Iran’s rial falls to record low as Scott Bessent warns of ‘economic D-day’ – business live

US Treasury secretary to announce sanctions against Tehran at a press conference at 1pm EDT (6pm London time)

Some good news for the UK (and new PM Andy Burnham and his team):

Productivity in the UK – a vital measure of economic health – is growing more strongly than official figures suggest, according to analysis from the Resolution Foundation.

Businesses are cautious about adding headcount while costs, including higher employer national insurance contributions and energy bills, affect profits.

At the same time, AI can increasingly perform some of the routine work that traditionally gave graduates their first step onto the career ladder. This does not mean there will be no jobs for young people, but it does mean a degree alone is becoming less of a guarantee of employment.

Burnham compares Ukraine’s war against Russia to Britain’s fight against Nazi Germany as he begins visit – Europe live

UK PM in Kyiv with plans to share blueprints for long-range missiles, as Kremlin warns move would ‘add fuel to fire’ in British-Russian relations

Here’s the full quote from Kremlin’s Peskov, via AFP:

“Britain is methodically and regularly throwing oil on the fire and methodically and regularly plotting schemes to prevent even the slightest progress in the peace process.”

Ex-NBA center ejected from WNBA game after being confronted by player

The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women should be allowed to participate in the league.

Social media goes into overdrive with Lindsay Clancy conspiracy theories

Algorithms are responsible for fever pitch content surrounding trial, including misinformation, experts say

As the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children, starts to wind down, a now international discussion on social media about the case has hit a fever pitch as viewers examine details of the trial and question the state of maternal mental healthcare in the United States.

Amateur sleuths and armchair psychologists have been creating content throughout the several weeks of the trial, pointing out perceived discrepancies in evidence. They’ve pointed to Clancy’s last recorded heart rate and body temperature as “smoking guns”, suggested that Patrick Clancy, Lindsay’s ex-husband and father of the children, actually committed the crime, despite no legal evidence to back up the claim.

Minister tells social media firms to remove posts that ‘celebrate’ dangerous driving after A66 crash

Luke Pollard says government will force platforms to remove content, after latest deadly crash involving a car driving in wrong direction

A minister has pressed social media companies to remove content from their platforms showcasing dangerous driving after a fatal collision that killed seven people in Middlesbrough.

The crash in the early hours of Saturday, in which PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died, occurred when a Volkswagen Passat, containing five individuals aged between 23 and 17, crashed head-on with a marked armed response vehicle while driving the wrong way on the A66.

EFL and Scottish league pushing to stop illegal broadcast of matches in Russia

• Leagues stopped rights packages in Russia in 2022

• They are considering legal action against Football TV

The English Football League and Scottish Professional Football League have launched investigations and are considering legal action after discovering that television coverage of their matches has been broadcast in Russia this season.

Football TV, a Russian subscription and streaming service, has broadcast numerous games from the opening two rounds of the EFL, as well as Scottish Premiership matches featuring Celtic, Rangers and Hearts.

Mercedes’ Wolff wary that Norris and Hamilton are genuine F1 title contenders

• Mercedes team principal: ‘It could become tighter’

• Title leader Antonelli will take grid penalties in Monza

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton are genuine contenders for the Formula One world championship, according to the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, who watched Norris take a decisive win at the Dutch Grand Prix.

With Mercedes’ early-season dominance looking to have been all but erased, Wolff noted that there would be no quick fix for the team who could not develop at the same rate as their rivals because they had opted to use their budget differently.

Thames Water creditors accused of ‘shuffling deckchairs’ with plan for new board

Campaigners say proposal for £10bn rescue deal in bid to avoid nationalisation is a ‘cosy stitch-up’

• Business live – latest updates

The group of creditors pursuing a rescue bid for Thames Water have been accused of shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic after proposing an overhaul of the stricken utility’s board.

In a bid to stave off temporary nationalisation by Andy Burnham, the lenders said they would appoint Liz Barber, the former chief executive of Yorkshire Water, and Clive Selley, the former chief executive of network operator Openreach, as directors if they are allowed to take formal control of the company.

U.S. destroys alleged drug-smuggling boat in Pacific, killing 2 people

Since then, more than 200 people have been killed in U.S. strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Suspect in murders of 5 found dead day after their bodies were discovered

A quintuple murder suspect was found dead inside a vehicle in Enumclaw, Washington, a day after the bodies of five people were discovered outside Portland, Oregon, authorities said.

Alarm over $20m plan to supply ICE officers with electric-shock gloves

Civil liberties groups decry plan to use gloves linked to death of Kentucky man allegedly shocked 27 times in county jail

Plans to supply Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with special gloves that can deliver electric shocks have alarmed experts and drawn scrutiny amid some high-profile lawsuits over their use in local correctional facilities.

In one extreme case, a 43-year-old man died after allegedly being shocked 40 times by officers with a combination of the gloves and a Taser in a county jail in Kentucky, and the man’s widow is suing authorities.

‘Standard’ velvet hangers? There’s nothing standard about some of the items on John Lewis’s uni essentials list| Emma Beddington

It used to be that dorm rooms were chaotically messy. Does this new generation really need an £80 spice rack and velvet clothes hangers?

Of all the questions this year’s freshers may be nervously asking themselves as they prepare for this next phase – did I pick the right course? Will I make friends? Is uni worth 30 grand when my future job prospects may be limited to dusting a datacentre? – one is particularly pressing: “How many clothes hangers do I need to bring?”

Fret no longer, enquiring young minds: John Lewis has the answer on its packing checklist for students. Thirty to 40, it claims, wildly, “consisting mostly of standard velvet or plastic hangers”. “Standard” velvet? I missed this memo.

The pet I’ll never forget: Ernie the danger dog – who loves dicing with death

He has chased a deer across a dual carriageway, eaten an entire tray of chocolate brownies and jumped head first into a canal. But despite all the worry he brings us, he is extraordinarily lovable

Ernie found his way into our hearts and home about nine years ago, when he strategically crawled into my lap during a family visit to meet a litter of puppies. While all the other beagle puppies ran wild, Ernie sat comfortably on me with his long, soft ears dangling down. We chose him because of his placid nature and named him Ernie after my mum’s late dad, who coincidentally also had short legs and a bit of a round belly.

