NBA finals 2026 Game 4: San Antonio Spurs v New York Knicks – live updates

• Knicks host Spurs with 2-1 lead in best-of-seven series

• Chuck D: Spurs can’t Knicks’ desperation in NBA finals

• How New York Knicks finals fever reached Rikers Island

• Reach out to Beau on Bluesky or by email

The call is overturned. I await an explanation.

Spurs 5-2 Knicks, 10:55, 1st qtr: Definitely not what the Knicks wanted at the outset – a foul on Karl-Anthony Towns, the big man who battled Wemby to a standstill in the first two games of the series. De’Aaron Fox hits both free throws.

Middle East crisis live: US says second day of Iran strikes ‘completed’; Tehran claims it has targeted US base in Bahrain

US military says commercial ships are continuing to transit the strait of Hormuz, contradicting claims from Iran that the strait has been closed

• US strikes Iran for second day, as ceasefire appears close to collapse

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

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

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

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

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

Ukraine war briefing: Flamingo missiles hit more far-flung Russian targets

Military factory in Cheboksary lies 900km from frontline; Zelenskyy inaugurates ‘Day of the Unmanned Systems Forces’. What we know on day 1,569

Long-range Ukrainian attacks hit targets deep inside Russia on Wednesday. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, said Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles hit a military factory in Cheboksary that supplies components for Russian drones and missiles. It is located in the Chuvashiya region more than 900km (560 miles) from the frontline. The Astra online news outlet reported that the Ukrainian strike hit the VNIIR-Progress plant that produces antennas for drones. Oleg Nikolayev, the head of Chuvashiya, confirmed the attack.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces also struck a refinery in Russia’s Samara region, where the governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, confirmed industrial plants were damaged by drone strikes and three people were injured. Astra carried images of a large fire at the Samara refinery. It matches with reporting by Reuters citing industry sources who said Russian oil producer Rosneft’s Kuibyshev refinery in Samara halted oil processing on 10 June after a drone attack.

Kuibyshev refinery is part of Rosneft’s Samara refining hub, which also includes Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran plants. Syzran has been offline since 21 May after a drone attack. Novokuibyshevsk had to shut down on 18 April after a drone attack and has been running at reduced throughput. Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s SBU security service also targeted two oil infrastructure facilities in Russia’s Vladimir region, about 700km from the frontline. And a fire broke out in the area surrounding Russia’s Afipsky refinery in southern Krasnodar, with a gas pipeline also damaged, Russian authorities said.

Zelenskyy declared Thursday 11 June 2026 the inaugural “Day of the Unmanned Systems Forces” – to be celebrated annually in a show of “respect and gratitude” to the Ukrainian military’s drone branch. “For the first time in the world, such a branch of the military was created, in Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy. “We are developing the USF to the max, and it is Ukrainians who have proved that through technology, ingenuity, and courage, we can change the nature of warfare.”

Russian investigators said on Wednesday that they had arrested at least two suspects after two car bombings in Moscow. Pjotr Sauer writes that one explosion killed Col Damir Davydov, 57, head of the Russian military’s artillery and missile ammunition supply directorate, which oversees the distribution of weapons to the armed forces. The bomb under his BMW went off at about 5.30am on Tuesday in the city of Balashikha, the independent outlet Astra reported. Another bomb was found before it went off and in that case a boy and a girl in their teens had been charged, said Russia’s state investigative committee. The alleged target was an employee of a scientific production enterprise.

Ukrainian forces struck the Russian-occupied port of Mariupol, Kyiv said on Wednesday, the latest in a series of drone attacks on logistics across a critical stretch of Moscow-held southern Ukraine connecting Russia to Crimea. The attack on the port, which Ukraine’s military said plunged the site into a blackout, followed two strikes earlier this week on the Chonhar bridge linking the Russian-occupied Kherson region to the Black Sea peninsula, which Moscow seized in 2014. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, said the bridge had been hit twice and traffic had been suspended.

Far-right influencer arrested in Texas on charge of making terroristic threats

Jake Lang, a far-right influencer who was charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, was arrested in Dallas on a state charge of making terroristic threats.

Accused LA wildfire arsonist wanted ‘revenge on society’, prosecutors say as trial opens

Defense says no evidence occasional Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht ignited deadly blaze on New Year’s Day 2025

The trial of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting last year’s deadly Palisades fire, kicked off on Wednesday with opening arguments. Prosecutors cast him as a vengeful arsonist who sought to hide his role from authorities, while his defense attorneys argued that the fire was caused by fireworks.

On New Year’s Day in 2025, firefighters extinguished a small blaze in the Pacific Palisades, a coastal Los Angeles enclave. But the flames continued to smolder underground, before reigniting as they were picked up by strong winds. The Palisades fire, the most destructive wildfires in city history, tore through roughly 23,000 acres, incinerating thousands of buildings and killing 12 people.

The bird brooch that defied the Nazis: Cartier’s diamond menagerie – in pictures

Fresh from a sell-out showing at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Cartier is coming to the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne as part of the gallery’s Winter Masterpieces series. The exhibition features more than 350 jewels, including gemstones the size of golf balls, and tells the story of how three brothers – Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier – took their grandfather’s small Parisian business and transformed it into a global sensation.

