8/4: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Five states held primary elections Tuesday, including a key Democratic Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens.

Middle East crisis live: Iran and Oman agree on coordinates of route through strait of Hormuz, says Iranian foreign ministry

Joint announcement for geographic coordinates being finalised, says spokesperson, adding that it would not guarantee security in waterway

The ⁠geographic coordinates for a shipping ⁠route ⁠through the ​strait of Hormuz ⁠have been agreed by Iran and ⁠Oman, and ​a ‌joint announcement ‌is being ‌finalised, provided no third parties interfere, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei ‌said on Wednesday.

Baghaei added ​that any such agreement between Iran and ⁠Oman would not, ​by itself, ​guarantee security ​in the ​strategic waterway.

Google's AI reshuffle: Chief scientist Jeff Dean exits and Demis Hassabis steps down as DeepMind CEO

Google's AI divisions are getting reshuffled, the search giant announced on Wednesday.

Microsoft AI exec tells developers to default to OpenAI's top model as part of efficiency push

Microsoft is taking advantage of its intellectual property rights with OpenAI, encouraging employees to use the company's top model.

Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Democratic Senate primary as voters pivot to the left

Abdul El-Sayed won the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, setting up a context with former Rep. Mike Rogers in the November general election.

Judge signals Trump’s defamation lawsuit against Wall Street Journal may be dismissed again

Obama-appointed judge seemed unmoved by Trump attorneys’ arguments in case also naming Murdoch

A federal judge in Florida seemed skeptical of arguments from Donald Trump’s legal team on Wednesday over whether the court should allow a $10bn defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal to move forward.

Trump sued the Journal and the News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch over a July 2025 article about a “bawdy” letter reportedly from Trump that was included in a 2003 birthday book for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has denied authoring or signing the letter, and his attorneys have argued that the Journal published the story despite having been told it was false.

Trump says Strait of Hormuz deal could happen as soon as today amid talks

President Trump told reporters Tuesday evening that an announcement on the Strait of Hormuz could happen today or tomorrow, following talks between Iran and Oman.

Perez Hilton hospitalized after livestreaming acts of self-harm, officials say

In the livestream, which has since been taken down, Hilton appears to be bloodied and in a distressed mental state.

Kids Online Safety Act social media safety bill advances in Senate

The Kids Online Safety Act, a measure aimed at protecting children on social media, advanced to the Senate floor after it stalled in the last Congress.

Mohamed Salah’s story of success and sacrifice: ‘Chasing a dream I had to reach’

In this exclusive book extract, Melissa Reddy documents the Egyptian King’s sacrifice and dedication to make his vision a reality

The entrance to Al Mokawloon Al Arab’s youth sector feels imposing. At first it is confusing to pinpoint the reason. Is it the facade; a mesh of thick concrete slabs, a marble-like trim that alters in colour depending on the light, and the no-nonsense black steel gate? Perhaps it is the stately signage of white block letters in Arabic juxtaposed against the dark background, with satellite pieces of information and announcements signifying importance. But to stop and pay attention to buildings around Nasr City in eastern Cairo is to notice that the blend of functional and decorative elements of the entrance, down to even the font and array of notices, is not unique.

The building’s aura can be explained by the main image above its gates, and the knowledge that to walk through them is to follow the footsteps a history-maker took from the age of 14. Mohamed Salah’s face has pride of place above the gates; it is a reminder of where he’s been, but more pertinently, of why it is important to marry talent with discipline and determination. The truth is he has achieved the impossible.

Lucid stock plunges as EV maker begins 'operational reset,' delays midsize vehicle

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

Trump's deportation agenda raised prices, contracted local economies, immigration group says

A report released Wednesday by the immigration advocacy group America's Voice argues President Trump's immigration policies are hurting the economy.

Exiled PM vows to return to Bangladesh despite execution threat

Sheikh Hasina plans a December comeback two years after being ousted in a bloody uprising led by students

Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return home by the end of the year, even though she faces a death sentence.

“They may put me in a cell. They may kill me. Anything may happen, but still I have to go,” said Hasina, two years after a student-led uprising toppled her government.

AI models have been going rogue in tests – how worried should we be?

The UK’s AI Security Institute test revealed AI models indulging in unprecedented hacking attempts

• AI models shock UK testers by using fake identities to trick developers

Two cutting-edge AI models have targeted real people and organisations in the latest safety scare to hit the technology. The UK’s AI Security Institute (AISI) said the incident was unprecedented but could become more common as the technology becomes increasingly capable.

How Trump made an estimated $2.2 billion during the first year of his second term

New York Times reporter Eric Lipton discusses his Pulitzer Prize-winning investigations into Trump's conflicts of interest and whether he's exploiting the power of the presidency for self-enrichment.

Super League closes in on gamechanging investment from Australia’s NRL

• Australian officials touring clubs to gauge mood

• Wigan and Warrington set date for Dublin clash

NRL officials have arrived in England to hold talks with clubs as the prospect of a groundbreaking deal with Super League nears completion while two of the competition’s heavyweights, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves, confirmed they will lead an on-the-road weekend to Dublin in 2027.

Rugby league’s two premier club competitions have been in discussions for most of this year about a deal that would see the NRL invest a significant sum into Super League, while taking authoritative control of the competition in a bid to transform its long-term fortunes. That investment would also ensure the financial security of clubs.

The Leipzig drone bomb marks a dangerous escalation for Europe

Initial evidence suggests aerial drone, found near Ukrainian cargo planes at German airport, came from Russia

The armed drone found at Leipzig airport on Wednesday may not have exploded, but the fact that it got inside the perimeter, close to Ukrainian cargo planes, raises obvious concerns for the security of international aviation.

