Talarico says Ken Paxton is "lying to the people of Texas" with AI ad that puts "words in my mouth"

Democrat James Talarico told CBS News' Ed O'Keefe he won't use AI in political advertising in the race for the Texas U.S. Senate seat, adding, "every ad that we put out is made by human beings."

Humans "close to being outsmarted" by superintelligence, AI expert says

Rapid developments in AI are prompting concerns about "superintelligence." Here's why some experts are worried.

Here are the biggest announcements from today's Apple event

Apple introduced the iPhone 18 at its annual tech showcase and unveiled its first foldable phone.

Feds to buy up to $6 billion in Treasury bonds. Here's why.

Wall Street analysts are skeptical that the Treasury Department's bond purchases can curb yields and lower U.S. borrowing costs.

The U.S. just had its hottest summer on record, NOAA says

Average temperatures across the U.S. soared to record heights between June and August in 2026, a new report found.

Trump says he had "great conversation" with Putin amid renewed peace push

"He is wanting to make a deal. And if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that would be very nice," President Trump said.

US Open 2026 quarter-finals: Andreeva v Gauff, Rybakina beats Zheng to become world No 1 – live

Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Shelton advances after night of sweat and tears
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Rybakina has won four of her five meetings with Zheng, including two three-set victories this year. But Zheng was earlier in her comeback from elbow surgery then, the 2024 Olympic champion is a totally different proposition now, carrying the momentum of seven successive match wins in New York having come through qualifying - and the belief she can turn around any deficit after coming from 5-0 down in sets against both Madison Keys in the third round and Iga Swiatek in the last 16.

Here come Zheng and Rybakina, Zheng stepping on to court wearing headphones, not that there’s much noise to drown out yet at 11.35am New York time. Both already look extremely focused with their game faces on.

Napoli v Arsenal: Champions League – live

⚽ Champions League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off
⚽ Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And email Scott

2 min: Arsenal are wearing red shorts. Full marks for considering those with colour blindness, and acting with compassion. It doesn’t look good, mind. It’s just not Arsenal.

After a moment to remember the victims of the devastating floods in Nepal, Arsenal get the ball rolling. A blistering atmosphere at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona; did anyone expect anything else?

Liverpool v Atlético Madrid, PSG v Slovan Bratislava, Chelsea v Leeds United – live

⚽ Champions League and Carabao Cup match updates
⚽ Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And mail Daniel

In Barcelona, by the way, Shaqueel van Persie has come on for Feyenoord, making his European debut. Any idea who his old fella is?

On which point, have you seen Liam van Nistelrooy’s running gait?

Trump to address midterm convention after Qatar-gifted plane delayed by emergency-slide check – live

President to give speeches on both days of unconventional gathering in Dallas; president boards Air Force One after crew inspects the slide

• Republicans look to ‘midterm convention’ to overcome Trump unpopularity

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Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of a longtime New Hampshire senator and former governor, has won the Democratic nomination in the race for Chris Pappas’s former House seat.

Stefany Shaheen’s mother Jeanne Shaheen is a former governor who has represented New Hampshire in the Senate since 2009. The younger Shaheen’s family ties to the Democratic establishment – and accusations of nepotism – became a point of attack by her opponent in the primary race.

Andrew and Tristan Tate denied US bail as brothers fight extradition to UK

Brothers, arrested in Miami in July on UK rape and sex trafficking charges, to remain in custody in Florida

A US judge denied the bail request of the controversial social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate on Wednesday, ordering the brothers to remain behind bars as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom.

The Tate brothers, prominent figures in the so-called “manosphere”, were arrested in Miami on 18 July after British prosecutors filed new charges against them and sought their extradition to the UK. Those charges included criminal charges of rape and sex trafficking. British prosecutors previously charged the brothers with rape, human trafficking and sexual assault. The Tates, who are dual British-US citizens, have repeatedly denied the accusations against them.

Trump's trip delayed after emergency slide deploys on new Air Force One

President Trump's departure to Texas was delayed after an emergency slide on the new Air Force One deployed on the tarmac before he boarded.

Met police launch inquiry into alleged overseas donations to Reform UK

Scotland Yard confirms it is investigating allegations broadcast by Channel 4 News after undercover sting

The financial scandal around Reform UK has deepened as police expanded their investigation into allegations of illegal foreign donations and the elections watchdog said it was considering regulatory steps.

Police confirmed on Wednesday they would broaden their inquiries into Reform after Channel 4 News broadcast an undercover sting by a group called Verbatim, in which a reporter posed as a foreign donor seeking to fund Reform.

Apple unveils folding iPhone Duo as new CEO takes center stage

The passport-size iPhone Duo serves as the first big test for John Ternus, who took over for Tim Cook last week

Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable phone and the most significant change to the iPhone since the smartphone’s introduction in 2007.

The nearly $2,000 device takes inspiration from Apple iPads and combines it with the portability and features of iPhones. When opened, it is the company’s largest phone display and Apple’s thinnest iPhone.

Bessent bond plan details to be revealed as Treasury secretary warns FX traders he's 'the house now'

The department is expected to announce around 11 a.m. ET the size of a buyback operation it announced Aug. 19.

‘Baggage reclaim was pandemonium’: passengers hit by airport IT chaos in UK recount their ordeals

From hours stuck on planes awaiting takeoff, to sleeping the night on the floor at Heathrow. Here are some travellers’ experiences

More than 2,000 flights have been cancelled after an air traffic control system failure that has thrown airports across the UK into chaos. Nats, the air traffic control provider, fixed the problem within hours on Tuesday, but hundreds of thousands of passengers were hit by further delays and cancellations on Wednesday.

Martin Rolfe, the chief executive of Nats, has been given a week to report back on the reasons for the technical failure.

Treasury Department to buy back up to $6 billion in longer-term debt, triple the normal level

The much-anticipated announcement triples the normal buyback operation and follows an announcement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Uganda to withdraw from Invictus Games ‘out of respect for King Charles’, says military chief

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announces decision to pull out in post on X, citing tensions over ‘Harry-Meghan nonsense’

Uganda is withdrawing from the Duke of Sussex’s Invictus Games, the country’s military chief has said, out of respect for King Charles amid division over the “Harry-Meghan nonsense”.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of the Ugandan president, made the surprise announcement in a post on X on Wednesday.

Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds

Analysis of two skeletons reveals tooth wear and traces of psychoactive substance in what may be earliest known evidence for human drug taking

What may be the earliest known evidence for human drug taking has been traced to ancient Indonesian foragers who sucked on mind-altering nuts as long as 25,000 years ago.

Analysis of two exceptionally rare skeletons from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi revealed dramatic tooth wear and traces of a psychoactive substance in the individuals’ remaining teeth, suggesting they routinely sucked on hard, abrasive betel nuts.

