US Open tennis 2026: Boulter in action, Norrie exits, Pegula and Medvedev advance on day one – live

• How the US Open became obscenely expensive

• Follow us on Bluesky | And you can mail Graham

Krejcikova gets in a muddle after squandering a 40-0 lead on serve. Deuce. She fights back though. Wins the game with a lovely serve down the T. All square at 2-2.

Paolini delivers a dominant effort on serve to change ends at 3-2 up.

Love Cheats review – one romance scam is so hideous that a woman takes it to parliament

From a man with triple lives to fake family deaths, the lies told by seemingly devoted partners in this series are shocking. But this is more than true crime entertainment – it is an enraged warning for other victims

A model turned DJ, Liv Nervo had forged an enviable career travelling the world with her sister and musical collaborator, Mim. Old cliches about being a strong, independent woman and not needing a man aside, it’s clear that Liv already had a fantastic life before she met her former partner, Matthew. A successful businessman, their paths first crossed when she played a private party on Richard Branson’s Necker Island. “I thought I had found the best guy in the world,” she says. “But it was all a lie.”

So begins the second series of Love Cheats, a stark and shocking true-crime show about people who think they’ve found the love of their life but are instead being pulled into audacious romance scams. Series one featured a fraudster impersonating a member of the nobility while leaving their victims to foot the bill for their lavish life, and another faking terminal cancer. Series two keeps the bar for grim deception high, beginning with Liv’s whirlwind romance with Matthew, who was desperate to have a family with her. Mim was equally taken in by her sister’s devoted new partner, who had made his fortune selling honey but wasn’t a fusty corporate type. “[Liv] used to date men with a briefcase,” she clarifies. “I would never date a man with a briefcase!”

Aon nears $17 billion deal to buy insurance broker USI from KKR, WSJ reports

Aon is nearing a roughly $17 billion deal, including debt, to acquire insurance brokerage USI from KKR, the Journal reported.

U.S. strikes Iranian rocket launchers near Strait of Hormuz

The last major U.S. strikes on Iran were carried out in late July.

Mikel Arteta ‘begging’ Premier League to expand 20-man matchday squads

• Arsenal manager says dropping players ‘affects wellbeing’

• Serie A allows 25-player matchday squads and La Liga 23

Arsenal have asked the Premier League to increase the size of matchday squads, with Mikel Arteta saying the current system is detrimental to player welfare. Top‑flight clubs can name 20 players for games, including a minimum of three homegrown players. In Spain’s La Liga, clubs can name a matchday squad of 23, while Italy’s Serie A allows 25.

Arsenal have competed on multiple fronts in recent seasons. Last year, as well as winning the Premier League, they reached the finals of the Champions League and Carabao Cup, as well as the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. With pressure increasing on the football calendar and players facing more matches, Arteta sees no reason why English teams should operate with smaller squads than those from other European leagues.

Grand Canyon flash floods leave around 15 missing, dozens evacuated

The flash floods hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon, the National Park Service said.

European football: Bellingham sparks Real Madrid’s cruise to maintain perfect start

• Promoted Málaga slump to 4-0 defeat at the Bernabéu

• Como defeat Napoli; Jones makes Inter debut in win

Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the season in La Liga with a comfortable 4-0 home ⁠win over promoted Málaga on Sunday, scoring three times inside 30 minutes before adding a late fourth.

Jude Bellingham’s brilliant solo opener, an own ⁠goal by the Málaga goalkeeper, ⁠Alfonso Herrero, and ​a sharp Kylian Mbappé volley in effect settled the contest before half-time, with the substitute Arda Guler wrapping up the victory in added time at ⁠the Bernabéu.

US strikes Iranian launchers on Larak island amid strait of Hormuz tensions

Attack was response to Islamic ⁠Revolutionary Guard Corps preparing rockets to launch sea mines into strait, says US

US forces have struck two Iranian launchers on Iran’s Larak island on Sunday, a US official said, marking the ⁠first known American strikes since late July.

“I can confirm that earlier today US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak island. Islamic ⁠Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait of Hormuz,” the official said.

Vigil review – this police thriller is twisty, explosive … and so boring

Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie are back trying to stop a third world war in the Arctic. There’s plenty of action – but it’s hard to root for heroes whose biggest personality traits are ‘being nice’ and ‘wears good glasses’

Like many a police procedural, Vigil always begins with a cold open. This time round, however, it’s absolutely freezing. We are, as per, thrown headlong into a niche and tangentially Scottish military world where a murder has occurred. The first series took place on board a nuclear submarine (the show is, confusingly, still named after the vessel), while the second split the action between an army airfield in Scotland and the fictional Middle Eastern nation of Wudyan.

For its third outing, we find ourselves in the (real) Arctic region of Svalbard. The area is supposedly demilitarised, but four British special forces agents are working undercover at a research centre, and tonight their mission is to extract a Chinese scientist who has made a discovery that could either save or destroy the world. En route, they’re ambushed by Russians who want whatever world-saving-or-destroying stuff she’s got. The scientist escapes – but one of the Brits later turns up dead in a Russian enclave.

All-time great Aaron Donald comes out of retirement to rejoin stacked LA Rams

• Los Angeles were already Super Bowl favorites

• Defensive tackle was 10-time Pro Bowler with Rams

• 35-year-old aiming to win second Super Bowl in LA

Aaron Donald, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, is coming out of retirement to rejoin his only professional team, the Los Angeles Rams.

During a 10-season career with the Rams, who drafted him with the 13th overall pick in 2014, Donald was a three-time defensive player of the year and an eight-time first team All-Pro. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams at the end of the 2021 season before announcing his retirement in March 2024 at the age of 32.

