2 people climb to top of NYC's Empire State Building for apparent wedding proposal

Two people to the very top of the Empire State Building in New York City Wednesday afternoon as part of an apparent wedding proposal.

Details emerge of Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding events at MSG

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding plans include a rehearsal dinner and a late-night celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York City, according to sources familiar with the security planning.

Wimbledon 2026: Krejcikova v Andreeva, Gauff battles past Sierra, Sinner beats Borges – live

Updates from Wednesday’s action in SW19
Order of play | Joint ends Williams comeback | Mail Daniel

Yara El-Shaboury was watching on No 2 Court, and has this quick report:

Naomi Osaka cruised to a second-round 6-3, 6-2 win against the Russian qualifier Anastasia Gasanova. There was little worry for the four-time grand slam champion, whose serves and groundstrokes were stellar as she makes it to the third round at Wimbledon in back-to-back years.

There was a small moment of frustration in the second set, with Osaka stating “What the hell?” after hitting the ball out, which garnered some chuckles from the No 2 Court crowd. She then turned to her team to complain about Gasanova’s grunting but got on with business to win in straight sets.

The Japanese was candid in her on-court interview about her nerves, saying: “​I don’t rate my performance. I have to wait a bit to do that. My current emotion is that I am happy to win. I am glad to do it in straight sets.

“Tomorrow is my daughter’s birthday so I didn’t want to make her get on a plane on her birthday. I will practise a bit in the morning and then maybe take her to the park. She loves making new friends.”

England v DR Congo: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live

⚽️ Kick-off time: 12pm local/5pm BST/1am AEST
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Scott

The DRC make one change following the 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. Striker Cédric Bakambu makes way for an extra midfielder in Ngal’ayel Mukau. There are plenty of stars familiar to fans of British football in the team: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland) and Yoane Wissa (Newcastle) start, while Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock) and Edo Kayembe (Watford) are on the bench.

No surprises in the England starting XI. Especially if you’ve just read that communiqué from Jacob Steinberg. Thomas Tuchel makes three changes to his starting XI after the 2-0 win over Panama. Djed Spence replaces the injured Jarell Quansah at the problem position of right-back. Declan Rice returns at the expense of Morgan Rogers. And Noni Madueke starts on the right wing again, displacing his Arsenal colleague Bukayo Saka.

UK national lottery funding too concentrated in south, Nandy says

Culture secretary launches first review of how money is spent in more than two decades

Funding from the national lottery is too heavily concentrated in the south, the culture secretary has said, as she launched the first review in more than 20 years into how billons raised by ticket sales is spent.

In comments that chime with Andy Burnham’s pledge to devolve more power from London if he becomes prime minister, Nandy said the model governing how lottery money is spent was “showing its age”.

England v India: first men’s T20 international – live

• Over-by-over report from the match at Chester Le Street

• Joe Root stands alone after Stokes leaves the scene | Email Tanya

The floodlights are on at Durham and there are sizeable pockets of slightly disappointed India fans who were hoping to see Sooryavanshi. Here comes Harry Brook, leading England onto the field only two days after he lost the Test series with England in that chaotic emotional last day and a bit.

Tanya here, just sitting in for Jim briefly. Do contact me on [email protected] if you have any thoughts. Doesn’t look too hot at Chester le Street today and there might be a spot of rain about.

Starmer gives Burnham a £4.7bn hole in defence spending as a goodwill token | John Crace

The PM bats away criticism from Kemi Badenoch over military funding but leaves behind a headache for his likely successor

The search for the perfect present to welcome Andy Burnham to No 10 has been a worry for Keir Starmer. What do you give the man who seems to have everything? The support of his own MPs. The belief that Nigel Farage is beatable. The sense of being at ease with himself. Comfortable with who he is. The charisma. The ability to hold a room. Everything Keir would have wanted.

He needed a small Welcome to Downing Street gift, a token of friendship. To show there was no bad feeling about losing his job.

Author of England maternity care review ‘listened to wrong voices’, says adviser

Dr Bill Kirkup said section of Valerie Amos’s report criticising ‘normal birth ideology’ was removed before publication

The author of a major inquiry into maternity care altered its final report to remove criticism of “normal birth ideology”, one of her expert advisers claims.

Dr Bill Kirkup said Valerie Amos had “listened to the wrong voices” before a section outlining the potential risks of encouraging women to have a vaginal birth “disappeared” from the final version of her government-commissioned report.

Justice Department sues Virginia, California over gun laws

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said "the Constitution is not a suggestion" and that "the Second Amendment is a sacred right belonging to all Americans."

Nominate your invertebrate of the year

We’re asking people from around the world to nominate their favourite spineless species for our third Invertebrate of the Year competition

Step aside World Cup heroes, there’s a bigger global competition in town. The whistle has been blown to launch the third Invertebrate of the Year contest.

We want you to nominate your favourite spineless creature for the hugely popular annual Guardian jamboree which celebrates the wonder and importance of the world’s invertebrates.

This July 4th could be hottest ever in parts of U.S.

Extremely dangerous heat, coupled with humidity, could result in heat index readings of 100 to 115 degrees from the Midwest to the East Coast, forecasters said.

What’s really in a hotdog? Nutrition experts explain

Americans eat 50bn hotdogs every year, but experts say they’re also among the most highly processed foods

In 1969, the late writer William Zinsser toured a hotdog factory and described his visit in Life magazine, opening with the lines: “I’ve often wondered what goes into a hotdog. Now I know and I wish I didn’t.”

All these years later, his words still reflect our love/hate relationship with the humble wiener. We love eating them, but would rather not think about what’s in them.

Record-high temperatures expected in cities across U.S. through Fourth of July

More than two dozen states are under heat alerts, impacting around 200 million people across the central and eastern U.S. Dozens of cities are expected to endure record highs through the Fourth of July. Tom Hanson reports.

Brother of Baltimore Ravens’ Calais Campbell charged with mother’s murder

• Brother of Calais Campbell charged with murder

• Police found Campbell’s mother dead in Atlanta

• Family asks for privacy after mother’s death

The brother of NFL player Calais Campbell has been charged with murder after police found their 71-year-old mother dead at a home in Atlanta during a welfare check.

Arrest warrants say Nateal Campbell’s throat was cut and Ciarre Campbell was found in possession of a knife. Officers found her unresponsive when they arrived at around 12.30pm Tuesday, according to a police statement.

Andy Burnham says ‘nothing off table’ in case of Rochdale grooming gang leader

Labour leader-in-waiting wants to close loophole preventing deportation of sex offender

Andy Burnham will explore “all possible options”, if he becomes prime minister, to close a legal loophole that prevented the deportation of a “vile” Rochdale grooming gang leader.

In his first significant intervention as Labour leader-in-waiting, Burnham said nothing would be “off the table” in the case of Shabir Ahmed, 73, who is expected to be released from prison on Thursday.

