Trump seeks delay of payment to E. Jean Carroll, asks Supreme Court to reconsider

The writer is seeking $5 million awarded to her by a 2023 jury in a civil sexual abuse and defamation case.

2026 Emmy nominations are announced: See the full list

The nominations for the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, with the final season of HBO Max's "Hacks" setting a new record for the most nominations in a single year for a comedy series.

Trump says "unity" characterized NATO summit, despite recent tensions with European allies

At the beginning of the summit, President Trump suggested Turkey is a better friend than some traditional NATO allies.

Family of Nolan Wells, Black teen found dead off Mississippi island, retains lawyer Ben Crump

The body of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells was found Monday off Horn Island, Mississippi. That's where he was last seen with friends Saturday. Crump says the family is seeking answers.

White House announces "Freedom Fuel" gas station selling $3.47 gasoline

The Freedom Fuel Network is offering gasoline for more than 30 cents a gallon below the national average.

Trump loses latest appeals court bid to restore his name to Kennedy Center

The appeals court said Trump had failed to provide any evidence that the Kennedy Center's fundraising would be harmed if his name is not attached.

Inspiration for Trump's arch was sparked long before the design was first approved

The design process for new memorials shouldn't be fast-tracked or dictated by a select few, experts say. But a small group of people close to President Trump played an outsized role in the arch's quick approvals.

Tour de France 2026: Olav Kooij sprints to stage five victory in Pau – live

Updates from the 158.3km stage from Lannemezan
Stage-by-stage guide | Stage four report | Mail Tom

Christian Prudhomme waves the flag and stage five is now properly underway.

Here is the official visual guide to today’s stage:

World Cup 2026: Egypt fury after Argentina win thriller, injured Henderson staying with England – live

⚽ All the latest as we look ahead to the quarter-finals
⚽ Player guide | Bracketology| Golden Boot | Email us

Perhaps Lionel Messi could do with a look at this video – our own Nikhita Chulani sifts the data in search of the perfect penalty.

Just in, from AP.

Wimbledon 2026: Cobolli v Fery, Fritz v Zverev; Noskova and Kostyuk power through in quarter-finals – live

Updates from Wednesday’s last-eight action in SW19
Arthur Fery: the wildcard carrying GB hopes | Mail Daniel

Paolini bursts out of the blocks with as much speed as she shows when charging around the court, racing to 40-0 and taking the game to 15. This match pits two of the best athletes in the women’s game against each other, and while Kostyuk possesses more power than the counterpunching Paolini, it’s Paolini who has the greater experience at this stage of grand slams, having reached not only the Wimbledon final but also the French Open final two years ago. Which could be to her advantage, if this comes down to who handles the moment better.

Three more games, three more holds, but it’s been fairly tortuous on serve for Mertens, who has to save three break points to scramble to 2-2, just as Paolini and Kostyuk make their entrance on Centre. I’m really, really looking forward to this one … Paolini, after losing the opening set of her first-round match 6-0, has been a player transformed, finally rediscovering the form that took her to the 2024 final and made her a fan favourite, while Kostyuk, after reaching the French Open semi-finals last month, has carried her form from the clay on to the grass, and has won 20 of her past 21 matches.

Nato summit: Trump says US could let Ukraine make Patriot missiles after meeting with Zelenskyy – Europe live

US president says a ‘lot of progress’ has been made on ending war after meeting on sidelines of summit in Ankara

• Trump renews call for US to take over Greenland as he arrives for Nato summit

And that ends their short briefing, with Trump saying he will be back later, and Rutte desperately throwing in that he will also do a press conference if anyone is interested in it please.

Trump also heaps praise on Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, praising the Turkish military might, and, amusingly, out of nowhere praises China, too.

Trump doubles down on push for control over Greenland as Denmark vows to defend it

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. needs to control Greenland “for the protection of the world."

The IOC clears the way for Russian athletes to return to Olympic competition

The International Olympic Committee decision effectively overturns a decade-long ban on Russian athletes from international sport imposed due to a state-sponsored doping scandal and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Used EVs keep getting more expensive amid Iran war, high gas prices

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index for EVs — which tracks prices of used vehicles sold at its U.S. wholesale auctions — increased 12% compared to June 2025.

Middle East crisis live: Trump threatens US will hit Iran ‘hard again tonight’ after saying truce is over

Iranian foreign ministry said earlier US and Israeli attacks had rendered interim accord to end war ‘ineffective’

• Full report: Iran accuses US of violating peace agreement after strikes target sites around strait of Hormuz

The US revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Iranian oil after three tankers were struck in the strait of Hormuz. The move came before fresh US strikes on Iran today.

The US Treasury on Tuesday cancelled a licence that was announced in June that had allowed Iran to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through 21 August.

First major 2026 Atlantic hurricane forecast predicts below-average season

Colorado State University has updated its annual Atlantic hurricane forecast, predicting nine named storms and four hurricanes may develop during the 2026 season.

Do you know where your birth certificate is? Journalist warns of new voting barriers

The rules of the midterms are being rewritten, from redistricting to campaign money. Mother Jones journalist Ari Berman explains why President Trump seems "obsessed with the mechanics of voting."

I’m getting married again. How do I avoid the pressure to look perfect this time around?

It’s my job to unpack beauty culture – but I’m still not immune to it. Plus, it’s a particularly strange time to be a bride, beauty-wise

My 91-year-old grandmother had her 1954 wedding album out on her lap when I visited the other day. “I wanted to remember how beautiful I used to be,” she sighed.

Every time my mom comes across a photo of her own 1984 nuptials, she says the same thing: “Look at how skinny I was!” (Or, sometimes, “Can you believe Daddy wore a white tuxedo with tails?” Which I cannot.)

Why is this column called ‘Ask Ugly’?

How do I respond to my friends when they criticize their own weight and looks?

How should I be styling my pubic hair?

How do I deal with imperfection?

More Reform UK transactions worth millions reported to National Crime Agency

Exclusive: Bankers have raised potential money-laundering concerns over loans and donations involving senior party figures

• UK politics live – latest updates

A host of transactions involving Reform UK’s most senior figures and donations to the party caused bankers to report potential money-laundering concerns to the National Crime Agency, a Guardian investigation has found.

On Tuesday, the Guardian revealed that the undisclosed £5m gift provided to the Reform leader, Nigel Farage, by a cryptocurrency billionaire shortly before the 2024 general election was reported to the NCA.