Though the identity of the culprits is unknown, the initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot. It is the first time that a drone with explosives has been found in Europe far from the Ukrainian border.

Mexican influencer shot dead while streaming live on social media

César Gastélum was filming outside a fast-food outlet in Sinaloa state when he was killed by a motorbike driver

A popular Mexican influencer has been shot dead while doing a live stream on social media outside a restaurant in Sinaloa state, where lethal cartel violence has become widespread.

César Gastélum, who had nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and was known for making comedy videos, was filming with two friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Culiacán. The three were dressed in the bright orange jackets and backpacks of food delivery drivers.

LIV Golf secures ‘lead investor’ until 2030 but future of star names still uncertain

• LIV chief refuses to disclose new funders’ identities

• Scott O’Neil hopes DeChambeau and Rahm will stay

LIV Golf has secured a “lead investor” to safeguard its existence until 2030, although the agreement is unlikely to prevent a batch of high-profile players departing by the end of this year.

Scott O’Neil, LIV’s chief executive, announced basic plans for the “next generation” of the tour on Wednesday while refusing to disclose the new funders of the business. After the withdrawal of backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, O’Neil has been engaged in a race against time to save his business.

The Guardian view on French cinema’s De Gaulle moment: present anxieties inform a new focus on the past | Editorial

A wave of films dealing with the second world war is captivating a nation facing major contemporary challenges

For weeks now, anglophone cinephiles have been focusing their attention on the virtues and vices of Christopher Nolan’s $250m adaptation of The Odyssey. Across the Channel, however, Homer’s epic tale of a flawed Greek hero has been facing stiff domestic competition. A two-part biopic of General Charles de Gaulle, concentrating on his struggles to liberate France during the second world war, has been the word-of-mouth box office hit of the French summer.

It may be that five hours’ worth of De Gaulle attracted some punters seeking air-conditioned sanctuary from the heatwaves. But there have been rave reviews both from critics and audiences, and a notable upsurge of interest among the young. The success of the films has already had a cultural knock-on effect, boosting the number of visitors, for example, to the Museum of the Liberation of Paris.

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

Suspect in Washington state wildfire was questioned about blazes last year

Aaron Farinacci is accused of starting the Old Trails fire that has destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee

The Washington state man accused of starting a wildfire that has destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee around Spokane was previously questioned in connection with two fire investigations last year, according to court documents.

Authorities allege that Aaron Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, started Old Trails fire, one of three major wildfires burning in Spokane county in north-eastern Washington. He was arrested on Monday and booked on suspicion of first-degree arson.

The Associated Press contributed reporting

Judge reluctantly dismisses case against Oath Keepers militia group over Jan. 6 riot

A judge has granted the Justice Department's bid to drop a landmark case against leaders of the Oath Keepers, as former prosecutors warn about the dangers of denying the violence of Jan. 6.

Tour de France Femmes: Vollering victorious on stage five as Ferrand-Prévot’s defence unravels

• Three outstanding riders in race broke clear of peloton

• Padding row intensifies after footage of male inspection

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s defence of her Tour de France Femmes title unravelled among the Beaujolais vineyards as the French rider lost even more ground to rivals Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Kasia Niewiadoma.

The three outstanding riders in this year’s race broke clear of the peloton over the final steep gradients of Mont Brouilly, with 2023 Tour winner Vollering outsprinting overall race leader Reusser to take the fourth Tour stage win of her career.

Salad and Go files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after cyclospora fears worsened its challenges

The upstart salad chain aimed to take on Sweetgreen and expanded rapidly under the ownership of Volt Investment.

Why SpaceX stock is falling despite strong revenue growth

Investors are focused on whether SpaceX will be able to deliver on its ambitious artificial intelligence agenda.

Pakistani authorities ban international media from reporting in most of country

Rules brought in soon after killing of dozens of protesters, news of which was reported only by overseas outlets

Pakistani authorities have imposed severe new restrictions on international media, including barring them from reporting in most of the country, in a move that has provoked a significant backlash from journalist organisations.

According to the new rules anyone, including Pakistani nationals, should seek permission first if they want to report from anywhere Pakistan except three cities – Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

Trump admin refunds $100 billion in 'liberation day' tariffs

The Trump administration has taken steps to effectively re-create the IEEPA tariff regime using other legal authorities. They already face court challenges.

SpaceX rocket booster slams into moon, creating crater that could be 16 feet deep

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

Amazon's Zoox to launch paid robotaxi service in Las Vegas on Aug. 10

It's the company's first commercial market after Zoox started offering free rides to the public in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco less than a year ago.

Zelenskyy calls for more air defences as Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least 17

Ukraine shoots down most drones but no ballistic missiles in overnight attack that mainly targeted civilian facilities

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has blamed allies for not delivering air defences fast enough after Ukraine failed to shoot down a single Russian missile in a deadly overnight attack that killed at least 17 people and ⁠injured dozens more.

Preliminary data from the Ukrainian air force showed its defences shot down 98 of the 115 drones fired by Russia overnight, but no ballistic missiles.

Israel strikes southern Lebanon killing one and injuring 11

Hits on two towns among deadliest bombings since start of June ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon killed one person and injured 11, the Lebanese ministry of health said, in one of Israel’s deadliest bombings since the start of the June ceasefire.