Michael Carrick hails Manchester United’s grit after rout of Ipswich

• Fernandes fires hat-trick as United enjoy home win

• ‘The way they bounced back, that’s the biggest thing’

A delighted Michael Carrick praised how Manchester United bounced back from the opening-weekend defeat at Hull with their 5-2 rout of Ipswich.

Bruno Fernandes’s hat-trick, scored in the 40th, 61st and 68th minutes, ensured United’s comeback win after Leif Davis’s opener. A Jacob Greaves own goal after 56 minutes and Bryan Mbeumo’s 82nd-minute strike completed the home scoring, Chuka Akpom’s added-time finish giving Ipswich their second.

Australian boxing great Tony Mundine dies aged 75

Father of former boxer and NRL star Anthony Mundine had a heart attack on Sunday

• Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains images and names of Indigenous Australians who have died

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

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Indigenous Australian boxing great Tony Mundine has died, aged 75.

The father of former boxer and NRL star Anthony Mundine had a heart attack on Sunday.

Ross Fire burns 85,000 acres, leaves destruction across 2 counties

The Ross wildfire has burned more than 80,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, forcing evacuations, closing roads and disrupting schools.

Joe Root urges England to celebrate Pakistan series win in ‘sensible, grown-up way’

• Team have faced off-field scandals over the last year

• Root: ‘It’s hard to win Test series so enjoy it’

Joe Root has called on his players to “celebrate in a sensible, grown‑up way” after they secured a first multi‑game series win since 2024 by beating Pakistan at Lord’s to take a 2-0 lead with one to play.

England’s recent opportunities for celebration have often resulted in scandal and Root intends to end the scandals rather than the celebra­tions. “It’s important we’re not ­talking about [off-field matters], absolutely,” he said. “But it’s hard to win Test matches, it’s hard to win Test series, so enjoy it and celebrate it, but in a sensible, grown-up way. It’s been a really good start to, I don’t know what you want to call it, this new team.”

Trump criticizes NBC over election comment as Treasury denies some NYT, WSJ and Bloomberg reporters G20 credentials

Trump's attack on NBC comes after the Treasury barred journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg from attending the G20.

Canada erects giant ‘Lake Ontario’ sign as spat with Trump over name escalates

Meanwhile, Trump posts video of himself kicking over a Lake Ontario sign and replacing it with Lake America sign

Donald Trump and Canada continued a verbal duel on Saturday over the US government’s administrative renaming of Lake Ontario, with the country erecting a giant sign saying “Lake Ontario. Now and Always” – and the American president posting a video of him tearing down an avatar of that sign, erecting a replacement saying Lake America, and dancing to YMCA.

Rhetoric over the naming of Lake Ontario is the public face of an escalating trade dispute between the US and its northern neighbor involving a 50% US tariff on Canadian steel and retaliatory tariffs from Ottawa.

Man killed by falling sign at Christian festival named as church pays tribute

Robert Guanco, 41, a pastor at Jesus Living Water church in Eastbourne, described as having ‘touched many lives’

A 41-year-old man who died after a large wooden sign fell at a Christian festival on Friday has been named as Robert Guanco, a pastor at a church in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

A tribute from his church on Sunday described him as a respected pastor who was a “loving husband” and “a devoted and caring father”.

Nicolás Maduro shares photos from New York prison: "We are standing firm"

In the two photographs, Venezuela's deposed leader Nicolás Maduro is wearing a gray tracksuit and making peace signs with his hands.

Google updates maps to show "Lake America" in U.S. after Trump order

Google announced that it had begun rolling out changes to how its maps display Lake Ontario's name, after President Trump signed an executive order changing it to "Lake America."

AI bursts to the front of Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary

The fight over AI and its associated data center infrastructure has spilled into election-after-election this year.

Lionel Messi’s ‘footballing beauty’ hailed as Miami crush Montreal; MLS roundup

• Messi nets four goals, adds assist in 7-1 Miami win

• Dejan Joveljić scores twice on Sounders debut

• Minnesota United score three times in four minutes

Inter Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos ran out of superlatives for Lionel Messi after the ⁠Argentine playmaker scored four goals in a Major League Soccer match for the first time in his career to ⁠inspire a 7-1 thrashing ⁠of CF ​Montreal on Saturday.

Messi’s four-goal haul and an assist came at a crucial time for Miami, helping them snap a ⁠five-game winless run across all competitions.

Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Aug. 30, 2026

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. John James join Margaret Brennan.

Trump-promoted Freedom Fuel stations sold gas a distributor says went unpaid for

A federal lawsuit claims that fuel distributor KRSM failed to pay for $4 million worth of fuel, some of which the company sold to the Freedom Fuel network.

‘GB News wouldn’t touch him’: Milo Yiannopoulos will struggle to fit in with UK right wing

‘Alt-right’ agitator and former Trump backer deported from US is said also to be too extreme for Reform

As he arrives back in the UK after being deported from the US by the Trump administration, the far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos may be wondering what lies ahead for him in his native country.

The “alt-right” agitator, 41, made his name in the US by promoting Donald Trump and associating with his allies before the 2016 election.

Blumenthal urges House to pass Russia sanctions amid "extreme urgency" in Ukraine

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut urged the House to approve the Senate-passed Russia sanctions bill amid a "moment of extreme urgency" in the war in Ukraine.

Headteacher saves 900 children from deadly flash flood in Nepal

Rajendra Dawadi ordered students to higher ground with moments to spare after receiving warnings from upstream

A headteacher in Nepal evacuated 900 children from a school moments before a deadly wall of water struck their town amid the devastating flash floods that have killed almost 800 people and left thousands missing.

Rajendra Dawadi decided to halt classes and order children to higher ground after receiving warnings about the scale of the flooding heading their way.

