking jacket and bias-cut skirt.

Golden goal: Siphiwe Tshabalala for South Africa v Mexico at the 2010 World Cup

The World Cup did not save South Africa. But for one second, it showed us the country we wanted to be

Before Siphiwe Tshabalala’s rocket from his left foot, before Peter Drury’s iconic commentary, before the wall of noise from thousands of vuvuzelas and before Shakira’s Waka Waka, there was Philip.

From the moment Sepp Blatter pulled out an envelope with the words “South Africa” inside on 15 May 2004, cynics voiced their scepticism. The country was deemed too dangerous to host a World Cup finals tournament. There were concerns about public transport, about power outages and stadiums that weren’t up to scratch. Could South Africa really pull this off?

LA fans, Mark E Smith’s sisters and Frank Skinner doing the quiz: inside the totally wired festival on the Fall

Featuring cover bands, walking tours and the poet laureate as DJ, The Fall: Futures and Pasts is the ultimate Fall fan experience. But can our writer get through Eat Y’Self Fitter at karaoke?

There has never been a group like the Fall. I use the word “group” advisedly, as I once made the mistake of calling them a “band” in the presence of Mark E Smith. The combustible singer immediately admonished me on the basis that a band was something that you’d get in Blackpool.

The irreplaceable Smith died in 2018 at the age of 60, immediately bringing to an end the group that he fronted for his entire adult life. The legend of the Fall lives on, though. They have arguably never been bigger, with interest maintained by a slew of reissues, multiple spinoff groups, a variety of podcasts and a steady stream of books; the nine-track Post Script, billed as the band’s “official final album” by former manager Ed Blaney, was announced last week and slated for a September release. So it’s an opportune time for The Fall: Futures and Pasts, a three-day all-Fall festival held at Manchester’s Band on the Wall venue last weekend, celebrating 50 years of the group and attracting fans from as far afield as Australia and the US.

US navy member sentenced to 44 years in prison for killing female sailor

Jermiah Copeland had admitted killing Angelina Resendiz, attacking another sailor and illegally recording another

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A member of the US navy has been ordered to spend 44 years in federal prison after admitting that he fatally strangled a fellow sailor in his barracks room, violently squeezed the neck of a second woman onboard an aircraft carrier and illegally made secret video recordings of a third, including while they were being intimate.

Meanwhile, the family of the petty officer whom Jermiah Copeland acknowledged murdering, Angelina Resendiz, has called for reforms within the armed forces meant to better protect women serving in the military.

China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance

Xi's silence on North Korea's nuclear program came as Kim tried to convince the world of the irreversibility of his country's status as a nuclear power.

Bill Gates to appear today before House committee investigating Epstein

The Microsoft co-founder will sit for the transcribed interview as revelations about his relationship with Epstein have rocked his philanthropic foundation.

Want to be my friend? There is one dining rule you must adhere to

A woman taking weight-loss drugs asked her friend if she could pay less, as she had eaten less. That friendship seems doomed to me ...

Medication can have a wide array of side-effects, which now apparently includes penny-pinching. In the newsletter the Daily Skimm, a reader had a query for the money expert Heather Boneparth: “A close friend who’s on a GLP-1 recently asked to pay a quarter of our dinner bill instead of splitting it evenly, since she ate significantly less. Was I wrong to push back, and how do we handle the bill going forward?”

Sorry, but this friendship is doomed. The question-asker even being prepared for there to be bills going forward proves they’re big-hearted, and therefore incompatible with the subject of her quandary.

Big agriculture is killing our bees. We’ll all pay the price | Jennie Durant

We’re thinking about the crisis facing pollinators all wrong. And we’ve come to a crucial moment

Last winter, commercial beekeepers lost more than 60% of their colonies – their worst losses on record. We tend to blame bee losses on separate, singular threats: pests, pesticides, habitat loss or extreme weather. But we’ve been thinking about bee losses wrong.

The real culprit is our industrial food system.

Bill Gates to face questions about Jeffrey Epstein from House Oversight panel

Gates reportedly prepared for his testimony with the help of Jake Greenberg, who previously was the Oversight committee's chief investigations counsel.

ICE denies having a protester database. But a letter to Congress sheds more light

In a previously unpublicized letter to Congress, the newly-departed head of ICE said the agency collects data on people suspected of potentially unlawful activity, which could include protesters.