Israel carried out an airstrike in the town of Tebnine, south Lebanon hitting a cemetery, the Lebanese health ministry said. It said the town of al-Mansouri, also in south Lebanon, was bombed too, forcing families to flee.

Bomb disposal robot deployed after drone carrying explosives found at German airport

Counter-terror team investigating after DHL plane also collided midair with unknown object at Leipzig airport

German police deployed a bomb disposal robot after a drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig airport, causing alarm and the diversion of several flights.

A DHL cargo plane that had been forced to abort its landing at the airport then collided with an unknown object in mid-air as it was climbing away from the airport. It later landed safely elsewhere.

Uber stock sinks 7% after weak guidance despite revenue growth

Uber's earnings were in line with estimates, but the company's guidance for the third quarter trailed expectations.

Abdul El-Sayed offers a template for Democrats to defeat Trumpism | Peter Beinart

The candidate has crafted a progressive nationalism and shown his party how to turn Republicans’ financial advantage against them

Every now and then, a Senate race sets the direction for an entire party. In 1991, a state official named Harris Wofford – advised by a foul-mouthed Cajun named James Carville – upset his far better-known Republican opponent to win a special election in Pennsylvania. He did it by promising to expand access to healthcare – and thus created a template for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign the following year.

If Abdul El-Sayed can follow up his victory in last night’s Democratic Senate primary by winning the general election in Michigan this fall, he will have created a template of his own. Despite his closer-than-expected margin of victory, his campaign offers a model for how Democrats across the country can answer the political challenge posed by Donald Trump.

Nicola Jennings on Donald Trump’s complaints about oil companies – cartoon

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Kemi Badenoch gives former neo-Nazi advisory role after he withdraws as Tory candidate

Joshua Bonehill-Paine says Conservative leader has asked him to work with party’s culture and integration commission

• UK politics live – latest updates

A former neo-Nazi activist who was convicted of harassing a Jewish MP has withdrawn as a Conservative election candidate after Kemi Badenoch offered him a role as an adviser to the party.

Joshua Bonehill-Paine said on Wednesday that he had withdrawn from next year’s local elections, and that the Conservative leader had instead asked him to become an adviser to her party’s culture and integration commission, where he will specifically focus on how young men become radicalised.

Pakistan's ruling party leads in Kashmir vote despite boycott call by banned group

Candidates backed by twice-elected former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N party have won 24 of the 34 seats decided in the first two phases of voting, the election commission, said Wednesday.

One Night Only review – sex is legal for 12 hours a year in bizarre romcom

‘What if The Purge was for premarital sex?’ is the odd, gimmicky elevator pitch for this slickly made yet ungainly oddity that can’t quite get past the grimness of its conceit

Going into a romcom, there are always the same questions. Will there be genuine chemistry? Will the rom and the com be equal in parts? And, for the last decade and change, will this be the one that finally resurrects a genre long past its prime? But for Universal’s glossy late summer offering One Night Only, notably the first wide-releasing romcom since April, there are more probing questions than usual. The film is the ungainly result of a four-cocktails-in elevator pitch which imagines a world where single people are only legally allowed to have sex on one night of the year, an idea that has seen it been referred to as “Sex Purge”.

On paper, it’s the set-up for a grim Handmaid’s Tale-adjacent horror of a totalitarian state insisting extreme control over the body, but instead it’s used as the backdrop for a sunny meet-cute, screams of protest drowned out by a zippy Top 40 soundtrack. One sits down wondering not just if boy will end up with girl but also how the government would be able to enforce such tyranny and what horrifying punishments lay in store for those willing to pick personal freedom over state-mandated abstinence. If it sounds like far too much for a breezy summer romp to take on, then that’s because it most definitely is, an overstuffed yet undercooked soufflé that can’t quite, ahem, rise to the occasion …

What to watch for in SpaceX's first public earnings report today

SpaceX will release its first earnings report as a public company on Tuesday in a key test for the company's stuttering stock price.

Football Daily | Mohamed Salah and a potted history of Liverpool legends visiting Trabzon

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This October will mark the 50th anniversary of the first time Liverpool and Trabzonspor were thrown together by the gods of football. When they played each other in the second round of the European Cup in 1976 it’s fair to say not many associated with Liverpool were impressed with Trabzon. Bob Paisley described the team hotel as a “doss house”, the ball as “a pig’s bladder” that “was not good enough for blow football”, adding that “teams in the Durham Mining League would not play with it”, and as for the food, well, he’d had “better rations in my bivvy in the Western Desert”, back when he was in Montgomery’s Eighth Army.

Abdul El-Sayed’s win proves change is possible for Democrats. His next fight may determine their future

If the progressive wins Michigan’s general election, it could redefine the 2028 presidential contest. If he fails, the establishment will call him a cautionary tale

• US politics live – latest updates

In the final stretch of the state’s Democratic primary for US Senate, Abdul El-Sayed challenged voters at a small event in rural Michigan to think about the message they could send the rest of the country when they cast their ballots.

“Who are we? Who do we want to be?” El-Sayed said. “Do we want a state that’s defined by how much money corporations brought in to tell us what we couldn’t have? Or do we want to be a state where we demonstrate to the rest of the country what’s possible when you build a movement of, by and for the people?”

Under China's new 'unity' law, Tibetans fight to preserve language and culture

A 73-year-old retired nurse's decision to learn to write Tibetan language offers a glimpse into how some embrace their language and cultural identity in Tibet.