Indianapolis Colts player Keenan Allen arrested on drunken driving charges

Keenan Allen, a longtime NFL player who recently signed with the Indianapolis Colts, was arrested early Sunday for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, police said.

‘People should not feel guilty’: weekend lie-in may be good for you, experts say

Previous advice stressed risks of sleeping in but about 90 minutes extra could prevent high blood pressure

For years, experts have stressed the risks of lie-ins, warning that catching up on missed sleep at the weekend can disrupt the body’s internal clock and trigger adverse health effects.

Now analysis has produced a heartening caveat to that advice: if you do not overdo it, weekend lie-ins may be good for you, with an ideal benchmark of 1hr 27min extra in bed to protect against high blood pressure.

Transfer roundup: Ollie Watkins completes move to Al-Hilal from Aston Villa

• England forward’s exit continues busy summer for Villa

• News follows Emiliano Martínez moving to Chelsea

Al-Hilal have signed Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa, ⁠the two clubs announced on Sunday, as the 30-year-old striker ended a successful ⁠six-year spell with ⁠the ​Midlands club where he became their top scorer in the Premier League. The England international, who had ​two years left on ‌his Villa contract, has moved for a reported £51m.

Watkins ‌signed a three-year contract as Al-Hilal acquired ‌a proven goalscorer after he scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, including five goals in the Europa League as he helped deliver a European trophy to Unai Emery’s side.

Devastated by floods and overwhelmed by bodies, Nepalis weep for what remains of their homes

Relatives of those missing have been given PowerPoint slideshows of recovered bodies in effort to speed up identification of the dead

The bodies continue to wash up. But the morgues have already run out of room.

Since the deadly floods coursed through the Himalayan valleys of Nepal and Tibet, the numbers of people killed have continued to rise. The bodies have surfaced in their hundreds and continue to be pulled from the thick, tar-like mud that engulfed everything after the flood waters receded. By Sunday, the death toll stood at 804 in Nepal and Tibet.

The Guardian view on the rise of Germany’s AfD: mainstream parties must deliver a bolder response | Editorial

The far right is close to winning a state election for the first time since the second world war. A different economic approach is needed to combat it

The early autumn has become a time of foreboding and angst in German politics. In the eastern states that have become strongholds for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, it has regularly made headline-grabbing advances in September elections. Only the refusal of mainstream politicians to form coalitions with one of Europe’s most extreme movements has kept it out of power.

This year, the lights are flashing red. Next weekend, when voters in Saxony-Anhalt cast their ballots, the signs are that the traditional firewall may not be enough. In polling, the AfD is currently scoring above 40% in the state, which could win it enough seats to govern on its own. Compared with the last election in 2021, its support has doubled; backing for the closest challenger, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has tumbled by almost 15%.

The Guardian view on rare earths: it’s common sense to secure essential supply chains | Editorial

Outsourcing the industry to China cannot continue, but Europe knows it can no longer count on the US for a solution

The alarm sounded 16 years ago. In 2010, China blocked exports of key rare earths to Japan in a row over disputed islands in the East China Sea. The critical minerals are essential to everything from advanced weaponry and iPhones to electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines, so the rest of the world took note. But it didn’t take much action. China still accounts for about 70% of rare-earth mining globally and 90% of separation and processing.

Then, last year, Beijing forced Donald Trump to back away from his trade war – not with its retaliatory tariffs, but the curbing of rare-earth exports. A scramble for new supplies began in earnest. The year-long trade truce is due to expire in November. The price of erbium, an element essential to communications infrastructure, has already jumped because of fears that export controls will soon be renewed.

Cleverly avoids culture war issues in pitch to be next London mayor

Conservative hopeful says Sadiq Khan has ‘lost passion for the job’ and Andy Burnham is ‘very anti-London’

James Cleverly has pledged to run a “classically Conservative” campaign to become the mayor of London, insisting that his victory in the capital would be a stepping stone for Kemi Badenoch to become prime minister.

The former home and foreign secretary denied he had resigned from the shadow cabinet to run for mayor following a shift to the right under Badenoch’s leadership.

Tadej Pogacar shares picture from hospital after Vuelta-ending crash

• Slovenian awaiting surgery on collarbone after fall

• Mas extends overall lead by winning ninth stage

Tadej Pogacar, who was dramatically forced to withdraw from the Vuelta a España on Saturday after a heavy fall, has shared a photo of himself from hospital accompanied by the Bee Gees’ song Stayin’ Alive.

Pogacar, the clear leader of the Vuelta until his crash, greeted followers on his Instagram account with a photo showing him in a hospital bed wearing a neck brace. The Slovenian five-time Tour de France winner could also be seen with a plaster near his right eyebrow, as well as on his right hand, which he held in his usual gesture of raising his index finger and little finger.

The datacenter backlash is bringing the entire political spectrum together – against big tech billionaires

The movement against datacenters is uniting Americans because they perfectly illustrate how a few individuals hold all the power to control decisions that affect our lives

Bryce Gustafson has been knocking on doors in Indiana for more than a decade. The lead organizer with Citizens Action Coalition (CAC), a consumer and environmental organization, he usually encounters a mix of reactions when he’s out canvassing; whatever issue he’s talking about, there’s always at least a few people on the other side. But at a recent festival in the rural town of Monrovia, Indiana, he was struck by an unusual spirit of unity.

He was there about a proposed datacenter, a 550-acre (222-hectare) Google project in this small town of 1,600 people. “I had 50 people I talked to,” Gustafson told me. “Nobody wanted that datacenter in their community. And at least a half a dozen people came up to me to say, ‘Hey, I voted for Trump. What the heck’s he doing, supporting these things?’”

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Aug. 30): "By Design"

"Sunday Morning" presents its annual edition touching on all aspects of design, hosted by Jane Pauley.

