Houthis seize strategic Red Sea islands as analysts warn of impending oil crunch

The militant group in Yemen captured the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish, near the chokepoint of the Bab al-Mandab strait

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have seized two strategic islands in the Red Sea, reinforcing the Iran-backed group’s ability to control a key shipping route, as concerns mount that the world is facing a new oil supply crisis.

The seizure of the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish is the latest in the militant group’s swift advance across Yemen’s Red Sea coast, after the capture of the port of Mokha and Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait.

I know why many east Germans vote AfD. And no, it’s not an inherited longing for dictatorship | Carolin Würfel

Grievance politics has grown in the east of the country where I was born. But west Germans have hard questions to answer too

The fear that a fascist, far-right movement would rise to power again in Germany has been with me since my youth. On 6 September, the far-right, anti-immigrant, pro-Kremlin Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) won a landslide in Saxony-Anhalt, becoming the biggest party in the state parliament, with a shocking 44% of the vote, on a record turnout. If it finds a way to power it will be the first far-right party to govern a German state since the Nazi era.

The night before the vote, I sent a message to a friend, who, like myself, has an East German background. Was she as worried, scared even, about the vote as I was, I asked. I’d fallen into a loop for days, scrolling videos, reels, reports, interviews done on the ground. And I knew these AfD voters. They could have been relatives, friends of my parents, old teachers, former schoolmates. Why were they saying such incoherent stuff?

Ebola outbreak in DRC has peaked, say authorities, as infection rates slow

Almost 3,500 people have died in outbreak and experts say more must be done to ensure Bundibugyo is under control

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have announced that the Ebola outbreak ravaging parts of the country has reached its peak.

For the first time since the epidemic was declared in May, the numbers of people becoming infected is slowing down, according to officials.

Benedict Cumberbatch on his Earth-saving eco film: ‘We are in the last grab of the extraction era’

From Obama’s chef to a big cat obsessive, the actor has gathered experts from Alaska, the Amazon and beyond for a film about how to heal our besieged planet. He talks about naysayers, elephant tusks – and the wonders of venison

Benedict Cumberbatch is dreading stepping outside. He’s speaking to me from his air-conditioned hotel room in Soho at the peak of the summer heat. Few doubt that climate breakdown was a major cause of those scorchers, with nature, farming and water supplies all placed under huge strain. By midsummer, according to a report co-authored by the Met Office, there were 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales due to the searing heat.

But for Cumberbatch, in a bittersweet way, the record-breaking temperatures have come at a good time. The actor has been on a tour to promote his new documentary, How to Live on Earth. “The irony is not lost on anyone,” he says. “We’re living in the results of climate breakdown so stepping outside is – literally – a call to action.”

The wilting rose emoji: what its rise and fall tells us about gen Alpha

It was the fastest-growing emoji in 2025 – but if you’re older than 16, it has probably passed you by. Now, just as twentysomethings are catching up, it’s over

In the 2025 hit Netflix show Adolescence, DI Luke Bascombe’s 13-year-old son, Adam, has to explain to his father the way his generation use heart emojis. “Red means love, purple: horny, yellow: ‘I’m interested, are you interested?’, pink: ‘I’m interested but not in sex,’ orange: ‘You’re going to be fine,’” he explains. “It all has a meaning. Everything has a meaning.”

And those meanings are constantly evolving. Take the skull (), for example, which has come to be used as a reaction for finding something funny – a visual shorthand for the slang phrase: “I’m dead.” Or the wilting rose () which was, according to Google data analysed by the New York Times, the fastest-growing emoji in terms of popularity in 2025 – and was the 93rd most used. That the previously obscure wilting rose is now in the top 100 emojis is thanks to generation Alpha (those born between 2010 and 2024), who use it in place of the broken heart emoji () to signify sadness, or ironically, to suggest mock-heartbreak.

NHL star Alex Ovechkin appears in campaign ad for pro-Putin United Russia party

• Capitals star is long-time supporter of Russian leader

• Ovechkin is NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer

Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer, has appeared in a campaign ad for the United Russia party, which supports Vladimir Putin, as he prepares for the new hockey season.

The Russian business newspaper Vedomosti published images of the Washington Capitals star alongside pro-Putin figures such as Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, the leading parliamentary candidate on United Russia’s list, and Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the propaganda network RT.

Patrick Mahomes triumphant on NFL return as Chiefs beat up misfiring Broncos

• Denver Broncos 10–31 Kansas City Chiefs

• Chiefs QB throws two TDs on return from torn ACL

• Kenneth Walker III rushes for 173 yards on debut

Kenneth Walker III ran for 173 yards and scored two touchdowns on his Chiefs debut, stealing some of the spotlight from Patrick Mahomes as Kansas City defeated the Denver Broncos 31-10 on Monday night.

The big question, even after Mahomes participated in the entire offseason program and every practice of training camp, was how his surgically repaired left knee would hold up nine months to the day since he tore his ACL. He erased many of those doubts when he capped the Chiefs’ opening drive with a 15-yard touchdown run.

Nato jets shoot down drone violating Lithuania’s airspace

The drone, which reportedly entered from Belarus, ⁠was shot down near Pratkunai village in central-southern Lithuania

Nato fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania after an alert was issued in the ‌capital, Vilnius, and surrounding region, while Poland scrambled fighter jets less than a day after retrieving a suspected Russian drone adrift in its waters.

