Ukraine war briefing: Wildberries warehouse struck by Kyiv’s drones more than 2,000km from Russian border

Depot hit in city of Ekaterinburg and hundreds evacuated in latest attack on Russian online retail giant. What we know on day 1,625

Trump announces $180 million to boost mining education

President Trump announced over $180 million in grants to boost educational programs for the mining industry, part of a bid to increase critical mineral production.

NBA player Brandon Clarke died from effects of heroin and cocaine, officials say

Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died in May from the effects of heroin and cocaine, authorities said Friday.

Remains of 56 people found decomposing at Chicago funeral home

Officials describe ‘deplorable conditions’ at home run by pair linked to crematory closed due to mishandled remains

The remains of 56 people were found improperly stored and decomposing on Thursday at a Chicago funeral home run by a couple who previously operated a crematory that was similarly shut down because of mishandled remains, authorities said.

Illinois state officials, meanwhile, suspended the license of one of the funeral home’s directors, alleging bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in “deplorable conditions”.

Water rationing begins in Puerto Rico amid drought crisis: "It's brutal"

Puerto Rico's massive rationing measure comes amid a severe drought on top of shortages due to infrastructure issues.

How a duck's friendship helped a golden retriever overcome health issues

Justin and Tori Cannarelli of New York almost have a typical American family with their two children and a dog. But they also have one very unique member: a duck.

3 mothers sue to block Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in public schools

The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 10 last year, which requires all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.

How a duck helped a dog recover from panic attacks, medication that brought him down

Steve Hartman explores the unique bond between a family's duck and dog.

Outer Banks community spending $50 million to save its beachfront economy

A $50 million effort is underway to restore miles of eroded shoreline in Buxton, a village on one of the barrier islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Puerto Rico faces severe drought as 180,000 households and businesses forced to ration water

Puerto Rico is in the midst of its worst drought in decades. Lilia Luciano shares the details.

North Carolina communities scramble to protect shorelines as erosion eats away at homes

Communities in North Carolina are scrambling to protect their shorelines as rising sea levels and erosion threaten homes, with many lost in the past few years. Skyler Henry has more.

July jobs report reveals unexpected loss of 23,000 jobs

Friday's jobs report showed employers shed jobs last month, rather than adding 95,000 new hires that had been forecast by economists.

Cassidy backs Blanche for attorney general, clearing way for confirmation

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican, announced he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche for attorney general.

Trump-endorsed Rep. Andy Ogles projected to lose GOP primary in Tennessee

Two-term Rep. Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary for his Tennessee House seat, The Associated Press projects, despite securing an endorsement from President Trump.

Helicopter fighting massive Utah wildfire crashes, no word on 2 people aboard

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the helicopter crashed in Richfield, which is about 160 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Wasted medicine in England could fill 75 swimming pools a year, pharmacy group says

Industry body calls for more regular reviews of repeat prescriptions to tackle ‘growing problem’

The amount of wasted medicines thrown away in England in one year could fill 75 swimming pools, according to a pharmacy group.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) estimated that 3,400 tonnes of partly used medicines were disposed of in England in 2024-25.

U.S. targets Iran's banking system, companies with new sanctions

This is the eighth round of Iran-related sanctions announced by the Trump administration this year.

8/7: CBS Evening News

Police release footage of In-N-Out shooting; Blanche likely to be confirmed as attorney general.

Five Great Reads: Perils of high-impact exercise, the journo taking on big tech and birthdayzillas

The Guardian’s weekend wrap of essential reads from the past seven days, selected by Jacqueline Housden

• Get this in your inbox every weekend. Sign up for Five Great Reads here

Good morning. Maybe you’ve been worrying about the rise of Silicon Valley billionaires and what it means for humanity, or whether your exercise regime is hurting your health, or if those adult birthday invites and plans are just getting way out of hand, or … maybe you have not. Regardless, that is where some of our best reporting went this week. Enjoy.

Spain to introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy

Move comes in response to Rome imposing similar measures after mass migration rush to Ceuta

Spain has announced it will introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass rush of people from Morocco into Ceuta.

The checks, which come “amid the persistent irregular migration pressure” facing Italy, will start at midnight on Saturday and last until 7 September, Spain’s interior ministry said in a statement.

Idaho police release video of In-N-Out Burger mass shooting that killed three

Officials praise unarmed employee from nearby store for engaging 24-year-old gunman who later killed himself

Police released video on Friday of a mass shooting that killed three people at an Idaho In-N-Out Burger restaurant last weekend, and praised an unarmed employee from a nearby store who engaged the gunman outdoors, slowing him down and possibly preventing more deaths as authorities were catching up.

The video released by the police also showed at least three people confronted the gunman with their own weapons during the incident.

Appeals court blocks Trump's White House ballroom, teeing up Supreme Court fight

A federal appeals court said the White House lacks the authority to unilaterally construct the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. President Trump said the administration will appeal to the Supreme Court.

Will Lankshear starts off in style to see Middlesbrough past Wrexham

Will Lankshear’s debut strike ensured Middlesbrough made a winning start to the season as they beat Wrexham 1-0 in the Carabao Cup first round. Lankshear, a £10m summer signing from Tottenham, scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute as he hooked home an excellent first-time volley.

Middlesbrough almost claimed a seventh-minute opener but when Adilson Malanda prodded Sebastian Berhalter’s cross goalwards from close range, Danny Ward kept the ball out with a superb point-blank save.