Police working to protect RNLI in Dorset amid opposition to small boat rescues

Charity vows to keep helping asylum seekers in Channel despite rightwing abuse as protesters gather outside HQ

Three police forces on the south coast of England are working to protect lifeboat volunteers, staff and buildings from rightwing activists who blame the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for helping asylum seekers to land on the British coast.

Dozens of Dorset police officers were posted outside the charity’s headquarters in Poole on Wednesday evening as about 50 people gathered to protest against the RNLI’s involvement in the small boats crisis.

Trump gave $45,000 gift to Natalie Harp, 2 other aides

A White House spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday that Mr. Trump "has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit."

Experts weigh in as researcher says AI has more than 10% chance of 'killing all humans'

Jacob Coxon said in a post on X that Anthropic and OpenAI are "gambling with our lives."

Gay and Brook put England in complete control after Pakistan crumble once more

• England lead at Edgbaston after 14 wickets on day one

• Tongue takes four wickets, Robinson and Archer three

In jettisoning seven players from their squad, parachuting seven more in, and then making four changes to their XI, Pakistan went into this third Test against England pretty much throwing mud at the wall in the hope that some of it might stick.

Some did, in fairness, with the newcomer Razaullah dismissing Joe Root after tea on the opening day with just his fourth delivery in Test cricket. Propelling the ball from a slingy, chest-on action that has a smidgeon of Waqar Younis in his pomp – and hitting 92mph on the speed gun – the 21-year-old’s ­figures of two for 42 offered a ­glimmer of cheer for Pakistan’s otherwise ­downbeat supporters.

The Guardian view on UK-EU relations: voters would reward greater ambition | Editorial

The architects of Brexit know it has failed. That presents Andy Burnham with an opportunity to set a bolder new agenda

Modesty is not a trait commonly associated with Nigel Farage. Something else must explain the Reform UK leader’s reluctance to talk about what is undoubtedly his biggest achievement.

Few individuals can boast of having influenced British politics as drastically as Mr Farage, with his record of campaigning for Brexit before that word was even coined. He will for ever be associated with the demand for emancipation from Brussels, but is rarely heard celebrating its completion. It barely earned a mention in speeches at his party’s annual conference last week. The simple reason is that none of the promises made about the benefits of life outside the EU have been fulfilled. Leaving made the country poorer, and voters know it.

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

The Guardian view on Donald Trump’s oil deal: Venezuela pays for his vanity | Editorial

The US president seized a nation’s natural wealth in a modern-day version of gunboat diplomacy to feed his ego – not to lower Americans’ fuel bills

Imperialism does not require a flag to be planted or a governor dispatched. It can be a powerful nation deciding who governs a smaller, weaker country, and on what terms and for whose benefit its resources will be developed. Donald Trump’s kidnapping of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, putting his deputy – Delcy Rodríguez – in his place as president, and then her signing a deal handing a fifth of the country’s proven oil reserves to the US, amount to a modern version of 19th-century gunboat diplomacy. Regime change supplied America’s commercial concession.

This won’t bother Mr Trump. But it should. The US president has oversold his neocolonial spoils. The additional production Venezuela is supposed to bring online might bring down oil prices eventually, but not anytime soon. Crucially, what Mr Trump calls “the biggest oil deal in history” won’t cause the price at the pump to fall before November’s midterms. When so many American voters are struggling to pay energy bills, it’s hard to see how unrealised Orinoco Belt riches are going to help Republican candidates.

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

‘It’s a good start’: prominent Israelis welcome UK sanctions on illegal settlements

Ed Miliband’s intervention was ‘inevitable’ after Israeli government and security failures, say former ministers and diplomats

Prominent Israelis have welcomed new UK sanctions as a necessary response to settlement expansion and spiralling violence in the occupied West Bank.

The intervention was described – by the president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, a former prime minister, an ex-head of the army and former ministers and diplomats – as an “inevitable consequence” of Israeli government and security failures.

Ross Fire still burning, with over 90,000 acres scorched

The wildfire, which has torn through Palo Pinto and Jack counties, forced evacuations, closed roads and disrupted schools.

How much does it cost to move a midterm prediction market? Not much

Interested parties could seek to move prediction markets to give a perceived boost to a candidate who is struggling to gain momentum or attention.

Infantino installs loyalist to oversee Caribbean as he splits Fifa management

• Critics view Fernandes job as move to shore up position

• Fifa says change is designed to make sport ‘truly global’

Gianni Infantino has separated Fifa’s management of the Caribbean countries from the rest of Concacaf in a move widely regarded by his opponents as an attempt to split the alliance to remove him from office.

Concacaf covers North and Central America as well as the Caribbean and was previously managed as one bloc. But the Guardian has learned that the former Switzerland midfielder Gelson Fernandes, an Infantino loyalist, has been appointed as the director of member associations for the Caribbean, in addition to his position looking after Fifa’s African members.

Why is Trump silent on UK sanctions against Israeli West Bank settlements? – The Latest

The foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, is facing a backlash over the government’s sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank after the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said the safety of British Jews could be at risk. Miliband has rejected the warnings, emphasising that ministers can confront the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government while also fighting antisemitism. US president Donald Trump, however, has failed to comment on the UK government’s action.  Lucy Hough speaks to diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour

Ella Baron on the abuse of RNLI volunteers in Portsmouth – cartoon

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Trump’s top six falsehoods about 9/11 as 25th anniversary nears

US president often brings up al-Qaida attack that struck his home town New York City almost 25 years ago

Donald Trump often brings up September 11, the devastating al-Qaida attack that struck his home town New York City almost 25 years ago.

His recollections of that day have repeatedly included exaggerations and falsehoods – including this week, when he shared an anecdote at a White House event commemorating the attacks that appears to be untrue.

JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon warns UK chancellor against bank tax hike

Wall Street CEO holds meeting with John Healey amid speculation over windfall tax on banks in October budget

Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of the largest US bank, JP Morgan, is understood to have warned the UK chancellor, John Healey, against raising taxes on banks in his inaugural budget in October.

The Wall Street billionaire met the new chancellor on Wednesday and cautioned him that higher taxes could put investment and employment in the UK at risk, it is understood.

Russian director refuses to denounce lead actor despite criticism from Ukraine

Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s DAU, about physicist Lev Landau, stars Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis, who has refused to speak out against Putin’s war

The director of a controversial new Russian film has said “everyone pays for his own choice” when asked about his lead’s refusal to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In film-maker Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s DAU, which premiered at the Venice film festival on Wednesday, Greek-Russian star conductor Teodor Currentzis plays the eponymously nicknamed protagonist, Nobel prize-winning quantum physicist Lev Landau.

