New details emerge on shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

President Trump was safely evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Saturday night after shots were fired outside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Polish influencer’s nine-day, non-stop live stream raises £50m for cancer charity

Musician Chris Martin, tennis star Iga Świątek and footballer Robert Lewandowski join Piotr Garkowski in epic fundraiser

A Polish social media influencer has raised more than £50m after a nine-day, non-stop online stream during which he was joined by a parade of celebrity guests to help a charity supporting children battling cancer.

Streaming from a studio flat in right-bank Warsaw, social media influencer Piotr Garkowski, 23, nicknamed Łatwogang, listened to a charity song dedicated to children battling cancer on loop for nine days straight, filling time with entertaining dares and celebrity appearances.

Odesa bears brunt of latest Russian attacks on Ukraine – Europe live

Across country, at least 14 have been injured as Zelenskyy highlights importance of air defences

A brief update on the overnight Russian attacks, with AP reporting at fourteen injured.

Five of the injured in Odesa, most of them with shrapnel wounds, were hospitalized, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Kiper.

“Our air defense system is already showing a very high success rate in intercepting drones – over 90%. And we need to keep working to ensure this rate continues to increase, not only against drones but also against ballistic threats. Every additional delivery of air defense missiles means saved lives and better protection for our cities and critical infrastructure.”

Everything we know about Cole Allen, the suspected D.C. correspondents dinner gunman

Allen was a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was held, and officials said he checked in on Friday.

Middle East crisis live: Iran ‘offers to end chokehold on strait of Hormuz’

Sources say country wants US to end its blockade as part of proposal but has not addressed its nuclear programme

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing the prospect of running against a rightwing-centrist super coalition in elections later this year after two of his most formidable political rivals combined forces in an attempt to oust him, inviting a third party leader to join them.

In a move that some analysts compared to the centre-right coalition that removed Viktor Orbán from power in Hungary, the former prime ministers – rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid – issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid (There is a Future).

China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

China said Monday it has decided to block Meta's $2 billion acquisition of Manus, a Singaporean AI startup with Chinese roots.

Photos show British royal visits to the U.S. over the years

King Charles is making his first state visit to the U.S. as monarch, though he traveled here 19 times before his coronation. Many of his royal relatives have also made memorable trips over the years.

Weijia Jiang: I was on stage with the president. This is what I saw.

CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang was sitting next to President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner when the chaos unfolded.

Starmer to chair Cobra meeting on Iran war economic fallout tomorrow – UK politics live

Meeting could coincide with possible Commons debate on claims he lied to MPs about Mandelson’s vetting

If there is a Commons debate tomorrow on allegations that Keir Starmer lied to MPs about Peter Mandelson’s vetting for his appointment as ambassador to the US, it may coincide with Keir Starmer chairing a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee to discuss the economic consequences of the Iran war. A scheduling clash like that would allow No 10 to make the argument that Starmer is focusing on important issues that matter to voters while the opposition is obsessed with Westminster procedure (although Downing Street would prefer the privileges inquiry debate not to go ahead in the first place).

Starmer announced the Cobra meeting in his speech to the Usdaw conference.

Whatever happens in the Middle East, we’ve cut your energy bills, and we have capped them until July.

Delegates, that’s another thing that I will always stand firm on. I will never let this country be dragged into a war that is not in our interests. Never.

That is a lesson British politics should have learned a long time ago with Iraq.

And yet, when the rush to war began on Iran, I was heavily criticised by others who had no thought for the consequences for our country, for your family.

Why is the US media silent about Israel’s role in Trump’s decision to go to war? | Jason Stanley

I suspect the main reason they avoid criticizing Israel is that they believe that would be antisemitic. But this is both dangerous and wrong

In an extraordinary article published on 7 April, the New York Times described how Donald Trump decided to go to war with Iran. It is highly unusual for the White House Situation Room to be used for in-person meetings with foreign leaders. But this time, the Situation Room was not just used for a meeting with a foreign leader. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin, Netanyahu took over the presentation space, backed on a screen by the leader of the Mossad as well as Israeli military officials.

As the New York Times describes the scene, “Arrayed visually behind Mr. Netanyahu, they created the image of a wartime leader surrounded by his team.” The article makes it clear that Netanyahu’s “hard sell” of a quick war was pivotal to the US president’s decision to partner with Israel in attacking Iran.

The Eukrainian review – heroic portrait of the diplomat trying to haul Ukraine into Europe

Viktor Nordenskiöld’s film follows Ukraine’s deputy minister Olha Stefanishyna as she negotiates her country’s path into the EU, but lacks some of the rigour needed

After the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian deputy minister Olha Stefanishyna embarked on the herculean challenge of steering her country’s pathway into the European Union. Shot over the course of two years, Viktor Nordenskiöld’s documentary portrait closely chronicles her race against time, as the war escalates.

Always on the move, Stefanishyna is often seen on trains or in the back of cars, as she and her staff attend seemingly endless meetings with EU officials and other world leaders. Working towards the deadline of 14 December, 2023, the date on which the European Council would decide on Ukraine’s accession, Stefanishyna is under immense pressure at home and abroad. Around the same time that a proposed bill concerning national minorities hits a snag in the Ukrainian parliament, politician Viktor Orbán, then the prime minister of Hungary, publicly voices his opposition to the enlargement of the EU.

Suspect in WH Correspondents' Dinner shooting to be arraigned in federal court

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Saturday night that Cole Thomas Allen will face at least two charges and predicted there will be more.

‘Israel must change direction’: Netanyahu rivals join forces for next election

Rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid announce new party before Knesset vote expected later this year

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing the prospect of running against a rightwing-centrist super coalition in elections later this year after two of his most formidable political rivals combined forces in an attempt to oust him, inviting a third party leader to join them.

In a move that some analysts compared to the centre-right coalition that removed Viktor Orbán from power in Hungary, the former prime ministers – rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid – issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid (There is a Future).

Mali defence minister killed amid flurry of insurgent attacks

Car bomb kills Sadio Camara at home during coordinated assaults by rebel groups including West African al-Qaida affiliate

Mali’s defence minister was killed in an attack on his residence, the government said on Sunday, a high-profile fatality during coordinated assaults staged the previous day by insurgents including the West African affiliate of al-Qaida.