After a few weeks we realised that Ernie was anything but placid. His gentle temperament quickly morphed into an unruly and persistent need to find his way into danger.

2 Phoenix police officers fired, arrested after violent traffic stop

Two Phoenix police officers were fired and arrested after an unreported traffic stop in which they assaulted a man and woman and shocked them with a Taser, the city's police chief said.

Washington, D.C.'s first IndyCar race packed the National Mall

IndyCar drivers zoomed past some of the nation's most famous landmarks this weekend. They faced novel challenges on an unconventional route.

‘Cookies’ made from plastic may be on the menu for future astronauts

Nasa-funded project uses yeasts to recycle plastics and other waste into food shaped into biscuits by 3D printers

Cookies produced from upcycled plastic may sound like something straight out of a dystopian sci-fi plot. But researchers say that they have succeeded in creating such a product as part of a Nasa-funded project aimed at feeding astronauts on future space missions.

The technology uses specially designed yeasts to transform plastics and agricultural waste into edible proteins, fats and flavourings. The resulting slurry is pased through a 3D printer to create a disc-shaped “cookie”.

Ex-mayor Dan Sullivan supports incumbent Dan Sullivan’s Senate bid against third Dan Sullivan

Endorsement of Republican incumbent over challenger with same name adds twist to unusual campaign in Alaska

• Republican senator Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola advance in Alaska Senate primary

Dan Sullivan supports Dan Sullivan against Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s US Senate election, says a former Alaskan mayor who recently backed the race’s Republican incumbent over a challenger sharing their name.

That development provided another of multiple absurd elements to Dan S Sullivan’s campaign for a third term in the US Senate, which – beside Mary Peltola, a former Alaska Democratic congresswoman – has drawn opposition from Dan J Sullivan.

‘It’s absolutely criminal’: US tipping culture has reached the UK – and is causing chaos

Service charges used to be a matter of choice, but now consumers feel obliged to pay them for even a cup of coffee. How do we navigate this minefield and who is really profiting?

In a London pub, Greg Double was brutally confronted with the reality of Britain’s evolving tipping culture. “I was annoyed about the pint being eight quid, but then when you put service on top, it’s absolutely criminal,” he says. In the past, you might have told the bar staff to keep the change or have a “drink” on you, but since when did we routinely tip in pubs? Or coffee shops? Or, worst of all, at self-service machines? Tip creep is happening.

Tipping was awkward enough in the UK when the general rule was 10% at a restaurant, plus anxiety about whether you should tip the hairdresser, babysitter or food-delivery driver. Now, with tipping suggested ever more frequently, US-style, it has become a minefield to Britons. The amounts edge higher – in fancier London restaurants, a 15% service charge is relatively commonplace. And it’s often asked for – in coffee shops for example, when you pay – before any service is delivered.

‘A bit like meditation’: why Saw is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers picking their go-to comfort films is a grimy and gory trip back to the start of a surprisingly uplifting torture porn franchise

I was petsitting recently for a white suburban family, with the typical streaming habits therein. They had two kids; their most-watched shows, according to the history that showed up on the screen, were Bluey for the kids and The Office for the adults. When they came home from their weeklong trip, they would’ve found their watch history upheaved. The Bingos and Michael Scotts all erased by Saw I, Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, Saw 3D, Saw Spiral, Saw Jigsaw and, finally, my new favourite, Saw X.

I was obsessed with the Saw franchise well before I ever saw it. At 11, as Jigsaw puppets became Halloween costumes, I went to bed each night convinced Jigsaw was going to scoop me up in a van because the word “hell”a popped into my head. By 13, I looked up every film on Wikipedia and read through each trap with terrified excitement. By 14, I drank my first can of Stella and typed Saw II into YouTube, watching it in 12 installments. It was utterly horrifying. And so, so, so much fun.

'It embarrasses me to be involved': Inside the National Guard D.C. deployment

As President Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., enters its second year, three guard members who served many months on the mission share their reactions with NPR.

Fast-fashion giant Shein sets cut-price $27bn valuation for Hong Kong IPO

China-based retailer swung to $99m loss in first quarter and faces scrutiny over its environmental footprint

• Business live – latest updates

Shein, which built a fast-fashion empire on what seemed like impossibly low prices, has been forced to lower its own valuation in a cut-price stock market float, after falling into the red earlier this year.

The online retailer will list on the Hong Kong stock exchange on 1 September at a valuation of close to $27bn (£19.8bn), significantly down from a near-$100bn private market peak four years ago.

Sean Grayson, former deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey, dies in prison, lawyer says

Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff's deputy whose fatal shooting of Sonya Massey inside her home became a flashpoint over police use of force, died Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Weather tracker: Tornadoes cause flash flooding and power cuts in north-east US

Nassau County and Dover, Delaware, hit by tornadoes, while rain and thunderstorms arrive in drought-stricken UK

Thunderstorms and tornadoes caused damage and disruption last Thursday as severe weather hit the US north-east. A tornado struck Dover, Delaware, with another reported near Atlantic Beach on Long Island in New York.

The latter was rated EF-1 by the National Weather Service, with peak winds of 97mph (156kph). It was the first tornado reported in Nassau County since November 2021, with buildings and beach cabanas damaged, and heavy rainfall causing flash flooding and power cuts.

Morning news brief

Treasury secretary to detail new round of economic pressure on Iran, Iran warns of 'seismic' retaliation if U.S. follow through with economic threat, Canada vows to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S.

No fridge, no fans, just blocks of ice: improvising to survive in Pakistan’s searing heat

With limited electricity and poor ventilation, many families in Nasirabad have little to shield them from temperatures of up to 50C

As the first light reaches Nasirabad, a queue of men, women and children has already formed outside the town’s ice factory, with their buckets, sacks and plastic containers. Among those hoping to buy some ice to help their families endure another scorching day is 12-year-old Taimoor, in his school uniform. He says it is his most important task of the day.