National Guardsman in D.C. charged after pointing gun at colleague

Zion Mitchell, 21, was arrested earlier this month and faces firearms and assault charges after he admitted he pointed his gun at a fellow National Guard member.

The death of the dining room: how mealtimes moved to the kitchen – or the sofa

The idea of a room that you use only occasionally for sit-down meals has gone out of fashion. Now people have found better ways to use the space

Name: Dining rooms.

Age: Ancient Romans took meals in a room called a triclinium.

Iran claims to have attacked 10 ships near strait of Hormuz after US strikes

Oil price rises above $100 a barrel as Tehran responds to US attacks that sunk five Iranian tankers

Tehran has said it attacked 10 ships around the strait of Hormuz after the US sunk five Iranian tankers, as escalating strikes between the two countries sent the oil price above $100 a barrel for the first time since July.

The attacks were the sharpest flare-up of strikes in weeks, as the two sides struggled to break a deadlock in the six-month-long war. Fighting in recent weeks has largely revolved around who controls the strait of Hormuz, as Iran attempts to close off the waterway and Washington enforces a blockade of Iranian ports.

Some fliers may be able to bring water through TSA checkpoints soon, officials say

The TSA is not prepared to eliminate all liquid restrictions, and the existing rule limiting other carry-on liquids to 3.4 ounces remains in effect.

Air traffic control boss given a week to report after UK flight chaos causes 2,000 cancellations

Government remains confident in under-pressure Martin Rolfe but transport secretary believes glitch was avoidable

• How have you been affected by UK air traffic disruption?

• Business live – latest updates

The head of the air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to report back on the reasons for a technical failure that grounded thousands of flights, as the transport secretary said she did “not believe the issue was unavoidable”.

Heidi Alexander said on Tuesday she had also commissioned an independent review by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) into the latest Nats meltdown, which severely disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

‘I’m sick of her talking about it’: 11 readers share how GLP-1s have affected their relationships

As weight loss drugs have risen all around the world, it has reshaped users’ relationships for better and for worse

As GLP-1 use continues to rise in the US and the UK, people’s bodies are being reshaped – as are their relationships.

“Relationships tend to develop a sense of equilibrium and predictability over time,” says Dr Lindsey Berisha, a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with clients using GLP-1s for over 10 years. “When one partner undergoes a significant change, it can shift that equilibrium, and even positive change can create uncertainty for both partners.”

Vuelta a España: Matthew ⁠Brennan rounds off famous five with sprint success

• Young British rider squeezes out Meeus and Cort Nielsen

• Mas moves step closer to landing first Grand Tour victory

Matthew Brennan claimed a fifth Vuelta a España stage victory on Wednesday as the young British rider edged a bunch sprint in Seville to win the 17th stage. The 21-year-old Grand Tour debutant crossed the finish line ahead of Jordi Meeus and Magnus Cort Nielsen.

The general classification leader, Enric Mas, moved one step closer to claiming a first Grand Tour victory as he maintained his 2min 6sec lead on Felix Gall, with four-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic a further four seconds behind.

Union Town review – passionate exposé of US delivery workers’ employment conditions

Venice film festival: Barbara Kopple returns with her third film investigating US workers’ rights – this time, undocumented ‘deliveristas’ and the attempts to unionise Amazon staff

Barbara Kopple’s documentary about app-based delivery workers is a stirring, defiant, battle-hardened affair, swinging between the fraught picket line and the still more hazardous New York City streets. It’s a new film that feels old in the best sense of the word; a hoarse battle cry that summons the ghosts of The Grapes of Wrath and the New Deal, Eugene Debs and Woody Guthrie. That America is long dead and buried, a casualty of changing times, but Kopple sees no reason why it should not rise again.

Union Town, tellingly, is the third part of a loose trilogy which serves as an ongoing audit of US workers’ rights. This began with 1976’s Harlan County, USA, which tackled a Kentucky miners’ strike, and continued through 1990’s American Dream, which covered a meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota. Since then, however, the culture has shifted, atomised, with the big corporations increasingly reliant on a shadow economy of undocumented workers. Kopple’s “deliveristas” ferry packages for the likes of Amazon and DoorDash but they are technically third-party contractors. That means if, say, they happen to be injured in the line of duty, they cover the hospital bills and repairs to the bike. It also means that they are likely to be fired while they’re laid up in bed.

Jamaica’s plea to the king: use your authority to ensure colonial slavery is examined | Olivia Grange

The UK drew immense wealth from our country. But was the slavery that underpinned the empire ever lawful? We deserve a fair hearing

• Jamaican delegates arrive in UK to hand slavery reparations petition to King Charles

On 6 September 1781, the Zong slave ship set out on the final leg of its voyage to Black River, Jamaica. Four hundred and forty two enslaved Africans were on board – twice the number of people the ship could safely accommodate.

Twelve weeks later, 132 enslaved people were murdered by the ship’s crew by being pushed overboard to their deaths. The crew’s justification was the ship had insufficient water supplies to keep everyone alive for the rest of the voyage – a claim later proved false in the British courts.

John Malkovich cancels Israel trip over fabricated solidarity quote

The Wild Horse Nine actor had been due to appear on stage in The Music Critic in Tel Aviv – but pulled out over PR firm’s ‘unacceptable and untenable’ attribution of statement

John Malkovich has cancelled a planned trip to Israel next year to appear on stage after a PR firm hired by the show attributed quotes to the actor that the company had written.

Malkovich, who is a leading Oscar contender for his role in Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, was due to appear in The Music Critic, a theatrical-musical satire composed by the Jewish violinist Aleksey Igudesman, in Tel Aviv’s Charles Bronfman Auditorium on 13 April.

I’ve spent my whole life looking miserable. It’s time for a change | Adrian Chiles

When you smile, the world smiles back. Not at me it doesn’t – because even when I’m smiling, I exude gloom

I want to change my face. I’m not talking cosmetic surgery, although if chubby cheeks could be surgically de-chubbed I’d have to consider it. Surgery can’t help me – if only it were that simple. What I seek to change is the expression on my face, my whole disposition, the face I present to the world. Mine’s all wrong, insomuch as I look as if there’s something wrong. Very often I’ll be asked what the matter is.

“Nothing,” I say.

‘We felt someone was watching us’: author Rozina Ali on the untold story of Islamophobia in the US

In her new book Seasons of Fury, Ali traces the impact of anti-Muslim policies in the US, from the 1967 Israel-Arab war and the ‘war on terror’ to Trump

Growing up in the early 2000s in California, surrounded by piles of history books about the Kennedy family and her Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs, Rozina Ali’s childhood felt idyllic. She and her family had moved from Pakistan to the US when Ali was five years old and ever since she had immersed herself in her new world.