China’s BYD aims to be world’s biggest car firm within five years

EV maker aims to overtake Toyota, as it plans to spend £1.8bn to build five-minute flash chargers in Europe

• Business live – latest updates

The Chinese car company BYD has said it aims to be the world’s biggest automaker within the next five years.

Targeting Toyota’s long-held top spot, BYD’s founder and chair, Wang Chuanfu said he was confident it could overtake global rivals through rapid advances in battery technology and fast charging, as well as growing production overseas, including Europe.

The Spin | Women’s T20 World Cup: team-by-team guide to the tournament

A run-through of the teams, key players and talking points ahead of the biggest Women’s T20 World Cup to date – and perhaps the most open

David Sullivan’s contact with West Ham women’s and youth teams restricted since 2023

‘Temporary agreement’ in place since Football Association safeguarding investigation began three years ago

David Sullivan has faced restrictions on his contact with West Ham’s women’s and youth teams since 2023 because of a safeguarding investigation.

The Football Association began an inquiry three years ago after receiving a complaint, which the Guardian understands involves an allegation of sexual misconduct unrelated to football.

Humans prefer to walk anticlockwise, scientists find – but reason is unclear

From Spain to Japan, experiments have repeatedly shown a left-turn bias, but exact mechanic ‘is still an open question’

“I’m not an ambi-turner,” laments Derek Zoolander in the eponymous noughties satire about the world’s hottest male model and his rare catwalk hangup. “It’s a problem I’ve had since I was a baby … I can’t turn left.”

Now research suggests that the fashionista’s career-threatening quirk was even more unusual than previously thought. Tests reveal that when people are ambling about, they have a natural tendency to turn to the left and walk in an anticlockwise direction.

Two killed in rare street demonstration over women’s rights in Afghanistan

Taliban forces fire on crowds in Herat, who were protesting at manhandling of women arrested over hijab dress code

A Taliban crackdown on women’s dress code in Afghanistan has escalated into a rare mass street protest in the western province of Herat, with at least two people killed by security forces.

Officials made a wave of arrests in recent days targeting women and young girls accused of “improper hijab”. Residents say many families had received no information about the whereabouts or condition of those detained.

‘I’m disappointed and I’m not alone’: Matty Lee hits out at Olympic president’s ‘amateur’ stance on pay

Olympic gold medallist diver reflects on the financial and emotional challenges since retiring from the sport, and teaming up with his hero Tom Daley

“It’s like I’ve already got an open wound and you’re stabbing me in it,” Matty Lee says as, deep into our second hour at a beautiful old Edwardian swimming pool in Leeds, we turn to Kirsty Coventry’s recent comments that athletes should not be paid at the Olympic Games. In her role as the International Olympic Committee president Coventry, a former swimmer who won seven Olympic medals including gold in 2004 and 2008, has caused outrage among athletes.

The IOC confirmed in its own financial report that it made $12.4bn (£9.2bn) between 2021 and 2024 and so Lee, an Olympic diving champion, grimaces when he considers Coventry’s resistance to paying the people we want to watch – the athletes. It is sobering to consider her stance in the company of Lee who, without bitterness, has told me about his hidden world as a retired Olympic champion now struggling emotionally and financially.

Car bomb kills senior Russian military official near Moscow

Video appears to show Col Damir Davydov’s BMW bursting into flames and bystanders pulling him from wreckage

A senior Russian military official has been killed in a car bombing near Moscow, according to media reports.

An explosive device planted underneath a BMW detonated at about 5.30am on Tuesday as Col Damir Davydov was driving near his home in the city of Balashikha, the independent outlet Astra reported. It was the latest in a string of assassinations targeting Russian military officials and prominent pro-war figures since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Japanese manga fans urge Trump to stop using characters in his online posts

Renewed outrage at White House’s use manga and anime imagery after US president is depicted as ninja Naruto

Japanese anime and manga fans are urging Donald Trump to stop using their favourite characters in his social media posts.

About 20,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org entitled Protect Japanese Manga, protesting against the official White House X account posting videos featuring unauthorised use of imagery from the popular Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto series. Angry fans have also been posting on social media.