England has just had its hottest June on record, Met Office data shows

Chief scientist says dangerous heatwaves, which are getting more likely, ‘bring home the implications of climate change’

The month of June was the hottest in England on record, driven by a searing heatwave in the final days of the month, which for the first time had red heat alerts for three days, according to Met Office data.

The Met Office said provisional statistics showed Wales and the UK as a whole had recorded their second-warmest June since 1884.

Sony to stop making physical discs for PlayStation starting in 2028

After January 2028, new games will be available exclusively in digital format from the PlayStation Store and at retailers, Sony said.

Bayeux tapestry tickets generate nine-hour online queues as public scramble for access

Reports say up to 80,000 people waiting by mid-afternoon for chance to see historic artwork at British Museum

People keen to see the Bayeux tapestry faced online queues of up to nine hours when tickets went on sale for the first time on Wednesday morning.

The British Museum, which is hosting the wool-on-linen artwork from September, saw huge traffic to its ticketing website as a scramble for access began.

GM reports 4.2% decline in Q2 U.S. sales as EV demand falls

General Motors' second-quarter U.S. sales fell 4.2% as year-over-year demand for its all-electric vehicles and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks declined.

At least 3.3m people were victims of Dutch enslavement, research claims

Figure is more than five times the widely used 600,000 figure widely cited in apologies by king and politicians

At least 3.3 million people were enslaved in the Netherlands during the transatlantic slave trade, research claims – more than five times the 600,000 figure widely used in history books and cited in apologies by the king and politicians.

King Willem-Alexander referred to the more than 600,000 people who were brought from Africa on Dutch ships to be sold as enslaved people when he apologised three years ago for the role of the Netherlands in the transatlantic slave trade.

Trump says outside funds 'run my money' after disclosure shows billions in 2025 revenue

The 927-page annual financial disclosure form shows Trump's purchases and sales of hundreds of companies' stocks, including Nvidia, Amazon and Microsoft.

Trump accused of ‘disgusting’ crypto greed after earning over $1bn since return to office

Elizabeth Warren and colleagues demanded tighter rules on political figures’ crypto dealings, citing disclosures of large-scale Trump family profits

• US politics live – latest updates

Donald Trump has again been accused of “brazen crypto corruption” after financial disclosures revealed his family’s cryptocurrency ventures generated more than $1bn in his first year back in the White House.

Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate banking committee, said the figures showed why US Congress needed to act. “The crypto legislation heading to the Senate floor must prevent the President, Vice President, senior administration officials, members of Congress, and their families from profiting off the crypto industry,” she said. “If it does not, it will only turbocharge Donald Trump’s brazen crypto corruption.”

Americans are showing up for the World Cup in record-breaking numbers

While the U.S. isn't a bona fide soccer nation yet, the past three weeks have perhaps shown what it would feel like if it were.

Victor Willis, Village People lead singer, dies at 74

Victor Willis, lead singer of the disco group Village People, whose hit "Y.M.C.A." became a fixture at rallies for President Trump, has died at the age of 74, his wife and the band said.

‘This is the dark art’: New book claims pattern of personal attacks by Murdoch media empire

In a book dedicated to ‘the bullied’, two former News Corp journalists outline a behaviour pattern they call ‘getting Murdoched’, which they say harms individuals and public debate

In 2009, David Nutt, a professor of pharmacology who had served as the chief drugs adviser to the British Labour government remarked at a public discussion about legalising drugs that alcohol was a serious social problem, more so than psychedelic drugs.

Soon after, he received a call from a reporter for The Sun, then the UK’s most prolific tabloid newspaper. The reporter asked: “What would you say if I told you we are going to do an exposé on your children’s drugs and drinking habits tomorrow?”

Funerals held for 14 Pakistani children killed in tutoring center collapse

Police are investigating whether negligence during construction work caused the collapse in the eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday.

On the ground in Thailand: what we know about the Australian man charged with murder of a teenager – podcast

An Australian man, Simon Peter Carman, 45, was charged over the weekend with the alleged murder of Thunchanok Donhomla. Her body was found in a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya, on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast, in the early hours of Saturday.

Carman has denied the charges.

Guardian reporter Natasha May speaks to Matilda Boseley from Pattaya about the arrest and the questions it raises about Thailand’s sex tourism industry

U.S. auto industry faces increased uncertainty without extension of USMCA trade deal

A major issue for automakers is the deal's rules of origin, which determine where a product comes from and which goods are eligible for preferential treatment.

Football Daily | France’s fab front four make them incomparable World Cup favourites

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We can all agree the Geopolitics World Cup has gone on far too long, so Football Daily is pleased to announce it is over. It monopolises everyone’s time, changes sleeping, eating and drinking patterns, leaving everyone tired and poorer. No one wants to stay up for further 2am BST kick-offs or attempt to watch a couple of games a day. Frankly, the process has been completely futile since the first ball was kicked.

Please hand over the trophy to France and save some carbon emissions (and the embarrassment of other teams). Just one of Mbappé, Olise, Dembélé, Rabiot or Barcola would be enough for most teams. They are currently the Duplantis of the football world, ironic given their last victim was Sweden” – Krishna Moorthy.

Responding to Antony Crossley’s letter, as an American, I agree there are important reasons to berate our country, but chocolate?! There are a large variety of high quality dark, organic, and fair-trade chocolates available here if one knows enough to avoid the corporate swill. You could berate America for its almost universally over-salted restaurant food but folk from a nation that exalts Heinz baked beans for breakfast (so disappointing!) should be careful about starting food fights. OK, I’m tuning back into Telemundo now. Cheers” – Steve Plever.

Please don’t turn Football Daily into a poetry forum (yesterday’s letters). I find the old jokes and football ‘analysis’ difficult enough as it is, OK?” – Z Snook.

Stop the poetry” – Jon Millard (and 1,056 others).

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

Ai Weiwei: Button Up! review – skeleton chandeliers, a real-life temple – and too much silly Lego

Aviva Studios, Manchester
The artist’s latest show is a staggering takedown of colonial history, warfare and the migrant crisis, featuring buttons by the tonne and richly perfumed tea

History has repeated itself all over Ai Weiwei’s vast exhibition of monumental sculpture in Manchester. The flags of long-lost nations hang from the ceiling, bronzes looted by dead empires have been recast and reclaimed, dilapidated ancient ruins have been rebuilt. Everywhere you look here, you will find death, exploitation, greed and suffering from across human history, brought back to life and put morbidly on display. The first thing you see is a black glass chandelier made of skeletons – The Human Comedy – and a wall covered in images of the most powerful bombs ever invented. Like a head on a stake, this is art as warning.