“I really, really also believed in American exceptionalism,” said Ali, now a journalist working for New York Times Magazine, in a recent interview with Stateside with Kai and Carter, a Guardian podcast. So when her parents sat Ali and her siblings down in the hours after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, almost every word coming out of their mouths felt wrong.

‘How do we make time for intimacy?’: sex expert Alix Fox answered your questions

Sexual culture and wellbeing expert Alix Fox answered your questions about how to have a healthier, happier, hornier love life

Greygoose77 asks: Can electronic sex toys cause desensitisation?

Alix: Short answer: nope. But they can temporarily alter the threshold of stimulatory intensity that you require in order to get off. That has been covered more fully here.

Alix: Mate, I hear you. And I suspect you’re going to sigh with all the power of a wind tunnel when I tell you that unless you prioritise intimacy, it isn’t going to happen. You have to block in time for it – which will likely mean booting something else out of your diary. That can seem hard at first, when EVERYTHING feels important if not essential. But what’s harder is mourning a dwindling love life. Plus, having a sexy, silly, scrumptious time with a lover can be like a triple espresso when it comes to putting a pep in your step and soothing everyday stress. It may sound trite, but when intimacy functions as a therapeutic release, ‘doing it’ can actually help you get other things done.

To be clear, I’m talking about scheduling intimacy, not necessarily intercourse. Nobody should feel duty bound to engage in any particular physical act when the allotted date rolls round. You may find it helpful (and a welcome turn on) to write a ‘menu’ of different erotic ‘dishes’ you might like to choose from during a date night, ranging from more delicate flavours like having your hair washed for you or a bubble bath for two, to spicier exploits like taking turns to read from an explicit book. Dr Sara Nasserzadeh, author of Love by Design: 6 Ingredients to Build a Lifetime of Love, says “scheduled sexy time should feel like a restaurant reservation: sometimes you’ll fancy a lighter meal; other times, a richer dish. You may both pick different courses, or feel drawn to the same plate. The only criteria is that everyone comes away satisfied – which doesn’t always require orgasm, by the way.”

Tens of thousands line the streets as Norway bids farewell to King Harald V

Europe’s royals and global political figures attend ceremony that brings 13 days of national mourning to a close

• Europe live – latest updates

Norway has observed a minute’s silence as it takes leave of King Harald V in a series of ceremonies, bringing to a close 13 days of ​national mourning that followed the popular monarch’s death last month at the age of 89.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Oslo and foreign heads of state and government converged on the Norwegian capital for the funeral of the late king, a light-touch and unassuming reformer who ruled for more than three decades.

‘I’m not a robot’: Josh Kerr primed to peak against arch rival Ingebrigtsen

A $150,000 prize in Budapest has the record-breaking Scot buzzing but the middle-distance star insists he’s no longer chasing paydays

The richest event in track and field history launches in Budapest this weekend, and the prospect of walking away with $150,000 at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship has got Josh Kerr ready to rumble again, on and off the track.

Some critics have noted that the Scot has run only five times in 2026 – compared with Amy Hunt’s 43 races – and has had to rely on a wild card from World Athletics to even compete in Budapest.

What happens to Lindsay Clancy if her case gets thrown out?

Kevin Reddington, Lindsay Clancy's defense attorney, sat down with "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday, where he said he plans to ask for the case to be thrown out. Caroline Polisi breaks down his statements.

Jon Stewart on Donald Trump’s hectic summer: ‘Relentless denial of reality’

Late-night hosts returned from summer break to address Trump’s trolling of Canada, the war in Iran and a rusty ship

Late-night hosts returned from summer vacation to a nation still in crisis, from the war in Iran to gas prices to Donald Trump’s meme war to rename Lake Ontario.

Lindsay Clancy's lawyer says he hopes Trump intervenes to help "resolve this tragic case"

Lindsay Clancy's lawyer Kevin Reddington told "CBS Mornings" that he plans to file a motion for her case to be thrown out after her murder trial ended in a mistrial. CBS News' Shanelle Kaul reports.

Young people: are you doom-saving or doom-spending? How are you approaching the future?

We want to hear from people under 30 about how you feel about the future and whether it’s changed the way you live your life, for better or worse

The future feels a little hard to plan for right now.

We’ve just lived through the hottest summer on record, global conflict looms large and AI has people wondering whether their job will still exist in five years – assuming they’ve got one in the first place.

Forget vinyl v digital debates, this kind of musical ‘authenticity’ brings real rewards

Period instruments are miles away from retro affectation, and as two Proms this week will show, can actually bring historical music up to the moment

Nostalgia. What a kick. And what a commercial boon for the music industry. Love the sound of 60s pop and 70s disco? You need the original synths if you’re a composer or producer. You listen to music on digital streams? Loser! Join the retro-future of vinyl enthusiasm, and feel the grooves under your fingers like your parents or grandparents used to. Or you can even make music physical again through the horrible medium of cassettes: all that plastic, all those tiny liner notes, all that high-speed dubbing.

Retro-futurists cherish what they claim is the extra warmth and sonic richness of vinyl, but there is no acoustic reason why vinyl is better. It is in fact objectively worse as a carrier of sonic information than any high-resolution stream of the same track, song or symphony. For cassette nostalgists, if it’s got that old-fashioned tape hiss, it sounds more “real”. We’re now looking for things to sound less clean. Because we distrust today’s technological utopia, we want signs that our music is less polished, less perfect, and thus more human.

McIlroy warns tours have ‘decisions to make’ as LIV Golf exodus edges closer

• ‘I would predict that you’ll see some guys leave’

• LIV bankruptcy will invalidate deals with players

Rory McIlroy believes traditional tours will soon have “decisions to make” as a player exodus from LIV Golf edges closer. LIV filing for bankruptcy in the United States on Tuesday means its deals with several high-profile golfers will soon be invalid, leaving them free to negotiate a route back to the PGA and DP World Tours.

When asked whether remaining with LIV in its planned, far-less lucrative form would hold appeal, McIlroy was characteristically candid. “I’m not in their shoes but LIV at the start looked a lot more attractive than what LIV 2.0 might be from a financial standpoint,” said the Masters champion.

Seven of my colleagues were killed in Gaza. There and in Ukraine, aid workers are no longer safe | José Andrés

It now seems the 2024 attack on World Central Kitchen workers was a deliberate IDF tactic. The protections of the Geneva conventions have become paper thin

• José Andrés is the founder of the food aid charity World Central Kitchen

In times of war, the hard and vital work of supplying food, water and medicine has been protected by international agreements for almost 80 years. Yet those protections have been systematically and repeatedly ignored in the two most bloody wars of recent years: Ukraine and Gaza.