A car laden with explosives driven by a suicide attacker drove into Sadio Camara’s residence in the town of Kati, the spokesperson, Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, said in a statement read out on state television. A firefight ensued, and Camara sustained injuries from which he later died in a hospital, Coulibaly said, adding that Mali would observe two days of mourning.

Weather tracker: Torrential rain in southern China leads to flooding fears

Heatwaves reach 45C across India as unseasonably cold weather affects parts of central Canada

Widespread heavy rain is sweeping over southern China. By Wednesday, rainfall totals are expected to exceed 100mm across many parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, and in some areas as much as 150-200mm.

As a result, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management have been holding meetings with meteorological and hydrological departments to emphasise the importance of reinforced patrols and emergency responses to mitigate against the probable flooding that the intense rainfall is expected to bring. In particular, reservoirs with known safety concerns must remain empty during the period, as well as through the coming rainy season.

Nedra Talley Ross helped make the Ronettes the platonic ideal of a girl group

Even though she was unwell, the last surviving Ronette was full of poignant memories and saucy asides when I met her last year. And she had a rich life after pop success

• Nedra Talley Ross dies aged 80 – news

Nedra Talley Ross wasn’t a household name any longer, but she had been once upon a time. When she turned 18 in January 1964, George Harrison was among the guests who helped her celebrate. She and her cousins were feted, surrounded, adored. For she and her cousins were the Ronettes, the girl group above all others, the sound of teenage emotional extremity set to soaring, symphonic pop. Nedra was the last surviving Ronette and now she is gone.

Nedra’s cousins were Veronica and Estelle Bennett, and the three of them had sung and danced and played as long as they could remember. She was only a Ronette between 1963 and 1967, but in a few short years she was part of some of the greatest pop ever recorded: Be My Baby, Walking in the Rain, Sleigh Ride and the rest. Not that she was taken with Phil Spector, who produced them. “I wasn’t impressed by him, and he didn’t stir me with what he was saying, didn’t scare me with what he was doing,” Nedra told me when I interviewed her just before Christmas last year. “He was quite arrogant, and who wants to deal with an arrogant person?”

The pet I’ll never forget: Paddington, the street dog from Peru who roars like a bear

Before meeting my fluffy-eared friend, I had lost my brother and was exhausted by the hamster wheel of work. His zest has made me feel alive

My trip to South America in 2025 was something I’d been planning for a long time. I wanted to break up my mundane 9-to-5 life. Four months before I was due to leave, I broke my back and thought I might have to cancel. Luckily, I pulled through.

I was expecting breathtaking views, vibrant wildlife and memories to last a lifetime. What I wasn’t expecting was to fall in love with a fluffy-eared street dog and spend four months battling bureaucracy and world travel to bring him home. But I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

NFL draft 2026 winners and losers: Eagles’ aces, Rams’ damage control and a missing coach

It can take years to properly evaluate if a prospect works out. But here are a few early takes on the ups and downs from this year’s selection process

Grading a draft immediately after it happens is an interesting concept – a bit like giving out marks for a meal in a restaurant right after you order. But the NFL Draft Industrial Complex will not rest until verdicts are handed out, so here we are.

So, with the standard disclaimer that we won’t know for years just how these moves turn out – who had the last pick of the 2022 draft leading his team to a Super Bowl appearance? – here’s a rundown of what caught our eye over the last few days.

Big companies position themselves for payday from $50B federal rural health fund

A $50 billion federal fund is supposed to modernize rural healthcare. But community clinics and advocates fear that the contractors administering the money for states will bite off a big chunk before it reaches patients.

Inflation is sucking the life out of teacher pay raises, report says

A new review of state education data shows teacher pay increases can't keep up with inflation and fewer students are enrolled in public schools.

Musk vs. Altman: Tech CEOs head to court over the fate of OpenAI

The former OpenAI business partners are embroiled in a high-stakes dispute over the future of one of the world's top AI companies.

Famesick by Lena Dunham review – when celebrity causes side-effects

The Girls creator has endured brickbats and breakdowns – but she doesn’t always make it easy to feel sorry for her

At the end of last year, Netflix released Too Much – a sickly, indie-sleaze romcom about an American transplant who falls for a troubled British muso. It was created by Lena Dunham and her musician husband Luis Felber, and apparently loosely based on the couple’s backstory. It felt, to many critics, like second-screen fare, decidedly Lena Dunham-lite. Was this really the same person who had given us the spiky, self-absorbed world of Girls, the millennial Sex and the City complete with brutal situationships, toxic besties and, er, one of the main characters accidentally smoking crack?

Famesick sheds almost all the Richard Curtis-isms to find that old, controversy-courting Dunham alive and – if not exactly well – then learning to cope with it. Her second memoir (Not That Kind of Girl was published in 2014) charts the chronic illness and seemingly unending stress that came to define her 20s and 30s after she had snagged her own HBO series aged just 24. The afflictions described across its 400 pages include – though are not limited to – OCD, colitis, the connective tissue disorder Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, endometriosis, early menopause, PTSD and addiction to both opioids and benzodiazepines. At one point, Dunham accidentally sets herself on fire; at another, she panics about how Vogue will cover up the impetigo on her face, “a waterfall of golden blisters, turning a sickly green as they dried”. The book is scattergun and sometimes lacking in self awareness (who cares that Dunham had to give her designer booties up, like contraband, when she entered rehab?). It’s also undeniably frank and exhaustive: a lifetime of therapy condensed into something you could conceivably rip through in a weekend.

Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off in court over OpenAI’s founding mission

Musk’s lawsuit accuses Altman of fraud, while OpenAI says that Musk is ‘motivated by jealousy’

A lawsuit between two of Silicon Valley’s biggest tycoons goes to trial Monday in California, the culmination of a years-long bitter feud. Elon Musk has accused Sam Altman of betraying the founding agreement of the non-profit they started together, OpenAI, by changing it to a for-profit enterprise.