One relates to a £1m donation made to Britain Means Business, a fundraising organisation for Reform UK, before the last general election. Half of the £1m was then transferred by Tice, as director of the company, to Reform UK. Renamed from Leave Means Leave, Britain Means Business is a company that is used to help fund Reform. The £1m seemingly came from the aristocrat and Reform UK donor Fiona Cottrell. In this instance, the Guardian understands bank staff were not satisfied that the funds had ultimately come from her. The NCA has sought help from a foreign partner agency to trace the original source of the funds.

Two other SARs relate to a loan from George Cottrell to Tice. The loan was made shortly before Tice finalised a property purchase and made a party donation, and was not repaid until after those two transactions were completed, according to sources. George Cottrell is the son of Fiona Cottrell, and is a convicted fraudster, former deputy treasurer of Ukip and close associate of Farage.

A fourth relates to the £5m gift from the Thailand-based businessman Christopher Harborne to Farage, which was first revealed by the Guardian in April.

Nolan Wells' family seeks answers after missing Mississippi teen found dead

The family of Nolan Wells, who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip to Horn Island, has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Search under way after Boeing 737 cargo plane goes missing off Pakistan coast

Early flight data shows K2 Airways plane crashed into sea with five crew on board south-west of Karachi

Pakistan has located the wreckage of a Boeing cargo plane, the country’s airports authority said, adding that rescuers were searching for the five crew members on board when the aircraft went missing.

The plane was approaching Karachi from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates when radar showed it “rapidly descending” on Tuesday evening after reporting a “navigational system issue”, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).

Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova roar into their first Wimbledon semi-finals

• French Open semi-finalist Kostyuk beats Paolini 6-3, 6-2

• Czech No 9 seed Noskova defeats Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5

A lot has been made of how open the women’s draw at Wimbledon is this year, even before the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, and the world’s top two, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, all fell in the first week. But sometimes it pays to be aware of the in-form players, whoever they are, and so it was no surprise to see Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova march into the semi-finals.

Kostyuk, the Ukrainian 12th seed who reached the semi-finals at the French Open last month, crushed the 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 on Centre Court while the 21-year-old Noskova, seeded ninth, saw off Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3, 7-5 to make it 10 wins out of 11 on grass this year.

Trump on rampage at Nato summit: what does it mean for Ukraine? – The Latest

The US president is in combative mood as Nato leaders meet for a two-day summit in Ankara. There are divisions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, defence spending, and the US-Israel war in Iran with signs of the fragile ceasefire collapsing. 

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is holding talks with leaders as he rallies the European cause against Russia’s war that has reached the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as Nato allies present an increasingly united front against an unreliable US.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s central and eastern Europe correspondent Shaun Walker

Trump opposes Carroll getting $5 million damages verdict, cites last-ditch Supreme Court bid

Trump has been found liable in two trials for defaming E. Jean Carroll when he denied her claim he sexually abused her in a New York department store.

Netflix, Disney and YouTube interested in FIFA World Cup U.S. rights; package could reach $2 billion

FIFA has alerted media companies that English- and Spanish-language U.S. rights are likely to be sold together for 2030 and 2034, likely driving up the price.

Here are the 2026 Emmy nominations

Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller presented the nominees on Wednesday morning. Winners will be announced at the 78th Emmy Awards on September 14.

Trump says U.S. will grant Ukraine's request to license Patriot defense system

"A little birdie told me this, about the fact that we'll give them the right to make Patriots," President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Uefa could block Russia returning to football in potential new clash with Fifa

• Russia banned since full-scale invasion of Ukraine

• Many national associations opposed to reintegration

Uefa is prepared to block the return of Russian teams to international football after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted the country’s suspension from global competition.

Fifa has indicated it will review its position after imposing a ban on Russian teams in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. It said on Tuesday that it would “analyse the decision before deciding on next steps”, and Uefa’s stance sets up another potential clash with the world governing body.

Pierpaolo Piccioli’s couture debut reimagines Balenciaga in his own colourful image

Italian designer brings sculptural silhouettes and playful palettes to the storied house, while it is hats off to Giorgio’s niece at her second Armani Privé couture show

The house of Balenciaga takes haute couture very seriously indeed. Cristóbal Balenciaga was so horrified by the rise of mass-produced clothes that, in 1968, he abruptly shuttered his brand and retired to his native Spain, announcing that “high fashion is mortally wounded”.

So Pierpaolo Piccioli, who now helms the house, approached the brief of his first Balenciaga couture collection conscientiously, despite having 25 years of experience at Valentino. At a preview, the haute couture war room where he worked on the show for nine months was plastered with images that ranged from a 1961 Balenciaga dress to Spanish golden age art – Zurbarán’s chic saints, Velázquez’s doll-like infantas – and a monumental Hepworth pierced megalith.

Greetings from a Syrian church, infused with a mix of sweet fruit and diverse faiths

Syria's Mar Musa monastery provides the tastiest mulberries, and its services draw from Eastern Orthodox Christian and Sufi customs.

Delta launches 'basic business' fares without lounge access, seat selection

Delta is launching basic business and other stripped-down premium classes that come with fewer perks.

Datacentres are a ticking time bomb. We must make sure AI’s benefits outweigh the costs | Nicki Hutley

They suck up energy and water, and blast out heat. Just who is better off from all this investment – aside from tech bros?

The two great existential threats of our time – the climate crisis and AI – come hurtling together in the explosion of datacentres across Australia and around the world.

You can hardly avoid hearing about them these days, either with awed reverence of the promised benefits to humankind or with fear and anger given the implications for the climate, inflation, jobs and even housing affordability.

Saccharine review – eating disorder body horror offers plenty to chew over

Australian director Natalie Erika James demonstrates the power of movies as vessels for cultural commentary in this intoxicatingly creepy production

The body horror genre has been around for a long time, nibbling at the edges of the zeitgeist, but it seems to be having a moment, or about to. Every new title – recent examples including The Ugly Stepsister and Together – arrives in the shadow of Coralie Fargeat’s hideously impressive The Substance, a rare example of a sticky-icky flick that spectacularly defied the high/low art divide and even snagged a handful of Oscar nominations. Also having a moment (a terrifically long moment!) are Australian horror movies, with recent years delivering oodles of critically acclaimed titles – among them Talk to Me, Late Night With the Devil, Leviticus, You’ll Never Find Me, You Won’t Be Alone, Sissy, Relic, The Invisible Man, Bring Her Back and Beast of War.

Into that Venn diagram overlay between “body horror” and “Australian” comes Saccharine, the new film from writer-director Natalie Erika James, which takes a bold route into exploring eating disorders and body dysmorphia, demonstrating yet again the great power and malleability of horror movies as vessels for cultural commentary. James has a knack for visualising core themes: first in her excellent feature debut Relic, a horror film about dementia that illustrates time’s deteriorating forces in individual images: a mouldy fruit bowl, an overrun tennis court.

