Badenoch defends decision to allow man jailed for antisemitism to stand as councillor

Tory leader praises Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s ‘contrition’ but says she has higher thresholds for MP candidates

Kemi Badenoch has defended her party’s decision to allow a former neo-Nazi who was jailed for subjecting a prominent Labour politician to antisemitic abuse to stand as a councillor.

Badenoch said her party was not giving Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who is standing for election in Somerset, a “national platform”.

Zelenskyy rails at lack of anti-missile defences amid deadly Russian attack on Kyiv – Europe live

Ukrainian president tells allies that anti-ballistic measures could have saved lives as at least 17 die and more than 40 are injured in huge attack

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned “horrible atrocities” by Russia after another night of attacks on Kyiv, which killed at least 17 people.

“Once again we wake up to the news of horrible atrocities by Russia through its aerial attacks on Ukraine. Russia must pay for the destruction it has caused.”

“We are making a further €1.4bn of them available to Ukraine. This will support Ukraine’s continued resistance against Russia’s illegal war.”

Appalachia's black lung rates highest in nearly 50 years as miners' protections stall

Rates are now as bad as the 1970s, with thousands of miners sick and dying. Mining experts blame toxic silica dust, now more common in mines.

The ‘Cockroach Lord’ who names new species after Tolkien and Pokémon characters

Cristian Lucañas has discovered multiple species of cockroach in the Philippines, and believes there’s far more to the much-maligned insect than meets the eye

When Cristian Lucañas tells people about his job, their response is normally a mix of shock and confusion. “The majority would actually be questioning why,” says Lucañas, 32, who is the only entomologist specialising in cockroaches in the Philippines, where he is known as the “Cockroach Lord”.

He recalls one person, apparently perplexed at the insects’ existence, asking simply: “Did God create cockroaches?” Others seek advice on how best to kill them.

A Sense of Occasion by Brodie Crellin review – a surprising and darkly funny debut

A dysfunctional family comes together for a funeral in this heartfelt, keenly observed novel

Most of us come upon our family’s dysfunctions gradually, like a door that opens a little wider each year. This uncle, you find out, has had an affair; grandma has a hoarding problem. The cremation of the nuclear family illusion is a cornerstone of literature, especially when it’s hastened by one of those unavoidable core gatherings: weddings, births, funerals. But what happens when there was never any illusion to start with; when the story begins in the ashes?

The delight of Brodie Crellin’s accomplished, surprising debut lies in the way it wrestles with this question, and in its depiction of a family that fails to meet any conventional definition of the word. With a cutting eye and wry humour, Crellin finds fantastic power in the story of three maladjusted people reeling in the face of death, whose relationships to one another are endlessly confronting and complex.

There is friendless Patch, riddled with anxiety, who bursts into tears at the memory of the postman’s suicide and falls victim to a terrible haircut. There is Patch’s father, Robin, who is “gay, yes, mostly, but mutable”. And there is Jude, her domineering, malevolently competent cousin, a playwright who “loves to make an entrance”. They’re bound by the newly deceased Mary: Robin’s ex, Patch’s mother, and Jude’s aunt – a woman who “[didn’t] have a problem with gay men” but was lukewarm on lesbians. Orbiting this “isosceles”, as Jude calls it, is Juliette, Jude’s gleefully moneyed mother, and Mel, Mary’s neighbour. Various other characters swing in and out, all fully realised no matter how brief their appearances, my favourite of which was Mary’s poor, forgotten “empath” labrador, Leonard.

The stage is set, as Jude cruises in from Naples, for a fraught collision of past and present. As the funeral draws closer and tensions simmer, Crellin juggles the minutiae of death – chopping vegetables, arranging memorial photos – with fragmented recollections of messy family history. It’s rare to read a novel that can skip in and out of so many points of view and keep the different styles of narration intact. Yet even with regular flashbacks, A Sense of Occasion feels remarkably natural thanks to Crellin’s light touch, especially in the arch, zippy dialogue. There are shades of classic mid-century stories, particularly Dorothy Baker’s Cassandra at the Wedding, and some of the caustic social wit of Edward St Aubyn’s Melrose chronicles, but the boldness feels entirely modern.

It’s a joy, too, to read fiction that understands sex so well, and is neither sentimental nor sleazy. Crellin conveys the importance of sex as a vehicle for each character’s foibles and desires; as a shadowy place where so much can be manipulated and communicated. The book summons up a kaleidoscope of erotic experience across the spectrum, sometimes hot and sometimes ridiculous, including a quasi-incestuous relationship rendered with nuance and consideration.

If the novel leans a little hard on Jude and her mother, Juliette, for its class critiques, it’s easily forgiven on account of just how much fun it is to watch these characters crash into each other, and for the deftly nasty one-liners that they toss out. “Patch lacked the confidence conferred by a private education,” Jude thinks smugly. “But she could also say that Patch was simply less intelligent.” And yet the story never veers into mean-spirited satire, largely thanks to Patch herself, the grief-stricken daughter, who is the heartbeat of the novel. Perennially misunderstood and underestimated – including by her own mother, when she was alive – Patch is awkward but raw, a keen observer of herself and others.

There is immense pleasure and vitality – and ultimately a great deal of tenderness – in A Sense of Occasion’s depiction of flawed, strange people who love badly, and can’t help but get in the way of themselves over and over again. After all, as George Bernard Shaw wrote, “If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.”

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie review – plucky pups do their thing on Jurassic-style island

Stranded on an island full of prehistoric animals, the Paw Patrol squad get stuck in in a remarkably charmless animation

The Paw Patrol pups – that’s Chase, Marshall, Skye, Rocky, Rubble and Zuma – are engaged in a rescue mission as this latest film instalment of the puppy rescue team series opens. A family on a yacht are in danger of being burned alive, and the plucky dogs are all that stands between them and a crispy fried demise. Unfortunately, it’s a little difficult to root for this family, the annoying teenaged son in particular, who is either an influencer or wannabe influencer. Obviously nobody deserves to die on the basis of their being an influencer, but building a rescue sequence around one feels a bit like if Jurassic Park were about trying to save dino-embryo-thief Dennis Nedry, instead of having him meet his demise at the hands and claws and teeth of a dilophosaurus with impeccable comic timing.