Musk accuses Altman, OpenAI, its president Greg Brockman, and its major partner Microsoft of breach of contract and unjust enrichment in the lawsuit. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday morning at a federal courthouse in Oakland, with opening arguments from both sides expected later this week. The trial is slated to last two to three weeks. Along with internal communications from Musk and key executives at OpenAI, the trial promises a who’s who of Silicon Valley on the witness stand, including Musk, Altman and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder review – excavating the memories of civil war in Mozambique

Inadelso Cossa’s documentary grapples with the trauma left by the conflict through witness that wavers between real and imagined truths

Lasting from 1977 to 1992, the Mozambique civil war left deep scars on the psyche of the whole nation. In his second feature, Inadelso Cossa attempts to grapple with the psychological wreckage of this harrowing period by combing through his own family history; returning to the village where he grew up, the film-maker conducts a series of interviews with his grandmother, whose testimony is rendered unreliable by her worsening dementia.

The film wavers between real and imagined truths, a liminal state echoed by the evocative cinematography. Nocturnal sequences, in which wooden sheds, grassy fields, and even Cossa’s grandmother, are wrapped in a cloak of darkness inspire a deceptive sense of calm. In the dead of night, though, the spectres of the past linger. Cossa also speaks to other historical witnesses: Macuacua and Zalina, an older couple, spend much of their screen time bickering but these domestic moments are underlined with unease. A former soldier, Macuacua was once a participant in the violence against civilians but his life now, however, is marred by poverty. In a striking scene, Macuacua holds up a tree branch shaped like a rifle and reenacts a patrol route from his youth with astonishing matter-of-factness. As his muscle memory kicks in, the past and the present collapse together to startling effect.

For Cossa, history is distilled in these kinds of gestures, moving beyond linear time. Although the film is bookended by archival footage, the director prioritises non-traditional forms of documentation, such as monologues, songs, and reenactments. While this approach embodies the slipperiness of memory, it also renders the film difficult to follow on occasion. But across these streams of oral history, what we find are not merely facts and figures, but feelings, in which pain and healing entwine.

Purple ube’s viral rise is turning a Filipino staple into a global trend — but supplies are tightening

Ube, a naturally sweet, starchy vegetable grown in the Philippines, has transcended Filipino culture and become a social media sensation.

Mane character energy: part-nag pop provocateur HorsegiirL on burnout, eco tunes and pompous idiot DJs

The half-human, half-horse star has bounced back from the brink with a grass-themed album that’s ‘a love letter to Mother Earth’. Is it true she was discovered by Whitney Horseton?

‘I’m trilingual because I speak English and German – but also neigh. We could have done the interview in horsey.” Welcome to the world of DJ and pop provocateur horsegiirL, AKA Stella Stallion, the Berlin-based half-human, half-horse, whose potent mix of Eurodance, 90s techno, happy hardcore and gabba has polarised the dance music community. On one side of the paddock are her loyal fans, or “farmies”, who fully accept the horsegiirL lore – that she was born and raised in the idyllic Sunshine farms, surrounded by animal friends, and later discovered by local legend Whitney Horseton. Lurking on the other side, near the manure, are the dance bros who derided Stallion’s meteoric rise in 2022 – aided by viral sets at HÖR Berlin and Boiler Room – as a cheap gimmick that highlighted how far dance music had strayed from its roots.

“I don’t remember his name,” laughs Stallion, 26, “but some legendary DJ from, like, 1902, said, ‘This is the face of commercialisation.’” She’s speaking from Brazil, where she is currently shooting a video for That’s My Beach, a sunkissed pop gem taken from her forthcoming climate crisis-focused debut album, Nature Is Healing. “I had to laugh because at that point I was mainly playing small underground queer and trans raves. It just showed what they were actually protecting, which was a very different space to where I see myself.”

Ireland revenge mission falls flat amid flurry of squandered chances but England march on | Sarah Rendell

France remain on track for grand slam showdown with Red Roses, whose injury-hit squad depth is being tested

Ireland sent out mixed messages from their camp before their game with France on Saturday: was this a revenge mission for their Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit or not? The head coach, Scott Bemand, had denied it but the captain, Erin King, admitted the World Cup game had added some “venom” to the encounter and the full-back Stacey Flood said France should be “worried if I was them”.

The Irish team may have had the image of Axelle Berthoumieu biting Aoife Wafer, an action that was not caught during the quarter-final but the France back row was given a nine-game ban afterwards, for added motivation if any was needed. There was certainly no love lost between the teams, with the fixture full of tension, squabbles and huge hits.

‘I should not have wished for war’: six ordinary Iranians on how the US-Israel conflict has changed them

In Tehran, the Guardian spoke to people about how war is transforming their feelings toward the regime and their country’s future

Behzad has a master’s degree in the humanities and lives with his partner in a rented flat in central Tehran. He says he didn’t take part in January’s anti-government protests, but only because the call had come from Pahlavi [the exiled son of Iran’s former monarch] and he didn’t want their protest appropriated in his name. He says he knew people shot and killed by the regime.

Carrick at Manchester United: sensible full-time option or reasons to be cautious? | Jamie Jackson

Job is his to lose after closing in on Champions League but unknown is how will the manager cope with a dip in form

Michael Carrick is the calm Manchester United interim manager who moves ever closer to being appointed the seventh permanent leader of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. To coin the cliche: it is certifiably the 44-year-old’s to lose.

Having guided United to third place and eight points clear of Brighton in sixth, two wins from their last five games will all but seal a Champions League berth due to superior goal difference. Defeat Brentford when Keith Andrews’ team visit Old Trafford on Monday and the champagne can be iced.

Human remains found in search for missing Florida doctoral student

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, has been charged with the murders of Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon, whose body was found Friday.

Iran reportedly proposes Hormuz Strait deal to U.S. Here’s where things stand — and what’s next for markets

U.S.-Iran peace talks stall. Here's where things stand — and what's next for markets

Can you solve it? Are you as s-s-smart as a snake?

This puzzle has bite

Did you hear about the snake that liked maths?