The vanishing of Nicolás Maduro: how the former dictator is being erased from Venezuela

Billboards are being painted over and former allies seem eager to forget the man they once glorified

For years, his bewhiskered face stared down from propaganda billboards glorifying the supposedly revolutionary rule of a dictator who styled himself as “the protector of the people”.

The spin-doctored adoration was such that factories churned out plastic action figures exalting Nicolás Maduro as an “indestructible” and “iron-fisted” caped crusader nicknamed “Super Moustache”.

Should you send that midnight text? 11 essential rules for phone etiquette

What about using voice notes, or calling someone totally unannounced? Experts give their verdict on how to use your phone without causing offence

It is not news that many of us are addicted to our phones and nor is it a revelation that inconsiderate public behaviour now appears to be the norm, but when the two collide it can cause anger. Last week, at the end of a performance of the drama Inter Alia in London’s West End, the actor Rosamund Pike took to the stage after the curtain call to announce that she had seen someone texting during the performance. “I just wanted to say for anyone going to the theatre, it’s a huge thing that we’re trying to give you. I am trying to tell you a story, and I’m feeling you, and I hope you’re feeling me too … Maybe it was very important, and maybe you’re a doctor, and you’re saving someone’s life, and I hope you are, but we do see these, we do feel them.”

What is the correct etiquette when using your phone? Myka Meier, author of Modern Etiquette Made Easy, says: “It is always thinking about other people before yourself when you’re on the phone.” This also means being aware of how disabled people might use, and rely on, their phones. As an academic with hearing loss pointed out to the BBC after Pike’s comments, bans on phones in theatres, or public shaming, could exclude disabled people in audiences, such as those who use hearing aid apps and need to adjust the settings.

The best films of 2026 so far

Jessie Buckley is dug up to marry Christian Bale, while Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are the double act of the year in Steven Soderbergh’s dark comedy. Here’s our round up of movie magic from the last six months in the UK

***

San Francisco immigration court shuts down, striking at heart of historic advocacy

The main San Francisco court was one of the busiest in the country, hearing thousands of cases a year. It was also one of the courts most likely to grant an immigrants' asylum application.

Bill Gates to appear before Congress over Epstein involvement

Gates will sit for a closed-door interview before the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Morning news brief

U.S. and Iran exchange strikes after Apache helicopter is downed, takeaways from Tuesday's primaries in four states, House Republicans approve a bill to fund ICE for the remainder of Trump's term.

Israeli leader who pulled out of Lebanon warns against getting stuck again

Ehud Barak withdrew Israeli forces from Lebanon in 2000, ending an occupation that lasted nearly two decades. He says that was a quagmire Israel shouldn't repeat.

The most inclusive World Cup ever? Tell that to Omar Artan, the Somali referee just banned by Trump’s US | Morgan Ofori

This episode feels symbolic of a World Cup where the global game has been sacrificed to Fifa’s cynical money-making – and Trumpian whim

Omar Abdulkadir Artan was supposed to make history this week, becoming the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup. Instead, he’s watching from outside the US, denied entry without explanation by the Trump administration. Welcome to the most inclusive World Cup ever.

Fifa, the game’s governing body, is projecting revenues of $8.9bn (£6.7bn) from this tournament – double what the 2024 Olympics made. More teams: 48, up from 32. More matches: 104 over 39 days. More markets, just how they like it. This is good business.

Morgan Ofori is a reporter, blogger and subeditor for the Guardian’s The Long Wave

Democrats rally round Platner in Maine as Trump reaffirms grip on GOP after primaries

Outcome of polls in four states offers mixed signals about direction of two major parties before November’s midterms

Progressives rallied round the controversial Graham Platner after his primary victory in Maine on Tuesday, while Donald Trump again exerted his grip on the Republican party, helping to defeat a politician who had pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Primary elections were held in four states – Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina – ahead of November’s midterms to decide control of both houses of Congress. The results offered mixed signals about the direction of the two major parties.

Omar Artan given hero’s welcome in Somalia after referee’s US entry blocked

• Artan deemed a threat to national security by US officials

• ‘I promise you that I will attend the next one’

The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US arrived on Wednesday in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, where he was received by a crowd of supporters and officials.

Omar Artan was due to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making Fifa’s final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.