“If I do not bring the ice, how will we endure the heat at home?” he says. “And how will we drink water that feels as though it is boiling?”

Disciples review – fresh-faced boys are sucked into a nightmare of extremism in India

A prestigious school in the holy city of Varanasi and its controversial, dogmatic teachings are the subject of this shocking documentary

The effect of political and religious indoctrination on young minds resembles a slow-release poison. Unfolding in observational vignettes, Pankaj Johar and Sunaina Kapoor’s thought-provoking documentary centres on Vidya Mutth, a prestigious Hindu school in the holy city of Varanasi, India, where sectarian beliefs are drilled into its students, all in the name of cultural preservation.

The film opens with controversial speeches made by the school’s spiritual leader, Guru Avimuktesh, who advocates the abolition of religious freedom, and for Indian Muslims to either convert to Hinduism or leave for Pakistan. A prominent Hindu figure with a large following, he personally oversees the entrance exam, a sequence captured in dynamic handheld shots. While boys take the test, their parents look on with apprehension and anxiety; to be accepted would be an honour, not only for their child but for the whole family.

My Arms Are Longer Now – comedy stealth game sends lawlessness into new territory

Developers who met through Australia’s improv scene and publishers of comedic party games have united for this slithering challenge in which you play as one extended limb

Most stealth games cast you as a spy, an assassin or a master thief. My Arms Are Longer Now dispenses with most of the criminal person, to send in just one spectacularly badly behaved limb. It slithers across floors, winds around furniture, steals things and slaps anyone within reach – finally answering the question nobody asked: what if your own arm turned to crime?

As Toot Games co-founder Matthew Jackson puts it: “You are the bad thing that happens to the people.”

Woman stranded in Spain after UK’s eVisa system mistakes her for twin sister

Nidia Webb, who is legally settled in UK, falls foul of ‘known issue’ with Home Office’s digitised immigration process

A woman who is legally settled in the UK was left stranded at a Spanish airport after the Home Office’s post-Brexit visa system mixed her up with her twin sister.

Nidia Webb fell foul of what she was told was a “known issue” with the eVisa, which was brought in as part of the government’s drive to digitise the UK’s immigration system but has faced problems that have caused concern for thousands of people.

Football transfer rumours: Alvarez set for Arsenal after being booed at Atlético?

Today’s rumours laugh off heartburn

Booing Julián Alvarez during Atlético Madrid’s draw with Villarreal on Sunday has seemingly convinced the Argentinian forward to consider joining Arsenal in the window. The former Manchester City man has been kept out of the reaches of Barcelona, who may not have the funds to complete the signing, whereas the Gunners have plenty of cash to splash.

Alejandro Balde was left out of the Barcelona squad as they roared past Elche, as the Catalan club open the door for a move to Manchester United. A new left-back should solve all of the problems at Old Trafford, that’s for sure.

Revival review – step up, Walking Dead fans! This is the most moving zombie show ever

The undead are climbing out of their graves all over town, so gore levels are high – but this noirish miniseries sets itself apart by being delightfully offbeat and genuinely poignant

A teenage girl is pale, withdrawn and seems not to be fully in or of this world. Could she be … a zombie? “She just likes the Cure,” weary police officer Dana Cypress (Wynonna Earp’s Melanie Scrofano) assures the anxious mother at the station.

It’s good to get the mandatory goth joke out of the way early in an undead-centred show, and Revival – a 10-part adaptation of the comic books by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton – is briskly efficient. It begins with a man bashing his way out of a crematorium furnace while others in the corpse-queue start to stir and the recently buried start to climb out of their graves and wonder, frankly, WTF is going on.

Revival is on Netflix now

Why England’s summer of cricket chaos could yet have a silver lining | Ali Martin

For all the upheaval and neurosis, it may yet be that the darkest hour came just before dawn for this England team

To say England’s summer of Test cricket has not gone entirely to plan would be a bit of an understatement. At times it has been like watching Gromit frantically laying track in front of a runaway locomotive.

Even now the England and Wales Cricket Board find themselves throwing down the sleepers, reacting to footage of centrally-contracted Brydon Carse in police handcuffs outside a bar in Derby on Saturday night following a match for Durham. Whatever the precise details – Carse was released without charge – it continues a madcap season.

Premier League: 10 talking points from opening weekend of the season

Manchester United’s under-powered attack, Brentford’s £39m bargain and Dewsbury-Hall delivers for Everton

Arsenal’s treatment of Gabriel Martinelli has been questioned by Ian Wright after the Brazil forward was left out of their squad for Friday’s opening game against Coventry. Martinelli turned down a move to Galatasaray last week after Arsenal had agreed a fee with the Turkish club and the former striker Wright revealed on Sky Sports after the Coventry game that no one at the club has spoken to the 25-year-old to discuss his future. “I know they might want him out, and a lot of people might say: ‘Yeah, it’s time for him to move him on.’ But there’s ways of doing that and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave,” said Wright. “He’s done enough with this squad to be treated with a little bit more respect than he’s being treated with at the moment.” Ed Aarons

Match report: Arsenal 3-0 Coventry

Match report: Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa

How do you vaccinate 1,000 tiny penguins against bird flu in the wild? It’s ‘really tricky’ but there is a way

Phillip Island’s ‘iconic’ little penguins get first bird flu vaccinations in what is thought to be largest program of its kind

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

More than 1,000 little penguins have received their first dose of bird flu vaccine in Victoria, in what is believed to be the world’s largest vaccination program involving wild birds.

Catherine Basterfield, the chief executive of Phillip Island Nature Parks, said vaccinations began early last week and were ramping up.

Wild beaver kits born in Norfolk for first time in more than 500 years

Pair are offspring of two beavers who mysteriously arrived in Pensthorpe nature reserve near Fakenham in December

Wild beaver kits have been born in Norfolk for the first time in more than 500 years.

