5/10: Sunday Morning
Hosted by Jane Pauley. Featured: The Supreme Court ushers in a new era of gerrymandering; the legacy of CBS News Radio; motherless daughters; comedian Martin Short; rebuilding L.A.; remembering Ted Turner; and Martha Stewart prepares a Mother's Day breakfast.
10th May 2026 19:00
The Guardian
Barcelona v Real Madrid: La Liga title on the line in clásico – live
⚽ Barça will win La Liga with a point from 8pm BST kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Follow us over on Bluesky | And email John
Last time out for both teams.
Reports from Barcelona and some social media footage of Real Madrid’s bus being attacked, and a window smashed.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 18:11
The Guardian
England squeeze past New Zealand in first women’s ODI thanks to Charlie Dean
1st ODI: England, 211-9, bt New Zealand, 210, by 1 wkt
Captain guides long tail to low target
After all the hype about England’s biggest summer, it got off to an underwhelming start at Chester-le-Street on Sunday, as they limped to a one-wicket win in the first one-day international against New Zealand, chasing just 211. Only a calm rearguard effort from the stand-in captain, Charlie Dean, who finished unbeaten on 31 and valiantly marshalled England’s long tail, enabled them to crawl across the line.
England played exactly the way you might expect from a team who have gone 194 days without playing an international match (their last outing was the World Cup semi-final in October). First, they made a spate of fielding errors, costing them precious runs in a low-scoring thriller. Then they subsided to 149 for six, after Emma Lamb, Amy Jones and Dani Gibson all holed out to gleeful fielders.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 18:04
The Guardian
Leandro Trossard gives Arsenal dramatic win with West Ham denied by huge VAR call
It was the most extraordinary finale to an occasion when the tension seemed to override everything. The spectacle was suffocated. There was almost too much at stake for both teams. And then there we were, the players from each team standing on the sideline behind the referee, Chris Kavanagh, as he pored over the replay monitor on the advice of the video assistant, Darren England, his heart hammering, like that of everybody else inside the stadium.
Arsenal led 1-0 through Leandro Trossard’s 83rd minute goal, which had come shortly after David Raya had produced a massive one-on-one save to deny the West Ham midfielder, Mateus Fernandes. Now West Ham had their lifeline. Or had they? It all came down to Kavanagh’s interpretation of the moment when West Ham sent their goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, forward for an all-or-nothing 95th minute corner and, after a melee of bodies, the West Ham substitute, Callum Wilson, had lashed a shot over the line.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 18:02
The Guardian
Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw sinks Chelsea in dramatic FA Cup semi-final
Khadija Shaw showed Manchester City what they are giving up and Chelsea what they are potentially getting in emphatic style at Stamford Bridge, scoring an injury-time equaliser and then an extra time winner as City came from two goals behind to earn a place in the FA Cup final against Brighton.
Shaw has dominated headlines this week: the Women’s Super League top scorer is set to leave City and Chelsea are leading the chase. Her 91st-minute goal forced extra time before a thumping header in the 103rd minute ensured City’s double ambitions remain alive after the most fraught of encounters.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 17:20
The Guardian
Dozens of people from cruise ship struck by hantavirus leave Tenerife
Britons among passengers and crew taken off vessel and put on flights to 10 countries as part of two-day operation
Dozens of passengers and crew from countries around the world have been evacuated from a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
British people were among those taken off the ship as part of a two-day operation which began on Sunday in Tenerife. They were put on chartered flights back to the UK, where they will enter hospital quarantine in Merseyside.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 17:10Sen. Mark Kelly says Pentagon's $1.5 trillion budget request is "outrageous"
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion budget request for defense spending is "outrageous."
10th May 2026 17:09
The Guardian
Iran responds to US proposal as drones hit Gulf nations and Netanyahu warns war ‘not over’
Pakistan confirms it has forwarded response to Washington as Israeli PM says war will go on as long as Iran has uranium stockpile
Iran has said it has replied to a US peace proposal, on a day when the month-old ceasefire showed signs of fraying, with drone strikes reported around the region, and Benjamin Netanyahu warned the war was “not over”.
Iranian state media reported that Tehran’s response had been passed to Pakistani mediators, without giving further details. Pakistan confirmed it had been forwarded to Washington.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 17:02
The Guardian
Ruud says Sinner is ‘beatable’ as world No 1 seeks record run at Italian Open
Italian could win record sixth straight Masters 1000 title
Naomi Osaka beats Diana Shnaider to reach fourth round
Casper Ruud believes Jannik Sinner is not unbeatable but the rest of the field will have to catch the world No 1 on a favourable day as they try to stop him winning a record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title on home soil at the Italian Open.
“His results this year kind of speak for themselves,” said Ruud. “Four Masters 1000s in a row to begin the year. Four of four. He’s already made history, he can make more history. But he also showed in the beginning of the year, he’s beatable. Novak [Djokovic] beat him. [Jakub] Mensik beat him.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 16:49
The Guardian
Rhythm nation: politician’s viral dance moves mark new, optimistic era for Hungary
Zsolt Hegedűs’s celebrations since the election of Péter Magyar have sparked joy across the country
As Hungary’s Péter Magyar took office, ousting Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, the daylong event on Saturday was laced with symbolism, from the return of the EU flag to parliament to the ringing out of the European anthem, Ode to Joy.
But it was the 56-year-old tipped to be the new health minister – and more specifically, his dance moves – that may have become the most potent symbol of Hungary’s new political era.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 16:42
The Guardian
The Guardian view on the Welsh and Scottish elections: Plaid’s triumph heralds a new era in devolved politics | Editorial
Progressive nationalist parties now hold power in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. That will be a challenge for the United Kingdom’s overcentralised state
When the Scottish and Welsh parliaments were created on the eve of the millennium, the then Labour government in Westminster believed that it had engineered a win-win situation. Devolution, it was hoped, would see off any nationalist threat in Scotland and Wales. Meanwhile, the Labour party’s longstanding political dominance in both nations would see it take comfortable control of the two new parliaments.
That was then. Last week’s devolved elections left Scottish and Welsh Labour battered, bruised and humiliated. Plaid Cymru’s historic victory in Wales, and a fifth successive triumph for the Scottish National party (SNP), mean that pro-independence governments are now set for the first time to rule in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast (where Sinn Féin won in 2022). The starting gun has been fired on a new and constitutionally contested era in the politics of the UK.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 16:30
The Guardian
The Guardian view on the WHO pandemic treaty: the west’s fantasy negotiations have put the world at risk | Editorial
After five years of deliberation the global south has forced the question that defined the Covid crisis: who will get the vaccines?
The Covid-19 pandemic did deep and lasting damage to the international political system. Countries in the global south are keenly aware that the established order let them down. They received vaccines later, in smaller numbers and often at a higher price than rich countries, resulting in avoidable death and suffering, and extended economic malaise. Last week, a coalition of those countries made their displeasure known by continuing to stonewall negotiations on the vaunted pandemic preparedness treaty of the World Health Organization (WHO), sending a clear message that when the next crisis arrives, they will not accept the same status quo.