Pakistan precinct suspends all 78 officers and staff over alleged rape at police station

Lahore police official says all personnel were responsible for preventing and reporting any wrongdoing at station

The alleged rape of a 20-year-old woman with learning disabilities in a police station in Lahore, Pakistan, has prompted authorities to suspend all 78 police officers and staff at the precinct, in one of the country’s biggest ever disciplinary actions against its police force.

The woman alleges that an assistant sub-inspector apprehended her, took her to Ghaziabad police station and raped her in a room on the second floor. The woman’s family said she disappeared on the street, before returning home in tears and stating that she had been sexually assaulted at the station.

AI models shock UK testers by using fake identities to try to trick developers

AI Security Institute says OpenAI and Anthropic models went rogue during a cybersecurity test and showed a new type of risk

• Explainer: Should we be alarmed at AI models going rogue in tests?

Advanced artificial intelligence models have stunned the UK’s AI Security Institute (AISI) by carrying out a hacking campaign against real people during a cybersecurity test.

The institute said the incident was unprecedented and involved sending targeted emails to software developers in an attempt to pass a cyber challenge.

Russia exploits Ukraine’s air defence shortage in deadly attack on Kyiv - The Latest

At least 17 people were killed and more than 40 injured in another round of deadly Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for more air defence weapons, saying ballistic missile interceptors ‘could have saved the lives of those killed today’. For months, Ukraine has been warning about shortages after Donald Trump backtracked on his promise to let Ukraine manufacture missiles locally. In response to the attack, the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen said ‘Russia must pay’ – but will it?

Lucy Hough talks to the Guardian’s Russia affairs correspondent, Pjotr Sauer

Private companies added just 44,000 workers in July, below expectations, ADP reports

Hiring at private companies slowed considerably in July, with most of the job growth coming health care.

Luís Figo blasts ‘deceitful’ Infantino and says Fifa president must quit to ‘save football’

• Portugal legend calls for Fifa president to stand down

• ‘Too late to save his dignity, not too late to save football’

The Portugal legend Luís Figo has described Gianni Infantino’s ill-fated scheme to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors as “the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed” and called on the Fifa president to resign.

Infantino was forced to scrap his controversial proposal after a fierce backlash that was led by Uefa, with the 56-year-old now battling for his future having called an emergency meeting of Fifa staff on Wednesday as pressure on him mounts.

Unprecedented images may explain one of greatest mysteries of the sun

Highest-ever resolution pictures of our star could help show why its corona is millions of degrees hotter than its surface

Golden bands and swirling vortices have been spotted on the sun in the most detailed images ever captured of the turbulent surface of our home star.

Astronomers observed the sun with the Inouye solar telescope in Hawaii, the world’s most powerful solar telescope, and saw new features smaller than 20km (12 miles) across in a magnetically active region close to a sun spot.

Disney partners with TikTok to offer creator content on its app

Disney and TikTok are teaming up to let users create short-form videos that draw on the entertainment giant's large stable of movies and TV shows.

Eli Lilly easily tops quarterly estimates, raises outlook as Zepbound and Mounjaro sales surge

Eli Lilly now expects 2026 revenue to come in between $85 billion and $87 billion, up from previous guidance of $82 billion to $85 billion.

CVS blows past estimates, hikes guidance as insurance unit continues to improve

CVS also announced a new collaboration with Eli Lilly that will make Zepbound and Foundayo accessible to eligible patients on the CVS Health app.

Why I'll never be convinced by Meta's ‘pervert’ glasses | Opinion

'Most people don’t want pervert glasses that can film us without our consent,' said a spokesperson from activist group Everyone Hates Elon. The group has launched a series of guerilla adverts deriding non-consensual filming by the glasses as well as an email campaign encouraging people to legally object to being filmed by Meta glasses under general data protection regulations, which over 20,000 people have signed.

Rights groups have warned that the glasses threaten the right to privacy, while countries such as Germany are reportedly considering a ban.

And while Meta’s safety guidelines say smart glasses should not be used for 'harassment, infringing on privacy rights, or capturing sensitive information', women have taken to social media to share their stories of being filmed by men without their consent.

Watch as Guardian columnist and Opinion editor Kirsty Major dives into why fears of surveillance and 'creepy men' mean Meta can never convince her to love the glasses – and read more about the glasses via the link in the bio

"Peanut butter" pay raises are out, as employers shift to merit hikes

Here's what employees can expect for a raise in 2027 as companies move away from broad-based pay increases.

‘Dream come true’: Eva Olid delighted after being named Manchester United’s new head coach

• United impressed by her ability to develop players

• Spaniard signs two-year deal after guiding Hearts to glory

Eva Olid has described being appointed as the Manchester United Women head coach as a dream come true after signing a two-year contract until 2028 with the option of a further year.

The Spanish coach will replace Marc Skinner, whose surprise departure came on Monday.

Abdul El-Sayed says "there's a lot of healing to do" after Senate primary

Abdul El-Sayed​ is now projected to win Michigan's Democratic Senate primary​ against Rep. Haley Stevens.

Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary in defining race for Democrats

Progressive candidate will face Republican Mike Rogers in race to represent midwestern purple state in the Senate

• US politics live – latest updates

Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary for US Senate in Michigan, becoming the latest leftwing candidate to capture the party’s nomination ahead of November’s midterm elections.

El-Sayed, a progressive, beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party’s establishment. He will now face Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern purple state in the Senate. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday morning, moments after Stevens’s campaign said she had called El-Sayed to concede.