The pair of newborns are the offspring of two free-living beavers who mysteriously arrived in Pensthorpe nature reserve near Fakenham in December.

On Different Grounds review – Cupid’s-conspiracy romcom brings Nollywood and Bollywood together

Mildred Okwo’s earnest film about the conflicting romantic wishes in a Nigerian family struggles to connect with its promising premise

It’s a stretch for this Nigerian romcom to bill itself “the first Nollywood-Bollywood collaboration” based on the fact that it features, in Nimesh Diliprai Desai and Vineet Raina, two fringe Indian players on a sprawling wedding-invite list. But the two industries do indeed have much common ground, such as big-hearted family values and a penchant for grand gestural emotions that, in the case of Mildred Okwo’s somewhat heavy-footed film, trample on some promising concepts and narrative plausibility.

Silk-tressed bachelorette Aurora (Abena Akuaba) is being browbeaten by her businessman dad Eyimofe (Bob-Manuel Udokwu) to marry snoozefest suitor Tobore (Ifeanyi Kalu). She is hardly enthused when he parrots his criteria for embarking on “a collaboration with an individual or brand”: “value check, common interest, due diligence and critical analysis.” (Tobore ticks the boxes.) But she agrees to set a date on one condition: that Eyimofe must invite her mother, Isioma (Jennifer Eliogu) – booted out by Eyimofe many years back for wanting to pursue her career – to the big day.

Fairphone 6+ review: the most repairable, ethical phone gets faster

Dutch sustainable smartphone revamped with new chip and more RAM without sacrificing modular design

Fairphone’s top Android for 2026 is a little faster with more memory while maintaining full compatibility with its previous phone, including its repairable and ethical chops.

The Fairphone 6+ continues the Dutch cooperative’s mission to make consumer electronics longer lasting and more sustainable, containing 51% either recycled or ethically sourced materials while being fully repairable at home with just the one screwdriver included in the box.

On Donetsk’s ‘life or death’ highway with the Khyzhak brigade – photo essay

The road to Konstyantynivka in Donetsk, Ukraine, is a perilous journey for the Khyzhak brigade – a mobile unit tasked with shooting down Russian drones to cover soldiers’ rotations or moving armoured vehicles

“Holy yeah! Yeaaaah! Done!”

Booooooom.

Dzhango firing to shoot down a Russian FPV-drone.

A new start after 60: I became a grocer – and feel stronger physically and quieter mentally

Robert Solomon loves the early mornings, picking out the apples, tending to the broccoli and fussing up the dandelion greens. At 71, he says it’s the best job he’s had

When Robert Solomon’s working hours were cut during the pandemic – he did building management and tech support for a nonprofit organisation – he got an extra job at a food cooperative, helping to stock the store. It was, he says, the most ordinary job, but that’s what made it special.

That job ended with the pandemic, but in 2022 he left the nonprofit and hunted for grocery positions. Now, at 71, he is assistant buyer in produce (ie fruit and vegetables) at an independent market in New York. “I love the opportunity to do physical, creative work with my body, hands and mind,” he says. “I’m working harder than I have since my 30s, and I love it.”

Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60?

New Zealand to consider banning children under 16 from social media

Prime minister Christopher Luxon’s party to introduce bill seeking the ban, citing harm to a generation of children

New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon has said his party will introduce a bill in parliament that ⁠seeks to ban children ⁠under ​16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10% of a platform’s global revenue for non-compliance.

The bill would ⁠require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages, including by utilising existing account information, facial technology and ⁠digital identity documents.

New daily diabetes pill that helps with weight loss launches in UK pharmacies

Foundayo will be available on private prescription, with pharmacists warning of counterfeit GLP-1 problem

A new daily pill that treats diabetes and helps with weight loss will be available in UK pharmacies from Monday.

Pharmacists said the move would be welcome for people who cannot use weight-loss jabs, but also issued a warning over the growing problem of fake, unlicensed or counterfeit versions of GLP-1 tablets.

From welfare to prisons: the challenges for Burnham when MPs return to Commons

PM’s honeymoon period will come to an end as he makes decisions on the budget, welfare, migration and prisons

Andy Burnham has enjoyed a month-long honeymoon period since he became prime minister, winning public support with a series of popular but relatively low-cost announcements. They have included cutting VAT on electricity bills, reducing the cost of bus travel and reviewing business rates for small businesses.

But as MPs prepare to return to the Commons in just over a week, the prime minister is about to face his first real challenge in office, as he makes a number of key decisions that could create enemies but define his premiership.

New Fed chair faces critical test at Jackson Hole as inflation fears mount

Investors will hope Kevin Warsh offers ‘comfort blanket’ at annual meeting of central banks amid bond market anxiety

• Business live – latest updates

The new US Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, faces a critical test this week amid anxiety in government bond markets over inflation and Donald Trump’s tax and spending plans.

As the world’s most powerful central bank prepares for its annual Jackson Hole conference, analysts said bond traders would be looking for signals from Warsh over its commitment to fighting inflation.

Courgette kraut and fermented pepper sauce: Šárka Otevřel Camrdová’s Czech pickle recipes

In an extract from her new book, the Prague-born food writer shares two ways to preserve summer vegetables so they can be savoured year-round

Preserving the abundance of summer produce is a wonderful way to extend the season long after the gardens have faded. Opening a jar in the colder months offers more than just something good to eat; it also holds joy, patience and memories. When winter comes knocking, we are ready with something sweet, sour or salty waiting on the shelf, reminding us that summer will return and the sun will shine again.

Big decisions pay off as Coco Gauff gears up for US Open with Cincinnati title

• American beats compatriot Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4

• Gauff claims first title of season, second in Cincinnati

One year ago, Coco Gauff departed the Cincinnati Open with her career at a crossroads. On serve, she had capitulated, offering up countless double faults in most matches, and she had lost confidence in her progress and game. She believed she had to make drastic changes to her team before it was too late.