The Lithuania drone ⁠was shot down near the central-southern village of Pratkunai outside the city of Kaunas, said emergency authorities early on Tuesday. The drone came from neighbouring Belarus and was heading west, according to information from Lithuania’s crisis management centre that was reported by national radio LRT.

Emmys 2026: Widow’s Bay dominates as Matthew Rhys and Jean Smart land historic wins

Rhys becomes first actor to win lead acting awards for different shows in the same night, while Hacks’ Smart is the first woman to win for every season of a show

• Emmys 2026: red carpet looks and outfits at TV’s biggest night – in pictures

• Emmys liveblog: as it happened

• Emmy winners: the full list

Matthew Rhys has become the first actor in 78 years of Emmys history to win multiple lead actor awards for performances in different shows in the same year, for Widow’s Bay and The Beast in Me.

The 51-year-old Welsh actor won outstanding lead actor in a comedy for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay and outstanding lead actor in a limited series for his role in Netflix’s The Beast in Me at the ceremony on Monday night. With his 2018 win of outstanding lead actor in a drama for The Americans, he is the first male performer to win all three lead acting categories.

Who won Emmys for 2026? See the full winners list here.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards celebrated the best in television and streaming from the past year on Monday. See the full list of winners and nominees.

Panama canal traffic to be cut again as drought from El Niño worsens

Latest daily reductions will further choke one of the world’s most important shipping lanes

The Panama canal plans to again cut maritime traffic due to worsening drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, further choking up one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The canal handles 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic; it is favoured by shippers because it usually reduces cost and transit times, especially for companies trading between China, Asia and the US.

‘This is seriously bold’: How China turned Taiwan tensions into a top-rating TV spy drama

Dismissed in Taiwan as simply propaganda, the Long Watch, or Jiaofeng, has proved a sensation across the strait with its references to real-life crises

After shaking off the people trailing her through a crowded market and emerging from a bathroom in disguise, the double agent appears to have escaped. But a sip of water on a plane eventually gets her. She is poisoned after Taiwan’s military intelligence service discovers that she has been working secretly for China.

The plot comes from a new Chinese spy drama co-produced by the Ministry of State Security. Since its premiere on 6 September, it has become a TV hit, with a fictionalised take on a subject rarely treated so directly: the modern history of tensions with Taiwan.

Hyrox changes rules and apologises for allowing Australian athlete who soiled herself to continue

• Australian Joanna Wietrzyk went on to win fitness race in Beijing

• Hyrox admits making mistake by ‘not reacting immediately’

Organisers of the global indoor fitness competition Hyrox have apologised and pledged immediate rule changes after an Australian athlete was allowed to finish and win an event in Beijing despite soiling herself mid-race.

Footage of world record holder Joanna Wietrzyk competing on Saturday showed her continuing through demanding exercises and using communal equipment, with faecal matter visibly running down her legs. The incident went viral on social media and triggered debate about Hyrox’s health and safety standards, and athlete responsibility.

One of Australia’s best kitchen gardens belongs to a primary school – with only seven students

A heat-resilient garden, a school that grows warrigal greens, and a patch that brings together community are among the winners of the National Kitchen Garden awards

The garden at Springhurst primary school, in north-east regional Victoria, never stood a chance against the record-breaking heatwave at the beginning of this year. Returning to school after the summer holidays, teacher Aasta Dearnaley recalls the garden had “turned to ash”. But eight months on, students have created a more heat-resilient garden which has been recognised as one of the country’s most innovative by the National Kitchen Garden awards.

Developed by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, the awards celebrate kitchen gardens in schools and early childhood centres across the country, with this year’s awards attracting a record 600 entries over nine categories.

Supreme court rejects Trump’s mail ballot restrictions for midterm elections

Decision allows states to send ballots under process followed for years even as president tried to limit system

The supreme court on Monday rejected Donald Trump’s mail ballot restrictions for now, capping a flurry of last-minute legal action with voting in the midterm elections already underway.

The decision allows states to continue sending out mail ballots under the same processes they have used for years.

Gavin Newsom says he will not run for president in 2028 if Kamala Harris does

In interview, term-limited California governor said running against former VP would ‘waste everybody’s time’

Gavin Newsom, the California governor, will not run for president if former vice-president Kamala Harris does, he said in a forthcoming interview with CNN.

Newsom and Harris, both from California, are widely viewed as two of the top establishment frontrunners in the coming Democratic presidential primary. Newsom, who terms out this year as governor, has increasingly portrayed himself as a foil to Trump and is widely viewed as positioning himself for a 2028 presidential bid.

Warren to rip Clarity Act on Senate floor ahead of key preliminary vote

Sen. Elizabeth Warren will call the latest Clarity Act ethics proposal blessed by Trump a "weak fig leaf."

Vance says 870K people suspected of COVID-era U.S. fraud barred from federal loans

A U.S. enforcement push, dubbed "Heartland fraud surge," probed losses involving the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

Vance says those suspected of defrauding COVID-era programs barred from future federal loans

Vice President JD Vance announced on Monday that people suspected of defrauding COVID-era programs will be barred from future federal loans.