The ​games industry’s obsession with ​visual fidelity is costing them money and talent

Big developers are discovering that the technical progress of photorealism doesn’t always translate into the creative spark that gives gamers joy – and keeps them playing

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Last week, Asha Sharma, the new head of Xbox, laid out her vision for the future of the console and interestingly, the two titles she picked out as potential areas of growth were Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga – games that don’t exactly scream next-generation entertainment. Neither relies on hyper-realistic visuals, which is the north star that games consoles and gaming PCs have been aiming at for the past 40 years. They are, instead, well-designed, well-loved franchises that you can play and enjoy on almost any PC, console or phone.

The fact is, the quest for visual hyperrealism is breaking the games industry. It’s becoming more and more expensive to put high-end graphics hardware into machines thanks to demand from the AI sector; at the same time, creating superrealistic visuals is an incredibly expensive and complex part of game development, leading to longer development periods. GTA VI, for example, has taken at least eight years to develop and is rumoured to have cost between $1bn and $2bn. By my back-of-an-envelope calculations, that’s around four times more than GTA V. Admittedly, the detail on everything, from the characters’ faces, to the cars, to the cityscapes, is astonishing. But will it be four times better than GTA V? Will it be four times more fun?

Senator pushes DoD to release probe of Iranian attack that killed 6 U.S. troops

A CBS News investigation found troops had flagged military leaders about the lack of defenses and insufficient medical supplies ahead of the attack in Kuwait at the beginning of the war with Iran.

Woman learns man who attacked her killed a young mother years later

When C.C. Opanowski of Hudson Falls, New York, was a teenager, she survived a terrifying attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Shawn Doyle. Years later, he would kill Lori Leonard, a mother of two young sons in Chittenango, New York.

Progressive Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan's Democratic primary for Senate

El-Sayed, an epidemiologist, backs Medicare for all and decries corporate money in politics. He beat Rep. Haley Stevens, whose supporters said she would have had a better chance in the fall.

‘Leicester Square, please guv’: Self-driving taxis cleared for London streets ‘later this summer’

Wayve Uber wins first minicab licence for autonomous cabs from TfL but vehicles will have a safety driver (at first)

The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers – but with a human safety driver in place, for now.

The companies said they would start trips in the UK “later this summer” before the full public launch.

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.

White House declassifies info on secret FBI probe into Trump's firing of Comey

The White House has declassified information claiming the FBI probed whether President Trump acted as a Russian asset when he fired James Comey, a theory an administration official said wasn't backed up by evidence.

‘Getting old is no fun’: Game of Thrones author George RR Martin speaks out about depression amid further book delays

A new blog post by the fantasy writer has outlined his recent difficulties, as fans continue to speculate on the elusive sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series

George RR Martin has opened up about experiencing depression during a “stressful” and “overwhelming” year, as readers continue to await the long-delayed sixth instalment of his A Song of Ice and Fire series.

The 77-year-old American author, whose fantasy novels shaped and inspired the hit HBO television series Game of Thrones, wrote candidly about his recent difficulties in his first personal blog post for almost six months.

Film posters for The Mummy banned from public display in UK

Watchdogs say adverts in London tube stations broke its rules with ‘realistic impression of a dead child’

Film posters for The Mummy have been banned from outdoor public display in the UK because they include realistic depictions of a dead child.

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 30 complaints over the promotional campaign in London tube stations for the new Lee Cronin film.

‘Prisoners killed each other’s kittens. So now they’re forbidden inside’: Vladimir Karamazov’s best photograph

‘The men in this jail in Bulgaria used to adopt these stray kittens. But pets can be a problem. They get killed as punishment or for revenge’

Belene prison, in northern Bulgaria on the border with Romania, is the most heavily guarded facility of its type in my country. It is on an island, so escape is near impossible, and has the largest number of people serving life sentences for murder in any Bulgarian prison.

This image describes a sad, terrible story. There are a lot of stray cats on the island, as well as pigeons and mosquitoes. The prisoners used to adopt stray kittens and keep them as pets. When I started my project, For the Grace of God, at the prison, many prisoners had pet cats. But in a prison, this can become a problem – prisoners kill each other’s pets as punishment or for revenge. So now it’s forbidden. It’s even the same with flowers – some think of the flowers as friends, they nurture and grow them in the sun, but then other prisoners destroy them. Anything a prisoner can create a relationship with can be destroyed. Part of their punishment is to be alone, without any family, or any attachments to anything.

Summer heat and a Bangladeshi jute market: photos of the day – Wednesday

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

‘Parkinson’s Valley’: the herbicide haunting a New York farm town

Paraquat is banned in over 70 countries. Some farmers and their families in Hebron believe the pesticide is causing Parkinson’s disease and are demanding that New York ban it

Gordon Chaplin gingerly stepped out of the car at the top of the steep hill behind his farmhouse, sporting a bandage on his hand from a fall the day before. He gripped his cane as he shuffled through the knee-high grass. He stopped every few feet to catch his breath, leaning on his caregiver for support.

Looking out at the distant Adirondacks and Catskill mountains, he thought back to the years when he could run up the hill with ease.

Stephen Libby on fashion: so many men have asked me for clothes advice since The Traitors

Our guest columnist reveals how he found his personal style, from jumpsuits to high-waisted trousers

Other than the jumpsuits, I don’t think I wore anything particularly groundbreaking when I appeared on The Traitors. I just think the bar for men’s fashion is so low that for me to come on television in a chunky mint green jumper and a pair of high-waisted jeans – which is probably one of the most neutral looks I own – seemed like a revelation. There was no styling budget, so most of what I wore came from my wardrobe.