It has taken an enormous amount of resilience, patience and toil, but this week Gauff began to feel the consequences of those efforts as she closed out one of the smoothest tournaments of her career with her best performance of the season, thoroughly outplaying the third seed Jessica Pegula to win 6-2, 6-4 and clinch the Cincinnati Open title for the second time in her career.

Photo of Disraeli among missing parliamentary works of art, FoI request finds

Press Association given list of 65 items from publicly owned collection that have gone missing since 2024

A photograph of Benjamin Disraeli, an engraved portrait of William Wilberforce and a cartoon of Barbara Castle have all been misplaced by the UK parliamentary authorities, a freedom of information (FoI) request has revealed.

The Press Association has been given a list of more than 65 works of art that have been missing since 2024. They also include a photograph of Margaret Beckett, the UK’s first female foreign secretary and the first woman to lead Labour, and a satirical cartoon by Martin Rowson from the Conservative leadership battle of 1995.

‘In 1984, I worked 363 days’: how Russ Abbot soared to success – then walked away

The comedian dominated Saturday night TV in the 1980s, with his sketch shows attracting 18 million viewers. Next came the West End musicals and sitcoms. But in 2016 he quietly disappeared from the limelight. What happened?

The electronic gates slide open to reveal a gorgeous Portuguese villa, a swimming pool and a beansprout of a man. “You’ve made me feel very important,” says Russ Abbot with a smile. “Come in!”

It’s more than 30 years since Abbot, aged 78, dominated Saturday night TV with his sketches, songs and impersonations. He appealed to all sorts. Kids, parents and grandparents united around the TV – first for Russ Abbot’s Madhouse, which ran from 1980 to 1985, then The Russ Abbot Show, from 1986 to 1991. He was joined by the inimitable Bella Emberg and a cast of young comics, including Les Dennis, Dustin Gee and Michael Barrymore. But make no mistake, it was Abbot’s show and the 80s was his decade. At his peak, he attracted 18 million viewers an episode.

Marine Le Pen's career has been resurrected – and she is a bigger threat than ever | Mujtaba Rahman

No longer banned from next year’s presidential election, Le Pen is a far more formidable force than her understudy, Jordan Bardella

France loves a battle-scarred survivor. Charles de Gaulle, François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac clawed their way back from political failure to become presidents of the republic. There is a significant chance that Marine Le Pen will be next.

Now that the Paris appeal court has unshackled her from an electoral ban for fraud, the far-right veteran has double appeal in the race for the French presidency next year. She will run, as always, as an outsider and a scourge of the political elites – despite continuously holding electoral office since 1998. She can also now pose as a “miraculous survivor”, a “mother courage” and “a battling granny”, as senior French political figures, including former ministers, described her to me during recent conversations in Paris.

Mujtaba Rahman is the managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm

‘I didn’t miss a thing’: How Nick Haymes photographed his sons’ entire lives from verrucas to homemade hamster coffin

Bloody noses, ear cleanings, the first sproutings of armpit hair … the photographer reveals how he captured his two babies growing into boys and then men

Not many family photo albums open with images of the twin towers on fire. But for Nick Haymes, it made perfect sense. “When 9/11 happened,” he says, “I realised life was very short.” At the time, he was living in New York, trying to forge a career, while his friend, colleague and future wife Lina was dealing with the fallout of her previous marriage. “It made us realise we should probably get together and have a family. It was this huge historical event, but on a very micro level, it also shaped my relationship with my wife and children.”

Chronograph is a photography book that runs from those terrorist attacks to the present day, tracing the journey of Haymes’s two sons, Philipp and Lawrence, as they grow from drooling babies into young men. We are given a ringside seat as arms get broken, beloved pets die and hairs start sprouting from armpits. The mundane side of life – verrucas, messy kitchens, Lina cleaning out an ear with a cotton bud – is captured in the same way as birthday parties and rites of passage.

Thousands forced to evacuate parts of Reno, Nevada, as new wildfire rages

Officials say the fire, which has now burned more than 15,000 acres and is zero percent contained, was human caused. Nearly 90,000 people have been told to evacuate or prepare to leave.

Moke weakens to tropical depression as Hawaii braces for rain

Hawaii is still cleaning up from Hurricane Lala, which dumped massive amounts of rain on the islands.

Mark Ruffalo fires back at Paramount Skydance after it accuses him of using ‘antisemitic tropes’

Actor says highlighting role of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison in media company’s merger with Warner Bros Discovery has been ‘dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel’

Mark Ruffalo has fired back at Paramount Skydance after the media company accused him of invoking “antisemitic tropes” in his criticism of its $111bn merger with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD).

The actor, who has long been outspoken against Israel’s military conduct in Gaza and for the rights of Palestinians, shared a statement on social media on Friday in which he highlighted the links between Paramount Skydance, run by CEO David Ellison, and Oracle, the technology company run by Ellison’s father, Larry.

Navy sailor on USS Lincoln says dad was arrested by immigration officials

Historically rare, immigration arrests of military spouses and parents have become more common under the second Trump administration.

US territories hit out at Trump plan to explore deep sea mining in the Pacific

US agency releases plan to lease millions of hectares of seabed off the coast of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam

A US government plan to lease out millions of hectares of seabed near the Mariana Trench for deep sea exploration has drawn opposition from US territories in the Pacific, as the Trump administration remains locked in a race with China for control of critical ocean minerals.

On Tuesday, the Marine Mineral Administration (MMA), an agency under the US department of the interior, released a proposal to auction deep sea mining leases for 28m hectares (69m acres) of seafloor off the coast of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.

The comeback of sewing: Not just your grandmother's hobby anymore

A new generation isn't just picking up a needle and thread; they're stitching an entirely new way of life. Itay Hod has the story from California.

Last beagles rescued from Ridglan Farms, a breeding facility in Wisconsin

The last of more than 2,000 beagles from a Wisconsin facility that bred them for medical research have been rescued. Adam Yamaguchi accompanied them on their journey to freedom.