This massive, ambitious exhibition is the Chinese artist at his most monumental, and as a result at his most effective. His subject matter works best at enormous scale, blown up, expanded, shoved in your face. Lining the back wall of this warehouse is a giant inflatable dinghy, 100 metres long, filled with figures in lifejackets. Think you can ignore the migrant crisis? Not here you can’t, because Ai has taken everyday, normalised tragedy and made it into a monument. He spent years interviewing hundreds of refugees, meeting people desperate for safety and a new life and produced a huge amount of work about it. This is the culmination of that project. Is it a good-looking work of art? Not really, but it makes a point, and makes it loudly.

Fears of Catholic schism as defiant sect ordains ultra-conservative bishops

Consecrations by Society of Saint Pius X bring automatic excommunication for bishops – and crisis for Pope Leo

A rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics has defied Pope Leo by ordaining bishops without his consent, which they declared a “sacred duty” despite it causing their automatic excommunication.

In a ritual-filled ceremony on Wednesday, streamed live from the Swiss village of Ecône, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) went ahead with the consecrations of four bishops, one from Switzerland, one from France and two from the US.

Venezuelan police officers arrested over alleged looting after earthquakes

Anger at authorities and government grows as local people, volunteers and rescue teams continue search for survivors

Four Venezuelan police officers have been arrested and are facing dismissal after being accused of looting cash from the rubble of a building that collapsed during last week’s devastating twin earthquakes.

Local people and national and international rescue teams continue to search for survivors in the aftermath of the back-to-back quakes, which have killed almost 2,000 people, injured more than 10,000, and left tens of thousands missing.

Canada to ​join Eurovision song contest from 2027

Country is first to join since Australia in 2015 as event director says it ‘continues to welcome the world’

Canada will ​join the Eurovision song contest in 2027, becoming the first new ⁠participant since Australia in 2015, organisers have announced.

Participation is not limited to countries in geographic Europe and instead is open to all members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which Canada joined last week. Australia is an associate member.

Who’s been invited? Will they need to sign an NDA? Seven things you need to know about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding

The pop and football giants’ combined star wattage will be united in matrimony this weekend – probably – in an event shrouded in secrecy. But here’s what we’ve gleaned

After an agonising 10 months’ wait, the wedding of the century is apparently here: if the reports are true, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will be tying the knot this weekend, uniting the houses of sports and entertainment in holy matrimony. When the couple announced their engagement on Instagram in August, as part of a carefully coordinated album rollout/podcast promotion tie-in, it shattered platform records, drawing 14m likes in its first hour. (It’s now up to 37.4m.)

Yet it’s remarkable, given the couple’s profile and the investigative horsepower apparently dedicated to cracking this wedding wide open, just how little we know for sure in this, the (purported) week of the event. We’ve sifted through all the speculation, sources “close to the couple” and scarcely concealed grumbling from spurned guests to answer the burning questions.

It’s a truly Trumpian tragedy: he’s made billions of dollars but can’t buy love or respect | Emma Brockes

Potus pocketed over $2.2bn last year – but with an algae-filled reflecting pool and his State Fair a fiasco, what price happiness?

From certain angles, it might appear as if President Trump is having a tough month. He messed up the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, which he blamed on acts of vandalism no one has been able to stand up. The supreme court rejected both his bid to appeal against the $5m (£3.8m) civil judgment against him for defaming and sexually abusing E Jean Carroll, and his executive order to end birthright citizenship. And the war with Iran keeps rumbling on. And yet, after Trump’s mandatory financial disclosure report was released on Tuesday, headlines drew attention to the fact the president made more than $2.2bn in revenue in 2025 – more than three times what he pulled in the year before his inauguration. Contrary to appearances, perhaps everything is going exactly to plan.

It is always a question with Trump as to how much the wealth he has accrued in his second term in office is the spoils of strategy rather than the lucky result of his scattergun but industrial-scale hustle. Looking at the numbers in his financial report, one is reminded that before he became president, Trump piloted a series of failed businesses – six of which declared bankruptcy – and gave every indication of being a lousy businessman. It’s often pointed out that if Trump had simply invested the vast inheritance left to him by Fred Trump, his father, in a standard tracker fund, he would’ve made more money than through his lacklustre business career, and there’s nothing to suggest this was likely to change.

Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist

Oil prices fall after Trump says U.S.-Iran talks in Qatar are going well

Oil prices were lower on Wednesday after Iran said it would not meet with U.S. delegates for talks in Qatar, amplifying concern about the peace process.

Victor Willis, frontman of Village People, dies age 74

The co-writer of enduring hits such as YMCA and Macho Man, who struggled with drug use and legal issues for years, passed away after ‘short but aggressive illness’

Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People, has died age 74. The group shared the news in a statement: “Victor passed on Monday 30 June 2026 of a short but aggressive illness,” they said. “Privacy is requested.”

The writer of what were widely accepted as canonical gay anthems in YMCA and Macho Man – also performed in costumes of hyper-masculine male stereotypes – Willis refuted the idea that YMCA was a gay anthem and threatened to sue “each and every news organisation” that made the claim.

‘Beautiful blobs’: synthetic life a step closer as scientists make cells using lab-made DNA

Tiny, quivering spheres designed to feed and multiply raise prospect of artificial organisms to make drugs, food and fuel

Researchers claim they are closer to creating life from scratch after building tiny, quivering blobs that use lab-made DNA to feed, grow and multiply in a dish.

The synthetic cells were made from chemical compounds and are believed to be the first to demonstrate the complete cell cycle of growth, genetic replication and splitting to produce the next generation.

No console-flation: how the thirst for AI chips is sending games console prices soaring

AI datacentres, memory scarcity and factory capacity are costing consumers –and console makers

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It was once a truth universally acknowledged that an ageing console in possession of good revenue must be in line for a price reduction. Those days may be over. In March, Sony announced a price increase of £90 for the PS5, while last month Microsoft informed gamers that it would be charging at least £75 more for the Xbox Series S and X consoles from August. All three were first released back in 2020. The Switch 2 will also be more expensive globally from September.

The main culprit, of course, is AI, or more specifically the exploding demand for semiconductors and memory to power datacentres. Console manufacturers could once source these components cheaply, but now they’re in high demand and manufacturers can’t keep up, so deals are being struck. “Initially, the wave of price increases seen in gaming were driven by tariffs imposed by Donald Trump early last year,” says Andy Robinson, editor in chief of gaming news site VGC. “Then, in October, OpenAI announced a deal with Samsung and [Korean chip manufacturer] SK Hynix to acquire a huge portion of their DRAM output for datacentres, causing prices to increase by almost 200%. According to Xbox, those prices have since doubled again, and they’re not expected to come back down any time soon.”

From the archives: Charles Kuralt on the Fourth of July

In 1990 the "Sunday Morning" host headlined a CBS special primetime broadcast, "On the Fourth of July with Charles Kuralt," remembering the many ways in which our nation marks its birthday. Enjoy this excerpt (rebroadcast on "Sunday Morning" July 1, 2007) marking Independence Day celebrations – parades and tubing down lazy rivers, axe throws and greased pig contests – from sea to shining sea.