8/7: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Senate navigating several matters ahead of summer recess; No U.S.-Iran deal yet on Strait of Hormuz.

A quandary for the Fed: Dealing with hot inflation and cool job growth

A sudden slump in hiring has dramatically changed the outlook for the Federal Reserve's September interest rate decision.

US police officer accused of killing three people in Mexico arrested at border

Chad Eberle of Texas charged over deadly shooting in Saltillo that officials say stemmed from custody dispute

A Texas police officer has been arrested in Mexico after authorities there accused him of killing three people and critically injuring the mother of his child in what investigators say stemmed from a dispute over the custody of the minor.

The Coahuila attorney general’s office said 35-year-old Chad Eberle was arrested on Wednesday at the border on a warrant accusing him of femicide and qualified homicide, according to La Razon de Mexico, a newspaper based in Mexico City. Under Mexican law, femicide refers to the intentional killing of a woman or girl because of her gender.

Who are the Trump allies running Latin America? – Stateside with Kai and Carter

An outspoken conservative endorsed by Donald Trump was sworn into office as Colombia’s new president on Friday. Abelardo de la Espriella is the seventh rightwing politician to take office in Latin America since the start of Trump’s second term. Kai Wright speaks to former US ambassador to Panama John Feeley about why the region is moving rightwards, and how it is boosting Trump’s foreign policy objectives, from immigration to containing China.

Video shows gunman start deadly rampage at Idaho In-N-Out drive-thru

Three people were killed in the shooting that started at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Pentagon releases new batch of UFO files: "Did you see that?"

The Pentagon on Friday released a new batch of documents and images related to UFOs, the fifth disclosure in recent months about the strange encounters.

Women in Maine may choose the victor in this year's Senate race

The race between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson is one of the nation's most high-profile Senate contests this year -- and may ultimately be decided by an especially powerful voting bloc: Maine women.

US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill championed by Lindsey Graham

Late senator spent final days of his life working to advance bill that will now head to the House after 86-11 Senate vote

By a large, bipartisan margin, the US Senate on Friday approved a bill intended to punish Russia and countries that buy its petroleum exports over the invasion of Ukraine, capping a legislative push that was spurred by the death of its champion, the Republican senator Lindsey Graham.

The measure, renamed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act in honor of the late senator’s work on the issue, was approved by an 86-11 vote. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to oppose the legislation, together with 10 Democrats.

DOJ's top prosecutor in LA hires aide with pending battery charge, DUIs

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli hired former top aide Shawn Lewis to be a federal law enforcement liaison, though Lewis has three prior convictions for driving under the influence and a pending battery charge.

Trump renews push to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook

Trump is once again threatening to fire Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud after an earlier effort to remove Cook was struck down by the Supreme Court.

Russia sanctions bill honoring Lindsey Graham breezes through Senate, heads to House

A measure to impose new sanctions on Russian oil purchasers easily cleared the Senate and heads to the House.

U.S. economy unexpectedly lost 23,000 jobs in July

Nonfarm payrolls were projected to increase by 83,000 in July while the unemployment rate would hold steady at 4.2%, according to the Dow Jones consensus.

Trump mounts new effort to fire Fed's Lisa Cook after Supreme Court ruling

The White House has informed Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, that President Trump is considering firing her.

Infantino’s World Cup sell-off debacle has rocked football but Fifa’s crisis has deep and rotten roots

It has been a remarkable few days for an institution that may be irredeemable but this is a story that stretches back to a decision in 2010

There are decades in which nothing happens, and weeks in which decades happen, and those weeks tend to result in leaders being toppled. Not even a fortnight ago, Gianni Infantino was taking his victory lap on Instagram, attacking “those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours” who had dared to question elements of his World Cup, which had generated a record $15bn in revenues. But the next day came the revelation of his plan to sell the World Cup to outside investors and a backlash that has him scrabbling to save his presidency.

It has been a remarkable few days, but this is a story whose roots stretch way back, to the decision in Zurich in 2010 to award the 2022 World Cup not to the US but to Qatar, to a furious Bill Clinton hurling an ashtray across the room and demanding action, to an FBI inquiry into corruption, and to the flipping of the larger-than-life Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer, who had two apartments in Trump Tower, one for himself and one for his cats.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports making waves in European football transfer market

Vinícius Júnior and Yan Diomande are among more than 100 players at an agency owned by the hip-hop legend

In the end there was a clear winner. And Jay-Z’s latest victory came only 24 hours after the first record featuring him actually rapping for four years had been released by his wife, Beyoncé, on an extended remix pack of Morning Dew (Donk).

These days, the man who remains one of the most influential artists in hip-hop has his fingers in many pies, from the streaming service Tidal and his own streetwear brand, to champagne and cognac. But it is Roc Nation Sports – an offshoot of his entertainment company of the same name founded in 2008 – making headlines in the summer transfer window.

Energy company sues data center over who should pay for AI buildout

At issue is who pays to expand energy infrastructure when a data center​​ needs as much electricity​ as a midsize city.

Burger King overtakes Wendy's as the nation's second-largest burger chain

Burger King is once again the second-largest burger chain in the U.S. by system-wide sales.

Another court blocks White House ballroom work, teeing up a Supreme Court review

A federal appeals court says above-ground construction cannot continue without approval from Congress, siding with historic preservation advocates.