Throughout the tumultuous 20th century, Cartier was the jeweller of choice for the 0.1% – adorning aristocrats, industrialists and actors. Many of the maison’s most opulent and exquisitely crafted jewels drew inspiration from the natural world. Here, NGV senior curators Dr Miranda Wallace and Amanda Dunsmore explore Cartier’s ongoing fascination with animals

• Great dynasties of the world: The Cartiers

In a tough economy, many U.S. teachers forced to work second jobs

According to a recent survey, 71% of U.S. public school teachers said they work at least one second job.

Hong Kong files manslaughter charges against seven people and two firms in deadly apartment fires

Massive blaze in eight high-rise apartment blocks killed 168 people in one of the world’s deadliest residential building fires

Hong Kong has filed manslaughter charges against several people and companies over the world’s deadliest residential building fire in decades, which killed 168 people at a public housing estate last year.

The massive blaze, which engulfed seven of the eight high-rise apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court estate in November, prompted a months-long investigation into the cause.

Oracle beats on earnings, but stock drops on plans to raise another $20 billion

Oracle topped quarterly expectations, but free cash flow is negative, and the company plans to raise more capital for data center projects.

Pacific nation of Nauru wants to change its name as it moves on from colonial past

Island may soon be called Naoero – an Indigenous name that honours the country’s heritage and identity

Nauru, the world’s smallest republic, may soon make a big change: renaming itself “Naoero”.

The switch would “more faithfully honour our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity”, said the president of the Pacific microstate, David Adeang, in a speech to parliament in January.

6/10: The Takeout with Major Garrett

U.S. forces conduct more strikes against Iran; House member describes Bill Gates' Epstein testimony.

Police use water cannon against rioters in Northern Ireland

Force disperses crowd of 300 people who burned truck and reportedly planned to target hotel hosting migrants

Police have used water cannon against rioters in Northern Ireland during a second night of anti-immigration protests.

It dispersed a crowd of about 300 people who burned a truck and threw bricks and petrol bombs close to the Sandyknowes roundabout near Newtownabbey, eight miles north of Belfast.

A look at the global fanfare for the World Cup

The world's eyes are focused on North America, as the Men's World Cup kicks off in Mexico City on Thursday, with matches in the U.S. and Canada on Friday. Matt Gutman reports.

Ruthless Australia set sights on T20 World Cup after clinical warmup win over West Indies

• World No 1 easily chase 131 to win by six wickets

• Georgia Voll hits 77no off 48 with 10 fours and two sixes

Sophie Molineux’s Australian team, without a world title to their name, look determined to put matters right at the Women’s T20 World Cup, if the ruthless manner of their warm-up wins is anything to go by.

After crushing tournament hosts England on Monday, world No 1 Australian hammered West Indies by six wickets in Cardiff for their last warmup match on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) before launching their campaign against South Africa this weekend.

Bill Gates tells Congress that meeting Epstein was "a grave error in judgment"

Bill Gates told members of Congress on Wednesday that Jeffrey Epstein put his philanthropic work at risk, and that meeting him represented "a grave error in judgment."

Teachers turning to side hustles to pay the bills: "I'm going to just keep hustling"

Over a third of U.S. workers now hold multiple jobs just to keep up, according to a recent survey by ZipRecruiter. Meg Oliver shows how many school teachers are working side hustles in this "Affordability in America."

French star Patrick Bruel charged with rape and sexual assault

Singer and actor has denied all charges after more than 20 women came forward with allegations going back to the 1990s

The French singer Patrick Bruel has been charged with rape and sexual assault in one of the biggest #MeToo cases in the French music industry.

The 67-year-old, a major figure in French pop culture, was placed under formal investigation over several cases that included alleged rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Florida man blames wrongful arrest on "error-prone" AI facial recognition

The wrongful arrest is just one of over a dozen in recent years linked to facial recognition technology.

Bill Gates faces hours of questioning over Jeffrey Epstein ties

One of the richest men in the world, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, testified about his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday. Gates told lawmakers he never saw Epstein engage in criminal conduct. Nikole Killion reports.

Desperate search in California for missing girl, swept away by rip currents

Rescue teams battled swirling and dangerous surf, searching for a young girl swept away in Orange County on Tuesday night. The girl's family was walking on the sand when a wave and strong rip currents carried them out. Her mother and a sibling were rescued. Jonathan Vigliotti reports.

Outbreak of dangerous weather hits U.S.

A multi-day severe storm threat widened to more than 100 million Americans. In addition to tornadoes, forecasters are looking out for hail storms, damaging winds and temperatures soaring into the triple digits. Tom Hanson reports.

Inflation topped 4% in May as CPI surged to highest level in 3 years

The Consumer Price Index rose last month at a 4.2% annual rate amid a spike in U.S. energy prices.

U.S. inflation hits 3-year-high

The U.S. saw its highest inflation since April 2023 in May, according to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Kelly O'Grady has more.

Trump says it's time for Iran to "pay the price" as U.S. announces new strikes

The U.S. military said it launched new attacks on Iran on Wednesday, with President Trump saying it's time for the regime to "pay the price." Ed O'Keefe reports.

Gordon makes his point as England breeze past Costa Rica in final World Cup warm-up

It was the day when Thomas Tuchel showed his hand for England’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas next Wednesday and his players hinted at what can happen when they play with intensity and slick connections.