Speaking of Jurassic Park, that’s more or less where the plucky pups end up after the yacht rescue: a storm blows them off course to a mysterious island that boasts a T rex and other assorted prehistoric beasties. None of what transpires as a result is particularly entertaining, and we can only urge families to vote with their wallets and hand over their hard-earned to higher quality children’s entertainment.

SpaceX rocket on a 5,400-mph collision course with the moon

The impact wasn't to be visible to the naked eye, but photos are expected to come from a lunar satellite at a later time.

Football transfer rumours: Folarin Balogun to Spurs? Pedro Neto to Manchester City?

Today’s fluff is riding a unicycle

It’s been a quiet summer thus far for Folarin Balogun, so why not stir up some controversy by signing for the arch rivals of your boyhood club? The Monaco striker, who started his career at Arsenal, is being linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, who need a goalscorer to ensure they do not finish 17th again. The American’s agents have offered him up to Roberto De Zerbi’s side to see if they are willing to bite. One forward certainly of interest to the Italian manager is Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson but no bid has been made.

This seems like a sensible point to put some Tottenham and Manchester City gossip in. If Savinho heads down south, as has been discussed for a long old while, Enzo Maresca would like Pedro Neto to replace him as a wing demon, having worked with the Portugal international at Chelsea. In further Spurs winger news, Manor Solomon was close to leaving for West Ham but Hull have entered the race as part of their accelerated transfer activity as they seek to ascertain if the Israeli is a Housemartins fan.

SpaceX rocket thought to have crashed into the moon in unintentional collision

Four-tonne piece of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket believed to have hit lunar surface on Wednesday at 5,400 miles an hour

A four-tonne piece of a discarded SpaceX rocket that has been floating in space since last year is believed to have unintentionally crashed into the moon at high speed, in a collision that poses no danger to Earth but was expected to blast out a new lunar crater.

The object, the size of a building, is part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that had launched a lunar lander from the US company Firefly Aerospace toward the moon in January 2025.

Europe is blowing up riverbeds as an extreme drought wreaks havoc on its economy

Severe drought is disrupting energy and freight across Europe as low Rhine and Danube levels raise risks for supply chains and economic growth.

Democracy is at stake when foolish humans bet on machines being intelligent | Rafael Behr

We need an enlightened US president to make the case for global AI regulation. Donald Trump is the exact opposite of what is needed

When I am woken by the sound of my dog whining, I understand that she is hungry and wants me to get up. When my alarm clock goes off, I don’t consider its needs. It is following an instruction to rouse me at a certain time but it doesn’t care if I stay in bed. It doesn’t try to get me up by other means. The dog, on the other hand, will go to plan B. She barks.

This capacity for autonomous action was once a difference between animals and machines. AI has blurred the line. Advanced models devise their own strategies to reach a goal. The task might be defined by a human master, but the machine weighs its options for delivery. It can make its own choices. Given rules, it can break them.

Héctor Bellerín: ‘When you leave a club like Arsenal, it’s scary. It hurts’

Spanish full-back on moving on from the Emirates Stadium, his elation at his old club ending their title drought, and how Mikel Arteta has helped prolong his career

One day when he was 18 or 19, still near the start of his journey, Héctor Bellerín got a call from Mikel Arteta inviting him round. He remembers asking lunch or dinner but this was neither. “When I arrived that afternoon, he was sitting with a financial adviser and they started to ask: ‘How much do you spend on this?’ ‘How much do you spend on that?’. I was young, I’d just started to make money and spend money: on clothes, cars, the things we all do when you’re not really aware. I was pitching low. I felt embarrassed, ashamed, but I left with a lesson in humility and affection.

“Mikel was the first player who showed me that I was important to him, that I mattered. He demonstrates real care, if not through a hug. I said: ‘Thank you.’ He said: ‘If you do the same for a teammate one day I’m happy.’ The legacy he left is one I try to pass on so young players feel looked after and that’s an experience that defines Mikel very well.”

The Shards review – murder, 80s mayhem and the Ryan Murphy comeback we’ve been waiting for

Murphy is back on form with this gorgeously curated, shot and scored adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel – about a serial killer stalking privileged LA teenagers

The world can finally begin to hope again. It looks as though Ryan Murphy has pulled out of his dive and is beginning to find his glorious groove again. The uber-showrunner reached a nadir last year with All’s Fair, a legal drama that was so bad it was existentially awful, garnering a number of rare, zero-star reviews (including mine) and which has duly been commissioned for a second series.

But after All’s Fair came The Beauty. Which was chaotic and underdeveloped but fun. And then there was Love Story, about the short lives and love of JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette, which was pitch-perfect, properly good trash. And now there is The Shards, Murphy’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s 80s-set metafictional/autobiographical novel of the same name. I have not read the book. An enfant terrible’s reminiscences are too often simply terrible and I was exhausted by the very idea. But a TV version? Run through the Murphytron? That sounds like a very good idea – and so it has proved. Theirs is a marriage made in pop-culture heaven.

The Shards is on Disney+

Doubts grow over Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open defence after latest withdrawal

• World No 2 pulls out of ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati

• Spaniard has been sidelined since April with ongoing wrist injury

Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Cincinnati Open due to an ⁠ongoing wrist injury, casting fresh doubts over the Spaniard’s fitness ahead of his ⁠US Open title ⁠defence this ​month.

The seven-times Grand Slam champion has been sidelined since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open second round in April ⁠but had been set to return at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, which he won last ⁠year.