Here are three key takeaways from the disappointing July jobs report

Nonfarm payrolls in the U.S. unexpectedly declined in July, but so did the unemployment rate, leaving investors with mixed signals.

Millions in England face longer waits for mental health care as NHS providers plan cuts

Exclusive: Seven in 10 survey respondents expect services to be reduced or shut, while more than half anticipate job losses

Millions of adults and children in England face being forced to wait longer for mental health care, with more than two-thirds of NHS providers planning to cut services and half expected to axe jobs, the Guardian can reveal.

With mental health services already under extraordinary pressure amid soaring demand for support, experts warned the proposed cuts – drawn up by trusts to plug holes in their finances – would also have “significant” consequences for the wider NHS, the economy and public services.

Trump teased an Iran deal that didn't come, but markets soared. Here’s why it keeps happening

As oil reserves and munitions stockpiles reportedly dwindle, analysts wonder how much longer markets will pounce when the Trump admin. dangles an Iran deal.

Monty Roberts, who trained horses through trust, dies at 91

The internationally acclaimed horseman defied the conventional method of breaking horses and developed his own gentler approach — based on horses' non-verbal language. Roberts spoke with Fresh Air in 1997.

French officers halted small boats at sea 10 times since spring

Disclosure challenges Conservative and Reform claims that police are refusing to intervene

The French authorities have halted small boats at sea in the Channel on 10 occasions since the spring, officials said on Friday.

Despite claims from the Conservatives and Reform that the French were refusing to intervene in small boat crossings, maritime prefect officers were using “intervention tactics” to board or control vessels at sea and take asylum seekers back to France.

Niewiadoma crushes Tour de France Femmes rivals on Mont Ventoux and takes overall lead

• Pole leaves fellow contenders behind on iconic climb

• Demi Vollering trails by 15sec, Marlen Reusser by 39sec

Kasia Niewiadoma took a spectacular solo victory on the legendary Mont Ventoux, securing a slim overall lead in the Tour de France Femmes after leaving behind her fellow race favourites Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering.

“It’s hard to describe my feelings because I’m still blown away by what just happened,” Niewiadoma, who won the yellow jersey in 2024, said of the first Tour stage victory of her career.

Appeals court halts construction of Trump’s $400m White House ballroom

Ruling put on hold for two weeks, allowing administration to appeal to US supreme court

• US politics live – latest updates

A US federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of the US president’s $400m White House ballroom, in a fresh blow to the controversial project.

Donald Trump, who demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for planned ballroom, has repeatedly touted it as “a gift” to the US people.

Businessman was ‘preparing champagne’ to celebrate Caruana Galizia murder, court hears

Taxi driver says he acted as middleman between Yorgen Fenech and three men already convicted of €150,000 contract killing

The businessman accused of paying for hitmen to murder the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was impatient for the killing to take place, and once texted from his boat to say he was “preparing champagne” to celebrate, a jury in Malta has heard.

Yorgen Fenech, the 44-year-old heir to a property empire that includes several Hilton hotels, is on trial in Malta for complicity in the murder of Caruana Galizia. She died in a car bombing in October 2017 after publishing a series of revelations about senior politicians that were so damaging they triggered a snap general election.

Senate passes Russia sanctions bill that was long championed by Lindsey Graham

The bill is meant to stifle Russia's economy by allowing for tough new tariffs against major importers of Russian energy. The legislation was led by Lindsey Graham before his unexpected death in July.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

Wildfires in the US and Europe, Russian strikes in Kyiv, beekeepers in Gaza and the European Aquatics Championships – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

‘Not braggadocious, not swaggerdocious’: Moses Itauma on why he lets his fists do the talking

The 21-year-old British boxer has the chance to become the second youngest world heavyweight champion after Mike Tyson when he fights for the IBF crown this month

Moses Itauma was initially unmoved when hearing that his bout against Filip Hrgovic in London on 29 August had been upgraded to a fight for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title.

“I didn’t really have any reaction,” Itauma said on Friday afternoon. “I was like, if I’m fighting Hrgovic and I’ve got the opportunity for it to be a world title, then yeah, chuck it on the line. I didn’t have any other feeling. I was taking Hrgovic serious – and, now the fight is for a world title, I’m still taking him serious. It’s still the same fight, innit?”

The Guardian view on Jason Arday: diversity advocates must stand firm | Editorial

Serious failings by one academic, and his bosses at the University of Cambridge, should not be allowed to undermine wider progressive goals

Jason Arday’s resignation from the University of Cambridge on Wednesday marked a full stop of sorts, but not an end to the furore surrounding his promotion to a professorship at the age of 37. Academic colleagues have demanded, with justification, that an investigation into his appointment to the faculty of education in 2023, and the subsequent fallout, should include people from outside the university. Allegations of plagiarism and claims made by Mr Arday about his background, career and charity fundraising remain under scrutiny. The memoir for which he said he had received a huge advance, billed as a triumph over adversity including an early autism diagnosis, is scheduled to appear later this month. His publisher, Simon & Schuster, ought to pause while inquiries run their course.

But several things are already clear. By failing to do due diligence on Mr Arday before launching him, with fanfare, as Cambridge’s youngest-ever black professor, and through its inadequate response to later challenges, the university has done a serious disservice to black and neurodivergent scholars more widely. It has also set back the efforts of all the people and groups who have worked in good faith, over many years, to boost the presence of underrepresented groups in influential positions.