The paucity of the opposition had to be considered. Costa Rica barely even saw the ball; it was entirely a rearguard effort from them. But there was nevertheless encouragement for Tuchel, who went strong with his line-up, the occasion framed, really, by who he picked at the outset.

FBI seizing evidence at California plant where chemical tank overheated

Federal authorities served a search warrant on Wednesday at a Southern California aerospace facility where a chemical tank overheated last month, forcing 50,000 residents to evacuate because authorities feared an explosion.

Haiti forced to change World Cup jerseys after Fifa rejects ‘political’ elements

• Shirts had included imagery evoking Haitian revolution

• Winter Olympics team also had to redesign uniforms

• World Cup newsletter | Daily podcast | Download the app

Haiti have been made to find new jerseys on the eve of the 2026 World Cup, after Fifa deemed certain elements to be too political in nature. The Concacaf qualifiers are set to open their group stage against Scotland on Saturday.

In a statement responding to the decision, kit manufacturer Saeta confirmed that it had worked with Fifa to ensure the design would meet requirements, even having “successfully implemented the requested modifications” during the mandatory review process.

Brunel’s SS Great Britain site drops historical name in ‘cool’ rebrand

New name, Bristol Dockyards, and museum revamp aimed at becoming more rooted in community, says chief executive

One of the UK’s maritime landmarks is being renamed as part of a drive to make it “cooler” and more inclusive.

For a decade, the dockland site in Bristol that houses the ocean liner SS Great Britain, which was designed by the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, has been promoted as Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

Ghana World Cup 2026 team guide

Antoine Semenyo will need help from his supporting cast but there is plenty of excitement about a 20-year-old midfielder likened to Michael Essien

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

Sole survivor of Air India crash demands ‘honesty and answers’ one year on

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only passenger to survive the incident in June 2025, which killed 260 people

The only survivor of the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people in June 2025 has called for “honesty, transparency and answers” a year on from the disaster, and spoken about his “significant psychological scars” and financial hardship.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, has previously described his fate as a “miracle” after being the only person to survive the incident, in which a Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport.

U.S. military says it's striking 'multiple targets' in Iran in 2nd day of renewed fire

The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with President Trump warning that Tehran would "pay the price" for stalled negotiations.

6/10: CBS Evening News

U.S. military announces new strikes against Iran; inflation hits 3-year high in May.

Trump administration land gift to SpaceX would hurt Texas habitat, lawsuit says

Environmental groups say exchange between US government and SpaceX would worsen ecological risks

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Environmental groups on Wednesday sued in an attempt to stop the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres (280 hectares) of wildlife refuge in Texas, claiming it would worsen ecological risks to a Gulf coast region already transformed by billionaire Elon Musk’s rocket operations.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service this month approved moving forward with the deal with SpaceX, which would surrender 683 acres (276 hectares) the company owns in exchange for federal land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley national wildlife refuge. The 103,000-acre (41,700-hectare) refuge spans four counties along the Texas border and is home to animal habitats and historical landmarks.

USDA's Rollins called screwworm a 'little pest' amid U.S. spread. Last year, she called it 'terrifying'

The U.S. agriculture secretary is downplaying the threat posed by the spreading screwworm now compared with her more dire remarks last year.

Analysis: Trump said he loves inflation. Why that should be music to Kevin Warsh's ears

The president said Wednesday he is happy with inflation at 4.2%. That will be welcome news for new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh.

Chiefs sign Patrick Mahomes to restructured contract worth more than $500m

• Quarterback has two years added to his deal

• Contract will last until Mahomes is 38

The Kansas City Chiefs and their starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, have agreed to a restructured contract that adds two years to his deal and pushes his total compensation past a half-billion dollars, according to sources.

Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450m contract in 2020 that set a benchmark not only for the quarterback position but for any NFL player. The latest extension ties the two-time MVP to the Chiefs through the 2033 season, when Mahomes will be 38, and it comes in at $504.75m, with incentives and escalators that could push the value beyond $520m.

Trump says "I love the inflation" because U.S. is "taking out" Iranian oil

President Trump said the U.S. has taken out "millions" of barrels of Iranian oil in the dead of night, and said inflation will come down when the war ends.

American's birth rate has plunged. Are smartphones to blame?

The iPhone was introduced in 2007, the same year the U.S. birth rate started to slide. The issues could be linked, a new analysis finds.

Trump keeps saying an Iran deal is close. Markets keep believing it

Analysts still assume that, despite the continued conflict, a deal will eventually be reached that ends the war and reopens the Strait of Hormuz.

Gianni Infantino tells football fans to ‘chill’ in response to Fifa’s critics

• Fifa president defends handling of tournament

• ‘Screaming and shouting does not find a solution’

Gianni Infantino told football fans to “chill and relax” on the eve of the World Cup, while Fifa faced criticism from the United Nations over the immigration issues that have overshadowed the buildup to the tournament.

The Fifa president launched a staunch defence of his organisation’s handling of the tournament, particularly regarding ticket prices and visa problems, and claimed no one else would have been able to secure the participation of Iran, who are at war with one of the three host nations, the United States.