Moana review – Dwayne Johnson’s demigod on autopilot in dull live-action remake

Johnson reprises his role from the original animation and has fine rapport with his young co-star Catherine Laga’aia, but the whole enterprise feels cynical and pointless

Disney’s animated super-hit Moana from 2016 – having been followed up by a dull sequel two years ago – now gets a competent but basically pointless and unexciting back-to-basics live-action remake. Screenwriter Jared Bush modifies his original script, Broadway stage veteran Thomas Kail makes his movie directing debut and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs are revived. Nineteen-year-old Australian Samoan actor Catherine Laga’aia takes the role of Moana, the headstrong teen daughter of a Polynesian chief; her wise and kindly grandma Tala, who recognises Moana’s heroic leadership destiny, is played by New Zealand actor Rena Owen.

Moana has to go on a quest to restore the heart of the goddess Te Fiti, the lack of which is causing an eco-crisis on her home island of Motunui. To do this, she must join forces with the swaggeringly arrogant demigod Maui, in which role Dwayne Johnson returns in his own actual person, which is almost as cartoonishly muscly and vast as the animated version. Maui has a spurious quest of his own, to retrieve the hook which is the source of his power and to do this he must confront his own nemesis. This is the giant crab Tamatoa, which as before is voiced by Jemaine Clement and is a character which is of course just a 3D animated version of the 2D cartoon original, like Heihei, Moana’s less-than-hilarious pet chicken.

Kentucky Gov. Beshear presses McConnell to provide health update as speculation grows

McConnell, the former longtime Senate leader who declined to seek an eighth term following a series of health scares, was admitted to a hospital on June 14.

What's behind the surge in mahjong's popularity in the U.S.?

Mahjong, a traditional Chinese tile game, is rapidly increasing in popularity across the U.S. Caitlin Huey-Burns headed to a mahjong parlor to see why the game is seeing renewed appreciation.

London City Lionesses confirm signing of Spanish superstar Alexia Putellas

• Two-time Ballon d’Or winner joins on a free transfer

• Mary Earps and Nicole Anyomi also new recruits

London City Lionesses have announced the signing of Alexia Putellas at an event in New York, confirming the arrival in the Women’s Super League of one of the women’s game’s all-time greats.

The two-time Ballon d’Or winner was available on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona at the end of the season, ending a 14-year stay during which she helped them to win four Champions League titles.

Kentucky governor requests update on Mitch McConnell's health

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear formally requested an update from Sen. Mitch McConnell amid a weekslong hospitalization that has prompted growing speculation about his health.

Toddler declared dead in pool accident found alive in hospital morgue

Two police officers saw possible signs of life, but the child was still taken to the hospital's "cold room" after being treated by staff, according to police documents.

Fed meeting minutes to show 'family fight' over rates. The squabble could drag on for a while

There have been few instances over the past 35 years or so when the Fed has only made one rate move, be it up or down.

Photo of bound Palestinian detainee corroborates Israeli torture reports, say rights groups

Image of man in underwear, blindfold and bound to iron rod has been widely shared on social media

• Middle East crisis live – latest updates

An Israeli soldier’s photo of a Palestinian man from Gaza stripped to his underwear, blindfolded and bound face-down to an iron rod corroborates extensive reporting on Israeli torture of Palestinians in detention and itself may constitute a war crime, rights groups have said.

The image was shared on a now-deleted personal social media account, with the Hebrew-language caption “good morning”. It was brought to wider public attention by a Palestinian writer and activist who goes by Tamer.

Former Maine Sen. Troy Jackson says it would be 'self-serving' if Graham Platner runs

Former Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson has filed to replace Graham Platner on the U.S. Senate ballot in Maine after Platner's girlfriend accused him of sexual assault.

How did South Africa produce an anti-African movement?

In a country where xenophobia has a legacy, a recent well-funded iteration has emerged that feeds on post-apartheid failures and local insecurities

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It’s been a terrifying few weeks in South Africa. A campaign against African immigrants has gathered steam, resulting in the deaths of at least four people and the mass fleeing of thousands of others. I spoke to Fezokuhle Mthonti, a cultural historian and writer based in Johannesburg, about what’s driving the campaign, and how it threatens to tear apart the very fabric of South Africa.

“Abahambe!”, translating to “They must go!”, is the campaign and protest movement’s battle cry. Mobs and protesters have so terrified African migrants in South Africa that thousands are sleeping on pavements in fear of being attacked in their homes, and hoping for repatriation to their home countries. Malawian, Ghanaian, Nigerian and Zimbabwean governments are among those that have so far arranged for tens of thousands to return. It’s a distressing state of affairs for a country that many African migrants saw as a place of hope and opportunity.

Wyoming tightens wastewater rules after Meta datacenter contractor flushed contaminated water

Meta said it was working with officials to be a ‘good neighbor’ and drinking water supplies were not affected

Officials in Wyoming said a contractor for Mark Zuckerberg’s tech company, Meta, flushed bacteria-contaminated water into public sewers during construction of a controversial new AI datacenter.

The incident prompted water authorities in Cheyenne to implement strict safety regulations on how wastewater from such projects is disposed of, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, which first reported the incident.

USPS raising the price of a Forever stamp starting on Sunday

The cost of a first-class Forever stamp has climbed 41% since 2021, and postal officials have signaled they want prices to rise even more.

UK judges begin hearing appeal over Trinidad and Tobago anti-gay law

Activist is challenging ruling last year that restored colonial-era homophobic law against same-sex intimacy

Some of the UK’s top judges are hearing arguments over whether a Trinidad and Tobago court had the legal right to overturn a 2018 ruling to remove colonial-era homophobic laws that criminalise anal sex between consenting men.

The country’s “buggery law”, often referred to as its “sodomy” law, was created in 1925 and was written into Trinidad and Tobago’s 1986 Sexual Offences Act. In 2017 a Trinidadian LGBTQ+ rights activist, Jason Jones, challenged the law, and in 2018 a high court ruled that it infringed upon his constitutional right to privacy and equality.

Austrian court rules ski resort hotel’s burkini ban is discriminatory

Hotel did not allow two Muslim women to wear full-body bathing suit, which has become bugbear of European far right

An Austrian court has found an alpine hotel’s ban on burkinis discriminatory, a politically explosive ruling in a country where the far right is on the rise.