Pollinators in peril: scientists reveal the hidden human health costs of the world’s disappearing bees

Crops and flowers rely on them for survival, but wild bees are declining – and crucial nutrients will go missing from our diets as a result

There are few ways in and out of Nepal’s Jumla district. The Karnali highway, considered one of the world’s most dangerous roads, provides the only land link, splicing through the Himalayas to connect Jumla’s terraced valleys to the rest of the country. As such, the 120,000 people that live there are almost entirely self-sufficient, with most of them eating and selling what they grow.

It’s a tenuous existence, plagued by food insecurity and malnutrition. In recent years, local beekeepers have bemoaned languishing hives and dwindling honey production, observing that roughly half of their bees seem to have vanished over the past decade. These concerns, however, ignore an even more insidious impact.

Bill Gates to face questions from House committee over links to Jeffrey Epstein

Microsoft co-founder to appear in closed-door session as part of lawmakers’ investigation into convicted sex offender

Bill Gates is set to testify in front of the House committee on oversight and reform on Wednesday as part of the panel’s investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Microsoft co-founder will appear in a closed-door session, where lawmakers are expected to question him about his past relationship with Epstein. A transcript of the interview is expected to be released at a later date.

Lovers XXX by Allie Rowbottom review – a wild journey through the 80s LA porn scene

A young woman begins a career in the adult industry while, 30 years later, her friend tries to find out what happened to her, in an addictive, twist-filled story

Just as there is a lack of pornography made by women, there is a lack of books about making pornography written by women. Recent nonfiction titles such as Polly Barton’s Porn: An Oral History and Fiona Vera-Gray’s Women on Porn have sought to address the silence and moral confusion, while Rufi Thorpe’s novel Margo’s Got Money Troubles imagined a student mum paying her way with OnlyFans.

Now Allie Rowbottom, author of a memoir, Jell-O Girls, and a novel, Aesthetica, braves the dicey terrain in her sleazy, cinematic second novel. Published into a contemporary landscape where algorithms promote increasingly extreme content, Lovers XXX takes us to the so-called golden age of the Los Angeles porn industry, through the eyes of two teenage runaways who trade troubled homes for big-city dreams.

How to survive those late-night World Cup games: a longsuffering Australian’s guide

Football and sleep deprivation walk hand-in-hand in Australia. We’ve tried every approach viewers in the UK and Europe are now contemplating for this year’s tournament

Two years ago, as I was preparing for the birth of my first child, a friend offered me some sage advice. There were many sleepless nights ahead. That was a certainty. But there was a silver lining: European football.

I’ve been a football fan for as long as I can remember. But never in my life have I gorged so much. I managed every minute of Liverpool’s title-winning Premier League campaign. That was just for starters.

Mentors, muses and new music: conductor and composer Ryan Wigglesworth

The musician first visited Aldeburgh as a teenage fanboy. Now, he is at the centre of this year’s festival as its featured artist – and he’s opening with his favourite opera

Ryan Wigglesworth cuts a confident figure striding through the Royal Academy of Music in London. He’s been a professor here since 2019 – juggling his duties with his role as chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, guest conducting internationally, regular recitals as a pianist, and a busy schedule as a composer. Oh, and he’s also the father of three “boisterous” young children, whose sleepless antics have left him bleary and clutching his coffee this morning.

He sits at the head of the long table in the Academy’s oak-panelled boardroom, looking perfectly at home. Was he inevitably going to end up here?

DR Congo World Cup 2026 team guide

Sébastian Desabre’s group has a clear collective identity but star forward Yoane Wissa will shoulder huge expectations

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.

Do we really need gigantic, noisy, water-guzzling datacentres ruining our communities? In this economy? | First Dog on the Moon

Excessive heat, pollution and making climate change worse just so you can ask the computer to draw a funny dancing cabbage

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U.K. leaders call for calm as protests break out after Belfast street stabbing

U.K. leaders called for calm Tuesday after the arrest of a Sudanese man accused of trying to kill a man in a vicious stabbing on a Belfast street sparked fiery anti-immigration protests.