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

The Guardian view on Gianni Infantino: in the interests of the game he professes to love, he should go | Editorial

The Fifa president’s attempt to brazen out the storm, after attempting to sell a stake in the World Cup to private equity, adds insult to injury

“How did you go bankrupt?” a character is asked in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises. “Gradually, then suddenly” comes the reply. Right now, Fifa’s justly besieged president, Gianni Infantino, is experiencing something similar in relation to the loss  of his own authority.

Since taking over the running of world football’s governing body in 2016, Mr Infantino has survived regular criticism of a monetising approach which has often come at a sporting cost. But since egregious plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law were leaked to the media, his credibility has been draining away at speed.

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.

Cassidy supports Todd Blanche, rescuing Trump's embattled attorney general pick

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

A ‘Keminaissance’ for the Tories is wishful thinking – Badenoch’s Reform-lite summer will only end one way | Jonathan Freedland

Hiring a convicted antisemite as an adviser; rabble rousing at a time of violent unrest. She is still in a race to the bottom and making too many mistakes

The Keminaissance will be delayed. For nearly a year, Conservative optimists and a clutch of supportive pundits have been forecasting an upturn in the fortunes of Kemi Badenoch, confident that her party will emerge from the crater it fell into in 2024, overtake Reform UK to become once again the main party of the right and, who knows, maybe, with a following wind, even push Labour aside and return to government. Every sign of strength from the Tory leader – a robust conference speech here, a viral clip on social media there – has been hailed as evidence of the coming Keminaissance. On the evidence of the past week or so, we will have to wait a little longer.

It’s quite true that Badenoch’s personal ratings are better than those of her party. True, too, that she ended a long losing streak when the Tories won a Westminster seat at the Aberdeen South byelection in June. But there is a more recent election result that should temper the boosters’ enthusiasm, along with a series of decisions that confirm that, when it comes to both strategy and judgment, Badenoch is badly lacking.

Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist

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.

Cambridge academics reject university’s attempt to end row over Jason Arday

Group calls for ‘thorough and transparent investigation’ of hiring of professor who resigned after his claims came under scrutiny

The University of Cambridge has announced a review into the way it vets and hires senior academic staff in an effort to fend off external and internal criticism of its appointment of Jason Arday as a professor.

But a group of Cambridge academics quickly rejected the university’s response, saying: “We strongly believe that a thorough and transparent investigation into the wider circumstances of this damaging episode is essential.”

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Aug. 9)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.

Rebecca Hendin on the ‘vertical drinking’ row – cartoon

Continue reading...

Meta ordered to pay $567 million into abatement fund as remedy to child harms case in New Mexico

A judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567 million into an abatement fund after a jury ruled the company violated the state’s unfair practices act.

AI, boy kibble and parasite cleanses: the 11 biggest wellness trends of 2026

Suggestions for improving your wellbeing are more plentiful than ever – and some may even be on to something

Every year, the wellness industry churns out new products and practices that it claims are finally – finally! – the real secret to being well. Sometimes, these trends are legitimate. Sometimes they’re utter nonsense. Often they’re somewhere in between.

These are the wellness trends that have provoked controversy and interest in 2026.

Monsters of God review – a messy feud between rival reptile smugglers gets the Tiger King treatment

Director Eric Goode has found two enemies to rival Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin in his new documentary about the animal trade’s underworld

Through the fear and general miasma of the Covid pandemic, TV brought people together like never before. Among the most-watched series of 2020 was of course Tiger King, Netflix’s hit about an improbably twisty feud between a gay, polyamorous big-cat breeder and convicted felon, and the conservationist rival whom he accused of murder (more specifically, of feeding her missing husband to the tigers in her sanctuary – which she denies). It was the perfect hit for quarantine: bold and ridiculous enough to get everyone talking, and with precisely no bearing on the grief and awfulness that was all around.

Producer and co-director Eric Goode has made a smattering of Tiger King follow-ups since then, as well as another series, Chimp Crazy, about the self-described Dolly Parton of the primate world. His latest project – a co-production between his own outfit, Goode Films, HBO, and A24 – continues the theme, focusing this time on the reptile trade and taking its lead from the 2008 book The Lizard King by journalist Bryan Christy. It’s stuffed full of wild stories and even wilder characters: there are canny smugglers, underworld crime gangs, and even legitimate zoos that are said to have turned a blind eye to the provenance of their big, scaly friends. The series is centred on the US – although clearly the supply chain is global – and the two men who kickstarted the illegal trade: Hank Molt and copycat trader Tommy Crutchfield. Like Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin before them, there is no love lost between Crutchfield and Molt, and no odd biographical detail too trivial to skip over. Hank, says Tommy, “will turn anything good into bad”, while Hank reckons that Tommy is “one of the angriest and most bitter people I’ve ever met”. Along the way we learn that Hank used to be a mayonnaise salesman, and that Tommy worked at an extremely on-the-nose Florida establishment named Snake-a-Torium as a teenager, where he would later have his wedding reception.