American teenager Lutkenhaus stuns Olympic champion as Gout learns lesson

• Cooper Lutkenhaus, 17, wins 800m by 0.01sec

• Gout Gout sixth; Tebogo says: ‘He has a long way to go’

There are few venues more deeply embedded into track and field’s soul than the Bislett Stadion. An extraordinary 70 world records have been set here. Plenty of reputations have been made. Plenty more left frayed, too.

And so it proved again as the brilliant 17-year-old American Cooper Lutkenhaus added to his staggering résumé by taking down the Olympic 800m champion, Emmanuel ­Wanyonyi, with a race for the ages in Oslo. But another, the Australian star Gout Gout, learned what it is like in the big leagues.

Trump doubles down on Pulte for DNI, as Congress eyes short-term patch for foreign surveillance law

Unless Congress acts, a key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will expire at the end of this week.

Somali World Cup referee denied U.S. entry, hailed as hero at home

A World Cup dream denied — Somali referee Omar Artan receives a hero's welcome at home after being blocked from entering the United States and taking part in the World Cup.

Nottingham Forest reject Manchester City’s £122m bid for Elliot Anderson

• City intensify their pursuit of England midfielder

• Forest want fee to match British record £125m for Isak

Manchester City have made a second bid worth £122m for Elliot Anderson which has been rejected by Nottingham Forest, who want a British record transfer fee of £125m before any add-ons for the England midfielder.

City’s offer follows an initial bid of £80m for the 23-year-old and is worth a guaranteed £106m plus £16m in potential add-ons. This would break the club’s record transfer of £100m paid to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in August 2021.

F1 leaders agree 2027 and 2028 engine changes to placate Verstappen and co

• Changes will address energy management issues

• Verstappen one of most outspoken critics of current rules

The key players in Formula One have come to an agreement to settle the proposed changes to the sport’s engines for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. These have been seen as crucial in addressing widespread driver dissatisfaction with the current formula, not least for the four-time champion Max Verstappen who has repeatedly threatened to leave the sport owing to how unhappy he is with the current engine rules.

Verstappen has been particularly outspoken, declaring the rules “anti-racing”, but he has been far from alone. The FIA, teams, engine manufacturers and F1’s owners have since been in discussions looking at ways to address the issue. Notably their resolution does not reach the minimum scale of improvement Verstappen believed was needed until 2028.

Veterans and relatives see no place for Trump's arch near Arlington National Cemetery

Three Vietnam War veterans are suing to stop President Trump from building an arch just steps from Arlington National Cemetery, where 400,000 service members, veterans and their relatives are buried.

Bill Gates tells House panel 'I should have never met' with Jeffrey Epstein

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

Report: ICE wasted millions, endangered detainees in largest immigration facility

Since the opening of Camp East Montana in Texas last year, immigration lawyers and rights advocates have expressed concerns about conditions inside the facility.

The theory taking the rich by storm: China funds data center haters

Tech millionaires claim China is behind a wave of local opposition to U.S. data centers, while providing little direct evidence.

Amazon trucking expansion sparks freight stock sell-off

Amazon has been spinning out more of its in-house logistics offerings for others to access, posing a growing threat to industry incumbents.

‘Not in our best moment’: strikes and tension temper World Cup buzz in Mexico City

An escalating teachers’ strike and concerns around public perception have left locals with complicated feelings on the eve of the tournament’s opener

• World Cup newsletter | Daily podcast | Download the app

Mexico City’s Plaza de la Constitución sits in the middle of the city’s historic center and has been a gathering place since Aztec times. Nobody here calls it by its formal name, referring to it instead as the Zócalo. Framed by centuries-old cathedrals and government buildings, it is one of the largest city squares on earth, a monument to Mexico’s colonial past and cosmopolitan present.

It is also a block southwest of the Templo Mayor, a place Aztec mythology referred to as the center of the universe. In more recent times, Fifa has done its best to make the plaza the center of the footballing universe. Mexico City is preparing to host the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, and the Zócalo has been converted into the city’s fan festival. A massive video screen dwarfs almost everything else in the plaza.

NASA chief defends choice of all-male crew for Artemis III mission

NASA's Jared Isaacman says the crew was selected solely based on their experience, expertise and availability for flight assignment.

Mauricio Pochettino: ‘No one sees the USA as a contender – but why not?’

The men’s head coach discusses his ‘American dream’ at the World Cup and tempering the host nation’s ‘arrogant’ expectations

This American dream begins in small-town Murphy, Santa Fe. That’s Santa Fe, Argentina, at a little club where the old folk played bochas, a kind of boules, and they had one of the few colour television sets. It was 1978, Mauricio Pochettino was six years old and he can see it perfectly, still feel the meaning of it all.

“I lived in a prefab with my grandmother and my older brother because my parents were off working the land, then at the weekend we would go to the club,” he says. “There were three courts and I remember standing there, hanging on to my dad’s pocket, watching the World Cup. The ticker-tape at River [Plate], that image engraved. Passarella, Ardiles, Luque, Bertoni, Kempes, Fillol, Tarantini … my heroes.”

Trump says 'I love the inflation' after consumer price index hits 3-year high

President Trump suggested that inflation would drop when the U.S. war against Iran ends, and said, "We've been taking out millions of barrels of oil."

ICE mandates additional training for new hires after backlash

ICE has extended training for new officers and mandated additional instruction for those onboarded under a shortened process that has now been scrapped.