An international treaty is sorely needed. But five years into negotiations, it is clear that the western backers of this plan, especially in Europe, have consistently presented it as a fait accompli, while avoiding the most basic and obvious political impasse before them.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 16:25
The Guardian
Rayner warns Starmer to change direction as Streeting preparing leadership bid
Chances of Starmer remaining in No 10 appear to be diminishing as about 40 Labour MPs call for him to quit
Keir Starmer is facing a perilous 24 hours as allies of Wes Streeting said he was prepared to bid for the leadership if the prime minister’s premiership falls apart and Angela Rayner warned that a change of direction was needed.
Starmer was hoping to save his job with a speech that sets out his vision for turning the country around on Monday, after a disastrous set of local election results in which the party lost support to Reform UK and the Greens.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:59This week on "Sunday Morning" (May 10)
A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.
10th May 2026 15:595/10: Face The Nation
This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," amid the fragile ceasefire with Iran, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly join. Plus Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu discusses whether his party can take control of the House in November and former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has the latest on the hantavirus outbreak.
10th May 2026 15:30
The Guardian
Everton’s European hopes hit after Mateta’s equaliser for Crystal Palace
David Moyes’s European dream is now hanging by a slender thread. Against a Crystal Palace side who have been distracted by their Conference League exploits, Everton were unable to take their opportunity to close the gap on their rivals as Jean-Philippe Mateta came off the bench to equalise after they had twice been ahead, through goals from James Tarkowski and Beto.
It could have been even worse for Moyes had Adam Wharton’s shot not struck the outside of a post in the 90th minute. In a frantic finish, Dean Henderson denied Iliman Ndiaye in stoppage time before Mateta missed a great chance to win it for Oliver Glasner’s side.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:11
The Guardian
Anderson stuns former club Newcastle with late equaliser as Forest seal safety
For Nottingham Forest, just how precious might Elliot Anderson’s late equaliser at home to Newcastle prove? Vítor Pereira’s side knew they had to match or better West Ham’s result later against the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, and West Ham’s defeat at the London Stadium means Forest are safe from relegation. In a game devoid of quality, the Newcastle substitutes Jacob Ramsey and Harvey Barnes combined to seize Eddie Howe’s side a 74th-minute lead, but the former Newcastle youngster showed great endeavour to level.
For Forest, who Pereira warned had no time to wallow after exiting the Europa League on Thursday, the battle to guarantee Premier League survival has been won. Anderson has been Forest’s best player this season by some distance and after playing a give and go with James McAtee, a Forest sub, the England midfielder burned into the six-yard box and sent an effort past Nick Pope from a tight angle. The likelihood is this was Anderson’s penultimate Forest game at the City Ground, the 23-year-old a target for Manchester City and Manchester United this summer.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:10
The Guardian
Thousands attend rally against antisemitism outside Downing Street
Conservative and Reform leaders cheered as they address crowd, while Labour’s Pat McFadden met with boos and shouts of ‘where is Starmer?’
Thousands of people gathered outside Downing Street on Sunday to protest an increase in antisemitic hate crimes and violence, as senior politicians and interfaith leaders called for unity.
The Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism rally, backed by more than 30 Jewish groups, drew thousands of people to Whitehall, as Conservative and Liberal Democrat party leaders, alongside Labour and Reform representatives, addressed a crowd studded with Israeli and union jack flags and ‘Where is Keir?’ placards.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:09
The Guardian
Aston Villa frustrated by Zian Flemming strike as Burnley rally for rare point
It was always going to be difficult to follow up the high of booking a Europa League final place for Aston Villa but a tired draw at Burnley fell below expectations. This was supposed to be the day Villa all-but-secured Champions League football by beating an already-relegated team but instead were held on an entertaining afternoon at Turf Moor .
Villa are four points clear of sixth-placed Bournemouth with Liverpool and Manchester City to come, making this a missed opportunity, even if they do have the backup of facing Freiburg for a place at Europe’s top table. Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming sandwiched goals from Ross Barkley and Ollie Watkins, ensuring Villa cannot afford to completely rest for the remainder of the domestic season.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:04
The Guardian
Tom Gauld on Chaucer’s first unboxing video – cartoon
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:00
The Guardian
Pirouetting and gaping: mysterious whale behaviour documented as humpback migration begins
With the help of citizen scientists, researchers studying rare humpback ‘jaw-gaping’ believe the move could be a social display
On the coast of Western Australia, a humpback whale is “pirouetting”, sweeping its pectoral fins through the water, its massive jaw hanging wide open. Surrounded by companions, the animal isn’t lunging for a meal: rather, it is putting on a mysterious behavioural display.
This underwater ballet, captured on camera by an onlooker and shared online, is one of the clearest examples of a rarely documented phenomenon known as “gaping”.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:00
The Guardian
Mental illness is pregnancy’s No 1 complication. It’s time to support those who suffer from it | Edna Lekgabe
Integrated mental health care for maternity services, more perinatal psychiatrists and public awareness of the problem could deliver meaningful change
The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work
When Mia* was referred to me, she was 32 weeks pregnant and had not slept properly in two months. Her GP had told her it was “just pregnancy insomnia”. Her obstetrician said it was normal and suggested she try going to bed earlier with a pregnancy pillow. By the time she sat in my consulting room, hands clenched around a damp tissue, she had been quietly planning how her partner and baby would be better off without her.
Mia is not a real person. She is a composite – an amalgam of the hundreds of women I see each year in my perinatal psychiatry practice. But her story is so common it could be a template. A woman develops psychological symptoms during pregnancy or the postpartum period. She mentions them, tentatively, at an antenatal appointment. She is reassured that what she feels is normal. Weeks or months pass. By the time she reaches specialist care, she is freefalling into a crisis.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 15:00
The Guardian
Britain’s visceral dislike of Keir Starmer illuminates a problem for his successor | Samuel Earle
There are many good reasons to not like the prime minister. But ours is an age in which hatred is a remarkably popular currency – leaders need a strategy for countering it
It might be that Keir Starmer, not known for his rhetorical skills, expresses himself most clearly through his furrowed brow. It has a way of telling the public that none of this is easy and that difficult decisions must be made. It says that although Starmer wishes it were otherwise, things will get worse before they get better, if they do indeed get better; that there are no good options, only difficult decisions. The local and regional elections on Friday meted out another round of pain for Starmer, and his furrowed brow was once again doing a lot of the talking. “The results are tough, they are very tough,” he said. “That hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility.”
Starmer’s furrowed brow courts pity and patience – but voters are in no mood to feel sorry for their prime minister. Instead, if the public’s feelings towards Starmer could be reduced to a single emotion, it would probably be hatred, resentment or scorn. Even those who don’t like Starmer can be surprised at the sheer intensity and spread of the animosity towards him. “[It] is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced,” John McDonnell said on LBC recently. On Newsnight on Wednesday, the Daily Telegraph’s Camilla Tominey said that “visceral dislike” of Starmer was the local elections’ defining theme – and the Labour peer Thangam Debbonaire conceded that “I’ve certainly picked that up on the doorstep, yes.”