Canada says it will begin retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods after Labor Day

The U.S. and Canada have wrangled for decades over trade, and somehow, they still managed to remain friends, allies and trading partners.

Escalating trade war with Canada ruptures once close alliance

The escalating trade war with Canada has ruptured a once-close and durable alliance. It will soon have people on both sides of the border paying up. Jarred Hill has more details from New York.

Fast-growing Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada forces thousands to evacuate

The fire apparently began Saturday and grew significantly throughout the day, fueled by strong, gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.

White House promises full-throttle economic warfare against Iran with new plan for sanctions

The streets of Washington, D.C., turned into a speedway on Sunday as IndyCars raced around the National Mall. Meanwhile, the Trump administration said new economic pressure for allies and enemies alike is its top focus. Olivia Rinaldi has more details.

Fast-moving wildfire closes in on Reno, Nevada, forces evacuations

Thousands of people have been evacuated in Reno, Nevada, as a fast-moving wildfire closed in on the city on Sunday. The so-called Hawk Fire has grown to 13,000 acres and threatened hundreds of homes. At least 200 new fires also erupted nationwide this weekend. Jonathan Vigliotti tracks it all, and Bill Kelly has the forecast.

Kyle Kirkwood wins Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar race in Washington, D.C.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump began the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar race through the streets of Washington, D.C, with a slow lap around the course.

8/23/2026: Ghost Train; One Mother's Story; Wild Concerto

First, the state of high-speed rail in the U.S. Then, Rachel Goldberg-Polin: The 60 Minutes Interview. And, turning recordings of animals into music.

Treasury Secretary to announce Iran sanctions as Tehran dismisses economic warfare threat

Bessent told CNBC that the sanctions will be the "toughest" in history.

8/23: CBS Weekend News

Hawk Fire nearing Reno prompts mass evacuations; White House says economic warfare against Iran begins on Monday.

Eight-year-old dies after contracting rare brain-eating amoeba in Louisiana

Lillian Smart of Ruston infected with fatal Naegleria fowleri, likely after swimming in Lake Claiborne, health officials say

An eight-year-old Louisiana girl has died after contracting a rare, typically fatal brain-eating amoeba after a swim in Lake Claiborne.

Lillian Smart, of Ruston, died on Saturday, one day after celebrating her birthday, her family announced in a public Facebook post on the “Love for Lillian” page.

Landslide at waste mound in Guinea capital kills 30, government says

Dump site in Conakry, which minister had just promised to move, collapsed after heavy rain in west African state

A ⁠landslide at a huge waste dump in Guinea’s capital has killed 30 people, the government said on Sunday, after heavy rains overnight prompted it to ⁠collapse, engulfing nearby tents and shacks.

The incident occurred less than a week after the government announced plans to close the ⁠site and relocate the waste because of the threat it posed, especially during the rainy season, which causes landslides and fatal flash ⁠floods each year in crowded, underdeveloped cities across parts of West Africa.

European football: Torres double rescues PSG point after Rennes threaten shock win

• Atlético’s Alvarez booed by own fans in home draw

• Salah scores first goals in Trabzonspor victory

Ferran Torres came off the bench to score a late double ⁠on his debut as Paris Saint-Germain rallied from two goals down to draw ⁠2-2 at Rennes in their Ligue 1 season opener on Sunday. Sebastian Szymanski and Esteban Lepaul gave ⁠the home side a 2-0 lead at half-time but PSG piled on the pressure in ⁠the second period and were rewarded with a point.

Rennes led ​inside nine minutes as ‌Szymanski’s shot went ‌in off the post to provide the perfect start ‌to the season for the hosts. Désiré Doué thought he had levelled for PSG, but his effort was ruled out for offside, and the home side made it 2-0 seven minutes before the break. Przemyslaw Frankowski found space ‌on the right wing and his low cross into the box was turned into the ​net by Lepaul.

Learning to live in a post-American world

In a recent article for Foregin Affairs, Mark Leonard makes that argument that America's leading role in the world order is fading. He discusses his argument with NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben.

IndyCar is holding its first race in D.C. today. Here's what to know.

Twenty-five cars traveling at top speeds approaching 180 mph zoomed around the National Mall this weekend as IndyCar took over downtown D.C.

Newcastle and Liverpool crank up the entertainment for emotional send-off | Sam Dalling

While the teams produced more promise than polish, this thrilling encounter gave an emotional send-off to a legend of both clubs

It’s 4.35pm on Tyneside. William Osula sets Anthony Elanga away, slightly right of centre and just short of 50,000 draw collective breaths. Pace is no issue; Elanga has no shortage of that, and Milos Kerkez won’t catch him.

But Newcastle fans have seen this clip before and remember the ending. Muscles tighten, cheeks clench, as they brace themselves for it to start again like it carried on before. (Yet) another memeable‑moment inbound. A tiny part of each of them, though, thinks: “Wait, hang on, this is a new season, a fresh start.” The slate is not just clean but has been entirely replaced and is now AI-operated.

Bunny Levine, "Gilmore Girls" and "La La Land" actress, dies at 97

Bunny Levine worked as a school librarian for 25 years before pursuing her passion for acting and performing.

Megasquirt: Fully Loaded review – how to combat existential angst? A comedy rave at an ungodly hour

Underbelly, Cowgate, Edinburgh
Ashley Blair and Drew Reilly send up gen Z anomie with hardcore ditties about awkward dinners, megachurches and centaur boyfriends

‘How to feel whole in an empty world?” There are many possible answers to that question, and Megasquirt’s late-night comedy rave workshops a good few of them. But there’s probably no better way than putting on a banging show and performing it to an adoring audience of your peers – and that’s what Brooklyn imports Ashley Blair and Drew Reilly do in Fully Loaded, turning the Underbelly at some ungodly hour into a pulsating queer(ish) celebration-cum-sendup of gen Z anomie. “Everything is empty / Life is a hole / You gotta fill it up,” they sing, looking like refugees from Warhol’s Factory but delivering comedy that couldn’t be more now.