EPA to eliminate limits on climate pollution from power plants

The rule, which is expected to face immediate legal challenges, also could prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, sources said.

Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to lift block on U.S. Postal Service mail-in ballots rule

Justice Brett Kavanaugh said that applying the U.S. Postal Service rule in the 2026 midterm elections "would be arbitrary and capricious."

Pre-Existing Condition review – Lupita Nyong’o is phenomenal in domestic abuse drama

Greenwich House Theater, New York
The Oscar-winning actor transfixes in a Marin Ireland’s masterfully nuanced play about a woman reeling from a toxic relationship

Paradoxically, the more stars step into the lead role in Pre-Existing Condition, the more the brilliance of Marin Ireland’s domestic abuse play takes center stage. Not that it ever suffered from a lack of acting talent – when it premiered in 2024, at New York’s tiny Connelly Theater Upstairs, it counted Tatiana Maslany, Edie Falco and Deirdre O’Connell among the actors who played its central character in quick succession, for only a few weeks each. And this return engagement, at the larger Greenwich House Theater across town, kicks off with Lupita Nyong’o, before making way for Phillipa Soo, Susannah Flood, Hari Nef, Falco again and Whitney White.

It’s a straightforward conceit, perfectly calibrated for a 75-minute run time. A woman (whom the script refers to as A, currently played by Nyong’o) is dealing with the aftermath of a breakup triggered by her partner hitting her. When we meet her, someone (perhaps a lawyer, or a therapist) is laying out the reality of her situation: even with the deep pockets required to go to court, it’s been seven months since the incident, it happened across state lines and she never called the police. “You have to be ready for a fight,” she tells A. “Which, just from our short time with each other, I can already tell that you’re not.”

70-year-old hiker found after he was missing for a week

A 70-year-old hiker, lost for a week on a large island in the middle of Lake Superior, has been found, after search and rescue teams had nearly given up hope. Mark Strassmann has the story.

Torrential rains slam Connecticut, triggering dangerous flash floods

In parts of the Northeast, Sunday was one of the rainiest days in years, and on Monday, more dangerous storms rolled through the Central U.S. Tornado watches are also posted in Iowa. Lana Zak reports, and Andrew Kozak has the forecast.

Emmys 2026: Here's the list of winners

The Pitt and Widow's Bay took home the top prizes in television at the Emmy Awards on Monday night. And actor Matthew Rhys became the first person to win in two lead acting categories in one night.

It’s a superfood but natto as we know it. Japan’s slimy fermented beans are coming your way

Comprised of smelly soya beans held together by strands of mucus, the ancient dish is appearing in health food shops across the world

It is smelly, slimy and contains bacteria – and a sizeable number of Japanese wouldn’t touch it with a pair of barge pole-length chopsticks. But after centuries as a breakfast food for Japanese diners with nerves of steel, natto is emerging as a global superfood to rival kimchi, kombucha and kefir.

Its exact origins are unknown. Some believe it was introduced to Japan from China by Buddhist monks during the Yayoi period (300BC-AD300), before becoming a staple among rural communities during the Edo period (1603-1868).

Video captures young girl getting run over by truck, miraculously surviving

Surveillance video captured a young girl with her backpack and phone in hand crossing a busy street in Philadelphia. Moments later, a truck appeared to run her over, dragging her under its wheels. Miraculously, she was able to walk away. Cristian Benavides has the story.

Mitch McConnell seen publicly for first time since June

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was seen in Washington, D.C., on Monday, for the first time since June. Ed O'Keefe reports.

Don Jr.'s wife says Russian oligarch hosted post-wedding festivities as a "gift"

Bettina Anderson, wife of Donald Trump Jr., said their "dear friend" Umar Kremlev hosted two nights of festivities after their wedding in the Bahamas.

As gas averages $4.31 nationwide, diesel fuel hits all-time high: "It's painful. It's real hard"

Gas prices are running about 15 cents per gallon more than they were just a week ago, and diesel fuel for trucks is now at an all-time high, topping $6 a gallon. The war with Iran is the biggest factor, but President Trump is instead blaming Ukraine. Ed O'Keefe has more details.

Top Trump AI adviser says if China wins AI race, U.S. "will not be the number one country" anymore

Over the weekend, four of America's top tech leaders, including Elon Musk, agreed that AI's development should slow down and called for government standards. President Trump dismissed their calls, and in a CBS News exclusive, one of the president's top AI advisers, David Sacks, reacted. Jo Ling Kent reports.

The Supreme Court rejects Trump's mail voting restrictions for this year's midterms

The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's request to allow mail-in voting restrictions under a U.S. Postal Service plan for the midterm general election.

Pennsylvania woman dies of measles complications, coroner reports

A 40-year-old woman died on Saturday from complications associated with measles, the coroner reported.

Looking back at Bob Mackie's signature looks, life after his death at 87

Bob Mackie, a fashion icon known for elevating Hollywood's leading ladies and pop stars for decades, died on Monday at 87. Meg Oliver looks back on his signature looks and his life.

Alligator Alcatraz had cramped conditions, "small metal enclosures," watchdog finds

DHS's internal watchdog is sharply criticizing conditions in a Florida immigration detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," finding detainees at the now-closed facility were held in "cramped conditions."