I’m sure you did – it’s one of the oldest jokes in the book.*

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout review – readers will delight in these new characters

The Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton author branches out with the tale of a Massachusetts teacher haunted by trauma

The American author Elizabeth Strout famously persisted throughout years of rejection to publish her first novel when she was in her 40s, and the hard work has certainly paid off. She won a Pulitzer prize in 2009, and has been nominated multiple times for the Booker and Women’s prizes. The Things We Never Say is her 11th book.

Strout, who grew up in Maine and New Hampshire, writes mainly about small-town America and the mostly white, working-class people who inhabit it. She’s interested in the small details of ordinary lives: people’s joys and disappointments, marriages and infidelities, and the lasting effects of trauma. The fictional world of a Strout novel often extends into subsequent companion works: Olive Kitteridge, published in 2008, was followed by Olive, Again in 2019; the characters first seen in her 2016 novel My Name Is Lucy Barton reappeared in Oh William! in 2021 and Lucy by the Sea in 2022. In 2024, Strout took this world‑building to another level when Lucy, Olive and other recurring characters were brought together in Tell Me Everything. She has charted her fictional worlds so extensively across interlinked novels and stories that readers often think of her characters as their personal friends.

Take a trip on Route 66: still delivering kicks after 100 years

The US’s most famous road celebrates its centenary. The 2,400-mile highway crosses eight states and three time zones from Chicago to LA

The Mother Road, as the author John Steinbeck called it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the devastating dust storms of the 1930s to perhaps the quintessential American road trip route that’s still delivering kicks.

Although there have been faster and more direct routes between the nation’s second and third largest cities for some time, Route 66’s neon still burns brightly and its vintage signs beckon travellers to restored motor lodges, classic diners and roadside attractions.

Richard Bacon asks celebs why they’re more famous than him: best podcasts of the week

The broadcaster’s thoughtful new interview series is an impressive feat. Plus, former tennis champ Maria Sharapova fronts a new female-orientated chatshow

Record bear sightings in Japan cause alarm as hibernation ends

Woman’s body found in Iwate prefecture last week, soon after a police officer was injured in bear attack nearby

Rested but famished bears emerging from hibernation in Japan are already coming into contact with humans, with the pace of sightings outstripping that seen in 2025, a record year for bear attacks.

According to media reports, the animals have been spotted with surprising frequency in urban areas in the country’s north-east, with authorities urging caution among people planning to spend the coming Golden Week public holidays in the countryside.

Palestinian officials hail local elections in a Gaza community and the West Bank

Palestinian officials say local elections in Gaza and the West Bank mark a step toward a long-delayed presidential election. The Palestinian Authority hasn't held a presidential election in 21 years.

Monte Coleman, who won 3 Super Bowls as a Washington linebacker, dies at age 68

The hard-nosed linebacker, who won three Super Bowls and later coached Arkansas-Pine Bluff, has died. UAPB and the Commanders announced his death Sunday. No cause of death was disclosed.

‘I needed to be in that strange, flat place’: how an Orkney garden healed a writer

After her sister died, Victoria Bennett left Cumbria for the remote Scottish archipelago, where she learned to go with the ebb and flow of life

It was during her first winter in Orkney that the nature writer Victoria Bennett experienced the joy of baying into the sea during a storm. “There’s something very physically releasing about howling,” she says. “It’s quite animalistic and powerful.” On a stormy beach, when waves are crashing on the rocks, “you can really let rip”, she says. “The sound just disappears.”

Until that moment, Bennett had been struggling with her decision to move to the remote archipelago off the north coast of Scotland. “I was beginning to feel like I was in a fight against the sea, and against the weather.”

Zombie politics is the new norm and Starmer’s dying premiership is the latest instalment | Nesrine Malik

Distracted, listless and unambitious – the PM’s true form has finally emerged. But whatever comes next must end this ruinous cycle

Finally, belatedly, an honest portrait of Keir Starmer has been allowed to form. It’s been a hell of a journey. At first he was sanctified as the Labour saviour, finally arrived. That gave way to pleas that he was essentially a good sort, new to politics and in need of time. Now an impression is emerging that he is, in fact, quite a bad egg. To quote a brutal recent summation from a Labour insider speaking to Politico: “Lots of people think Keir Starmer is a good man who is out of his depth. Wrong. He’s an asshole who’s out of his depth.”

The charges are now coming thick and fast. He cannot manage teams. He throws people under the bus to save his own skin. He cannot do the job. The whole Peter Mandelson affair, the latest instalment of which is the revelation that Mandelson failed his security vetting, and that Starmer claims not to have been told of this, has at least come with one silver lining. As his own ministers distance themselves from him and give up the ghost on live television, even loyal stalwarts can’t sustain their tedious, misguided speculation that he might be rebooted and come good. The broad conclusion is that Starmer is now beyond rehabilitation, and his fate only a matter of time. So what now?

Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist

Four-fifths of UK mental health nurses say their workload is unmanageable

Half of respondents to RCN poll said patients ‘frequently come to harm’ because caseloads are too high

Mental health patients in the UK are routinely coming to harm because of high caseloads, understaffing and overwhelming administrative work, according to a poll that found only a fifth of specialist nurses felt their workload was manageable.

Prof Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said mental health nurses were caught in a “perfect storm” and unable to keep up with rising demand, with patients paying the price by missing out on crucial care.

David Smith inside the White House press dinner shooting – podcast

When gunshots were heard from inside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night, attendees weren’t sure what was happening or if they were in danger.

It soon emerged that suspected gunman Cole Tomas Allen, 31 of Torrance, California had been arrested by security officials. Allen was armed with knives, a shotgun and a handgun at the time of arrest.

Sitting at his table inside the lavish room as the events unfolded was the Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief David Smith. He spoke to Nour Haydar about what is known about the alleged gunman’s motivations, the panic inside the room when the shots were fired and what questions are being asked about the event’s security protocols.

Read more: I’ve covered Trump for a decade. At the White House correspondents’ dinner, darkness came viscerally close

Country diary: The skies here are busy with satellites and fieldfares | Rchard Smyth

Prendwick, Northumberland: On a crisp, cold walk, I’m reminded that winter still clings on, and that familiar constellations are far from alone

The red sun rising over the radar station on Alnwick Moor picks out the tall shape of a hare at our end of the meadow. It lopes forward a little way – forever appearing, as hares always do, to be on the brink of a forward roll – and then pauses, sits up and shakes the dew from its front paws.