Samuel Earle is the author of Tory Nation: The Dark Legacy of the World’s Most Successful Political Party
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 14:32Nature: Mares and foals
We leave you this Mother's Day Sunday with mares caring for their foals in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Videographer: Kevin Kjergaard.
10th May 2026 14:30Pat Seftel on Mother's Day
Filmmaker Josh Seftel talks with his mother, Pat, about a day devoted to moms.
10th May 2026 14:26A mother's (and daughter's) love
Growing up, Ana Duarte and her mother, Anette, went through rough times and were frequently homeless, which Ana blamed on her mom. Their relationship was tested when a bitter Ana left to build her own life. Once Ana finally got her own apartment, she gave her mother a call. Steve Hartman reports.
10th May 2026 14:18
The Guardian
Rockets, remembrance and religious parades: the weekend in pictures
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 14:13
The Guardian
A deadly bacterium is creeping up the US east coast. How worried should we be?
Warming ocean waters are priming beaches and raw shellfish for Vibrio even as scientists are trying to stay one step ahead
Bailey Magers and Sunil Kumar cut strange figures on Pensacola Beach. Bags of disinfectant solution surrounded them on the white sand; their gloved hands juggled test tubes while layers of rubber and plastic shielded their skin from the elements. As the two organized their seawater samples on the popular Florida shoreline last August, an older woman wearing a swimsuit walked over to ask what they were doing.
“We’re just actively monitoring water quality,” they told her, but she pressed on.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 14:11
NPR Topics: News
A chocolate laboratory in Italy will be good for chocolate eaters — and farmers
The chocolate biz is raising the bar with a lab to assess cacao beans from around the world. (Talk about a sweet gig!) Consumers and farmers stand to benefit from the "Standard of Excellence" program.
10th May 2026 14:07A city rises again from the ashes – but will it be strong enough?
In Los Angeles, rebuilding after last year's devastating wildfires has been a race to the status quo, with speed winning out over safety and strength.
10th May 2026 14:02How will L.A. rise from the ashes?
In Los Angeles, rebuilding after last year's devastating wildfires has been a race to the status quo, with speed winning out over safety and strength. Correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti, who had written about L.A.'s reconstruction efforts in his book "Torched," talks about how rebuilding after a disaster should take steps to prevent future catastrophes.
10th May 2026 14:02
The Guardian
‘Degree of complacency’: are supply chains prepared for impact of ongoing Iran war?
The economic warnings are bleak, but full extent of shortages are still not felt for many European countries
The biggest energy shock in modern history, jet fuel shortages “within weeks”, a global recession – since Iran throttled shipping flows through the strait of Hormuz at the end of February the economic warnings have become increasingly dire.
Yet 10 weeks on from the first US-Israeli attacks, share indices, companies and governments have been surprisingly sanguine. Every day the divergence grows between the eerie quiet on markets and alarming warnings of an imminent supply chain crunch.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 14:00Motherless daughters: Coming together
Twenty years ago, Hope Edelman, author of the bestseller "Motherless Daughters," founded a global support network for women who, like her, were young when their mothers died – to share tears, sisterhood and affirmation.
10th May 2026 13:59Motherless daughters: Coming together
Twenty years ago, Hope Edelman, author of the bestseller "Motherless Daughters," founded a global support network for women who, like her, were young when their mothers died. While those who attend Motherless Daughter retreats experience a fair share of tears, they also experience laughter, sisterhood and affirmation. Faith Salie talks with participants who carry their mothers' memories with them, some of whom are entering the uncharted territory of becoming mothers themselves.
10th May 2026 13:58
The Guardian
Two arrested over arson attack at former synagogue in east London
Man, 45, and 52-year-old woman held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson after blaze in Whitechapel
Two people have been arrested by counter-terrorism officers investigating an arson attack at a former synagogue in east London.
A 45-year-old man and a woman, 52, were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson and have been taken into police custody.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 13:49Passage: In memoriam
"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including veteran New York Yankees sportscaster John Sterling.
10th May 2026 13:47
The Guardian
Saturday Night Live: Matt Damon is a stellar host of another standout episode
The three-time host showcases his comedic skill in a great offbeat episode which sees him play Brett Kavanaugh once again
The penultimate episode of Saturday Night Live’s 51st season opens in a quiet bar in Washington DC. Secretary of war Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) bursts in for his usual, a shot of beer dropped in a pint of whiskey (“a reverse Irish car bomb”). He’s happy to be some place he won’t run into anyone from work since, “none of Trump’s people like drinking as much as I do.”
Right on cue, he runs into Trump-appointed supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh (Matt Damon), who orders his usual: three Buds and six Jamesons (“a six-three decision”). The two celebrate their mutual accomplishments – starting a war and ending abortion, respectively – before opening up about their fears.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 13:43Extended interview: Dan Rather on CBS News Radio
In this web exclusive, CBS News veteran Dan Rather talks with Mo Rocca about the impact that the heralded CBS Radio News had on him – as a child growing up in Texas, and as a young journalist learning by the example of "Murrow's Boys." He also discusses CBS Radio News' role in the evolution of broadcast journalism.
10th May 2026 13:43CBS News Radio, a beacon of broadcast journalism, signs off
Founded nearly a century ago, CBS Radio set the standard for radio news coverage, featuring legends such as Edward R. Murrow, Robert Trout and Charles Osgood, and created the template for broadcast journalists. But on May 22, CBS will end its heralded radio service. Mo Rocca celebrates the long history of CBS News Radio, and talks with current and former staffers, including "Sunday Morning" correspondent Martha Teichner (who reported on radio for decades), and Dan Rather, a veteran radio correspondent and former anchor of the "CBS Evening News."
10th May 2026 13:39Remembering Ted Turner, an American original
Ted Turner, the brash, visionary entrepreneur who founded CNN, transformed cable television, raced yachts in the America's Cup, and became one of America's leading conservationists, died May 6 at 87. "Sunday Morning" correspondent Lee Cowan looks back at the outsized life and restless ambition of a true American original – a man who reshaped the media landscape, helped restore the American bison, and poured his fortune into conservation, philanthropy, and global causes.
10th May 2026 13:31A Mother's Day breakfast with Martha Stewart
Just in time for Mother's Day, Martha Stewart, whose latest book is "The Martha Way," offers "Sunday Morning" viewers tips on preparing a special breakfast for that special mom.
10th May 2026 13:25Supreme Court ruling ushers in a new era of gerrymandering
The Supreme Court has ruled that, under the Voting Rights Act, Congressional districts can no longer be drawn along racial lines, but can be shaped by partisan aims. The result: A dash to re-draw voting districts in several states. What does this portend for democracy?
10th May 2026 13:23Almanac: May 10
"Sunday Morning" looks back at historical events on this date.