The full-body bathing suit worn by some Muslim women has become a bugbear of the European far right, which has campaigned to restrict Muslim dress in public spaces.

Stocks slide, oil surges after Trump says Iran ceasefire is over

Oil prices jumped 6% while U.S. stocks fell as renewed Middle East conflict threatens crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ex-Bucknell coach charged in football player's death after he collapsed during practice

Former Bucknell strength and conditioning coach Mark Kulbis is facing criminal charges in the 2024 death of Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr., who collapsed during a football practice and died. Pennsylvania prosecutors allege Kulbis knew about Dickey's sickle-cell trait, which put him at a greater risk of serious injury or death from extreme exertion. Jericka Duncan reports.

Farage told me he would quit politics after Brexit. Now, mired in scandal, he should do it and mean it | Simon Jenkins

His byelection stunt shows he is clearly rattled by a perilous position. Wildcards rarely endure: his future is behind him

Britain’s politics was never so weird. First, the people of Makerfield choose who should be the new prime minister. Now the people of Clacton are to confirm the man who is currently his most popular challenger. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is still running ahead of all other parties, and he is ahead of all other current leaders. It would be foolish to underestimate him.

Farage is a cut above the normal populist upstart. His image as the amiable duffer in the golf club bar was once that of a traditional Tory backbencher. He took to Brexit not as an economic theoretician but as a flag-waving nationalist. He exploited race as a populist issue, coded as immigration, but had little interest in any wider political programme. Brexit to him was simply a mid-career adventure.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

Maine Democrats say Platner's campaign is trying to influence replacement process

The state Democratic Party accused Platner's campaign of trying to "put their thumb on the scale" of the process to replace him if he drops his bid for Senate. Platner's team has denied doing so.

No league tables, no trophies: how Norway made sport fun for kids – and built a football team that beat Brazil

Country’s model prioritises joy while offering choice – and Erling Haaland’s World Cup exploits show that it works

At full time, the arithmetic felt wrong. A team from a country of 5.5 million people, back at a World Cup after 28 years away, had just beaten the five-time champions to reach a first quarter-final.

During Norway’s victory over Brazil on Sunday there was little between the fast feet of Vinícius Júnior and the raw power of Erling Haaland. But look at how that pair and others on the two teams were raised and a different story emerges. Neymar, Matheus Cunha and Vinícius grew up in a system that prioritises prodigies – spotting talent early and fast-tracking it through academies built around a single sport. Haaland, Martin Ødegaard and Antonio Nusa grew up inside something altogether different.

Typhoon floods and volcano tourism: photos of the day – Wednesday

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

Nato leaders agree not to mention World Cup to Donald Trump to avoid irritating him

As alliance gathers in Ankara, European leaders have an informal strategy to try to keep US president on side

• Europe live – latest updates

Nato leaders have informally agreed not to mention the football World Cup to Donald Trump for fear of irritating the US president at a crucial time for the military alliance.

Officials said European leaders had discussed in the sidelines of the summit in Ankara how to keep Trump on side amid concerns he could further destabilise Nato with threats over defence spending.

Some evacuations lifted after Manhattan high-rise stabilized following fears of collapse

Some evacuations have been lifted in Midtown Manhattan after a building that buckled on Tuesday was stabilized, officials said. Michael George has more.

An Afghan girl calmly milks a giant yak: Daniel Malikyar’s best photograph

‘In the Pamir Mountains, there’s salted yak milk every morning for breakfast. You stay warm at night on the floor in the yurt burning yak dung in the furnace’

My parents and grandparents migrated to the US from Afghanistan in 1979, just a few weeks before the Soviets invaded. I grew up in Los Angeles, but would visit my grandfather in Virginia once a year. He would always make photographs and film little interviews. It was his enthusiasm in capturing moments of our everyday lives that sparked my interest in documenting the world around me.

I was six when 9/11 happened. From that point on, the domestic and global perception of my motherland was always driven by the negative connotations drawn from the headlines – terrorism, war, images of sandstorms, guns and desperation. But at home in LA, I would see the beauty of our culture, the food, the handicrafts, the art we had on the walls, the music and poetry, and the stories, artifacts and photographs my parents had from their time in Afghanistan. Their photographs from the 60s and 70s showcased the country at a time when it flourished. One day, I told myself, I’m going to make a project that shows the world another side of this incomplete story.

Can AI equalize political campaign ads – or will it remain a tool for spreading lies?

Political campaigns are increasingly deploying AI and deepfakes to further their messaging, and the scale of spread has experts concerned

From the comfort of his bed, Jonathan Rinaldi, a political candidate for a city council seat in Queens, New York, tinkered away on his iPhone, prompting an artificial intelligence chatbot to mock up fake news hits and endorsements he had never received.

During the campaign last October, Rinaldi shared one of those stories, made to appear real with a CNN logo, on his Facebook and Instagram. It stated that Lynn Schulman, his opponent and an incumbent Democrat, had been “forced to drop out of the race due to a series of critical mistakes”. But Schulman had not quit her campaign, and in November, won by a landslide.

Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: flip-flops are once again having a fashion moment. But please tread carefully

Love them or hate them, the versatile sandal is back – just choose the right ones and wear them the Copenhagen way

The flip-flop is an essential text of summer style. The Dalai Lama wears flip-flops. Surfers wear flip-flops. They are a beach classic, a staple of campsite shower blocks, non-negotiable after a pedicure. Like a pair of blue jeans or a cloth tote bag, they have a utility that transcends fashion.

But when flip-flops step out of their lane – when they become a fashion shoe, a public-facing shoe – rather than a shoe you leave by the back door – they raise hackles. Every single time we get a heatwave, a lively debate about whether flip-flops are acceptable in the office follows, without ever being resolved. When Jennifer Lawrence wore flip-flops under her Dior gown on the Cannes red carpet in 2023, there was an outcry over the perceived flouting of the film festival’s “elegant footwear” policy.

Marine Le Pen launches France presidential campaign after ban reduced

Far-right leader plans to take part in 2027 race despite appeal court upholding her conviction for embezzlement

The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has launched her presidential campaign after a decision by a court of appeal shortened her ban on running for office, allowing her to take part in the 2027 vote.

Le Pen said voters would decide her future. “I’m a citizen like anyone else, who is using their rights,” she said on Wednesday, attempting to brush aside legal woes that her political opponents said would plague her campaign for next spring’s presidential election.

Police urge man suspected of murdering his wife and daughters near Bedford to hand himself in

Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, is believed to have left UK for Zimbabwe before bodies of his family were discovered

A man suspected of murdering his wife and two daughters near Bedford has been urged by police to hand himself in after fleeing to Zimbabwe.

Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead in their £1.3m detached house in Carnoustie Drive, Great Denham. Police forced entry to the house on Monday after receiving reports that the family had not been seen for days.

NSW silence Queensland and claim State of Origin shield with boilover for the ages

• Blues defeat Maroons 12-30 in Game 3 to win series 2-1

• Nathan Cleary secures legacy with Wally Lewis medal

Queensland will cry blue murder at a couple of contentious calls but history will speak only of New South Wales delivering one of the all-time great Origin boilovers on Wednesday night. Despite being outplayed in Sydney and smashed in Melbourne, the Blues did the unthinkable, silencing Suncorp Stadium with a 12-30 victory to seal the Origin shield.

Under siege for weeks, with their coach Laurie Daley pilloried in all sections of the media, NSW were magnificent, scoring five tries to emphatically silence the critics. The hero was Nathan Cleary, who scored two tries and kicked five goals from five to win the Wally Lewis Medal as Man of the series and finally “own” the Origin arena.

Statesman, comedian and dealer of hard truths: how Kylian Mbappé became the king of this World Cup

The Frenchman is a footballer, flautist and a thespian. There’s no question he is the most thrilling and compelling figure at this year’s tournament

This has been the World Cup of characters, bold fashion statements, and bantz: we’ve had Thomas Tuchel rubber-banding around the England dressing room like a teen at his first all-ages rave, and Iván Barton booting Miguel Almirón from the field as if sentencing him to death. Mauricio Pochettino and his $500 overshirt have brought fresh energy and inspiration to the wardrobes of convex middle-aged men the world over. Jokester Javier Aguirre’s avuncular “fuck you” at Anthony Gordon has pushed bilateral relations between Mexico and England to their warmest point since the British-brokered peace that ended the Pastry War of 1839.

Erling Haaland has shown it’s possible to be Jaws in front of goal and Scooby Doo once the ball is in the back of the net, that there’s nothing about football so important that it can’t make way for some silly bit of online comedy. Even Harry Kane, a man who often seems like he was media trained in the womb, has squeaked thrillingly, if briefly, to life.

Weekly mortgage demand drops as rates remain stuck in a narrow range

Mortgage rates barely moved last week and haven't moved much in more than a month. That is resulting in lackluster mortgage demand.

Why gen Z are ‘romanticizing’ their hangovers: ‘It’s lowkey a beautiful thing’

For young people, flaunting eye bags and bed rotting has become a cheeky rebuttal of body optimization culture

Picture a typical hangover: a morning spent curled under a comforter, chugging Gatorade and shame spiraling about what you might have said at the bar the night before.

Not so for the young people who are “romanticizing” their hangovers on TikTok and Instagram. Instead, they are flaunting their dark eye circles and raging headaches as the aftereffects of a good time, broadcasting their bad decisions to the world with a glowy sheen.

How to ferment excess courgettes – recipe

Reboot your surplus zucchini as a condiment to complement just about any savoury plate

Mountain Feed is a super-cute garden nursery and store in Ben Lomond, California, with a blog I’ve followed for years (it teaches everything from bee-keeping to cheese-making) and which answers that age-old question, “What should I do with all this zucchini?!” in my favourite way – namely, through lacto-fermentation. Lacto-fermented courgettes are a great alternative to fermented or pickled gherkins, and perfect as a condiment alongside just about any plate of savoury food, especially when they’re spiced with lots of chilli.

ICE raided their city, taking parents, spouses and friends. That’s not where it ends

Three families in Los Angeles on the devastating aftermath of ICE detentions and deportations that overwhelmed their city last summer

Last summer, Angelenos began to vanish.

Armed, masked immigration agents plucked people off street corners and out of their workplaces, in parking lots and department stores. Partners and primary breadwinners, grandparents and children, carwasheros and coffee shop regulars were arrested, detained and deported – disappearing from their neighborhoods.

Race discrimination case over child’s swim puts ‘Dutch paradox’ in focus

Father of boy refused entry to pool says case is reminder that some Dutch do not acknowledge reality of racism

When Henri Duiker went to check whether his 12-year-old son and his friend were enjoying their first “disco” swim evening alone, he was baffled. Instead of being in the water, Henri’s son was standing alone by the desk at the Watergeus pool, in Zoetermeer in the Netherlands.

He did not have any ID to prove he was under 13 and pool attendants had told him he could not swim – although his friend of the same age and size had not been not asked for his documents.

German car industry warns of job collapse unless ‘bold decisions’ made to address Chinese threat

VW to propose 100,000 job losses to board and says car plants could be put under foreign ownership to save jobs

• Europe live – latest updates

The German car industry has warned of a potential collapse of employment in the sector in Europe unless society and workers accept that “bold decisions” are needed to address competition from the Chinese and other rivals.

Volkswagen is preparing to formally propose up to 100,000 job losses, a move that has triggered a wave of protests.

Trump says he believes the Iran ceasefire is 'over.' And, IOC lifts Russia's suspension

Trump said that he believes the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is over, but hasn't ruled out talks. And, the International Olympic Committee paves the way for Russian athletes to compete in the 2028 games.

UK waters hit with extreme heatwave as global sea temperatures reach record levels

Experts warn that some marine species are at risk of ‘mass mortality events’ in ever-warming oceans

UK waters are being hit with an “extreme” marine heatwave, the Met Office has said, as scientists warn that high ocean temperatures globally could result in “mass-mortality events” for some species.

The forecasters said these elevated temperatures have developed rapidly because of last month’s heat dome, during which most of Europe sweltered in its worst ever heatwave that scientists said would have been impossible without the climate crisis.

A spirit of resilience helps Venezuelans face healthcare challenges after the quakes

The economic collapse of Venezuela has pushed its healthcare system to the brink. The disaster is now adding to the stress.

Through the teargas, I saw something missing from German politics for too long: hope | Scott Roxborough

I joined thousands of people blockading the AfD’s Erfurt congress. A civil disobedience movement is showing how to beat the far right

At 5am on Saturday morning, I found myself jogging across a field with a few hundred strangers, on my way to block a highway. We were just outside the east German city of Erfurt, one of several groups setting up roadblocks to try to stop delegates from reaching the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party conference. We set up facing a row of police in riot gear – helmets on, batons ready – filming us with cameras on monopods.