The discovery of my personal style began when I was at primary school on the Isle of Lewis, off the north-west coast of Scotland. I realised I was different to the other boys when I began experimenting with fashion. From a young age I was turning my hems up, and I was certainly more interested in what the girls in my class were wearing.

Lindsay Clancy speaks to judge for first time during her murder trial

In court on Tuesday, Lindsay Clancy spoke for the first time as she agreed to a "stipulation of facts" that would fast-track her trial. Her lawyers claim she was mentally ill and not responsible for her actions when she killed her three young children. Shanelle Kaul reports.

Wildfires burning in Washington state could worsen

Three wildfires near Spokane, Washington, are still burning out of control after destroying hundreds of buildings. Now there are new fears the fires could worsen due to weather conditions. Kris Van Cleave reports.

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.

Italy to place all 27 of its major cities on highest heat alert

Move comes as fourth heatwave of summer intensifies, edging temperatures in some areas close to 40C

Italy is to place all of its 27 major cities, from Trieste in the north to Palermo in the south, under the highest heat alert as the fourth heatwave to hit the country this summer intensifies.

A red alert means there is a higher chance of an emergency owing to the health risk posed by prolonged extreme temperatures to the entire population.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has a hard job. Here's how to make it easier | Jordan Robinson

Engelbert helped vault the league to new financial heights, but still draws the ire of stakeholders. A co-commissioner for player relations would be a welcome add

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Being the WNBA’s commissioner may be one of the most unwanted jobs in the world right now. That’s in no small part because Cathy Engelbert, the person who holds that title, makes it look like a rough ride. She has helped usher the league into new financial heights and unprecedented popularity, but her players continue to bash her in the public sphere.

The job is not an easy one, and by many measures Engelbert has done it well, but today I want to talk about what I would do in her shoes. That means starting with how we got here.

‘So destructive’: women are paying for face scans that tell them what cosmetic procedures to get

‘Looksmaxxing’ culture has led to the rise of facial analysis services – but experts warn they aren’t backed by science and can be harmful to users

Danielle, 37, didn’t always have issues with body image: she used to be a model and recalls receiving positive attention from men. However, when two years of unemployment plunged her into a period of financial insecurity, her confidence faded. “It was easy to wonder, if I was prettier, if some of my features were different, would that help?” she said.

So, when Danielle saw videos on TikTok about a “facial analysis” service that claimed it could provide her with “science-backed” glow-up advice, she bought it without hesitation. Three-hundred and thirty dollars later, after sending in selfies to be analyzed, Danielle received her personalized 30-page report from the company Qoves.

How to turn unwanted anchovy tin oil into salsa verde – recipe

This powerhouse ingredient injects umami and depth of flavour into a simple green sauce. Come on, chop-chop!

The oil from a tin of anchovies is a powerhouse larder ingredient that you possibly never knew existed. It’s a flavour bomb that carries all the delicious flavour compounds of the fish themselves, especially if you want to add their wonderful flavour to a dish but want to save the anchovies to serve separately or as a garnish.

This salsa verde is based on Giorgio Locatelli’s in his book Made in Italy, and it’s made with a knife rather than a blender. Chopping by hand gives it a much better texture, especially when you’re also using the stalks, which a blender can turn fibrous. The boiled egg is optional but traditional, and helps emulsify the sauce. Locatelli uses just the yolk, but I’ve used the whole egg, not least to avoid the faff of finding a use for the spare white. This sauce is incredible with lamb or mutton and very good with grilled fish.

U.S. missile stockpiles dwindle. And, FDA weighs approval of flu shots with mRNA tech

The U.S. Army's missile stockpile is dwindling and could take years to replenish. And, the Food and Drug Administration is deciding whether to approve a flu vaccine with mRNA technology.

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.

Former Pakistani minister on bail over alleged child rape in 1990s Manchester

Exclusive: Rukhsar Ahmed was re-elected as an MP in Pakistan last week despite being on police bail in the UK

A former Pakistani state minister was arrested two years ago on suspicion of raping vulnerable young girls in Manchester in the 1990s, the Guardian can reveal.

Rukhsar Ahmed, who was re-elected as an MP in Pakistan last week after five years out of office, is on police bail in the UK after his arrest in July 2024 on suspicion of rape and trafficking children in care as part of a grooming gang.

‘Like Backstreet Boys, but less sultry’: how the Jonas Brothers notched up 20 years of pop stardom against the odds

Unlike their Disney peers, the toothesome trio didn’t pivot to being sexy – and they’re now at their stadium-filling peak. Fans and collaborators explain their unique, cheesy appeal

The Jonas Brothers appeared in the mid-00s in a blaze of smiles, dressed in shirts, suspenders and ties, singing sappy love songs that won the hearts of girls who quickly became obsessed with this Disney-signed band. Many assumed the fraternal trio would fade away, overtaken by whatever new act replaced them in the whims of teenagers. Yet this week marks 20 years since the release of their debut album, It’s About Time, and the toothsome threesome are bigger than ever.

Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas started out with danger-free pop-punk, evolving into a kind of broad-brush feelgood pop. Their true breakthrough was in 2008 with US No 5 hit Burnin’ Up, teeing up three back-to-back US No 1 albums as they became the youngest group to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. The usual dreaded “creative differences” precipitated a six-year hiatus and the pursuit of solo careers and acting. But they reformed in 2019 in spectacular style, getting their first US No 1 hit with Sucker, and by last year they had the clout to sell out the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the World Cup final was later hosted.