10th May 2026 13:18SCOTUS ruling ushers in a new era of gerrymandering
In 1965, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, a momentous piece of civil rights legislation that broke down barriers facing Black voters. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that voting districts can no longer be drawn along racial lines, but could be shaped by partisan aims. The result: a dash to re-draw voting districts in several states. "Sunday Morning" national correspondent Robert Costa talks with key voices about what the Court's ruling portends for democracy.
10th May 2026 13:16
The Guardian
Daizen Maeda’s brilliance takes Celtic past Rangers and puts Hearts on spot
If the scale of celebration that met the conclusion to this derby is anything to go by, Celtic believe retention of the Scottish title is within touching distance. This felt a hugely significant afternoon, not only in respect of palpable optimism in Glasgow’s East End but for discussion around the Rangers manager, Danny Röhl. His side’s latest capitulation will raise further questions over whether Röhl is in the right movie.
Celtic have cut Hearts’ lead at the summit to a single point and three goals. The next chapter in this most thrilling of races is on Wednesday evening. Celtic travel to Motherwell as Hearts host Falkirk. The possibility of a final-day shootout – Hearts visit Celtic Park on Saturday – is rising. In Celtic, Hearts have direct opponents who have found their groove at precisely the right time. Falling short at this point, when seeking to become the first non-Old Firm title winner since 1985, would hurt Hearts badly.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 13:05
The Guardian
My fantasy solo life got off to a flying start – but degenerated in six speedy steps | Emma Beddington
When my husband went away for a week, days of blissful alone-time beckoned. Instead, I started talking to household appliances and eating ‘crone dinner’
My husband is away this week, something that used to happen regularly, but is a post-pandemic rarity. Like, I suspect, many people in long-term relationships, I look forward to a little alone-time (I’m sure he does, too – a few carefree days away from me and my dogmatic, dourly expressed opinions on everything from the correct cup for my morning coffee to radio volume). But how enjoyable is it, really? It’s day five and I realise that, yet again, I’m following my usual six-stage timeline towards total collapse.
1. The purge
Within minutes of the door closing, and without conscious thought, I find myself kneeling in front of the fridge, excavating decomposing and expired matter, tackling the jar graveyard (grey, ancient, pickled beets and luxuriantly furred pesto) and wiping shelves. Next, I move through the kitchen like a whirlwind, taking out bins, sorting recycling, spraying surfaces and putting everything in its place.
The Guardian
‘It’s a reset moment’: why are so many people celebrating half-birthdays?
In some places, a half-birthday allows you to learn to drive or join the army. But for others, it’s a way to embrace the midpoint of each year of life
Six months after Lorraine C Ladish turned 59, she began to get emails – from fashion stores, the supermarket, the opticians – offering her a discount. Her half-birthday was coming up, the emails said. She used one of the offers to buy a magenta leather jacket and posted her celebration on TikTok. Ladish is a digital content creator who says she makes “a living out of sharing my age online”. But what really appealed to her about marking the midpoint between birthdays was the chance to “squeeze every second, every month, out of my late 50s”.
Ladish is not alone. Half-birthdays are having a moment. Or, at least, a fraction of a moment. On TikTok there are half-cake designs, half-birthday banners, half-birthday cards – sometimes, they are whole ones brutally sheared – and half-candles. One French brand even released a comma candle for cake decorators wishing to celebrate a half-birthday decimally.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 13:00
The Guardian
Research sheds light on GI’s murder of seven-year-old girl in Northern Ireland in 1944
William Harrison, a US soldier stationed in the region, was convicted and hanged for the murder of Patsy Wylie
On the afternoon of 25 September 1944, William Harrison, a US soldier stationed in Northern Ireland, visited the cottage of the Wylie family in Killycolpy, County Tyrone, and offered to buy treats for the children.
He had visited before and was, if not a friend, at least known to the family. Mary Wylie let him take her seven-year-old daughter, Patricia, better known as Patsy, across the fields to the shops.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 13:00Meet the YouTube whisperers, a booming class of advisors behind MrBeast and other million-dollar channels
A burgeoning group of YouTube strategists are charging big money to YouTubers who want to expand their popularity.
10th May 2026 13:00
NPR Topics: News
Keir Starmer's party lost big in U.K. local elections. Here's what comes next
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour party suffered major losses in local elections held across Britain last week. So far, Starmer has rejected calls for his resignation.
10th May 2026 12:27
NPR Topics: News
Temple Israel rebuilds after terror attack
Two months ago, a gunman drove through the preschool at Temple Israel, the largest synagogue in Michigan. Every child and teacher survived, but the community is still displaced and navigating the trauma of the attack.
10th May 2026 12:12
The Guardian
Farage trying to avoid scrutiny over £5m gift from crypto billionaire, Labour says
Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, seeks to present issue as irrelevant in interview with Laura Kuenssberg
Labour has accused Nigel Farage of attempting to dodge scrutiny as the Reform leader continued to face questions over the £5m gift he received from a crypto billionaire shortly before the last general election.
Asked about the gift from Christopher Harborne on Sunday, the party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, sought to present it as an irrelevance to voters and said it had complied with all the rules.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 12:08
The Guardian
‘Amazon of America’: film paints vision of a post-coup Brazil giving up rainforest
Vitória Régia imagines rightwing Bolsonaro plot succeeded with US help – and highlights threats facing Indigenous peoples
The year is 2025 and far-right coup plotters have annihilated Brazil’s democracy, assassinating the president, closing the national congress and surrendering the Amazon rainforest and its untold riches to the United States.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Amazon of America,” a thick-accented North American soldier tells a group of journalists being taken on a propaganda tour of an oil refinery in the newly annexed jungle realm. Nearby, a replica of the Statue of Liberty has been carved out of the wilderness to celebrate Washington’s tutelage over more than half of Brazil.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 12:00
The Guardian
How to make arancini – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
These fried rice balls are the Sicilian equivalent of a sandwich lunch, and can be batch-made in advance. Here is your step-by-step guide …
Before I wrote this recipe, it hadn’t occurred to me that the word “arancini” means “little oranges”, and, plump, round and golden as they are, it makes sense, too. Indeed, these robust rice balls, which are said to have come to Sicily with Arab invaders in the 10th century, are now, according to the late Antonio Carluccio, the local equivalent of a sandwich lunch.
Prep 25 min
Cook 45 min
Makes 8 large balls
NPR Topics: News
Happy Mother's Day to the kindest mom. P.S. Your kindness annoyed me when I was a kid
She and her siblings had to make tea for and share food with every visitor. That did not make her happy. Today she has a different perspective. So she finally asked her mom: What made you so kind?
10th May 2026 11:40
The Guardian
‘I was in a terrible state’: actor David Morrissey tells how social anxiety led him to alcoholism
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Liverpool-born actor says depression and anxiety followed death of his father when he was 15
The actor David Morrissey has spoken of how “terrible” social anxiety contributed to him becoming an alcoholic.
“I am a recovering alcoholic,” Morrissey, who has been sober for 21 years, told Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. “Drinking first was about anxiety. I’ve had this terrible social anxiety and that helped me get through it.”