Senate returns for final legislative sprint ahead of midterms

The Senate returned to Washington from a five-week recess, with several priorities to address before leaving town next month to take to the campaign trail.

Tech stocks slump after AI execs call for industry slowdown

The tech-heavy Nasdaq slumped 147 points on Monday after AI company executives called for a slowdown in developing the technology.

Blanche vows to release more 9/11 docs: "We're not protecting people"

Attorney General Todd Blanche says the government is not withholding documents to protect another country, days after 9/11 families publicly appealed to the Trump administration for more information to be released.

AI companies must ensure their tech is safe, says top Trump adviser on AI

In an interview with CBS News, Sacks suggested that fears AI could harm people are overblown. "I think this is becoming a panic," he said.

Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after fall that led to an extended medical absence

McConnell spent weeks in recovery before explaining he was "briefly unconscious" following the fall that sent him to the hospital and a weeks-long recovery process.

9/14: CBS Evening News

AI executives and President Trump disagree over doomsday warnings; the president blames Ukraine for high oil and gas prices.

Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after three-month health absence

The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican is back in Washington after a fall, hospitalization, pneumonia and weeks of rehabilitation kept him away from the Senate.

Ukraine says it's open to halting attacks on Russian energy after Trump's claims of deal

"The World's Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran," Trump said in a social media post.

Mitch McConnell returns to Capitol Hill after monthslong absence

GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky returned to Capitol Hill on Monday for the first time in three months, ending a prolonged absence that sparked widespread speculation about his health.

AI-linked stocks slide after tech bosses call for slowdown in ‘reckless’ development

Donald Trump dismisses attempts to increase controls on artificial intelligence as ‘sick conspiracy’

AI-linked stocks tumbled on Monday after the bosses of Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX called for a slowdown in AI “reckless” development, citing fears the technology could soon run out of control.

Shares in the semiconductor designer Nvidia – the world’s most valuable company – were down 3.3% by market closing in New York City, while Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) slid 4% and Micron Technology and Sandisk shares slumped by 5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index fund was down 0.5% by the end of the day.

European football: Inter roar back to beat Udinese 5-3 and join Roma at top

• Inter and Roma lead Serie A, Como move up to third

• Real Betis beat struggling Villarreal in La Liga

Inter fought back ⁠from two goals down ​to beat Udinese 5-3 on Monday, maintaining their perfect Serie A start alongside Roma, who won 2-0 at Torino before Saturday’s match between ⁠the joint leaders. Both sides have 12 points from four matches and share top spot before their encounter at the Stadio Olimpico, while Como are third on 10 points ⁠after beating Parma 2-1.

Udinese stunned Inter with two goals in the opening 16 minutes, as James Abankwah headed home ​unmarked after nine minutes before Jurgen Ekkelenkamp doubled ‌the visitors’ lead with a ‌close-range finish seven minutes later. Inter hit back through Carlos Augusto, whose long-range effort flew into the bottom corner, ‌before Nicolò Barella levelled 10 minutes before half-time.

Federal agents may have broken state laws in voter fraud hunt, whistleblower claims

Federal agents may have broken state laws after the Department of Homeland Security began surging personnel for what it called the Unlawful Voter Initiative, a federal whistleblower alleges.

Elsinore review – Andrew Scott is astonishing as Ian Charleson in devastating Aids drama

Toronto film festival: the actor gives his greatest screen performance to date as the Chariots of Fire star who spends his final months playing Hamlet on stage

It was an endlessly parodied cliche that any queer film released during a certain period would be about one thing and one thing only: Aids. In 1993, Philadelphia showed a wider audience a mostly clean and palatable version of the crisis, and won Oscars for doing so, and for a time, when gay men weren’t acting as sassy friends to women in need, they were coughing up blood in lonely hospital beds.

The inevitable and understandable pushback, allowing for a wider breadth of stories, brought us more “queer joy” and “chosen family” but it also allowed some to forget just what a time of unimaginable annihilation it was. It also reframed the period as an onslaught of Aids movies when the majority of them existed on the outskirts still, films such as Buddies, Longtime Companion and Jeffrey seen by mostly queer arthouse audiences. If anything, I’d argue that something so relatively recent and horrifying has been rather under-explored on screen especially in comparison with other, even fresher tragedies (Aids has killed more than 44 million people worldwide compared with just more than 7 million for Covid).

Treasury hits Russia's VTB Bank with new sanctions over Iran ties

The new Russian bank sanctions follow a small handful of other actions that the Trump administration has taken since vowing to inflict "economic D-Day" on Iran.

Iconic designer Bob Mackie dies at 87. See photos of legendary stars he dressed.

Dubbed the "Designer to the Stars," Bob Mackie won nine Emmy Awards, a Tony Award and was nominated for three Oscars.

Trump phones Nvidia’s Huang at All-In Summit, calls data center opposition a ‘hoax’

President Trump has been using his social media site to sound off on Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's suggestion that the AI industry slow its pace of development.

US ends limits on coal and gas plant emissions, removing key tool to battle climate crisis

Trump’s EPA strips itself of regulation ability, gutting Clean Air Act in what experts say is a gift to planet polluters

On the heels of the hottest summer ever recorded in the US, the Trump administration has said it will erase any limits on emissions from coal and gas plants that are dangerously heating up our planet.