Russia has attacked healthcare targets in Ukraine more than 3,200 times since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the World Health Organization: about twice a day on average. That includes many “double-tap” attacks on the same target in quick succession, which are especially lethal for first responders.

José Andrés is the founder of the food aid charity World Central Kitchen, and a Michelin-starred chef

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

Streaming from the cloud was meant to change games forever – what happened?

Once hailed as the future, even the likes of Google, Sony and Microsoft have struggled to make streaming games fun, fast or affordable

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In August 2009, at the very first Gamescom expo, I sat in a small meeting room in Germany and played Mario Kart and World of Warcraft on a laptop, via technology that was then completely new: cloud gaming. It was a demonstration for a yet-to-be-launched service called Gaikai that promised to let you play any game in a browser window, without a console. (Here is an ancient video of that demonstration, featuring a very young Keza.) With a single click I could launch into any game, hosted on servers hundreds of miles away. It really did look like the future.

Since then, plenty of companies have tried to be the first to truly crack game streaming, vying to be the Netflix of games. Sony ended up buying Gaikai for $380m (£242m) in 2012; its technology now powers the streamable classic games library on PlayStation, and the PS5’s advanced game streaming. OnLive, Gaikai’s first competitor, launched in 2011 but shut down after less than a year, leaving Sony to acquire all its patents. Google’s Stadia cloud gaming service also imploded, launching in 2019 and shutting down three years later.

Teen rescued alive, 2 found dead after fishing boat capsizes off Alaska

A teen was found alive, clinging to a capsized fishing boat in the Bering Sea, after the vessel went missing over the weekend. Two other boaters were found dead.

Sinkhole at Malibu home reportedly owned by Nicolas Cage prompts evacuation

More than 30 properties ordered to evacuate after sinkhole grows to roughly 25-30ft deep and 30 by 60 feet wide

The city of Malibu, California, has ordered the evacuation of more than 30 properties after a large sinkhole opened on Tuesday.

Malibu officials declared a local emergency on Tuesday evening after a “large sinkhole” emerged near 31630 Sea Level Drive. The officials said the sinkhole was believed to have begun developing on Monday, and had grown to roughly 25-30ft deep and 30 by 60ft wide by Tuesday evening.

AI could kill all humans in next decade, warn experts: but how seriously should we take them?

Alarming warnings from industry insiders increase pressure for curbs on artificial superintelligence

Does artificial superintelligence really pose a risk greater than nuclear weapons? Is there a significant chance of “a Chornobyl-sized catastrophe”. Might there even be a greater than 10% chance that AI could “kill all humans” in the next decade?

These warnings were issued over the past 48 hours on both sides of the Atlantic about the potential impact of a technology that most people still think of as a more talkative search engine.

U.S. denies claims Iran struck two American vessels in retaliation for earlier strikes

The U.S. denied Iran’s claim that it struck two American vessels as the two sides traded attacks near the Strait of Hormuz and Brent crude hit $100 a barrel.

DAU review – Ilya Krzhanovsky’s crazed Soviet inferno reaches its central character

Venice film festival: The director’s bleak epic project about the scientist Lev Landau finally focuses on the genius maudit who inspired the series

How would it be if Christopher Nolan got sidetracked while making Oppenheimer, and decided to spend 20 years and millions of dollars of other people’s money reconstructing the Los Alamos HQ in all its minute detail, which would be the site of a gigantic immersive multimedia project, releasing epic and sexually explicit sidebar movies about … someone who worked in the commissary … or a scary incidental guy from the CIA … before finally getting round to the fundamental main-event movie with Cillian Murphy as the A-bomb’s father?

Perhaps it would be something like Ilya Krzhanovsky’s authentically mad, obsessively sexual, and spectacularly pessimistic epic project about the Soviet scientist and Nobel laureate Lev Landau, or “Dau”, whose work spanned the 1920s to the postwar and cold war eras, and whose notional endorsement of free love the DAU movies escalate into a dissolute sex addiction. Khrzhanovsky gives this a kind of classical Hellenic distinction by fictionalising a Greek background for our mysterious horny hero, whose indulgences coexist with his self-questioning obsession with his own genius and loneliness. It would be vulgar and irrelevant to wonder if Khrzhanovsky, like any artist, is in fact working on a self-portrait. But you surely can’t work on a (still unfinished) project like this without a strong personal connection.

Here, at all events, is the latest Dau iteration, a more conventionally conceived biopic about Lev Landau (although we don’t see him getting the Nobel – perhaps that’s a separate film). Apparently this is the feature that Khrzhanovsky originally envisioned before the creative Big Bang that created the Dau multimedia universe. His first offshoot picture DAU. Natasha (2020) was about two women who work in the canteen of Dau’s research institute, a place drenched in sexual tension and political paranoia and violence. The next film to come was the grisly epic DAU. Degeneration (2020), set in the late 60s with Dau himself – still here a peripheral character – on his deathbed.

Young Mao Zedong statue and a glacier experiment: photos of the day – Wednesday

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

12 key races that will determine who controls the Senate

Republicans are fighting to hold onto their majority in the Senate, where the GOP currently controls 53 seats. To take control, Democrats would need to net four seats in November's election.

Protesters outside Portsmouth hotel mistake Pakistan U19 cricket team for asylum seekers

• Reform councillor said he urged activists to stand down

• ECB checks on young players’ welfare

A group of masked agitators gathered outside a four-star hotel in Portsmouth after reports a group of asylum seekers had been taken there, when it was in fact Pakistan’s under-19 cricket team on a tour.

George Madgwick, a Reform councillor called to the hotel to mediate between staff and the assembled crowd, said it was a “massively unfortunate incident”.

Merz accuses AfD of ‘ethnic cleansing’ policy and cancels call with Trump

German chancellor attacks Alternative für Deutschland after far-right party’s win in Saxony-Anhalt election

• Europe live – latest updates

Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has accused the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) of seeking “ethnic cleansing” with its “remigration” drive, after the nativist party’s seismic weekend victory in a state election.

In his first public confrontation with the AfD since Sunday’s shock outcome in Saxony-Anhalt, Merz said at a raucous parliamentary debate that the far-right party would take an axe to one of the pillars of the German economy with a racist campaign of mass deportations.