A nearby pheasant lets rip a choked cock-crow. Both of these animals are game, here in England (as is the red-legged partridge, toiling tortoise-like through the weeds at the meadow bottom).

‘Tracey Emin said they’re all about death’: Johnnie Shand Kydd on his dog-walk photographs – and capturing the hard-partying YBAs

He shot the YBAs boozing, canoodling – and shaking up the art scene. Now the photographer has found inspiration in some other unruly characters: his lurchers. We join him for walkies in rural Suffolk

‘Finn! Finn! FINN!” Johnnie Shand Kydd is having trouble keeping his inquisitive lurcher in sight. Finn may be an incredibly sweet-natured dog but he’s hard of hearing – and has previous for disappearing on this particular walk.

At least the photographer has experience in dealing with unruly characters. In the 1990s, he found himself embedded with the Young British Artists, granted free rein to shoot the hedonistic, chaotic and wildly creative art scene that birthed Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas and more. Shot in black and white, these images upended the convention for artists posing in their studios, easels in hand. “I just wasn’t interested in that at all,” says Shand Kydd. Instead, his photographs capture Hirst balancing a tower of hats on his head, Emin in a rubber dinghy with Georgina Starr, a newly pregnant Sam Taylor-Johnson (then Taylor-Wood) and a whole load of partying, boozing and canoodling.

People in UK spend fewer years in good health than a decade ago, study finds

Exclusive: Health Foundation says Britain is ‘going backwards’ compared with most other rich countries

• Findings on healthy life expectancy in UK shed light on its deteriorating health

People in the UK are spending fewer years in good health than a decade ago, prompting concern that the population’s health is “going backwards”.

The sharp decline in Britain’s healthy life expectancy, the amount of time someone spends free of illness or disability, is in sharp contrast to its recent rise in most other rich countries globally.

Drug use in England spikes during heatwaves and big sports events, research finds

Project that tested traces of illicit drugs in wastewater also found higher use during Eurovision song contest

Traces of illicit drugs in wastewater in England show spikes in usage during bank holiday weekends, heatwaves and sports events, while the Eurovision song contest ranks as one of the most drug-fuelled nights of the year.

Tests at water treatment plants across the country found clear patterns in drug taking through the week and changing seasons, and revealed particularly high levels of cocaine and ketamine use compared with other European countries.

Spooky feelings in old houses may be caused by boiler sounds, study suggests

Inaudible infrasound from old pipes and ventilation systems may affect how people feel, research indicates

For believers in the paranormal, unsettling sensations brought on by old buildings can be a sinister hint of loitering spirits. But new research points to a more mundane explanation: inaudible sounds from aged pipes and boilers.

Scientists investigated the impact of infrasound on a group of volunteers and found that even though it was beyond the range of human hearing, people were more irritable and levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, rose when the sound was switched on.

Harvey Fierstein on Kinky Boots, addiction and survival: ‘When you get sober, it takes five years to get your marbles back’

He found roaring success on Broadway with Torch Song Trilogy, then appeared in blockbusters Mrs Doubtfire and Independence Day. But notoriety had a cost. The 73-year-old stage legend talks recovery, grief and why he’s taking aim at Trump

I hear Harvey Fierstein’s inimitable rasp as soon as I enter Cotton Candy Fabrics quilt store in Connecticut. The walls are lined with vibrant fabrics and colourful quilts hang from the ceiling. On any given day you’ll probably find the 73-year-old five-time Tony winner here, among a chatty cast of crafty women and gay men.

Fierstein took up quilting in 2009, partly inspired, he says, by his enjoyment of the cable TV show Simply Quilts, but also because of the Names Project Aids Memorial Quilt. It was to be displayed in Washington DC, and he wanted to make panels for two of his close friends who had died of the disease. He has been prolific ever since. He shows me photos of his creations on his phone: an LGBTQ+ rights quilt featuring pink triangles, yellow stars of David – the “Jewish badge” – and Nazi-saluting skeletons; Fierstein with his two dogs; some horny, phallic trees he dreamed about; and an even hornier nude portrait of a young man (an Amazon delivery driver, apparently).

Another strike on alleged drug boat kills 3 in eastern Pacific, military says

The latest U.S. military strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed three people Sunday.

US strike kills three on alleged narco boat as campaign death toll hits 185

Military video shows boat moving swiftly in water before explosion leaves it in flames

The US military said on Sunday three men were killed when it struck a boat it claimed was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

This latest strike – which follows dozens of similar attacks on alleged drug boats in recent months – brings the US campaign’s death toll to at least 185, according to a tally compiled by Agence France-Presse.

Nedra Talley Ross, last surviving member of the Ronettes, dies aged 80

Singer performed hits including Be My Baby with her cousins Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett

• Comment: Nedra Talley Ross helped make the Ronettes the platonic ideal of a girl group

Nedra Talley Ross, the last surviving member of the 1960s pop band the Ronettes, has died aged 80.

Talley Ross, who was one part of the band with her cousins Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett, died at home on Sunday morning, her daughter Nedra K Ross announced on social media.

4/26/2026: Shots Fired; Ben Sasse; The Pigeon Mafia

First, President Donald Trump: The 2026 60 Minutes Interview. Then, Ben Sasse: The 60 Minutes Interview. And, a report on the pigeon mafia.

Ben Sasse on Senate's "smack-down nonsense" and his wish for America

Former Sen. Ben Sasse, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer late last year, spoke to CBS News about why Congress is dysfunctional, the promises and risks of AI and his wish for the country.

4/26: CBS Weekend News

Breakdown of White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting; alleged gunman wrote that he expected more security.

Father and four children escaped blaze that killed two others at home in Blue Mountains foothills

NSW police say human remains found and four people taken to hospital after overnight fire in Bowen Mountain house

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Two bodies, believed to be those of children, have been found inside a Blue Mountains home destroyed by a fire which four other children and their father managed to escape.

The family of six children, aged from three to 16, and their father, who is in his 30s, were inside the home in the small town of Bowen Mountain in the foothills of the Blue Mountains when the home caught fire in the early hours of Monday morning.