The US Environmental Protection Agency said it will strip itself of its ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions coming from power plants under the Clean Air Act, removing a key tool to address the climate crisis.

Calvert-Lewin shows the way as Leeds thrash limp Newcastle and rise to third

At what stage does a good start become something more significant? Perhaps we are not quite there yet; maybe we are. But as the goals flew in on a chaotic night at Elland Road, it was difficult not to think the boundaries of expectation for Leeds were potentially being redrawn.

Ask those close to the action over the summer at Leeds and the feeling was that there was a possibility of something special materialising this season. Having found their feet in the Premier League in the last campaign, the platform had been set and a very good summer transfer window seemed like the catalyst for even brighter days to return to West Yorkshire.

Trump dismisses push for AI guardrails despite warnings from tech leaders

President Trump threw cold water on momentum for AI guardrails, saying all the U.S. needs is a "SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT."

9/14: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Anthropic CEO joins growing calls for AI slowdown; President Trump demands Ukraine stop targeting Russian oil refineries.

Trump agrees to ethics requirements in crypto Clarity Act as GOP seeks Democratic votes

Community banks fear customers will withdraw deposits to buy stablecoin crypto assets that could pay higher yields.

US ‘super-emitters’ of planet heating methane identified by satellite analysis

Energy Transfer, whose CEO is a major Trump donor, named as biggest single methane producer in new rankings

Down a short gravel track in a largely nondescript corner of Louisiana sits a gas processing facility, operated by a company whose chief executive is a major donor to Donald Trump. It may be the largest emitter of methane in the US.

The Energy Transfer site, located near the city of Shreveport, is named as the biggest single “super emitter” in new rankings of US oil and gas operations for the largest releases of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that is rapidly overheating our planet, according to a new UCLA study, which is based on satellite data.

Trump's EPA repeals pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants

The Trump administration is eliminating limits on climate-warming pollution from the nation's fossil fuel power plants. Environmental groups say this will impact the climate and public health.

Israel is 'dismantling Palestinian life' says Israeli human rights group

One of the country's leading human rights organizations says Israel is dismantling all aspects of Palestinian life at a breakneck rate. The group has extensively documented what it says are the mechanisms Israel has used to "ethnically cleanse" the West Bank of Palestinians.

Ministers seek law change to make £72m donations to Reform illegal

Plans to strengthen legislation already going through parliament might mean donors having to meet stricter UK residence requirements

Andy Burnham’s government could thwart Reform’s unprecedented £72m donations with retrospective restrictions on political donors that will include tough new residency requirements, ministers have announced.

In a move that is likely to set off furious complaints from Nigel Farage’s party, the government will table amendments to legislation going through the House of Lords within weeks that puts the legality of Reform’s latest donations in doubt.

The stock market could do something strange this week after the Fed decision

Odds of more interest rate hikes coming this year have grown.

From influencers to brutal finishes, US Open 2026 was worst grand slam in recent memory | Tumaini Carayol

Despite the drama on the court, the poor condition of Arthur Ashe Stadium was just one problem among many

At the end of another comically late night and early morning in Flushing Meadows, when the remaining spectators were departing, a familiar scene was unfolding on the US Open tournament grounds. A handful of workers had congregated directly beneath a hole in the ceiling inside one of the tournament shops as they tried to stop water from flowing out of a broken pipe and ruining thousands of pounds worth of merchandise below.

This was not a surprising sight. Upon entering Arthur Ashe Stadium this year, fans were greeted by some ominous signs: “Pardon our appearance while we write the next chapter of Arthur Ashe Stadium.” The tournament’s appearance, it must be said, was hideous. Inside the corridors and rooms at one of the biggest sporting events in the world, it felt like its main building was falling apart.

Counting the votes: Warsh faces a tough battle as the Fed girds for expected interest rate hike

Traders were pricing in a better than 92% probability of a rate increase, as well as a more than 75% chance for another one in December.

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.

‘Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like’: female athletes lead backlash against viral advert

• American actor accused of sexualising women’s sports

• British sprinter Amy Hunt leads storm of protest

The US actor Sydney Sweeney is facing a backlash from female Olympians and other athletes, who have accused her of demeaning and sexualising women’s sports by appearing in a controversial advert for a sports prediction company.

In the viral commercial for Novig, which was viewed more than 22 million times in the first two days of its release, Sweeney’s nude body is covered by footballs, basketballs, and other sports equipment, as she tells users they can bet on “just sports”. After saying “sports” nine times, she appears topless on a pool table, before saying: “You can’t trade this, I just look good here.”

Apple releases test of redesigned Siri AI before iPhone 18 hits stores this week

Following Apple's iPhone launch event last week, the company is releasing a redesigned Siri AI, though users may have to sign up for a waitlist.

The AI bubble is leaking air, some economists say. Should investors worry?

AI has fueled a stock boom in recent years. Now, some Wall Street analysts think that epic run is coming to an end.

10 years after taking a knee, Colin Kaepernick is still waging a 'Perilous Fight'

The former 49ers quarterback created an uproar in 2016 when took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality. In The Perilous Fight he explains why he still wants to play football.

Abbott Labs to pay nearly $385M in case over bacterial contamination at plant

The case stems from a Cronobacter bacterial contamination at one of Abbott Laboratories' Michigan plants.