‘I thought a devil was about to appear from the smoke’: Jerry Hsu’s best photograph

‘The black cloud emerged from a grate in the street. I guess something underground was on fire. It was hilariously cinematic – just one of those eerie, spontaneous things that happen in a city’

This image was taken in 2011 or 2012, just after I had moved to Los Angeles. I was downtown, an area I don’t go to that much, walking around with my camera. Some black smoke started to emerge from a grate in the street – I guess something underground was on fire. It was hilariously cinematic, as if some sort of devil was going to appear. It was really just one of those eerie, spontaneous things that happen in a city. There is a very powerful feeling of surrender when I am photographing. I have to submit to the authority of ignorance when I’m out there.

I grew up in San Jose, which is a sprawling American suburb – there’s no city about it. I came to LA because I was depressed where I lived, and I had just met my future wife, who didn’t want to live in San Jose either. LA is not really a city, it’s hundreds of places. You can drive 15 minutes and be in a completely different environment – the beach, the mountains. There’s a weird sentience to the city, if you let it take you. I get an inexplicable desire to just get in the car and go.

GOP conference chair says Miller is "our nominee right now" despite allegations

House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain said she is supporting Rep. Max Miller's reelection bid for a third term because "I will support anyone with an R behind their name."

Lindsay Clancy's attorney says he will ask for case to be thrown out

Kevin Reddington, the lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, said he will present a motion to dismiss on Sept. 29 at a previously scheduled status hearing.

New Hampshire picks Pappas and Sununu in primary for key open Senate seat

Incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., will retire when her term ends in January.

Noel Clarke charged with six sexual offences including assault and voyeurism

CPS says charges relate to alleged sexual misconduct by the actor towards five women between 2007 and 2016

The actor and film-maker Noel Clarke has been ⁠charged ​with six sexual offences, including two counts of sexual assault, after allegations made by five women.

The charges against the former Doctor Who actor also include three counts of voyeurism and one count of exposure.

New NTSB video shows how far Amazon plane skidded off runway in deadly crash

New video released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows how far the Amazon cargo plane skidded after it overshot a runway at the Miami International Airport on Sunday. Skyler Henry reports.

Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: this sweltering summer, I finally stopped giving a tuck

I’ve always cinched my outfits at the waist, but shifting to a looser silhouette has helped me keep my cool in more ways than one

This was the summer of the Great Untuck. The long hot summer of 2026 finally taught me to do what fashion has been nagging me about for years, which is to quit tucking in my shirts and T-shirts. To stop assuming that the top half of an outfit must be neatly cinched by the waistband of the skirt or trousers.

It wasn’t a style epiphany, to be fair. It was just too hot to do anything else. An extended run of hot weather at home changes how you dress. In the old-school type of British heatwave, which lasted about half a week, I was too giddy with excitement at not having to wear a cardigan to think more strategically. But this summer was different. And eventually I discovered what hot-climate cultures have always known, which is that loose, generously sized clothing that maximises sun protection while minimising skin contact is way more pleasant to wear in the heat than anything short and tight.

Farage is clearly struggling – I saw that for myself. But his legacy will be a poison that runs deep | Andy Beckett

The mood at the Reform conference was volatile and brittle. But the forces massing further to the right of the party are testament to its impact

For much of the time since Nigel Farage resumed the Reform UK leadership two long years ago, his party has been an island of relative stability in the increasingly rough sea of British politics. While other parties plunged queasily in the polls, messily purged dissidents, argued publicly about their direction and changed leaders, Farage dominated Reform UK and gave impregnably self-assured interviews. The party’s popularity moved steadily upwards, comfortably above that of all the others.

It is a paradox that a new party with wildly expectant members, not many experienced politicians and few properly worked-out policies became the pole around which the country’s political debate revolved, and yet this seemed to do no harm to Reform’s chances of winning the next general election. As with rising rightwing populist parties across the world, Reform’s tendency to make it up as it went along appeared to be not a weakness but, for many voters, much of its appeal.

Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist

The Uprising review – the peasants are revolting in muddled historical epic

Andrew Garfield’s charisma can’t save Paul Greengrass’s grim and depressingly generic period piece

Hollywood loves giving young actors their own historical epic as much as audiences seem to dislike watching them. Timothée Chalamet and Chris Pine’s least remembered roles are in the medieval set films The King and Outlaw King (no relation), Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel made back only a third of its $100m budget and earlier this year, the Saudi-backed seventh-century drama Desert Warrior starring Anthony Mackie and Ben Kingsley quietly became one of the biggest flops of all time. Last week, it was reported that Scott blamed the failure of Gladiator II on Paul Mescal not being “masculine enough” in a logical leap which only makes sense if your barometer for masculinity is a man who throws hotel phones and yells at producers in storage closets.

On paper, The Uprising should be different: it’s a historical epic from a blue-chip director (the Bourne trilogy’s Paul Greengrass), a nuanced, introspective leading man (Andrew Garfield) and a milieu that uncomfortably chimes with the western world’s backslide into repressive authoritarianism (The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381). In reality, it is a disjointed slog through the mud with the emotional depth of a History Channel rerun.

Lindsay Clancy's attorney says he's going to ask for case to be thrown out

Lindsay Clancy's defense attorney Kevin Reddington joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss the high-profile case and what he expects to happen next.

Hawaii begins cleanup in Hurricane Lowell's aftermath

Hawaii begins its cleanup after powerful winds and rain from Hurricane Lowell slammed the shorelines and damaged homes. Carter Evans reports.

Evanescence review – devastating power and range from one of rock’s great vocal talents

First Direct Arena, Leeds
The titanic choruses and stormy metal riffs of latest album Sanctuary are the perfect foundation for Amy Lee’s astonishing, skyscraping vocal range

To watch Evanescence in concert is to be spellbound by founder Amy Lee’s astonishing voice. The Arkansas band’s gifted mezzo-soprano lends their music vocals that range from skyscraping and spectacular to haunting and devastating. She soon moves through the registers on the opener Sanctuary, setting the stage for a show during which her vocals seem to scale ever greater peaks, even when you are convinced that there are no octaves left to conquer. And she makes it look effortless, striding around the stage, headbanging and fist-pumping the air.

It’s standard promotional protocol for a band to lean on their new album on tour, but it still shows impressive faith in their audience that tonight Evanescence perform all but one song from Sanctuary, which is also the title of their sixth LP. Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me the Horizon, produced most of it and his metallic influence is clear: pummelling drums, titanic choruses and walls of stormy riffs make the band’s new material noticeably heavier than the gothic hard rock of their earlier years.

Why some key GOP candidates are skipping Trump-backed midterm convention

President Trump and top GOP leaders are gathering in Dallas for a midterm convention, though some Republicans in competitive races are opting to skip it and campaign in their home districts or states.