Video game maker EA bought by Saudi-led group for $55bn

Company acquired in deal involving Affinity Partners, a firm run by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner

Electronic Arts, the maker of video games such as The Sims, Madden NFL and Battlefield, has been bought by Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and a group of investors for $55bn (£41bn).

The company announced the completion of the deal on Tuesday evening, only days after the EU gave its approval, the final regulatory green light needed.

War! What is it good for? Absolutely humongous oil company profits | First Dog on the Moon

Mission accomplished

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Man carrying ammunition arrested near Trump National Golf Club before president's visit

Federal authorities arrested a man who appeared to be monitoring security-planning activities at Trump National Golf Club in LA County ahead of the president's Southern California visit.

Perez Hilton hospitalised after livestreaming self-harm on Tiktok

Emergency services were seen outside Hilton’s home in Miami on Tuesday night after members of the public reported seeing Hilton harm himself

The celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has been hospitalised after livestreaming footage of himself self-harming on TikTok.

Emergency services were seen outside Hilton’s home in Miami on Tuesday night after concerned members of the public reported seeing Hilton harm himself in a graphic video streamed live on TikTok. Hilton’s TikTok account was suspended minutes later.

Queens of the Dead review – drag performers slay on the party scene in playful zombie comedy

Tina Romero’s queer spin on the horror genre delivers plenty of laughs and splattery fun – even if the storytelling occasionally stumbles

A zombie epidemic taking place in the LGBTQ+ warehouse party scene is the fun premise of this wobbly but often endearing comedy-horror. The film’s biggest ace is its cast, with charismatic screen presences such as Katy M O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) and Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock) sparking off larger-than-life comedy types including Nina West (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and Jaquel Spivey (2024’s Mean Girls). Slay, queen, boots the house down, etc.

Meanwhile, director Tina Romero has some large boots to fill: she’s the daughter of George A Romero, the man who more or less created the zombie movie as we know it. In some ways that’s unfortunate: it’s difficult to watch Queens of the Dead without thinking about the seminal 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead and its variable sequels and imitators. To its credit, QOTD realises that it would be futile to deny its House of Romero heritage; instead, the script calls attention to its venerable ancestor with that film’s most famous quote repurposed as a sassy catcall: “They’re coming to get you Barbara!” It’s a moment that works pretty well.

Women behind the lens: ‘I may not be able to decide whose faces are painted on walls but I can make sure female boxers are part of that archive’

Photojournalist Olaoluwa Olowu is documenting the lives of women in Ghana who choose to fight

I took this portrait of Elizabeth Boakye, an amateur boxer, in the Abossey Okai neighbourhood of Accra, Ghana, in May 2026. While photographing boxing, I started noticing how much of the sport exists outside the ring. On the streets, there are paintings, graffiti, posters, signs and names celebrating boxers, but almost everything I saw represented male boxers.

One day, I saw this painting of a male boxer under the bridge. I remember looking at it and thinking about how I could add or imprint a female boxer into this archive of boxing that already exists on the streets. I returned with Elizabeth and asked her to stand beneath it.

Himmler’s ‘anti-Nazi’ masseur: exposing the lies and fantasies of the SS chief’s ‘magic Buddha’

Felix Kersten, the personal therapist of Hitler’s principal enforcer, claimed to have saved countless lives from the Holocaust. A new feature film exposes him as a narcissist prone to myth-making

Five years ago, German writer-director Felix Randau was approached by French producers who wanted him to make a miniseries about Felix Kersten, the former massage therapist to Nazi SS head Heinrich Himmler.

When the producers first pitched the project, there was one sentence which leapt out. “They said that if Steven Spielberg had known about Felix Kersten, he would have shot a film about him, not about Oskar Schindler.” Who was this intriguing, largely overlooked figure, who claimed to have saved countless Jews and other concentration camp prisoners from certain death?

The Ghost of the Mountains by Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi review – the secrets of the snow leopard

An Indian mountaineer follows in the footsteps of explorers and conservationists in search of an enigmatic animal

When bored, try the following game – I call it “Purr or Roar?”. Take any feline and guess whether it can purr or roar (it cannot do both because purring and roaring require different anatomical structures). Some candidates are easy: any child knows that lions and tigers roar and that a tabby does not. But between the great cats and our pets are numerous other species, from lynxes to panthers, whose anatomy is not so easy to infer. A leopard, for instance? Roar (or growl). The discreet, mountain-dwelling snow leopard? Purr.

The snow leopard is the protagonist of Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi’s first book, a compelling and intimate look at this elusive mountain specialist. An Indian conservationist and mountaineer, Suryawanshi pursues the creature through the Himalayas and Gobi desert. This is a gritty and detailed portrait of an often misunderstood and endangered species in an increasingly hostile, crowded and hot environment.

A moment that changed me: I found a forbidden novel – it led to a dangerous, lasting love

Growing up in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, romance was frowned upon – as was much of my Uyghur culture. But one day, exploring a strange house, I found a gateway to both worlds

Many people have a book that changes their life. For me and my wife, one book in particular changed our destinies for ever. We have been in love since we were teenagers, and today we are happily married – all because I accidentally discovered a forbidden novel in someone else’s house.

It was a hot summer’s evening in 2009, in Kumul, Xinjiang. I was 16 and my father insisted I accompany him to visit a distant relative, where they would spend hours chatting about the old days and feasting as if they hadn’t eaten in years. As the well-behaved teenager I tried to be, I sat politely, nodding at their stories and pretending to absorb their “life lessons”, attempting to hide my boredom. The living room, with its small windows and bright lighting, was unbearable.

El-Sayed holds narrow lead in Michigan Senate primary but race too close to call

Abdul El-Sayed and his opponent Haley Stevens were both optimistic late in the evening, and said the results of the state’s Democratic primary might take until Wednesday morning to arrive

The marquee race for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan remained too close to call on Tuesday night, with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, holding a narrow lead over Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

The battleground state is crucial to the party’s hopes of winning back control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections. The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face the Republican nominee, former representative Mike Rogers, in November, to succeed the retiring Democratic senator Gary Peters.