He beat Big Tobacco. Will the same playbook work against Meta and social media?

Mike Moore beat Big Tobacco. Will the same playbook work against Meta and social media?

Nicola Jennings on Donald Trump, fossil fuels and climate disaster – cartoon

Continue reading...

Jason Arday accuser given three-month teaching ban but can continue research

Nathan Cofnas told by Ghent University to work remotely as US ambassador claims credit for lifting of suspension

Prof Jason Arday’s accuser Nathan Cofnas has been barred from teaching on Ghent University campus for three months but has been allowed to continue his research position.

Cofnas, an American academic, was suspended from his postdoctoral research position at the Belgian institution earlier this month pending a “preliminary investigation” launched after Arday’s death.

Chelsea hold off Brighton in 4-3 win but remain chaotic under Xabi Alonso

In the fullness of time Chelsea’s surrender against Brighton in April may be seen as the turning point. The humiliation accelerated Liam ­Rosenior’s demise and forced the Stamford Bridge hierarchy into a ­reckoning leading to the appointment of Xabi Alonso, a shift in ­transfer ­strategy, the birth of the JP Morgan front three and the end of ­Robert Sánchez’s time in goal.

For now, though, the argument that Emiliano Martínez is the final piece in the jigsaw seems a touch ­premature. With seven goals scored and five conceded while winning their first two league games, it is not hard to see where Chelsea need to improve in order to sustain a title challenge. They have to be savvier when ahead, and although the good has so far outweighed the bad Alonso could do with his side not dropping their guard when they have the ­opposition on the ropes.

At least eight dead and 18 missing after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus

Authorities say 237 people rescued and search under way for those who remain unaccounted for

At least eight people have died and 18 people are missing after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, local authorities said.

The territory’s prime minister, Ünal Üstel, told the state-run TRT news channel on Sunday that 237 people had been rescued. A search was under way for those who remained unaccounted for.

Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez defends ‘endless’ benefits of her oil deal with Trump

Deal that will reportedly see US take control of 65bn barrels of Venezuelan oil has provoked outrage in her country

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has defended her government’s highly controversial energy deal with Donald Trump, insisting the South American country will maintain ownership and sovereignty over its massive oil reserves.

Rodríguez, who assumed power in January after Trump ordered the abduction of the president, Nicolás Maduro, took to the airwaves on Saturday to push back against criticism of what the US president has called “the biggest oil deal in world history”.

Woman, 22, killed and five injured in shooting at Swiss rave

Manhunt under way after Italian dies from her injuries in the town of Aarau in the early hours of Sunday

A manhunt is under way in Switzerland after a 22-year-old woman was killed ⁠and five people were injured, ⁠some seriously, in a ​shooting at a rave in the northern town of Aarau, local police have said.

In the attack in the early hours of Sunday at a techno party at a covered horse-racing track, an Italian woman died from her injuries at the scene, authorities said. All those caught up in the shooting were residents of Switzerland and in their 20s.

The sadistic online groomers targeting victims around the world – and a mother’s struggle to keep her daughter safe

This month a predator with ties to the online extortion group known as 764 was sentenced to decades in prison. The mother of one his victims wants parents to know the truth about this ‘harrowing’ global trend

• Sadistic online exploitation: five warning signs for parents - and how to keep young people safe

“My beautiful, kind, intelligent, trusting daughter had the misfortune of stumbling across a link in a Discord server that led her to your evil and cruel group.

“The grooming of her started immediately, and what followed was unimaginably harrowing and traumatic. You were just one of the group members who abused her, who made her do things that no young person should ever be made to do.”

The kindness of strangers: My car had been towed and my kids had no shoes, then a man made a wonderful offer

‘Can you help me?’ I asked. ‘I think my car’s been towed away, and my children don’t have any shoes’

• Read more in the kindness of strangers series

One of the first things we did after moving from the UK to Vancouver was buy a car. Unfortunately, I didn’t acquaint myself with the new road rules quite as quickly.

Which is to say, I didn’t know you aren’t allowed to park on busy streets after 3pm in Vancouver. Unaware and in a carefree summer mood, I parked outside an ice-cream shop and took my barefoot children in for a treat. We emerged a short time later, sticky and splattered in drops of raspberry, mint and chocolate, and found my car wasn’t there.

Iceland rejects EU accession talks after divisive referendum campaign

Well-funded no camp prevails, winning 52.8% of votes and gaining plaudits from Eurosceptic figures across Europe

• Analysis: Definitely no or maybe yes – what tipped the Icelandic referendum

Voters in Iceland have ⁠rejected ⁠a government proposal ​to reopen ⁠accession talks with ⁠the ​EU after a closely fought referendum campaign that divided the country against a backdrop of global volatility.

After a long and anxious night for those on both sides of the debate, the no camp ended up with 52.8% of votes on Sunday morning and the yes camp with 47.2%. Voter turnout was high at 82.5%.

Nurture not nature? How young women can learn to better wield economic power | Heather Stewart

Project in Zambia shows how teaching young women to negotiate better can have a long-term impact on their prospects

Women making their way in patriarchal societies down the ages have always had to wield their meagre economic power deftly. New evidence from a fascinating research project in Zambia suggests that’s a skill that can be learned.

A team of female US academics have been gathering data for more than a decade, which shows that teaching young women to negotiate better can have a long-term impact on their prospects.

Canada claps back at Trump's efforts to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled a giant billboard reading: "Lake Ontario — Now and Always." But tech giant Google has said it is renaming the lake for U.S. users, as President Trump demanded.