The show starts as if we’re being seconded to a generational revolution, but it’s soon clear that this pair, both Second City alumni, are threats to nothing but your funny bone. Their premise is that life is void of meaning. We flash back to meet them as alienated schoolkids and one terrific sketch, a silly symphony of clinking cutlery and ASMR tuts and sighs, imagines two parents at dinner, struggling to repress their mutual loathing. If this is our hosts’ generational inheritance, why not look for a better way of being? Like a romance with an inverted Centaur Boyfriend, the title of one daft ditty, or like forming a megachurch to start replenishing the spiritual chasm.

Dr. Oz says MMR is "not a lethal vaccine" despite Trump's comments

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the MMR vaccine is "not a lethal vaccine," despite President Trump's claims in recent days.

Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Aug. 23, 2026

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Reps. Byron Donalds and Seth Moulton join Margaret Brennan.

Kashkari: Inflation could be extended as Canada fight goes on

Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said the tariff fight with Canada could extend U.S. inflation, should the tense trade dynamic between the historically allied countries continue.

Fast-moving wildfire in Reno, Nevada, forces thousands to evacuate homes

Human-caused Hawk fire covers more than 15,000 acres as blaze approaches University of Nevada campus in Reno

A fast-moving Nevada wildfire exploded to more than 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) on Sunday, pushing from the Sierra foothills toward the center of Reno and urging nearly 90,000 residents to evacuate as flames threatened neighborhoods and reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus.

The Hawk fire’s “GO NOW” evacuation zone had expanded to the edge of the university campus as strong, gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation fueled the blaze, according to Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue in Reno. Of those urged to evacuate, 42,000 were under strict orders. An additional 45,000 people were in the evacuation warning zone, and encouraged to leave now and be prepared to stay away for several days to clear the roads for first-responders.

Democratic House leader Jeffries meets with Jared Kushner as midterms loom

Democrats are currently favored to win a majority in the House of Representatives after November's elections.

Democrats incredulous over Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner meeting

Critics include Senator Chris van Hollen, ex-aide to Obama Tommy Vietor and ex-Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger

Democrats and other Donald Trump critics reacted incredulously to a New York Times report on Sunday that House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries met with Jared Kushner, the president’s influential son-in-law, to discuss possible areas of collaboration.

The reported meeting comes months ahead of the November midterm elections in which Democrats are favored to retake the US House, a development that would make Jeffries speaker. If they are in the majority, Democrats are expected to use their oversight power to aggressively investigate the Trump administration, including self-enrichment by the president and his family.

The Guardian view on Andy Burnham’s foreign policy: work in progress | Editorial

The prime minister has focused on domestic affairs since coming to office. But at a time of global disruption, he will need to define Britain’s place in the world

A run of volatility in domestic British politics in recent years has tracked a period of global turbulence, and yet foreign policy over the same period has been an area of relative stability. What little is known about Andy Burnham’s approach to international relations expresses more continuity with Sir Keir Starmer’s administration than deviation. In negotiations with the EU, the red lines that prohibit membership of the single market or customs union still stand. Where Washington is concerned, Mr Burnham shows no interest in performances of bonhomie with Donald Trump, but his predecessor had already swapped that approach for a cooler pragmatic tone by the end of his tenure.

The new foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, has opened a good dialogue with Marco Rubio, his US counterpart. Such is the density of integration in defence and security matters that incoming UK prime ministers, regardless of ideology, have little choice but to invest time in cultivating a bond with whoever sits in the White House. Anyone hoping for a spectacular transatlantic rupture and sudden clinch with Brussels will be disappointed.

The Guardian view on the new Hungary: de-Orbánising at pace | Editorial

As a Brussels deadline looms with over €10bn at stake, Péter Magyar’s first three months have been transformative in addressing a corrupt legacy

Some elections are more important than others. Since taking office in May, Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, has embarked upon the country’s most far-reaching and dramatic programme of transformation since the fall of communism in 1989. Mr Magyar’s predecessor, Viktor Orbán, established a soft autocracy which thrived on corruption and, over 16 years, exerted its grip on most areas of Hungarian life, from religion to culture and the media. It is being dismantled at extraordinary pace.

Last week, a newly appointed president took office following the sacking of Tamás Sulyok, accused by Mr Magyar of having rubber-stamped the erosion of the rule of law in the country. In stark contrast, András Baka is a former president of Hungary’s supreme court, a role he was removed from by the Orbán regime in an action judged unlawful by the European court of human rights.

‘Call his agent’: Emery feels Watkins should explain absence from Villa’s rout by Brighton

• England forward is considering move to Al-Hilal

• ‘This question is for him … I answer only with silence’

Unai Emery did nothing to deny that Ollie Watkins had refused to play for Aston Villa in their sobering 4-0 defeat by Brighton at the Amex on Sunday. The head coach had a selection crisis up front with Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham injured. However, he did not include Watkins in the matchday squad as the England striker considers a move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Emery was forced to rely on the attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendía as an emergency striker and his team disappeared without trace on the south coast. They were 4-0 down after 31 minutes and had their new signing João Gomes sent off on his debut in the 40th minute. Gomes kicked up and out at the Brighton striker Georginio Rutter after being dispossessed by him.

Ella Baron on AI and the drought – cartoon

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Thousands in northwest Indiana still without power nearly two weeks after storm

A round of storms impacted the region on Aug. 11

Nonprofits are helping musicians pay for insurance in Austin, Texas, and beyond

 A nonprofit and a local public health agency are subsidizing marketplace health insurance for Austin musicians , even as rising healthcare costs make the program more expensive.

‘When I make a sale, I’ll sing a high note’: a day in the life of an opera singing car salesman

Andrew Hiers is trying to start his own opera company. Until then, he’s serenading the parking lot

Andrew Hiers, 38, is an opera singer – a bass-baritone – and a car salesman in Cocoa, Florida. You might think these professions have nothing to do with each other, but his librettos about cars or to customers have gone viral – all part of a larger plan to bring opera to the local community.