‘Dress good to run fast’: How Black athletes became style icons

From Naomi Osaka’s NBA-inspired entrance to Dennis Rodman’s punk aesthetic, Black sportspeople have long used fashion to express identity, defiance and joy

When Long Wave lead writer Nesrine Malik asked me if I’d seen Japanese-Haitian tennis star Naomi Osaka’s incredible pre-match look, I began to wax lyrical about the kimono she donned at Wimbledon a couple of months ago. No, not that look – Nesrine was talking about the NBA-inspired hoodie she wore at the US Open, taking to the court head bowed and hands in pockets, with the theatre of a WWE wrestler. By the time I sat down to write, Osaka had worn another viral walk-on outfit.

The star isn’t the first to acquire as many headlines for her clothes as for her performance. Osaka draws on a long tradition of Black athletes giving crowds their money’s worth through playful and provocative fashion statements. I delved into the history of why so many Black communities have a culture of “presenting”, and how defiance through fashion has found a natural home in sport.

Lindsay Clancy jurors speak on holdout, share details from deliberations

Jurors from the Lindsay Clancy murder trial are speaking out after it was declared a mistrial last week. Shanelle Kaul reports.

New Hampshire Senate race set between Pappas and Sununu after projected primary wins

Rep. Chris Pappas defeated democratic socialist Karishma Manzur in the Democratic primary, while former Sen. John Sununu defeated Scott Brown in the GOP contest.

Liz Truss relaunches podcast on channel of broadcaster famous for ‘grow concrete’ exchange

Podcast is now on YouTube site of Mike Graham, fired from TalkTV after racist post appeared on his Facebook page

• UK politics live – latest updates

When Liz Truss launched her podcast last year, she declared it would bring a “counter-revolution” to take on the “deep state”, which, she said, “tried to destroy” her.

The revolution, however, has not yet arrived. Truss, whose stint as UK prime minister abruptly ended after her disastrous mini-budget crashed the economy, has so far failed to find a wide audience in her media career.

Call My Agent! The Movie review – the gang get back together and c’est formidable

The screwball French comedy is back as a film that actually works, thanks to putting Andréa and Noémie at the heart of chaotic events and bringing all the old faces back

At last: a beloved-TV-show-to-film-spinoff that doesn’t suck! The original French series is a screwball-speed office comedy about a boutique Parisian talent agency, and was a ratings and critical success in its homeland when it started back in 2015. Its acquisition by Netflix grew the audience internationally and spawned a stable full of remakes across Europe and Asia. In the meantime, several members of the original French cast have become proper stars in their own right, especially Camille Cottin and Laure Calamy, and this sequel, set five years on, is smart to put these two at the heart of the latest instalment. And of course, there are the obligatory turns from properly famous actors playing themselves, including Laetitia Casta, Vincent Macaigne, Laurent Lafitte and some guy named George Clooney, best known these days for appearances on vaporettos in the Venice lagoon.

Like many great sitcoms, this one always understood that failure, rather than success, keeps the wider narrative arc more interesting and relatable. So the last episode of the series left the gang at talent agency ASK (which stood for Agence Samuel Kerr, after the founder, who died in the first episode), dispersed to new gigs and careers; the band, in effect, broke up. Five years on, the stars have aligned to bring them all back together to work on Andréa (Cottin) and Noémie’s (Calamy) new film project, so the title Call My Agent! The Movie works on more than one level.

How to turn corn cobs into a delicious chowder – recipe | Waste not

A simple, stripped-back soup that lets the freshest, sweetest corn and fluffy, floury potatoes do all the work

Today’s super-simple corn chowder is inspired by one I came across on NewEngland.com that relies on an old zero-waste trick; namely, scraping the spent cobs to release the pulp and sweetcorn “milk” still left on the cob. Like asparagus, corn is best eaten as fresh as can be, so look for whole ears with bright green husks. Keep in the fridge and, for the most flavourful soup, aim to cook them the same day.

Demand for riskier mortgages rises again, along with interest rates

Mortgage rates continue to climb, so more borrowers are turning to adjustable rate mortgages, which offer lower interest rates comparatively.

‘Courage and contradictions’: what Gloria Steinem meant to feminist writers from around the world

Our global panel of writers reflect on the great legacy of the American feminist and civil rights activist, who died last week aged 92

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

EU unveils ‘buy European’ public procurement rules to counter China

Authorities and public bodies to be urged to buy goods and services from Europe, but without binding quotas

European authorities will be encouraged to buy more domestic goods and services when they spend public money under the EU latest effort to counter China’s economic might.

In a further “Buy European” plan, the European Commission published proposals on Wednesday for a sweeping overhaul of EU public procurement rules.

‘It detonated right outside our house’: the explosion that started an incredible podcast series

Josh Baker is the journalist behind the BBC’s smash hit I’m Not a Monster. He’s back with his most extraordinary investigation yet – to solve the mystery of Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria 14 years ago

In 2012, the US marine turned freelance foreign correspondent Austin Tice disappeared in Syria. If he’s still alive, he’ll be the second-longest detained journalist in the world. That, says Josh Baker (speaking to me from Wales), was the podcast he thought he was making: “We thought we were looking for a missing person, and what we fell into was almost like a Bourne novel, utterly extraordinary. A world of espionage, spies, dictatorship.”

It’s also a story of American exceptionalism – the way the US saw itself in relation to the rest of the world. Moreover, “I don’t mean this in a crass way,” Baker says, “but through Austin’s story, we also learn a lot about the last 14 years of the civil war in Syria. We really go inside the regime’s industrial complex of disappearance and torture. As episode two begins, Assad is gone, and we enter into these facilities.”

Can an entire Arctic ecosystem evolve to adapt to the climate crisis?

In the first project of its kind, scientists are trying to answer if the future of Alaska’s streams and tundra may depend not on survival of the fittest but on how species adapt together

On Alaska’s North Slope, scientists tread carefully across clumps of tussock grasses toward a fast-flowing stream draining the imposing Brooks Range of ice and snow. Near Galbraith Creek, they string out a mist net for white-crowned sparrows. The birds have recently arrived from southerly latitudes, intent on feasting on the insects that will soon descend on the tundra like storm clouds.

The Arctic summer is short-lived, and sparrows have only a few weeks to establish territories, find mates, lay eggs and raise their chicks on a steady diet of bugs. From every ensnared bird, the scientists collect blood, feather and faecal samples to see what they are eating and how that changes over the summer.

Galbraith Creek on Alaska’s North Slope

Inglourious baristas: why is Brad Pitt making coffee for 16 abusive dogs?

In new film The Heart of the Beast, the A-lister’s bond with his loyal mutt proves crucial. In Spike Jonze’s new advert, Pitt is rather more subservient

Brad Pitt has a new movie out this month, The Heart of the Beast, about an emotionally damaged man who forms a life-saving bond with a dog. If that sounds familiar, maybe it is because you have seen The Call of the Wild. Or maybe it is because you have seen A Dog’s Way Home. Or maybe it is because you have seen Dog. Or, look, you get the idea.