Bank battle: history suggests Burnham faces fight if he opts for windfall tax

As lenders’ profits soar, calls grow for a levy to help new PM ease cost of living pressures on households

It has been a stellar week for UK banks. Fuelled by high interest rates and market turbulence rippling out from the US war on Iran, major lenders have revealed soaring half-year profits that allowed bosses to boost bonus pots and give billions of pounds to shareholders.

Collectively, the UK’s four largest lenders – HSBC, NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds – reported £29.2bn in profits over the first six months of the year, with almost half, £13.7bn, pledged to investors through dividends and share buybacks.

Specieswatch: Wild deer release millions of tonnes of methane a year

Scientists find ruminants emit more of greenhouse gas individually than cows, although total contribution tiny compared with domesticated livestock

When cows belch and fart they release methane, which is warming the planet, but how does this compare with the digestive gases emitted by wild animals? A new study shows that deer add the greatest amount of methane to the atmosphere, but compared with domesticated livestock their total contribution is minuscule.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which has been rising rapidly in recent years, but it is hard to pin down exactly where it is coming from. Like domesticated cows, wild ruminants such as deer, moose and llamas rely on bacteria to help them break down the fibrous plants they eat, releasing methane as they go. To understand how much methane wild ruminants release, Theresia Yazbeck, from the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany, and colleagues used recent estimates of global wild animal populations and combined these with methane emission estimates based on body mass and diet.

Calls to ban ‘toxic’ pet flea treatments that harm UK wildlife and environment

Over-the-counter treatments for cats and dogs contain chemicals that are banned in pesticides and pollute waterways

Over-the-counter flea treatment for cats and dogs should be banned as millions of hazardous chemicals are unnecessarily applied to UK pets each year, a parliamentary report has concluded.

Cats and dogs are widely treated with topical, or “spot on”, treatments that include insecticides to prevent fleas. Vets often recommend regular treatments as a preventive measure, even when the animals do not have fleas.

It’s Invertebrate of the Year again! Every day from 3-12 August, we will be profiling one of the thousands of amazing invertebrates that our readers have nominated, and when you have heard about all of them, we will open the voting so you can choose your favourites. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with thoughts and ideas. Email us at [email protected] with Invertebrate in the subject line.

Palantir paid just £2m corporation tax in UK in 2024 despite lucrative public sector contracts

Software group benefits from global systems and accounting practices ‘that enable tax to be shirked’, says union boss

The software group Palantir paid just £2m in corporation tax in the UK in 2024, despite holding public sector contracts worth hundreds of millions, thanks to tax breaks that are likely to reduce its contributions to governments around the world for years to come.

The US-headquartered company, which has harnessed AI to secure lucrative work for the NHS and the Ministry of Defence, is growing exponentially.

Country diary: A beetle with a prehensile anus? Thanks to local wildlife recorders, I know one lives here | Gwyneth Lewis

Troedyraur, Ceredigion: Let’s sing the praises of this network of volunteers who move slowly and look hard, gathering vital wildlife data – and finding fantastic species

Even before we start a Wildwatch recording morning, Carys May of the West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre has made two identifications: an intimidating dark giant horsefly (Tabanus sudeticus) with huge eyes close together and a notch-horned cleg or horsefly (Haematopota pluvialis), which bit me.

As we walk through Pencoedtop, a former conifer plantation now being restored to moorland (rhos in Welsh), Carys moves slowly and looks hard. She spots a mining bee, one that can only be identified under a microscope. This one doesn’t collect pollen neatly in its leg baskets, but exits flowers covered in powder, which the female seals into her nest with her eggs. In a bank of brambles, Carys points out several marmalade hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus), which look like slim wasps. These pollinators migrate at great heights from the continent. She says that, if in doubt, the county hoverfly recorder, like a kind of naturalist archangel, is quick to respond to queries.

Phoebe Bridgers: Lost Weekend review – long-awaited return is a thrilling, daring study in dislocation

(Dead Oceans)
After sweeping the Grammys and being scrutinised by the press, Bridgers deploys electronics and unsettling sound design to brilliantly evoke emotional turmoil

The last time Phoebe Bridgers put out a solo album was six years ago, at the height of the Covid pandemic: Punisher not only ended 2020 near the top of many critics’ best-of lists, it made the UK Top 10 and sold half a million copies in the US. The intervening period has proved just as commercially triumphant. With the release of their debut album The Record, Boygenius – the band she had formed with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker – went from a kind of supergroup for Pitchfork readers to a genuine mainstream phenomenon: the album won three Grammys. Another win, for Bridgers’ collaboration with SZA, Ghost in the Machine, meant Bridgers left the 2024 ceremony the night’s biggest winner. Other pop stars called on her services: she sang on Taylor Swift’s re-recorded version of Red (and supported on the Eras tour), Lorde’s Solar Power and on Paul McCartney’s McCartney III Imagined.

But to judge by Lost Weekend’s opening track, all was not well. The Outside depicts the singer crowd-surfing at a gig in Ohio – “they never let me hit the ground, way beyond the barricade” – and ending a song with her fist triumphantly raised. Then it adds a qualifier. “But I was on the outside, watching,” she sings, the sense of dislocation heightened by the fact that her voice is smothered by a vocoder, and the musical accompaniment – a sweet fingerpicked acoustic guitar figure – keeps vanishing into an ambient backing that sounds like static.

Europe’s rivers are running dry, and the knock-on effects are disastrous | Yiannis Baboulias

Droughts that were once a century now happen every year, and the impact on wildlife, industrial output and culture itself is catastrophic

Last week, 186 passengers had to be evacuated from the cruise ship Viking Ullur, after it ran aground on a sandbank in the Danube. Others have been left stranded, unable to move between Vienna and Budapest. Passengers stood on deck, the Habsburg splendour around them out of reach as the river fell to 41cm in Budapest, within 8cm of its 2018 all-time low. Elsewhere on the Hungarian stretch of the river, new record lows were recorded.