Stolen Revolution by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Yeganeh Torbati review – Iran’s recent history explained

This account of the Islamic Republic and its discontents told via six contrasting lives should be required reading

It’s difficult in 2026 to talk about Iran without confronting a lot of crude certainty. The average non-Iranian gets their information in snippets, filtered by algorithms. The Iranian diaspora is too fractured and traumatised to educate everyone. And the regime has muffled the voices inside its borders, responding to every major uprising with internet blackouts that hide both the people’s rage and its own violent response. Meanwhile, its own network of misinformation spreads lies – that protesters are foreign instruments, that the unrest is manufactured by outsiders – exploiting legitimate western anxieties about intervention, Islamophobia, sanctions, oil and Israeli imperialism.

Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Yeganeh Torbati’s powerful history of the Islamic republic is a badly needed corrective because it is at once an engrossing story and a balanced, meticulously researched primer on modern Iran (the clearest I’ve ever read). And it is dramatic, personal and often heartbreaking, told through six lives lived at the forefront of the Iranian people’s almost five-decade struggle with a corrupt regime that has stolen their freedoms, votes and many thousands of their lives.

Chinese activist in UK told by X that abusive deepfakes do not breach rules

Apple Peiqing Ni targeted by account portraying her as promiscuous drug addict after posting about Tiananmen Square

A high-profile Chinese activist in the UK who was inundated with deepfake posts on X portraying her as a sexually promiscuous drug addict was told that the abuse did not breach the rules of Elon Musk’s platform.

Apple Peiqing Ni, the 27-year-old founder of the UK-based China Dissent Network, had been advised by UK police to complain to the US-headquartered platform after she was targeted by what she believes is a pro-regime bot.

A moment that changed me: I climbed a tower aged nine, alone – and discovered how I wanted to live

Up there by myself, I decided life might be best on my own. That thought has shaped my travel and relationships ever since

I grew up in Kenya and was nine when we went camping by the beach in Mombasa, with two other families. The constant games and laughter were new to me, as we were a quiet, rather insular family. I went bodyboarding, watched crabs emerge from holes in the sand, climbed all over rusty cannons in the old fort and bought colourful strips of kanga fabric in the market to make sarongs.

One day, my father asked some fishers to take us to the reef in their canoes. It was a good mile offshore: I wanted to stay behind with Mum, but Dad fixed me with a look and said: “You’ve got no sense of adventure, have you?” Then I knew I had to go, clambering shakily into the wobbly wooden construction, clinging on to the sides for dear life.

What next for BP? Leadership exits test investor confidence in board oversight

An executive exodus at BP has sparked intense scrutiny from investors.

Most Makerfield voters say offensive posts would put them off candidate, poll finds

Survey in run-up to byelection also finds support for water renationalisation, wealth tax and cap on political donations

A majority of voters in Makerfield say they would be less likely to vote for an election candidate if they have posted offensive content on social media, polling shows.

The polling for the campaign group 38 Degrees, undertaken by Survation, asked 518 voters in the Makerfield constituency for their views on a range of issues, with 55% saying they would be less likely to vote for a politician who has posted offensive material online.

Global brands ‘likely’ using mineral that funds rebels accused of atrocities in DRC, investigation finds

Amazon and Sony among firms that may have sourced coltan, used in phones, from supply chains controlled by the M23 rebels, says Global Witness

Leading global brands including Amazon, Ericsson and Sony are “likely” to have sourced minerals linked to a militia accused of widespread sexual violence, summary executions and torture, a new investigation claims.

The companies allegedly, but unknowingly, acquired coltan smuggled from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that are occupied by the M23 militia, which has committed myriad atrocities in eastern DRC.

Super-rich’s assets cause outsized amount of climate harm, study says

Greenpeace calculates that wealthiest contribute nearly $1tn of damage a year with ownership-based emissions

Ultra-wealthy people zooming across the world on their private jets, lounging on yachts and conspicuous by their Instagrammable consumption are among the most easily identified individual culprits when it comes to the climate crisis – but new research argues that it is not just their heady lifestyles to blame, but also their bank accounts.

Through their ownership of companies and private financial and physical assets, from oil producers to property developments, the super-rich are responsible for an outsized slice of the greenhouse gases that are overheating the planet. The top 1% of people by wealth, through their shareholdings and investments, control about a quarter of global annual emissions in total.