But perhaps Brad Pitt knows that getting people to see something as unimaginative as The Heart of the Beast is an uphill struggle, because that would explain why he has just made an advert that looks and feels much more like the Brad Pitt dog movie that deserves to be made. In short, it is an advert where Brad Pitt gets loudly disparaged by a number of dogs for an extended period of time.

Ben Shelton beats Carlos Alcaraz in U.S. Open's latest-finishing match ever

Ben Shelton ended Carlos Alcaraz's title reign in the latest-finishing match in U.S. Open history, pulling out the victory in a marathon tussle that ended at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday.

Hurrah, lie-ins may be good for us – if only I can convince my five-year-old daughter | Arwa Mahdawi

CEOs may like to get up at the crack of dawn and go for a run, but I prefer optimising my life with lie-ins, trashy films, swearing and coffee

This evening I’m going to tuck my five-year-old into bed and read her a chapter from one of her princess books, followed by a summary of research recently presented at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology. Once upon a time, I’ll tell her, there was a scientist called Dr Nawon Lee who authored a study that found having a weekend lie-in may be very good for you and can protect against high blood pressure. Our accomplished protagonist Dr Lee said: “People should not feel lazy or guilty for sleeping a little longer on the weekend.” And the moral of this story, dear child, is that you should try not to wake your mothers up at 6am every day.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure that all the peer-reviewed science in the world will convince my early riser to have a weekend lie-in. Still, as a big fan of sleep and someone who has never once felt guilty for hitting the snooze button, I have to say I feel vindicated by this new study. CEOs can get up at 4am and run 10 miles before eating five foraged mushrooms if they want to, but I’m going to protect my heart health by sleeping in, any opportunity I can get, thank you very much.

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

Grand Theft Auto VI: can playing a video game count as cheating on your partner?

Historically a new Grand Theft Auto game inspired controversy around violence – but this time people are getting exercised about its romance

There was never any doubt that Grand Theft Auto VI’s extended look would elicit a viral reaction from the internet. Having won the Game Awards’ Most Anticipated award twice consecutively, Rockstar’s forthcoming crime opus is one of the most frothed-over games in recent memory, or indeed ever. It’s nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

One aspect of the game has provoked an unexpectedly vehement response on social media: not violence, but romance. Protagonists Lucia and Jason are in love, you see, and as a player, part of your job is keeping their spark alive and their relationship strong, so that their criminal escapades are underpinned by a strong connection to one another. Holding hands, enjoying a date at the beach, spontaneously texting one another when apart – all of these interactions will strengthen their bond. You’ll be putting in a lot of work to ensure this couple thrives, which is why some people have come to believe that playing GTA VI counts as micro-cheating.

Google to invest record $15 billion in AI infrastructure in the 'Texas of Europe'

Google on Wednesday said it would invest $15.1 billion into AI infrastructure in Finland, marking the tech giant's largest single investment in Europe.

Trump told Putin U.S.-Russia ties could be 'fully restored' with swift end to Ukraine war, Kremlin says

The leaders were said to have discussed recent U.S. envoy visits to Moscow and Kyiv as peace talks remain stalled.

A generation of kids suffers as Trump destabilizes immigrant families

Children in immigrant families are facing multiple health threats from President Trump's policies.

Sali Hughes on beauty: the hero products that kept me cool in the long hot summer of 2026

From face tints and self-tan to summer scents, these lightweight buys saw me through multiple heatwaves

You’ll normally find me looking back on my favourite products of the past 12 months at year’s end. But this summer has been so freakishly hot and sweaty it has required its own toolkit and, by extension, its own list of exceptionally well-performing products that deserve rapturous commendation.

The first is Refy’s Skin Base (£30), a sheer face tint so thin and so lightweight it has been all I could bear to wear since July. It’s suitable for all skin types, but not at all appropriate for those who hate any hint of shine. While the texture is totally ungreasy, breathable and so comfortable as to be imperceptible, it does look unmistakably dewy, so avoid if you’re devoted to matte. Personally, I take the view that, in this heat, one might as well steer into the skid, but I am, admittedly, at an age when a juicier look works in my skin’s favour. Anyway, this is makeup that truly feels like absolutely nothing, and what it lacks in coverage can be made up with concealer where needed. Maximum points from me (I wear shade 140N).

‘I am seen as a Marmite figure’: Margaret Hodge on political battles, victories, errors – and regrets

At 82, the politician and anti-corruption champion is indefatigable. She discusses fighting the BNP, tackling antisemitism, and why, with her new memoir, she’s reclaiming the word ‘battleaxe’

Margaret Hodge doesn’t do small talk. “So, how d’you think Andy’s doing?” is her opening gambit. “Not too bad, huh? I think he’s had a really good start.” It’s classic Hodge – sufficiently curious to ask the question about the new Labour prime minister, and assertive enough to provide the answer before you get yours out. “Yep. Fantastic empathy. But then he’s got to deliver. I think the budget is going to be the key moment. And we’ve also got these awful global challenges and Iran and Hormuz. God, it’s a mess. Ugh. Hahahaha!” She hoots with laughter at the horror of it all.

She says she was against ousting Keir Starmer. “I thought we were doing so badly that what we really needed was a complete change in what we were about, what our ambitions were, where we were going, what our priorities were and how we were going to have a message of hope. I thought it was about much more than Keir at that point. I thought changing leaders was like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. I think I was wrong, right?”

‘Who do you really believe?’: the true crime fans who became a part of the story

In HBO’s gripping new docuseries A Killer Story, a crusading couple become convinced that woman accused of murder is innocent

A man and a woman are murdered in cold blood inside their Topeka, Kansas, bedroom under cover of darkness in 2002. Suspicion quickly falls on the man’s ex-wife, Dana Chandler, with family and forensic evidence painting her as the jealous type. But the county prosecutor at the time declines to pursue charges in large part because nothing places Chandler at the scene of the crime. It’s only after a politically motivated prosecutor is appointed and CBS’s 48 Hours airs a 2009 report rehashing the case that Chandler is arrested on two counts of premeditated first-degree murder in 2011 and condemned to consecutive life sentences the following year.

No doubt: the story is hot copy. And more than likely, Chandler’s conviction marks the conclusion if a husband-and-wife team of true crime enthusiasts hadn’t become convinced that the real killer was still walking free. “There’s a lot of questions that remain,” says film-maker Matthew Galkin. “But when you start to unpack the crime itself, there’s a lot of hoops to jump through and a very high bar to clear in order for her to have pulled this off.”