Bob Mackie, costume designer to stars daring to be noticed, dies aged 87

Famous for his flamboyant outfits, he helped celebrities including Cher, Tina Turner and Elton John cause a stir

Bob Mackie, the costume designer behind some of the most sexy and glamorous outfits worn by celebrities in the past 50 years, has died at the age of 87.

“He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a fashion and costume designer, which is all he ever wanted to do,” read a statement posted on his Instagram account. “His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.”

Kennedy Center says it's on the brink of bankruptcy, might close as early as Tuesday

In two board resolutions made public Monday, the arts institution says it is in a dire financial and physical state — and that only President Trump can "rescue" it.

The Guardian view on Reform UK: crypto billionaires must be stopped from undermining democracy | Editorial

The vast sums given to Nigel Farage’s party in recent days must lead to action on political funding

The staggering sums gifted to Reform UK over the weekend have transformed the context for the representation of the people bill making its way through parliament. The announcement of two £36m donations from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, both crypto billionaires who have lived abroad, makes Andy Burnham’s decision not to impose a limit on political donations – a move he supported before becoming prime minister – look even more misguided. Fortunately the House of Lords still has the chance to amend the bill. It should take it by imposing meaningful limits on both political donations and party spending.

It is unclear whether either man meets the criteria set out in the Rycroft review into foreign influence in politics. It set a maximum of £100,000 per annum for people who have not been in the UK for at least a year. Mr Delo previously lived in Hong Kong while Mr Harborne is based partly in Thailand; Nigel Farage said on Monday that he does not know the details of their movements. While ministers will view the prospect of a legal fight over eligibility with trepidation, they must do what it takes to ensure rules are met.

The Guardian view on the united Ireland debate: shifting dynamics need to be treated with caution | Editorial

Donald Trump’s blithe comments at the weekend were characteristically unhelpful. A careful and considered discussion on the subject has yet to begin

A decade ago, the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) viewed Brexit as a potential gamechanger in the struggle to resist future pressure for a united Ireland. As the author and journalist Fintan O’Toole wrote in an essay published last year, the DUP hoped that the 2016 referendum would deliver “a double exit. Brexit would not simply mean the UK’s departure from the EU. It would also be an act of separation from the Republic. It would reverse the slow drift towards integration.” That proved to be, to put it mildly, a deeply flawed judgment.

The direction of travel since 2016 has instead been the opposite. Rather than leading to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which would have disastrously undermined the Good Friday agreement, the UK’s divorce agreement from Brussels eventually placed one in the Irish Sea. The logic of further economic integration between north and south within the EU’s single market was reinforced.

British man accused of drugging and raping wife over two decades admits 60 offences

Man, who cannot be named to protect anonymity of his victim, admits scores of criminal offences

A man has pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting his wife over a period of 20 years as he admitted 60 criminal offences.

The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the anonymity of his victim, is in his 60s and before his arrest lived in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

The U.S. economy faces mounting headwinds. Here are the top risks.

Rising energy costs, persistently high inflation and mounting federal debt are clouding the outlook for the U.S. economy — and Americans' finances.

Novo CEO tells CNBC why drugmaker is rebranding, needs to 'rethink' obesity strategy

The Danish drugmaker called the changes the beginning of a new chapter for the company, which faces stiff competition from Eli Lilly.

‘A coin flip’: on the campaign trail as Brazil’s far right edges back to power

Neck-and-neck with Lula in polls, Flávio Bolsonaro fires up his base in the bellwether state of Minas Gerais – starting at the scene of his father’s stabbing

A giant banner of Brazil’s incarcerated former president Jair Bolsonaro fluttered in the morning breeze as his eldest son, Flávio, touched down at an airfield on the fringe of a city that will soon help decide the future of one of the biggest democracies on earth.

“Brazil is rudderless. Brazil has no president and Brazil needs a president – and that president is Flávio Bolsonaro,” the far-right senator declared as he waded into the flock of supporters who had gathered to welcome him to Juiz de Fora, one of the largest cities in the battleground state of Minas Gerais.

Russian strike on passenger train will not deter Ukraine’s backers, Nato chief says

Mark Rutte says attack that narrowly missed Boris Johnson and David Petraeus shows Vladimir Putin’s desperation

The head of Nato has said a Russian drone attack on a train close to Ukraine’s border with Poland would not deter Kyiv’s western backers.

Mark Rutte said the strike on a passenger train showed how desperate Vladimir Putin had become. “He thinks that he can stops us from supporting Ukraine and that he can undermine our unity. He is wrong. Our answer is to increase support,” the Nato general secretary said.

Sweden’s political parties launch coalition talks as both blocs try to secure power

Centre-left bloc led by Social Democrats has narrow lead with 95% of vote counted, but faces internal policy battle

Sweden’s political parties have launched coalition negotiations as the Social Democrats leader, Magdalena Andersson, started the long and difficult process of trying to form a new government.

Full results from Sunday’s election are not expected until after overseas votes are counted on Wednesday, but with 95% of the votes counted, the Social Democrats and the centre-left bloc had a narrow but growing lead of 176 seats to the right-leaning parties’ 173.

Microsoft sets limits for future AI models as industry throttles frontier development

Microsoft wants to be seen as a responsible AI entity as it ramps up model development alongside partners Anthropic and OpenAI.