Trump takes first trip on Qatari-gifted Air Force One

President Trump is traveling Wednesday to North Dakota in what marks his first trip aboard the new Air Force One, which was gifted to the U.S. by the Qatari government last year.

Sophomore slump: why is Netflix losing so many viewers for second seasons?

Hit shows such as Beef, The Four Seasons, Avatar: The Last Airbender and A Man on the Inside have suffered giant drops for their follow-up seasons

If you haven’t seen the second season of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, then at least you can console yourself that you’re not alone. Variety recently noted that, while season one debuted with 21.2m views in the first four days after its launch in 2024, season two has been viewed just 8.7m times – which isn’t nothing, but it does mean that the show lost 59% of its audience between seasons.

And this would be fine if it was an isolated case, but it is starting to look as if Netflix is struggling across the board when it comes to getting viewers back to shows they once watched in droves. The first season of Tina Fey’s relationship comedy series The Four Seasons had 11.9m views, but the recent second outing only garnered 4.4m; a drop of 63%. The opening week of Beef’s second season gained 2.4m views, a 58% drop from season one. The second season of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder posted an 80% drop in viewership. And people are only able to estimate the drop in views for Ted Danson’s A Man on the Inside, because the second season didn’t even crack Netflix’s top 10.

Your beach and pool safety guide amid intense heat

Amid the scorching temperatures, you may be headed to the beach or pool to try to cool off. Ash-har Quraishi has water safety tips and shows how the National Weather Service is helping to secure beaches.

Private payrolls rose by 98,000 in June, less than expected, ADP reports

Companies added slightly fewer workers than forecast, with hiring targeted heavily toward healthcare-related sectors.

200 million under extreme heat alerts

Around 200 million people in the U.S. are under extreme heat alerts on Wednesday. Rob Marciano has the latest forecast in the lead-up to the Fourth of July holiday.

Crypto and stock stakes: key takeaways from Trump’s financial disclosures

US president raked in more than $1bn from crypto – an industry he has sought to deregulate – and a total of $2.2bn last year, files reveal

• Alarm bells over conflict of interest as filing shows Trump raked in $2bn in 2025

Donald Trump’s money-making ventures enriched him by more than $2bn last year, according to newly released financial disclosures.

The revenue was supercharged by the Trump family’s crypto projects, with the documents showing the US president made more than $1bn (£0.76bn) from crypto – an industry he has sought to deregulate.

Businessman accused of ordering Daphne Caruana Galizia murder stands trial in Malta

Yorgen Fenech, who denies all charges, appears in court more than nine years after the journalist’s death

The businessman accused of ordering the murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has gone on trial, more than nine years after her death in a car-bomb attack that sent shockwaves through Europe.

Yorgen Fenech, the heir to a property empire worth hundreds of millions, is one of seven men prosecutors accused of involvement in the killing, and the last to face trial.

How Paris became a nexus for Black culture

It’s got Europe’s largest Black population, the world’s second-biggest rap scene and a long literary history. But even as diasporic culture takes hold in Paris, some ask when commercial success will lead to structural change

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We often imagine Paris as a city of cafes, couture and impressionism. But some of its most dynamic cultural currents stem from the French-speaking Black diaspora.

This week, I spoke to Achille Tenkiang, a Cameroonian-American culture writer with a love for the city, and Liz Gomis, executive director of Maison des Mondes Africains (MansA), a cultural institution based in Paris. They told me how Black French culture has gained visibility in the capital and beyond.

From ultraviolet outfits to oodles of poodles: best of the 2026 iPhone photography awards – in pictures

The 19th annual competition celebrates photographers from around the world who choose the camera in their pocket, showcasing intimate portraits, quiet landscapes and abstract studies of light, form and colour

• Creative play and a curious cat – readers’ best photographs

Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: still wearing stripes? It’s time to join the dots

Once dismissed as frivolous, spots are having the last laugh – popping up on celebs, catwalks and all over the algorithm

For years, stripes have been the thinking fashion person’s choice. The style equivalent of remembering to charge your phone overnight. Bracing like sea air, with a top note of French intellectualism. In stripes, you can captain a ship and feast on oysters.

Spots and dots are much less serious. From a distance, they could be smiley face emojis. Spots bounce and dance, whereas stripes are rigid. They are spontaneous and giddy, where stripes are rational. The polo scene in Pretty Woman, when Julia Roberts wears that chocolate polka dot dress, is an iconic fashion moment not just because it’s a great dress, but because the dress itself does so much storytelling. Those polka dots set Roberts apart as vivacious, adorable. The buttoned-up crowd around her does not stand a chance.

South Korean government discriminated against Coupang, U.S. companies, House report finds

The House Judiciary Committee said the South Korean government discriminated against Coupang and other U.S. companies, in a new report.

New student loan rules take effect today. Here's what to know.

Loan revamp affects how much students and families can borrow to pay for college, as well as their repayment options.

Sudan’s RSF committed crimes against humanity in El Fasher, Amnesty says

Report accuses paramilitary force of crimes including ethnic cleansing in systemic campaign against civilians

The Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during its campaign to capture El Fasher, Amnesty International has alleged.

Many of the crimes, including murder, torture, rape, enslavement and sexual slavery, were carried out as part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians and amounted to crimes against humanity, the human rights organisation said in a report released on Wednesday.

My Chemical Romance review – ​fire! Nuclear war! Killer pierrots! This is stadium rock at its most monumentally madcap

Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
Adding eye-popping spectacle to this anniversary reprise of The Black Parade is fun, but what really stands out is the tremendous songcraft

My Chemical Romance take the stage to the strains of the Carpenters’ Yesterday Once More, its syrupy but heart-rending tones offering a reminder that MCR’s current tour is essentially about nostalgia: it celebrates the 20th anniversary of the release of the emo figureheads’ third album The Black Parade. An hour-long concept piece about a dying cancer patient, it was a band throwing everything they could think of at an album, apparently gripped by fear that the multi-platinum success of its predecessor, 2004’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, would prove fleeting. It variously sounded like pop punk, Queen, Britpop, glam, heavy metal, Pink Floyd circa The Wall and Kurt Weill, so wilfully overblown that when Liza Minnelli made a guest appearance on vocals, the listener scarcely raised an eyebrow.

The end result succeeded in catapulting the band to even greater fame and its reputation has only increased in subsequent years – in some quarters, it’s openly described as the Sgt Pepper of emo. A 2019 feature in the New York Times detected its influence not merely in the work of a host of subsequent emo bands, but in the oeuvres of pop and rap names such as Juice WRLD, Lil Uzi Vert, 100 Gecs, Billie Eilish, Melanie Martinez and Post Malone.

A Taoist festival and a giant rabbit: photos of the day – Wednesday

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

Salzburg bans tourists from driving into historic centre over summer

Day trippers face fines for entering Austrian city’s old town during July and August to curb ‘chaotic traffic situations’

• Europe live – latest updates

Salzburg has begun enforcing a summer ban on visitors driving into its historic centre, picking up a policy modelled by other car-choked European cities plagued by overtourism.