Crowds turn out in Barcelona for pope blessing Sagrada Família’s final tower

As completion of 144-year basilica nears, questions swirl over resemblance of church to architect’s original plans

It has been a long wait but 144 years after work began, Pope Leo XIV has blessed the recently completed central tower of Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família church in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister and hundreds of bishops.

With the completion of the Jesus Christ tower, the tallest of 18 in the temple, the basilica has reached its full height of 172.5 metres. It is now not only the world’s tallest church but Barcelona’s tallest building. It was consecrated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Trump signs $70 billion immigration funding bill after months of delay

The $70 billion package will fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the end of President Donald Trump's term.

Company that bet big on Trump-backed crypto says its fortunes have improved

AI Financial Corp. says it has mitigated some of the concerns that prompted it to say earlier that it may not be able to stay in business.

Record winter temperatures in Antarctic raise fears over speed of climate breakdown

Temperatures above 15C ‘very strange’ say scientists, as snow melts and rain falls on glaciers in usually frozen region

Temperatures in the Antarctic climbed above 15C this month, shattering the previous winter heat record for the usually frozen region and raising concerns about the speed of climate breakdown.

The new winter peak temperature was logged by the Argentinian Esperanza base on the Trinity peninsula on 6 June amid a protracted heatwave, when the maximum daily temperature exceeded zero degrees for three consecutive weeks.

Wall Street needs a crash course in the token economy ahead of AI IPOs. SpaceX offers a preview

When OpenAI and Anthropic make their IPO prospectuses available to the public, investors are going to have to learn about a whole new economy.

Glenn Close and Ridley Scott among names set to receive honorary Oscars

The actor and director who have long been snubbed will finally take home Oscars at November’s Governors awards

Glenn Close and Ridley Scott are among the names set to receive honorary Oscars at this year’s Governors awards.

The two have long been snubbed at the Oscars, with Close receiving eight nominations and Scott receiving four. The pair will be awarded this November alongside animator Floyd Norman and producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler.

Ben Jennings on Britain’s anti-immigration protests – cartoon

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The Guardian view on far-right violence: digital radicalisation is threatening democracy | Editorial

Violence on the streets of Northern Ireland is the real-world expression of a sinister mechanism that goes unchecked online

Masked men who drive terrorised families out of their homes cannot be called protesters, since the word implies legitimate grievance. The outbreak of racist violence in Northern Ireland this week is connected to the politics of migration, but not in the way that the mob and those who incited it claim.

The ostensible trigger was a brutal assault, partially captured on video. A man of Sudanese origin has been charged with attempted murder. The footage was widely shared online. The attack was depicted as part of a wider threat to white Britons by foreign “invaders”. Far-right agitators summoned vengeful crowds. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the activist who campaigns as Tommy Robinson, was instrumental in this process. So was Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, whose platform helped mobilise racist fury.

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

The Guardian view on the men’s World Cup: the build-up was unedifying, but now the football takes over | Editorial

Rows over US visas and excessive ticket prices have overshadowed flawed tournament preparations. But fans will still hope for a gripping spectacle

One hundred and four matches involving 48 competing nations, to be played in 16 venues across a continent and four time zones: the sheer scale of the men’s World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico, which begins on Thursday and ends on 19 July, makes it easily the biggest and longest football tournament ever staged.

Whether it will ultimately be judged the greatest in sporting terms will depend on the 1,248 players competing in gruelling conditions, ranging from the heat of Houston to the high altitude of Guadalajara. But after a lead-up marred by hubristic hype, visa rows and the eye-watering cost of buying tickets for games, for many people it will be a relief when Mexico finally kick off against South Africa in the Estadio Azteca on Thursday evening.

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

Kieran McKenna steps down as Ipswich manager ‘with great pride’ to take break

• Manager keen to spend more time with family

• Ipswich chair Mark Ashton ‘gutted’ by decision

Kieran McKenna has stepped down as Ipswich’s manager after four and a half years in charge of the Suffolk club, who will return to the Premier League next season.

The 40-year-old will take a break from management and is understood not to have a position lined up. McKenna had been linked with the vacant job at Fulham, who held an interest in him, but his departure is linked with a desire to recharge and spend more time with his family.

Honda recalls 880,000 vehicles over possible rear suspension issue

The recall affects certain Honda Pilot, Ridgeline, Passport, and Acura MDX vehicles sold in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

Hegseth warns Cuba against acquiring weapons in visit to Guantánamo Bay

US defense secretary continues ramp-up of pressure against country including sanctions and devastating oil blockade

Pete Hegseth has warned Cuba against acquiring weapons that could threaten the United States, during a visit to the US military base at Guantánamo Bay.

Washington has ramped up pressure against Cuba with sanctions and a devastating oil blockade, and Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled that the Cuban government could be the next after Venezuela to fall to US pressure.

‘It was so terrifying’: care workers tell of being trapped at home by Belfast mob

Sumayah Nakazibwe and Stella Ariokot feared they would be next as fires took hold of neighbouring houses

For four hours, two Ugandan care workers, Sumayah Nakazibwe and Stella Ariokot, were barricaded into their house near Crumlin Road, north Belfast, as smoke leaked in, and flames licked the walls of neighbouring properties.

“It all started like people were just marching, young boys between the age of nine and 20,” Nakazibwe said. “They were all putting on black, and masked.”