‘A double entendre in every crevice’: what, beyond near-naked tennis, is Sydney Sweeney’s game?

With her new, semi-nude advert for sports site Novig, the actor cements her reputation as the anti-woke poster girl. But is it real – or just provocation with a soft porn gaze?

Bear with me here, but I’m beginning to suspect Sydney Sweeney is a very fine actor. It’s a skill she has been recognised for in the past, of course, winning nominations for Emmys for Euphoria and The White Lotus, but I mean it in a deeper sense, related to her work in advertising rather than drama – can she do more than play a role? Can she make you feel what she’s feeling?

In her “controversial” new ad for the sports prediction site Novig (the scare quotes are because, when you’re begging for controversy this hard, you shouldn’t just be handed it on a plate), she adopts the garb of various sports. Her face, body, aspect, gait and mien are all carefully configured to amp up the erotic overtones to the maximum degree, and yet the feeling that beams out of each image is: “This is really going to piss people off, and I couldn’t be more delighted.” Her expression is so speechful that you cannot help but share in some of her hellion joy.

‘It’s about controlling your entire body’: how to start doing handstands

Handstands display a mastery of one’s physical form that I have never quite felt – and they look cool. Experts share their advice for building up strength and practicing

My aspirations in life are modest: I want to write, spend time with my loved ones, and someday find a lipstick that flatters my skintone. But perhaps my greatest ambition is this: I want to be able to do a handstand.

Why? It turns the world upside down. It seems fun. It displays a mastery of one’s physical form that I have never quite felt. And it looks cool! Maybe it has to do with that one time in third grade when all my friends could do a handstand and I couldn’t, but that’s for me and my therapist to sort out later.

Did you solve it? Do you have the brain of an engineer?

The answers to today’s puzzles

Earlier today I set four engineering puzzles. Here they are again with solutions. (Do check out the hundreds of great comments posted below the line in the original story.)

The cranberries

Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran’s US tour after ‘free Palestine’ speech

The American rapper will no longer support Sheeran’s US leg of Loop tour after comments at MetLife Stadium show

Macklemore has been dropped from the remainder of the US leg of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour, after the American rapper drew headlines for saying “free Palestine” on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

In a brief speech between songs on 4 September, the Grammy-winning artist told the audience he wanted the people of Gaza and “the occupied West Bank” to know “we have not forgotten about them”, prompting a petition from the Israeli American Council demanding his removal from the tour.

VARs who wrongly confirmed Haaland’s goal at Manchester United are stood down

• Matt Donohue and his assistant not used this weekend

• Pro Ref said allowing winner was ‘error of judgment’

The video assistant referee officials who allowed Erling Haaland’s winning goal in the Manchester derby on Sunday have been stood down. Matt Donohue and his assistant, Blake Antrobus, have been told by Pro Ref they have not received appointments for this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures.

Howard Webb, the chief ­refereeing officer, took the decision with his management team after a review of the weekend’s action. Their availa­bility will be reconsidered after the international break.

Why the election could make Washington's looming next fiscal crisis harder

Some in the GOP are already disavowing raising the debt ceiling absent deep spending cuts as the national debt balloons past $40 trillion.

Phones are the new cigarettes: why restaurants are discouraging and even banning them

Would you hand in your phone at the door in exchange for a free bottle of wine? One restaurateur has tried that – and there are now many other gambits that are encouraging us to connect

Name: Phone bans.

Age: Their provenance is considerable; their time is now.

Canada should become an EU state in all but name. Here’s how to make that a reality | Fabian Zuleeg

From the UK to Japan, so many countries need to quickly be brought inside the European tent without the rigours of full membership

The worst conclusion to draw from Iceland’s EU referendum result last month would be that the country, apparently now on Donald Trump’s imperial map along with Canada and Greenland, wanted to distance itself from Europe. Rather, the decision to refuse the reopening of EU accession talks shows that asking voters to choose between membership of the 27-nation bloc and staying outside the club is too binary. Some countries want to be inside the European tent without necessarily becoming members. The EU needs a new status for them.

There are existing models of close cooperation. Iceland and Norway, for example, participate in much of the single market through the European Economic Area (EEA). A range of other partial, gradual or associated membership options for candidate countries is being debated.

Fabian Zuleeg is chief executive and chief economist at the European Policy Centre

Uganda reverses Invictus Games withdrawal after reassurance from King Charles

Military chief had pulled country out over ‘Harry-Meghan nonsense’ but U-turned after clarification from the palace

Uganda has U-turned on its decision to withdraw from the Duke of Sussex’s Invictus Games after the country’s military chief said he had been reassured by King Charles that there was “no problem” with its participation.

Last week, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the eldest son of the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, made the surprise announcement the country would not participate in the games in a post on X. He said he was motivated by his respect for the king amid division over the “Harry-Meghan nonsense”.

Oasis announce 2027 tour, including return to Knebworth 30 years after historic concerts

After 2025’s wildly lucrative reunion, the Gallagher brothers will tour the UK, Ireland and US, and revisit the Hertfordshire site of their greatest live triumph

• From the archive: How did the Guardian cover Oasis at Knebworth 1996? Well … we didn’t

Oasis have finally confirmed new tour dates for 2027, including their long-rumoured return to Knebworth for a run of shows 30 years after they played a historic two nights at the Hertfordshire venue in 1996.