Farther east in Romania, the Danube recorded its lowest water levels since 1996. A river’s flow is measured in cubic metres per second, and at Baziaș, where the river enters the country, it stood at 1,700m³/s, against a July average of 4,700m³/s. Ferry services were suspended, as were grain barges.

Yiannis Baboulias is a Greek writer based in London. His work focuses on European politics, the environment and the far right

‘This isn’t some vendetta’ – Tulisa Contostavlos on taking on the tabloids, sex tapes and shame

The N-Dubz and X Factor star’s career went into freefall after an elaborate sting by the Sun on Sunday, and she’s still campaigning for tougher press regulation. But will it work?

Late last year, Tulisa Contostavlos took a good look at her life. Her relationship had come to an end and she found herself in her late 30s (she’s 38 now), wondering what next. “I started thinking about all the things I’d never done,” she says. At 20, life had got weird – Contostavlos was in the successful hip-hop group N-Dubz and became an adult just as the fame and money started coming in. By 24, she was a judge on the Saturday night TV show X Factor. If that hadn’t happened, she thinks she might have become an archaeologist – she’s obsessed with ancient history. And so last year she went travelling, to Egypt to see the pyramids, and to Peru to visit Machu Picchu.

There were other, bigger changes. She gave up smoking and started having therapy for the first time. Contostavlos sat down, she says, and “I wrote a list of what my ‘greatest self’ looked like – where she’d go, how she thought, how she felt, the things she would do. I started implementing every single thing on that list and I found through doing that, you just become her – it is actually that simple. It just takes effort and discipline.” Her greatest self, she says, “is a person of action, and she turns lemons into lemon cake”. It got her thinking about the criminal trial that left her career in freefall. “I was like, right, let’s try to do something.”

Hundreds in Morocco gather near Ceuta border in anxious wait for missing loved ones

People hope to see friends or relatives among those still returning as death toll from mass crossing nears 100

Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain’s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down.

Their perch was the same small tranche of land that made headlines around the world last week as extraordinary scenes emerged of about 72,000 people making their way into Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa.

MLS named LAFC co-owner Larry Berg as its next commissioner. Here's what to know

For their commissioner of the future, MLS owners chose a soccer native. Berg's team is seen as one of MLS's best-run franchises, and he has embraced rule changes designed to modernize the league.

Rick Brattin wins Republican primary for Missouri seat redrawn to favor GOP

Trump-endorsed Rick Brattin won the GOP primary for Missouri's 5th Congressional District, CBS News projects, setting up a battle against an 11-term Democrat in a district that was made far more GOP-leaning.

New Zealand capital delights in rare snowfall as southern city residents ski down world’s steepest street

Snow falls in Wellington for the first time in 15 years while snow blanketed Dunedin and Christchurch on the country’s south island

Temperatures have plummeted across New Zealand as an Antarctic cold snap hovers over the country, delighting the capital, Wellington, which experienced snow for the first time in 15 years, while giving a southern city’s residents a chance to ski through the streets.

The front moved in on Tuesday, with much of the country waking to freezing conditions, frosts, snowfall, hail and bitingly cold wind.

Senate Judiciary Committee advances Blanche's nomination for attorney general

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to advance Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general.

What to know about primaries in 5 states today: Michigan, Virginia and more

Voters are deciding primary races Tuesday in five states: Michigan, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Washington.

GM, Chinese automaker extend joint venture for 20 years despite geopolitical tensions with U.S.

GM said the deal will focus on domestic sales of Buick and Cadillac models in China and exporting Chevrolet products built in China for non-U.S. markets.

‘Our new champion’: Philippines swept up in tennis fever after Alex Eala’s historic win

WTA event win earns 21-year-old a presidential reception in the Philippines as interest in tennis surges in home country

The Philippines has been swept up in tennis fever after 21-year-old rising star Alex Eala delivered a historic win, drawing praise from the president who hosted a reception in her honour.

On Monday, Eala became the first player from the Philippines to win a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour-level singles title.

SpaceX's AI spending unnerves Wall Street despite promises of quick payoff

In addressing Wall Street for the first time since SpaceX's IPO, executives tried to make the case that hefty AI investments are paying off within a year.

SpaceX shows strong growth in its first earnings report since IPO

Elon Musk's rocket, satellite and AI provider reported quarterly revenue of $7.8 billion, topping Wall Street forecasts.

US revokes Brazil ambassador’s visa in escalation of diplomatic feud

Move is retaliation for Lula’s government refusal to approve Trump’s nominee for ambassador in Brasília

Donald Trump’s administration has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the US in a sharp escalation of a diplomatic feud with the country’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The US state department said Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti’s visa had been cancelled in retaliation for Brazil’s refusal to approve Trump’s nominee for ambassador in Brasília and its decision last month to deny visas to two US diplomats seeking to visit ahead of an October election.

Penguins and dolphins among nearly 400 Australian species under threat from bird flu as ‘true extent of disaster’ revealed

Assessment of more than 2,000 native species warns nearly one in five at high risk of deadly H5N1, including parrots, fur seals and quolls

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Almost 400 native Australian bird and mammal species have been assessed as being at a high risk – or worse – from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, a federal government assessment has revealed.

Some of Australia’s most beloved animals – including species of penguins, fur seals, quolls, dolphins, more than 300 birds and the Tasmanian devil – are considered at least high risk from the virus, meaning they could suffer “severe reduction in population size or viability” or worse if it reached them.

CDC reportedly expands scope of US cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states

Six additional states caught up in investigation after Michigan reported first two US deaths linked to disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reportedly expanded the scope of the largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states.

The alleged expansion includes the addition of six states, according to the Washington Post, which cited three people familiar with the matter. Those states were Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina, according to a fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke to the paper.