Pay what you wish: the restaurant where customers can eat for free – if their conscience lets them

Ever since the Post Modern Times cafe in Minneapolis ditched its price list, half the customers have chosen not to pay. It’s still making a profit

Name: Pay what you wish.

Age: Popular since the 00s, but dating back to at least the 80s.

Four days of extreme rain in Indonesia killed 7% of world’s rarest great apes, study finds

Critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan population falls after heavy rain and landslides, fuelled by climate crisis, in North Sumatra

Extreme rainfall and landslides fuelled by the climate crisis killed 7% of the remaining population of the world’s rarest great ape, a study has found, prompting fears for the species’ survival.

The research suggests 58 out of the remaining 800 critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans (Pongo tapanuliensis) were killed after more than 1,000mm (39in) of rain fell over four days in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province in November 2025. This equates to 11% of the local population and 7% of the entire species.

David Harbour on Lily Allen’s West End Girl album: ‘It wasn’t my experience’

Stranger Things actor makes first public comments about his ex’s revealing hit album which tracks the dissolution of a relationship

David Harbour has spoken about his ex Lily Allen’s tell-all album West End Girl for the first time in a new interview.

The Stranger Things actor, who is on the Emmys trail for the HBO crime drama DTF St Louis, separated from the singer in early 2025 after they married in 2020. The couple filed for divorce months after their separation.

The most 'inclusive' World Cup ever? Doesn't look like it ...

When the best referee in Africa is barred from working at the World Cup after being denied entry at the border, claims of this being an inclusive tournament ring hollow.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan was supposed to make history this week, becoming the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup, instead, he is watching from home.

In this video, Morgan Ofori digs into a historic year for African nations against the backdrop of US travel bans.

Pump-action soap dispensers are a disgrace – and I won’t put up with them any longer | Adrian Chiles

Enough is enough. Either give us a simple squeezy bottle that actually works or bring back the tried-and-tested solid bars

Even as I pick it off the shelf, I know it will let me down. I rate the chances of it working no better than 50/50. So why do I buy it, when the dead hand of impending disappointment taps so insistently on my shoulder? I speak of something so simple, so common and so mundane that this must be the very reason we keep buying the wretched things even though at least half the time they don’t work. They’re too trivial to make a fuss about. This must change. We must fight back.

I speak of pump-action dispensers on small plastic vessels of liquid soap, hand creams and a whole range of products that, in most cases, will not end up being dispensed via the dispensers with which they are supplied.

UFC champion says he has been banned from White House fight over criticisms of Trump

Sean Strickland claims he was not cleared to attend the UFC event because he ‘made fun of Israel and Epstein’

The only current American men’s UFC champion says he has been barred from Sunday’s fight card on the south lawn of the White House because he dared to criticize Donald Trump, Israel and Jeffrey Epstein.

On Tuesday night, middleweight champion Sean Strickland wrote on X that he had been informed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that he had not been cleared to attend the event by the White House.

Taiwan drills with U.S. rocket system, firing in China's direction

The drill on Wednesday marked the first time the U.S.-supplied HIMARS system has been fired into the Taiwan Strait.

‘A poisoned chalice’: will Doctor Who survive Russell T Davies’s exit?

The lowest ever viewing figures, an identity crisis for the show and a confusing Billie Piper-based cliffhanger – whoever takes on the BBC fantasy drama has quite the job on their hands …

The announcement that the BBC has abandoned the planned Doctor Who Christmas special, and is ending its partnership with showrunner Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf production company, will not have come as much of a surprise to many fans. It has been rumoured for some time. Aside from the gossip, the fact that no filming appeared to have taken place for a programme that traditionally requires a lengthy post-production process had already suggested something was up.

The BBC has said the show remains an important part of its portfolio, stating it wants to ensure that “when the Tardis lands once more, it does so in all its glory”. While it isn’t inconceivable that Bad Wolf might bid to make the show under a new regime, Davies appears to have hung up his Tardis keys for good, posting on Instagram: “Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next!”

England boosted by five-run win over India in final T20 World Cup warm-up

• Sciver-Brunt back to ‘normal self’ with half-century

• Jones: ‘I feel everything has been ticked off’

England’s World Cup preparations concluded with a five-run win in their final warm-up against India at Cardiff, in what will be a vital confidence-booster before their tournament opener against Sri Lanka on Friday evening.

England hit 171 for six, including a half-century from Nat Sciver-Brunt – the most time the England captain has spent at the crease since she suffered a calf injury six weeks ago. “She looks back to her normal self after a little bit of a break,” her teammate Amy Jones said, after sharing a 70-run partnership with her skipper. “It was great to see her whacking it everywhere.”

Deepest and most extensive whale graveyard discovered in Indian Ocean

Some remains found in Diamantina fracture zone date back more than 5m years and reveal species and ecosystems unknown to science

The oldest, deepest and most extensive whale graveyard yet discovered has been found in the south-eastern Indian Ocean, with fossils dating back more than 5m years.

Whale falls – the term for dead whales that sink to the ocean floor – are not uncommon, but most have been found at depths of less than 4km (2.5 miles). By contrast, the newly discovered necropolis reaches depths of more than 7km, and extends hundreds of miles across the sea floor.