A few years ago, I would have been covering an action like this as a reporter, from behind the police lines. In journalism school, I was taught to be objective. But I can’t pretend to be impartial when it comes to the AfD – and so instead I chose to join the demonstrators, most decades younger than me, chanting together: “Siamo tutti antifascisti (We are all antifascists)!” As a foreigner who has called Germany home for nearly 30 years, as the father of two daughters growing up in this country, I have skin in the game.

The unknown photos that tell the story of the US’s Black colleges

Rare photographs tucked away in HBCU archives are being preserved and widely shared with the world for the first time

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), most of which were founded during the Reconstruction era following the civil war, hold invaluable historical archives full of documents, photographs and, in some cases, even films. The archives are a testament to the lasting importance and influence of Black American history in the US, documenting more than a century’s worth of history.

A lot of the priceless images, however, are in boxes or storage, usually inaccessible to the public and many times at risk of damage or being lost. The Getty Images photo archive grants program and its HBCU collection seeks to bridge the gap between helping HBCUs preserve their archives and getting both historical images and new ones to the wider public.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced review – bootyful high seas adventure, now with 20% more swashbuckling

PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S; Ubisoft Singapore/Ubisoft
Ubisoft has removed all the boring parts of pirate life from its fantasy RPG, creating something more focused and fun

Edward Kenway isn’t your dad’s Assassin’s Creed protagonist. Neither sworn to ancient oaths nor given a noble destiny, he’s just a guy who likes coin, dislikes rules, and whose gold-chasing, rule-dodging lifestyle sees him embroiled in an ancient war between Templars and assassins quite by accident. After he’s shipwrecked with a man named Walpole who turns out to be a Templar, Edward assumes Walpole’s identity in the hopes of securing the bounty he mentioned.

Edward wears life lightly. The world around him is violent and chaotic, and those in his vicinity are more obsessed with double-crossings than a Mission:Impossible movie writers’ room. Ed just smiles, undeterred by it all, and gets on with plundering. It’s all just fun and games to him, and he is set on conquering the Caribbean on his own terms. He is a brilliant extension of the player, in that way, and that’s what this remake of the 2013 pirate-themed Assassin’s Creed does so well: the sense of freedom.

Marcus Rashford expected to start new season back at Manchester United

• Carrick set to welcome player after World Cup

• Club preference is to ease wage bill by selling striker

Marcus Rashford is set to be re-integrated at Manchester United after the World Cup, with the forward expected to start next season as part of Michael Carrick’s squad. Due to a breakdown in the relationship between the player and club, the 28-year-old, who has two years left on his contract, last played for United in a 2-1 Europa League win at Viktoria Pilzen in December 2024. There are no problems between Rashford and Carrick.

Rashford will have a three-week break at the close of England’s World Cup campaign and the plan is for him to return to United for pre-season training.

Lack of safeguards over prisoners’ early release puts abuse victims at risk, Lammy warned

Exclusive: victims commissioner and domestic abuse commissioner call for pause on planned releases

A failure to put in place safeguards in advance of a change to the law that will result in offenders being released early will put abuse victims at risk, ministers have been told.

In a rare coordinated intervention, the victims commissioner and the domestic abuse commissioner have written separately to ministers urging them immediately to pause planned early releases of offenders convicted of crimes against women and girls in England and Wales.

Tell us: do you support a national football team that you have no link to?

We would like to hear from people who support national football teams outside of their own countries

In order to play for a country at the World Cup, a football player must have a “genuine link” to that nation, such as familial ties or citizenship. But the rule does not apply to supporting a country.

We would like to hear from fans who have supported national football teams outside of their own countries at the 2026 World Cup. Perhaps you follow a certain player, or the football clubs the team is associated with? Maybe you just like their style? Whatever the reason, we’d like to hear from you.

Do you need a word to describe how you feel in the heat? I nominate ‘natsubate’

It refers to the total burnout experienced during periods of extreme heat and humidity – and never have we needed it more

It’s satisfying when one word sums up an entire philosophy or feeling – think hygge, schadenfreude – and there’s a new kid on the block that is particularly relevant right now. Natsubate is the reason so many of us feel utterly exhausted at the moment, as we battle through perilously high temperatures once more. Hailing from Japan, it translates as “summer exhaustion” and describes that feel-it-in-your-bones, all-encompassing dog- tiredness experienced during periods of extreme heat and humidity.

It’s a heatwave hangover, which often hangs about long after the boiling conditions. Next-level knackeredness. This is not just middle age; it’s natsubate.

European countries top ‘scorecard’ on climate progress while US slips to 27th

Estonia, Luxembourg and UK are the top three in biennial Yale University index in tackling pollution and other issues

Much of the world has made encouraging strides in reducing toxic problems such as water and air pollution that have long plagued communities. But there is still a widespread lack of progress among countries in dealing with the climate crisis, according to the latest edition of an influential environmental scorecard.

The biennial Yale University index again ranks Estonia as the best-performing of 177 assessed countries, after strong recent efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and protect its ecosystems. Luxembourg is second, and the UK is third, having moved up from fifth place in the 2024 index.

My patients use ChatGPT for therapy. Now I use it too | Sarah Dargouth

I can’t blame my patients for turning to its straightforward assessments. But it has real risks – and care may require human messiness

“Chat told me I should break up with him.”

I instructed my face to remain therapist-neutral, but I must have smirked. The truth is, I was annoyed. We had been discussing the viability of this relationship for weeks, and in an instant AI had brought the answer. “How do you feel about it?” She said this had been her gut feeling all along. The following session, her relationship was over.

World Cup 2026 team power rankings: England on the rise as last eight are set

We assess the teams who played in the tournament’s last 16 before the next round of games begins

A very different side of France came to the fore, proving they are not mere showboaters, there is plenty of steel, grit and determination among the ranks. It was a brutal encounter as they became targets for Paraguay, who added menace to the low block. No one in blue retreated to the shadows, instead taking the overaggression head on, using it as fuel. “To anyone who wants to go to war with us, this is what you should expect,” Rayan Cherki said. It was the biggest test they have faced this far but intimidation tactics do not work, it transpires, leaving everyone else wondering how to stop them.

Tell us: have you been affected by the wildfires in southern Europe?

Wildfires have forced thousands of people to evacuate across France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and other parts of southern Europe. We would like to hear how the fires have impacted you

Wildfires are continuing to burn across southern Europe after weeks of extreme heat, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes and disrupting communities across the region.

We would like to hear from people who have been affected. Have you had to evacuate your home? How are you coping? Are you living with smoke, poor air quality or the threat of evacuation? We would like to hear about your experiences.

Booyakasha! Sacha Baron Cohen has completed a new Ali G movie

Report says new film has finished filming – although title and release date not yet confirmed

Twenty-four years after Staines’s foremost political interlocutor was last seen on the big screen in Ali G Indahouse, Ali G is set to return to cinemas.