Nature: Chanticleer Garden

We leave you this Sunday at Chanticleer Garden just outside Philadelphia. Videographer: Jim Zurich. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

8/30: Face The Nation

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who is recently back from the Ukraine region, joins to discuss the latest. Plus, with five years having passed since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a former Afghan general shares his story of the dramatic flight from the country.

New York City to increase cooling tower inspections after legionnaires’ outbreaks

State and city lawmakers push to boost regulations after two outbreaks of the disease over the last two summers

New York lawmakers are now trying to better protect residents from the deadly legionnaires’ disease by increasing regulations and inspections of cooling towers after two outbreaks of the infection over the last two summers and a raft of new lawsuits.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious pneumonia caused by a bacterium called legionella. It often comes from large air-conditioning systems, like those used in hotels, hospitals and high-rise buildings, because the cooling towers contain water to remove heat. If not well maintained, the liquid can foster the bacteria, which can then be swept into fans and circulated through the air.

Big business has shown small firms what to do – and what not to do – with AI | Gene Marks

Small business owners have watched large companies fumble – and sometimes succeed – with AI, and then use what works

One thing I’ve learned about corporate America is that what it succeeds at ultimately trickles down to benefit small businesses. Bleeding-edge technologies such as the internet, mobile transactions and the cloud were first perfected by large organizations – government and corporations – and now they’re available to the masses at a much lower cost and with better reliability.

The good news is that it’s also the same for what they fail at.

Ghislaine Maxwell has virtually run out of legal routes to overturn conviction, experts say

The Jeffrey Epstein associate’s apparent last hope would be a Hail Mary from Donald Trump – a presidential pardon

Ghislaine Maxwell seems to be all but guaranteed to have run out of legal avenues to challenge her conviction for her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of girls and young women with perhaps her lingering hopes of freedom resting on a pardon from the Trump administration.

Paul Engelmayer, a Manhattan federal court judge, last week rejected Maxwell’s contention that her constitutional rights were violated at trial and sentencing for her crimes. “Maxwell’s claims are all meritless and all or almost all are frivolous,” Engelmayer wrote in his ruling on the former British socialite’s legal gambit.

Adobe construction: What's old is new again

For thousands of years, civilizations around the world have built houses out of earth – whether it be mud brick, wattle and dab or rammed earth. But adobe (the practice of making mudbricks) has now become today's "it" building material, from museums around the world designed using adobe, to do-it-yourselfers constructing homes from the very dirt beneath their feet. Correspondent Conor Knighton looks at the history of adobe, and how ancient adobe materials are being merged with 3-D printing techniques. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

A Chinese mermaid and Manchester Pride: photos of the weekend

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

The appeal of soft pretzels

The twisty, crunchy, doughy treat is a tradition in Philadelphia, and the Center City Soft Pretzel Company churns out tens of thousands of pretzels a week. Correspondent Susan Spencer checks out their salty allure. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Longwood Gardens' jewel of nature

After industrialist Pierre S. du Pont bought a small farm outside Philadelphia to save its trees from being sold for lumber, he spent the rest of his life creating his dream oasis. Today, the 1,700-acre Longwood Gardens, recently expanded, continues its mission of providing "joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning." Jim Axelrod reports. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Philadelphia architect Frank Furness' enduring spirit

Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, a former Army captain during the Civil War, translated his fearlessness into the designs of about 1,000 buildings – elaborate structures whose oversized arches, asymmetrical facades and eccentric decorations broke free from the polite Victorian era-style. "Sunday Morning" national correspondent Robert Costa takes a tour of Furness' Philadelphia with Wall Street Journal architectural critic Michael Lewis, who explains why the architect's reputation has gained a reappraisal. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Why Philadelphia cheesesteaks rule

Nothing says love like a Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich, according to Frankie Olivieri, the third-generation owner of Philly's legendary Pat's King of Steaks. He explains why to correspondent Susan Spencer. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

A spotlight on the glamour of chandeliers

Mo Rocca sheds light on the traditions of chandeliers, and why these decorative hanging light fixtures can be the star of any room. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Ardrossan Mansion: A Philadelphia time capsule

Jane Pauley takes viewers on a tour of Ardrossan, a 750-acre Georgian-style estate (and an example of Gilded Age-inspired opulence) on Philadelphia's storied Main Line. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

A housing alternative right in your own backyard

Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, are small, fully-functional secondary homes located on the same property as a main home (usually in the backyard) that serve as carriage houses or "granny flats." But as wildfires have displaced residents in the West, ADUs have filled a vital need where housing has proved scant or expensive. Correspondent Lee Cowan looks at the practical and legal challenges to making ADUs available. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love

Jane Pauley showcases Philadelphia, a city of history and style, which for more than 250 years has been emblematic of our never-ending quest to live better. [Original air date: May 17, 2026.]

Ratko Mladić, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, could not escape death. But his fascist ideas and ideology live on | Ed Vulliamy

When I testified against Mladić at his trial in The Hague, I saw the unrepentant face of a mass murderer. That face and his legacy still haunt Serbia today

Men age and die, but in the Balkans, time stands still and is stuck. General Ratko Mladić, who died in prison in The Hague on Thursday aged 84, remains a hero in the Republika Srpska statelet – the Serbian half of dismembered Bosnia that he carved out with a hurricane of violence between 1992 and 1995 – and in Serbia itself.

Too many Serbs in whose name Mladić carried out his mass murder of other ethnicities – mainly Muslim Bošniak and Roman Catholic Croats – adore him and mourn his passing.

Ed Vulliamy is an author who reported on the Balkan war for the Guardian and Observer

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.