What follows is the story not only of their enduring beef and betrayals, but of other adjacent vendettas in the illicit reptilian market. Despite environmental concerns becoming increasingly en vogue in the late 60s, a “don’t ask, don’t tell” attitude still pervaded the world of wildlife trading, with many zoos happy to acquire what they needed from whoever happened to have it. There were, however, serious consequences for some of the creatures involved. With the police on his back, Molt once buried a stash of animals alive in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, a location which would later become infamous via The Sopranos. When he was eventually arrested, Crutchfield would become the go-to guy. He supplied cobras to the makers of a Hollywood blockbuster, he says, and sold tortoises to Michael Jackson. He even bred distinctive white albino alligators, which he sold for £175,000 a pop.

The gruesome, revenge-fuelled culmination of the men’s feud at the end of the first episode is the high point of Monsters of God, which then limps through four more instalments. The illegal animal trade gets entangled with the (less interesting) drug trade in the 80s, and – somewhere along the way – the story becomes less punchy and more of an attempt to shoehorn in every strange character and weird/shocking/grim (delete as appropriate) anecdote that the producers had access to. A tangent about a federal agent who wore a gorilla costume in a sting operation is rather funny but, er, isn’t this a series about snakes and stuff? It does feel like Monsters of God could have been a two-parter, but then maybe it’s simply too hard to kill your darlings when you have so many of them. The story of a German man who collaborated with Crutchfield (and who attempted to escape the feds by running across eight lanes of traffic, in handcuffs, and wearing Birkenstocks) is hardly essential. But it is clearly entertaining.

Monsters of God may lack that tight narrative thread that makes you want to recreate lockdown and spend five hours parked in front of the TV. But Goode is a conservationist as well as a film-maker, and it’s clear that he is interested in what became of the species whose existence was endangered by men like these. Much of the final episode is dedicated to notorious dealer Anson Wong from Malaysia, and the smuggling that meant that the ploughshare tortoise became all-but extinct in the wild. There is one final bit of good news, though, and a sense that nature – perhaps – is healing. It might not be a conclusion ripped from the bizarre world of Joe Exotic, but it’s the perfect ending to a wildlife documentary.

Top Democrat proposes killing tax breaks for overseas oil production

Gas prices in the U.S. averaged $4.06 per gallon on Thursday — a major source of voter discontent heading into November's midterm elections.

Police and prosecution errors left proven sex offender free to murder two women in London

Delays to sexual assault charges and failures to report past convictions in court hearings gave Simon Levy chance to attack more women

• Violence against women: has anything changed in policing since Sarah Everard’s killing?

Catastrophic errors left a persistent and proven sex offender free before he murdered two women in London, it can be revealed.

On Friday, an Old Bailey jury found Simon Levy, 40, guilty of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and Sheryl Wilkins five months later.

Colombia's new president vows to remake the country — and challenge rebel groups

A new political era for Colombia: a hard-right president promises order, growth and confrontation.

Kemi Badenoch’s weird week: defence of ex-neo-Nazi raises questions over Tory direction

Some in party are delighted by leader’s tack rightwards but opponents have savoured latest Conservative controversy

There was a moment in the middle of this week when a news alert raised eyebrows among the politically committed. It read: “Kemi Badenoch: Former neo-Nazi candidate would just be sorting out bins.” It was a collection of words that might prompt palpitations in the most sanguine of communications professionals, followed by panicked advice that retreat was necessary. But as a deeply weird week for the Conservative party came to a close on Friday, its leader appeared adamant she would hold the line.

With Badenoch accused of aping Reform UK on policy and purging centrists from her party in recent weeks, her decision to stand by a man who was jailed after creating sexualised images of a Jewish MP and calling her a “rodent” has prompted concerns about the leader of the opposition’s political antennae and the Tories’ wider strategy.

Prince to Madonna, Blur to Beth Orton: William Orbit’s 12 greatest recordings

The late producer’s gift for bringing in elements from dance music’s cutting edge drew all manner of music royalty – and he often made them sound better than ever before

• William Orbit, pop producer for Madonna, All Saints and more, dies aged 69

William Orbit’s first band were a curious business. Torch Song had one foot in the pop mainstream – their biggest success came about when one of their tracks was featured on the soundtrack of the Tom Hanks-starring sex comedy Bachelor Party – and one in the left field: they recorded at London’s anarchist hub Centro Iberico, famed for staging gigs by Crass and Throbbing Gristle; they covered the Velvet Underground’s Venus in Furs. Mothdoom Ecstasy is very much of its time – stuttering samples, booming drums – but in its hazy synth textures and ethereal female vocals, you can definitely hear intimations of Orbit’s future approach.

Trump’s attorney general pick Todd Blanche appears to clear last hurdle for confirmation

Bill Cassidy, Republican seen as a decisive holdout, said he is prepared to back Trump’s former personal lawyer

• US politics live – latest updates

Bill Cassidy, the US Republican senator seen as the decisive holdout on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, announced on Friday that he will support the pick, setting the stage for a major win for Donald Trump.

Confirmation that Cassidy, of Louisiana, is prepared to back Blanche – Trump’s former personal lawyer, and a loyal ally of the president – appeared to clear the last hurdle of his confirmation process, which had been challenged by the defections of the Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.

Companies scoff at airlines' cheapest business class tickets. 'The real value is flexibility'

Some companies plan to shun the cheapest business- and premium- economy fares from their executives.