“Start the celebrations!”, the band said in a statement. “After a period of reflection, The Most Damaging Pop Cultural Force in Recent British History” – a quote from a Guardian opinion piece about the band – “has declared itself fit for purpose and will once again return to lift the spirits of the people. Come witness the fitness. It shall be a sight to behold.”

A job that changed me: Working the pool kiosk in the summer of ’82, I was excited when older boys came by – but I learned that respect is better than attention

My job made me the envy of the cool girls; it made me visible. Then Johnno, Stevo and Whack paid a visit

In the summer of 1982, at the age of 14, I was hired to work in the ticket office and kiosk at the Sale Memorial Pool in Victoria’s Gippsland region. The cool girls at school, who did not usually acknowledge me, were seething with jealousy. It was a sought-after job in a time before fast-food outlets and chain supermarkets.

I was anxious because I didn’t look like the girls who usually worked at the pool. The Dolly magazine cover-girl types. They were tanned, used raspberry lip gloss and Impulse body spray, and wore stretchy boob tubes over their crocheted bikini tops.

Ancestors review – messy but moving ghostly drama about the Aids crisis

Toronto film festival: Saipan standout Éanna Hardwicke is a soulful gay man looking for a missing friend in a striking yet muddled debut

It’s not normal to regularly contemplate mortality in your twenties, to ask questions about where we might go after we die and whether any part of our legacy will even matter in the years following. But for gay men in the 1980s, death was everywhere.

In David Turpin’s intermittently impactful debut Ancestors, the director tries to make a connection with those men who lived through the very worst years of the Aids crisis. Turpin, born in 1982, might not have the first-hand experience but he bears the scars passed on from generation to generation and like many young gay men coming of age in the years after, likely experienced a watered down version of the shame and fear those before him once felt.

Experts quit Lucy Letby’s defence team over ‘scientific credibility’ concerns

Some of the arguments inconsistent with ‘available evidence, science and established physiology’, say pair

Two leading experts have withdrawn from Lucy Letby’s defence team over concerns about the “scientific credibility” of some of its evidence.

The former neonatal nurse is challenging her convictions for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England.

Sydney Sweeney’s prediction ad is cynical, unhealthy and reveals plenty about modern sports | Jane McManus

The actor’s latest promotion has stirred outrage but will no doubt be good for the prediction markets hoping to lure in young men

Prediction markets are a cynical business.

Many customers will lose money, and the real product may just be the delightful dopamine hit that comes in that brief window between placing a bet and its outcome – which is statistically more likely to be a disappointment than a victory. So the bettor has to think they are buying more than their own fleecing.

Trump urges Ukraine to stop ‘knocking out’ Russian oil refineries as U.S. diesel hits record

U.S. diesel prices have surpassed $6 a gallon for the first time ever as the Ukraine and Iran wars drive broader energy supply concerns.

‘The eye-gouging was very, very satisfying’: how we made cave horror classic The Descent

‘The child crawler whose head I crush with my boot was only 11, bless him. It was actually me stamping on a cauliflower’

I was introduced to Christian Colson at Celador Films off the back of [2002 horror film] Dog Soldiers, and I pitched them a project – actually a feature-length version of my student graduation film – about zombies on an oil rig. They liked it but said it was too expensive, so on the train back to Newcastle I was asking myself what would make a really scary horror film that could be contained and so made on a budget. I was thinking of things set in the dark and was like, well … caves. At the back of my mind was a school trip to a lead mine where the guide had said, “OK, everybody, turn your lights off” and, for the first time, I experienced a darkness that I just couldn’t fathom.

USA’s Solheim Cup inquest begins amid early celebrations and stats complaints

• Losing captain frustrated by lack of in-play statistics

• Stanford offers warning to Ryder Cup leader Jim Furyk

The latest inquest into failure by an American team on European soil involves slow greens, the perception of a premature celebration and a curious absence of statistical backup. Angela Stanford, whose Solheim Cup team were defeated by Europe in the Netherlands on Sunday, warned Jim Furyk’s Ryder Cup contingent to take note.

Stanford used the numbers-based evidence of Justin Ray to assist with decision-making and Furyk will do likewise at Adare Manor next year. In the aftermath of the 15-13 defeat and assessing Ray’s input, Stanford clearly had an underlying gripe. “I’m wondering how honest to be,” she said.

The producer of Fleabag and Baby Reindeer's tip for finding a hit? Don't look for one

Theatre producer Francesca Moody has a remarkable record of spotting shows that go on to have wide success. At the Edinburgh Fringe festival, she told NPR about what she looks for in a performance.

U.S. Air Force officer shot down in Iran says watching crewman's rescue was "proudest dad moment"

For the season premiere of "60 Minutes," Norah O'Donnell interviewed the U.S. Air Force officer who was stuck in Iran for more than two days after his F-15 was downed. From his vantage point, he witnessed the rescue of his crewmate.

OpenAI boss Sam Altman spells out how and why the AI industry wants to slow down: 'We could lose control'

OpenAI's chief has made comments detailing how AI safety frameworks and a slowdown could work, as the industry unites behind concerns.