Why is 'vegan' suddenly being used as a slur? | Emma Beddington

US republicans are tarnishing their plant-eating opponents at every opportunity. Yet vegans are perfectly suited to hold power – let me count the ways

Cool news, fellow soy boys and girls – we’ve been promoted from feeble, tofu-eating wokerati to dangerous radicals unfit for public office. Politico reports that US Republicans have started throwing “vegan” around as a tactic to tarnish their political opponents. “He’s a vegan,” Trump warned of Democratic Texas senatorial candidate James Talarico in May, while Talarico’s opponent, state attorney-general Ken Paxton, is trying to get the nickname “Tofu Talarico” to stick. Paxton also called him “a vegan who thinks God is non-binary”, which I find hilarious as a political put-down – give the man a Netflix special. (Sidenote: I investigated, and according to the Catholic catechism, God is “neither man nor woman”.)

Republicans have also been digging up past pro-plant-based statements from Colorado congressional candidate Manny Rutinel: a campaign committee press secretary described him on X as “a far-left vegan activist who wants to end animal agriculture”, posting an old pic of Rutinel bare-chested and wearing a Peta anti-meat banner. Other Dems have also been accused of, erm, liking animals and eating plants: Arizona congressional candidate Amish Shah has been attacked for his “wacky liberal agenda pushing vegan policies” and Lindsay James in Iowa drew heat for merely supporting the idea of “meatless May”.

8/30: Sunday Morning

Jane Pauley hosts our annual look at design. Featured: Tiny homes in your backyard; Louis Vuitton; Adobe house construction; Finland's Marimekko; domino art; Philadelphia food favorites; chandeliers; Longwood Gardens; and rare maps. Also: A tribute to Dolly Parton.

Exclusive: Meet the inaugural winner of Fat Marmot Week

Dawn was crowned fattest marmot by popular vote.

Icelanders reject reopening talks to join the EU despite Trump's Greenland threats

Icelanders voted 52.8% to 47.2% against reopening talks to join the European Union.

Hospitality boom and $100 chicken nuggets: how the US Open became obscenely expensive

Record crowds, premium seats and an unchecked resale market are transforming the self-styled people’s slam – and leaving ordinary fans fighting to get through the gates

It takes a truly exceptional affordability crisis to put Bill Ackman and Zohran Mamdani on the same side of the barricade. Yet this month the billionaire hedge fund manager and New York’s democratic socialist mayor found common cause over an unlikely grievance: the cost of getting into the US Open.

Ackman took objection to the cost of a grounds pass listed for $363. Mamdani responded to the broader uproar by securing 1,000 tickets for New York residents at $100 apiece, prompting more than 336,000 people to apply for them. Somewhere between the two sits the uneasy economics of the modern US Open, where a $65 ticket with no guaranteed seat on any court can fetch more than five times that amount on the tournament’s resale marketplace.

Nasa space telescope launches after surviving Trump budget cuts

Searching for exoplanets and clues on planet formation, the Roman telescope begins million-mile journey from Florida launchpad

A $4.3bn space telescope that Donald Trump tried to kill has lifted off from Florida as Nasa embarks on the next stage of its quest to unlock the secrets of the universe.

The Nancy Grace Roman space telescope survived two rounds of proposed White House budget cuts, and began a million-mile journey into deep space from a launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday morning. .

Politics chat: more tariffs, mail-in voting order, Kushner-Jeffries meeting

Real economic sanctions on Canada and economic threats to countries trading with Iran may work against Republicans in the midterm elections.

How to make key lime pie | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

The indulgent, pleasantly mouth-puckering Floridian dessert in nine easy steps

Beautiful as the Florida Keys are, with average August temperatures topping 30C and with hurricane season looming, I think I’d rather enjoy their most famous culinary export in the calm of our own more temperate isles (well, usually, at least). Cool and creamy, with a refreshingly sharp, citrus tang, this is the perfect make-ahead dessert for any bank holiday festivities.

Prep 20 min
Cook 15 min
Chill 3 hr+
Serves 6

Prosecutors consider charges against officers involved in spycops scandal

More than 100 undercover officers spied on tens of thousands of mainly leftwing activists over decades

Prosecutors are examining whether to bring criminal charges against 12 former police officers who were involved in spying on political groups.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is examining a file of evidence that the officers may have committed wrongdoing while working in controversial undercover operations.

Italy may ban staring at your phone while crossing the street. Why stop there? | Dave Schilling

The move sends the right signal. While we’re at it, can we ban using ringtones and scooting on the sidewalk?

Imagine driving in Italy, with its narrow, cobblestone streets and scooter enthusiasts. I find it hard enough to drive in Los Angeles, a city designed specifically with the automobile in mind. I’d probably squash a pedestrian or two trying to navigate Italian roads.

The modern world is just too hectic for the ancient streets of Europe, so Italy is considering doing the only sensible thing it can: outlawing texting in crosswalks. The Italian government’s updated draft of its highway code proposes fines of €75 or more for anyone caught sending a DM, updating their LinkedIn, finishing Wordle on the fifth guess, or anything else phone-related that might make them miss an oncoming metal projectile. I’m sure most people will risk the slap on wrist to get that message off, but it at least sends a signal to the Italian people that paying attention to traffic is actually kind of important.

Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist

Dining across the divide: ‘He says he feels pride about being English, but I don’t’

A retired software engineer and a planetary scientist disagreed about putting up flags and nationalising private companies, but were they worlds apart on legalising drugs?

• Want to meet someone from across the divide? Click here to find out how

Finley, 23, London

Occupation Planetary scientist

Are you sure that Kimmel clip was real? Late-night AI deepfakes are spreading online

While social media is rife with AI celebrity deepfakes, videos featuring late night TV hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart are are easier to create than other kinds of deepfakes and potentially more disruptive.

'A glorious dawn launch': NASA's newest space telescope has left the Earth

The tour-bus-sized telescope aims to unravel cosmic mysteries and identify more than 100,000 planets beyond our solar system.