There are no guardrails now on the right of UK politics: where Restore Britain goes, others will follow | Owen Jones

In the UK – and across the west - incendiary language and white supremacist policies are entering the political mainstream

What qualifies as too rightwing these days? It’s a question I’ve considered often in recent years. But it takes on even greater urgency when contemplating the rise of Restore Britain. Founded by multimillionaire businessman and former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, the party enjoys the active support of far-right tech bro Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. If Nigel Farage strikes you as a wet liberal, then Restore Britain may be the party you’ve been waiting for.

Its mission, it says, is to “reverse mass migration”. That means deporting not just undocumented migrants but “legally resident foreign nationals” who live in social housing, claim benefits or supposedly “fail to integrate” – a strikingly elastic category. Lowe himself declares that “millions and millions” need to leave or be made to leave. Officials and politicians “who knowingly placed dangerous third world savages in our communities” will be imprisoned.

Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

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‘Russian’ manicures are on the rise – but experts say a lot can go wrong

More customers are seeking out meticulous e-file manicures, but there are concerns about the risk of infection with the cuticle-raising beauty treatment

A drill with a speed of 35,000 revolutions per minute sits on Alina Huck’s orderly work station. The drill bit is the length of an almond, and as soon as it touches the client’s nail it whips up a fine dust of dead skin.

“It’s definitely a satisfying experience,” says Huck, a Sydney-based nail technician who has spent nearly a decade specialising in e-file manicures, also known as Russian manicures.

The truth about my famous ‘Party girl Kate Moss’ shot: Greg Brennan’s best photograph

‘The tabloids will always try to sensationalise. But it was 6.30pm. If Kate really had been falling out the door blind drunk, it’s not a picture I’d particularly want to take’

I have photographed Kate Moss a fair few times. The first time was probably around 1990, during the Johnny Depp days. I also shot her with Jefferson Hack and many of her other boyfriends, but it was only on official occasions, Topshop launches and things like that.

There was a period when whatever she did, 200 photographers would turn up. For her 33rd birthday, I was asked to cover her party at the Dorchester hotel. Then I got a call saying she was at the Donmar Warehouse theatre watching a matinee of a play with Rhys Ifans in it. “Could I go over there and get a picture of her leaving before arriving at the birthday party?” When I got there, there must have been 200-250 people outside. They had the front door surrounded – photographers, camera crews, fans, you name it. It was absolutely packed. I quickly realised that getting a decent picture was going to be very difficult.

Letter from Kyiv: The messed-up day-to-day of living under Putin’s cruel air war

People have absorbed violence and terror into their lives. Somehow, they keep going – quietly rescuing, evacuating, replacing, mending, adapting … and sometimes saving tiny animals

It was a glorious balmy night, and I was walking home from dinner. I’d just eaten fried red mullet from the Black Sea on a pavement terrace, listening to the cries of the last swifts as darkness crept over the city. A couple of blocks from where I was staying, there was a curious sight: a couple and their dog were standing over a hedgehog, which was standing seemingly irresolute in the road. I wasn’t sure the couple were doing the right thing by shining their phone torches at the poor creature, but their intentions were clear enough: they were trying to protect it and chivvy it out of the way of the traffic. As a car bore down, I flung myself into the street, like a latter-day Roberta from The Railway Children, and waved my arms to get the driver to stop. At the same time, the couple’s dog gave an encouraging bark to the tiny animal, which scuttled across to the opposite pavement, and into the safety of a yard.

Everything always feels heightened in Kyiv, and I was apt to overthink into this moment many metaphors of escape, protection and destruction. Hedgehogs, by the way, are a surprisingly common sight in Kyiv. So too are the “hedgehogs” made from metal beams welded together in a three-dimensional star-shape, a highly effective obstruction for tanks. (The other favoured tank obstructors are known as “dragon’s teeth”, because of their resemblance to monstrous molars rising from the ground.)

Consumer prices rose 4.2% annually in May, highest in three years

The consumer price index was expected to show a 4.2% gain from a year ago, according to the Dow Jones consensus estimate.

‘Demonized, called hysterical’: the rise of witchcraft retreats where US women go to defy man and church

In an age of spiritual isolation, witches are flocking to the woods of Ireland and elsewhere to form covens of ‘sisterhood’

On the floor of a sun-drenched room in a 200-year-old Irish estate, a group of 15 witches gather to commune with the spirits. Everyone has someone they want to talk to – dead ancestors, forest fairies, the witches who came before them – and the room has the same expectant charge as the first day of school. Some of the witches wear long black capes and bandannas. Some wear Columbia fleeces, spaghetti-strap tank tops and Adidas sneakers.

Isabella Ferrari, known as Penny the Witch, guides the women as they make divination maps, sheets of paper covered with “yeses” and “nos” that work like Ouija boards: the witches ask their questions and the spirits guide the crystal pendulums in their hands towards the answer. One of the women, Tara Monte, screeches as her pendulum begins circling uncontrollably. “Isabella, do I stop this? Someone really wants to talk to me.” Later, she will confess she believes it was her archangel Michael letting her know yes, her parents were proud of her. Yes, they still loved her.

U.S. bars entry of FIFA World Cup referee from Somalia

Federal immigration authorities barred a Somali soccer referee who was slated to officiate the FIFA World Cup from entering the U.S. over the weekend, citing "vetting concerns."