Theo Randall’s recipes for asparagus and rice frittata, and poached chicken salad with anchovy croutons

An unusual frittata with a risotto base, and a simple but delicious salad combination that’s sure to be a big hit

I love this salad – the combination of soft, juicy chicken, crisp leaves and anchovy croutons is so delicious. We serve it on the terrace at my restaurant and, when the sun is shining, it is the biggest seller by a country mile. But, first, an unusual frittata, which is essentially a risotto base with asparagus: it’s not difficult to make and is perfect for lunch, and even better as part of a picnic.

Only one in 10 Europeans now see US as an ally, survey suggests

Exclusive: poll across 15 countries finds ‘deep mistrust’, with majority doubting US would come to their aid in an attack

European confidence in an American “security guarantee” has hit a historic low, a survey suggests, with only one in 10 people across 15 countries seeing the US as an ally and majorities in all doubting it would come to their aid if they were attacked.

The survey, published on Wednesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank before critical G7 and Nato summits in France and Turkey over the coming weeks, revealed “deep European distrust in the US”, the authors said.

‘The patients scattered’: how gun crime cuts off healthcare for South Africa’s poorest

Cities see surge in attacks and extortion demands at clinics in townships, leaving patients and staff vulnerable

The three gunmen showed up just 10 minutes after the security guards had arrived for the early morning shift. Tshiamo Nere* admits he was “frozen” with shock and could only stare as the men aimed their weapons at him and two colleagues at Khayelitsha’s Town Two clinic in Cape Town, as screaming nurses and patients fled.

They had a message, the men told the unarmed guards. “They demanded a protection fee from the security company that employs us to guard the clinic,” Nere says. “The patients, frightened, scattered; and nurses ran for their lives.”

Tears and catharsis as Kyiv premieres opera about Ukrainian children abducted by Russia

First lady and affected families in audience for highly charged performance of excerpts of Mothers of Kherson

It was hard to imagine an opera with a subject more potentially traumatic – or cathartic – for the assembled audience. The occasion, in the grand and gilded spaces of the National Opera of Ukraine, in Kyiv, was the premiere of excerpts of Mothers of Kherson, an opera about the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russian occupiers – a continuing, raw story of real-life loss and agony.

The opera was originally intended to be about the Maidan protests of 2013-14. But the American librettist George Brant, the author of the hit play Grounded, switched course in 2023 when the stories of abducted children hit the news.

It was Britain’s most expensive house. Why is its only resident a homeless man who lives on the porch?

2-8A Rutland Gate had jewel-encrusted bathroom suites and gold wastepaper bins in its 45 rooms, but has lain empty for years. With many people desperate for secure housing, what does the abandonment of this palace tell us about the UK?

When it last changed hands, in 2020, 2-8A Rutland Gate was Britain’s most expensive house, selling for £210m. The word “house” hardly does it justice; palace is probably more accurate. It is in Knightsbridge, one of the most glamorous parts of London, and has 45 rooms, four lifts, an indoor pool and 116 windows, 68 of which overlook Hyde Park.

But no one is enjoying those views. This palace has been empty for years.

Nevada GOP Gov. Lombardo projected to face Democrat Ford in highly competitive race

Democrats are aiming to unseat Nevada GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo in one of the country's most tightly contested gubernatorial contests this year.

6/9: CBS Evening News

A 19-year-old is convicted of murder after a track meet stabbing; the U.S. launches new strikes on Iran.

Democrat Annie Andrews projected to face off against Sen. Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham has held the seat since 2003, and Democrats have an uphill battle in any attempt to unseat him.

Graham Platner to win Maine Democratic Senate primary and face Sen. Susan Collins

The primary victories set up a race that could be key to Democrats' hopes of winning control of the Senate.

Being a woman in China is getting harder. But in Chengdu, female-only spaces are flourishing

The socially relaxed city has seen a cautious feminist revival despite authorities’ growing alarm at women who shun traditional roles

In a small, unassuming bookstore in south-west China, a discreet community of women dream of a more equal future. Here in Chengdu, 42-year-old Shen Shen runs one of the country’s leading feminist bookstores.

“The world doesn’t lack bookstores for men,” she says, surrounded by piles of volumes by authors including Judith Butler, Simone de Beauvoir and Chizuko Ueno.