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 11:14
The Guardian
Streaming platform Twitch lets users enter viral ‘mogging’ beauty contests
Previously prohibited use of websites such as Omoggle that connect a streamer to a stranger’s video feed now allowed
Last week, at 4am, 19-year-old Sammy Amz was scrolling through X when something caught his eye: a popular Twitch streamer was competing in a 1v1 “mog-off” with a stranger, and losing.
The next day he opened the Omoggle gaming website and began to play. Quickly he matched with another user – green dots appeared on their faces onscreen, as the website began to compare their measurements: canthal tilt, palpebral fissure ratio, nose-to-face width ratio and so on.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 11:00
The Guardian
Dining across the divide: ‘I don’t see why anybody would feel uncomfortable with national flags’
They have opposite views on the flying of the union jack, but could they agree on the need for safe and legal asylum routes into the UK?
Maxine, 62, Barnsley
Occupation Retail sales assistant
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 11:00
The Guardian
How TMZ is finding its footing on the political scene, even after some misfires
The salacious gossip website is hounding politicians and tracking vacationing members of Congress
TMZ has only been in Washington DC for a matter of weeks, but the salacious gossip website is already having an impact: hounding politicians, tracking vacationing members of Congress and reporting on a senator taking a trip to Disney World.
It’s been quite the start as the website and TV channel attempts to break into the political scene, with its first focus on members of Congress taking a two-week recess – typically meaning the politicians return to their home districts and states to meet constituents – during a record partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 11:00
The Guardian
How do we get more men to join the anti-Trump resistance? | Saul Austerlitz
My activist group is about 80% women. Where did all the men go – and how can we get them back?
In Donald Trump’s first term, my Brooklyn-based activist group had the peculiar dynamic of being started by two men while being composed of about 65% women. Since November 2024, our group has doubled in size, and the gender imbalance has tipped even further: we are now about 80% women.
Almost 18 months into Trump’s second term, it is abundantly clear that the appetite for anti-Trump, pro-democracy activism has not dimmed at all. And yet, there is a substantial portion of the populace that, in my experience as an activist, seems to have lost its fervor for the fight.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 11:00
NPR Topics: News
Of course we look for ourselves in art — but if we stop there, we're missing out
As I watched the new series, I only cared about Piggy — the thoughtful, smart kid stranded on an island with other boys. That made me think about what we look for in art.
10th May 2026 11:00
NPR Topics: News
How a pill approved 25 years ago transformed cancer treatment
When the Food and Drug Administration approved Gleevec to treat a form of leukemia in 2001, it ushered in a new era in cancer care.
10th May 2026 11:00
The Guardian
Russia breaches three-day ceasefire with Ukraine, says Zelenskyy
Ukraine president says Russian army is ‘not complying’ with the US-mediated truce and is ‘not even really trying to’
Russia has been conducting assault operations on the Ukrainian frontline in breach of a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
“The Russians are continuing assault activity in sectors key for them,” Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said in his evening address. “On the frontline, the Russian army is not complying with the ceasefire and is not even really trying to.”
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 10:56
The Guardian
Pardoned January 6 rioter sentenced to seven years for Virginia burglary
Zachary Alam spent four years in jail for his role in the Capitol attack before Trump pardoned him in 2025
A convicted participant in the 6 January 2021 US Capitol attack who was pardoned at the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency has been ordered to serve seven years in prison after a jury found him guilty of committing a burglary in Virginia in May 2025.
Zachary Alam, 34, had previously drawn one of the stiffest prison sentences – eight years – for his hand in the violence carried out at the US Capitol in Washington DC by supporters of Trump after his first presidency ended in defeat to Joe Biden after the 2020 White House election.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 10:00
The Guardian
‘Blindfolded, I sat down slowly. Then the interrogation began’: Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi on the torture of solitary confinement
Sentenced to 44 years in prison for her political activism, she is now critically ill and her family warn she may soon die in custody. In this exclusive excerpt from her writings, smuggled out of prison at immense risk, Mohammadi describes the horror of her incarceration
The cell had no ventilation. At the top of the door, at the highest point, there was a window set close to the ceiling, covered with a perforated metal sheet. The tiny holes in the sheet would allow the thinnest strands of sunlight to promise morning, and as the sun’s golden rays disappeared, they would signal the coming of night.
The most delusional element of solitary confinement is time itself. The hands of the clock are gone; day and night pass without measure. Time becomes nothing but a narrow beam of light slipping through the small holes in a metal sheet. I didn’t dare take an afternoon nap, because I would lose my grip on time entirely. In the outside world, such a nap might last only minutes – but inside the cell, within the confines of my shackled mind, it felt as though years had passed. When I woke up, I didn’t know if it was still today, if I had slipped back into yesterday, or if I had already arrived at tomorrow.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 10:00
The Guardian
Nobel laureate’s smuggled memoir details beatings and neglect in Iranian prisons
Writing by Narges Mohammadi, arrested 14 times for activism, offers a disturbing insight into treatment
In an exclusive extract of writing smuggled from prison in Iran, the Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has described the “torture” of solitary confinement, and her systematic medical neglect by the prison system.
The writing from the past decade will be part of a soon to be published memoir that gives a rare and alarming insight into the treatment of Mohammadi, who is in critical condition. It details beatings, constant interrogations, deprivation of medical care and long stretches in solitary confinement during her numerous imprisonments.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 10:00Book excerpt: "Torched" by Jonathan Vigliotti
In his new book, the CBS News correspondent writes of the warning posed by the inadequate response to last year's catastrophic wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Southern California – as well as to the daunting task of rebuilding.
10th May 2026 10:00
NPR Topics: News
Cape Verde: Tiny nation, massive World Cup dream
In Cape Verde, a small island nation off West Africa, World Cup qualification is transforming dreams on and off the pitch.
10th May 2026 10:00
NPR Topics: News
Iran ceasefire tested as cargo ship catches fire after being hit off Qatar's coast
A cargo ship caught fire Sunday after being hit by an unknown projectile off Qatar's coast, the British military said.
10th May 2026 09:10
The Guardian
‘My dad cannot see me on stage doing this’: will the stigma around boys who dance ever shift?
As the pioneering BalletBoyz company celebrates its 25th anniversary and Billy Elliott returns to the stage, the male dance landscape appears transformed from where it was at the turn of the century. But a certain macho dismissiveness remains …
“We always thought BalletBoyz was a really stupid name. We wanted not to be BalletBoyz.” says William Trevitt, founder of the company called, guess what, BalletBoyz. It was the BBC that landed them with that tag, when then-Royal Ballet dancers Trevitt and Michael Nunn made a cheeky and revealing backstage documentary at London’s Royal Opera House. Their knockabout, laddish charm won them fans, and when they went on to found their own company, first the two of them, later expanded to 10 men, the name stuck. It does carry a slight hint of the Chippendales about it. “We had a theatre manager coming and saying: ‘Could you ask the dancers to take their shirts off in the second act?’” remembers Trevitt. Which may say something about the expectations of a group of men dancing.