This is how we do it: ‘My ex wouldn’t even kiss me during sex. Marcus is happy to take his time’

Camille had bad experiences with men, so when she met Marcus they took things slowly. Now sex is a shared joy

• How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously

Marcus will go down on me for as long as it takes. He has a gentle touch and is an amazing kisser

How a comic book store got swept into the tariff storm

Tariffs continue to rile all kinds of American businesses more than a year after Trump unveiled his first set of tariffs — including a comic book store owner in Ohio.

From Appalachia to Africa: Why Dolly Parton was beloved across the continent

Dolly Parton's songs traveled far beyond Nashville. Across Africa, musicians embraced her stories of hardship, heartbreak and humble beginnings — and made them their own.

Nepal warns of possible fresh flooding as communities grapple with devastation

Authorities in Nepal warned of possible fresh flooding on Sunday and urged residents in flood-affected districts to remain on high alert after water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River.

The Bridge review – a funny, furious odyssey through occupation

Assembly George Square studios, Edinburgh
Writer and actor Alaa Shehada turns a simple bus trip from the West Bank into a vivid tale of bureaucracy, humiliation and resistance

It is the simplicity of the task that gives this story heft. Recalling his formative years in the West Bank, actor and writer Alaa Shehada is asked by his mother to go on a bus journey that would take a couple of hours in any other part of the world.

His mission is to deliver a plastic jerry can filled with the family’s home-pressed olive oil to his aunt in Jordan. His obstacle is the 180m crossing point known variously as the Dignity Bridge, the Allenby Bridge and the King Hussein Bridge, depending on your political standpoint.

Definitely no or maybe yes: what tipped the Icelandic referendum | Miranda Bryant

The no campaign was well-funded and accused of scaremongering, but the wording of the question may also have made a difference

It was always going to be a close contest. But on the night, the figures showed just how divided Iceland was on the issue of whether or not to restart negotiations with the European Union.

After a nail-biting overnight count, the well-funded no campaign rejoiced on Sunday morning as the broadcaster RUV declared it the winner with about 52.8% of the vote. Given the size of Iceland’s population – barely 400,000 – the margins were tiny.

‘That’s what saved me’: Darren Raymond and Mark Rylance on the prison drama workshop that brought them together

A masterclass led by the actor helped set Raymond on a new path. Now the head of a theatre company, he has coaxed his friend back to the stage for a show to encourage young people to fall in love with performing

Darren Raymond doesn’t remember having any significant interest in acting when he was growing up. And when he met Mark Rylance for the first time, on Christmas Eve 2004, he had never heard of the multi-award winning actor. These days, things are very different: Raymond is the artistic director of Intermission Youth, the London-based arts charity and theatre, and is directing his friend Rylance in the lead role of Tartuffe (Remixed), Raymond’s adaptation of the Molière play, which opens at London’s Marylebone theatre this week.

It’s fair to say neither could have anticipated they’d still be in touch this long after their initial meeting. “Unlikely companions” is a tired cliche by this point, but that doesn’t make it any less true to say that on the surface, the two had very little in common. Raymond was a young twentysomething raised on an inner-city housing estate and serving a prison sentence at HMP Brixton. Meanwhile Rylance was twice his age, a successful professional actor, and artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe. Nevertheless that meeting, at a Shakespeare workshop in the prison, turned into a professional connection, which soon evolved into a solid friendship.

Medicare's pilot GLP-1 discount program has a catch. Some sick patients don't qualify

Medicare launched a pilot program that could streamline the process to get GLP-1s, with some seniors paying just $50 a month. But many people with the most serious illnesses won't get that discount.

Trump administration deports relative of Afghans who helped US military to Central African Republic

His family in Afghanistan had received threats from the Taliban because of the work performed by his brothers in support of the U.S. military.

‘After I had my cat stolen, I would listen to Funkadelic and cry and cry’: Jennifer Herrema’s honest playlist

The Black Bananas singer knows all the words to Rapper’s Delight and relates to AC/DC, but which song reminds her of a heartbreaking theft?

The first song I fell in love with
Van Halen’s Runnin’ With the Devil. I was five or six and I went to visit my cousin Tommy who was much older. He was on a hockey team and we went to see them practise before the game and they had Runnin’ With the Devil on really loud. I was like: “Wait, what’s this?!”

The song I do at karaoke
You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC. Me and Brian Johnson – my voice has that thing, you know?

Statins can reduce dementia risk by up to 15%, long-term study suggests

The cholesterol-busting drugs are more effective the earlier in life they are taken, 15-year research project indicates

Statins can lower the risk of dementia by 15%, and the earlier in life they are taken the higher the chances of avoiding the disease, a 15-year study suggests.

The number of people living with dementia globally is forecast to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050. But experts believe almost half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed.

A lone Black woman’s defiance of Swedish neo-Nazis, 10 years on

Protester Tess Asplund on the photo that made headlines, and why she sees it as a sign of the change in Sweden today

The striking photograph showed a lone Black woman, her fist raised, standing in the path of hundreds of uniformed neo-Nazis on parade in 2016, and it made headlines across the globe.

At the time, it was held up as a symbol of the resistance to the far right. But 10 years on, as Sweden gears up for elections in which the far right is expected to emerge as the second most-voted-for party, the woman in the photo sees it as a sign of the bewildering change that has gripped the Scandinavian country.

Trump’s ‘economic D-day’ against Iran risks driving the stakes even higher | Sina Toossi

As with its approach to Hormuz, the US has mistaken applying pressure for an actual strategy. But Tehran has chips of its own to play

Donald Trump has found a new way to promise victory over Iran. After months of war have failed to force Iran’s capitulation or collapse, his administration has unveiled what the US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, calls Operation Economic Outcast: an effort to cut it off from what remains of the global economy and threaten foreign governments, banks and companies with sanctions if they continue doing business with Tehran.