'This one danced and snaked': Nasa astronaut captures aurora australis from space – video

Nasa astronaut Jessica Meir, part of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, released a timelapse showing the southern lights as seen from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. They appear near the poles because Earth's magnetic field channels charged particles from the sun toward those regions, where they collide with the atmosphere and create shimmering curtains of colour. 'As opposed to the previous aurora I’ve seen, this one danced and snaked its way directly below us, putting on quite a show. I am in awe of this ethereal and emotionally evocative phenomenon,' Meir wrote on social media

6/9: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Primary day wrapping up in Maine as voters grapple with Graham Platner's scandals; U.S. launches retaliatory strikes against Iran.

Florida man fights off shark, now in critical condition

Warning: disturbing video. A Florida man is in critical condition after fighting off a shark in the Panhandle. Cristian Benavides reports.

New sunscreen option wins FDA approval after years of delay

A sunscreen ingredient that's been available in Europe, Japan and South Korea for years has finally been approved by the FDA for sale in the U.S.

FDA approves new sunscreen ingredient

The FDA approved a new ingredient for sunscreen that's been in use in Europe for years. Dr. Jon LaPook has more details.

Texas BBQ restaurants losing money on briskets due to cost of beef

Beef is so expensive right now that barbecue joints are losing money on brisket and trying to steer customers to other choices. CBS News' Jason Allen reports.

Nick Reiner seeks trust fund release from judge during trial of his parents' murder

Nick Reiner, who's accused of killing his parents, Rob and Estelle Reiner, last December, wants a judge to order the release of money from his trust fund. Carter Evans reports.

House passes pro-union bill after 20 Republicans defy party

It's the seventh time this session that a discharge petition has secured the necessary 218 signatures to force a vote on legislation.

Questions about Graham Platner's past could impact Maine's U.S. Senate race

Voters headed to the polls in Nevada, South Carolina, North Dakota and Maine, which features a nationally-watched U.S. Senate race. As Democrats try to win back the Senate in November, their candidate in Maine has admitted to a sexting scandal and is now fighting off allegations from several former girlfriends. Caitlin Huey-Burns has more.

U.S. military says it fired new strikes in Iran after downing of Apache helicopter

The U.S. military said it carried out new strikes on Tuesday in Iran after the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter by Iran. The crew was carried to safety aboard an American drone boat. Charlie D'Agata has more on the crew's rescue.

Emotions high as jury finds Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in fatal track meet stabbing

Emotions were high after a jury in Texas found 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet last year. Immediately after the verdict, tension erupted outside the courthouse. Jonah Kaplan reports.

Full interview: NASA administrator Jared Isaacman on moon base plans, Artemis III, more

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman speaks with CBS News' Mark Strassmann about the upcoming Artemis III mission, its complexity, NASA's plans for an eventual moon base and more.

$70 billion immigration funding package passes in U.S. House in a win for Speaker Johnson

The U.S. House on Tuesday approved a $70 billion immigration enforcement funding package after months of debate.

Super Micro stock tumbles on $7 billion financing plans as company touts AI server orders

Super Micro is the latest company tied to the AI boom to announce that it's tapping the capital markets.

Trump family got about $500M from crypto venture — but investors saw steep losses

Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. celebrated a deal with Alt5 Sigma that generated roughly $500 million for the Trump family. The company's shares are down 93%.

Atlético Madrid reject £129m bid from Real Madrid for Julián Alvarez

• Atlético bite back at references in Real statement

• Benfica say José Mourinho going to Real for €15m fee

Real Madrid have revealed they have had a €150m (£129.4m) bid for Julián Alvarez rejected by city rivals Atlético Madrid. The Argentina striker has scored 49 goals in 106 appearances for Atlético since joining from Manchester City in 2024.

The 26-year-old, whose contract runs until 2030, reportedly wants to leave and has been linked with Arsenal and Barcelona. Florentino Pérez vowed before his reelection as Real’s president to submit a club-record offer for an unnamed “great player”.

House passes $70 billion bill to fund ICE for rest of Trump's term

The House passed Republicans' $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies for the rest of the Trump administration.

NASA names 4 astronauts for next Artemis mission

NASA's Artemis III astronauts plan to carry out rendezvous and docking procedures with commercial moon landers being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Apple partnering with Google and Nvidia for most advanced AI model

Apple's artificial intelligence strategy took center stage at its Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, Calif.