Bezos, Leonardo DiCaprio set up $200 million wildlife fund to save species on brink of extinction

Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have announced a $200 million fund set to protect species on the brink of extinction. Carter Evans has the story.

State Department revokes visa of Brazil's ambassador to the U.S.

A senior State Department official said the visa would be reinstated immediately if Brazil grants diplomatic approval for President Trump's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez.

Authorities arrested a man with ammo and apparently monitoring security at Trump golf course near LA

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Jeanine John Taele, 38, was taking photos and video and had a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket.

Homes in Australia are now cheaper – why can’t the government sell this good news story? | Saul Eslake

Ministers love to claim credit for things like cheaper petrol and cheaper pharmaceuticals – why not cheaper housing?

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Residential property prices in Australia’s eight capital cities have fallen by an average of 2.5% from their most recent peak in March, according to data published earlier this week by both Cotality and Proptrack. The declines have been somewhat greater in Sydney and Melbourne – 5.6% and 5.7% respectively – where they started earlier, than in other cities. Indeed, prices have not yet begun to fall in Perth, Hobart or Darwin, nor have they (on average) declined outside the capital cities.

Those falls are likely to continue, and to become more widespread, for some time yet. The major banks are predicting that capital city prices will be flat to down 5% over the course of 2026, with larger declines of between 3 and 10% in Sydney and Melbourne. Others have forecast that prices could fall by between 5 and 10% this year.

Breaking down the race between El-Sayed and Stevens for Michigan's Democratic Senate primary

Michigan Democrats Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens are facing off in a key Senate primary on Tuesday. Ed O'Keefe has the details.

New details on Twin Falls In-N-Out shooting after 3 killed, 7 wounded

The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

House Ethics probing Rep. Max Miller for alleged domestic violence, drug use

The House Ethics Committee announced that it is opening a probe into allegations that Rep. Max Miller may have engaged in domestic violence or drug use.

Behind closed doors, Trump, White House aides hope Rep. Max Miller exits race

Some White House officials hope embattled GOP Rep. Max Miller exits his congressional race immediately, and President Trump has expressed a similar sentiment, multiple sources say.

Arson suspect in Spokane wildfire had prior manslaughter conviction

More than 700 buildings in the Spokane area have been destroyed and 400 more haven't been assessed, officials said as three fires burned in the area and an arrest was made in connection with one of them.

Ollivant projected to win GOP primary in battleground Virginia district

Republican Douglas Ollivant will run against Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman in November.

Chipotle removes jalapeños linked to Minnesota salmonella outbreak

The restaurant chain said it pulled the peppers and replaced them with product from another grower amid a food-poisoning probe.

Arson suspect arrested as Spokane fires ravage buildings, force tens of thousands to evacuate

Authorities have arrested a man accused of intentionally igniting the devastating fires in and around Spokane, Washington, that have already forced tens of thousands to evacuate their homes. Kris Van Cleave reports and Rob Marciano has the forecast.

Idaho In-N-Out shooting victims remembered by loved ones: "She lit up a room"

Three people were killed and seven others were wounded in the Saturday attack in Twin Falls, Idaho. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

Protesters occupy 200-year-old tree at US-Mexico border to stop its destruction: ‘She’s our Statue of Liberty’

Demonstrators stage ‘tree sit’ in Arizona town to stop felling of ancient cottonwood grove to make way for border wall

Protesters are staging a “tree sit” in a tiny Arizona town to prevent the destruction of a grove of ancient cottonwood trees as federal contractors race to build a row of two 30ft walls along the border with Sonora, Mexico.

The gathering ramped up last week in the town of Lochiel, in the remote San Rafael valley of south-east Arizona. On 27 July, contractors working for Fisher Sand and Gravel crushed three of the largest cottonwoods with excavators.

AI-generated stories rated better quality than human-written ones, study finds

Researcher says simpler writing by AI is easier to read and digest, but this does not mean human authors are obsolete

From Homer’s Odyssey to Agatha Christie’s crime fiction, humans have produced plenty of tales to grace the bookshelf. But research suggests artificial intelligence may now be providing some competition.

In a study published in the journal Judgment and Decision Making, 1,682 adults were asked to read one of six short stories, three of which were written by humans and three by ChatGPT. Each AI story had a similar theme to one of the human-authored works.

Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy review – Mo Gilligan ruffles feathers in battle against ultra-processed foods

The ultra-likable comedian decides to go on a chicken shop diet for 28 days, but like a gen-Z Super Size Me uncovers some dark truths behind this billion-dollar industry

‘I think you’re going to die,” says a teenager bluntly to comedian Mo Gilligan when he tells her about his plan to eat only from chicken shops for one month. Spoiler: he lives. But after 84 fried chicken meals, Gilligan is heavier, unhealthier and starting to feel depressed. In this funny, slick and accessible Netflix documentary he takes on “Big Chicken”, the industrialised poultry farming industry. Flavouring doc-journalism with his brand of ultra-likable humour, he’s gen Z’s answer to Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock (who pulled a similar trick 20 years ago, eating nothing but McDonald’s for one month in his 2004 documentary Super Size Me).

At the start of the film, there is no guilt in Gilligan’s pleasure walking into a chicken shop (“Bring on the wings!”). Growing up in a low-income household in London, a bucket of KFC was a family treat. He’s even done voiceover work for a Nando’s advert; “It’s just chickens, right?”. What works so well in the film is that Gilligan’s shock as he digs deeper into the industry doesn’t look manufactured for the camera. The UK rears one billion chickens a year and, in Lincolnshire, Gilligan meets animal welfare activists in balaclavas (“This is like Call of Duty. I’m scared!”). He learns about the environmental harm to rivers that chicken farming causes, and explores racist ideas around black people and fried chicken.

Lucid begins 'operational reset' as CEO says EV maker will delay midsize vehicle

The company didn't provide updated guidance. New CEO Silvio Napoli earlier this year suspended production expectations.