It’s not just Homer: the new generation of poets enjoying epic success

Christopher Nolan’s film has made the Odyssey a bestselling book again, but a slew of new poets are breaking sales records, and have more in common with the ancient Greek than you might expect

The death of poetry – much anticipated, much prematurely mourned – has been put off again, this time by the Odyssey. Thanks to Christopher Nolan’s film, sales of Homer’s epic rose 1,400% in the weeks around release – and it’s not alone. Poetry collections are once again sailing up the charts: Lucas Jones, Donna Ashworth and Nikita Gill, among others, have all burst forth on to the bestseller lists.

The word bestseller, it must be said, conjures up certain images: a TV tie-in cookbook; a sexy thriller. It does not, generally speaking, imply poetry. Poetry is a genre more often relegated to the adolescent, the academic, or the words inside sentimental birthday cards: either over-emotional or elitist, depending on which poet and which perspective. What it certainly is not is a money-spinner: nobody gets into poetry to make the big bucks. Nobody gets into poetry – not these days, anyway, not since Byron’s day – for the fame or the fortune.

When it comes to marriage and divorce, is gen Z the sensible generation? | Van Badham

This happily married gen Xer celebrates the fact marriage rates are down. It shows Australians have the freedom and opportunity to make the best decisions for them

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported last month that the marriage rate is declining. As someone who champions marriage, is married and thinks a wedding is lovely, I think it’s great news.

According to the data, the crude rate of registered marriages per 1,000 residents aged 16 and over fell from 5.5 in 2024 to 5.3 in 2025, with the largest falls occurring among the 25-29s and 30-34s.

Van Badham is a Guardian Australia columnist

Could Meta’s ‘pervert glasses’ be banned across the UK? - The Latest

With more than 7m pairs reportedly sold in 2025, Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses are fast becoming the world’s most popular new gadget.

But while supporters say they are transforming photography and accessibility, others have labelled them ‘pervert glasses’, with some UK pubs and restaurants, including Wetherspoons, banning the technology from their premises.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s deputy Opinion editor Kirsty Major

Tate brothers’ lawyers urge ⁠US judge to release the two from Miami jail on bail

Andrew and Tristan Tate remain in jail as they fight extradition to UK to face charges of rape, assault and more

Lawyers for Andrew and Tristan Tate urged a ⁠US judge on Friday ⁠to release the ​brothers from a Miami jail as they fight the British government’s efforts to extradite them to face charges of rape, assault and facilitating trafficking for ⁠sexual exploitation.

In a filing in Miami federal court, the Tate brothers’ lawyers said their “extraordinary public visibility” would make it impractical for them to try to flee, meaning there was ⁠no need to keep them behind bars until the extradition proceedings end.

Thailand school shooting: eight killed including suspected attacker, police say

Teenager killed his grandparents ⁠before opening fire at school near Bangkok, where more than 30 were wounded

A Thai teenager killed his grandparents before opening fire at his school, where he shot five people dead and took his own life, police have said, in an attack that has shaken a country struggling to deal with gun violence.

The 14-year-old wounded more than 30 people in the ⁠shooting at the prestigious Debsirin Nonthaburi school northwest of Bangkok. Nine people were in a critical condition, the Thai health department said.

These NYC centers allow hard drug use in-house. Nearly 5 years in, is it helping?

An addiction-services nonprofit approved by the city focuses on harm reduction for hard drug users — to the chagrin of some in the neighborhood.

Blanche's path to confirmation appears clear after winning key Republican's support

A key Republican senator, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, said he would back Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, smoothing the path for his ultimate confirmation by the Senate.

Iran's chief negotiator accuses Trump of 'theater diplomacy' with Hormuz traffic near standstill

The conflict is broadening across the region, with Gulf energy infrastructure and key shipping choke points under renewed threat.

Manchester City reject Barcelona’s opening £38.5m bid for Rodri as talks continue

• Mourinho reportedly unhappy over Barça hijack

• City ready to seal deal for Morocco star Bouaddi

Manchester City have rejected an offer of £38.5m (€45m) from Barcelona for Rodri and want at least £60m before allowing Spain’s World Cup-winning captain to depart.

Barcelona have emerged as Rodri’s preferred destination after talks with Real Madrid broke down this week. It is understood that the 30-year-old, who is now in the final year of his contract at City, has agreed personal terms with the Spanish champions after indicating that he would like to return to his homeland following the departure of Pep Guardiola.

Colombia on the brink: ELN guerrilla group prepares for return to war

As Abelardo de la Espriella takes office as president vowing a new military offensive, the country’s last leftwing rebels are getting ready to fight back

As the boat approached the riverbank, camouflaged figures watched from the tree line.

Behind them, in the dim understory of the jungle, a commander of the National Liberation Army (ELN) sat with his rifle on his lap, amid the buzz and whine of insects and the thwacks of machetes on bamboo as his troops set up camp, hidden from enemy drones.

Swedish gummies, Parisian linens and Moroccan mint tea: what travel experts always bring home from their trips

Finding treasures is part of the fun of travel. Here, experts share their top tips on what to buy where

Speciality tea

Sam Neill filmed role in Legend of Zelda film adaptation before his death

The New Zealand actor, who died last month aged 78, will appear in live-action movie of popular video game, which is set for release next year

The New Zealand actor Sam Neill completed filming of a role in the forthcoming adaptation of The Legend of Zelda video game before he died, which will be one of his final screen appearances.