GM eyes new battery chemistry to grow AI data center, energy storage business

GM is expanding efforts to capitalize on the expected growth of energy storage and data centers and the development of next-generation sodium-ion batteries.

Lionesses ease past Ukraine but must navigate playoffs to qualify for World Cup

• England 3-0 Ukraine

• Carter 14, Stanway 37, Mead 67

Sarina Wiegman calmly asserted that she was confident England will still qualify for next summer’s World Cup, despite having to settle for a place in the playoffs as Spain’s 6-1 win in Iceland forced England to finish in second spot.

England cruised to victory over Ukraine on Merseyside but the result proved insignificant with Spain getting the result they needed. The Lionesses finish this group with 15 points from a possible 18 but miss out on a precious automatic spot in Brazil because of their inferior head-to-head record against Spain, after Friday’s humbling 4-0 loss in Mallorca.

Social Security's insolvency date is projected for end of 2032

Medicare's hospital insurance trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits in 2033, which could lead to higher health care costs for Americans over 65.

SpaceX IPO explained: The price is set, but retail allocation still up in the air

Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Robinhood, SoFi and Morgan Stanley's E-Trade are among the brokerage platforms making SpaceX shares available.

Watchdog finds waste and unsanitary conditions at ICE facility inside Fort Bliss

From August 2025 to March 2026, an immigrant detention facility at Fort Bliss Army base suffered a host of serious incidents, including two deaths that were investigated by the Government Accountability Office.

Apple shares slide after big Siri AI reveal

Apple unveiled new artificial intelligence software at WWDC, highlighted by its long-awaited update to Siri.

White House border czar Tom Homan blames New York Gov. Hochul for promised ICE surge

Gov. Kathy Hochul in May signed a New York law that barred agreements with ICE that made it easier for the agency to detain immigrants who had been jailed.

The May inflation numbers are due out Wednesday morning. Here's what to expect

If the Wall Street consensus is correct, the consumer price index is expected to show inflation running at a 4.2% annual rate.

May inflation likely topped 4% for first time in 3 years, economists say

Economists expect the Consumer Price Index this week to show U.S. inflation continuing to rise due to higher energy costs.

DOJ finds EEOC violated law by pressuring employers to make race-based decisions

The Justice Department accused the EEOC of violating civil rights laws by issuing guidelines that effectively pressured employers to make race-based considerations in hiring and promotions.

Many soccer fans excited about U.S. hosting World Cup, CBS News poll finds

The U.S. being a host country for the World Cup generates interest among fans, but less so among those who are not soccer fans.

Didier Deschamps: ‘Mbappé knows that when he speaks, he speaks for all the players’

Questioned in France but championed from afar, the departing head coach has forged a legacy that no one – bar, perhaps, himself – would dare dispute

Follow the verdant path towards the Château de Clairefontaine and you are met by a three-metre replica of the World Cup trophy accompanied by two stars, representing France’s World Cup triumphs. Didier Deschamps had his hand in both of them, captaining his side to victory in 1998 before repeating the feat as manager in 2018.

The ‘98 World Cup final was France’s first ever but Les Bleus have now participated in four of the last seven end games, with Deschamps involved in three of them. In North America, he will have one final shot at reaching another. These are the expectations, moulded by past success. Deschamps has taken France to three major finals in his 14-year stint as manager. “We’re among the favourites,” he says as he sits down for the interview. “It isn’t a taboo word for me. If we have this status today, which seems logical and legitimate to me, it’s because of everything that we have done, the results we achieved.”

Serena Williams makes winning return to tennis with victory in Queen’s doubles

• 44-year-old victorious alongside partner Victoria Mboko

• Pair win 7-6 (2), 6-2 over Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe

At the most tense moment of Serena Williams’s comeback to professional tennis, the score uncertainly balanced at 5-5, 30-30, an audience member could no longer hold her tongue. Her voice booming across all corners of Andy Murray Arena, she shouted: “Come on Serena, come on Victoria. You got it!” From the stands, a sneering spectator responded by stating that he did not understand a single word of those cheers.

Williams, however, understood perfectly. She nodded warmly towards the fan, then she stepped up to the baseline and fired down a 120mph service winner en route to a decisive hold.

Here's the retirement challenge nobody talks about

Many Americans spend decades saving for retirement, but lack a plan for using that money once they stop working, a new survey finds. Here's what to know.