BalletBoyz is heading out on tour this month to celebrate its 25th anniversary. In those two-and-a-half decades, Nunn and Trevitt have done a lot for the image of men dancing (they have had women in their shows over the years, too, it must be said). It was never their intention to make a statement, it was always just about great dance, but still, here were two straight men who danced together – and later a whole company of young men – and commissioned a new repertoire that wasn’t about romantic partnering, but “two matching energies and exploring the balance between them”, as Trevitt puts it.
Around the same time Nunn and Trevitt were making their video diaries, another iconic male dancer spun into view. The film Billy Elliot came out in 2000, the story of the miner’s son who wanted to dance, and by the moving final scene was leaping into choreographer Matthew Bourne’s pioneering Swan Lake with its cast of all-male swans. The film was turned into a multi-award-winning musical that’s still going strong, with a new national tour opening this autumn.
It seemed like a moment where the image and profile of male dancers was changing – the so-called “Billy Elliot effect” – with rumours that one year more boys than girls auditioned for the Royal Ballet School. It feels as though in 2026 we’re living in a culturally different time to the turn of the millennium, especially when it comes to expectations of gender, so have attitudes to boys and men dancing completely changed?
“It’s cool to dance now, isn’t it,” says Layton Williams, who was the ninth Billy Elliot on stage, and more recently a runner-up on Strictly with pro partner Nikita Kuzmin. “My nephew is dancing on TikTok with his mates, and he’s a proper lad.”
The Guardian
‘10 minutes of nirvana’: 52 writers on the best sandwich of their life
Are you feeling hungry? If not, you will be after reading about the world’s most mouth-watering, life-changing sandwiches of all time ...
A crab stick and taramasalata baguette
I was young and carefree, living in Barons Court, west London, in the mid-90s. Chains weren’t a thing, and delis all had sandwich fillings laid out in silver dishes of a uniform, surgical shape, inviting adventure. Russian salad and ham? Sure, why not. The price structure was weird: sometimes everything was the same, and other times you’d accidentally hit a premium ingredient and your sandwich would be £3.50. That’s how I hit on the crab stick and taramasalata baguette, after a financial catastrophe involving actual crab. Crab sticks taste nothing like crab. They are, in fact, more delicious. So much better. And everything so pink. My life was like a fairytale. Zoe Williams
A vegetarian Christmas focaccia
Christmas sandwiches can be wildly underwhelming for veggies – but I’m still craving Glasgow cafe Boca’s offering: salty focaccia, stuffed to the brim with mushroom and chestnut roast, apricot glazed carrots and parsnips, cranberry and walnut agrodolce, sprout slaw and the option to add hefty slices of brie – which, of course, I did. Indulgent, Christmassy, and not a “festive falafel” in sight. Leah Harper
NPR Topics: News
Gas, groceries and getting by: How voters in one Ohio district see affordability
Ohio voters headed to the polls last week for primary elections, and in competitive districts like the one where Toledo is primarily located, the message was clear: affordability is a top priority.
10th May 2026 09:00
The Guardian
‘I will sing at the drop of a hat’: Jeff Goldblum’s honest playlist
The actor and pianist swapped playing Beethoven for Deep Purple and knows what to put on at a party, but which of his movie themes has he put words to?
The first song I learned to play
When I was eight, my piano teacher Tommy Emil would come over to our house in Pittsburgh, and would suffer because I hadn’t practised Beethoven’s Für Elise. Instead, it thrilled me to practise jazz arrangements of Alley Cat, Stairway to the Stars and Deep Purple.
The first song I fell in love with
My dad brought home Misty by Errol Garner, also from Pittsburgh and his favourite piano player. With his block chords and particular rhythm, he makes the piano sound like a whole orchestra, so I fell in love with it, too.
How did a wealthy widow wind up dead below a staircase in her mansion?
Beverly Hills detectives responding to the death of 67-year-old Violet Yacobi — who was found on the marble floor below a staircase in her mansion — suspected foul play and her dentist son, and wondered if the family fortune was a motive for murder.
10th May 2026 06:05
The Guardian
Newborns to silverbacks: counting mountain gorillas in Uganda – in pictures
National Geographic photographer and WWF ambassador Jasper Doest joined conservation teams during the latest mountain gorilla census in Bwindi Impenetrable national park, taking pictures of the apes and the people essential to their survival
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 06:00
The Guardian
Away from the red carpet, the ‘flashy, jazzy and tacky’ descend on Cannes – photo essay
Photographer Sonia Reveyaz explains the lure of the hustle, bustle, glitz and glamour on the sidelines of the Cannes film festival
It’s flashy, jazzy, tacky, it’s jet set, totally. From dawn to dusk on the Croisette, the boulevard stretching along the Mediterranean Sea in Cannes, everyone is dressed to the nines. For 10 days, it’s all about getting an invitation to join the Cannes film festival’s exclusive club. But not everyone stops to watch a movie.
In this image-driven economy, luxury is embodied right down to the skin. The media plays a central role in creating desire. Magazine publishers and social media platforms collaborate with brands to promote their new products and showcase the celebrities who wear them. Now, a new type of celebrity – one with an unconventional career path and who starts from nothing – is invited to the Croisette: influencers.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 06:00
The Guardian
‘A long road ahead’: could community car-sharing help UK hit climate targets?
East Midlands electric car club helps residents and cuts emissions – but the need for a volunteer-led scheme reflects a much wider problem
In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic Miriam Stoate, a regenerative farmer from rural Leicestershire, noticed that too many people in her small village in England’s East Midlands were struggling to get around.
Although there were plenty of cars parked in Tilton, too often she found some of the village’s residents did not have access to one when they really needed it.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 06:00
The Guardian
Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing this week knowing that Xi holds all the cards | Simon Tisdall
The US president will be counting on China to influence Iran and help him out of his latest mess. But the price may be high – including for Taiwan
Like an out-of-control wrecking ball, swinging wildly back and forth, Donald Trump smashes up the international order without much thought for the consequences. Lacking coherent strategies, workable plans or consistent aims, he power-trips erratically from one fragile region, tense warzone and complex geopolitical situation to another, leaving misery, confusion and rubble in his wake. Typically, he claims a bogus victory, demands that others repair the damage and pick up the tab, then looks around for something new to break.
The president will bulldoze into another international minefield this week – the fraught standoff between China and Taiwan – when he travels to Beijing for a two-day summit with President Xi Jinping. After a string of humiliating policy implosions over Ukraine, Gaza, Nato, Greenland, and now Iran and Lebanon, needy Trump craves a diplomatic success to flaunt at home. But his hopes of vote-winning trade pacts are overshadowed by his latest war of choice. He needs Xi’s promise not to arm Iran if all-out fighting resumes – and Xi’s help keeping the strait of Hormuz open as part of a mooted framework peace deal.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 05:00
The Guardian
‘They’ve invented a spurious pseudo-disease’: why are so many men being told they have low testosterone?
Social media influencers and booming men’s health companies are pushing the hormone as an answer to all ills. But is ‘low T’ really problematic – or something created to sell men a cure to a problem they don’t have?