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

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

Stokes out of second Test with New Zealand over nightclub incident as Root made captain

• Stokes in talks with agent and advisers over his future

• Atkinson also left out, with Baker and Archer set to play

Joe Root will captain England in next week’s second Test against New Zealand after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the squad for breaking the team curfew as they celebrated victory in the first game of the series on Sunday night.

While the England & Wales Cricket Board continues its investigation into that incident Stokes, the team’s full-time captain, is being given some time to consider his future. He is reported to have spent Wednesday in meetings with his agent and advisers debating whether to stand down as captain permanently, or to end his international career completely. He may still choose to do neither, with the former England captain Michael Vaughan having joined those backing him to stay. “Yes, he broke a curfew,” Vaughan said. “Is that a sacking offence as England’s Test captain? I don’t think so. A short suspension would be fine, but this is not a big enough incident over which to lose the captaincy.”

Video shows family’s car slowing before Israeli troops shot dead Palestinian baby

Footage appears to contradict Israeli military’s account of killing of seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in West Bank

Footage has emerged that appears to contradict the Israeli military’s account of the shooting that killed seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in his mother’s arms, showing the family’s car slowing near a military post before soldiers opened fire.

On Friday, the killing of the infant by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank caused outrage, after soldiers opened fire on the family’s vehicle despite it having complied with an order to stop. Sam was killed and his mother, Daniyah Abu Haikal, and father, Fahed Abu Haikal, were both injured.

First trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook sequel The Social Reckoning

Oscar winner Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong to star in film focused on fallout from whistleblower Frances Haugen

The first trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to The Social Network has landed.

The Social Reckoning has been described as a film that isn’t a “straight sequel” but one that will still revisit Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.

Super Micro stock falls 13% on $7 billion financing plans as company touts AI server orders

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

Marty the moose and Le Mans hypercars: photos of the day – Wednesday

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

No fairytale: what happened to the real children behind fiction’s best-loved characters?

Peter Pan, Christopher Robin and Alice in Wonderland … being the star of a classic story might seem like a dream, but there’s a dark side, argues the author of The Children

I’d loved the children for years before discovering they were real. I can almost summon the magic I felt when I first saw the photographs that proved it: the little boy clad in an approximation of hunters’ skins, posing victorious. The dark-haired girl with the offset gaze, her interior expression that of a person just growing used to being looked at.

And – this is the one that really kills me – the big-eyed, dimple-chinned seven-year-old in a soft sweater and tenderly mummish haircut, clutching the teddy bear that would end up even more famous than he would.

World Cup 2026: Guardian writers’ predictions for the tournament

From marvelling at teenage wonderkids to tracking the world’s largest coffee pot, our team of writers outline their expectations for the jamboree in North America

• Use our Bracketology to click your way through the group stage and the knockouts to crown a champion

  
  

Spain and Portugal in the final, with Spain winning. I’ve played our Bracketology game 20 times and gotten 20 different paths but Spain always end up winning. Alexander Abnos

Inflation tops 4% for the first time in 3 years on spike in gasoline prices

Inflation has surged to its highest level in more than three years since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, triggering a surge in gasoline prices.

Sardinian beach bans umbrellas for people aged 10 to 65

Incredulous Italians ask if they should bring grandparents to beach to stay safe, after unpopular move in Villasimìus

Umbrellas have been banned on a beach in Sardinia for anyone between the ages of 10 and 65 in the latest flashpoint in Italy’s long-running beach disputes.

The measure was among several imposed by local authorities at Punta Molentis beach in Villasimìus, on Sardinia’s south-east coast, as part of an initiative to protect its pristine environment.

AI will help young workers 'mature' faster by automating grunt work, Thoma Bravo says, amid youth job crisis

"If you look at our associates, they're spending a lot less time doing models or comparables than before," Orlando Bravo, founder of Thoma Bravo, told CNBC.

AI backlash, single-player epics and Y2K nostalgia: eight trends from Summer Game Fest

From horror galore to Chinese action games, the key trends, trailers and surprises from Summer Game Fest’s many, many hours of streams and broadcasts

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Did you spend hours of your weekend watching a relentless series of video game adverts? No? I don’t blame you – Summer Game Fest, the collection of livestreams that has arisen in place of the giant annual E3 video game expo in Los Angeles, is extremely overwhelming. There are the bigger, longer shows: the PlayStation and Xbox streams, the main SGF show hosted by Geoff Keighley and Lucy James, Future’s duet of the Future Games Show and the PC Gaming Show. Each show is two hours long. Then there are all the indie showcases: cosy games, women-led games, Black voices in gaming, Day of the Devs. Between them, they show off hundreds of games that might pique your interest.

I picked out exactly 34 highlights here: the biggest news, the most interesting-looking smaller games. But from the barrage of trailers I was also able to discern some trends. Here’s what we can learn.

Parents in Australia: is the under-16s social media ban working?

Six months after Australia introduced its world-first ban on social media for under-16s, we would like to hear from parents and carers about whether it is making a difference

Six months after Australia introduced its under-16 social media ban, supporters say it is helping to protect young people online, while critics argue many teenagers are still using social media and that the restrictions are difficult to enforce.

As countries including the UK consider similar measures, and the Australian government is promoting the ban as a model for others, we’d like to hear from parents and carers about how it has affected their families.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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