Pinterest shares fall on lukewarm sales guidance

Pinterest reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for the second quarter, though its forecast was online in line with estimates.

MI6 is top European foreign intelligence service, peer review finds

UK’s Secret Intelligence Service praised for playing long game and having ‘a taste for dirty tricks’

MI6 has been ranked as the most powerful foreign intelligence service in Europe ahead of France and the Netherlands, according to a peer review.

The British intelligence agency scored 251 points in the research and was commended for its expertise in recruiting high-level informants and penetrating the ruling elites in Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, according to the review by 60 professionals from 25 countries.

8/4: CBS Evening News

Police arrest arson suspect in Spokane fires; Chipotle suspected in salmonella outbreak.

AMD's revenue climbs 50% and data center sales doubled, but the stock is down

AMD's data center unit is driving the company's growth, up 107% over last year.

Sen. Susan Collins will oppose Blanche, a critical blow for Trump's AG pick

Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche needs at least 50 votes on the Senate floor to be confirmed after clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee.

SpaceX's revenue rises as its once-soaring stock price drifts back to Earth

On their first earnings call since SpaceX's June public offering, executives said the company is pouring funds into rocket development, Starlink satellites and AI.

FBI not conducting civil rights probe into ICE shooting in Maine, sources say

The deadly encounter between an ICE officer and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero on July 13 in Biddeford, Maine, is the latest in a growing string of clashes between civilians and ICE agents.

The Fifa family: which confederations could support Infantino or turn against him?

Gianni Infantino is under increasing scrutiny following his World Cup sell-off plan. We look at each confederation’s relationship with the president

The pressure is growing on the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, with many countries withdrawing their support following the bungled World Cup sell-off. However, how key is Infantino’s relationship with each confederation and is it likely that an election contest will actually happen? We look at the key considerations, confederation by confederation.

Oregon's wildfire season is pushing ranchers to evacuate their cattle

Oregon has been having an extremely active fire season. Some of the areas burning are critical to ranchers whose livelihoods depend on cattle.

One Maine community's fight to save a birthing center

In mid-coast Maine a grassroots coalition is fighting to prevent the proposed closure of Miles Hospital's labor and delivery center.

UFC’s White House spectacle led to losses of around $30m, company reveals

• Freedom 250 staged on White House South Lawn

• Invitation-only event cost an estimated $60m in all

• Gaethje won title on night marred by Obama smear

The UFC staging its Freedom 250 card on the South Lawn of the White House in June led to losses of around $30m (roughly £22m), the company’s owners announced.

US president Donald Trump, a longtime fan of the UFC, and vice-president JD Vance were in attendance for the event which marked celebrations for 250 years of American independence.

McDonald's says its U.S. business is falling short as it announces new head of its largest market

McDonald's stock has fallen more than 11% this year, dragging its market cap down to roughly $191 billion.

Dow soars 900 points on strong corporate profits, hopes of Iran deal

Stocks notched new record highs on Tuesday as oil prices dipped and companies reported healthy profits.

Chipotle stock falls on potential link to salmonella outbreak in Minnesota

Chipotle has pulled the affected supply from restaurants and replaced them with peppers from different growers, according to the company.

House Ethics Committee will investigate Ohio Republican Max Miller

The committee said it was reviewing allegations that Miller "may have engaged in domestic violence." Miller has denied the allegations, which have swirled around his bid for a third term in Congress.

Tour de France Femmes cyclists face checks for aerodynamic-boosting chest padding

• Chest fairings could smooth airflow around the body

• Warning came before time-trial stage to Dijon

Riders in the Tour de France Femmes were examined for hidden aerodynamic enhancements, or chest fairings, before the race’s time trial stage to Dijon on Tuesday, in a clampdown on the latest attempts to circumnavigate cycling’s rules.

Changes to body morphology to improve aerodynamics are banned under International Cycling Union rules. The UCI’s commissaires were looking for padded chest fairings that would artificially improve airflow and reduce wind resistance.

Rep. Max Miller calls for his own ethics investigation amid domestic violence allegations

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate him amid allegations of domestic violence.

Fifa accused of using ‘blackmail’ to force support for Infantino’s re-election bid

• Jordan FA president says Fifa threatened to block funds

• Secretary general calls selloff plan ‘sad and reproachable’

The Jordan Football Association president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, has accused Gianni Infantino’s administration of “blackmail”, claiming that Fifa threatened to withhold financial assistance from his federation if it refused to back the president’s bid for re-election.

In a major intervention Prince Ali, who ran for the Fifa presidency against Infantino in 2016 and finished third, listed a number of problems dogging the global governing body and said Jordan’s players have not yet been paid for appearing in the Arab Cup last year. Prince Ali is head of the West Asian Football Federation, which includes influential states such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that have thus far backed Infantino to stay on.

Iran’s president denies threatening to resign during talks over strait of Hormuz

Masoud Pezeshkian dismisses talk of internal rift as hardline Assembly of Experts call US negotiations ‘futile’

• Middle East crisis live – latest updates

Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, has been forced to deny claims that he has repeatedly threatened to resign as he battles hardline factions opposed to reaching a settlement with the US over the strait of Hormuz.

The US and Europe hope a deal is imminent to reopen the strait and they are putting pressure on Oman to accept a temporary agreement that officials in Muscat fear will leave Iran retaining near permanent dominance of the vital oil shipping channel. Ships would enter the strait in a route close to Iran, but leave on a route that passes through Iranian and Omani waters.

The soaring demand for Patriot missiles, from the Middle East to Ukraine

The U.S. and its partners depend on Patriot interceptors to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles. But Russia and Iran are firing their weapons at rates far higher than Patriots can be produced.

India’s ruling BJP loses byelection in stronghold after Cockroach student protests

Opposition parties say nationwide protests that forced resignation of education secretary are beginning to dent BJP support

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata party has lost a byelection in a seat it had held for three decades, after the Cockroach movement student protests that have shaken Narendra Modi’s government.