What time did you wake up?

Vuelta a España: Britain’s Matt Brennan leaves Pogacar in wake to win stage two

• The 20-year-old Briton is riding in his first Grand Tour

• Tadej Pogacar retains overall leader’s red jersey

Matt Brennan emerged triumphant from a bunch sprint to claim victory in the second stage of the Vuelta a España, while overall favourite Tadej Pogacar retained the red jersey on Sunday.

Britain’s Brennan was followed over the line by Pau Miquel and Pogacar after a long 214.3km stage with over 3,000m of climbing, leaving Monaco and heading to Manosque in France. It is Brennan’s first stage win in a Grand Tour – “Hopefully it’s not the last one,” he said – in his first appearance at this level.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Aug. 23)

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

Frustration mounts for thousands still without power after deadly Indiana storms

Several days of powerful storms walloped northwest Indiana, killing at least seven people and displacing about 1,000.

A poem by Jan Fran: ‘Write it down, they say. You’ll feel better. But how to speak the unspeakable?’

Each week during Australian Poetry Month, a poet walks us through one of their works. Here, the journalist grapples with raising a child in a time of ‘tremendous helplessness’

The question I ask myself the most is what temperature is my son
On the days we bake along the coast
I stare up at the sun
As it bears down on us
His cheeks pink, I think
What temperature is my son?
Perhaps he needs a hat

8/23: Face The Nation

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Minneapolis Fed President and CEO Neel Kashkari joins to discuss the U.S. debt hitting a record $40 trillion amid persistent inflation and market uncertainty. Plus, Rep. Byron Donalds joins fresh off his primary victory, and Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton discusses his primary challenge to a longtime incumbent.

An AI ‘debt bomb’ crisis? No. This isn’t Enron 2.0 | Gene Marks

Fears of a datacenter buildout debt crisis are exaggerated. The risks are different than in the past and they are recoverable

Some experts are warning of a looming “debt bomb” crisis because big datacenter builders such as Meta, Oracle, xAI and CoreWeave are not only raising billions to construct these facilities but are also not recognizing these long-term debt obligations on their balance sheets.

Should we be concerned? No. I know because I’ve seen this movie before.

As You Like It review – French aristocratic trappings bring fresh comedy to Arden

Shakespeare’s Globe, London
In a lively and deftly designed production, gowns and wigs fit for Versailles give way to plainer disguises as banished courtiers pursue happiness in the country

For a play that pivots around the liberating disguises inside Arden’s bucolia, this production of the Bard’s pastoral comedy begins the dress-up long before its characters enter the forest for their games on gender and identity.

Duke Frederick’s court resembles that of Louis XVI’s Versailles, with flamboyant gesticulations that seem to belong to Molière. It is Shakespeare, but it could be a French period romp. Costumes become plainer and more earthy in Arden. Is there a suggestion that these characters live their courtly lives in a constant state of disguise?

The explosion of ticks and Alpha-gal syndrome

This year, ER visits for tick bites have increased dramatically, corresponding with a new threat: a rise in Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), where one bite from a lone star tick can make you violently allergic to red meat. How can you best avoid tick bites?

Aardman’​s Peter Lord and David Sproxton: ‘At the Oscars, I went to the gents and had a pee with Jack Nicholson!’

The ​s​tudio’s co-founders on ​accidentally creating Morph, not wanting a yacht in the Maldives and being each other’s best ally

Peter Lord and David Sproxton are the founders of Aardman Animations. The pair began animating as teenagers, selling their first short – starring a superhero called Aardman – to the BBC’s Vision On in 1972. In 1977, they created Morph for the children’s programme Take Hart. The studio’s breakthrough into adult audiences came via Channel 4’s Conversation Pieces series, and its animators, including a young Nick Park, went on to make Wallace & Gromit, whose films have won multiple Academy Awards. Aardman became employee-owned in 2018, with Lord and Sproxton transferring majority ownership to staff to safeguard the company’s independence. They were knighted earlier this year.

Becerra, running for governor of California, faces a health insurance problem

The nation's uninsured rate hit a historical low when Xavier Becerra was health secretary. Now he wants to be California's next governor as Trump's actions have driven people off health insurance.

Tropical Storm Moke to cause more flooding as Hawaii recovers from Lala

More than a foot of rain could fall across Big Island of Hawaii, according to NOAA.

Cheerleaders and a tennis-playing robot: photos of the weekend

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

How to make the perfect zaru soba, or cold soba noodles – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect

Hot days call for cool dinners, and these are Japan’s nutty, salty and sweet solution. Fiery or pickled accompaniments optional

Although every culture craves something different in hot weather – chilled beetroot soup in Lithuania, cooling buttermilk drinks in India, gazpacho in Spain – what many of these dishes have in common is a certain soothing silkiness as they slide down the throat, plus a decent helping of salt. Japan’s zaru soba, which Namiko Hirasawa Chen of Just One Cookbook describes as her family’s “go-to meal when the summer heat and humidity soar”, is no exception. Cold, slippery noodles paired with a savoury dipping sauce, it’s a simple, satisfying dish that’s ready in 15 minutes, and can be accessorised with crunchy salads, sweet seafood or creamy tofu sides for something more substantial. Traditionally served on a bamboo mat, or zaru, to allow the noodles to drain, you can get away without one at home (though lose the seaweed and you can call it mori soba instead), this is definitely one to stick in your summer repertoire alongside the chilled soups, watermelon salads and cucumber sandwiches.

After 10 years at United, CEO Scott Kirby is thinking big about the future of his airline from JFK to AI

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby talked to CNBC in a wide-ranging interview about his proposed airline megadeals, AI and the future of the carrier.

United's next decision: What to do with all those Boeing 737 Max 10 seats it ordered years ago

United Airlines wanted to put lie-flat premium seats on its Max 10 planes once they were certified, but that has been delayed by years.