Michael moonwalks to $217m opening weekend, shattering box office records for a biopic

Michael Jackson biopic has shrugged off controversy, bad reviews and a troubled production to take $217m worldwide, including $97m in North America

Michael, the big-budget Michael Jackson biopic, has shrugged off bad reviews and a troubled production to launch with a $97m opening in North American theaters, contributing to its enormous $217m (£160m, A$303m) worldwide box office and shattering the record for the biggest biopic opening of all time.

The film, a highly authorised portrayal of the “king of pop” that was co-produced by the Jackson estate and stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, took $120.4m internationally and $97m domestic – combining to surpass Oppenheimer’s $180.4m worldwide opening weekend in 2023 and Bohemian Rhapsody’s $124m in 2018.

Alleged Colorado attacker's family released after nearly a year in detention

A Texas judge ordered Hayam El Gamal and her five children released Thursday. Two days later, their lawyers say, ICE re-arrested and tried to deport them.

What we know about the suspect in shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

The suspect was identified to CBS News by law enforcement sources as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California.

Tony Dokoupil on political violence in America after Saturday's correspondents' dinner attack

Tony Dokoupil shares his thoughts on Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Latest info on White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

Tony Dokoupil, Nancy Cordes, Matt Gutman and Weijia Jiang lay out what we know about Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Deadly tornadoes pummel North Texas

At least two people died and six others were injured as severe weather rolled through North Texas Saturday night. Nicole Valdes reports on the destruction and Rob Marciano has a look at the forecast.

WHCA President Weijia Jiang recounts sitting next to Trump during shooting

CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang is also the president of the White House Correspondents' Association. She describes what she experienced when shots rang out at the organization's dinner while she was sitting next to President Trump.

What's in the "manifesto" of the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting suspect

Cole Allen, 31, sent an email to family members shortly before the annual press gala, officials told CBS News.

Alleged gunman wrote that he expected more security at White House Correspondents' Dinner

The suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner wrote that he was surprised by the security protocol at the event. Matt Gutman reports on what we know about the alleged gunman.

Trump describes White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting to 60 Minutes

President Trump appeared on "60 Minutes" Sunday night, telling Norah O'Donnell about his experience during Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Minute by minute: How the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting unfolded

President Trump was safely evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night following a shooting outside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Breakdown of White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

Nancy Cordes has a timeline of Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, details on the suspect and info on the site of the attack.

Xavi Simons ruled out for rest of season and World Cup with ruptured ACL

• ‘Heartbroken’ Tottenham midfielder injured at Wolves

• Netherlands star faces eight months on the sidelines

Xavi Simons has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will be out for around eight months. The Tottenham midfielder suffered the injury in his team’s 1-0 win at Wolves on Saturday and will be unavailable for the remainder of the club’s Premier League survival fight. His devastation has been compounded by the knowledge that he will not be able to play for the Netherlands at the World Cup finals this summer.

Simons was stretchered off at Molineux in the 63rd minute after twisting his knee in the turf as he chased a ball towards the byline. It is a terrible blow for him and the club, whose new manager, Roberto De Zerbi, was counting on the 23-year-old’s creativity in the battle against relegation. Despite the victory over Wolves, which was Spurs’ first in 16 league games, they remain 18th in the table, two points behind 17th-placed West Ham with four matches to play.

Renewable energy will boost national security and protect UK from sabotage, minister says

Widely dispersed wind farms and solar panels are harder to target than fossil fuel power stations, Michael Shanks says

Renewable energy will boost the UK’s national security and make the country more resilient against potential aggression or sabotage, the government’s energy minister has said.

Michael Shanks said widely dispersed wind farms and solar panels were much harder to target than large-scale fossil fuel power stations. They are also not vulnerable to supply shocks, such as the current oil crisis caused by the US-Israel war on Iran and the soaring gas prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Nelly Korda world No 1 again after winning Chevron Championship

• American led from first round at Memorial Park

• Korda leads rankings for first time since August

Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship on Sunday with a performance worthy of her return to the No 1 ranking in women’s golf.

Holding a five-shot lead at the start of the final round, Korda was efficient as ever and no one could get closer than four shots all afternoon at Memorial Park. She closed with a two-under 70 for a five-shot victory to capture the third major of her career.

John Higgins rallies to keep Ronnie O’Sullivan in his sights at Crucible

• Scot wins last three frames of session to trail 9-7

• Champion Zhao Xintong beats compatriot Ding Junhui

Ronnie O’Sullivan thumped the table in frustration as John Higgins reeled in the seven-time world snooker champion in an enthralling second session of their second round match at the Crucible on Sunday night.

O’Sullivan twice led by five frames and looked set to cruise towards the quarter-finals at the expense of the out-of-sorts Scot, before Higgins drew on his decades of top-level experience to end the evening just two adrift at 9-7.

UK urged to deploy EU-style ‘trade bazooka’ against Trump’s tariffs

‘Inadequate economic security’ is putting growth and jobs at risk, says British Chambers of Commerce

UK business leaders have called on the government to build an EU-style “trade bazooka” to protect Britain’s economic interests in response to the latest tariff threats from Donald Trump.

As transatlantic tensions rise, the British Chambers of Commerce said the UK’s “inadequate economic security” was putting growth and jobs at risk.

New IRA suspected over car explosion outside Belfast police station

Police say incident in Dunmurry in which no one was hurt shows ‘murderous intent still exists’ in paramilitaries

“Murderous intent and capability” still exists within paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, officers have said after a car exploded outside a police station on the outskirts of Belfast.

Detectives said they believed the New IRA was involved and are treating it as attempted murder.

The Cage review – an astonishing, deeply moving state-of-the-nation thriller

The creator of The Responder’s new offering is the tale of two casino employees robbing their workplace. It’s a perfectly plotted thriller but it’s also so much more than that

Four years ago, Tony Schumacher, a former taxi driver and police officer turned novelist, made his television writing debut with The Responder. It was a five-part series starring Martin Freeman as a police officer on the edge of a breakdown, his mental, emotional and physical resources worn away every night by the ceaseless tide of crime – swelled by misery, desperation and selfishness – that he and his colleagues are supposed to be turning. It was a drama that dissected just about every social and psychological issue that drives our despair, and dared you not to look away. It was profoundly compassionate, harrowing and brilliant. Which makes it a lot to live up to.