Prashant Kishor, a high-profile electoral strategist turned politician, scored a breakthrough win for his fledgling Jan Suraaj (Good Governance) party in the Bankipur constituency in Patna, the capital of the eastern state of Bihar.

More adult children live at home now than during the pandemic

One woman in her mid-30s said her $60,000 annual income wasn't enough to cover all her bills after a breakup, leading her to move back home.

Philadelphia Fed President Paulson content with rates at current level, but keeping an open mind

Paulson said voting with the majority last week wasn't a tough decision.

Ciao capitano: Milan mourns Franco Baresi at legendary footballer’s funeral – in pictures

One of the finest defenders in history, the former Italy and Milan player died last week aged 66. Former teammates and huge crowds paid their respects at Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio

Senate Democrats say banks turned blind eye to suspicious moves by Jeffrey Epstein

A report from Senate Democrats accuses big banks of failing to report suspicious money transfers made by Jeffrey Epstein until after his arrest in 2019.

Guatemala volcano eruption prompts evacuation of hundreds of people

Eruption of the Fuego volcano sends lava and ash nearly four miles into the sky as country declares second-highest alert

Hundreds of people living on the slopes of Guatemala’s Fuego volcano have evacuated their homes after a huge eruption spewed lava and plumes of ash.

Central America’s most active volcano erupted on Monday morning, with conditions intensifying by nightfall and prompting authorities to issue the country’s second-most severe alert warning.

Pfizer tops estimates, hikes low end of revenue guidance on strength of Eliquis, other drugs

Pfizer said it cut its full-year revenue expectation for its Covid products to $4 billion, down from around $5 billion previously. 

Abdul El-Sayed, Haley Stevens square off Tuesday in Michigan Democratic primary

Michigan's Senate Democratic primary between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens is one of the most closely watched races of the midterm election.

Family "forever grateful" after 10-year-old rescued from rip current by teen lifeguard

A 16-year-old lifeguard is being hailed a hero after rescuing a boy from a rip current off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, last month.

EU chief criticises Spain’s migrant plan after Ceuta crisis meeting

Migration commissioner says scheme regularising undocumented people ‘not a good signal’ for Europe

• Explainer: Why is Ceuta a migration flashpoint?

The EU’s top official on migration has criticised Spain’s plan to regularise undocumented migrants as “not a good signal” for Europe, after an emergency meeting intended to draw a line under divisions on the Ceuta crisis.

Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for migration, said that while the EU could not currently see a direct link between events in Ceuta and Spain’s regularisation plan, the policy was “definitely not a good signal for the rest of Europe”.

Europe's heat wave fuels drought, wildfires and fears about energy supplies

Europe's heat wave exposes buried history and new threats — Nazi-era wrecks emerge from the Danube, nuclear reactors face cooling risks, and Greece battles deadly wildfires.

New Jersey sues Amazon on antitrust grounds, alleging it unlawfully wielded its power over delivery contractors

The complaint alleges Amazon's third-party delivery model leads to lower wages, unfair working conditions and a lack of competition.

Skip the run: here are six joint-friendly cardio alternatives suggested by experts

Whether you’re nursing a joint, have an existing condition or just don’t feel like running, these exercises help get your cardio in

The runner’s high might be contagious. In 2024, the fitness tracking app Strava recorded a 59% increase in users attending social running events and run clubs globally. Applications for London’s marathon have increased 40% since 2024, while New York City’s received about 20% more applicants this year. Overall, an estimated 56 million Americans regularly run on a treadmill and 51 million jog, according to a report from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.

But running has a reputation for being rough on our joints. There is some good news for those chasing the high: one 2023 study found little relationship between recreational running and arthritis of the hip or knee, and another suggests that the impact of running causes cartilage to adapt, fortify and thicken over time.

Why Ford believes its 10.2% July U.S. sales decline was still a 'good' month

The July decline adds to a lackluster sales year for the automaker, with results off 9.7% compared with 2025.

Tell us your experience of using peptides

We would like to hear your experience of using peptides for therapeutic purposes

In recent years there has been a boom in interest in using peptides, from weight loss to anti-ageing and recovery from injury.

These include approved prescription weight-loss medications based on synthetic peptides that mimic natural hormones. However, sales of experimental and unregulated peptides are rising as online sellers tout them as part of a “wellness” regime.

‘He’s tiny, dumpy and funny – so his BMX tricks are hilarious’: Tanuki: Pon’s Summer, an adorable slice-of-life adventure

Denkiworks’ debut lets players pull off tricks and pull pints in a stunning, Japan-inspired setting

A freeloading tanuki, mounting debt, and a town full of possibilities will sound familiar to fans of Animal Crossing. Alas, while you won’t find accountability from Tom Nook, Kyoto-based studio Denkiworks has stepped in to heal your financial trauma with a BMX-filled adventure in which a mammal finally pays the price for their years of bad behaviour. “Even Japanese people ask why it’s a tanuki,” jokes Liam Edwards, a game designer at Denkiworks. “They have such a mythological background to them; they’re almost like dragons in terms of their mythology.”

In Tanuki: Pon’s Summer, you play as an adorable but irresponsible critter named Pon, who’s bled the coffers of the local shrine – his home – dry by buying video games and snack food instead of preparing for its semicentennial matsuri. As a result, the shrine is in total disrepair, and important architecture and cultural artefacts – such as the ema stand and the chōzuya – are left cracked and broken, unbefitting a festival half a century in the making.

Manufacturing survey shows inflation worries 'worse than pandemic era,' adding to Fed pressure

The commentary pointed to a highly volatile environment in which purchasing managers were struggling to stay ahead

McDonald's names company veteran Skye Anderson as its U.S. president as growth in its largest market slows

McDonald's new U.S. President Skye Anderson has been with the company for 26 years and succeeds Joe Erlinger in the role.