‘You’d want one as a pet’: the irresistibly cute solar-powered sea slug

The beady-eyed, Pokémon-like leaf sheep is far more ingenious than us land mammals

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A neon green punk sheep that lives underwater. A solar-powered slug that can perform photosynthesis. If you are seeking beauty, brains and a wonderfully innovative lifestyle, then vote leaf sheep.

The leaf or sea sheep, Costasiella kuroshimae, is a sea slug about the size of a grain of rice. Like a sheep, it grazes on green stuff – certain species of algae, which it finds in tropical waters around Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. But its sheepy nickname does it a disservice because it is far more ingenious than us land mammals.

Why is Anthropic destroying books? | Kathryn James

The AI company apparently found destructively scanning ‘all the books in the world’ easier than dealing with copyright in its quest for training data

Should we destroy all the books in the world?

An answer to this question can be found in the court documents of Bartz v Anthropic PBC. The northern California district court case, decided in late July this year, highlighted the improbably named “Project Panama”, one of the AI company Anthropic’s efforts to improve its large language model Claude. “What is Project Panama?” court exhibit 21 asks, in an internal memo. The answer: “Project Panama is our effort to destructively scan all the books in the world.” The memo advises discretion: “Why use a codename? … [B]ecause we don’t want it to be known that we are working on this.”

Mortgage rates hit their highest level in over a year, causing demand to drop below year-ago levels

Mortgage rates rose to the highest level in over a year, causing total mortgage demand to drop below year-ago levels.

Andy Burnham reveals wife’s reaction to third Labour leadership bid

Burnham said his wife, Marie-France van Heel, took some persuading after he ran and lost in contests in 2010 and 2015

Andy Burnham has revealed his wife’s dismayed reaction when he told her he wanted to make another attempt at becoming Labour leader.

Burnham said that his wife, Marie-France van Heel, had been surprised by his decision to run, having lost contests in 2010 and 2015 to Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn respectively.

US refunds $100bn of Donald Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs

More than half of tariff income refunded after supreme court ruled Trump’s levies were illegal

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The Trump administration has refunded about $100bn from the tariffs it collected before the US supreme court ruled them illegal, according to reports.

The $100bn (£74bn) figure, which represents 60% of the total $165bn collected from Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs, was reported by customs officials to the US court of international trade (CIT) on Tuesday, according to the Financial Times.

Peruvian cardinal hails $150m lead poisoning settlement for 1,300 people as a ‘historic milestone’

Cardinal Pedro Barreto received death threats and harassment during his almost 20-year campaign against a US mining company’s operations in the Andes

A Peruvian cardinal who received a barrage of death threats when he challenged the firm behind a toxic smelter has called a $150m (£111m) out-of-court settlement to more than 1,000 people who were allegedly poisoned by the plant as children “a historic milestone”.

Cardinal Pedro Barreto, 82, was in Rome meeting Pope Leo XIV and other cardinals in June when he received news that the firm that ran the smelter, the Doe Run Company, a subsidiary of Renco Group, would pay $150m to 1,373 Peruvians who have suffered health impacts since childhood.

Anthropic's Mythos created fake identities to fool humans in new cyber incident

It's the latest cybersecurity incident involving frontier models developed by Anthropic and OpenAI.

A Russian barrage in Ukraine's capital kills 17 as air defenses fall short

Ukraine's depleted air defenses failed to stop any of Moscow's incoming missiles overnight.

Progressives see biggest win yet in Michigan, while Trump flexes power over GOP

Progressives notched major wins in Michigan, while voters in Missouri and Washington rejected insurgent Democrats. Meanwhile, Trump continued to flex his influence over the Republican Party.

Sterling Point review – this teen drama from Gossip Girl’s creators is brilliant escapist TV

Set on an idyllic Canadian island, this coming-of-age series is juicy stuff. It swaps the darkness of recent YA TV for warmth, humour and a surprisingly compelling mystery

I’ll be honest: I was prepared to grit my teeth through Sterling Point, Prime Video’s newest coming-of-age offering, which I dismissed as another by-the-numbers high-school drama. The show follows a type-A teen on a journey of sun-dappled self-discovery, escaping her native New York for an idyllic getaway on a picturesque Canadian island. It’s an unassuming, summer camp-style narrative, but in the style of last year’s seasonal phenomenon that was series three of The Summer I Turned Pretty, it manages to transcend the limits of its YA niche, revealing itself to be quite juicy.

Protagonist Annie (Ella Rubin) is a highly strung 17-year-old, still reeling from a rejection from a summer business school programme when she receives the news that her estranged maternal grandfather has left her some mysterious assets. Annie, whose mother had died years ago, and her twin Connor (Keen Ruffalo), are prompted to start digging through family secrets, much to the distress of their dad (Jay Duplass of Transparent and Industry). The two learn that they’ve inherited a house in Canada – prompting Annie to take off on a secret trip in search of answers about her late mother’s life.

Sterling Point is on Prime Video

Ice Cream Man review – Eli Roth’s junky slasher is one of year’s worst horrors

The Hostel and Thanksgiving director takes a massive stumble with a rushed retro horror made on the cheap

A few years ago, Eli Roth realized his long-held ambition to make a movie out of Thanksgiving, the horror-movie trailer he made as a gag for the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez anthology feature Grindhouse, back in 2007. Though he didn’t actually go so far as to make the scratched-up decades-ago slasher shown in the original trailer, Thanksgiving was still Roth’s most satisfying movie in ages, replete with ridiculous gore and a side of satirical commentary – a 2020s movie fit for an old video store’s VHS horror section despite its contemporary setting.