As reported by The InSneider, a new movie has wrapped production, with filming locations including Oxfordshire, where Baron Cohen was spotted in character last summer, and in the US. A title and release date have not been confirmed and representatives for the star declined to comment.

The Spin | ‘Plant pots in the urinals’: Lord’s pioneers reunite and reflect 50 years after first women’s game

On the eve of the first women’s Test at Lord’s, nine England players and one Australian from 1976 are gathering

In a room in central London, about three miles from Lord’s, a group of 10 women will gather on Thursday for a very special reunion. Fifty years ago, on 4 August 1976, they were among the first female cricketers to play a match at the so-called Home of Cricket: a one-day international between England and Australia.

England strolled to an eight‑wicket win, chasing down 162 thanks to half-centuries from Enid Bakewell, opening with Lynne Thomas, and Chris Watmough, coming in at No 3. But the importance of the occasion was less about the details of the match than what it represented. After almost five decades of the Women’s Cricket Association knocking on the MCC’s door, the success of the first World Cup three years earlier finally persuaded the club that it was time to host a women’s match.

‘He saw signs saying No Blacks – but he never got bitter’: Sterling Betancourt, the man who brought steelpan music to the UK

Moving to the UK in the 1950s, the Trinidadian musician endured racism and built his own instruments from waste. After his death aged 96, his widow recalls his patience and positivity

Wearing rusty steelpans hewn from oil drums around their necks, Sterling Betancourt and his 10 bandmates faced a sceptical crowd as they stood outside the recently opened Royal Festival Hall in London in 1951. Jokes about “black magic” were heard. Then they began striking their pans with mallets and those watching were stunned by the beautiful music that emanated.

The Trinidadian musicians were playing at the Festival of Britain – the government-funded jamboree celebrating British and Commonwealth cultural excellence as the country shook off the trauma of war – and that day they introduced a mellifluous style of music to the UK that has since been passed down from generation to generation. When Betancourt died on 3 June, aged 96, there was little fanfare. As a musician, he was never “famous” in the sense of having hit records or headlining festivals. Yet this warm, humble nonagenarian – and MBE recipient – was among the last of the Windrush-era musicians who changed the DNA of British music. Later this month, his steelpan music will return to the Royal Festival Hall for Steel Scenes, a festival marking the 75th anniversary of the Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra (Taspo), the group he played with in 1951.

The rapid rise of housefishing: are AI-enhanced property listings helpful – or sinister?

From repainted walls to imaginary lawns, estate agents say modified photos help buyers ‘visualise the potential of a property’. But how much AI enhancement is too much? Agents, viewers and trading standards experts tell all

It is twilight on a desirable street in Chiswick, or it could be Hampstead, Wilmslow or Hove. A spectacular sunset has left a vivid stripe of orange fading into a violet sky. Against this saturated backdrop, a large Victorian house is clearly outlined despite the darkening atmosphere, perhaps thanks to the lights blazing from every single room. The effect is dazzling, in an unhinged, halfway-through-an-exorcism way. It is also quite obviously fake: a digital trick previously achieved with software such as Photoshop, but increasingly using quicker, cheaper AI programs.

If you are one of the many Britons for whom browsing expensive property listings is a big pastime, you’ll be familiar with the dusk shot, one of the many ways estate agents try to make their wares stand out in the endless scroll of Rightmove, Zoopla and Instagram. It is a level of artifice that most of us are prepared to overlook. We understand we are being sold a dream and we are generally happy to be transported to a world untroubled by the energy crisis, nosy neighbours or natural shadow.

The rise of blue-space therapy: how the sea is helping people deal with trauma, anxiety and addiction

‘Sea cures’ are not new but the idea that exposure to oceans, rivers and lakes can be medicine for the brain is gaining traction

Watching the waves break across the vast, roaring ocean in front of him, Dave Phillips felt out of options standing on the cliff’s edge in Cornwall several years ago. The former British army corporal had lost a number of loved ones in quick succession, and the compounding effects of untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his military tours had become all-consuming.

“I’m from a generation where we didn’t talk,” says Phillips, 67. “I tried dealing with it myself and ended up standing on a cliff edge thinking, ‘Yeah, this is the way.’”

Lindsey Santoro: ‘The problems I have are my own – I’ve caused them, I’m the issue!’

The standup on bad gigs at motorway service station hotels, her nan’s reviews and the pressure to be ‘prize pig’ at the Edinburgh fringe

Who did you admire when you were starting out?
I loved Lee Evans because of how he ran around on stage. I want to be more like him but I just physically can’t. I try to sometimes; I’ll move my arms. Now I understand why he was so sweaty!

Best heckle?
I was doing a gig and this woman was quite drunk and talking really loudly. I said, “Hello, what’s going on here?” And she went, “Don’t worry about me, love. You’re losing them as it is.” And I was like, OK. Well, that’s brilliant.

Lindsey Santoro: It Was Like That When I Got Here is at Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, 19-30 August

The great carbon capture con: behold the wasted billions Burnham could claw back | George Monbiot

There are far better ways to tackle climate breakdown, but successive governments have chosen to listen to the fossil fuel companies instead

The new prime minister will be looking for money? Well, here’s £21.7bn lying on the ground. The government could cancel its deranged, disastrous carbon capture and storage (CCS) programme at no cost to public welfare: in fact, it would greatly reduce the harm we will suffer.

Sorry, did I say £21.7bn? That’s the figure the government has been putting in its press releases for spending on this programme between now and 2050. But this covers only the first phase of the project. The climate experts Dr Andrew Boswell and Simon Oldridge worked through the data produced by the government’s Climate Change Committee, which was scattered across different spreadsheets, and discovered that the projected cost of the full CCS programme between now and 2050 is £264bn.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

Celebrating the African diaspora: the photography of Armet Francis

Hackney-based visual arts charity Autograph has received the entire photographic estate of Jamaican-British photographer Armet Francis – a major gift that brings more than 70,000 images into their permanent photography collection

Service by Lauren Mooney review – a very modern ghost story

The chills are genuinely spooky in this haunted-house tale about contemporary precarity – a debut that speaks to our times

There are, MR James tells us, five conditions that must be met for a perfect ghost story: the pretence of truth, a “pleasing terror”, no explanation of the machinery, no gratuitous horror, and that the story belong to the writer’s (and reader’s) “own day”. In Lauren Mooney’s sharply observed debut novel, Danielle lives a precarious existence as a PA at a dilettante arts charity called Hodgepodge (strapline: “for ideas”). She types emails, makes tea and increasingly finds herself running personal errands for her monstrous boss Jeannie. Jeannie seems to see no difference between working for the charity, and working for her.