Schumacher’s new offering, The Cage, however, does so. Ostensibly it is the tale of the robbery of a casino by two of its employees, cashier Leanne (Sheridan Smith) and manager Matty (Michael Socha). In reality it is, like The Responder, an astonishing, deeply angry, deeply moving state-of-the-nation piece merely masquerading as a mesmerising, perfectly paced and plotted thriller.

Trump presses his case for White House ballroom following press dinner shooting

The President took to social media to reiterate his case that White House ballroom is a matter of national security in the wake of the press dinner shooting.

5 injured in shooting near Indiana University following Little 500 races

Police said the shooting occurred after a fight outside Five Guys. The victims were women between the ages of 17 to 22 years old.

A fast-growing Georgia wildfire tops 31 square miles, with evacuations possible

One of two large wildfires in southeastern Georgia continues to grow and now exceeds 31 square miles.

Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," April 26, 2026

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth join Margaret Brennan.

Scenes from the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

Here are some of the chaotic scenes that occurred in the aftermath of the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

Coco Gauff reaches fourth round despite vomiting on court at Madrid Open

• American beats Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1

• Gauff struggles as virus spreads through locker room

Coco Gauff described how difficult it has been for players to remain healthy at the Madrid Open this year after she reached the fourth round despite vomiting on court and struggling with a virus that appears to have torn through the locker room.

“I think I got a little cocky because I’ve been at tournaments where there were viruses and I never got it,” she said. “I saw it going around, I was like, ‘I’m not going to get it.’ And then here I am. I think it’s hard because you don’t know who’s sick, who’s not. I do a good job at using hand sanitiser and washing my hands and wiping my [training] mats and stuff before I use them. But sometimes some things are just hard to avoid when you’re all in a big building like this and have to pass each other and use the same equipment. Hopefully everybody’s all good by Rome.”

U.K. ambassador: "Very confident" of security during King Charles' upcoming visit

Sir Christian Turner, the British ambassador to the U.S., told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he is "very confident" that King Charles and Queen Camilla will have the "very best security" in their visit to the White House this week.

Rep. Jamie Raskin says "I certainly hope" this is a turning point in DHS funding standoff

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that "I certainly hope" the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner marks a turning point in the standoff in Congress about the funding standoff.

The Guardian view on Trump and the Washington shooting: political violence and gun culture endanger all | Editorial

Determining the attacker’s motivation may take time. But toxic rhetoric, polarisation and the ubiquity of firearms are a dangerous mix

Forty-five years ago, John Hinckley Jr attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan as he left the Hilton hotel in Washington, injuring the US president and three others. Obsessed with the actor Jodie Foster, and seeking to gain her attention, the shooter had initially pursued Reagan’s Democratic predecessor, Jimmy Carter.

On Saturday night, the hotel again rang to shots as it hosted the annual White House correspondents’ dinner. Tuxedo-clad politicians and journalists dived under tables as bangs were heard from the lobby, and Donald Trump was rushed from the stage. A secret service agent was shot, though saved by his ballistics vest. The echoes of the 1981 attack are a potent reminder that violence has long been a tragic strand of the American political tradition. Gun violence is grimly familiar. This does not diminish the seriousness of an incident that was widely and rightly condemned. Rather, it highlights its importance.

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.

Security contributor: "We are facing the most complex threat environment" in U.S. history

Sam Vinograd, CBS News national security contributor, joined "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" with CBS News law enforcement analyst AT Smith after the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, saying that the U.S. is facing "the most complex threat environment in our nation's history, in particular, from lone actors, individuals who radicalized to violence, often online."

Weijia Jiang on WH Correspondents' Dinner shooting: "No amount of reporting can prepare you"

CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang, who is the president of the White House Correspondents' Association, was sitting next to President Trump when gunshots rang out at the dinner. She described the scene.

Final steps taken before audacious plan to tow whale stranded in Germany to North Sea

Millionaire funded operation called ‘pure animal cruelty’ after environment minister sent threats on social media

Final preparations are reportedly under way for a millionaire funded plan to tow a sickly humpback whale into the North Sea.

The 12-tonne whale, nicknamed Timmy, has been stranded on the Baltic Sea coastline for almost a month. A barge resembling a giant steel aquarium will attempt to transport Timmy 400km (248 miles) towards the North Sea, and then hopefully back to the Atlantic Ocean from where it is believed to have arrived.

Orbán associates rush to move wealth out of Hungary after election defeat

Incoming PM Péter Magyar accuses Fidesz-linked figures of trying to shield their wealth from accountability

Along the banks of the Danube, news that the Viktor Orbán era had come to an end set off an hours-long party. The joy echoed across Hungary as people traded hugs and high-fives. For some, however, the landslide loss set off a frantic scramble.

Private jets allegedly laden with the spoils of those whose wealth swelled during Orbán’s 16 years in power have steadily been taking off from Vienna, while other individuals are racing to invest their assets abroad, sources have told the Guardian. Meanwhile, high-level figures close to Orbán have been looking into US visa options, hoping to find work at Maga-linked institutions.

Bread and honey for breakfast and 150 miles a week training: secrets of Sawe’s world record

• Kenyan first man to run sub-two-hour marathon

• ‘I have shown that nothing is not possible’

Sabastian Sawe’s astonishing world marathon record of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds at Sunday’s ­London Marathon was fuelled by running 150 miles a week, wearing the ­lightest super shoes in history and a pre-race breakfast of bread and honey, the Kenyan and his team have revealed.

With an estimated 800,000 watching in the capital, the 31-year-old became the first man to run a sub-two-hour marathon in an official race as he powered home in the second half of the race to shatter the world record.

4/26: Face The Nation

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and White House Correspondents' Association President and CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang join after gunshots rang out at the annual dinner. Plus, U.K. Ambassador to the U.K., Sir Christian Turner, joins.