According to a report in Deadline, Neill, who died of pneumonia last month aged 78, will appear in the live-action movie, which finished filming in April this year and is set for release next May. Which role Neill plays has not been announced, but fans of the games have suggested that he would be a good casting choice for the King of Hyrule, the fictional fantasy realm in which the Zelda games are primarily set.

Americans got their biggest raises in 40 years. Inflation took most of it.

The typical American's paycheck has grown faster since 2019 than in any stretch since the early 1980s. But prices climbed nearly as fast, swallowing about 80% of the wage increase.

‘Not afraid of controversy’: Edinburgh fringe rejects calls to cancel Amanda Knox comedy

Festival organisers defend show after criticism from sister of Meredith Kercher, Knox’s murdered former flatmate

The Edinburgh festival fringe has said it is “not afraid of controversy” after it faced calls to cancel a sold-out show by Amanda Knox, who was wrongfully convicted for the 2007 murder of her flatmate Meredith Kercher in Italy.

Knox’s comedy show, Cartwheel, has been condemned by Kercher’s family, with her sister, Stephanie, saying it “normalises and trivialises violence against women”. A petition calling for it to be cancelled has been signed by more than 9,000 people.

Georgia Hunter Bell: ‘Getting the tube to work I was like … oh my God, I’ve kind of messed up my life’

The favourite for 1500m gold at the European Championships on her second chance after quitting at 23, learning from Keely Hodgkinson and eyeing an LA 2028 double

‘I grew up and was always just good at running,” says Georgia Hunter Bell, as she remembers the moment she felt her career was over at 23. “I always thought that I would be a professional athlete, go to the Olympics, all of that. So it was quite brutal when I had to make peace with the fact that it was not going to happen.”

At that stage Hunter Bell’s body was broken. Her teenage promise – she was the UK’s top 15-year-old having run a 2min 8sec 800m – worn away by injuries aggravated by overtraining in the US collegiate system. She retired; found a job in tech; didn’t run on the track for five years. And then came a comeback straight out of a Hollywood feel-good movie.

Employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs in a sign of a wilting labor market

U.S. employers cut 23,000 jobs in July, and job gains for the two previous months were weaker than initially reported, according to a report Friday from the Labor Department.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey sign Nato-style defence pact amid deadly Houthi strikes in Yemen

Mecca joint defence agreement says an attack on one country will be deemed an attack on all

• Who are the Houthis – explained in 30 seconds

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have signed a mutual defence agreement, placing three of the Muslim world’s most influential states into a Nato-style pact, as Riyadh confronts attacks from Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen.

The Houthis and Saudi Arabia have increased their military exchanges in the past month and the first test of the tripartite pact long in preparation may come in Yemen.

EA Sports FC 27: what does the next instalment of the world’s biggest football game have in store?

The all-conquering franchise’s revamps are technically impressive, its transfers more true to life – and its new grassroots social hub is surprising fun

As if the world wasn’t sufficiently football-obsessed, it’s time to prepare for the arrival of its biggest football video game. EA Sports FC 27 (the franchise that used to be Fifa – what better time to no longer be Fifa-branded?) is due to be released on 25 September. I just spent two intense days in Vancouver, where the EA FC games are made, playing FC 27 and talking to its developers.

With an annual franchise such as EA FC, it helps to have something fresh to entice regular fans, and FC 27 has a whole new element, entitled the Grounds. It’s a physical hub-type area, similar to the City as seen in 2K’s recent NBA 2K basketball games, but much more pleasant to frequent, split as it is into areas inspired by British, French and Argentinian street-football culture.

Out of the blue: James Cameron’s surprise departure would be good for Avatar

The director has yet again hinted that he may step away – but if he does actually relinquish control, it would likely benefit the franchise

After directing the highest-grossing film trilogy of all time, and having spent more than two decades bending technology, studio executives and several hundred million dollars’ worth of underwater motion capture to his will, James Cameron this week signalled that he may be ready to hand the future of the Avatar franchise to another director. Indeed, he bent Hollywood to his will so completely that it became almost impossible in the early 2010s to watch a blockbuster without uncomfortable plastic glasses, and without objects on the screen being hurled pointlessly towards the audience. Still, the Canadian film-maker now appears to be seriously considering handing over everyone’s favourite multibillion-dollar bioluminescent space jungle to someone else.

“There’s been momentum in the Avatar universe for 21 years at this point because we started in 2005,” Cameron told Denise Donlon in an interview for Canada’s governor general’s performing arts awards. “It’s been kind of an unbroken continuum. So this is the point where I’m looking at the landscape and asking, ‘What are the other stories I want to tell? How many of them do I need to direct myself versus writing and/or producing with other film-makers?’”

Volkswagen controlling families call for faster overhaul to fend off Chinese rivals

Volkswagen's top investor on Friday called on the auto giant to take immediate action to fend off intensifying competition from Chinese car brands.

‘It might be one of the most unpopular tunes ever written!’: kids’ TV composers tell all

Big cheques, standing ovations, irate adults – there are surprising sides to composing a children’s TV theme tune. From Bluey to Byker Grove, the creators of the best reveal the secrets

How do you write TV theme music for children? Does it make you mega-rich? And does the tune itself eventually drive you (and parents everywhere) nuts?

We tracked down the creators of half-a-dozen of TV’s greatest children’s show themes in order to find out. As Bluey’s Joff Bush told us: “The key lesson is that if you’re going to write a theme tune, make sure you really like it because you’re going to hear it a helluva lot!”