There is no question that Iran is vulnerable. Its economy has been battered by years of sanctions, war and a months-long US naval blockade. Iranian officials acknowledge that oil exports and access to foreign currency have been severely constrained. Ordinary Iranians are already enduring high inflation, currency depreciation and worsening living standards. Further economic strangulation will inflict significant additional hardship.

Sina Toossi is a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, where his work focuses on US-Iran relations, US policy toward the Middle East and nuclear issues

Was a police search for a murder weapon cut short by a guard dog's growl?

After Kevin Davis was found dying at the foot of the stairs in his Indiana home, police initially believed it was an accident. They did not search the room where a pit bull mix was secured.

A wife is accused of her husband's murder. Can she clear her name?

Alison Davis says she woke up to find her husband, Kevin Davis, face down in a pool of blood inside their New Haven, Indiana, home. She says he fell down the stairs. But after an autopsy report, police came to a different conclusion.

‘Tiny bit of rain and the sewage comes’: Brighton swimmers vent fury at sea pollution

Checking for sewage spills has become as normal as checking the weather forecast, say swimmers on East Sussex beaches

• South West Water has worst environmental record in England, analysis shows

“I’m furious,” says Jo Armstrong, 75, sitting on Brighton beach with her daughter and granddaughter.

Armstrong lives in Lewes, a town 8 miles from Brighton, and usually goes swimming in nearby Seaford in East Sussex every day. But over the past week the water there has been too polluted to swim. “Brighton beach was the only place that stayed clean,” she says.

People fleeing Sudan civil war face ‘dire and deteriorating’ conditions in refuge city

More traumatised civilians are arriving every day at ‘shockingly overcrowded’ El Obeid and camps on its outskirts

Humanitarian conditions in the Sudanese city of El Obeid and two camps on its outskirts are dire and deteriorating, according to people on the ground, as civilians displaced by fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia continue to pour in from the surrounding countryside.

The UN says more than 15,000 families have arrived since mid-July, joining more than 200,000 people who arrived in the first half of the year, according to government figures cited by Save the Children.

The president and the penthouse: how Madrid’s government spent €6.3m on a temporary ‘office’

Saga surrounding purchase for outspoken rightwing regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso refuses to go away

The outspoken rightwing leader of the Madrid region is under growing pressure to explain why her government spent €6.3m (£5.4m) on a residential penthouse purportedly to serve as a temporary workspace while her offices were being renovated.

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, a prominent member of Spain’s opposition conservative People’s party (PP), has been the president of the Madrid region since 2019.

I’ve got feelings for a teacher at my children’s school. What should I do? | Ask Annalisa Barbieri

Crushes can feel freeing because they operate outside everyday life, but does that mean you should act on them?

I’ve been married for 20 years and have two children. By most measures, our marriage is stable and successful. But lately I have found myself developing strong feelings for a teacher at my children’s school. While our interactions there are limited, we also attend a weekly non-school activity. What began as casual conversation has become much more significant in my mind. I find myself looking forward to seeing them, thinking about our conversations later, and wondering what might have been if we’d met in different circumstances.

They are married with children too. Nothing inappropriate has happened, and neither of us has acknowledged any romantic feelings. However, I cannot shake the sense that there may be a mutual connection.

Arms and the £5m man: Farage megadonor Christopher Harborne’s military empire

Reform UK denies donor and crypto-billionaire’s global interests in arms and military could present a conflict of interest over its defence spending policy

As he struggles with questions about the millions he has received from the billionaire Christopher Harborne, Nigel Farage has made no secret of his enthusiastic support for the industry that made part of his benefactor’s fortune – cryptocurrency. The Reform UK leader even urged the governor of the Bank of England to drop a crypto policy that may be costly for Harborne.

But another element of Harborne’s business interests could prove still more consequential if it shapes Farage’s positions. There appears to be no precedent for a major UK donor who is so entwined with the military.

‘You’re at war when you get attacked’: Mark Carney shows combative nature in face-off with Trump

The Canadian PM is one of the few world leaders to stand up to the US president. Former colleagues say they are not surprised

Mark Carney stood before a walnut-veneered lectern, his face drawn tight, as he announced that talks with Canada’s biggest trading partner had collapsed. “Last spring, I warned that America is trying to break us so that they can own us,” he said. “And I promised: that will never, ever happen. We are keeping that promise.”

For years, the former central bank governor had worked hard to calm markets. Now, he was asking Canadians to accept uncertainty and confrontation.

Make your bed – and be ruthless: 14 expert rules for a clean, healthy, happy home

Is your place crying out for some TLC? Housekeepers reveal how to keep it looking its best – and when it’s OK to let standards slip

Life is busy and there is only so much time to spend cleaning and tidying. What are the non-negotiables of a well-managed home? Here, housekeepers share their tips and hacks for making a chaotic house feel more orderly.

Messina mystery: theft of Renaissance art from Sicilian museum leaves investigators baffled

How did thieves pull off robbery of Antonello da Messina’s 15th-century masterpiece – and why did they leave part of it behind?

At about 8.47pm on the evening of 15 August, while tens of thousands of worshippers filled the streets of central Messina for a religious festival, at least two men cut through the fencing surrounding the regional museum, located a few miles to the north on the outskirts of the Sicilian harbour city.

Capitalising on the fact that the streets around the museum were unusually quiet, the men forced open a side door with a crowbar, gaining direct access to a display case containing the five surviving panels of the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina’s polyptych Polittico di San Gregorio, his most important work, and a small double-sided painting. Undisturbed, they removed the works from the building and fled.