Now Roth has founded a horror-focused company actually called the Horror Section, aimed at releasing movies, shows and “experiences” that appeal to the modern equivalent of those VHS-shelf gorehounds. After “presenting” a few other movies, Roth’s first direct contribution to the company is Ice Cream Man, exactly the kind of knowingly disreputable button-pusher befitting the company’s retro-sticker logo. (Indeed, Roth’s movie shares its title with a 1995 direct-to-video curiosity starring Clint Howard, though this one is unrelated.) Unfortunately, rather than a companion piece to the blackly funny murder-mystery of Thanksgiving, which riffed on Scream as much as 80s slashers, Roth’s latest feels like a demo reel for someone vastly less talented.

A Child of My Own review – barely believable true crime tale of desperation and delusion

Candy-coloured recreations of one woman’s pregnancy unravel as dark truths are revealed in Maite Alberdi’s intimate docudrama

This cheekily inquisitive docudrama by Chilean director Maite Alberdi features a unique variation on the long con, and one with a precise duration: nine months. After suffering three miscarriages and under pressure from her husband and in-laws to give them a child, Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza (aka Ale, and played by Ana Celeste in re-enactments) decides to fake her next pregnancy. She is determined to have something to show at the end of it: after meeting single mother Mayra, who wants to abort her second pregnancy, at the hospital where she works, Ale agrees to take her baby once it is born.

The details are hardly believable: eating copiously to gain weight, Ale manages to convince husband Arturo (Armando Espitia) and his family that this pregnancy is on track for her entire term. She reflexively tenses her muscles while he strokes her baby bump and smiles through a swirl of conflicting thoughts at her baby shower. While most con artists must dupe themselves on some level, it is true down to a physiological level in Ale’s case: a judge later testifies that her desperation to bear children may have resulted in a pseudo-pregnancy. How else to explain that the doctor signing off her maternity leave appears to hear the baby’s heartbeat?

Himmler’s ‘anti-Nazi’ masseur: Claes Bang stars as 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?

Analogue evil: why today’s horror film-makers are obsessed with obsolete tech

From Obsession to Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, a new wave of movies are ditching minimalism for retro settings

The indie-horror hit films Obsession and Backrooms opened this summer’s movie season with a bang, each grossing hundreds of millions of dollars and turning out legions of younger moviegoers. Many have pointed out the similarity between the films: both were made for comparatively minuscule budgets by gen Z directors – Curry Barker and Kane Parsons – who first rose to prominence on YouTube.

Fewer people are talking about the other quality the two movies share: a steady stream of analogue props and production design that plunges you into some bygone pre-digital era. Obsession’s lead characters Bear and Nikki work at a mom-and-pop music store, take rides in Bear’s vintage station wagon and the plot centers around a kitschy, old-fashioned gag gift. In Backrooms, Mary hawks her self-help cassette tapes on late-night infomercials, Clark smacks his TV to adjust the fuzzy signal – in the HDTV age, no one has done this for decades – and the wall-to-wall carpeted, ceiling-tiled backrooms look straight out of a long-abandoned office park on the side of the highway.

Sali Hughes on beauty: the best undereye concealers for over-35s

Want to brighten dark circles without accentuating wrinkles? You’re not alone – this is the most-asked makeup question and here is the answer

The most common makeup question asked by women over 35 is this: what’s a good undereye concealer that won’t make lines and wrinkles look cakey and dry? I’m getting to them, I promise. But first, I must say that prep is key – dry, flaky skin will only look more so under makeup, so undereyes should first be hydrated and smoothed with a good, moisturising skincare routine. Only then can a concealer get on with the business of brightening and camouflaging.

Givenchy’s Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer (£37) is my most recommended for fortysomethings and beyond, regardless of skin type. It’s perfectly balanced in that it’s moisturising and softening, but not so much so that it slips and slides and doesn’t deliver on lasting coverage – it has just enough heft. It works as well on the face as it does under eyes and stays fresh looking all day.

‘If we don’t fight back, we don’t have a future’: the journalist taking on the ‘tech fascists’ of Silicon Valley

As Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and their peers have grown richer and more influential, Gil Durán argues they have all but abandoned democracy – and found the perfect government to enable them

In April, Gil Durán was permanently banned from Elon Musk’s X for posting just two words. Durán was responding to a post from the tech company Palantir outlining its 22‑point “technological manifesto”, which praised American “hard power”, western culture and AI weapons, denounced inclusivity and called for compulsory national service. Durán responded: “TLDR: Fascism” (TLDR is short for “too long, didn’t read”).

Durán didn’t break any of X’s written rules, he points out over a video call from San Francisco – so much for Musk’s “free-speech absolutism”. His ban might just have had something to do with his preceding tweet, showing the cover of his new book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy. The book’s central argument is that big tech is no longer our friend, as many of its billionaire owners have seized economic and political control and are steering the fate of the planet towards their own bizarre, apocalyptic visions.

Nicotine pouches can be marketed as 'lower risk' than cigarettes. Is that dangerous?

The FDA allowed some Zyn nicotine pouches to be marketed as "lower risk" than cigarettes. Public health experts agree they can help current smokers, but worry young people may become addicted.

Russian attack kills at least 17 in Kyiv as Ukraine hammers more Wildberries warehouses

The bombardment comes as each side ramps up air attacks on critical infrastructure and logistics hubs.

House Ethics Committee opens investigation into Ohio Republican Max Miller

The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Rep. Max Miller, after the Ohio Republican asked for a probe of the domestic abuse allegations that have swirled around his reelection bid.

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.