Authorities in Austria’s fourth largest municipal area said they hoped the “less traffic, more city” restrictions in July and August would reduce the number of vehicle entries by 1,000 a day.

Demand for riskier mortgages drops, as their advantages shrink

The spread between the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and adjustable-rate loans is narrowing, causing demand for ARMs to weaken.

Woman survives falling 1,500 feet down Mount Shasta

A woman suffered injuries but survived falling 1,500 feet down California's Mount Shasta, which she had attempted to climb, officials said.

Duke of York’s theatre to be renamed after Tom Stoppard

New name recognises the playwright’s huge impact on British theatre with producer Sonia Friedman saying he would be ‘tickled pink’

The Duke of York’s theatre in the West End is to become the Tom Stoppard theatre in honour of the playwright who died in November.

The theatre is currently presenting Carrie Cracknell’s revival of Stoppard’s 1993 masterpiece Arcadia and the same play was produced there in 2009. The playwright’s wife, Sabrina Guinness, said: “Tom was in his element whenever he had a play on in the West End, so I am thrilled to bits that this theatre will be named after him. It means that his memory will live on, not just through his plays, but also through this building.”

New Orleans residents on warning to abandon sinking city: ‘Nobody wants to leave home’

After a recent study found New Orleans is at a ‘point of no return’ amid the climate crisis, some locals say they will ‘only leave if forced to’. But what would it take to stay?

When a study in May concluded that New Orleans has hit a “point of no return” due to the climate crisis that will require people to eventually retreat from their storied yet ultimately doomed city, the local reaction was swift and fiery.

The onward march of rising seas around a sinking city was unsettling, but the study is “more focused on generating publicity and clickbait headlines” than coming up with solutions, said Helena Moreno, New Orleans’ mayor. There is flooding in Miami, and wildfires and earthquakes near San Fransisco, Moreno pointed out, “yet no serious movement exists to declare those cities lost causes”.

How to turn excess cream into mascarpone – recipe | Waste not

Transform double cream that’s on the turn into a tangy, luxurious addition to both sweet and savoury dishes

Homemade mascarpone is one of life’s true pleasures: thick, creamy and unctuous, with a classic, tart finish, it’s perfect for everything from desserts such as tiramisu, cheesecake or whipped mascarpone cream to savoury dishes such as pasta, risotto or soup. Mascarpone is a simple cream cheese that’s made by heating, acidulating and straining double cream, and it’s quick and easy to make at home; it’s also a great way to extend the shelf life of leftover cream, while at the same time turning it into a real treat. Even a small batch of 100-200ml cream will produce just enough mascarpone to make many a savoury dish sing, for instance in my pea pod risotto or salad bag soup, or to serve alongside my root vegetable latkes.

Rightwing gen Z women are celebrating the anti-trans supreme court ruling | Kelsy Burke and Katie Gaddini

Gen Z conservative women may be fewer in numbers than their male counterparts, but they are no less consequential

On the steps of the US supreme court on Tuesday, a group of women celebrated. They cheered and held up signs with phrases like “Girls’ Sports for Girls Only” and “Truth, Fairness, Biological Reality”. Penny Young Nance, the CEO of Concerned Women for America, told the gathering that after a decade of these conservative women’s activism: “The court agrees with us that a man cannot be a woman.”

“The decision will affect the law across the country,” she said. “We will have a better opportunity to protect young women.”

This number helps explain why many Americans are down on the economy

American workers' share of the nation's income is at its lowest point in almost 80 years, as more of the economy's gains flow to corporations and investors.

Fabián Ruiz: ‘It’s not important who plays, it’s important we support each other’ | Sid Lowe

On the eve of their last-32 game with Austria, Spain’s unassuming midfielder explains their team spirit and about finding his rhythm after injury

At the Embassy Suites on Broad Street, downtown Chattanooga, the vans have pulled out for the last time. The day before departure, like every day, a small crowd of kids had climbed barriers and trees, trying to get a glimpse of Spain’s players.

A girl stood on a ladder and held a placard in each hand, raised above the fence. One said: “I’ve been here three weeks. I know you’ve seen me!” The other ran: “Please come out!” On Wednesday afternoon, Tennessee time, they did. They won’t be back.

Why the UK is accused of allowing the UAE to fuel war in Sudan – video explainer

In Sudan, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, 13 million have been displaced and 19 million are facing acute starvation.

Using satellite imagery, leaked documents and reports and on-the-ground footage, we trace how weapons are moving into Sudan through a covert supply chain linked to the UAE and how the UK is accused of being complicit in the atrocities, choosing its relationship with the UAE over its responsibility towards Sudanese civilians.

The UK minister for development, Jenny Chapman, said: 'Claims that the UK failed to act on warnings of mass atrocities are wrong.
'For many months, the UK led efforts at the United Nations and through direct diplomatic engagement to press all parties to de-escalate the violence.
'We have been clear and consistent: the atrocities committed by the RSF are abhorrent and must never be repeated. Both parties must comply with international humanitarian law, those responsible for violations must be held accountable, and all external support to armed actors fuelling this conflict must end immediately.'

The UAE has repeatedly denied it funds or arms the RSF

SCOTUS upholds birthright citizenship. And, key results from Colorado's primaries

The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship on constitutional grounds on the last day of its term. And, a Democratic socialist has won the Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat in Denver.

Three people die in mass fan celebrations in Mexico City after World Cup victory

• Three people have died from suffocation

• More than a million people gathered in Mexico City

Three people died ⁠from suffocation as thousands of fans crowded Mexico City streets during World Cup celebrations, the capital’s health secretariat ⁠said in the early ⁠hours ​of Wednesday.

The deaths occurred near the Angel of Independence landmark, where thousands of fans had gathered to ⁠celebrate Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the last 32.

‘I wish he had done more to free enslaved people’: Thomas Jefferson’s descendant on his family’s complex legacy

Shannon LaNier, Jefferson’s sixth great-grandson, reflects on his lineage and the role of African Americans in the nation’s founding

When the US turns 250 years old on Saturday, Shannon LaNier will be reckoning with a fundamental contradiction in its origin story – and his own.

LaNier is the sixth great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson, the founding father who wrote the Declaration of Independence and became the third president.

From jerk prawns to juicy chops: Melissa Thompson’s summer barbecue recipes

Whether you’re firing up midweek or taking your time with a weekend feast, try these five fabulous recipes to get you started cooking over the coals

• Get barbecue-ready with Melissa Thompson’s guide

I dabbled in barbecue for years before I got my first proper grill with a lid and vents. It was a gamechanger; I could control the airflow (to make it hotter or cooler), and the lid transformed the grill into a sort-of oven, enabling slower cooks (rather than only fast grilling). No longer was I starting chicken in my indoor oven before finishing it over the coals – I could do the whole thing outside.