Voting in Gaza and Washington shooting: photos of the weekend

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

Tom Gauld on almost reading the greats – cartoon

The truth about cooking oils: 14 essential facts for healthier, cheaper meals

From avocado to hemp, extra virgin olive and rapeseed, the shops are packed with various oils. But what is worth spending money on? And are any of them actually better for you?

The world of cooking oils is confusing. I keep spotting new ones on supermarket shelves, trumpeting their health claims. Cold-pressed avocado oil, extra virgin macadamia oil, organic coconut oil, premium hemp seed oil … Even familiar oils are mired in controversy. Is it OK to cook with olive oil? Should you avoid seed oils? Meanwhile, prices keep rising – earlier this month, Walter Zanre, the CEO of Filippo Berio UK, said supermarkets were “taking the mickey” out of customers over olive oil pricing. I asked the experts which oils are really worth splashing out on.

Cosmeticorexia: a worrying obsession with flawless skin or just a new term for an old problem?

The uptick in children focused on skincare has some experts concerned about body image and mental health. But others warn of the risks of rushing to ‘medicalise’ new trends or behaviours

Sephora stores are being overrun with tweens pumping product testers. Eight-year-olds film themselves on “Sephora hauls” and GRWM (get ready with me) videos, applying collagen boosting serums and retinol creams for their nonexistent wrinkles. And party bags are stuffed with face masks and fluffy headbands, instead of glitter and gummy bears.

The rise of “Sephora kids” is a widely reported issue but the uptick of children “obsessed” with skincare has some experts concerned about the long-term effects of age-inappropriate products and increased occupation with appearance at such a pivotal age.

Gunfire at the White House correspondents’ dinner is another grim sign of our times | Robert Reich

A Washington DC event descending into panic and fear after gunshots is, sadly, of a piece with the chaotic tragedy of our times

For as long as I can remember, the White House correspondents’ dinner was where the Washington press corps and Washington officials basked in each other’s celebrity.

Saturday night’s dinner ended abruptly with gunshots, Secret Service officers screaming at attendees to “get down”, Donald Trump and other officials being rapidly ushered out of the ballroom, plates crashing and chairs falling, and general pandemonium.

Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now in the US and in the UK

World leaders express shock, support after White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

Leaders from the U.K., France, the EU and Pakistan react to a shooting at a high-profile dinner in Washington, D.C., with Trump and his cabinet members.

Pope Leo has stirred awake a progressive Christianity. It can rise again | Bill McKibben

With his stand against Trump, the pope has shown the far right doesn’t have a monopoly on Christianity. If people of good faith push hard, the future could be redefined

In the same way that America’s shambolic war on Iran has turned Donald Trump into the most effective EV salesman the world has ever seen, so his attempts to defend said war have produced another unlikely outcome: the rise of a genuine and global theological debate. Led by Pope Leo but extending across Christian denominations, it’s producing the sudden recognition that a kind of progressive Christianity long given over for dead seems to be stirring. Christ is risen, as it were – and if people of good faith push hard, the future could be redefined in powerful ways.

This story has developed so rapidly, with so many steps, that it’s hard to remember them all. When America launched its cruel attack, there was widespread reporting that some officers were exhorting to treat it as a prelude to the second coming. That provoked no pushback from the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, a representative of a tattooed Christianity (not that it matters, but have these people not read Leviticus?); indeed, with each press conference Hegseth edged closer to a revival meeting, invoking God’s blessing on his bombing and pillaging. “We are hitting them while they’re down, which is the way it should be,” he said.

Why are people pumping their bodies with fat from corpses? | Tayo Bero

The cosmetic procedure raises concern about the tissue donation process – and our own anxieties about our appearance

There’s a buzzy new diva in the world of cosmetic injectables and she’s quick, easy to recover from … and came from a dead body.

Indeed, people are injecting themselves with fat from corpses in order to pump up their physiques, and it’s catching on more than you would think. “It’s a gamechanger,” Dr Douglas Steinbrech, surgeon at Alpha Male, a Manhattan plastic surgery clinic that’s become popular for this procedure, told the Guardian. “[Recipients] don’t need surgery. They don’t need general anesthesia. They don’t have recovery, and the pain from all that.”

Lena Dunham is right that fame is toxic. Unfortunately, we’re all famous now | Emma Beddington

Our lives are mediated through social media, which gives us twitchy main-character energy. No wonder we’re not enjoying it

In my teens, I wanted to be famous. I did absolutely nothing to further this goal, but I spent ages daydreaming about being profiled in Vogue, showcasing my great beauty and coolness, and choosing eight obscure indie tracks for Desert Island Discs (I listened to Radio 4 a lot; further proof of my coolness). Then I grew up and fame became horrible.

Fame was probably always horrible – think of all those golden age starlets used, abused and spat out by the studio system – but it’s extra horrible now. Lena Dunham’s new memoir, Famesick, catalogues with candour the distorting effect of internet-age global celebrity: the way it warps relationships, self-image, every interaction. Dunham describes the infinite torrent of online hate and ferocious disgust (she compulsively tallied how many times she was described as “fat” or “ugly” on Twitter); the way friends, acquaintances and strangers treated her as a “bottomless resource”; the toxic impact of fame on her mental health.

‘It’s still a no-go area’: German author Matthias Jügler on the trauma surrounding the GDR’s ‘stolen children’

The reaction among officials in Germany to his bestselling novel has been hostile. As Mayfly Season is published in the UK, its author explains why

A few weeks after the German publication of his debut novel in 2024, author Matthias Jügler received a call from an employee at the German government agency tasked with investigating the human rights abuses of the socialist east.

The call wasn’t overtly threatening; Jügler was asked to explain what historical source material he had consulted for Mayfly Season and which period he was planning to tackle in his next book. But it came after another government official had accused him of traumatising some of his readership, and after the organiser of a reading had asked him to bring along documents proving the plausibility of his book’s plot.

Dining across the divide: ‘In France we’d be at each other’s throats, but in the UK you say the most horrible things, smiling’

One moved to the UK 20 years ago. The other is considering a vote for Restore Britain. Could they agree on national symbols and Brexit?

• Want to meet someone from across the divide? Click here to find out how

Caroline, 57, Plymouth

Occupation Professor of developmental psychology