After a horrible breakup, Danielle finds herself unexpectedly homeless. With no savings, no bank of Mum and Dad, and no room left in her overdraft, she winds up staying alone in Jeannie’s ancestral home, a rambling pile in the middle of nowhere. “We could do with somebody to take care of the place,” Jeannie says, as Danielle bursts into uncharacteristic tears. “You’d be doing us a huge favour.”

The Kiss by Katie Barclay review – on passion, power and puckering up

From Desiderius Erasmus to Luis Rubiales, a cultural history of this most intimate of gestures

If, on a European holiday, you get flustered greeting people – should you kiss? how many times? – spare a thought for Dutch theologian Desiderius Erasmus. Visiting England in 1499, he found a nation of enthusiastic kissers. “Wherever you go, you are received on all hands with kisses; when you take leave you are dismissed with kisses,” he wrote in surprise, or possibly, alarm. On the continent, the fashion for greeting with a peck on the lips had long fallen by the wayside (probably because of sexual propriety), but the English held firm. It didn’t matter if the other person was of the opposite sex, everyone puckered up.

Whether you like to snog, smooch, suck face or osculate (the scientific term), kissing seems so natural and instinctive, it’s hard to imagine it having a history at all. But just as kissing is not seen in all cultures, so, historian of emotions Katie Barclay writes, its meanings have changed across time too. From foot-kissing knights to baby-kissing politicians, to the “shut-up kiss” of Hollywood romcoms, this rich and fascinating history reminds us that kissing is, and always has been, a contested public gesture as well as a private pleasure.

The Girls review – poignant coming-of-age romance is an understated gem of Sri Lankan cinema

Sumitra Peries’ 1978 film about teenage sisters and thwarted romance is laden with passions that can’t be spoken aloud

Here is a gem of South Asian cinema from 1978, by the Sri Lankan director and editor Sumitra Peries. With its lucid monochrome cinematography and calm, natural, unselfconscious performances, there is a freshness and warmth to this film. It is often on the brink of melodrama or soap opera, many shots having a tendency to slow zoom into the actors’ faces, and yet The Girls is in fact rather understated. A great deal of its poignancy resides in this very suppression of emotion. We are in a world of passions that can’t be spoken aloud. It is a story through whose entire running time I wistfully hoped for a happy ending, but that is what Peries ruthlessly withholds from her audience.

Kusum (Vasanthi Chathurani) is a studious, serious teen from a poor family with a scholarship to a very good school. Her father is seriously ill and her mother works hard to make ends meet. She has a rather tense, quarrelsome relationship with her sister Soma (Jenita Samaraweera), who is naughtier, flightier and always receiving letters from “pen pals” – boys. Kusum’s sobering story is triggered in flashback by the sight of a visiting local dignitary, the “divisional revenue officer”, being welcomed to her village.

A moment that changed me: I broke my arm seven times – and finally listened to what my body was telling me

As a child, enduring break after break, I thought of myself as simply unlucky. Truth was, I needed to tune in to my aches, pains and well-founded fears

It was the first day of spring this year. I was topless, face-down on a foldaway travel table, as the masseuse uttered six words that brought my attempt at relaxation to an abrupt end: “I think your arm is haunted.”

I have broken my right arm seven times: seven breaks on seven separate occasions. Some years, my arm was in a sling more than it was out of one. The novelty of getting your mates to cover your cast in that 00s grafitti “S” and the relief of missing the bleep test at school quickly wore off.

Lawmakers probe growing use of Chinese AI models in U.S. companies

An ongoing House Committee investigation is probing the risks involved in the rise of AI built in China.

Sami Tamimi’s recipes for aubergine dolma bake with a spicy herb and spinach salad

This comforting dish gives all the pleasure of stuffed vine leaves without the hours of labour. Serve alongside a lemony salad that’s rich with toasted seeds

I wanted the comfort of dolma without spending hours coring, stuffing and rolling. Traditionally, for this Iraqi dish of vine leaves, various vegetables are filled with fragrant rice and often with meat, too, making it a true labour of love. This pie captures all those familiar flavours but, by layering everything instead, the vine leaves become silky and tender. A bright, lemony spinach salad adds freshness and contrast.

‘All I want is to return home’: the desperate and displaced living through years of war in the DRC – in pictures

The hills of the Hauts Plateaux near Lake Tanganyika have been the scene of fighting for decades between the army, rebel forces and ethnic militias. Pushed one way and another by the conflict are families just trying to survive

Birdwatch: A yellowhammer cheer squad on my cycle around Suffolk

That characteristic song was an unexpected delight alongside the chiffchaffs, blackcaps and whitethroats too

With hindsight, the late June heatwave was not the ideal time for my (very) old schoolmates and me to be cycling around Suffolk. Yet, despite the searing heat and the lateness of the season, the woods and hedgerows were still awash with birdsong.

Chirping chiffchaffs, melodic blackcaps and warbling whitethroats were everywhere, while swallows twittered over fields and swifts screamed past rooftops in the towns and villages we rode through. I even saw a cuckoo – which I momentarily mistook for a sparrowhawk – flying fast and low across the road.

Palestinians brace as Israeli settler figures in coalition seek to cement West Bank gains before election

Growing number of farm outposts using violence to seize territory, a process seemingly enabled by radical elements in Netanyahu’s government

The attack in Ein Arik came in the middle of the night and was aimed at the rudiments of life: the earth, water, roots and seedlings.

Ilham Karajeh awoke on Friday last week to find her family allotment raided and ruined. The thin black irrigation pipes had been sliced, grape vines cut and 70 young olive trees, the embodiment of the family’s aspirations for the future, had been uprooted.

From legal threats to ‘the worst haircut you can think of’: 25 years of The Office

The beloved BBC sitcom is now a quarter of a century old. Ahead of two TV celebrations, here are 25 things you didn’t know about television’s funniest workplace mockumentary

Fetch the acoustic guitar and twiddle your TM Lewin tie because it’s the 25th anniversary of The Office. Yes, it’s a quarter of a century since we were introduced to Wernham Hogg paper company’s David Brent – a friend first, boss second, probably an entertainer third.

To commemorate the majestic mockumentary’s silver jubilee, actors Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook are reuniting to present a BBC documentary looking back at the show. Meanwhile, co-creator Ricky Gervais is releasing a retrospective special on his YouTube channel.