I found myself lighting the grill more and more, seeking that flavour that only comes with fire and smoke, but also relishing the fact it took me outside. Nowadays, I cook everything over fire, from fish and shellfish to vegetables, beans, meat, even desserts. Fire cooking feels both instinctive and exciting because no two cooks are ever the same. People tell me they find barbecuing scary, and I understand because I once felt like this, too. But with a few basic tips, such as “zoning” your barbecue, anyone can become a pro. I truly believe that by starting to barbecue we’re not learning a skill, but re-learning something we’ve forgotten.

Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni under investigation for underage prostitution

• Player’s lawyer says his client ‘has never paid for sex’

• Part of inquiry into a company’s ‘all-inclusive’ nights

The Inter and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni is under investigation over alleged underage prostitution as part of an inquiry into an events company that organised “all-inclusive” nights for VIP clients at clubs, Italian prosecutors said on Tuesday.

According to investigators, Bastoni allegedly had sex with a 17-year-old girl who had been recruited by a company organising luxury events and dinners for VIPs in Milan. Prosecutors allege the owners of the agency, who are also under investigation, made private apartments available to clients, where they could have sex with underage girls.

Tell us: have you invested in gold through a specialist bullion company?

We’re interested in hearing from people who have bought gold coins, bars or other precious metals through specialist dealers or online brokers

The Guardian is interested in hearing from people who have bought gold or other precious metals through specialist online dealers or brokers, including gold coins, bullion or investment products.

We would like to hear from people about what prompted you to invest and how was the buying process? Was your experience what you expected?

Trump's annual financial disclosure shows more than $580M in crypto-related income

Trump's 927-page financial disclosure report for 2025 totals more than 900 pages detailing holdings in cryptocurrency and stocks.

Lamborghini reveals new Urus performance hybrid SUV after ditching EVs

Lamborghini is calling the new Urus SE Performante the "fastest Super SUV in the world."

What is the United States of America now? | Rebecca Solnit

The United States of America is … so many things, horrific and magnificent, good and evil, promising and cursed

The United States of America is a truck that has driven into a ditch. The United States of America is a program that has been hacked. The United States of America is … so many things, horrific and magnificent, good and evil, promising and cursed, as it approaches its quarter-millennium mark. I say it as though the US was one thing, but it is a thousand things.

It is the masked ICE agent shooting Renee Good as she stood up for immigrants, but it is also Good herself and the immigrants, and the streets of Minneapolis and their Dakota and Ojibwe Indigenous past – and present and future. The US before 1865 was slaveowners, but it was also the enslaved and the abolitionists.

Rebecca Solnit is a Guardian US columnist. Her newest book is The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change

Spielberg’s Disclosure Day is making some wonder: will we have real disclosure soon? | Seth Shostak

The short answer is that there’s nothing to disclose. But that doesn’t mean we won’t make contact with extraterrestrial life

Even before Stephen Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, began unspooling at local multiplexes, the internet was debating whether we would ever experience a real-life disclosure day – when the US government admits that it’s aware of aliens here on Earth, a secret it has supposedly kept since the 1940s.

That would be dramatic news. But don’t hold your breath.

Elle review – this Legally Blonde prequel recreates the genius of Reese Witherspoon’s performance

The original star is behind this TV spin-off, and the casting of charismatic Lexi Minetree. Sadly, the tropey script and lack of campness mean it fails to really sparkle

It’s 25 years since you became a bona fide film star. In the intervening quarter of a century you have stayed a respected actor and become a powerhouse producer. An appetite grows for teen-led dramas that for reasons of nostalgia or muscled ice-hockey players appeal to the generation or two above. You are Reese Witherspoon. What do you do?

Take down the Legally Blonde IP, dust it off and make a small-screen prequel to the box office hit that became a cult classic, of course! You maximise your chances of success by casting a charismatic mini-me (Lexi Minetree) who can capture all the sassiness and sweetness of the original protagonist, Elle Woods, and recreate the genius of your own performance by making her un-self-aware without being imbecilic.

Greetings from London, where Banksy's flag man is a warning cry

As he marches on, his flag blows back into his face, leaving him unaware he is only a step away from a perilous fall. As usual with Banksy's art, the statue presents a sharp critique of society.

Toxic for 100 years: the UK golf course built on chemical waste

Despite contamination at Malkins Bank in Cheshire, it is deemed suitable for golf … and now a children’s play area

One morning in Sandbach, a neighbour appeared at Graham Warner’s door with a large folder: a delivery, she said, from an unidentified source.

“I think you’ll find this very interesting. Happy reading,” she said.

An Aztec-tinged revamp topped with a crinkle-cut tiara: inside the sparkling £1.3bn Olympia reboot

It has hosted everything from Miss World to the Chemical Brothers. Now the vast London venue has become a city within a city boasting offices, hotels, a theatre, commanding views – and even a school

The money shot for the redevelopment of London’s Olympia exhibition centre is a bank of staircases and escalators soaring upwards, Aztec temple-style, to an elevated concourse sandwiched between the colossal barrel vaults of the original exhibition halls. In a modern homage to its historic predecessors, the concourse is also crowned by a glass vault, crimped like a fan, its origami pleats connoting sparkling, flashy newness, a tiara of cubic zirconia among the heritage diamonds.

Looming behind the tiara is what appears to be a cluster of cylindrical towers, but are actually the rounded ends of a steroidal stepped office block, with master-of-the-universe views over London, from Wembley to Crystal Palace. Already ensconced and enjoying those views are the staff of the Premier League’s media production arm, which has a brand-appropriate mini football pitch on its expansive terrace.

Shrinks on the verge of a nervous breakdown: how horror movies came for therapists

From Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You to Jodie Foster in A Private Life, an onscreen parade of psychoanalysts are unravelling before us, tapping into our worst fears

There is an old adage that “every therapist needs a therapist”. Even while the treatment was still in its infancy, Sigmund Freud said all psychoanalysts should “submit” themselves to being analysed. Recent cinema has been acutely aware of that painfully unbreakable cycle. In the likes of If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Mary Bronstein’s hallucinatory Rose Byrne vehicle in which she plays a therapist and floundering mother caught in a downward spiral, or 2022’s Smile, in which a psychiatrist (Sosie Bacon) is pursued by a malignant metaphor for her poor mental health, therapists are as much at the mercy of their traumas as anyone else.

Rather than being relegated to supporting character status, as they long have been in everything from Good Will Hunting (1997) to The Sopranos, film is finally giving therapists their moment on the couch. Within the space of a month in UK cinemas, two more trick cyclists are taking on lead roles. Backrooms sees Renate Reinsve totally unravel from a secure, calm and collected psychiatrist and self-help author (albeit one who lives alone and subsists on a diet of lacklustre ready meals) to a nervous wreck attempting to navigate the uncanny corridors of her own mind. Meanwhile in Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life, a Francophone Jodie Foster takes on the role of shrink turned sleuth, deciding to investigate the death of a former client without realising she is trying to make up for her shortcomings as a spouse and parent.