A s a young man, Nick Dooley never thought about his hormones. He always considered himself “quite an outgoing, confident, chatty person”. Around the time he turned 30, however, Dooley began putting on weight and struggling with anxiety, “just slowly becoming a shell of my former self”, he says. By 38, he weighed 22st (140kg) and had a range of health issues. “I spent most of my life sat in front of a TV, doing nothing, with zero motivation, and from how I was in my 20s, that wasn’t me. I knew something wasn’t right.”
In 2024, Dooley had a private medical exam, which flagged he had fatty liver disease and was producing low levels of testosterone. “It wasn’t something I’d ever really heard of,” he says. “So I started down a Reddit rabbit hole.” An NHS doctor told him his blood testosterone levels, at 11.2 nmol a litre, were “within range” (although guidance differs between trusts, NHS England generally considers between 8 and 30 nmol/L normal) and offered him antidepressants. “I knew that wasn’t going to fix me,” he says. Instead, Dooley signed up with Manual, an online men’s health company. After two quick blood tests and a virtual consultation, Manual, which has since rebranded as Voy, started him on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 05:00
The Guardian
Mitsu, London EC2: ‘Determinedly fun and delicious’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
It won’t win any plaudits from Japanese purists, but there’s still much to admire here
No spoilers, but I knew even before I’d reached for my chopsticks that Mitsu would be a vast improvement on its predecessor, because it has taken the place of Nobu Shoreditch in the under-gusset of the Aethos hotel, a Swiss-owned “lifestyle hospitality brand”, in east London. Nobu was gargantuan, moodily lit (that is, pitch black), woundingly expensive and terrifically hard to book, despite having something like 797 seats; it was also one of the most soulless London restaurants of the past 25 years. Nobu Shoreditch felt symbolic: it was where all the raffish hope of the 1990s YBA crowd and the early noughties electroclash heads went to die.
But that was then, and now, in 2026, the Aethos crew has deftly brightened and lightened the mood of the room, making it actually cosy and adding a twinkly central bar; there’s an open robata kitchen and roomy booths, as well as a pretty Japanese garden. Mitsu calls itself an izakaya, which is what European restaurateurs always say when they mean the Japanese-influenced food isn’t too po-faced and you can get really tipsy on sake.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 05:00
The Guardian
Tehran, Taiwan, trade … what are the hazards facing Trump on Xi summit tightrope?
US leader enters talks with superpower rival from vulnerable position, but will be hoping for economic wins amid turbulent backdrop
If all goes to plan over the next few days – and that is a big if – Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Xi Jinping, China’s leader.
The trip will mark the first time a US president has visited China in nearly a decade. The last visit was also made by Trump, during his first term, in 2017.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 04:00
The Guardian
Defence sovereignty: Europe races to build the low-cost weapons of future
With Trump wavering on Nato and war in Ukraine, Europe is scrambling to spend billions on weapons such as drones
In a small workshop in England’s East Midlands, engineers at the British startup Skycutter are designing weapons for Ukraine. A row of 3D printers make the fuselage for interceptor drones, while parts such as motors and navigation chips are slotted together by hand. The same process happens hundreds of thousands of times a month in partner Ukrainian factories.
The swarms of cheap, deadly and often autonomous drones deployed in that war have already changed combat completely. Troops far behind the frontline must move constantly to avoid attack from the air, travelling along netted tunnels and landscapes crisscrossed by fibre optic cables used to steer drones past radio jamming. Cities are terrorised by guided missiles that are cheaper and therefore more widely used than those that came before.
Continue reading... 10th May 2026 04:00Pedestrian fatally struck by Frontier plane departing Denver for LA
A pedestrian was hit by a Frontier airplane departing Denver for LA late Friday night, the airport and airline confirmed.
10th May 2026 01:47
NPR Topics: News
Protests and boycotts rock prestigious Venice Biennale
The 61st edition of the international art event launched on Saturday in an atmosphere marked by geopolitical strife.
10th May 2026 01:41Bobby Cox, longtime Braves manager, dies at 84
Cox managed the Braves for 25 seasons, winning the World Series in 1995.
10th May 2026 01:015/9: CBS Weekend News
New video released of deadly runway collision in Denver; evacuations to begin Sunday from the hantavirus cruise ship.
9th May 2026 22:30Watch our full interview with Spencer Pratt
Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt opened up about his run for mayor of Los Angeles in an exclusive interview with CBS News.
9th May 2026 20:46
The Guardian
Do look up: stargazing in New Zealand’s first dark sky community
It took 10 years for Naseby to achieve its DarkSky International certification. Now, a night out in the tiny Otago town is like ‘a tour through the history of the universe’
As the last strip of pink on the horizon fades to indigo on the Maniototo Plain in Otago, every word I speak arrives in a puff of condensation. Six hundred metres above sea level, in winter the temperature here can drop to -15C. Spring isn’t much warmer. But the chill is worth it. Standing in the dark in what feels like the middle of nowhere, I’ve come to a paddock not far from the historic mining town of Naseby to stargaze.
Even in a country where there’s about 20km of space per person, the Maniototo Plain is sparsely populated. During the 1860s gold rush about 20,000 fortune seekers descended on Otago, but when they eventually moved on, towns like Naseby were left to a sleepy future. Now home to just 140 people, it’s not even a place you drive through. “We’re not on the way to anywhere,” says local Jill Wolff. “You’ve got to choose to go to Naseby.”
Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 20:00
The Guardian
Oil-based products are everywhere, from fertiliser to fashion. What are the alternatives?
Substituting the petrochemicals that underpin everyday life is challenging, but there are ways to produce what we need without fossil fuels
I tried to live for 24 hours without using oil-based products. It was ridiculously impossible
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The standoff in the strait of Hormuz has shown just how dependent the world’s economy is on fossil fuels. From petrochemicals to plastics and fertiliser, they all begin life as oil or gas – but are there alternatives? Can we loosen the grip that fossil fuels have on our lives?
While solutions to wean the transport system off imported oil are well understood – albeit not fully implemented – substituting the plethora of petrochemicals that underpin everyday life is a much more challenging task.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 20:00
The Guardian
The emerging cancer treatment that’s exciting scientists: ‘We’ve just scratched the surface on what’s possible’
After embarking on a trial of CAR T-cell therapy, actor Sam Neill announced he is cancer-free. Researchers are enthusiastic the therapies could be a major weapon in the battle against cancer
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
“Game-changer.” That’s how Prof Misty Jenkins, an immunologist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, describes CAR T-cell therapy, an emerging but still costly cancer treatment that supercharges the body’s immune system to fight disease.
Late last month, Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill put the treatment in the spotlight, revealing his stage three cancer was in remission after undergoing CAR T-cell therapy as part of a clinical trial in Sydney. He stopped short of describing his remission as a miracle – the success, he said, was “science at its best”.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 20:00
The Guardian
The moment I knew: I gave her one of my paintings, she gave me an empty chip packet
When Mitch Cairns met Agatha Gothe-Snape, he was instantly charmed. Then an absurd exchange shifted their relationship into something more than friendship
The first time I saw Agatha, she was saturated, standing in a knee-high bucket wearing a knitted woollen jumper that said Ho Ho Ho on it. Whatever I’d expected to see at the Christmas group show at MOP Projects – an artist-run gallery in Redfern, Sydney – this vision transcended it. As I walked into the hall-like space, it was devoid of any artwork aside from this absolutely beautiful woman standing there with water dripping on to her head.