‘It’s a Pan-African story’: the artists telling the amazing true tale of Zambia’s mission to reach space

The nation’s audacious 1960s rocket programme was met with ridicule. Now, more than 60 years on, this curious episode is inspiring film-makers, playwrights and a circus show at the fringe

• Explore the rest of our Edinburgh festival 2026 coverage

In February 1960, Harold Macmillan, the UK’s Conservative prime minister, gave his seminal “wind of change” address to the Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town, announcing the end of the age of colonial rule on the African continent. He had given the same speech in Ghana a month earlier but the South Africa speech received significantly more press attention because of its perceived confrontation with the apartheid regime. The speech began a chain reaction: four years later, the British Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved, establishing a newly independent Zambia.

Amid the hopeful energy of the nation’s birth emerged Edward Mukuka Nkoloso, the father of the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy, with an announcement that the young country would officially join the space race.

Cocktail of the week: Half Cut Market’s peaches & cream – recipe | The good mixer

A frozen piña colada-style boozy drink/dessert

A frozen drink and a classic dessert all rolled into one. Instead of piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, we’re whipping up these and manifesting a sunny summer.

Jayma Voorheis, general manager, Half Cut Market, London N7

A new vaccine could vanquish a major cause of deadly diarrheal disease

Over 1 million people a year die from diarrheal disease. Nearly half are kids under age 5. A new vaccine in trials offers great hope.

The July jobs numbers are due out Friday. Here's what to expect

Nonfarm payrolls are expected to post a gain of just 83,000 with an unchanged unemployment rate at 4.2%.

China is gaining ground in AI. But the U.S. still has a major advantage

Chinese AI companies have made recent leaps in closing the performance gap with U.S. frontier labs.

Black barrister was told ‘it’s not for defendants’ at London court car park

Stephen Akinsanya says being mistaken for defendant shows lack of progress on racism within legal system

A black barrister has said a security guard told him he could not park in a court’s car park in London because “it’s not for defendants”.

Stephen Akinsanya, who in June was awarded an OBE for raising awareness of youth knife crime and its prevention, said the incident, at an east London court about four weeks ago, illustrated the lack of progress on racism within the criminal justice system.

The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup

The Salt King by Natasha Pulley; A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett; Netherwood by Jake Arnott; Fawn by CN Vair

The Salt King by by Natasha Pulley (Gollancz, £22)
The latest from the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street blends an apocalyptic end-of-the-world tale with folk horror and two slowly developing love stories. Avelyn Brocken is a trainee priest at the Vatican, sent to check out a possible miracle in the fens of East Anglia. His only qualification for the job is that he was born and raised in Hreodwater, a strange community based around a salt mine with its own language, religion and rituals. But what begins in Hreodwater, involving the mysterious salt light and a sleeping king deep in the mine, threatens civilisations. An original, rich and gripping tale that’s also an interesting exploration of the power of faith.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett (Hodderscape, £25)
A new case for Ana and Din, the crime-solving team introduced in the Hugo and World Fantasy award-winning novel The Tainted Cup, focuses on a murder among the cattle-ranching gentry of the Empire of Khanum. The murderer has been caught red-handed, unable to remember what happened. The victim was his lover, and their families were enemies; he is the last of his line, and fears his family is cursed. The detectives suspect a more material and dangerous adversary behind the scenes, with access to a terrifying weapon. This is the sort of other-world fantasy with close ties to speculative fiction, based on natural laws and science rather than any magical system, and some of the issues it raises are of immediate concern in today’s world of shrinking resources. Great world-building and a masterfully conceived mystery make for a compelling cross-genre blend.

Add to playlist: the anxiety-ridden sugar rush of Tiffany Day and the week’s best new tracks

Day’s latest album Halo is all high-energy exhaustion, injected with a crushing electroclash chaos that illuminates her insecurities in bright neon

From Los Angeles
Recommended if you like Slayyyter, Charli xcx, Underscores
Up next Halo out now. UK and Ireland tour starts in December

Right now popstar breakthrough and burnout are a hair’s breadth from one another. Enter Tiffany Day, a Wichita-raised artist who first went viral in 2017 when a video of her singing Hallelujah on a school trip blew up online. She spent the subsequent years unsuccessfully chipping away at building on that virality, cycling through acoustic guitar covers and bedroom R&B. Only by channeling her frustrations into this year’s anxiety-ridden sugar rush Halo did Day finally regain her early momentum.

‘Walking sausage’: the giant stick insect that proves it’s not over till we give up

Also known as the tree lobster, this ultra-rare creature was inadvertently driven to the brink by European settlers

• Revealed: the top 10 invertebrates of the year

When small species are left alone to evolve for centuries on small islands, they often become larger. Quietly, over thousands of years, Dryococelus australis grew to a great size on Lord Howe Island, in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.

But the peaceful life of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, an invertebrate of such gargantuan proportions that it is also fondly known as the tree lobster, was destroyed by European settlers. In 1918, a shipwreck brought black rats to the island. The flightless insects were once so common they were used by settlers as bait for fishing, but the rats wiped out the entire population on the island in just two years.

Trump targets birthright citizenship. And, Iran aims to ban U.S. from Strait of Hormuz

President Trump says he has signed two new orders targeting birthright citizenship. And, Iran is aiming to ban U.S. ships from the Strait of Hormuz.