Rapid spread of AI may worsen global inequality, UN warns

Panel proses shared framework for responsible AI development as adoption grows unevenly across world

A new United Nations report warns that the development of artificial intelligence may exacerbate global inequality and proposes a shared framework for how to responsibly develop AI, as adoption and investment into the technology accelerates unevenly across the world.

“Access to AI tools alone does not produce equal benefit,” the report states. “Countries that rely on foreign models, cloud infrastructure and data pipelines may gain access to AI while losing practical control over its standards, safeguards and local fit.”

Signet City – futuristic parasites feed off 80s social realism in dystopian RPG

A preview of the forthcoming sci-fi game from Gareth Damian Martin showcases their unmistakable talent for innovation and game design

Over the past decade, an impression has taken root among gamers that any real creativity and originality in the industry is to be found in the indie, rather than mainstream, sector. Gareth Damian Martin can claim some responsibility for that. Their first game, 2020’s In Other Waters, merged sci-fi and underwater xenobiology in a uniquely calming and thought-provoking manner, while Citizen Sleeper (2022) and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (2025) were full-blown sci-fi epics with ultraminimal aesthetics and a rare intelligence.

Martin has broken with tradition by unveiling their next game, Signet City, far in advance of its 2027 launch. Set in a dystopian monochrome city, it’s a narrative role-playing adventure with a curious first-person perspective. “You play as a parasite,” says Martin. “And it felt natural that it should be a game where you see the world through the eyes of your hosts, very literally. You wake up in the mind of a person called Sid at the same time as she’s waking up in the river of a city. You’re coming to understand what you are, why it is that you’re in the mind of this person who doesn’t know that you’re there, along with what your capabilities are, and what the world is, through Sid.”

A federal law bans late voter roll purges. Republicans are pushing to reinterpret it

There's a ban on most states systematically purging voter rolls within 90 days before Election Day. Republicans are pushing courts to reinterpret that longstanding protection for eligible voters.

He sent a harsh email to ICE's top official. 5 months later, federal agents tracked him down

Federal agents went to a Rochester man's home to warn him that an email he sent five months ago could be an illegal threat. He was on vacation but another agent found his hotel hundreds of miles away.

Call to suspend new EU border system in peak holiday period as planes leave half full

Airlines and airports say passengers are struggling in queues of up to five hours for biometric checks

Airlines and airports have called for the new EU biometric border check system to be suspended during the peak summer holiday period, saying some flights are leaving half full and passengers are struggling in queues of up to five hours.

In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, airlines and airports asked for an option to suspend checks under the system over fears the situation will get much worse during the busy summer season.

Andy Burnham is about to have a crash course in hardcore geopolitics | Rafael Behr

The likely next prime minister would rather be in Warrington than Washington, but foreign policy will dominate his agenda more than he thinks

If Andy Burnham is lucky, he will get some time to adjust to the pace of life as prime minister before dealing with his first international crisis. It won’t be long.

Donald Trump is an engine of constant turmoil. Aftershocks from his recent military adventure in the Middle East will be felt for years. None of the declared war aims were achieved. The Iranian regime was not toppled. The terms agreed for a ceasefire promise Tehran more generous sanctions relief with fewer conditions than were imposed under the nuclear containment deal that Barack Obama signed in 2015. It is a worse arrangement than the one Trump discarded in his first term as “one of the worst deals ever”. Stocks of US munitions and credibility have been drained.

Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie review – two goofballs in search of a gig roll back the years

Channelling Bill and Ted, slacker buddies accidentally travel back to 2008, but open up a psychic wound which threatens their band’s existence

With its sheer goofball silliness, and unexpectedly great visual effects work, this ridiculous hellzapoppin’ spectacular from Canadian comic and director Matt Johnson will win you over. But if, like me, you’re coming to this from outside the existing fanbase for his web and TV comedy Nirvanna the Band the Show, you will need some time to catch up, and to acclimatise to the gags and the lo-fi klutz aesthetic. (Although, as I say, the downbeat indie look does cunningly coexist with some sensational digital trickery.)

Johnson had a breakthrough hit in 2023 with BlackBerry, about the once vital and then tragicomically obsolete handset device. Now he and his writing-performing partner Jay McCarrol give us a nerd comedy about time travel, inspired by Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future. But this comedy is not interested in BTTF’s Freudian observations about men’s relationship with women. In fact, women play zero role in this. It’s more in the infantilised male spirit of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in Wayne’s World, or Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

‘Witch-hunt’ in Niger as military regime rounds up LGBTQ+ population

Fears of resurgence of HIV/Aids amid loss of access to PrEP drugs as at least 40 people arrested in ‘toxic’ climate

A “witch-hunt” is under way in Niger, where dozens of people have been arrested for homosexuality in the west African state following the introduction of a new penal code earlier this year.

Up to 40 people have been arrested and 16 men, including high-ranking military officials, have been imprisoned across the country, according to local media.

Who has scored the most goals at a World Cup without winning the Golden Boot?

Plus: World Cup teams stuck on nul points and teams who broke their duck with a drubbing

• Mail us with your all of your questions and answers

“Who has scored the most goals at a World Cup finals without winning the Golden Boot?” asks Sam Edwards.

With Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé already on six goals and leading an elite bunch in the 2026 race, we may well see the men’s record broken this summer. As it stands, Messi shares the record – as if he needs another one – with the Brazil great Jairzinho.

Worst Neighbor Ever review – this shocking look at real-life deaths just feels exploitative

All of these tales of murdered residents are horrifying. But the lack of attempt to really grapple with them makes this feel little other than filler TV

In Adventures in the Screen Trade, William Goldman’s account of his movie-writing career in Hollywood, Goldman remembers hearing a true story about a firefighter who went back in to save a baby he heard crying just as he was about to leave a burning building, escaping with the infant as it all started collapsing behind him. It was, Goldman says, an unbeatable tale of real-life heroism and someone, of course, tells him he should make a movie about it. The problem, Goldman notes, is that what this man did, in its astonishing entirety, is what the hero of a movie is expected to do before the opening credits even roll.

The same principle is true on the small screen. What is a legitimately huge, intensely dramatic and traumatic life-defining event for the people involved is easily flattened almost to nothingness by the demands of the medium. Such is the fatal flaw of second-tier true-life crime documentaries such as Worst Neighbor Ever. This four-part US-based addition to the genre tells four stories about ordinary people who had the terrible luck of finding themselves living alongside … well, the clue is in the title. And, in a country with questionable attitudes to gun control, it often ended in tragedy.

A 1,000kg mammal is wreaking havoc in Tasmania – and Neil the seal is loved for it

The elephant seal has been crushing fences, blocking traffic and bashing into parked cars, in what experts say is play-fighting behaviour

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Bollards, traffic cones, fences and LandCruisers stand little chance against a one-tonne giant known as Neil the seal, now a local legend in southern Tasmania.