It was 2007, and I was a graduate of the National Art School. People weren’t making this type of work there, so it’s no exaggeration to say the whole image was completely new and arresting for me. She was silent and stationary but so alive.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 20:00
The Guardian
Danish rightwing leader asked to form government after Frederiksen fails to form coalition
Denmark’s king asks Troels Lund Poulsen to form government after PM struggles to gather support
The king of Denmark has asked a centre-right politician to try to form a new government after the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has failed to put together a ruling coalition.
The announcement on Friday night shook the political establishment as Frederiksen has been a staple of Danish politics for decades. Her left-leaning party, the Social Democrats, won the plurality of votes in parliamentary elections in March.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 14:17
The Guardian
Female nudity and art that stinks: key takeaways from Venice Biennale 2026
Despite a call for calm, a combustible mix of politics and protest punctuated the preview week across the pavilions
Every two years the art world assembles in Venice for a sprawling celebration of visual arts at which countries “compete” against one another for the prize of best national pavilion. It is a barometer of taste, a shop window for artists and the industry’s biggest get-together – once described by the art historian Lawrence Alloway as an “orgy of contact and communication”.
This year, 99 countries are involved, including Somalia and Qatar, which are among seven first-time participants in an event that was overshadowed by the death of its curator, Koyo Kouoh, just over a year ago. She wanted an event that focused on “enhancement” with a main show called In Minor Keys. Despite the call for calm, a combustible mix of politics and protest punctuated the preview week. The activist group Pussy Riot turned up on site to object to Russia’s inclusion and a strike on Friday in protest at Israel’s inclusion caused several pavilions – including the UK, Austria and France – to close their doors.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 14:00Why one of the nation's largest auto lenders isn't worried about high vehicle prices or 'forever loans'
While median car payments have jumped from $390 to $525 since 2019, data provided by Capital One suggests stability in vehicle cost compared to income.
9th May 2026 12:00
The Guardian
Joseph Fiennes on parenting, politics and banning children from social media: ‘Stand up, Keir, this is your kids’ generation’
He’s played English titans from William Shakespeare to Gareth Southgate, but what does the actor really think about the country today?
We are at a corner table in a breakfast place in Chelsea, Joseph Fiennes opposite me on the banquette with his jack russell, Noa. “Dog duty,” he says, apologetic. Noa looks at me, brown eyes also apologetic. They’ve been in Hyde Park, he says, he lost track, didn’t have time to take her home. Nature is where he’s at his best, where he feels cleansed, connected, observant – his sentences are decorative like this. “It’s when I’m at my happiest, on hours-long, rain-drenched walks. Hot cheeks, freezing hands.” In an ideal world he’d be trekking or wild swimming in the rugged landscape of the Tramuntana in Spain. But if it must be London, “nothing beats Hyde Park”. Fiennes is tidy in a cashmere cardie and thick twill chinos. Noa has a snazzy yellow collar. Anyway, she’s well-behaved, he says: “Aren’t you, Noa?” She curls up to prove it. The scene is a masterclass in unhurried wholesomeness. Until he says Noa will savage me if I’m mean.
Fiennes was launched into the national consciousness as the doe-eyed, luscious-lashed 28-year-old star of Shakespeare in Love opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. He’s self-deprecating about his career since, saying to one interviewer that it condemned him to a decade of “flouncy shirts and horses” and to me that he’s been “pretty much a supporting actor for an actress throughout”. While he’s worked alongside impressive women – Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Elisabeth Moss, Rachel Weisz, Eva Green – his own standout roles include the chilling Commander Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale (whom he describes as “insidious”). Now 55, he jokes, he’s mostly “playing dads”. Not least Young Sherlock’s dad in the Amazon series – young Sherlock being his real-life nephew Hero Fiennes Tiffin – but also a gripping portrayal of Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held hostage in Iran for six years, in Prisoner 951.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 11:00U.S. sanctions companies and individuals in the Middle East and China for helping Iran
The moves target 11 entities and three individuals based in Iran, China, Belarus and the United Arab Emirates.
9th May 2026 10:10
The Guardian
Israel: What Went Wrong? by Omer Bartov review – the long view
An erudite account of the foundation of the state and its subsequent moral and political decline
Israel’s attack on Iran is only the most recent example of its degeneration in recent decades, coming on top of its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, genocide in Gaza, invasion of Syria and relentless bombardment of Lebanon. The fact that the US joined in this illegal war confirmed to many in the region what they have long suspected: that the country is an outpost of western imperialism in the Middle East.
The state of Israel, which arose from the ashes of the Holocaust 77 years ago, has received an unprecedented degree of international sympathy and support ever since. This support was partly due to western guilt and partly due to the perception of the Jewish state as an island of democracy in a sea of authoritarianism. The country’s Declaration of Independence promised to uphold “the full social and political equality of all its citizens without distinction of race, creed or sex”. In the early years of statehood, Israel was seen in the west as an icon of liberal, progressive and egalitarian society.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 09:00
The Guardian
Tuppence Middleton: ‘My guiltiest pleasure? Watching Naked Attraction when my partner is out’
The actor on her Dua Lipa faux pas, restless legs syndrome, and a shock realisation at a housewarming party
Born in Bristol, Tuppence Middleton, 39, trained at ArtsEd in London before appearing in films The Imitation Game and Mank. Her stage roles include The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre, and her TV work spans Sense8, War and Peace, The Forsytes and the next series of Slow Horses. Since the age of 11, she has had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which she writes about in Scorpions, out in paperback on 21 May. She lives in London with Swedish film director Måns Mårlind and their child.
What is your greatest fear?
Endless vomiting. That comes from my emetophobia, which is a huge part of my OCD.
The Guardian
The rise of the literary nepo baby? The children of famous novelists on following in their parents’ footsteps
From Naomi Ishiguro to Jess Atwood Gibson, more children of high profile writers are becoming authors themselves. Parents and their literary offspring discuss the pressures of measuring up
Martin Amis liked to observe that the unusual position he and Kingsley Amis held – father-and-son novelists – was a historical anomaly, a “literary curiosity”. But it was not unique: Alexandre Dumas père and fils, Fanny and Anthony Trollope, and Arthur and Evelyn Waugh had all come before them.
And if Amis’s assertion wasn’t true then, it’s even less true now. In recent years, increasing numbers of children of novelists have become writers themselves, and this year sees a particularly rich batch. Kazuo Ishiguro’s daughter, Naomi, publishes the first in her new fantasy series this month. Margaret Atwood’s daughter Jess Gibson published her fiction debut this spring, and earlier this year Patrick Charnley, son of the poet and novelist Helen Dunmore, published his first novel to wide acclaim.
Continue reading... 9th May 2026 08:00