Neil – a five-year-old elephant seal – has once again taken up residence in Tasmanian towns. He’s bypassing barricades, crushing fences, lying on roads and bashing into at least one parked car.

When the right denies the true danger of heatwaves, ask yourself this: whose children’s lives is it willing to risk? | George Monbiot

The class politics of extreme heat are very real and very dangerous – but that doesn’t stop the billionaire press from peddling its agenda

Every time you think the idiocy has hit rock bottom, it discovers a new level. It turns out there’s an even deeper hole you can dig for yourself than climate-science denial: heat-stress denial. Across the billionaire press last week, columnists and leader writers minimised the health impacts of the heatwave, particularly in schools. Expect more of this next week, when temperatures are forecast to soar again.

An editorial in the Telegraph (which represents the newspaper’s view) titled “Hot weather alarmism treats the public like children” maintained that “unlike in the seventies, when people were largely trusted to look after themselves, officialdom now feels the need to lecture the public about the risks of hot weather at every opportunity”. Extreme heat warnings are issued and weather maps are “painted in an alarming red”. Outrageous! Instead of issuing warnings, the government should just trust people to “take the appropriate precautions”. We should all “learn to live” with it. Quite right too: whatever happened to the bulldog spirit of ignorance and needless death? Cricket, warm beer, excess mortality: these are the markers of national character.

Depraved by Daisy Dixon review – a history of dark and dangerous art

From classical painting to video games, this survey of the taboo and the twisted won’t let you look away

Museums are damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Ignore the problems of the past and they’re criticised for being problematic. Rewrite their labels according to changing politics and they’re called preachy and woke. The fact is, history is filled with immoral art. But how do we know it when we see it? And what, if anything, should we be doing about it?

In her timely and punchy new book, the philosopher Daisy Dixon explores some of the most controversial artworks ever produced. She’s interested in how an artist’s character can influence their creations, and the harmful effects those creations can have on the world.

A moment that changed me: my grandpa risks his life to litter pick – and he taught me a profound lesson

I thought I knew what it was to be a good citizen. But after seeing him scramble up a ditch, beaming with pride at his rubbish-filled bag, I realised what it actually involves

I’ve always thought of myself as a good person: a good citizen and a good member of my community – at least in the ethical sense of the word. I presumed being good required refraining from harming the world and the people within it. An example of this being that I never litter.

However, when I moved home to Staffordshire after graduating in the summer of 2025, my understanding of what it means to be a good citizen – what it means to be “good” altogether – changed significantly.

Smoky chipotle tomatoes and chargrilled courgettes: Thomasina Miers’ barbecued meze recipes | Sunday best

Sweetness and smoke are at the fore of these summer salads

We are at one of my favourite times of the year, but also one of the busiest, with the world seemingly hell-bent on fitting everything in before the summer starts proper. For us, family birthdays abound, with celebrations to organise, cakes to dream up and a constant worry about finding the right presents. Our anniversary is mostly forgotten amid the chaos! What is not forgotten is our deep love of sitting outdoors over long summer evenings that appear to make time stretch magically, languorously. Whether it’s lighting the barbecue or simply turning to my ancient but beloved griddle, a bit of Butch Cassidy-style smoke and swagger is what I am looking for in my food. Chargrilling courgettes brings out their sweetness, and givesthem tantalising, smoky notes, while smoked chillies lend even the freshest salad some attitude. Happy days.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and how to watch

With 104 World Cup games being played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, it's like "a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks," U.S. team captain Tim Ream told CBS News.

‘I thought of her as a volcano’: the triumphant art and very troubling death of Ana Mendieta

Her shocking performances and stunning images made Mendieta the talk of the art world in the 1970s and 80s. Then she fell from a New York apartment block in 1985 – and her husband was charged with murder. As a major exhibition comes to London, her friends discuss her genius and their search for answers

In the summer of 1985, Ana Mendieta was playing with gunpowder and a chainsaw. Just 5ft tall, the Cuban American artist worked outside her studio in Rome, trying to figure out the scale of a new commission for MacArthur Park, Los Angeles. Her idea was to cut up trees and burn the gunpowder directly into them, creating a totem “grove” inspired by her recent trips to neolithic sites. It was a breakthrough of sorts – permanent, monumental work that built on her performance art – and in a photograph of her standing next to a test piece, Mendieta looks proud, excited.

She had arrived in Italy two years earlier, after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome and a residency at its American Academy. She alienated half the staff, but fell in love with the city, driving like a local (right hand on the wheel, left middle finger out the window). Mendieta admired Roman women, mailing her friend, the film critic B Ruby Rich, a newspaper clipping of a pro-choice demonstration. “She said, ‘Look, they’re not like American women,’” remembers Rich. “‘They’re showing women butchered and dead from botched abortions. Look how much fiercer they are.’”

‘Get away from there – run!’ The stunning film about love blossoming amid the carnage of Aleppo

Birds of War is an award-winning docudrama in which its own directors fall in love while reporting the horrors in Syria. They explain why they needed a psychotherapist to complete it

The air is thick with smoke and dust, the ground littered with the twisted remains of burning vehicles. Children scream and sirens blare as activist and videographer Abd Alkader Habak rushes to help the injured after the bombing of an evacuee convoy in Aleppo at the height of Syria’s civil war in 2017. A voice note bubble pops up on Habak’s phone screen. “My bird are you OK?” says BBC journalist Janay Boulos. “Get away from there, run.”

For more than a year, Habak and Boulos have been working to document Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s atrocities against his own people, their connection deepening all the time despite the physical distance. But this exchange represents the moment the pair’s relationship shifts from colleagues to something more. “I don’t want footage,” Boulos says, fear clearly detectable in her voice as she tries to follow things from her desk in London. “I don’t want anything, just please take care. I am here whenever you want to talk.”

‘There are holes in England’: DR Congo ready to produce World Cup shock | Ed Aarons

Former DRC defender Gabriel Zakuani is better placed than most to have a view on Wednesday’s game, and feels it won’t be as straightforward as some think

It took Gabriel Zakuani less than five seconds to turn down an offer to co-commentate on the showdown between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and England in the last 32 of the World Cup. The former Peterborough and Leyton Orient defender and Leopards’ captain has been a regular on BBC Radio 5 Live during the tournament but simply could not face the prospect of having to work during the biggest match in their history.

“I was down to do the England game, but I just said: ‘There’s too much emotion in it. I won’t be able to do it,’” he says.

Ocean surface temperatures hit a record high for June

European scientists warn of consequences for weather patterns, the global climate and marine life

Temperatures on the ocean surface have hit a record high, raising fears of another burst of extreme heat this summer.

On 21 June, temperatures outside the polar regions exceeded the extraordinary highs observed at the same time in 2023 and 2024, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Wednesday.